Burial Furnace

The next morning, the streets and alleys of Qingmu Town were still filled with the lingering fog from the previous night, and Zhang Yuan got up early.

He cleaned the shop inside and out, and carefully hung the signboard, which had been made overnight by the old carpenter in town, above the door.

The plaque was made of ordinary pine planks, coated with a layer of varnish, which gleamed faintly in the morning light.

Five large characters are neatly engraved on it—

"The Immortal Crematorium"

The characters were written by Zhang Yuan himself. Although he could not be considered a great calligrapher, they were still well-structured and showed some skill.

He originally wanted to use his own surname and call it "Zhang's Crematorium," but then he thought that since his surname was Zhang and a crematorium burned corpses, it didn't seem very auspicious.

So I borrowed the name of the furnace and named it "Huaxian" (化仙), which is both domineering and apt—no matter what kind of immortal you are, once you enter my furnace, you will all turn to ashes.

Below the sign, there is a small blackboard with the price list written on it:

A mortal corpse: one tael of silver.

Qi Refining stage corpse: two low-grade spirit stones.

Foundation Establishment stage corpse: two mid-grade spirit stones.

Golden Core stage corpse: two high-grade spirit stones.

Next to it was a line of smaller print: "Cremation on the spot, leaving no trace. Honest and fair dealings, no credit."

The blind old man, leaning on his cane, stood shakily at the door, staring up at the signboard for a long time, his expression incredibly interesting.

"A crematorium?" His one eye widened in disbelief, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly before he finally managed to choke out, "Hey bro, are you out of your mind? You're opening a crematorium in Qingmu Town? What kind of business can that possibly have?!"

"Brother, it's true that most mortals on the Guangyuan Continent are buried after they die, believing in the importance of a peaceful burial. But my crematorium doesn't cater to mortals. It caters to cultivators." Zhang Yuan smiled slightly, not annoyed, and slowly wiped the dust off the counter.

"In the cultivation world, the strong prey on the weak, and murder for treasure is commonplace. If a body is carelessly dumped in the wilderness or buried, and it is discovered, it is likely to attract the pursuit of enemies, leading to endless troubles. Therefore, the ability to destroy evidence is a skill that every cultivator must master."

"A low-grade cremation talisman that can cremate a Qi Refining stage corpse costs three low-grade spirit stones; a mid-grade cremation talisman that can cremate a Foundation Establishment stage corpse costs three mid-grade spirit stones; and a high-grade cremation talisman that can cremate a Golden Core stage corpse costs three high-grade spirit stones. But here, the price is only two-thirds of that of a regular talisman."

The blind old man was stunned for a moment, but then he raised a question: "But cultivators already know how to use fireballs, so why would they spend money to come here?"

"The fireball technique can indeed cremate corpses, but it consumes a lot of true essence. How precious is the true essence of cultivators? It's not enough for traveling, fighting, drawing talismans, refining weapons, and breaking through realms. Who would be willing to waste it on cremate corpses? Moreover, the higher the cultivation level of a cultivator, the more resilient and difficult their corpse is to cremate."

Even burning a Foundation Establishment stage corpse for half an hour with a fireball might not completely clean it, and the true essence consumed would be enough to make them feel bad for days.

Zhang Jun laughed.

The blind old man fell silent.

He had lived for seventy-five years and seen all sorts of people, but he had never seen an eighty-year-old mortal man who could understand the thoughts of a cultivator so thoroughly.

"But you are only a mortal yourself. How can you cremate the corpses of those cultivators? You can't just burn them with firewood, can you?" the blind old man asked again.

Zhang Yuan smiled mysteriously and lowered his voice: "I have a distant relative, Liu Ruxue, the Holy Maiden of the Holy Maiden Sect. Last night, she came over personally to help me set up an array specifically for cremating corpses. However, activating the array each time requires consuming some spirit stones. So my business is just a matter of small profits and quick turnover, barely enough to make ends meet."

"Liu Ruxue, the Holy Maiden of the Holy Maiden Sect?" The blind old man's one eye suddenly lit up, his tone filled with shock and envy. "She's a genius with a Heavenly Spiritual Root! You're actually her relative?"

"A distant relative, a distant relative," Zhang Yuan waved his hand, feigning modesty.

The blind old man was filled with respect, and his gaze towards Zhang Yuan was completely different now. He mumbled a few more words before leaning on his cane and walking away, turning back every few steps.

Zhang Yuan watched him leave, his face full of anticipation.

He believed that the blind old man would spread the news that "Zhang Yuan and the Holy Maiden of the Holy Maiden Sect are relatives" throughout the entire Qingmu Town.

This is exactly the effect he wanted.

With this tiger skin, those with ulterior motives wouldn't dare to easily cause him trouble.

Moreover, it will eventually reach Liu Ruxue's ears, and she will definitely come to check on the situation.

Then I'll be able to see her!

……

On the first day of business, everything was calm and peaceful.

Occasionally, a few passing cultivators would glance curiously at the "Immortal Crematorium" sign, either scoffing or shaking their heads before hurrying away.

The next day, still no one paid any attention.

On the third day, there was still no business during the day.

Until the night was deep and quiet, and the moon was high in the sky.

A slender female cultivator, riding a jade-green flying sword, gracefully emerged from the night and landed lightly at the shop entrance.

She wore a light green gauze dress, the hem of which fluttered, outlining her exquisite figure.

Her long, jet-black hair was casually draped over her shoulders, with a few strands blowing in the night breeze and brushing against her fair, jade-like cheeks.

Her features were exquisitely delicate, with a natural charm in her eyes and brows. Her gaze was captivating, as if spring water was flowing through her.

She exuded a faint, delicate fragrance, neither like orchids nor like musk, which drifted on the night breeze, making one's heart flutter.

Zhang Yuan felt a slight chill run down his spine.

Being able to fly on a sword, one's cultivation level is at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, making one a master in the cultivation world.

Her alluring demeanor and the charm she exuded in every gesture were clearly typical characteristics of a disciple of the Hehuan Sect.

This sect is famous throughout the world for its practice of sexual enhancement.

The disciples of the Hehuan Sect often use their beauty to lure male cultivators who are driven by lust to secret places, and then... they harvest their vital essence and take everything from them.

Afterwards, it was natural to destroy the evidence and cover up the crime.

Zhang Yuan was secretly delighted; this meant business was coming!

They quickly and expectantly got up to greet him.

The female cultivator walked in gracefully, her gaze lingering for a moment on Zhang Yuan's full head of white hair.

"Boss, right? I heard you cremate corpses here? Do you have a relative who is Liu Ruxue, the Holy Maiden of the Holy Maiden Sect?"

Her voice was soft and melodious, with a touch of lazy magnetism, like a cat's claws tickling the heart, making one's bones melt.

Zhang Yuan's heart stirred.

Old Man Xia's story indeed spread.

He smiled and said, "Yes. Does the fairy have some business to patronize me?"

The female cultivator covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "Boss, you have a good eye. I do indeed have a Qi Refining Stage 5 corpse here that needs to be disposed of. However..."