Chapter 10: Organizing the Funeral Amidst Chaos

Entering the West Side Hall, the most beloved and revered person still lay there alone.

Qi Xiu knelt to pay his respects and then began preparing the body of Sect Leader Qi for burial.

A sect leader's funeral should have been a grand affair, but given they had to leave in three days and this place was no longer theirs, everything had to be done.

The West Side Hall was quiet, with only the living and the dead. Qi Xiu glanced outside the hall and saw his so-called fellow sect members gossiping at the main hall's entrance. None of them came to offer their assistance.

"Master... your popularity was poor," Qi Xiu muttered softly, like a close friend's casual remark. "I wonder if I'll end up the same way? This is too lonely." The thought sprung into Qi Xiu's mind, but he quickly shook it off.

"As long as I give my all and treat people sincerely, even if I don't achieve great things, people will remember my efforts and sacrifices when I'm gone, right?" he thought.

As the day brightened, early-rising disciples of the three sects came to report to their leader. Some were former Chu Qin Sect members who had switched allegiances. Meeting the Chu Qin Sect members outside the main hall, they soon started arguing.

The disciples of the three sects folded their arms and watched, laughing, until their sect leaders emerged to quiet them down.

Seeing this, Qi Xiu decided he wouldn't take certain people south, as it would only lead to future trouble within the sect.

An old man then entered the West Side Hall. He was a member of the Huanghou Zhan family, assigned by the new sect leader to help Qi Xiu with the funeral arrangements for Sect Leader Qi.

"Ironically, the first to offer help is someone from the three sects," Qi Xiu sighed inwardly. The older man, skilled in conducting funerals, quickly laid out what was needed, what to do first and last, and the schedule, consulting with Qi Xiu throughout.

Sect Leader Qi hadn't prepared a coffin or other burial items for himself, and the three sects were new here. Qi Xiu recalled that the sect's treasury had some emergency supplies and made a list with the older man. These items, taken by the three sects from Chu Qin Sect, were ordinary things, and since their sect leader had agreed to help, there should be no trouble acquiring them.

The older man took the list to fetch the items. Two young men, around twenty years old, entered as soon as he left. They were fellow disciples with Qi Xiu's group, though Qi Xiu had no impression of them. They must have been the quiet background characters. Since they hadn't sided with Senior Brother Zhang or Sister Qin, Qi Xiu welcomed them and inquired about their backgrounds and the current situation outside.

The elder of the two, Zhang Shishi, aged twenty-two, had a single spiritual root like Qi Xiu but lacked a corresponding object to focus his cultivation. His destiny was even worse, as his spiritual root was a merit monument from an unknown world with no name or corresponding object. However, Zhang Shishi was slightly better off being the earth's spiritual root. He found a somewhat effective object to focus on and broke through the first barrier, now at the fifth level of Qi Refinement, a mid-stage Qi cultivator. Although an inner disciple, he joined late and never met Qi Xiu.

The younger, Zhan Yuan, twenty-one, had three spiritual roots, like Qi Xiu, and was at the second level of Qi Refinement. Both were introverted and honest, helping Qi Xiu with the preparations while recounting the recent events.

It was simple. Senior Brother Zhang, who had some ambition, realized he couldn't become a sect leader and rallied the others to leave with him, claiming to have an excellent place to go. He had told Qi Xiu the same plan earlier, which Qi Xiu politely declined. Zhang had left with ten others and probably wouldn't return in three days.

On the other hand, Sister Qin tried to rally everyone to overthrow Qi Xiu. However, aside from a few female disciples, no one-sided with her. Most weren't from the Qin family and had no reason to help them reclaim the sect leader position. Non-Qin disciples generally viewed the Qin family poorly and preferred Qi Xiu as the leader.

"The Qin family members are unusual," Qi Xiu sighed.

Elder Qin, Qin Siyuan, and even Sister Qin's impulsive actions were extreme. Elder Qin, though generally disliked, shocked everyone by shutting down the protective formation and letting enemies invade. Fortunately, the three sects were righteous and avoided bloodshed; otherwise, it could have been a massacre.

Qin Siyuan, usually gentle and introverted, gave up the sect leader position for a woman.

Sister Qin, usually kind and caring, especially towards Qi Xiu, had turned vicious in the hall, behaving unbecoming of a cultivator.

The older man returned with the supplies. With Zhang Shishi and Zhan Yuan's help, they prepared Sect Leader Qi for burial, planning to keep vigil overnight and bury him the next day.

Realizing it was still early, Qi Xiu sent Zhan Yuan to Chu Qin Town to inform the Qin family's secular lord, Qin Ye, about the move to the south. Qi Xiu expected resistance from the Qin family but wanted to tell them as a courtesy to the Chu family. Zhang Shishi and the older man stayed to keep vigil with him.

Qi Xiu found both men extremely compliant, doing whatever was asked of them, much like himself, though he had more experience from traveling outside.

As night fell, another disciple arrived to keep vigil. Three sects' recognized or unrecognized disciples came to pay respects, putting on a show of mourning despite having already won.

Late at night, Sister Qin came with her child and a few female disciples, performed the ritual, and raised the sect leader position again.

Seeing her prattle on, Qi Xiu fought the urge to roll his eyes, barely managing to respond perfunctorily.

"How about this? Like the previous sect leader, you swear to pass the position to a Qin family member," she proposed, knowing Qi Xiu wouldn't agree to relinquish the position.

Qi Xiu considered and replied, "I can only promise that if a qualified Qin family member meets the criteria, I will prioritize passing the position to them."

Sister Qin talked for a while but left reluctantly, seeing Qi Xiu wouldn't budge.

The following day, four more disciples joined. Under the older man's direction, with Qi Xiu leading the rites and three sect disciples assisting, they managed a fairly lively burial for Sect Leader Qi. At noon, Zhan Yuan returned, informing Qi Xiu that Qin Ye had also passed away.

"Around the same time as Sect Leader Qi," Zhan Yuan said. "The old man took a trip last month and said he was delivering something for the sect. He fell ill and passed away the day before yesterday."

Qi Xiu felt a pang of guilt; it was around the time he delivered the items to him. Both had passed almost simultaneously. "It's... I don't know what to say," he sighed.

Zhan Yuan continued, "The Qin family is in chaos now. The three sects have appointed a new secular lord. A few branches are causing trouble. The eldest son, sixteen-year-old Qin Ji, said he understood and would discuss it with the family."

"Forget it; as long as the message was delivered, please don't hesitate to let me know. We'll see what the Chu family suggests," Qi Xiu sighed again.