Funeral Rewards, the Prefect's Commendation

Bai Yu examined the available rewards one by one.

First, he chose the body-tempering technique, Golden Bell Shield.

Golden Bell Shield, Yellow Rank, High Grade. Once mastered, it was like a golden bell protecting the body, impervious to blades and spears.

Compatibility with original technique: 72%. Can be fused!

Fusion experience: 300.

Bai Yu was immensely satisfied. Another technique that could be fused.

Generally speaking, techniques with compatibility below 50% could not be fused, so there were actually very few techniques that could be combined.

Whenever one appeared, Bai Yu naturally could not let it slip away.

He invested 300 life experience into the Burial World Record.

At once, two golden little figures appeared in Bai Yu's mind, constantly practicing the two techniques.

Gradually, the two little figures began to merge into one, and the two techniques successfully fused as well.

Fusion successful. Obtained Iron Shirt Golden Bell Shield!

Iron Shirt Golden Bell Shield, Profound Rank, Low Grade. After reaching minor mastery, it could form a gauzy garment of inner force over the skin, providing double-layered protection.

A Profound Rank technique, and a defensive one at that. His means of preserving his life had grown stronger once more.

Bai Yu could not help nodding in satisfaction.

Next, he chose the qi and blood reward.

The other techniques could not be fused, and relearning them would consume quite a bit of life experience and time.

It was better to choose qi and blood points.

Qi and blood +45!

A warm current coursed through Bai Yu's entire body, and his qi and blood grew considerably stronger.

After choosing his rewards, Bai Yu called out to Old Mo.

Old Mo took the lead and brought Bai Yu to the side gate of the morgue.

Sure enough, Uncle Jiu was lying there, still unconscious.

Bai Yu reached out to check his breathing. After confirming that he was not seriously hurt, he fetched some water and splashed it over Uncle Jiu.

Startled by the cold water, he shuddered all over and woke up.

"Xiao Yu? What are you doing here?!"

Bai Yu had long prepared an explanation:

"Uncle Jiu, I ran into a masked expert on the road. He said he had come to kill bandits and insisted that I show him the way."

"I did not dare argue, so I led him here."

Uncle Jiu asked in shock:

"Where is that expert? And where is Golden Dragon Abbot?"

Bai Yu said:

"When we were still several hundred meters from the morgue, he threw me aside and charged into the morgue. Then sounds of fighting came from inside."

"Not long after that, I saw from afar that he was carrying a bald man. He flew from the rooftop onto a tree, then left."

"I gathered my courage and came looking for you, only to find you here."

Uncle Jiu further questioned him about the masked expert's clothing and appearance.

Bai Yu merely said that he wore black night clothes and covered his face, that he had the back of a tiger and the waist of a bear, and that he moved over treetops as swiftly as flying.

Uncle Jiu said thoughtfully:

"From the sound of it, he resembles Hero Liu, the Cloud-Piercing Dragon, though he also sounds a little like Yuan Qingshan, the Ape Master of Jiangbei."

"One of those two is seventh rank, the other eighth rank. Dealing with Golden Dragon Abbot would indeed be as easy as turning over a hand."

His face was full of admiration.

"Those two are both renowned heroes, roaming the land and upholding justice. If we are fated to meet them one day, we must properly thank them."

Bai Yu repeatedly nodded beside him.

In truth, he had simply fabricated the story based on martial world legends, blending together the shadows of several famous heroes in a way that was neither fish nor fowl.

Just then, Uncle Jiu noticed that most of the Killing Intent nearby had dissipated.

He exclaimed:

"Even the Killing Intent has dispersed. It seems this masked hero is no simple man. Either he accidentally broke the feng shui formation, or he was already proficient in yin-yang arts."

Uncle Jiu praised the man again and again, growing even more reverent toward this masked hero.

Bai Yu could only stand beside him and pretend to be equally astonished.

Uncle Jiu suddenly remembered something and asked:

"Xiao Yu, do you still have any Evil-Suppressing Talismans on you?"

"Yes, Uncle Jiu. What is it?"

Bai Yu pulled a thick stack of yellow talismans from his robes.

Joy appeared on Uncle Jiu's face:

"Excellent. Let us clear away the remaining Killing Intent as well."

"That masked hero solved the greatest problem. We should handle the smaller problems that remain."

As he spoke, he took a stack of yellow talismans and began pasting them around the morgue.

When they stepped into the light, Bai Yu discovered that Uncle Jiu's hair had actually turned white, and he could not help being startled.

"Uncle Jiu, your hair?"

Uncle Jiu gave a carefree smile.

"It is nothing. I drew a few blood talismans earlier to deal with the Killing Intent."

"In our line of work, we eat from the bowl of yin and yang. Our hearts are free of guilt, and reason finds no fault in us."

Bai Yu's eyes stung, and for a moment, he did not know what to say.

He could only take up the Evil-Suppressing Talismans and work alongside Uncle Jiu.

After the entire stack of yellow talismans had been pasted up, the Killing Intent within the morgue was completely eliminated.

The following morning, Zhu Tong arrived with a group of constables.

The constables cautiously entered through the gate, only to see Daoist Lin Jiu and Bai Yu working inside.

Zhu Tong cried out in alarm:

"Uncle Jiu, Xiao Yu, you are all right?"

Uncle Jiu nodded.

"Fortunately, we encountered a masked hero last night. Otherwise, we would not have lived to see today."

A bearded constable with a face full of whiskers stepped forward and clasped his hands.

"Daoist Lin, I am Chen Hu. Please tell me exactly what happened last night."

Uncle Jiu said:

"I would not dare accept Constable Hu's 'please.' This is what happened. Yesterday, several monks came to our morgue..."

Uncle Jiu calmly began recounting the cause of the incident, but when he reached the crucial point, he could not help becoming agitated.

"At that critical moment, a masked hero suddenly flew in from outside the morgue. He stood eight feet tall, his voice like thunder, and with a single palm strike, he killed Golden Dragon Abbot. Then he carried him over the wall and left."

Bai Yu had already discussed it with Uncle Jiu: it was best not to mention Bai Yu regarding what happened last night, and simply say that Uncle Jiu himself had seen the masked hero.

Uncle Jiu also felt that Bai Yu drawing too much attention would easily invite resentment, so he nodded and agreed.

Thus, after Constable Hu understood the situation, he reported the news to the prefect.

The prefect also knew how grave the events of last night had been.

If the Killing Intent gathered and completely altered Jiang City's feng shui pattern, causing the corpses in the morgue to turn into Baleful Corpses, the consequences would be unimaginable.

If the water bandits outside the city took advantage of the situation to stir up trouble again, even his official hat would not remain on his head.

In peaceful times, no one thought the morgue was important. Only when chaos broke out did they realize that it too was an important place.

The prefect immediately dispatched two sixth-rank experts to hold the fort.

Furthermore, Daoist Lin Jiu had rendered meritorious service in guarding the morgue. He was promoted one rank to become a manager and awarded one hundred taels of silver.

Bai Yu had also rendered meritorious assistance. He was promoted one rank to become an officer and awarded fifty taels of silver.

Of course, Manager Wu had originally led them well, so he was promoted to morgue head and awarded five hundred taels of silver.

The other people at the morgue also received their own rewards.

That very evening, the assistant prefect even held a banquet at Spring Breeze Pavilion on the prefect's behalf, entertaining Daoist Lin Jiu, Bai Yu, and several others who had rendered meritorious service.

Bai Yu was also fortunate enough to witness the flourishing songs and dances within Spring Breeze Pavilion.

Soft songs and graceful dances, glowing lanterns and flowing wine, revelry lasting until dawn.

The girls pouring wine nearby spoke in voices as sweet as orioles, soft as jade and fragrant as warm perfume.

Their silken hair gently plucked at the heartstrings. Even a man of iron and steel would lose himself in this land of tenderness.

Zhu Tong and the others all wore intoxicated looks in their eyes and unconsciously drank quite a lot of wine.

Bai Yu, too, felt his heart sway as he secretly thought:

Such beautiful young ladies... if I buried them, how much life experience would I get?