Later, even the ancestors and departed souls needed to be sent a gift.
Of course, what was sent wasn’t real cotton clothes, but colorful outfits cut from paper, burned for their deceased relatives as a token of mourning.
Early in the morning, Fengyang County was bustling with people.
Residents young and old carried sacrificial offerings, holding paper-made cold clothes, leaving the city to burn paper and worship their ancestors on the nearby hills.
Important matters of the state, in war and in ritual.
No one dared to be careless about ancestral worship.
Those without money had to scrape enough together to buy so Fire Paper, fold it into clothes to burn, lest their deceased relatives shiver in the underworld.
Those with money put on an impressive display.
Like the county magistrate nicknad "Fengyang Tiger," Qiao Sanhu, who had ten large horse carriages loaded just with people made of paper, not to ntion all sorts of sacrificial offerings, even whole roasted pigs and lambs.
At the forefront of the procession were Taoists and monks chanting scriptures.
In the center were many burly n, each with imposing tattoos, even in mourning clothes, they snarled and scolded pedestrians to make way.
At the back were several carriages carrying Qiao Sanhu’s wives, concubines, and children, naturally accompanied by even more servants.
As such a grand procession passed, the entire street fell silent, and the townspeople hurried to get out of the way, not even daring to utter a word.
In comparison, Qiao Sanhu’s backers were far more powerful than those of Yuan Qu and Zheng Hebei of the past.
Although his cousin Yue Fazhong feared he might cause trouble in the cutthroat Chang’an City and forbade him from going there,
In this small Fengyang County, no one dared provoke him, he was like a local emperor.
Once this large procession left, the townspeople finally let out a sigh of relief, and the once stagnant street beca lively again.
"Ptooey!"
In the crowd, Sha Lifei, wearing a bamboo hat, spat and turned into the adjacent candle shop.
"Boss, get so white paper, colored paper, and bamboo sticks."
"Oh sir, you want it made on the spot, huh, there’s no ti for that, how about you buy ready-made ones, our shop’s craftsmanship is really..."
"Cut the crap, just get it."
"Oh yes, and get so incense and candles, just according to this list..."
For the funeral procession, soul-guiding banners would be needed, who knew if there were any of Qiao Sanhu’s n in these stores, if purchased directly, it might be discovered.
...
"Zhao Kui!"
Outside the city, the large sacrificial procession hadn’t traveled far, when a deep voice ca from the luxurious carriage at the back.
"Master, I’m here."
Beside it, a bearded man quickly ran to the front of the carriage.
His na was Zhao Kui, the constable of Fengyang County.
Qiao Sanhu wielded imnse power, replacing nearly all key positions in Fengyang County with his own people, each county magistrate almost rendered powerless.
And as for Zhao Kui, he was originally a thug and a rogue, but because he practiced a great Blade Technique, he was chosen by Qiao Sanhu as a lackey.
He perford diligently, daring to do any dirty work.
In private, the people of Fengyang referred to him as the "Chang Ghost."
The curtain of the carriage slowly lifted, revealing a broad face, wide forehead, prominent facial features, fine eyebrows and long eyes, wide mouth with thick lips, and though his eyes were mismatched in size, he had an imposing aura.
The face-reading book said this was a White Tiger face, naturally ambitious, daring to fight, ruthless.
This was Qiao Sanhu.
He gently stroked his walrus mustache and said indifferently, "Find a few people to check the ancestral tombs at Wu Family Gully."
The "Chang Ghost" Zhao Kui was taken aback, then he flattered, "Rest assured, sir, we handle things smoothly, those peasants’ ancestral graves have long been upturned."
"Idiot!"
Qiao Sanhu glanced at him, scolding, "What good is it to dig up a few old graves, I’m looking for Gou Lvsan to show himself."
"That boy awakened Divine Skills, skilled in Beast Taming, even the Cao Gang treated him with courtesy, though he can’t do anything to now, keeping him around is a disaster sooner or later."
"Today is the Cold Clothes Festival, he might co back to pay respects, take so people to watch, if you see any traces, report back to imdiately."
"Yes, sir."
"Wait!"
Zhao Kui was about to leave when Qiao Sanhu suddenly called out to him, his voice somber, "Go, invite Mr. Lu as well, Lvsan knows so spells, best you can’t capture him."
"Yes, sir."
Zhao Kui cupped his hands and left, then ca to the rear of the procession, he respectfully bowed by the carriage, "Mr. Lu, sir invites you to join us, to lend your aura."
"What a bother..."
A hoarse voice sounded, and a man in black lifted the curtain, jumped down from the carriage, and picked up a long black bag.
His hair was disheveled, beard scraggly, yet his face was frighteningly pale, even sowhat gray, like the complexion of a corpse.
Zhao Kui shrank his neck, daring not to speak more.
This person had joined Qiao Sanhu’s ranks years ago, rarely leaving ho, constantly tinkering with sothing.
Especially since from his body, there was a putrid sll of rot.
Zhao Kui always felt,
This wasn’t a person!
...
Rustling!
Lv San’s face was pale as he carried the last large bag of bones on his back, he took one final look at the ancestral tombs at Wu Family Gully and turned to go down the mountain.
After descending the mountain, he headed straight for the East Mountain cliff tomb.
After a night of gathering, he had collected all the exposed and severely damaged corpses from the Wu Family Gully ancestral graves.
So were already decayed due to age, with even the graves disappeared, thus escaping desecration. Lv San didn’t disturb those either.
He didn’t understand the burial customs, but he knew these bones couldn’t be placed directly into the cliff tomb, they needed to be moved together when Wu Laosi was buried.
At least there would be a process.
Of course, being a loner by nature, he wouldn’t even consider asking for help.
Whatever he did, he was used to doing it alone.
...
"The master foresaw this!"
An hour after Lv San left, Zhao Kui led people up the mountain from the other end, seeing the missing bones, and the clearly tidied graves, he was overjoyed.
But imdiately, his face turned regretful, lanting, "It seems he’s already gone, if only we’d kept watch here these two days, we surely would have caught that brat!"
As he spoke, he cautiously glanced at the man with a dead face beside him, respectfully asking, "Mr. Lu, do you have any way...?"
"Mr. Lu" cast a glance, "I only know killing spells, I’m not familiar with tracking."
Zhao Kui had no choice but to search around.
But being inept, and having spent his life being an accomplice, he had no investigative skills at all, nor did his subordinates.
Unable to find him, they had no choice but to descend the mountain to report back.
"Constable Zhao, look!"
At mid-mountain, a man suddenly pointed ahead.
From there, they could spot the abandoned Wu Family Gully in the distance.
They hadn’t entered the village on their way, bypassing directly to the mountain, after all, an abandoned village was truly of no interest.
However, at that mont, there was a wisp of smoke in the center of the deserted village.
Though it was just one plu, it was strikingly obvious from where they stood.
Seeing it, Zhao Kui was imdiately excited.
"Quick, descend the mountain quickly!"
"What’s the rush!"
Beside him, "Mr. Lu" suddenly scolded, "Although I haven’t t Lvsan, I know this person understands the language of birds and beasts, you probably wouldn’t even get close before he’s alerted and flees."
"Right, that brat is very slippery."
Zhao Kui suddenly understood and hastily bowed, asking, "In the master’s opinion, what should we do?"
"Mr. Lu" replied solemnly, "Go back and gather more people, guard every exit of the village, and tonight, I’ll cast a spell to eliminate him!"
"The master is brilliant!"
Zhao Kui reluctantly agreed, knowing that such credit would be shared with many, but he dared not offend "Mr. Lu," for Qiao Sanhu held him in high regard.
A man beside him scratched his head, suggesting, "Constable, why don’t we send soone to check, in case it’s just a passerby finding a place to stay overnight."
Slap!
Zhao Kui imdiately slapped him, glaring, "It’s not your place to speak, if they are passersby, it’s just their bad luck, they’ll be treated as bandits and locked in the county governnt."
As for "Mr. Lu," he remained silent, walking at the back of the group, he caressed the rotten scar on his chest, a gleam of excitent flashed in his eyes as he murmured, "It’s the Hook Paper, it’s the Hook Paper."
"Wu junior fellow, I’ve finally waited for you..."
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