Under the Qi Family's strict information lockdown, many people did not know the cause of Zhang Zhi's death. Although some rumors circulated, the truth was difficult to discern.

But that didn't stop today's funeral from drawing the attention of countless people.

If it were only for his identity as a member of the Martial Association, Zhang Zhi's funeral would never have attracted so much attention. The key was his grandfather, a Six-Bags Elder.

The Martial Association's Elders were ranked in Nine Bags. With Five Bags as the midpoint, a Six-Bags Elder was already part of the association's true upper echelon.

An existence of that level commanded respect not just from ordinary noble families, but even from the Eight Great Families, who had to lower their heads and curry his favor.

Today was Zhang Zhi's funeral, and more than half of the noble families in Lingjin City had set aside their affairs to see him off on his final journey. The sheer scale of the funeral was unprecedented in the city's history. Regardless of how he had lived, Zhang Zhi was certainly having a grand send-off in death.

「Anwu Cemetery.」

This place, usually devoid of visitors, was a sea of people today.

Luxury cars lined the plaza before the gates. The crowd was a collection of distinguished individuals, all either wealthy or noble. They were uniformly dressed in black, with small white flowers pinned to their sleeves.

As the sky grew overcast, it seemed the first rain of winter was about to fall. Sure enough, after a few gusts of cold wind, a light drizzle began its descent. One by one, black umbrellas opened, forming a vast, connected canopy. It was like a great black curtain falling over the scene, making the already solemn atmosphere feel utterly oppressive.

In a corner by the cemetery gate, Chen Yang met up with Yang Hu.

Looking at the grand scene before them, Chen Yang said calmly, "Have you prepared the items?"

"We're people of principle. Since we're here today, we can't show up empty-handed," Yang Hu said with a toothy grin. "I've prepared two top-quality wreaths."

He looked on with eager anticipation.

What kind of scene would it be when a venerable Six-Bags Elder of the Martial Association came face-to-face with his grandson's killer at the funeral?

"Boss, people like us are usually the ones doing the killing, not the burying. Now we're here to see someone off?" Yang Hu chuckled.

Chen Yang smiled but said nothing.

Yang Hu held a large black umbrella and followed closely behind him.

The rain grew heavier and the sky darker, seeming to reflect the mood of some of the guests. Or perhaps, it was an omen that something terrible was about to happen.

「Inside the cemetery.」

The mourning bell tolled, its sound mingling with the wafting smoke of incense as heaven and earth seemed to grieve as one.

An elder, well over sixty but with a tall and straight posture, stood on the top step before the hall, greeting the mourners. His tiger-like eyes were sharp and full of spirit, and he wore a long black robe. This was Zhang Tianxiong, the Six-Bags Elder of the Martial Association.

As one of the highest-ranking members of the Martial Association and Zhang Zhi's grandfather, he showed no arrogance, only an icy, expressionless demeanor.

The Qi Family Patriarch, Qi Zhentian, stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

Qi Zhentian was also an old man who had lost his grandson, a white-haired man sending off one with black hair. He, however, had chosen not to hold a public funeral for Qi Hao, opting instead for a private family service before the burial. Unlike Zhang Tianxiong, he had to consider the reputation of his entire family and the stability of all their businesses. These factors combined meant that Qi Hao's death had to be handled in the most low-key manner possible.

Qi Zhentian stood there silently. In this moment, he felt a deep sense of shared grief.

"Elder Zhang, my condolences," said the head of a major family to Zhang Tianxiong.

Zhang Tianxiong gave a slight nod in response.

After receiving the acknowledgment, the man walked into the hall and lit three sticks of incense.

Inside the crystal coffin, Zhang Zhi looked peaceful. A makeup artist had meticulously concealed the fatal wound on his forehead, leaving no visible flaw.

The officially announced cause of death was a sudden heart attack. In reality, however, everyone knew this was merely a pretext. After all, a major incident had occurred at Qi Zhentian's birthday banquet, and people had died. Still, no one dared to speculate openly.

Before long, Zhang Tianxiong lit a cigarette. His face expressionless, he said, "After the funeral, I'm going to pay a visit to the Qin Family. There's no longer a need for that clan to exist."

HISS!

Qi Zhentian sucked in a sharp breath. Is he planning to wipe out the entire Qin Family?

Then, Zhang Tianxiong's tone shifted. "By rights, you should also be held responsible for this."

Qi Zhentian's heart jolted. Steeling himself, he replied, "I am deeply sorry for Zhang Zhi's death! But you know I couldn't have stopped him under the circumstances."

"Besides, my grandson died too!"

Zhang Tianxiong said indifferently, "That is of no concern to me. If not for your loyalty to our Martial Association, I would have annihilated half of your clan!"

Qi Zhentian was left speechless.

While terrified, Qi Zhentian was also gritting his teeth in fury, his fists clenched tightly.

So your grandson is your own flesh and blood, but mine was just picked up off the street? Besides, when you get to the bottom of it, wasn't this whole mess caused by the assassination attempt on Qin Donglai? And who gave the final order for that? Your Martial Association! Now that things have gone wrong, you want to vent your anger on my Qi Family? Why don't you just drop dead?!

"What? You take issue with that?" Zhang Tianxiong stared at Qi Zhentian, his gaze dark.

Instantly, Qi Zhentian's face turned deathly pale. He had only been venting in his mind; how could he dare to disagree openly? With Zhang Tianxiong's power, he could annihilate the entire Qi Family with ease.

"Not at all, not at all!" Qi Zhentian waved his hands repeatedly and instinctively turned his head away, not daring to meet the man's gaze.

However, it was this turn of the head that made his eyes widen abruptly.

A bone-deep chill instantly flooded his body, seeping in through every pore and spreading to his limbs until it felt like his very blood was about to freeze.

He stared, his eyes wide with utter disbelief, and shook his head slightly.

It's him. It's really him! The murderer... he actually came here? What in the world does this mean?

Dressed in simple casual clothes with his hands in his pockets, he walked over at an unhurried pace while someone behind held an umbrella for him. He seemed inconspicuous, but the sight of him made Qi Zhentian's skin crawl and his hair stand on end.

"Heh heh..." Qi Zhentian laughed, a sound laced with fury. Honestly, in all his years, he had never seen a young man so arrogant and audacious. To show his face at an occasion like this?!

Then, he turned to Zhang Tianxiong. "Elder Zhang, after the funeral, you won't need to make that trip."

"Hm?" Zhang Tianxiong frowned.

Qi Zhentian pointed toward Chen Yang. "Look. He's here."

Zhang Tianxiong whipped his head around, his sharp gaze fixing on Chen Yang like a dagger.

Chen Yang happened to look up just then, their eyes meeting.

"What... what is going on? Who is that guy?"

"Quiet! That guy is clearly up to no good. He might be here to crash the funeral."

The crowd was stunned into silence. Crash the funeral of a Martial Association Six-Bags Elder? Who would have such audacity?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.