Chapter 139

It rained before dawn, driving away the humid heat in the air.

The morning mist lingered between the cliffs, obscuring the noisy sound of the tide.

Ji Jue, who had only just fallen asleep, was awakened by the sound of vehicles driving in the mountains; as he opened his eyes and walked toward the gate, he saw Old Tang standing there.

And a middle-aged or elderly man in a black suit handed over an envelope before turning and leaving, not even glancing at the corpses on both sides that hadn't been buried yet.

Gone.

"Who is it?" Ji Jue asked.

"... Lei Yaoxing's people." Old Tang looked at the thing in his hand, his expression complex.

"Here to collect the bodies?"

"It is indeed related to peace talks and collecting bodies, but it's not collecting the bodies here." Old Tang handed the thing over, "See for yourself."

Ji Jue took it in his hand; it was two thin sheets, like some kind of notice, and unlike a wedding invitation, the pure white card was exquisite and simple, printed with faint watermark patterns.

It was a funeral notice.

"In memory of Lei Wuye..."

After Ji Jue read the beginning, he glanced at the signature, Lei Yaoxing, and instantly realized: "The old man finally kicked the bucket?"

After lingering on for over half a month, he finally kicked his old legs, and after leaving behind a mess, he died happily himself.

How come all the good things in the world happen to you, old man?

However, a funeral at this juncture... Ji Jue instinctively had a bad feeling.

With Lei Wuye dead, I'm afraid all those 'friends and relatives' he had while alive received the funeral notice; whether out of sentiment, etiquette, or their own situation, or even planning for the future, they would probably have to show up.

In other words, this funeral would likely become the first meeting of all members of the Yacheng Wilderness Market after more than a week of life-and-death struggles.

"This is going to be a big meeting." He sighed in realization.

It was clearly Lei Wuye's funeral, but whether Lei Wuye died peacefully or not was no longer important.

This funeral could become a meeting that decides the future of the entire dark side of Yacheng—and the meeting might only have two results: either Lei Yaoxing uses his bloody methods to suppress everyone, rising to the top in one fell swoop and ascending to the throne of the person in charge. Or it ends in discord, and everyone goes home to continue fighting with swords and blades until only the last winner remains.

No, if not handled well, maybe the funeral won't just be Lei Wuye's funeral; who knows how many more people will be buried in the ground to accompany him.

In a moment of thought, Ji Jue felt as if he had vaguely grasped the key point, but his train of thought quickly became blurred. And what puzzled him even more was the person invited by this funeral notice...

Not Chen Xingzhou, but Chen Yubo.

He took out his phone, wanting to call Wen Wen to inquire about the news, but the call didn't go through; it was in Do Not Disturb mode, and only a preset text message was sent back, saying she was in a meeting and would call back later.

In fact, it didn't take long before the call came through.

She didn't even wait for him to ask.

"Chen Yubo received the funeral notice?" Wen Wen asked.

"Yes." Ji Jue asked, "Should I handle it?"

"Up to you, it doesn't matter if you go or not." She said: "It's already over."

"Huh?" Ji Jue was confused.

"It's a bit complicated to explain in a moment, but you don't have to be so nervous; if you're interested, take that silly kid Chen Yubo for a trip, just in time to watch the show."

Wen Wen didn't know what she was thinking, sneering: "There should be people from the Anquan Bureau at the scene, as long as you don't run up to Lei Yaoxing and provoke him, he can't touch you, don't worry."

She said: "Going is fine, just consider it a beginning and an end."

Over?

After hanging up the phone, Ji Jue thought blankly for a long time, still unable to find a clue, but finally decided to go and see.

Anyway, Sister Wen wouldn't kick him into a fire pit.

Besides, having been worried and tormented on the edge of the struggle in the clouds and mist for so long, there should be an answer, right?

"Go and see?"

He looked at the pale-faced Chen Yubo.

For a moment, Chen Yubo hesitated, and tears fell.

Can we not go?

Unfortunately, no.

And you can't bring the cat...

What if your cat jumps on the coffin lid at the funeral and scares Lei Wuye into a zombie, who would be responsible then?

Thus, after tearfully saying goodbye to the two cats, the extremely reluctant Chen Yubo finally got into the car under Ji Jue's urging, along with Old Tang.

Although he kept saying "Our contract doesn't include going out, you have to pay extra!", he still followed along, muttering things like "If there's a fight, I'm leaving immediately."

As a result, when they were almost there, he got out of the car and went to the roadside to buy grilled sausages, devouring two bowls of rice noodles and three baskets of steamed dumplings in one go, his mouth stuffed full, his lips covered in oil.

Squatting on the roadside, watching the luxury cars passing by, he clicked his tongue in wonder.

"It's really lively."

Although Lei Wuye had only just breathed his last, the largest funeral home in Yacheng had already been set up; the scene was solemn and respectful, and from the entrance, it was filled with white wreaths, covered in all kinds of messy funeral couplets.

In the sparse, lingering rain, someone stood at the entrance, handing out umbrellas to the guests.

One pitch-black umbrella after another opened, and the scattered raindrops dripped like bright dew. And hundreds or thousands of umbrellas moved back and forth on the narrow road.

At a glance, that pitch-black expanse seemed like dried blood and death flowing out of the cemetery, spreading toward Yacheng at the foot of the mountain like a pathogen.

So solemn it made one want to laugh.

Ji Jue took a bite of a steamed bun from a roadside stall and sighed: "To die so earth-shatteringly, what a pity."

"Pity what?" Old Tang was puzzled.

Ji Jue said, "Pity I don't like black umbrellas."

Should have hung some red ones; wouldn't that be festive and bright?

After the two watched the show on the roadside for a while, they returned to the car and even brought a basket of steamed dumplings for Chen Yubo, but unfortunately, Chen Yubo was trembling with fear and couldn't eat at all.

One moment he said that if a person lives a life, even in death they should have backbone, and he should take a knife and go blow up Lei Yaoxing; the next moment he said that if he died, the cats would be handed over to Ji Jue, telling him to be good to the cats and buy more canned food.

After much persuasion and guaranteeing he would be fine, Chen Yubo finally got out of the car trembling, opened his umbrella, and walked toward the farewell hall.

Unexpectedly, at the entrance, he saw that greeter.

Lei Yaoxing.

This was Ji Jue's first time seeing this giant owl who had stirred up the chaos on the dark side of Yacheng these days, but he looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, his hair slightly gray, his expression serious yet carrying a bit of warmth.

There was no majestic, murderous aura of someone who would eat ten children alive.

Even though a whole team of his subordinates died in the villa last night, when he saw Chen Yubo today, he still showed no joy or anger, just looking at him carefully twice: "Chen Yubo?"

Chen Yubo tried to act tough, but his expression twitched, his voice trembling: "Yes."

"First time meeting, didn't expect you to be so different from your brother... you're a lucky person!"

Lei Yaoxing looked at him for a long time, reached out, and patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, guests are guests today, go in and sit."

From beginning to end, he never looked at Ji Jue and Old Tang behind him.

Ji Jue was happy to be treated like air.

After offering incense, there were a few children and unknown young women wearing black veils nearby returning the courtesy; they should be Lei Wuye's relatives, but at this moment, their expressions were also faintly panicked and uneasy, hard to hide.

In the coffin surrounded by flowers lay an old man, changed into new clothes, his expression so peaceful.

After finishing the process, Chen Yubo ran to the very back to sit, shrinking his head, afraid that others would notice him. Instead, Ji Jue nearby watched the passing crowd with great interest.

Most were people of status and reputation, many of whom he had even seen on TV.

But after offering incense, they all left in a hurry, not staying. It was clear they didn't want to get involved in the life-and-death struggle within the Wilderness Market.

But quite a few people sat down on both sides after offering incense, their expressions either solemn and serious, or irritable and unhappy, whispering something to each other. They were divided according to their respective camps, some near and some far, but distinct.

Many of them had bandages or casts on their bodies, especially the woman sitting in front of Chen Yubo, who had practically written "I'm unhappy" on her face, smoking regardless of the occasion, flicking ash as if no one else was there.

And on that exquisitely maintained face, there was a gauze eye patch.

One eye was already blind.

When she turned to look at the few of them, Chen Yubo's head shrank even tighter. Old Tang looked over with a blank face, while Ji Jue was looking at his phone, not caring at all.

Seeing Chen Yubo's appearance, she curled her lip in irritation and withdrew her gaze.

And on Ji Jue's screen, the scene of the cameras around the site had already appeared, even the surveillance at the intersection. Soon, a pitch-black sedan caught his attention.

It was clearly a few years old, but well-maintained; the car model wasn't an expensive brand, but rather common. Most importantly, the logo printed on the car body.

A ring of glory embedded within three rings.

Chongguang Society?!

Clearly enjoying special treatment, the vehicle from the Chongguang Society drove all the way to the front of the farewell hall, and an elderly man who was slightly withered and old stepped out, his skin dry and full of sunburn marks, wearing a simple black robe, with no decorations on his body.

In the Chongguang Society, only one kind of person would dress like this: those who swore before the glory, never to accumulate private property, never to seek profit, never to actively harm others, and were official members following the doctrine of light!

But in Yacheng, there were only two or three such people...

Ji Jue widened his eyes, finally realizing that it was the elder who managed the assets of the Chongguang Society in Yacheng!

Clearly surprised by the other party's arrival, even Lei Yaoxing was slightly stunned, taking the initiative to greet him and saying a few words to the old man.

After the old man entered the door, he refused the support of others, offered two sticks of incense calmly, and then actually refused the invitation of the master of ceremonies to rest in the side hall.

But he didn't turn and leave either.

Instead, he walked straight toward the seats on both sides, and amidst the stunned gazes of everyone, sat down not far from Ji Jue and the others.

Noticing Ji Jue's shocked gaze, the old man raised his head slightly, nodded politely, and withdrew his gaze.

His eyes lowered, sitting as still as a mountain.

Ji Jue froze for a moment, his scalp tingling subconsciously.

People who didn't want to get involved in the internal struggle of the Wilderness Market but had to come due to etiquette had all left after offering incense. But the elder took the initiative to stay and sit here...

Is the Chongguang Society going to get involved in the mess of the Wilderness Market?!

Because readers keep feeding back that there are too many people in the group and they can't squeeze in at all, and the stingy author doesn't want to open a new group and really can't manage it, so, with a pat on the head, an idea came, and I went crazy, cutting some group members who haven't bubbled up for a long time.

Facts have proven that this is not a good method, and it has also hurt many readers who silently subscribed; I sincerely apologize to everyone here.

I'm really sorry, I'm an idiot.

At the current stage, the author's work in the group will focus on answering readers' questions; the fan value required to join the group is only thirty, so please don't worry about the position and vacancy.

There should be another full-subscription group opened in the future, and then there will be no more clearing people (actually, this group shouldn't be cleared anymore either.)

In short, thank you for your tolerance, I will let Duoduo continue to work hard!