Practicing the Saber Technique, Du Jian Buries His Mother

[Obtained Soul Severing Saber Technique (Yellow Rank, Middle Grade)]

[Proficiency: 0/10 (Uninitiated)]

A surge of information flooded Bai Yu's mind.

The Soul Severing Saber, consisting of three moves.

The first severs the head, the second disembowels, and the third eradicates the family line.

All extremely simple yet ruthless techniques.

Bai Yu was overjoyed. He grabbed his wood-chopping knife and began practicing in the small courtyard.

Under the moonlight, Bai Yu executed each move with precision.

Nearby, a black dog sat on a small stool, meticulously studying Meng's Herbal Compendium.

An hour later, Bai Yu was drenched in sweat, his eyes growing sharper.

The Soul Severing Saber's proficiency increased by 0.1.

This Soul Severing Saber belonged to martial skills and did not increase the cultivation realm.

However, its impact on practical combat ability was extremely significant.

If Bai Yu mastered the Soul Severing Saber, his combat prowess should double.

From then on, Bai Yu had another goal besides delivering coffins and practicing his fist techniques: practicing the saber.

The next day, Bai Yu still got up early and came to the front hall.

Today, "Know-It-All" Zhu Tong was on duty. He yawned and said, "Brother Bai is up. Going for breakfast?"

Bai Yu responded with a smile, "Yes, Brother Tong, have you eaten? I'll bring you a portion."

Zhu Tong laughed, "That's great. Please trouble Brother Bai to get a portion of scallion noodles from Granny Wang."

"Granny Wang's stall is clean, with generous portions and good value. Everyone in our Mortuary eats there."

Bai Yu nodded and went to Willow Street across the way.

Eating a bowl of hot scallion noodles was refreshing.

This Willow Street had incense, paper horses, snacks, and sundries on one side, which was quite interesting.

Bai Yu packed a few portions of scallion noodles.

This reminded him of his experience bringing food for his roommates.

The scallion noodles were packed in large bamboo tubes and carried back.

Besides Zhu Tong, Daoist Lin Jiu, Mangzi, and even Old Zhang each got a portion.

Of course, Old Mo wouldn't be left out.

Bai Yu carried the scallion noodles back to the Mortuary.

Zhu Tong stuffed two coins over, praising Bai Yu for being generous.

Bai Yu then entered the inner courtyard, where Mangzi was washing his face.

Bai Yu smiled and said, "Brother Mang is up, I brought you a portion of noodles. I'll put it on this table."

After Bai Yu left, Mangzi looked at the plain noodles and thought of yesterday's events again.

After a long while, he slapped himself again and again.

"What am I doing? I deserve to die."

Bai Yu's act of bringing food for everyone brought them closer together, and he quickly integrated into the Mortuary's small group.

This morning, Old Zhang brought in five more corpses.

All of them were vagrants who had starved to death on the streets.

Bai Yu took on the task of burial.

He obtained a total of 8 points of Blood Essence, 5 points of Strength, and 6 points of Life Experience.

Despite the number of people being higher than yesterday, the burial reward was less.

However, Bai Yu was not in a hurry.

Being able to gain something every day and steadily increase his strength, even immortals wouldn't trade such a life.

In the afternoon, Bai Yu and Zhu Tong were chatting idly in the front hall.

Zhu Tong was vividly recounting his glorious deeds of how he displayed his prowess at the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

Suddenly, a thin and wiry young man entered the Mortuary, carrying a corpse on his back.

"Could you two gentlemen please find a place to bury my mother?"

The Mortuary was connected to the Mass Burial Grounds, so in theory, it had a responsibility to collect corpses.

However, Zhu Tong's face darkened, and he said impatiently:

"This is all government land; we can't just bury people here. Go, go, go."

The gaunt young man's lips were cracked, and he said anxiously:

"Please, sirs, I really can't find a place to bury my mother."

Everywhere in Jiang City was owned, and you couldn't just dig a hole and bury someone.

Zhu Tong said impatiently:

"No land, no land. If you want to bury her, it's fifty copper coins."

"This is it. You can't even dream of finding a place to bury someone for fifty copper coins outside."

The gaunt young man was helpless, searching his body again and again, and finally only scraped together forty-six copper coins.

Zhu Tong took the coins and waved his hand:

"Forget it, forget it, just consider it a good deed."

"Bai Yu, take him to the Mass Burial Grounds and choose a piece of land to bury her."

Bai Yu nodded and led the gaunt young man to dig a pit and bury the body.

Finally, he played a mournful tune.

[Successful funeral, funeral participation 37%.]

[Blood Essence +3, Life Experience +4]

The gaunt young man gratefully glanced at Bai Yu and silently descended the Mass Burial Grounds.

Bai Yu returned to the front hall, and Zhu Tong stuffed eighteen copper coins over.

"According to custom, Wu the Unvirtuous takes ten coins, and the rest is split between us brothers."

"Bai Yu, you did well, not saying anything out of turn because you were soft-hearted."

Bai Yu was silent.

Every profession has its unwritten rules.

For menial workers, simple things must be made complicated.

If you refuse and prevaricate, others will spend money.

If Bai Yu had softened his heart, he would have ruined the Mortuary's way of making money.

Then he definitely wouldn't be able to survive here.

Bai Yu understood the ins and outs of this at a glance, but he still felt uneasy.

Zhu Tong continued to chatter on the side:

"Bai Yu, don't think we're heartless. People who live near the mountains live off the mountains, and people who live near the water live off the water. Relying on the Mortuary, we can only make money off the dead."

"We only get a hundred copper coins a month, and a bowl of scallion noodles costs two coins."

"Even if we eat two meals a day like the farmers, it's not enough to spend."

"If we don't make some extra money, we'll starve to death sooner or later."

Bai Yu nodded with a grin.

"Brother Tong is right. I have a bit of a stomachache right now. Brother Tong, you watch over here first. I'm going to relieve myself."

With that, he left the Mortuary's gate.

Zhu Tong looked at Bai Yu's back, shook his head, and muttered to himself:

"Why go outside when you have a stomachache? The outhouse is inside."

"This kid, his conscience is still bothering him."

"When he's hungry one day, he'll know to discount his conscience and exchange it for firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar."

Just as he was talking to himself, he subconsciously turned his head and suddenly saw Daoist Lin Jiu standing behind him at some point.

"Master Lin."

Daoist Lin Jiu ignored him and instead looked out the door, lost in thought.

At this time, Bai Yu was sprinting along the official road, quickly catching up with the gaunt young man.

"This brother, wait a moment. I charged you too much just now; I'm returning twenty copper coins to you."

Bai Yu stuffed a string of copper coins into the young man's hand.

The young man looked at the copper coins in his hand with great surprise.

He had already spent all his savings before, and now he didn't have a single coin on him, and he had reached a dead end.

Bai Yu's twenty copper coins rekindled his hope.

He knew that the Mortuary never had too much money, so the young man in front of him must have returned it himself.

The lean youth solemnly bowed to Bai Yu:

"My name is Du Jian. Thank you, brother, for playing music to bury my mother, and thank you for your support."

"If Du Jian ever makes it big, I will never forget your great kindness."

"May I ask for your esteemed name?"

Bai Yu smiled:

"It's nothing to be grateful for. You can just call me Bai Yu."

"By the way, what are your plans for the future?"

Du Jian glanced into the distance and said:

"I heard there are traces of immortals on Chicken Cry Mountain. I want to try my luck with immortality."

"Then, I wish you a safe journey."