The cargo ship was not carrying goods, but rather citizens escaping the military disaster from Jingzhou Prefecture to Jin Sect.
At the end of June, during the sweltering summer season, the weather was exceedingly oppressive. The Corpse Recovery Team dared not delay after dredging up the bodies and, following approval from the Government Office, promptly delivered them to the Funeral House.
Now backed by Xu Qing, the Funeral House has established relations with the Government Office, effectively gaining official endorsement.
The Funeral House replaced the charity manor, offering free burials for the bodies. In the past two years since Chen Guangrui took office, he also curbed the traditional practice at the Government Office of profiting from corpse sales.
Chen Guangrui holds the highest authority within Linjiang County's living circles. Xu Qing, however, has become a dominant figure in Linjiang County's circles of the deceased, able to control a vast domain.