Xie Qiongke always thought that the legendary Great Luo Sect Leader would be a supreme figure who governs all directions and holds the universe in his hands.
Such an individual should be like a dragon who reveals its head but not its tail, to be worthy of the identity of a common leader of a region.
Yet, when Xie Qiongke finally met the Great Luo Sect Leader, he discovered that the other person was just a plain ordinary young man, at least from the appearance, without any semblance of a high figure.
Apart from the appearance, the youth's cultivation was also not apparent in the slightest. If not for learning the identity from Zhang Pingsheng's mouth, Xie Qiongke would have passed by the youth without noticing anything unusual.
"The divine being has no form, blends with the light and dust...."
Instead of questioning, Xie Qiongke felt that Xu Qing was even more unfathomable.
By the end of the winter month, outside Changsui County in central China.
Xu Qing, wearing a simple grey robe, was conversing with a little girl by the roadside who was selling herself to bury her father.
"You don't need to sell yourself. I am a funerary practitioner from Jin Sect, and I presided over the funerary rituals of the founding Emperor of Dayan. If you are willing, I can arrange the burial for your father."
Looking at the girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, Xu Qing recalled the Wang Family's Little Sister who sold herself seventy years ago to bury her family.
"I... I have no money for the coffin, nor for labor."
Xu Qing's tone remained gentle: "No need for silver coins, I can handle the funeral for your father free of charge."
"Not selling myself? No silver coins?"
The thin girl, dressed in mourning attire, paused briefly before shaking her head: "I can't take advantage of you. If you help me, then I will go with you, and be yours from now on."
"..."
Xu Qing looked at the honest and earnest girl and shook his head as well: "It's not about taking advantage of me. Have you heard of deferred burial?"
"Deferred payment?"
"It's deferred burial, which can also be considered deferred payment."
Xu Qing patiently explained: "I am the shopkeeper of the funeral business in Jin Sect. We have this tradition: if a family needs to conduct a funeral but doesn't have money for the coffin, they can come to my shop for deferred burial services. The money isn't forgone; it can be paid back once the guests overcome their hardships."
The thin girl looked at the young man in front of her, somewhat nervously: "You've established this in Jin Sect. Does it apply here?"
Feeling moved, Xu Qing immediately nodded: "Indeed! To be frank, our Jin Sect funeral business has recently been promoting nationwide funeral services. Besides central China, I will also be heading to Yaozhou, Guangling, Hedong... Even remote places like the Qinling-Sichuan paths and the South Sea Qiongzhou are within my funeral service range!"
Here, Xu Qing persuaded and finally secured a new funeral business contract.
"Sect Leader, this friend is an old acquaintance of mine, named Xie Qiongke. He is the true disciple of Lü Zu from Yun Tai Mountain in central China. Friend Xie has long admired our sect, and this time he intends to join us..."
Xu Qing looked at Xie Qiongke, who was bowing his hands and 'smiling' at him, without revealing any anomaly.
Upon learning of his intentions, Xu Qing then said: "There's no rush to join the sect. You may first practice alongside our disciples for a while. If you have true talents and learning, then it won't be too late to discuss joining."
Feeling tense at first, Xie Qiongke relaxed upon hearing about the possibility of an assessment for further initiation.
"May I ask... Sect Leader, where is our sect's practice venue, and how should I begin our sect's cultivation?"
Xu Qing smiled slightly and pointed to the corpse lying on the straw mat before them, saying: "Our Great Luo Sect's practice field is in this vast world. If you wish to embark on cultivation, first carry this corpse and join me in conducting a burial ritual."
"..."
Xie Qiongke frowned slightly, filled with great doubt. As a Primordial Spirit True Man, having to personally carry a mortal's corpse and host its burial seemed like Xu Qing was deliberately making things difficult.
Yet, recalling the 'benefits' of joining the Great Luo Sect, Xie Qiongke quickly relaxed his furrowed brow.
Just a burial ritual, what is that minor test!
Led by Xu Qing, an impromptu burial team composed of two orthodox Daoist True Men, a living Buddha, and a wandering cultivator with two thousand years of experience, was formed in a small, unknown county in central China.
The little girl who sold herself to bury her father, sniffing along the way, had no idea who was helping her.
After completing the funeral business for the honest little girl of central China, Xu Qing then took her to a local temple worshipping Lady Bao Sheng, finding a childless sister-in-law to live with.
The sister-in-law, a devotee of Lady Bao Sheng, dreamed of the goddess, treating the girl as her own daughter upon their first meeting, loving her dearly!
Following the minor funeral episode, Xu Qing then traveled with Zhang Pingsheng and others.
Instead of using escape techniques, they took a slow journey, genuinely conducting nationwide funeral business.
Although Yaozhou is adjacent to central China, slow traveling allowed them to pass through many counties.
As the Great Luo Sect Leader, Xu Qing acted as if he had no official duties. Everywhere he went, he erected tall banners, vigorously promoting his funeral services under the sect's name.
In addition, Ascendant Fuluan from the Temple of Enlightenment bore the flag of offering free diagnoses and consultations and sometimes guided the puzzled and sought divination on fortunes.
The Orthodox Daoist from the Temple of Disaster Removal roamed the secular world, defeating demons, ensuring justice, and maintaining peace.
Even the newly recruited Xie Qiongke was forced to chant scriptures for the dead with the Mad Monk and act as the Sect Leader's errand boy.
Initially, Xie Qiongke thought these tasks were the Sect Leader's tests for him, but when several fellow Daoists engaged in these seemingly insignificant activities unrelated to great disasters, his belief in the sect's claim of divine destiny wavered.
In his view, since the Great Luo Sect was born to face calamity, carrying the mandate of heaven, it should accomplish great feats to avert disaster rather than perform small acts of kindness, leaving him to merely toil as a Corpse Craftsman!
"How does the Sect Leader making us do these things resemble what the Great Luo Sect should be doing?"
Upon hearing the complaint, Xu Qing raised an eyebrow immediately.
The Primordial Spirit True Man before him clearly hadn't fully pledged allegiance.
"Friend Xie, what do you think the Great Luo Sect should be like?"
Without awaiting an answer, Xu Qing continued: "Difficult tasks in the world are always accomplished from the simple, and great undertakings from the intricate."
"In a world of evil, the small calamities and difficulties you overlook are everywhere. How can you then face the great disaster that even the Gods and Buddhas fear?"
"You must know that our Great Luo Sect follows the fundamental path, doing what the Gods and Buddhas currently cannot."
Xu Qing touched the little girl's head beside him gently, saying, "You assume the disciples I recruit come from where? It's precisely derived from the small charities and kindnesses you fail to see."
"How can you be sure the path you seek is not amidst these universal offerings of merit?"
Xie Qiongke furrowed his brow, beginning to carefully ponder Xu Qing's words.
Beside him, the Mad Monk, always delighted to do small charities, suddenly spoke:
"Large from small, small kindness is great virtue. Friends, do not forget, the Sect Leader accomplishes small tasks before him, but never neglects major affairs like eradicating Ghost Law and Corpse Demons."
"..."
Xie Qiongke suddenly awakened, while the Mad Monk, seeing this, smiled warmly and said:
"Friend, today you accumulate kindness and virtue, tomorrow divinity will naturally follow. This is indeed a good thing!"