Funeral Rewards, Two Techniques!

Bai Yu's elegy actually made the deceased close his eyes.

Someone with sharp eyes noticed it and tugged at the person beside them:

"Look! Young Master Zhang has closed his eyes."

Before long, word spread from one to ten and ten to a hundred; everyone present noticed.

"Unbelievable. Young Master Zhang hadn't closed his eyes for so long, yet now his eyelids have shut directly."

"This is a good thing. It means he has let go of the knot in his heart."

"That young fellow playing the suona is incredible. One tune from his suona has brought peace to people's hearts."

Daoist Lin Jiu nodded repeatedly:

"Little Bai's suona piece has already gained artistic conception, with the miraculous effect of calming souls and soothing minds."

"I truly have no idea how, at such a young age, he came to comprehend it."

Liu Yiqu lay collapsed to one side, staring at Bai Yu in disbelief.

"Divine intent! The tune he played actually carries the divine intent to calm souls!"

"I've played the suona for thirty years, yet I haven't even touched the edge of divine intent."

The most shocked of all were Patriarch Zhang's family.

Madam Zhang threw herself over the coffin:

"My son, you can finally rest with your eyes closed."

"Go in peace. In your next life, never be so eager to contend and outdo others."

Patriarch Zhang, meanwhile, let out a long breath.

"Good, good, good. My son can now set out on his journey with peace of mind."

"Come! Reward him! Give this young suona master twenty taels of silver, and give the other musicians five taels each."

At that moment, Bai Yu did not notice anyone else's reaction.

His attention had been caught by a message on the panel.

With the family's satisfaction exceeding 50%, one additional reward may be selected.

There was actually such a thing!

Bai Yu secretly rejoiced.

The rewards on Young Master Zhang's body were all extraordinary items. This was simply wonderful.

The funeral then proceeded smoothly, with wind at its back and sails full.

Bai Yu and the many funeral bands took turns playing mournful music for three days.

At last, Young Master Zhang was buried in a fine patch of geomantic land behind the funeral home.

After the funeral was complete, Bai Yu returned to his room and began selecting his rewards.

Funeral successfully completed!

Funeral participation: 69%. Family satisfaction: 77%. Two additional rewards may be selected!

Reward obtained: Vitality +25, Life Experience +151.

Selectable rewards: Swimming Dragon Palm, Overlord Fist, Flying Cloud Thirteen Swords, Soaring Step, Mystic Tortoise Breath Concealment Art, Art of Subduing Women.

The techniques Young Master Zhang cultivated were all of exceptional quality.

At the very least, they were Yellow Rank, Middle Grade.

After much deliberation, Bai Yu chose Soaring Step and Mystic Tortoise Breath Concealment Art.

One was a Yellow Rank, Middle Grade movement technique, while the other was a Yellow Rank, High Grade breath-concealment technique.

As one who possessed eternal life, first, he had to be able to run; second, he had to be able to hide his trump cards.

A movement technique and a breath-concealment technique were absolutely indispensable.

With these two techniques, Bai Yu's ability to preserve his life greatly increased.

As for Swimming Dragon Palm, Overlord Fist, and Flying Cloud Thirteen Swords, though all were of extremely high quality, Bai Yu already had substitute techniques.

If he wanted to cultivate them anew, he would have to spend a great deal of effort.

After claiming the rewards, two streams of information appeared in Bai Yu's mind.

The two techniques seemed engraved into his brain, impossible to forget even if he wished to.

Bai Yu's attribute panel now became:

Name: Bai Yu.

Aptitude: 5

Vitality: 56

Strength: 62

Cultivation: Second Rank Muscle Forging Realm.

Technique: Five Elements Fist (proficiency through practice, 331/1000)

Martial skills: Soul Severing Blade (initial glimpse), Dark Turtle Breath Concealment Art (not yet initiated), Lingxu Step (not yet initiated)

Divine ability: Eternal Life.

Other skills: Essence Nourishing Powder (not yet initiated), playing the suona (mastery), literacy (initial glimpse), hunting (initial glimpse), Meng's Herbal Compendium (initial glimpse).

In addition, Bai Yu had accumulated more than 300 points of Life Experience, to prepare for any unforeseen need.

Bai Yu thought for a moment, then spent 20 points of Life Experience to raise Dark Turtle Breath Concealment Art and Lingxu Step to the level of an initial glimpse.

The information on the techniques in his mind grew increasingly clear, giving him brand-new insights into both arts.

Bai Yu assumed a strange stance, like an enormous tortoise standing upright.

He held the posture as though in meditation, and even his breathing became faint to the point of seeming nonexistent.

Most astonishing of all, the aura around his entire body began to draw inward.

That surging power of vitality and blood grew still, until it became no different from that of an ordinary person.

From the outside, Bai Yu now looked like nothing more than a handsome ordinary man. Apart from having somewhat more muscle, there was nothing unusual about him.

Bai Yu slowly opened his eyes, his heart brimming with delight.

With Mystic Tortoise Breath Concealment Art, handling matters in the future would become much more convenient.

After all, the first law of the path of lying low was to fight opponents above one's rank.

Mystic Tortoise Breath Concealment Art could conceal his strength exceptionally well. It was simply perfect.

Bai Yu circulated it several more times, finally suppressing his aura to around the level of First Rank Flesh Refinement.

He was in no hurry, instead repeatedly studying and using the breath-concealment art so as to leave no room for error.

Just then, a knock sounded from outside.

"Little Bai, Little Bai, come out quickly! The feast is about to begin."

Zhu Tong's excited voice came through the door.

Bai Yu opened the door, and Zhu Tong eagerly handed him half a string of copper coins.

"The funeral is over, and Patriarch Zhang is very satisfied. Everyone at the funeral home gets five hundred coins as a reward."

Bai Yu accepted the coins, silently marveling that the Zhang family truly had money to burn.

They had given him five months' wages in a single stroke.

Zhu Tong pulled Bai Yu along:

"Come, come, come! The feast is about to begin. Patriarch Zhang specifically instructed us that he wants to toast you today."

They had only walked a few steps when a man leaning on a crutch glared viciously at Bai Yu.

Liu Yiqu!

He had nearly ruined the Zhang family's funeral, and Zhang's servants had dragged him out and given him a savage beating that very day.

The funeral was almost over before he could finally get out of bed.

Liu Yiqu blocked Bai Yu's path and asked viciously:

"Kid, when you played that tune earlier, did you tamper with me?"

Bai Yu smiled faintly:

"Liu Yiqu, stop deceiving yourself. Tell me, how long has it been since you last played the suona? Even the reed has grown a patina of verdigris."

"You haven't stayed away from wine and women lately, have you? How much breath is even left in your chest?"

Bai Yu had already made an initial start with Meng's Herbal Compendium, so he could more or less be considered a half-baked doctor.

With a single glance, he could tell that Liu Yiqu's body had already been drained dry.

Playing the suona relied most heavily on a single breath held in the chest, demanding enduring stamina.

In Liu Yiqu's condition, he definitely could not finish a full performance.

Of course, there was something Bai Yu had not expected.

Liu Yiqu was weak to such an extent, yet he had exerted himself especially hard at the time. As a result, before he had even finished one tune, his breath gave out.

Bai Yu could not be bothered with Liu Yiqu and left in long strides with Zhu Tong.

Liu Yiqu remained where he was, touching the suona at his waist. Sure enough, even its reed was coated in a layer of verdigris.

He hardened his heart:

"I've been harmed by wine and women until I've become so haggard!"

"From today onward, I quit drinking!"

More than a hundred banquet tables had been laid out inside and outside the funeral home.

Ordinary guests ate open-air banquets outside, while distinguished guests had private banquet rooms inside.

As a mere menial, Bai Yu originally had no right to enter the inner area.

But Patriarch Zhang had specifically named Bai Yu for a drink, so naturally he could not be seated outside.

Thus, Bai Yu sat at a table with Manager Wu, Daoist Lin Jiu, and the others.

Patriarch Zhang truly did carry over a wine cup and drink with Bai Yu.

This greatly boosted Bai Yu's reputation, and he faintly gained the titles "Bai One-Tune" and "Bai Soul-Calmer."

Naturally, Bai Yu did not care about such empty fame.

After finishing his wine, he buried his head in the dishes.

Then he calculated when Patriarch Zhang's twenty taels of silver would be paid out.