The next day, in front of the Wang ancestral graves.
Chu Qiguang gestured toward the sweeping expanse before them, giving an elaborate presentation to Abbot Chenzhu, Daoist Fayuan, the Wang father and son, and Hao Yongtai.
The abbot of Qingyang Temple was a kindly old man with snow-white hair and beard named Chenzhu. Unremarkable though he looked, he commanded immense authority over the entire county's spiritual faith.
"Look, everyone: lush hills, clear waters, harmonious topography, and a balance of yin and yang. This is first-rate feng shui. Burying our elders here will surely bless future generations to produce jinshi scholars for generations to come..."
Hao Yongtai, Abbot Chenzhu, and Fayuan all nodded inwardly at his words. One came from a prominent clan and the other two were Daoists of the Heavenly Master Sect; none might claim total mastery over the art of feng shui, but they understood the basics well enough.
The ground before them truly was a rare, blessed site. It joined the heavens and embraced the earth—an ideal location for a cemetery.
While Chu Qiguang gave his presentation, the men flipped through the booklets in their hands. They were materials Chu Qiguang had summoned Wang Cailiang to assemble overnight, which he referred to as "PPTs."
Each page outlined future development plans, complete with charts of Qingyang County's wealthy population, the growth rate of burial plots, the scarcity of prime feng shui land, and the number of Heavenly Master Sect devotees... All of this was derived from data Chu Qiguang had gathered in Qingyang County over recent days. Laid out in crisp, orderly rows, the numbers were exceedingly persuasive.
For the Great Han Dynasty, where everyone from the emperor down to the commoners was deeply superstitious about feng shui and fortune, funeral rites and the selection of burial plots were of paramount importance, regarded as matters tied directly to a clan's everlasting foundation.
Hearing Chu Qiguang's explanation now, everyone grew serious.
"...Though our county has the Mount Mei spiritual vein, the two centuries of peace since the founding of the dynasty have made prime feng shui plots scarcer by the year. Meanwhile, the county's death toll only grows. As of today, less than one in ten desirable gravesites remains available.
"Every household in Qingyang County reveres the Heavenly Venerable, and around any burial, they long for the temple's masters to chant scriptures and perform rites. Yet the masters are limited in number and cannot attend to all our county folk, which is a great pity.
"Now, Master Wang generously provides this blessed land, Abbot Chenzhu is willing to establish a new branch temple and invite Daoist Lord Xuanyuan to bless the cemetery, and the benevolent Hao family will broker connections among the local gentry...
"Here, we will offer memorial halls, paper-money offerings, scripture chanting, and exorcism rituals—a complete, one-stop funeral service.
"...The masters will no longer need to travel back and forth or endure the exhaustion of the road. From within the temple, they can offer prayers, chant scriptures, and perform rites for all citizens of the county.
"...Headstones can be manufactured in bulk... Ritual implements and paper effigies can also be procured in bulk... and reused... By my estimate from yesterday, total funeral costs can be reduced by at least fifty percent.
"We can also introduce columbarium wall burials, flowerbed burials, tree burials, and more, maximizing every inch of space to affordably accommodate ordinary folk who cannot afford large plots."
Looking at the thorough figures and listening to Chu Qiguang's brilliant exposition, everyone present could practically envision this plot blanketed in tidy rows of headstones. It would become the cemetery CBD of Qingyang County, the final garden of life, sought after by prominent clans and commoners alike.
Commoners could enjoy blessed feng shui land at far lower prices and secure scripture readings and rites from Daoist masters.
The temple could expand its revenue and perhaps even corner the county's entire funeral market in the future.
As for the Wangs and Haos, they could claim the finest plots for their own ancestors, take a cut of the cemetery's proceeds, and establish surrounding businesses like inns, taverns, and gift shops, creating a wealth of local employment.
Even Qingyang County's overall environment... would improve from centralizing its burial sites.
Having heard Chu Qiguang out, their hearts stirred with excitement. It felt as though they were witnessing such a path to wealth for the very first time.
If Chu Qiguang were to describe their current sentiments, it would be that death was inevitable and burial plots were an inelastic need. Yet in Qingyang County, the customer base that both secured prime feng shui land and hired Daoists for rites was minuscule; the market held immense room for growth.
Furthermore, the Heavenly Master Sect possessed the county's sole legitimate authority to oversee funerals, and this land boasted the finest feng shui layout. Customer acquisition and repeat business would not be an issue at all. So long as the market was properly educated, the possibilities were boundless.
In the future, every person in the county would have a place to rest, every household would have scriptures chanted for them, and the Wang family, the Hao family, and Qingyang Temple would help turn the entire county into a land of great burials... no, a land of great virtue.
Abbot Chenzhu of Qingyang Temple looked at Chu Qiguang with deep satisfaction. Here was a true talent for business and enterprise! Qingyang Temple sorely lacked capable people willing to build something down-to-earth; instead, it was filled with folks who spent their days either squeezing the common folk or seeking immortality, leading to year after year of declining revenue and diminishing silver.
And so he asked, "Young friend, would you be interested in joining our sect?"
Chu Qiguang replied, "My ambitions lie with the imperial examinations."
In the Great Han Dynasty, entering the clergy barred one from sitting for the imperial exams. Hearing this, Abbot Chenzhu shook his head in regret.
Watching this, Daoist Fayuan knew the abbot was highly pleased with Chu Qiguang's plan and began discussing specific transaction details with the others.
The Wang family specially summoned all their servants, brought out their finest stored wine and delicacies, and hosted an extravagant banquet for the guests.
Host and guests enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Genuine rapport was established, and their mutual financial interests bound them together as allies.
Chu Qiguang and Abbot Chenzhu chatted and laughed merrily, and after discussing several management strategies for the temple, their relationship grew even closer.
At a subtle cue from Chu Qiguang, Hao Yongtai seized the moment during the meal to ask Abbot Chenzhu for assistance in dealing with Li Changqing.
True to his professional standing, the abbot smiled and said, "How could one call it 'dealing with him'? As I see it, Chiliarch Li slew a demon in the yamen and seems to have inadvertently been tainted by demonic qi. It is only right that we invite him to our temple so we may perform an exorcism ritual to cleanse him."
Chu Qiguang asked what they should do if Li Changqing resorted to violence.
Daoist Fayuan burst into laughter, declaring that he would welcome nothing more than Li Changqing drawing steel, as the Heavenly Master Sect possessed ample means to subdue demons.
When the banquet drew to a close and Chu Qiguang was about to leave, Wang Chengwang pulled him aside and pressed five hundred taels of silver into his hands.
Wang Chengwang said, "Turning danger into safety and crisis into opportunity is all thanks to you, Brother Chu. This meager sum is just a token of my gratitude."
Chu Qiguang accepted the silver with pleasantries and a smile, then set out for the county seat alongside the abbot and Hao Yongtai.
Along the return road, Chu Qiguang slipped two hundred taels of silver to Fayuan, saying gratefully, "My thanks to you, Daoist, for all your help today."
***
On the road back to the county seat, three black-robed figures—two men and a woman—stood halfway up a hillside, watching the post road as though waiting for someone.
The leading woman's eyes suddenly went wide. "He's here! It's Chu Qiguang!"
One of the black-robed men chuckled. "Finally. Just as Ding Daoxiao informed us this morning, the bastard finally left the county seat. He's usually far too cautious to give us an opening for assassination. Now we can finally intercept and kill him. He brought this on himself!"
The other black-robed man, an elder, said, "Ding Daoxiao told us to kill him, but we could take him alive and see what secrets he actually knows..."
The three dashed toward the post road, but after only a few strides, the woman ground to an abrupt halt, horrified. "Is that... the abbot of Qingyang Temple?!"
The black-robed man's expression soured completely. "Get out of here! Quick, before they spot us!"
"Damn it, was Ding Daoxiao trying to get us killed? Sending us to assault the abbot of Qingyang Temple?! We're going back to settle scores with him!"
***
That night, Li Changqing was swinging his saber in his rented courtyard. It was his habit never to slacken in honing his bladecraft, keeping the Demon-Slaying Saber in his grip as familiar to him as his own hand.
Serving under such a superior, his subordinates naturally practiced their own martial arts, presenting an industrious scene.
Right then, the courtyard gate was suddenly kicked wide open. Chu Qiguang strolled inside with leisurely poise.
Li Changqing said coldly, "Chu Qiguang? Have you gone mad, or do you have a death wish?"
Chu Qiguang looked at him with an expression of deep concern. "Chiliarch Li, after you slew that demon in the yamen days ago, I worried you might have inadvertently suffered demonic taint. I have come specially to invite you to Qingyang Temple for an exorcism ritual."
A fierce, cold glint flared in Li Changqing's eyes. "Chu Qiguang, I believe I told you: if you dare obstruct the business of the Demon Suppression Bureau again, I will show no mercy..."
Just then, a contingent of Daoists emerged behind Chu Qiguang, surrounding the men of the Demon Suppression Bureau on all sides.
Chapter 86