"..."
Li Tiezhu sensed something was off, and quickly used the excuse of attending to other mourning guests to escort the clueless Duke Zhen out.
Inside the shop, the funeral reception continued.
Outside the shop, Celestial Master Zhang Shufang was casually chatting with Duke Zhen.
"Are you also here to see Master Xu?"
"Aren't you too, Your Grace?"
Wang Liang suddenly asked, "In the eyes of the Celestial Master, Master Xu he..."
Zhang Shufang pondered, "He's nothing more than a corpse with no hint of life."
Wang Liang's gaze turned towards the spirit hall, and for a moment he became somewhat bewildered.
Could someone as great as Mister really not escape the bind of life and death?
In the following days, the usually deserted Underground Street became bustling with activity.
Once news spread that the Crown Prince and Duke Zhen were coming to mourn, officials from various counties and prefactures, even prominent and wealthy individuals, rushed over to pay their respects.
Lying inside the coffin, Xu Qing felt as if a cat was scratching his heart, unable to stay still for even a moment.
Since his funeral shop opened, he had never encountered such a grand spectacle of people like today.
Such a great opportunity to be outside putting up posters and notices, promoting funeral services, for instance, the Shopkeeper Xu's funeral appreciation event, where every guest coming to mourn could enjoy a 20% discount...
Unfortunately, the disciples of the funeral house didn't seize the opportunity and failed to notice the hidden business potential.
Xu Qing wished he could stand up and shout it himself.
At the counter, Xuan Yu was excitedly watching the event unfold, finding Xu Immortal's funeral more interesting than a big drama at the theater.
If only Xu Immortal's funerals were a frequent occurrence, how wonderful that would be...
In the following days, the incense in the spirit hall never ceased.
Li Tiezhu, over eighty, Sun Erzhuang, also past eighty, Feng Xiaosheng in his sixties, as well as the newly adult Feng Zhennan acted as filial sons and grandsons, dressed in mourning clothes, with hair down and barefoot, bowing before the spirit to give their respects.
During this time, after coming to pay her respects, Wang Yue'e was unwilling to leave and appeared lost in her thoughts.
Li Tiezhu had the courage to drive Duke Zhen away, but didn't dare to chase away Wang Yue'e, who grew up on the same Underground Street.
The storyteller from Rongsheng Zhai, upon hearing the sad news of Xu Laoshi's passing, was overcome with sorrow, crying from joy!
"Ancestors of my Guo family, do you see this? Your grandchild has come to pay respects to Shopkeeper Xu. May your spirits in heaven find peace..."
Apart from these small incidents, Xu Qing's old acquaintances and neighbors also offered their condolences, burning incense and kowtowing.
Those incense candles and related items didn't need to be purchased elsewhere; across the street at the Incense and Candle Shop, funeral house disciples were already selling them.
If someone didn't want to make those couple of steps, Xu Qing's spirit hall, the Funeral Shop, also had incense and paper money available for sale.
During this time, Li Tiezhu finally got the idea, offering a half-purchase-half-giveaway deal for anyone buying incense and flower crowns during the sect leader's funeral.
If anyone was having a funeral, then it would all be free!
Xu Qing never expected Li Tiezhu to be this generous.
All free, how many would rush to have funerals...
However, Xu Qing laid in the coffin acting dead for several days, still not seeing many come for a free funeral.
The elderly folks who once rushed to his shop for free eggs, why haven't they shown up?
Xu Qing found it such a pity.
After lying there for days, the socializing wasn't over, and the ritual commenced.
When someone dies and the body is buried, nothing is more crucial than the preparation of the body.
In the past, it was always Xu Qing preparing bodies for others, but today it's his turn.
At the coffin shop, Yizhen Daoist's 'illegitimate daughter', dressed in a Taoist robe, came to the spirit hall to prepare Xu Qing.
During this time, Xu Qing took every chance to make small movements when others weren't watching.
If it were any other time, Yizhen Daoist would have shown displeasure, but today in the spirit hall, she couldn't show any unusual expressions no matter what.
Finally arranging the burial garments for her junior brother, Yizhen Daoist hurriedly left the spirit hall, as if fleeing.
Come the fifth day, Land Nuo Immortal Ascendant Fuluan came specifically to join the fun.
This person harbored devious thoughts, taking out a willow branch in the spirit hall, dipping it in a special "sweet dew water", chanting the "Bathing Sutra", symbolizing the cleansing of the deceased's worldly dust and purification from earthly ties.
Xu Qing caught a whiff of a familiar urine smell and immediately realized.
This wasn't any "sweet dew water", it was clearly fresh children's urine!
Ascendant Fuluan scattered the 'dirty water' on Xu Qing while muttering that this was no ordinary water, but the essence of the three rivers, the so-called 'Holy Spirit Water' that could cleanse sins committed in life, allowing a pure transition to blissful rebirth.
Bathing completed, seemingly afraid Xu Qing would take revenge afterward, Ascendant Fuluan subtly mentioned to Li Tiezhu before leaving, "Brother Xu's transformation touches my heart deeply. Hence, I plan to roam Zhongzhou for three years to ease my spirits..."
Xu Qing noted the words Zhongzhou, thinking that once the funeral was over, he'd definitely visit Zhongzhou one day!
The first seven days were the small burial, with the procession marking the grand burial.
On the seventh day, at an auspicious time, the lid was sealed.
Li Tiezhu and the others surrounded the coffin, wailing and mourning, saying their final goodbyes to the deceased.
The pain was genuine, as Sun Erzhuang pinched with all his might, while he gave back in equal measure.
The two cried louder, one surpassing the other.
Everyone who saw applauded, praising Shopkeeper Xu for having two excellent disciples!
On the day of the funeral, the procession stretched five to six miles, with nearly every skilled person from the Jin Sect's Funeral House coming to send Xu Qing off.
Wang Yue'e, distracted, followed along with the funeral procession, but when she saw the two 'cranes' leading the way, her eyes brightened.
Cranes have long lifespans, it's not uncommon for them to live to eighty, and the cranes receiving and sending today were the very ones raised by her godmother Cheng Caiyun.
When godmother had her funeral, those two cranes cried more sorrowfully than anyone but today with Mr. Xu's funeral, they attended as usual, showing no trace of sadness.
Wang Yue'e grew more intrigued, noticing that while Li Tiezhu and others cried mournfully, their hearts clearly weren't in it.
The Wang family's girl looked around at everyone else, inadvertently spotting a familiar figure standing at the alley's entrance, but when she rubbed her eyes to look again, it was empty.
At that moment, among the crowd watching the funeral.
A young man, bearing eight or nine parts resemblance to a young Shopkeeper Xu, was eagerly watching the procession.
Beside the youth, a little girl in black asked:
"What will Xu Immortal's new name be?"
"Xu Xuan, Xu from Xu Qing, Xuan from Xuan Yu."
"..."
Seeing the little girl speechless, Xu Qing mocked, "What name did Profound Jade Immortal Family choose?"
"Um..." Seeing the girl frown, appearing to think of a meaningful title, Xu Qing teased further, "Profound Jade Immortal Family doesn't often show up in public, nor has it ever told anyone its name, so why change it?"
The little girl immediately realized, and upon sensing Xu Immortal was making fun of her, she opened her mouth and bit down on the large hand holding hers.
Xu Qing looked down at Xuan Yu and wondered, "Why are you licking my hand? How distasteful..."
"..."
With a toothache, Xuan Yu silently turned her head aside, internally determined not to speak a word to Xu Qing for the next three hours.
...
In front of Wujue Slope, they moved the coffin for burial, erected a tombstone, and burned paper.
But this funeral matter was far from over.
According to burial rites, beyond the first seven-day vigil and burial, they also needed to conduct 'sevens' rituals for the deceased, to complete the spiritual services.
The Daoist scripture states: After death, every seven days is a new calamity, and by the forty-ninth day, the seven spirits completely dissipate.
This means every seven days, one spirit disperses, and if not lifted, the soul might fall into the Netherworld, suffering, or linger in limbo, unable to reincarnate.
Thus, every 'first seven', 'second seven', until the 'seventh seven' requires setting up altars, inviting monks and Taoists, reciting scriptures and offering repentance, burning offerings and conducting rituals.
During this period, the mage performs rituals, summoning and bridging to help the soul cross the dangerous underworld river, escape the sea of suffering, and head towards the path of good.
Such services are conducted every seven days, commonly believed to stabilize one spirit of the deceased, until all seven times are complete, soul gone, spirits dismantled, only then is merit fully achieved.
In these forty-nine days, Xu Qing watched from the shadows, intending to evaluate the business capabilities of the funeral house disciples.
Some might say dealing with post-mortem affairs is overly complex.
But Xu Qing didn't see it that way.
Posting obituaries, receiving mourners, bathing and preparing the body, conducting 'sevens' rituals, summoning and bridging... each task, each procedure, though laborious and exhausting.
Yet these are not mere formalities, but the product of the living expressing their grief.