Chapter 404 - Sparrow
Discover the story in "Red Heart Patrols the Sky" Chapter 404: Noticing the paper doll shop ownerâs hesitation, Xu Xiangqian repeated his old trick, âIf that... Continue exploring!
Noticing the paper doll shop ownerâs hesitation, Xu Xiangqian repeated his old trick, âIf that really wonât work, you can turn back and together with Old Zhang, go to Qingya Sub-court to ask for money.Itâs also fine if he brings it for you!â
As it happened, Old Zhang had just returned with two young men.
After hearing just a bit, he chimed in, âThis is a teacher from the academy, whatâs there not to trust?â
Jiang Wang couldnât help but glance at him.
The manâs voice was cool and sinister, but he had a warm heart deep down.
Hearing Old Zhang say this, the middle-aged man from the paper doll shop just responded with a âThatâs fine.â
He then lowered his head and went back to his paper dolls, his movements suggesting he was very skilled.
Old Zhang from the coffin shop then said to Xu Xiangqian, âMr.
Xu, these two lads Iâve found are really willing to put in the effort.
Do you think theyâre suitable?â
Xu Xiangqian waved his hand magnanimously, âTheyâll do!â
He didnât forget to add, âItâs best not to burden others with multiple tasks.
For their wages, you can also ask for them at Qingya Sub-court.â
âYes, yes,â Old Zhang agreed repeatedly.
The two young men were indeed robust.
In the late autumn, they were dressed in just single layers, showing off their well-defined muscles.
They carried the coffin effortlessly, one at each end.
It wasnât that a mere coffin was too heavy for Xu Xiangqian or Jiang Wang to bear, nor were they so pampered that they needed others to attend to them.
Rather, having others carry the coffin was simply one part of the funeral rituals.
This was already a significantly simplified version.
Normally, there should be eight pallbearers during a burial, and these individuals had to be of high prestige and able to command respect within the clan, referred to as the âEight Bearers.â
But Xu Fang had no blood relatives left.
His old home was in Song City of Xinming Countyâthose âneighborsâ who had watched Xu Fangâs family die out for the âkiss of deathâ money.
If they were asked to carry the coffin, Xu Fangâs corpse might get so angry that it would climb out of the coffin.
The two robust men carried the coffin behind, while Xu Xiangqian, with a paper doll in each hand, led the way in front.
According to the full funeral ritual, besides the Eight Bearers, there should also be those who carry the white banners, lead the way, deliver paper dolls, scatter paper moneyâŚ
All these roles were taken by Xu Xiangqian alone.
He had no kinship or personal connection with Xu Fang.
This task was both inauspicious and unseemly.
For a disciple of Qingya Academy, it was somewhat deemed as âlowering oneself.â It was especially commendable.
Jiang Wang followed behind.
Now, in a sense, he could already represent Zhongxuan Sheng.
Attending the funeral procession was the limit, and was also understandable.
After all, Xu Fang was a man worth admiring and had indeed helped Zhongxuan Sheng substantially.
If the people from Zhongxuan Shengâs side were completely indifferent, it would seem overly deliberate.
But taking a step closer, such as assisting with the coffin, was also inappropriate.
This situation required a delicate balance of human considerations.
Old Zhang from the coffin shop was also following along.
As soon as he had lifted the coffin out of the shop, he had closed up, eager to head to Qingya Sub-court for his money.
No matter how much he seemed to trust outwardly, he was anxious inside.
They just walked together for a short distance before reaching the next street corner where they parted ways.
Jiang Wang looked around aimlessly, and sure enough, he spotted his target, but only brushed past, not alarming the person.
Meanwhile, he casually asked Old Zhang, âThe paper doll shop next to yours, has it just opened?â
Old Zhang from the coffin shop was taken aback and said, âThe shop has been open for quite a few years, but Old Li went back to his hometown to recuperate a few days ago and let his nephew take over the business.
The situation was quite sudden; he left in a rush without much chance to say anythingâŚ
What, are the paper dolls made by Old Liâs nephew not up to standard?
Weâre not acquainted.
Heâs only been here a few days and doesnât talk much.â
These were people not to be offended, so Old Zhang immediately disclaimed any responsibility.
âNot at all,â Jiang Wang clarified.
âI just noticed that you seemed somewhat unfamiliar with each other, so I asked.â
âI see.â
With that, Old Zhang from the coffin shop replied and the two of them fell silent.
Upon reaching the intersection ahead, Old Zhang turned toward Qingya Sub-court.
Jiang Wang, on the other hand, continued following behind the coffin bearers towards Blue Stone Palace.
There was something off about the wooden middle-aged man from the paper doll shop, despite the fact that he was good at making the dolls and seemed to know what he was doing.
Jiang Wang noticed that the shop was very old, and the middle-aged manâs clothes were washed white, showing he must be frugal.
But with the two paper figurines, he offered to buy on credit.
The money was not substantial; they werenât made from valuable golden nanmu for longevity.
There was no reason for credit, especially since they were not acquainted.
It really didnât seem like the way to run a small business.
Hesitation arose later because Xu Xiangqian requested to buy two more on creditâif he had agreed to that too easily, it would have been far too suspicious.
According to the old coffin shop owner Zhang, the middle-aged man was the nephew of the original owner of the paper figurine shop.
This seemed unproblematic, but it didnât stand up to close scrutiny.
Not resting in Linzi to recover from illness, but enduring the hardship of traveling back to his hometown?
Moreover, if Old Li were truly letting his nephew take over his shop, he would have introduced him to neighbors for support.
It simply didnât make sense.
From all these clues, Jiang Wang concluded that the middle-aged man was certainly not there to peacefully run the paper figurine business.
But after all, this was not his concern.
The safety of the Linyi City was the responsibility of the Forbidden Army, the law and order the duty of the Patrol Inspection Bureau, and besides, the man might not necessarily be a villain.
He couldnât possibly act on mere suspicion, he would simply keep it in mind and stay alert.
Carrying a coffin through the streets, even in the crowded Linyi City, people made way.
The area outside the Blue Stone Palace was deserted and eerily silent; no one obstructed them, and there werenât even any onlookers.
The absence of even a curious glance made oneâs skin crawl.
Xu Xiangqian led the way, and aside from their footsteps, there were no other sounds.
The two young men hired to carry the coffin initially chatted to bolster their courage, but they too fell silent eventually.
In front of the only gate of the Blue Stone Palace, Jiang Wang saw the deceased Xu Fangâ
The man still knelt, facing the gate, hands clasped around a dagger, his chest and abdomen cut openâŚ
The sight was indeed ghastly.
Having died some time ago and left unattended, the body had begun to decomposeâŚ
though it was still largely intact, clearly identifiable as human.
The two young coffin-bearers vomited on the spot.
Both Jiang Wang and Xu Xiangqian remained silent.
Xu Xiangqian, with his impressive aura, directly lifted Xu Fangâs body and placed it into the coffin made for him.
Jiang Wang formed a hand seal and summoned the Eating Flower, cleansing the filth from the ground.
Blue stone bricks, green moss.
The Blue Stone Palace was cold, silent, and lifeless.
Jiang Wang voiced his concern, âDirect contact with your pure energy might affect your cultivationâŚâ
Xu Xiangqian, uncharacteristically serious, said, âA man like Xu Fang, even as a corpse, even if the body rots, does not count as filth.
He was closer to the essence of pure energy than pure energy itself.
It is an honor for me, Xu Xiangqian, to conduct his funeral rites.â
Pure energy is, after all, just a cultivation techniqueâeven someone like Master Li from Jia City could cultivate it.
But true âintegrityâ emanates from oneâs character and cannot be eradicated.
Jiang Wang looked up to see a sparrow tilting its head on the eaves, seemingly very curious about them.
âNot even a fly in sight, yet thereâs a sparrow?â Xu Xiangqian seemed to have some thoughts.
Jiang Wang reached out and tugged at him, âLetâs go.
Donât delay.â
Of course, Xu Xiangqian received the warning not to stir up trouble.
After thinking it over, he still called the coffin bearers, âLetâs move on.â
The young men were feeling better and picked up the coffin to leave; the place was indeed unsettling.
The Blue Stone Palace was finally stirred with activity, but the sound of footsteps faded into the distance.
The Blue Stone Palace seemed as lifeless as the rocks themselves, enduring wind and rain, and the comings and goings of people.