Chapter 54: Funeral
Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Funeral
The night wind was bone-chillingly cold.
Chen Zhengtong dragged Wan Niang along, sprinting down a small path outside the village.
The blood of his father still seemed to cling to his hands. The cries of his mother and grandfather echoed in his ears. An immense fear and chaos threatened to swallow him whole.
Wan Niang stumbled as he pulled her, her breathing ragged and quick, but she remained silent, merely following along quietly.
After running for more than ten li, Chen Zhengtong finally stopped, gasping for breath.
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared beneath a pagoda tree up ahead.
The person stood with their back to the moonlight, figure tall and straight, hands clasped behind them. They looked as if they had been waiting for a long time.
Chen Zhengtong’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest.
He saw the figure clearly.
Chen Li!
Chen Li asked calmly, "Zhengtong, where are you going in the dead of night?"
"Chen Li?"
Chen Zhengtong’s voice was hoarse. He instinctively shielded Wan Niang behind him and forced himself to remain calm. "I... I’m heading to the county town for some business... Something came up at home..."
"Oh?" Chen Li’s face was devoid of expression. "Are you making funeral arrangements?"
Chen Zhengtong looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face instantly turning as white as a sheet. "You... you know?"
Chen Li took a step forward, and an invisible pressure washed over Chen Zhengtong like a tide. "Patricide is a monstrous crime! An offense against heaven and earth! Did you think you could escape?"
"No! He deserved to die!" Chen Zhengtong roared hysterically. "He tried to force himself on Wan Niang! He was an animal!"
He whipped his head around, seeking Wan Niang’s confirmation. "Wan Niang, tell him, isn’t that right?"
However, the sight that met his eyes plunged him into an icy abyss.
The woman who had been hiding behind him, trembling and pitiful—where was the slightest trace of fear or fragility on Wan Niang’s face now?
She didn’t look at him. Instead, she walked straight to Chen Li’s side and said in a low voice, "Senior, the mission is complete."
"Wan Niang? What... what are you talking about!"
Chen Zhengtong’s mind went blank with a buzzing sound. He was completely stunned.
Linglong turned around and looked at him quietly, a hint of pity in her eyes. "Still don’t understand? Getting close to you and your father was just part of my orders."
"What?"
As if struck by five thunderbolts, Chen Zhengtong staggered back a step, staring in disbelief at the familiar yet strange woman before him.
He glared at Linglong, then whipped his head around to look at Chen Li, who stood under the moonlight with his hands behind his back, his expression impassive.
’So that’s how it is!’
’This whole thing... it was all a conspiracy by this seemingly simple and honest Chen Li!’
’And I was played for a fool, a puppet in his hands.’
"PFFT..."
Overcome by a rush of anger and grief, Chen Zhengtong could no longer suppress it and violently spat out a mouthful of blood.
He pointed at Chen Li, his eyes looking as if they would split from their sockets, his voice hoarse. "Chen Li, you venomous bastard! I’ll kill you! I’ll tear you limb from limb!"
Nothing but bone-deep hatred remained in his eyes.
With a furious roar, he unleashed all the Power in his body. The qi and blood of his Marrow Refining Realm surged like boiling magma as his fists, screaming through the air, shot toward Chen Li like a crazed tiger.
Facing this ferocious attack, Chen Li didn’t even lift an eyelid.
He casually raised his right hand. The movement wasn’t fast, yet it was so precise that it struck first despite being launched second. He pushed out a palm, blocking Chen Zhengtong’s incoming fist.
"BANG..."
An irresistible, terrifying force surged from Chen Li’s palm and instantly slammed into Chen Zhengtong’s fist.
"ARGH..."
Chen Zhengtong felt an overwhelming force send him flying backward uncontrollably.
It felt as if every bone in his arm had been shattered inch by inch. The excruciating pain made him let out a blood-curdling scream.
His eyes widened in terror as he stared at Chen Li in disbelief.
In that brief moment, he had clearly felt a vast and majestic aura—far beyond the Marrow Refining Realm, far beyond his comprehension, as deep as an abyss and as wide as the sea—flash from Chen Li’s body.
"You... you know Martial Arts?"
Chen Zhengtong’s voice was distorted by extreme shock and fear.
He never would have dreamed that this clansman, who seemed to do nothing but farm day in and day out, this unremarkable cousin, was actually a hidden master of the Martial Dao!
Chen Li said nothing. He reached out and broke off a branch from the nearby pagoda tree.
The moment the branch fell into Chen Li’s hand, an indescribably vast "Intent" instantly enveloped the surroundings.
Qiankun Qi Roaming Dragon True Intent.
With a gentle flick of his wrist, Chen Li sent the branch flying through the air, letting out a faint but clear hum.
"PFFT..."
There was no earth-shattering collision, only a soft, crisp sound like tearing silk.
Chen Zhengtong’s Marrow Refining Realm fist, powerful enough to shatter stone tablets, was like paper-mâché before the branch infused with the Wandering Dragon True Intent. It was pierced with ease.
The branch’s momentum didn’t stop. It shattered his fist bones, then continued unimpeded into his chest.
Chen Zhengtong’s body stiffened abruptly. All movement and sound ceased.
He looked down at his chest, then raised his head to stare fixedly at Chen Li.
The light in his eyes faded quickly. His body went limp and fell backward, hitting the ground with a heavy thud.
His wide-open eyes stared at the dark night sky, his pupils frozen with resentment and unwillingness.
Even in death, his eyes would not close.
"The mission was executed well."
Chen Li said lightly.
"You praise me too much, Senior."
Linglong nodded slightly, but her heart was filled with terror. ’What was that just now?’
She had clearly sensed the appearance of an incredibly profound aura.
Her gaze toward Chen Li was now completely submissive. Deep in her heart, any thought of escape had vanished into thin air.
...
Time passed uneventfully.
Chen Yongquan’s death caused no stir.
The Chen Family announced to the public that he had died of a sudden illness. Many of the funeral rites were skipped, and he was buried in a hurry.
At the funeral, it was shocking that not a single one of Chen Yongquan’s sons returned. In the end, they had to ask a nephew to help with the kowtowing and carrying the coffin.
As for Chen Zhengtong’s whereabouts, they remained tight-lipped.
Of course, they didn’t know that Chen Zhengtong had long since been sunk to the bottom of a river to feed the fish and shrimp. They assumed he had run off to some faraway place with that woman.
’Only Chen Zhengping is left!’
As a clansman, Chen Li naturally had to attend the funeral service.
After the funeral feast, on his way home, Chen Li couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
His original plan had been to kill Chen Zhengping on his way back from the funeral, to prevent any unforeseen complications.
As long as it was a clean kill, it would be worth some risk.
In any case, because of what happened with Chen Zhengtong, Chen Xingjia and Mrs. Wang of the Chen Family wouldn’t dare get the Government Office involved for now.
Furthermore, Chen Xingjia was now bedridden—whether from a real illness or sheer anger was unknown—and had been for days. It was uncertain if he would even survive this ordeal.
The only variable was the young master from the Jiang Family.
It was unlikely he would go to great lengths to investigate the life or death of a mere servant, especially one who had vanished without a trace.
’I never would have expected it.’
’Chen Zhengping, you really are a ruthless one!’
’You didn’t even attend your own father’s funeral.’
’Now, I really have no way to deal with him for the time being.’
The 22nd year of Yuan Jia.
The second month.
Liu Wende visited his home once again.
This time, he brought a piece of news that greatly interested Chen Li: "Something’s happened at Drunken Creek Pavilion!"