The next day, Bai Yu got up early.
He headed to the main hall of the Charity Mortuary.
In the mortuary, besides Daoist Lin Jiu, there were only four people actually working.
Zhu Tong, Bai Yu, and an attendant named Mangzi.
Mangzi was only sixteen years old, over two meters tall, like a towering iron pillar.
Bai Yu couldn't help but exclaim to himself: "Fing hell, sixteen?"
Additionally, there was a lame old man responsible for collecting corpses, whom everyone called Old Zhangtou.
Early in the morning, just after breakfast, Old Zhangtou returned with a cart, on which three bodies were wrapped in straw mats, all unclaimed corpses from the city.
He was only responsible for collecting the bodies, not for anything else.
Daoist Lin Jiu recited scriptures over the bodies twice, saying it was to dispel sha energy and prevent corpse transformation.
"Mangzi, take Xiao Bai with you to the mass grave behind the mountain and find a place to bury them."
The towering Mangzi and Bai Yu hauled the bodies to the mass grave.
He called out:"Kid, this is all wild grave land, just bury them where they fell. Dig a hole anywhere and bury all three bodies."
He bullied Bai Yu for being new, making him do all the work.
He was determined that if the newcomer dared to complain, he'd show him why he's called Mangzi.
Little did he know, Bai Yu was more than willing.
He was worried someone might come and take away his funeral participation.
If participation was below 50%, there would be no optional rewards.
He grabbed a hoe and shovel and started working.
Old Mo, the black dog, also followed along, digging vigorously.
Bai Yu worked steadily, digging three pits.
Then he placed the first body inside.
It was a skinny young man, light as a reed.
In death, he had no coffin, not even a straw mat.
River City was the largest city in the southeast, equivalent to a provincial capital on Blue Star.
Yet in this largest city, people starved or froze to death every day.
Some would collapse on the street and never wake up again, commonly known as "roadfall."
Bai Yu thought of the luxurious mansions in the city.
The rich feast behind closed doors, while the poor freeze to death on the streets.
This wasn't just a poem, it was a bloody reality.
What a world, Bai Yu shook his head.
Bai Yu covered the first body with soil, forming a small mound.
Then he took out a suona and played a funeral song.
Mangzi, with a wild grass in his mouth, lay slanted on a big rock, looking at the sky.
Seeing Bai Yu working so hard, he felt a bit guilty.
"Hey, hey, hey, Xiao Bai, don't be so stubborn."
"Just dig a shallow hole, no need to play the suona, save your strength."
After playing the suona, Bai Yu said earnestly:"Death is significant. He had no family or friends, ignored in life and forgotten in death.
This song is just to give him a final bit of dignity. May everyone receive the respect they deserve."
Mangzi was struck as if by lightning, stunned in place.
What a good person, so rare.
Simple, kind-hearted, even towards the lowliest roadfall, he harbored goodwill.
Bai Yu found some branches and stones, placing them as incense and offerings.
[Funeral successful, participation 61%!]
[Basic reward: Qi and Blood +2, Life Experience +3.]
[Optional reward: Strength +1.]
The first body had a miserable life.
His life experience was uneventful, and the rewards were minimal.
But even the smallest gain is still meat, Bai Yu wasn't picky.
He placed the second body into the pit.
This body was even smaller, a child, starved beyond recognition.
Covering with soil, playing a song, placing branches and stones as offerings.
This time, the rewards were even more meager.
[Basic reward: Strength +1, Life Experience +1.]
[Optional reward: Qi and Blood +1.]
Bai Yu sighed deeply and buried the third body.
This body was different, at least wrapped in a straw mat.
It was a young man with a hint of innocence on his face, his clothes stained with blood.
Bai Yu buried him as usual.
Filling the soil, offering sacrifices, playing a song.
After the suona song, a prompt came from the Record of World Burials.
[Funeral successful!]
[Funeral Target: Yang Wei.]
[Participation: 65%!]
[Basic reward: Qi and Blood +15, Life Experience +12!]
[Optional reward: Strength +12, Flying Spirit Palm (Fragmented Tome, Yellow Rank Low Grade), Soul Severing Blade Technique (Yellow Rank Middle Grade)!]
From the Record of World Burials, Bai Yu learned of Yang Wei's life.
He was a poor boy from a small mountain village, who accidentally discovered a deceased martial artist and obtained two cultivation techniques.
He was exceptionally talented, becoming a Stage One Martial Artist with the fragmented Flying Spirit Palm.
After becoming a martial artist, he was full of dreams, entering the city to make a future.
However, the city's expenses were high, and within days he ran out of food, having no other skills besides fighting.
Eventually, he borrowed from the Black Wolf Gang's loan sharks, becoming a thug for them.
In the Black Wolf Gang, he made a name for himself with the Soul Severing Blade, daring to fight and kill.
However, within a month, he was killed in a conflict with the Divine Power Sect, pierced through the heart by a spear.
Bai Yu was shocked.
Yang Wei was so much like him, both village boys who obtained martial arts techniques.
The difference was, Bai Yu had survived to Stage Two Tendon Forging Realm.
While Yang Wei recklessly entered the city and became cannon fodder.
Thinking of this, Bai Yu couldn't help but bow deeply to Yang Wei, silently saying:"Brother Wei, may you have a safe journey."
After a while, Bai Yu packed up and descended the mountain.
His mood was heavy.
Bai Yu's expression caught Mangzi's eye, making him feel even more uneasy.
"Earlier I doubted he was pretending, but now I see, his sadness after the funeral is genuine, not an act. What a good person."
At this moment, Bai Yu suddenly said: "Mangzi, from now on, leave the funeral work to me."
Mangzi was even more bewildered.
What a good person, volunteering for work.
"How can I let you do that?"
Bai Yu smiled:"It's fine, I enjoy doing funerals.
Playing a song for the deceased, giving them a last bit of respect, makes me happy, it's accumulating virtue."
He waved the suona in his hand:"Mangzi, let's settle it this way."
With that, he strode back to the Charity Mortuary.
Mangzi stood there, speechless for a long time.
After a while, he slapped himself hard.
"Look at what I've done. Xiao Bai is such a good person, and I bullied him, I'm really despicable."
That night, Mangzi tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
Thinking about it, he slapped himself again.
"What have I done, I'm really despicable."
***
Meanwhile, Bai Yu, taking advantage of the quiet night, claimed his funeral rewards.
He first claimed the regular rewards, gaining 18 points of Qi and Blood, 2 points of Strength, and 16 points of Life Experience.
This was already equivalent to several months of gains in the small mountain village.
Indeed, the big city was full of opportunities.
Bai Yu then looked at the final reward.
[Optional reward: Strength +12, Flying Spirit Palm (Fragmented Tome, Yellow Rank Low Grade), Soul Severing Blade Technique (Yellow Rank Middle Grade)!]
Among the three rewards, 120 pounds of strength, a fragmented palm technique, and a blade technique.
Each was precious to Bai Yu.
Strength was a common attribute, so there was no rush to choose it.
Between the two techniques, the Flying Spirit Palm was of lower grade, only Yellow Rank Low Grade, and overlapped with the Five Elements Fist.
To read the uncut version, go to [pawread.com].
So he ultimately chose the Soul Severing Blade Technique.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan