"It’s going to rain."
After seeing off Old Huang, Xu Qing stood at the entrance of the Funeral Shop and looked up at the sky.
The air outside was hot and muggy, filled with the sounds of croaking frogs and chirping cicadas.
Inside, thanks to the Ice Soul Talisman, the shop remained as refreshing as early spring.
Xuan Yu trotted to the threshold, imitating Xu Qing by looking up at the sky.
In no time, the sky was indeed covered with dense red clouds, with thunder rumbling and lightning flashing.
Xu Qing shrunk his neck, fearing that the lightning might strike at the entrance of his shop.
Xuan Yu widened its eyes, staring at Xu Qing in surprise.
"It’s really going to rain. Xu Immortal Family, do you also predict the weather?"
Xu Qing chuckled and said, "The Earth Qi moistens, frogs croak wildly, clouds intertwine, and swallows fly low. These predictions are made by these intelligent animals, not by me."
Xuan Yu seemed to understand and said, "I get it, from now on I don’t need to predict the rain; clever Xu Immortal Family will tell me."
Xu Qing glanced at Xuan Yu, who was staring blankly at the street, unsure if the cat was praising him or subtly insulting him.
The wind brought the rain, with droplets splashing onto the threshold, wetting Xuan Yu’s front paws.
It shook its limbs, stepped back two steps, and started licking the rainwater off its paws.
Seeing this, Xu Qing suddenly had an idea.
"Xuan Yu, I’ve brought you a gift. Want to see it?"
The cat paused, holding its paw in mid-air.
It looked up at Xu Qing curiously and asked, "What gift?"
Xu Qing gave a mysterious smile and, like performing a magic trick, turned his palm to reveal an opaque, glowing pearl.
"This is a Water-Repelling Pearl. As long as Xuan Yu carries it, you won’t be afraid of water; even if you jump into the river, you’ll stay dry like you’re walking on land."
Xuan Yu stood up, squatted half down, and took the pearl, cradling it in its paw pads.
It opened its mouth and, like carrying a cicada, held the pearl in its mouth.
Xuan Yu cautiously stretched its paw under the eaves.
Just before the string of rain droplets hit its fur, a thin halo appeared around it, keeping the rainwater at bay.
"Mmm... mmm... mmm..."
With the pearl in its mouth, Xuan Yu made incomprehensible sounds.
But judging by its joyful look when it turned back, Xu Qing could roughly guess what it was saying.
"As long as you like it. By the way, you’ve been helping me run the store these days. Consider this white pearl your payment..."
Watching the playful cat frolicking in the rain, Xu Qing smiled faintly.
The rain poured down like a waterfall, and soon the street was deserted.
Xuan Yu continued playing in the rain while Xu Qing, holding a bamboo umbrella without a canopy, walked to the coffin shop at the street corner.
"Your umbrella has some charm."
Inside the shop, Hu Baosong lounged comfortably in a bamboo chair, sheltered from the wind and rain outside.
Xu Qing, closing the bamboo umbrella, smiled and said, "It’s just a broken bamboo umbrella. Nothing special about it."
"But look at you, why are you alone again? Where’s Senior Sister Yizhen?"
"Are you here to see me or her?"
Seeing Hu Baosong’s wary expression, Xu Qing couldn’t help but laugh. "Your words sound odd. Do you think I’d come here in the rain just to see your old bones?"
"Xu kid, don’t mess around!"
As they bickered, Daoist Yizhen walked out from the inner room holding a knife.
Xu Qing turned his head and felt tense at first, but relaxed upon seeing the pear in Yizhen’s other hand.
"Senior Sister, I’m just joking with Old Hu. Actually, I came to borrow the coffin shop’s cart to fetch some goods from the dock."
Xu Qing was honest; Zheng Deli, pretending to be a wealthy merchant, had died at the hands of the Helmsman and Yuan Hu. His body was still at the dock.
Though Xu Qing had preserved Zheng Deli’s corpse before leaving, the weather was hot and muggy. After two days, it was uncertain whether the body might start to smell.
So, it was better to send the corpse to the Government Office as soon as possible.
Yizhen couldn’t help but glance at Xu Qing, thinking he was explaining too much.
Hu Baosong’s expression eased, looking like a successful guard.
"The rain is fierce. Why don’t you sit for a while and head to the dock after two cups of tea?"
Xu Qing sensed the implied meaning, curiously asking, "How can you, sitting inside, tell when the rain will stop by just one glance?"
Hu Baosong raised his eyebrows, saying, "When you’re my age, predicting the weather, down to counting rain droplets and estimating duration, is child’s play."
"How come aging sharpens the senses?"
"Not so," Hu Baosong shook his head. "Sharp senses are just superficial. A clear treasure mirror only reflects one room, but a clear heart mirror reflects everything."
"Heavenly secrets may seem enigmatic, invisible to ordinary eyes, but often it’s because the heart isn’t clear."
"To clear the heart, one must experience the world and refine countless times to see their true self and comprehend the heavens."
Xu Qing was reminded of a monkey holding an unpolished stone, refining it by the stream.
He pondered aloud, "Most people seek external methods all their lives, rarely polishing their heart mirror to see their true self."
Xu Qing clapped his hands and sighed, "Old Hu, you’re following destiny. Today I realize I am myself!"
Hu Baosong laughed and scolded, "At your age, where do these strange theories come from?"
Xu Qing chuckled and casually said, "It’s said that hearing the truth in the morning and dying by evening is enough. Old Hu, share your insights from these days, so Senior Sister and I can understand early and pass them down."