Even the congratulatory message was longer than Temple Master Jingxu's.
"This brat's doing this, isn't just to give Yizhen a gift..."
Temple Master Jingxu's gaze fell on the two of them, full of suspicion.
Xu Qing didn't know what the old woman was thinking. After giving the gifts and confirming that Tao Sanmei wasn't seriously wronged and the old woman didn't act recklessly on his territory, he returned.
However, just as he left, Jingxu urged Yizhen to open the gift box to see what exactly was inside this New Year's gift.
Yizhen Daoist was also curious, so he untied the red silk and opened the gift box.
Inside, he saw a pair of clear and elegant earrings lying on the embroidered cloth in the center.
Daoist Yizhen was slightly taken aback, while the old woman frowned. Looking at the earrings, a green light flashed in her eyes, immediately recognizing that these were not ordinary earrings but a pair of inseparable Youthful Appearance Dharma Artifacts.
If one earring was lost, then the whole artifact would lose half of its effectiveness, and the rejuvenating effect would also be halved.
The old woman felt more and more that something was off. When she saw her apprentice pick up the earrings as if wanting to try them on, she jumped up instantly.
"This little fox has bad intentions, pupil, let's not accept his things! It's just a pair of earrings; tomorrow, I'll search for materials to forge you a better pair."
Yizhen, quick to react, put the earrings back into the gift box and stored them in his sleeve before his master could make a move.
At the same time, he changed the subject by saying, "Master, you haven't seen what Junior Brother Xu sent you as a gift yet; it might also be a pair of earrings."
"What nonsense are you spouting? If he dares to give me that, I'd throw him into the Nether River to fend for himself!"
Despite her words, when the old Temple Master saw the painting of the ascension on the gift box, she couldn't suppress a feeling of regret as if born at an unfortunate time.
Opening the gift box, inside there were no earrings as Yizhen mentioned, only a few bottles of pills, some dog skin ointments, and a few strength pills wrapped in sugar paper.
Proof, even when a Primordial Spirit True Man is at a loss for words, they might laugh out loud.
Jingxu, extremely exasperated, laughed and said, "And you say he has no ulterior motives? He sends you a Youthful Appearance Dharma Artifact, but for me, he sends some low-grade market ointments."
"Does he think I have rheumatism or bone pain?"
Jingxu waved her robe, condensed from her Primordial Spirit, and aside from the dog skin ointments and strength pills, the lids of the few bottles of pills also fell to the side.
Almost instantly, a rich medicinal aroma filled the entire courtyard.
Even Tao Sanmei, who was watching the commotion nearby, couldn't help but sniff.
"Yellow Bud Pill, Cyan Essence Pill..."
Jingxu swallowed back the words she was about to say.
These pills, while not rare treasures, in times of great calamity, when cultivators of pure cultivation hid themselves away, unwilling to easily use their powers, these pills' value became quite significant.
"This brat is quite generous, offering these beneficial pills for cultivation."
But the next moment, Jingxu realized and said, "These pills, although not bad, are somewhat unnecessary to me. Ultimately, won't I just give them to my disciple..."
"That little fox indeed has bad intentions!"
What Jingxu didn't know was that when Xu Qing gave the gifts, he didn't think too much about it. As a zombie, these pills needed by righteous cultivators were not only useless to him but harmful.
In Xu Qing's eyes, these pills, rather than gathering dust in storage, were better shared, either as employee benefits for the immortals of Cat Immortal Hall or as goodwill gestures.
On the twenty-seventh of the lunar month, Xu Qing visited the funeral shop again.
"What are you here for again?"
Temple Master Jingxu flew out of the wooden box, guarding against Xu Qing like a thief.
Xu Qing chuckled and said, "Today is the day of our funeral association's annual meeting. I came to fetch Tao Sanmei to the funeral shop for the meeting and to discuss some business matters with her."
Jingxu's expression softened slightly, but then she heard Xu Qing continue, "Golden Simurgh these days wants me to catch bugs with it again. If you don't mind, I'll take it to a place full of bugs for a hearty meal in a couple of days, at least ensuring it has a plump New Year."
Jingxu didn't pay it much mind. That Golden Chicken was a guide she once used to head to the Underworld. Due to a mishap in the past, she no longer dared to use the Golden Simurgh to attempt entering the Nether River.
And that useless chicken had since become a good-for-nothing, freeloading in the temple, doing nothing but crowing for food.
Beside her, Daoist Yizhen nodded and said, "Naturally, there's no objection, but it's another trouble for Junior Brother Xu."
"Ha! We're family, no need to talk about trouble. Rest assured, Senior Sister, I'll surely feed the Golden Simurgh well, ensuring it has a good year."
Xu Qing pondered silently, thinking the Golden Simurgh may seem like a useless freeloader to others, but in his perspective, even the most useless supernatural creatures could be put to use.
As night fell over Underground Street, the entire, otherwise empty funeral shop was filled with shadows of supernatural beings.
Xu Qing expanded on the founding concept of Cat Immortal Hall to its future plans, painting a continuous vision. The immortals listened with enthusiasm, even the astute Red-tailed Monkey falling into dreams of the future, captivated.
Why would no immortal doubt Xu Qing's empty promises?
The reason is simple; the visions painted by the Sect Leader are genuinely fulfilled, often exceeding their expectations.
Last time during the hall gathering, Xu Qing promised no less than thirty thousand incense offerings for each hall.