Old Zhang's words made perfect sense.
They shattered Bai Yu's fantasies about wandering heroes of the martial world.
Fortunately, Bai Yu had never wanted to roam the martial world in the first place.
Wasn't it good enough to lie low in the mortuary until the end of time?
But Mangzi was different. He liked to walk one road all the way into darkness; that was where the "mang" in Mangzi came from.
The next day, he bid farewell to everyone at the mortuary and set off down the road of the martial world without looking back.
After Mangzi left, everyone found it a little hard to adjust at first, but they eventually got used to it.
The mortuary hired new people again, opening ten positions this time.
The old rules: nine drew empty salaries, while one actually did the work.
The newcomer this time was surnamed Wang, a rather sharp young man who was honored with the nickname "Little Wang."
Time flowed slowly onward, past the great tree in the courtyard, as the green leaves upon its branches gradually turned yellow.
Unhurried and untroubled, the years were peaceful and fine.
Conducting funerals, practicing his fists, and occasionally going to the Black Market to sell Essence Nourishing Powder.
He sold only twenty packets a month, earning two or three taels of silver, never greedily seeking more.
That morning, he swallowed a packet of Essence Nourishing Powder and began practicing his fist art.
Azure Dragon Grasps!
Vermillion Bird Spreads Wings!
White Tiger Howls in the Forest!
Black Tortoise Returns to the Sea!
Bai Yu repeatedly practiced the four forms of the Four Elephants Five Elements Fist.
All of a sudden, he felt as though water had naturally flowed into its channel, and a brand-new understanding of this fist art arose within him.
The Four Elephants Five Elements Fist had finally advanced another step.
Four Elephants Five Elements Fist: Mastery (0/10000).
His aptitude had also increased by 3 points, rising from 5 to 8.
Because of that increase in aptitude, he had even gained fresh insights into his other cultivation arts.
Delighted, Bai Yu seized that flash of enlightenment and continued practicing his fist art.
After completing one set of forms, his qi and blood surged throughout his body, and his pores opened wide.
Both of his arms glimmered with a faint sheen.
Now, each round of fist practice could increase his qi and blood by roughly 0.1, and his proficiency by 0.5.
Bai Yu slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"The Third Rank Skin Tempering Realm tempers the skin membrane with qi and blood, making it impervious to blades."
"Now that the skin membrane on both arms has been tempered, it is time to work on other areas."
Skin tempering was a painstaking, water-worn process.
Only by expending enormous amounts of qi and blood to continually scour and temper the body could one greatly strengthen the skin's defenses.
Generally speaking, other martial artists either took shortcuts, focusing only on tempering vital areas while perfunctorily neglecting everywhere else.
Or they wielded the power of money, using medicinal liquids and pills as aids alongside specialized skin-tempering arts.
For someone like Bai Yu to rely on ordinary cultivation arts and purely use surging qi and blood for tempering was simply a fantasy born of the heavens.
Fortunately, Bai Yu had the Burial World Record and Essence Nourishing Powder, allowing him to receive an endless supply of qi and blood.
"If only I had a skin-tempering cultivation art, that would be even better."
"But it is nothing to fret over if I do not. What I gain is my fortune; what I lose is my fate. We immortals have all the time in the world."
After tidying himself up, Bai Yu went to the main hall as usual to prepare for a funeral, only to find Daoist Lin Jiu already there.
"Uncle Jiu, you're up early today."
Daoist Lin Jiu smiled.
"I was waiting especially for you. Let Little Wang handle today's work; come with me on an outside job."
Daoist Lin Jiu was a renowned Yin-Yang Practitioner in Jiang City. He often took on funeral-related jobs outside, and they were usually rather thorny matters.
For example, a woman from some household committing suicide in red clothes, a child whose resentment remained after death, or a home plagued by unrest.
In these matters, Daoist Lin Jiu was a master of the highest order.
It was said that someone had personally seen him deal with a corpse that had undergone a sinister transformation.
Whenever he needed an assistant in the past, he would usually take Mangzi along.
Now that Mangzi was gone, he had turned to Bai Yu.
Bai Yu could not help feeling somewhat curious, so he asked:
"Uncle Jiu, what do I need to do when we get there?"
Daoist Lin Jiu smiled.
"It is nothing major. Just hand me a few things, help out, and put up some talismans."
"Your qi and blood are strong, and your yang energy is abundant. You can suppress baleful influences just by standing there and assisting."
As he spoke, he sighed again.
"What a pity. When it comes to vigorous qi and blood, Mangzi was still better. He should have been the one suited to this line of work. What a pity, what a pity."
Daoist Lin Jiu had originally intended to take Mangzi as his disciple. He had still been observing him when Mangzi went off to roam the martial world.
Bai Yu smiled.
"Brother Mangzi might achieve great things while wandering the martial world."
Daoist Lin Jiu said:
"Enough of that. This time, we are going to dispel the baleful influence from the Black Wolf Gang's Iron Wolf Protector. I heard something strange happened after his death, so the payment certainly will not be low."
"Get ready and leave with me."
Bai Yu was overjoyed.
The Black Wolf Gang had the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron Protectors, and every one of them possessed strength above the Fifth Rank.
Being able to conduct a funeral for a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist was naturally exactly what Bai Yu had hoped for.
He hurriedly nodded.
"Alright, I can leave whenever."
Thus, the two set off one behind the other, heading for Jiang City.
Every time Bai Yu arrived in Jiang City, he could not help marveling at its prosperity.
Carriages and horses flowed like water, while people brushed shoulders and packed the streets.
Tavern banners fluttered in the wind on both sides, and cries of vendors rang without end.
As they passed Willow Smoke Alley, laughter from swallows and orioles drifted through the air, and the scent of rouge and powder rushed toward them.
If his purse had not been so empty, Bai Yu would have wanted to go in and criticize it a little.
The two continued onward until they reached a spacious courtyard.
Seeing Daoist Lin Jiu arrive, a charming beautiful woman dressed in mourning clothes came forward sobbing to greet him.
"Daoist Lin, you have finally come."
"My heartless husband just abandoned us, a widow and orphan."
"Even after leaving, he still refuses to rest in peace. At night, sounds of rummaging through boxes and chests come from the mourning hall, and cold winds keep blowing up for no reason."
Daoist Lin said without changing expression:
"This may be the return of baleful influence. Madam, have you asked anyone else to look at it?"
The beautiful woman wiped her tears.
"Of course I have. Yesterday, I went to White Dragon Temple and invited a group of senior monks to chant scriptures."
"While they were chanting, one monk suddenly collapsed to the ground. The others panicked and carried him back."
Only then did Daoist Lin's expression grow somewhat solemn.
"It seems the baleful energy is extremely heavy. Madam, please lead me inside so I may take a look."
The beautiful woman hurriedly agreed and led the two into the mourning hall.
The instant he entered the mourning hall, Bai Yu felt a bone-piercing chill.
The sun blazed brightly outside, yet it was so cold inside the mourning hall that goosebumps rose all over his body.
Looking at the deceased again, his face was pallid and his eyes were wide open.
Directly above the dead man's face, a puddle of water had actually gathered on the ceiling boards.
"Baleful energy has condensed into water!"
Daoist Lin Jiu's expression changed slightly as he took out a yellow talisman.
With a rub of his two fingers, the yellow talisman ignited without wind.
The Daoist tossed out the talisman. Before it had even burned halfway, it abruptly went out.
"Madam, Iron Wolf Protector's baleful energy is too heavy. I fear this will not be easy to resolve."
The beautiful woman sobbed again as she pleaded:
"Daoist Lin, you must help us, a widow and orphan."
"That dead, heartless man is gone. How are we supposed to live from now on?"
Without another word, Daoist Lin immediately gave a series of instructions, ordering people to prepare rooster blood, cinnabar, yellow paper, and other items.
He then wrote talismans and chanted incantations, drawing and burning a stack of yellow talismans.
Next, he took out a Peach Wood Sword and performed the steps of the Dipper in the mourning hall, going through a routine like a martial artist practicing forms.
Sure enough, after all his chanting, reciting, acting, and fighting, the chill in the mourning hall was no longer so piercing.
Bai Yu assisted at the side, secretly marveling that Daoist Lin truly had some skill.
Taking the chance, he glanced at the Burial World Record.
Funeral target: Qi Yong. Identity: Iron Wolf Protector of the Black Wolf Gang. Age: 39. Cultivation: Fifth Rank Martial Arts. Funeral participation: 8%. Standard reward: Qi and blood +188, life experience +888. Optional rewards: Saber technique experience, Iron Shirt Skill, Mad Demon Saber Technique, Crushing Monument Leg, Black Wolf Heart Sutra...
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