CHAPTER 563: CHAPTER 287: ENCOUNTERING AN ENEMY AT THE FUNERAL CEREMONY (PART 2)

Xuan Yu still didn’t know just how formidable this method was, but when Xu Qing mentioned ’even when seeing a full mouse banquet or a full fish banquet, one can remain immovable like a mountain’, Xuan Yu immediately felt the power of this method!

In the following days, besides heading to the Ancient Yin River Dao to eat melons and watch the show, Xu Qing continued to promote his family’s funeral business in the Jin Sect.

Now, services like transferring spirits, conducting funeral theatrics, and substitute burning at gravesides no longer satisfied Xu Qing, so recently, the Funeral Shop added a value-added service of ’preparing funeral banquets’.

It’s certainly sad when people die, but the living still need to eat, right?

When relatives and friends come to help, you also have to cook and entertain them, but the head of the family is often too exhausted at this time, so where do they find the energy to manage these trivial matters?

No problem, the Funeral Shop can take care of that for you!

Sun Erzhuang, that chubby fellow in the shop, is the chief cook, and Xu Qing noticed he loves eating and cooking, so he decided to pass on some lost recipes he transcended, various cooking skills, and even the special skill of deboning a cow to him.

In white matter rituals, besides entertaining friends and relatives during the coffin carrying and condolence times, an anniversary white event is also held where guests are feasted to remember the deceased.

This is what’s known as having a feast.

...

On this day, the Eight Banner Marshals from the Ancient Yin River Dao had just had a battle with the allied forces of the Yin Corrosive Law King, the Dread Ghost King, yet neither side was willing to exert their full strength. It was as if they were playing around, each waiting for the Yin Corrosive Law King to appear and then see if they should use their full power.

Xu Qing watched anxiously, urging them to fight! It made him want to throw another iron fire cannon into the Ghost King Mausoleum to stir things up.

However, considering that the Yin River realm was a place where Immortals battled, Xu Qing had some reservations, lest he truly angered the two, leading them to start a real fight, only to have the fully-energized Yin Corrosive Law King appear afterward — who would handle that?

Additionally, based on information from exorcising the Cangyi Group rebels, it was said that the Cangyi Army’s head, Ji Lingzhou, and the Celestial Heart Sect’s elusive Holy Master, Han Renshan, had arrived in the Jin Sect.

Yet, the Yellow Weasel at the Transmission Hall, the crow managing the affairs, and the rat army omnipresent beneath Jin Sect hadn’t gathered any intel on these two.

Xu Qing guessed that the two had probably also gone to the Ancient Yin River Dao to join in the fun!

Amidst the group of exceptional people, outstanding ghosts gathered together, Xu Qing thought it best not to get too close. In case he got scratched or exposed his identity, that would be bad!

He was still counting on his face to partake in feasts in the Jin Sect!

"What, the Bai family’s master wants to hold a grand feast on the anniversary?"

Indeed, Bai Zhaocai, who once hired a troupe to perform funeral operas at his daughter’s grave, sought out Xu Qing again.

This time it was to hold a funeral banquet for his long-dead ghostly father.

"My father worked hard all his life, and looking back he never truly enjoyed himself, yet I, his son, did nothing but inherited a vast family fortune, enjoying it every day. A few days ago, I even dreamt of my father, he asked me if I had enough money, afraid that what he earned during his lifetime was too little, causing my life hardship..."

As Bai Zhaocai spoke, he began to wipe his tears.

"I owe it to the old man, I need to do something for him, so I thought about arranging a lively banquet, inviting his old friends and colleagues from the past."

"And his little grandchildren..."

With words like this, what else could Xu Qing say?

"Alright! I understand. Whatever kind of banquet Brother Bai wishes to have, just say it, as long as my Funeral Shop can do it, we won’t shy away!"

Bai Zhaocai immediately stopped wiping his tears upon hearing this, eagerly saying, "I heard our shop has funeral opera, and that hot dance, inviting the girls from Miao Ying Pavilion and Cuiyun Building, the dancers and singers to perform..."

The slightly sentimental mood Xu Qing felt instantly dissipated, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if this elder brother wanted to watch the hot dance himself or if he wanted his father to see it.

Seeing Xu Qing’s silence, Bai Zhaocai sighed: "My father never enjoyed life, only once visited a flower house, and I caught him, quietly told my mother, I really did a disservice to my father."

"Now I just want to let the old man enjoy himself properly after death, fulfill the desires I couldn’t do for him while he was alive!"

Xu Qing felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it. Though this guy’s filial piety takes an unusual path, his heart is still in the right place overall.

"Alright, I’ll definitely arrange this for Brother Bai."

Having received the down payment in silver, Xu Qing happily sent Bai Zhaocai off.

This anniversary funeral banquet was a cheerful one, no need to put on a morose face.

Seeing off Bai Zhaocai, Xu Qing stood at the door shaking his head.

Speaking of which, Bai Zhaocai is quite famous in the Jin Sect, but his real name wasn’t this, it was Bai Yunsheng.

Because his father was surnamed Bai and his mother was surnamed Yun, he was given this name.

However, because his father built a substantial family fortune, only for him to squander it away, he earned the nickname Bai Zhaocai.

Bai Zhaocai doesn’t refer to someone who can’t attract wealth, or wealth comes without knowing how to spend, rather it means Bai Yunsheng’s money was drawn effortlessly; he didn’t work hard or think much, just born with a silver spoon and did nothing to become a gentleman of wealth.

This is exactly what Bai Zhaocai is!

The folks in Jin Sect, when idle, always speculate on how long it will take Bai Zhaocai to squander his family fortune.

Bai Zhaocai, having heard this, is indifferent, he tells his son, worry not about spending, as long as we don’t do business or indulge in gambling, the family’s money is enough to last five or six generations!

If spent frugally, it could last ten generations!

Bai Zhaocai always remembers the dying words of the Bai family elder —

"Son, you’re not the kind of person to do business. Just don’t do business or gamble, our silver can support the family for generations, you could even marry ten or eight wives, have a hundred or eighty kids, and it would still suffice..."

Bai Zhaocai isn’t particularly clever, but he’s not foolish either, most importantly, he’s been obedient since young.

He kept the words of the Bai elder like a bell in his heart, always as a warning.

He planned well, thinking capable people even given ten taels of silver could rise to become shopkeepers or wealthy merchants.

If his kids are of this caliber, without giving them much capital, even pocket money could help them build a career.

But if any of his children dare ask for money to start a business, he’d surely nip that thought in the bud!

...

Three days later, at the Bai family’s large courtyard.

Bai Zhaocai had the servants carry the Bai elder’s tablet around, while he took a wine jar and cups, offering drinks to each guest.

"I offer drinks on behalf of my father to all of you."

At this moment, Bai Zhaocai’s position was equivalent to that of the Bai elder, offering drinks, his peers had to stand up and accompany respectfully.

When encountering those of a higher generation, Bai Zhaocai didn’t need to pay respect either.

Conversely, after drinking, everyone had to say some good words to the tablet by Bai Zhaocai’s side.

Xu Qing watched with amusement; this was the first time his shop hosted a funeral banquet business, within which rules and practices needed slowly compiling and figuring out.

As the wine flowed for some time and the funerary opera entertained, lightly dressed girls with willow waists swayed sensuously onto the stage wearing cool clothes.

The guests were stunned, those who came to the funeral banquet had never seen such a display in their lifetime — even in past lives!

Not only were they unprepared, but the brothel madams and pimps, who came on-site for reassurance, were still flustered.

Even if they had consumed too many mushrooms in Dian Nan, they shouldn’t have come up with such an unorthodox idea.

Although, some are willing to think of spending money on such services!

Xu Qing watched eagerly from below, while Boss Liu remarked sourly, "Aren’t they just wearing less and showing more skin?"

"..."

Liu Su’e ground her teeth, stomping her foot, inwardly anxious, wishing she could cover Xu Qing’s eyes before he saw anything.

The guests at the Bai household were getting an eye-opener today. The wives who accompanied their husbands came along fully blushing, yet couldn’t create a fuss.

Zhao Zhonghe, who recently came to pay his respects to the Bai family elder, found himself witnessing such a scene on stage.

Truly the world is going downhill, he thought. If his children grew up and became this filial, it would be wonderful...

Xu Qing felt the funeral banquet was going well and felt a wave of relief. However, just as he became tranquil and intended to enjoy the art peacefully, two familiar figures suddenly appeared, talking to Bai Zhaocai: a familiar middle-aged woman around forty and a servant holding the Bai elder’s tablet.