Chapter 766: The 64-Pole Funeral Procession
Chapter 766: The 64-Pole Funeral Procession
If he said he wouldn't see them, he wouldn't.
The butler of the old mansion brought over account books from the past twenty years, but Hu Ma didn't even glance at them.
He already knew that the Hu Family's mansion wasn't earned by the Hu Family but was granted by the previous dynasty. Twenty years ago, the Zhen Cui Hu Clan, a branch of the Hu Family, migrated as a whole, leaving only this old servant to watch over the house. The main gate had been locked for twenty years, and they no longer had any contact with outsiders.
Over time, even the businesses in the capital had been scattered. After all, the old servant was alone, and with a small amount of silver, he could live comfortably.
The account books and other items he delivered were merely to inform Hu Ma about which properties originally belonged to the Hu Family and to whom they now belonged.
Hu Ma had no interest in these matters.
Members of the Qingyuan Hu Family also wanted to enter and speak as representatives of the Hu Family, but Hu Ma refused to see them.
Hu Ma was curious as to why they would come, given that he had already killed members of the Qingyuan Hu Family, and this was well-known throughout the world.
Even the Ren Family's eldest uncle, from his mother's side, wanted to visit and reminisce, but Hu Ma had no interest in seeing him either.
Later, when Old Abacus, followed by Xiao Douguan, who walked with a square gait and two wings on his head, came to discuss the arrangements for the funeral the next day...
...This was something he had to meet about.
However, even for the funeral, Hu Ma decided to keep it simple, even though the entire capital knew of the Hu Family's return and was watching them.
But Hu Ma still felt that his biological father had passed away over a decade ago, and even his reincarnation soul and guardian soul were gone. He believed that his father's last wish was to be sent back to the capital and buried in the ancestral hall, staying by his grandmother's side.
While some might think that a grand funeral was a display of filial piety, Hu Ma understood the situation clearly. It was merely an opportunity to showcase the Hu Family's prestige to the numerous figures in the capital, or even the entire world, through this unexpected and grand funeral.
Zhen Cui Hu, one of the Ten Surnames, had almost been forgotten by many in the world.
In recent years, due to some of Hu Ma's actions, people had gradually remembered them.
Especially after Tong Yin Meng's death, the reputation of the ghost lineage had greatly increased, and the entire world had recalled the fame of the Zhen Cui lineage.
This return to the capital seemed like an opportunity to draw the world's attention through this funeral.
But even if they attracted attention and built their reputation, what good would it do?
Sitting in the large and empty Hu Family mansion, which felt desolate and silent, Hu Ma looked outside. The vast imperial capital was shrouded in a thick darkness that seemed impenetrable.
In the depths of the night, there was no sound.
On the long street, one could occasionally see a lantern or two, their light cold and distant. Even with his Nine Pillars of Dao cultivation, he felt a subtle sense of oppression and gloom.
However, with the appearance of the Dalaofa Religion's leader and the planned ritual, most of the experts from the Ten Surnames had gathered in the capital.
Speaking of which, almost half of the most capable people in the world were probably squeezed into the capital. Why, then, did this city still feel so oppressive and eerie with so many of them here?
"There's no need to keep the spirit for forty-nine days, or even seven. Tomorrow morning, I'll send my father to the ancestral hall."
Hu Ma didn't want to cause trouble in the capital or fulfill the wishes of those people.
He understood that his biological father had been waiting at Old Yin Mountain for over a decade, and now, nothing was more reassuring than sending him to the ancestral hall.
Hu Ma already knew that his father wasn't a callous person, and he respected him for that.
But this act of using a dead person's name to build a reputation truly didn't align with his wishes, and he believed his grandmother would feel the same.
"Okay, I'll listen to you on this matter."
Old Abacus said, "But if the funeral isn't grand enough, that's fine. It's indeed for show. However, the funeral procession must be well-prepared as a sign of respect for the deceased."
"For the funeral procession, we'll have the Second Grade Eight Poles."
"You've already chosen the coffin at Old Yin Mountain, so we won't disturb the deceased further. But we must find good bearers. I've been thinking about this since we set out on our journey."
"According to the customs of the capital, when the emperor dies, they hire 120 bearers. For a royal death, they hire 80. Of course, the royal family is now extinct, so even if we hire 1,000 people from the Ten Surnames, it won't be considered overstepping."
"But that's not necessary, is it?"
"So, I was thinking of following the nobles' standard and hiring 64 people, which is the most suitable number."
"..."
Hu Ma couldn't help but frown as he listened. His father had already turned to bones, and his coffin wasn't heavy. He could carry it with one hand.
They wanted to find 64 people to carry it?
But before Hu Ma could speak, Old Abacus said, "This is the minimum; we can't reduce it any further."
"The Hu Family is still the Hu Family. There are some things you can simplify, but others you can't do without."
"..."
Hu Ma could only nod and sigh softly, "I'll leave this matter for you to handle."
Old Abacus nodded and said, "Then give me the money quickly; I need to get started!"
Hu Ma was taken aback, "Money?"
Old Abacus explained, "Yes, even though we're keeping it simple, the expenses are still considerable. Not to mention the incense, paper, and candles, but we'll need money to hire these 64 bearers, right?"
"There will be many coming to pay their respects, and it's customary to provide funeral food, right?"
"Indeed, there are many inside and outside, and even those who come to pay their respects will bring condolence gifts according to custom. But we can't just wait without preparing in advance, right? Even hiring someone to keep track of the accounts requires money!"
Hu Ma was caught off guard by this question and couldn't quite process it.
When it came to money, he, the gloriously returned descendant of the Hu family in the capital, didn't actually have any money on hand.
However, the Qingyuan Hu family had money, and his mother's family, the Ren family, was also wealthy. They had even mentioned it when they came to meet him.
The cleaning of the manor, inside and out, and the newly purchased servants were all funded by them.
If Hu Ma needed money, he could just ask them, and they would provide it.
They were probably waiting outside.
But at this moment, Hu Ma didn't have the heart for it. He merely waved his hand, and before he could speak, Xiao Douguan, who was standing beside him, pressed down the hand that Lao Suanpan had extended, saying, "Who goes around asking for money like this? Tell me how much you need, and I'll go and get it from Auntie."
"Now that we have the General's Order, we know what to do, and we can rest assured!"
"..."
Upon hearing this, even Hu Ma couldn't help but look at Xiao Douguan in admiration and reached into Little Red Tang's basket to take out a piece of sacrificial food as a reward.
So, Lao Suanpan followed Xiao Douguan out the door to make the arrangements for the night.
The Kindness Fairy indeed had plenty of silver, and with the help of the manor's staff and Xiao Douguan overseeing the preparations, everything was taken care of. As for the burial bearers, Lao Suanpan was also anxious.
There were sixty-four bearers, and they had to exclude those whose astrological signs were incompatible with the deceased. He was worried that they might not be able to gather enough people overnight, which would be embarrassing the next day. But Xiao Douguan already had a plan, and after explaining it to Lao Suanpan, he immediately understood.
He went to find Thursday Miss, and after explaining the situation, she also treated it as an important matter and immediately set out to handle it.
To find bearers, they needed young and vigorous men with compatible astrological signs, strength, and understanding of the proper etiquette to carry the coffin steadily.
Where could they find such people at this time? Of course, they had to borrow from their own father.
Who else would have more obedient and suitable young men than the Shousui Gate?
The head of the Zhou family, upon seeing his daughter coming to borrow people to help carry the coffin for the Hu family, looked troubled and scolded her, "Don't forget your surname. Without a name or status, you're already helping others with their affairs? Shouldn't some things be made clear first?"
Thursday Miss furrowed her brows in deep thought for a while, then suddenly said, "Father, there's something I don't understand!"
Zhou Zhiming let out a cold laugh. "Go on, let's see what you can come up with!"
Thursday Miss said, "Why do you need their technique?"
"And in the town, when I was chasing you from behind, how did you run so fast?"
"..."
Facing his daughter's suddenly brightened eyes, Zhou Zhiming wanted to say something but could only sigh helplessly.
He waved his hand and said to the nearby Iron Hoof, who was pretending not to have heard their conversation, "Go and arrange people for her!"
"Choose those with pure Yang bodies to show the importance of the occasion."
"The Hu family is a prestigious lineage, why only use sixty-four people? When the Meng family held a funeral for a distant relative, they used eighty people!"
"..."
With everyone's help, although they only had one night, the arrangements were made. The next day, just as dawn broke, Lao Suanpan secretly informed Hu Ma, allowing him to relax.
Hu Ma changed into white mourning clothes and, surrounded by the crowd, approached the coffin. The bearers were already prepared, and paper money was laid out on the road, extending towards the ancestral hall.
Hu Ma personally broke the tiles, reciting, "Heavenly spirits and earthly beings, passing ghosts and gods, I borrow this road to send off the funeral procession!"
"I borrow one zhang and two chi from the main road and eight chi from the side paths."
"The soul is led away, and the funeral procession proceeds."
"This funeral is not ordinary; the Hu family's noble one attracts divine light."
"Those who disrupt this funeral will meet their end, and those who block it will perish."
"I borrow this road to send off my late father, offering a pillar of incense at the ancestral hall."
"Arise!"
"..."
Under the wooden sword, the gray tiles shattered. Hu Ma held the soul-leading banner and walked ahead, followed by sixty-four bearers carrying the wooden coffin.
As they exited the door, the servants knelt and sent off the procession, and various funeral altars lined the roadside.
Along the way, countless people watched, taking the opportunity to see the legendary descendant of the Curse Suppressing Hu family under the pretext of sending off the funeral procession.
At this moment, Hu Ma couldn't disguise himself or hide. Countless curious, skeptical, and reverent gazes fell upon his face, and from the corner of his eye, he seemed to recognize some familiar faces hiding in the crowd, quietly disappearing.
But he wasn't sure if it was just an illusion. In the crowd, Hu Ma spotted a figure wearing a conical hat and holding a white cat in his arms.
He felt a sense of surprise and suspicion. The capital was filled with experts, and danger lurked everywhere.
Miss White Wine, who was usually so cautious, wouldn't be in the capital at this time, would she?
(End of Chapter)
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