Xu Qing gave the horse at the Funeral Shop a trendy name, Chasing Mourning, taking one character each from memorial service and mourning, meaning it goes wherever there’s a funeral.
Chasing Mourning, just look at the name, it’s perfect, so fitting for his shop’s sign!
Lending his horse in future would mean someone saying: I have an urgent matter, could I borrow your horse, Chasing Mourning?
The next day, when the Wu Family brothers hosted a feast for the neighbors, Xu Qing led his horse Chasing Mourning, saying he was going to Qu Shui Village in Jiao’s village.
Among today’s guests was a groom working under Wu Tingwei, who was left astonished by the horse, exclaiming it was a celestial horse.
Oh wow! That horse is truly majestic!
The grandeur of the Chasing Mourning horse lay not in its rarity, but in the vigorous spirit it exuded from head to toe!
Those big copper-bell eyes flashed like deep pools, its tendons tight as freshly forged iron from a blacksmith’s shop, the bulging veins on its thighs like gnarled roots of an old tree; one wonders what magical feed was given to such a magnificent horse...
Xu Qing laughed as he said, "My horse looks grand, but it has a flaw; it curses its master. Look at the tear grooves under its eyes, don’t they resemble crying at a funeral?"
The crowd exchanged glances; on such a joyous day, as soon as Shopkeeper Xu appeared, the mood changed.
"In short, for a living person to ride this horse, they must be extremely tough, otherwise, the horse should only pull corpses. If you don’t believe me, look at the tear marks; if a family lacks a filial son to cry at a funeral, this horse acts as one..."
Xu Qing earnestly spouted nonsense, not for anything else but to make a name for his shop, and also to prevent unnecessary troubles.
People in the Jin Sect and Linjiang County all have their own unique skills.
For clientele, the teahouse hired storytellers to embellish tales, claiming even immortals have tasted their tea.
Sellers, to move goods, learn to entertain with skills, launching into captivating monologues just by setting down their merchandise pole!
There are those who cut tofu with closed eyes to exact weights, slingshot jugglers with unfailing accuracy, magicians with new tricks every day...
Most people admire unique skills and also enjoy gossip and amusement.
Xu Qing realized that in the Jin Sect, besides being competent, one must also know how to attract people.
Today, by briefly mentioning the master-cursing, filial-mourning horse at the feast, within days, not just in the Jin Sect but across Linjiang, the legend would spread.
People at this time loved to spread bizarre stories.
Xu Qing employed both overt and covert tactics for brisk business, as long as it wasn’t unethical, he was all in!
At the feast, Wu Zhiyuan and Zhang Wan were a radiant couple, and Wu Wencai’s godfather, Yin Shan, tipsy, suddenly asked, "With matters here settled, when do you plan to handle things with Ying-mei?"
Yin Shan, having no son and only a daughter named Yin Nanying, whose name echoed ’welcoming a male baby’.
Unexpectedly, instead of welcoming a male baby, he ended up with a godson over two hundred months old.
Yin Nanying was well-mannered, her needlework learned from a young age, a cultured man and a beauty, both at the age for marriage, living under the same roof; denying feelings was impossible.
Previously, with unresolved family grievances, Wu Wencai had never responded directly; now suddenly hearing Yin Shan’s question, a blessing struck him and he said, "If godfather does not object, I am willing to call you father-in-law."
County Magistrate Chen remarked how talented the Wuxu cohort was, a testament of his wit!
Qu Shui Village, Jiao’s village.
When Xu Qing arrived at the Jin family home, the Jin was crafting incense in the courtyard.
The village folks lived a humble life, their crafted incense mostly the simple Sihe Incense, unlike the precious calming incense, temple incense, trace incense, or medicine incense.
The latter required complex processes, materials soaked in alcohol to dissipate heat, blended with sheep shin charcoal to reduce oiliness, molded and sealed for dozens of days to mellow the fragrance.
Sihe Incense, however, was simpler, inexpensive, made from common bamboo, fragrant flowers, and bark.
Thus, Sihe Incense was also called Poor Man’s Incense, Forest Incense, or Grass and Wood Incense.
Xu Qing liked Sihe Incense because its scent was closer to nature; if Spirit Incense was the best, then Sihe Incense was the next best.
In this regard, no one had more authority than Xu Qing.
As a zombie, he had consumed more incense than a living person ate meals.
Mere mortals thought simply that the more expensive the incense, the better; the more expensive, the more the Immortals would favor it.
However, they never considered, what haven’t Immortals seen? Earthly goods, no matter how costly, in divine eyes, were like roadside stones or weeds.
Only by returning to simplicity, was it proper.
After all, the first incense burned under heaven and earth, was the most valueless Grass and Wood Incense.
At the Government Office, the Jin had seen Xu Qing before, but they had never directly spoken.
Now, with Xu Qing’s sudden visit, the Jin found herself at a loss.
"Mister Officer, what brings you here today?"
Xu Qing shook his head, "I am not an officer; I am the Shopkeeper of the Funeral Shop on Underground Street, Linjiang County, doing the business of receiving and sending off souls."