Becoming a martial arts god starting from the mortician.

Shen Qi carried Xuan Yi and hurried along.

As we emerged from the inner city, only a deep crimson hue remained on the west side, hanging obliquely on the eaves of the city wall.

The guards at the checkpoint had already changed shifts.

The guards were about to step forward to question him, but their eyes first fell on the old badge at Shen Qi's waist, and then they noticed the black official robe in his arms. They quickly took a half step back.

"grown ups."

Shen Qi nodded and walked past.

……

The mortuary remains deserted.

A string of mugwort hangs under the eaves, its delicate leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

In the corner, a black raccoon was curled up in a ball, its tail covering the tip of its nose. Hearing footsteps, it lazily lifted its eyelids.

In the front yard, Zhao Youtian lay sprawled on a chair.

An old blanket covered his legs, a teapot was beside him, and a storybook with curled edges lay open on his lap.

The book page depicts a black-faced judge interrogating wandering souls at night, with a few lines of exaggerated and bizarre small print next to it.

Zhao Youtian, with fried beans in his mouth, was watching with great interest.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up.

"Seventh Brother is back? What a coincidence, someone just came by earlier..."

Before he could finish speaking, he caught a glimpse of a dark figure in Shen Qi's arms out of the corner of his eye.

Although he wasn't a member of the Imperial Observatory, he had spent most of his life in the bureaucracy, flattering and pandering, and he knew exactly which robes to avoid and which seals to respect.

Zhao Youtian's smile grew wider and wider, and he unconsciously sat up straighter.

"Ouch!"

He hurriedly got off the recliner and rushed to Shen Qi: "Seventh Brother, this is... a promotion from the department?"

Shen Qi walked to the table and put down his martial arts robe.

Then, he took out a black iron seal from his bosom and gently placed it on his robe.

The seal knob is carved with a mythical beast called Bixie, which lies crouching on it, its cold light deep and gloomy.

Zhao Youtian stared at the seal for a long time.

He suddenly cupped his hands and gave a proper bow.

"Congratulations, Lord Shen."

Shen Qi looked at him.

"What do you mean by this, brother?"

Zhao Youtian looked up, smiling somewhat awkwardly: "The proper etiquette must not be neglected."

"Do you think that just because I, Shen Qi, have changed my clothes, you can't stand hearing the words 'Seventh Brother' anymore?" Shen Qi reached out and helped him up. "I live in this mortuary, and I usually have to trouble you to take care of me. If you suddenly start calling me 'Sir,' it will sound awkward to me."

Zhao Youtian looked down at Shen Qi's hand supporting him, and suddenly grinned.

"Alright, then I'll take the liberty of calling you Seventh Brother."

He said "okay" twice in a row, then raised his sleeve to wipe the tip of his nose, as if he had been hit by a cold wind.

After saying that, he walked half a circle around the black robe on the table, looking at it with increasing delight.

"It's time for a real big shot to emerge from our mortuary. If it's convenient for you, Seventh Brother, why don't you change into one and let your older brother see what's going on?"

Shen Qi didn't want to make a fuss, but seeing Zhao Youtian's appearance, he didn't want to go against his wishes, so he picked up his martial robe and went to the backyard.

The charcoal fire in the house was not extinguished.

Shen Qi closed the door, took off his old green robe, and put on the black robe of the Suppressor of Evil.

This robe is made of thick material, with neatly gathered cuffs and a short hem for easy movement. Dark red trim runs along the collar and cuffs, and there are no flowers on the chest, only a hanging mark at the waist.

Shen Qi tied the Bixie seal to his leather belt and tucked the Jia character waist tag into his inner lapel.

A person was reflected in the bronze mirror.

He has clear and bright eyes and a tall and straight posture.

The black robes suppressed the boy's refined and handsome features, leaving only a cold and sharp aura.

Shen Qi lowered his eyes and slowly straightened his cuffs.

It's still these same hands.

Washing the corpse, cosmetic surgery, skin stitching, and clothing assembly.

However, from now on, the dead people these hands will be delivering will not only be ordinary people.

A moment later, he pushed open the door and went out.

When Zhao Youtian saw him come out, he immediately circled around Shen Qi.

"No wonder the Bureau of Astronomy commands respect."

"Seventh Brother used to wear a blue robe, looking like a refined scholar. Now that he's changed into this black outfit, hey, he looks more like the cold-faced judge from the storybooks."

Shen Qi said, "Brother, please don't make fun of me."

"This is no joke." Zhao Youtian shook his head. "Seventh Brother is the first person to look so handsome in this outfit. It's as if he was born to wear it."

After saying that, he looked at the Bixie seal on Shen Qi's waist and lowered his voice.

"The job of a demon suppressor... is probably not easy, is it?"

Shen Qi simply replied, "If there are any official duties at the department, I will be summoned."

Zhao Youtian immediately understood and didn't ask any more questions.

He was a timid man who valued his life, so he naturally knew his limits. He was already being polite to hear even half a sentence about matters within the Imperial Observatory; to ask any further questions would be considered tactless.

Shen Qi changed out of his black robe and put his old blue robe back on.

The new robe hung on a wooden rack in the room, and the black iron seal was stored in a box beside his desk. He did not intend to wear it ostentatiously unless summoned by the Imperial Observatory.

Seeing this, Zhao Youtian felt more at ease.

He bent down to pick up the storybook from the ground, dusted it off, and then, as if remembering something, hurriedly said, "Oh right, Seventh Brother, someone came to the inner city today."

Shen Qi looked up.

Zhao Youtian rolled up the storybook, stuffed it into his sleeve, and leaned closer to say, "Old Master Xu passed away last night. He sent someone to ask you to come to the mansion tomorrow to see him off on his final journey."

He spoke even softer as he said this.

"The asking price isn't low."

Shen Qi sat down at the stone table and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea was already half-cooled.

He took a sip and asked, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

Zhao Youtian hurriedly said, "The person who came said he died of illness, and he was old enough to die. However, the Xu family has many children and grandchildren, and their wealth is considerable, so there are bound to be some disputes. If Seventh Brother goes, he can show his name, and I don't think anyone will dare to act recklessly."

Shen Qi nodded.

"I agree."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Youtian's face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Okay, I'll get back to you right away."

After speaking, he hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "But Seventh Brother's status is different now..."

"Everything will remain the same."

Shen Qi put down his teacup.

"The same rules should be followed as they were set out in the first place."

Zhao Youtian quickly waved his hand: "How could that be? You're a slayer of evil spirits now. It would be too much for me to do this for you."

Shen Qi looked at him, her tone calm.

"When I first came to Chengping, it was my elder brother who helped me settle into a house and find connections. In the future, I will also need to trouble my elder brother to take care of things for me."

The black cat in the corner of the yard had woken up sometime earlier, stretched, and slowly walked past the base of the wall. Zhao Youtian glanced at it and casually muttered, "Lazy thing, but it eats on time more than anyone else."

The cat flicked its tail and ignored him completely.

Shen Qi glanced at it and smiled faintly.

A thin layer of warmth spread through the courtyard.

For the next few days, Shen Qi continued to stay in the old courtyard.

Practice boxing at 5:00 AM.

Prepare the medicine at Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

Reading in the afternoon.

If a corpse is brought to the front yard, he will change into the old burial cloth, wash his hands, burn incense, and perform the burial as usual.

Apart from Zhao Youtian, the servants in the mortuary were unaware that Shen Qi had changed his identity. They only noticed that Steward Zhao had been treating Shen Qi more politely these past few days, so they walked even more quietly when delivering things to the backyard.

On the afternoon of the third day, the mortuary brought in another old man's body.

The deceased was a charcoal seller from the outer city, over sixty years old, who fell asleep at night and never woke up. His children scraped together some meager funds, hoping the officials would tidy up the old man with some dignity.

Shen Qi washed his hands, lit the lamp, and laid out a white cloth.

The old man's face was wrinkled and dry, his fingers were thick and rough, and there was old charcoal ash between his fingers. He washed it three times with warm water, but faint black marks still remained.

Shen Qi said in a low voice, "Old man, you've worked hard all your life, take a rest."

After he finished speaking, he took some warm water and wiped his face.

Then, gently pad the hollows of the cheeks with fine cotton, close the old man's lips and teeth, and comb the messy hair at his temples.

The burial clothes were made of washed cotton cloth with fine stitches, and the cuffs were patched with a piece of cloth of the same color.

I imagine that although my family isn't wealthy, they've done their best.

Shen Qi helped the old man change into his burial clothes and then placed his hands together in front of his abdomen.

The lights burned quietly.

Grayish-white life threads rose from the corpse, as thin as hair.

Shen Qi lowered her eyes and gently guided her fingertips.

The crimson life thread simply rolled up once, and the remaining gray and white threads were completely swallowed up.

Not even a ripple.

Shen Qi paused for a moment.

He drew another strand.

It remains the same.

The grayish-white remnants disappeared into the crimson life-giving threads, like fine dust entering the sea, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

In the evening, another woman's corpse was brought in.

Died of illness.

The silk threads are grayish-white and slightly thicker.

Shen Qi performed the usual small-scale burial and, as usual, seized the items.

The result remained the same.

The grayish-white life force entered the body, but dissipated in an instant.

A cold wind blew through the window, making the paper windowpane rustle softly.

Shen Qi stood in front of the morgue board, looking down at his palm.

His life is now beyond repair; it cannot be mended by mere remnants of his former life.

After a moment of silence, he covered the deceased with the white cloth, turned around and took the account book, writing down the name of the deceased.

Each stroke is steady and as usual.

……

into the night.

Inside the house in the backyard, the charcoal brazier was burning brightly.

Shen Qi changed back into his everyday clothes and sat down at his desk to look through the incomplete copy of "Yuanming Sui".

He had read this book many times, and the corners were already creased.

This edition has not been significantly revised, and while the main text is somewhat obscure, the annotations by previous authors in the margins are worth examining closely.

He turned to the chapter on "Observing Fate".

The paper is yellowed and the ink is pale.

"A person's destiny is like a river vein lying underground. Observe its shape above, examine its momentum below, and discern its opportunity in the middle. The shape can be seen, the momentum can be deduced, but the opportunity should not be acted upon rashly."

Shen Qi moved his finger downwards.

There is a small annotation along the edge of the page.

The handwriting was thin and bony, as if it were carved into the back of the paper with a knife.

"Those who seek to understand fate should avoid looking at their own destiny most of all."

Shen Qi put down the book and raised his right hand.

The crimson life threads coiled in his palm, much thicker than before. Layers of red threads intertwined, like veins or roots, hidden beneath the skin and flesh, yet floating above destiny.

The once gray and tattered silk threads are no longer visible.

Crimson life threads occupied his body, flowing heavily.

Shen Qi stared intently at it.

In the depths of that crimson depths, a ray of light suddenly flashed.

Extremely pale.

Extremely fine.

But it wasn't red.

It was a wisp of gold.

Like a thread hidden in jade, it disappears in a flash.

Shen Qi slowly closed his five fingers.

Outside, a cold wind swept through the old courtyard.

The wind blew the pages of "Yuanming Sui" on the table, turning them back to that chapter with a rustling sound.

Under the lamplight, the line of annotation lay quietly.

"Those who seek to understand fate should avoid looking at their own destiny most of all."