But on the other hand, Xu Qing isn't exactly running a charity. If he were to help every animal he came across, he'd be better off quitting the funeral business and opening a zoo, crowning himself as the park's living Buddha!
Although right now, he seems to be no different from a zookeeper...
That's not the point! What's important is that the little animals of the Immortal Hall are diligent and driven by the motivation to realize their own value.
But is Bai Qiuyu like that?
Just as Xu Qing was about to say something, he heard Bai Qiuyu say:
"Does your Immortal Hall need any immortals?"
Xu Qing chuckled inwardly, thinking Bai Qiuyu must have given up on taking advantage of her master's status and decided to be practical, aiming to work at the hall.
"Well, there are two branch halls that are vacant..."
"How about me?"
Looking at Bai Qiuyu recommending herself, Xu Qing replied with a question: "Tell me first, why do you want to join the Immortal Hall?"
Bai Qiuyu's expression softened and she solemnly said: "The Cat Immortal Hall upholds righteousness and blesses all beings. It's truly where the righteous energies of heaven and earth are gathered! The immortals within are eager to save the world and act with kind-heartedness, serving as role models for our generation..."
Xu Qing frowned and interrupted her, "Speak plainly! Cut the nonsense!"
His Cat Immortal Hall wasn't that noble!
Everyone just wanted a roof over their heads, a place to shelter themselves. As long as other Immortal Halls offered the same benefits, which one wouldn't thrive?
Unfortunately, other Immortal Halls couldn't match his scale and were unwilling to distribute as much incense.
That's a question of perspective.
Xu Qing knew the roots of his Immortal Hall. Bai Qiuyu's words obviously couldn't fool him.
Bai Qiuyu realized she couldn't bluff her way through and truthfully said: "I saw Golden Simurgh owing many favors helped by a Daoist and repaying his debts in the Immortal Hall, so I thought of asking Daoist to go to the Qingqiu Ruins and retrieve the Qingqiu lineage.
If successful, I'm willing to repay my debts by running a hall like Golden Simurgh."
Xu Qing thought for a moment but didn't directly agree. He smiled and asked:
"Jin Sect isn't short of people with extraordinary skills, and as my Immortal Hall takes small animals, it naturally should take those with exceptional abilities too! Tell me, what are your strengths, or what can you do for the Immortal Hall?"
Bai Qiuyu pondered for a moment and then gazed at a few pedestrians lingering at the street corner.
"I've practiced for a long time, can read divinations, set up illusion formations, and am adept at discernment."
Bai Qiuyu lifted her chin, gesturing for Xu Qing to look at the street corner. She continued, "Since the founding of Da Yan, people have often lingered at Underground Street. They're ordinary martial artists, definitely not here for the Immortal Hall, nor would funeral services attract them. Observing their looks and actions, they seem like imperial hounds, later confirmed by my divination!"
"These individuals loiter here, neither for the Immortal Hall nor funeral matters, but for the imperial family..." Bai Qiuyu smiled: "They're apparently not here to catch thieves but are either surveilling or searching for someone."
"Now that Daoist Xu has returned to Underground Street, they immediately sent two people out of the city. What do you think their purpose is?"
Xu Qing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are they here for me?"
"Either they're searching or capturing! Daoist Xu might have offended the Imperial Court, or someone is urgently seeking Daoist Xu without wanting to alarm you."
Xu Qing started to reassess the Qingqiu fox spirit before him.
This fox has followed an unnamed old woman without enjoying a day of happiness. For centuries, she's either divining on the street or traveling far and wide, forging a 'shrewd heart' through these years of trials.
Such a social immortal, if brought into the hall...
Xu Qing pondered for a while and said: "Only the Supervision Hall lacks a presiding immortal. If you want to stay, remain in the Supervision Hall, oversee the Immortal Hall and Jin Sect's goings-on, also relieving some pressure from the Sweeping Hall. How does that sound to you?"
Xu Qing assigned roles based on talent. Although Bai Qiuyu was a fox, she had the traits of a resourceful spirit. And, in a way, the Supervision Hall was about observing and gathering gossip, though if it caused trouble, it needed to be reported to the Sweeping Hall to clear any threats to the hall.
Bai Qiuyu's eyes lit up, seeing the good opportunity!
However, she hadn't forgotten her main business.
"What about Qingqiu Ruins?"
"Since you're an Immortal of the Hall, as the Sect Leader, what's difficult about checking an employee's ancestral land?"
"Daoist Xu is truly trustworthy!"
After hearing Xu Qing was willing to delve into ancestral matters, Bai Qiuyu's joy was visible.
Xu Qing shook his head reluctantly.
If Bai Qiuyu ascended one day and met the Qingqiu ancestors, being asked how she achieved enlightenment in troubled times, she couldn't say it was through ancestral excavation.
Between deceiving ancestors and disrespecting them, at least one must be chosen!
Once Xu Qing finished handling the White Cloud Cave issue, he promised to head to Qingqiu promptly, easing Bai Qiuyu's spirits.
Joy enhances the spirit, for both humans and foxes alike.
Xu Qing laughed mute seeing the fox, who followed an unnamed old woman, always living in a suppressive atmosphere. Despite leaving the old woman, she still held an incurable mental trauma.
Such creatures maintaining their nature and not falling into the Demon Dao is worthy of praise, yet easing their tense mind isn't easy.
Like wild cats or dogs never encountering humans, adapting when first adopted takes longer.
Similarly, Bai Qiuyu only revealed her true self after a decade.
Xu Qing thought, without the similarly bloodlined Nine-tailed Fox Daoist Yizhen, this fox may not have trusted him.
She might have already left Jin Sect during his ten-year absence.
...
At the street corner, some grey-clothed men were lazily chatting.
Dressed as laborers, some stood against the wall while others squatted like farmers. To the casual observer, they'd never be suspected as spies, nor as imperial hounds.
Yet they couldn't hide from Bai Qiuyu, nor from Xu Qing.
Aside from handling funerals, who would linger on a funeral-themed street?
Even if now Underground Street's reputation spread throughout Jin Sect, people's ingrained 'taboos' would always lead them to avoid this gloomy place.
"Seeing you guys often, maybe your families frequently have funerals. My shop's incense candles and burial supplies are known for their affordability in Jin Sect. Why not visit?"
As the chatting white-clothed man with the divination woman walked over, the group exchanged glances, and the leader quickly stood up, laughing: "No need, no need! We hail from Zhongzhou and usually unload at the docks. We're not arranging any funerals."
"No funerals, then why hang around my shop?"
Xu Qing's brows furrowed, then suddenly realized: "I get it, you must want membership iron tokens for your funerals?"
"It's easy, I've met many laborers before, working a lifetime without affording a wife, penniless at the end without anyone to mourn."
"They, like you, fear lacking money later, hence prearrange their funerals with me, sparing themselves from dying alone."
"No, we..."
The leader started to deny, but Xu Qing said:
"No? I'm close with the Government Office's constable, the County Magistrate's brother-in-law arranged membership iron token here. If you're not here for membership, are you outsiders running from the law?"
"Indeed! The docks are several streets away, no laborers would loiter here!"
Xu Qing tensed up, stepped back, and said while moving away: "Don't you dare run! I'm a law-abiding citizen, I'll report you to the Government Office!"
The leader felt panic and hurriedly explained: "We couldn't be criminals, the Shopkeeper guessed right, we're here for membership iron tokens. But working hard at the docks doesn't earn much, we can't afford shop's iron tokens..."
Xu Qing chuckled, immediately pulling the leader towards his shop.
"I thought so, this is easy! We offer credit funeral services here, with lifetime no-interest, guaranteed satisfaction. Come on in!"