Chapter 80: Gelapu

Compared to the sky-shaking clamor and celebration outside, the time inside the room seemed to be frozen by an invisible force. The core high-level members of the Duke's territory, whether they were management personnel with deep wisdom or generals who were brave and good at fighting, were now silently gathered in this not-so-spacious bedroom, like surrounding a candle that was about to go out.

Their gazes, without exception, fell heavily on the bed. Lying on it was the old toad-man. His withered body was almost integrated with the wrinkled sheets, and his weak breathing was like a candle in the wind. The entire room was filled with the decaying aura of life about to reach its end.

This heavy silence had a certain strange power, and even the red dragon Iluoge, who was usually violent and would spit sparks at every turn, was unprecedentedly quiet. His massive body was tightly lying on the floor, his hot dragon pupils staring at the bed without blinking, and that thick tail was also curled up, not daring to make the slightest sound, as if afraid that a trace of movement would disturb the last peace of this old man.

Weilanthe's deep gaze swept over the withered shell on the bed and finally fell back on everyone's faces, her voice low like the echo of a distant mountain: "Let him leave peacefully. Forcibly keeping this last night is just adding pain." She stepped forward slowly, and a soft light flickered between her giant deer horns, "We should give him a peaceful long sleep."

With the ancient druid spell flowing between her horns, a strange fragrance quietly permeated the room. It was like the freshness after rain, and carried the dry grass scent warmed by the sun. These tastes of the beginning and end of life intertwined, making the tense mood in the room gradually relax, and everyone felt a kind of peace rising from the bottom of their hearts.

In this atmosphere that made people calm, Gelapu's tightly furrowed brows on the bed slowly relaxed, and the breathing he had been struggling to maintain gradually leveled off. Finally, he seemed to sink into a long-awaited dream, quietly closing his eyes.

"The funeral is arranged for tomorrow." Sakavi's voice broke the silence, carrying a kind of unquestionable gentleness, "Today is Su Lai De and Inolin's good day. We old guys should leave the stage to the young people."

"Forget it!" Klaosuna immediately took over the conversation, deliberately using an exaggerated tone to disperse the dullness in the air, "You are only two years older than Su Lai De, and you don't even reach Inolin's age, yet you have the nerve to call yourself an 'old guy'?" She hugged her chest with both hands, squinting at him, "The thickness of this face is increasing day by day."

"I am your Duke, worrying a lot, naturally aging fast." He said it righteously, as if this were some universally recognized truth, "The dragon is old, and the heart is tired. Isn't this 'boss' just coming from this?"

The funeral was held as scheduled the next day. The dawn light was diluted by lead-gray clouds, and a piece of solemn silver-gray shrouded the Iron Hoof Plateau. The wind passed through the valley, emitting a low whimper, setting the tone for this funeral.

On both sides of the long road from Agreke to the cemetery, all high-level members of the Duke's territory, generals, and internal affairs management personnel were standing silently. On the left, headed by the Great General Manager of the Internal Affairs Institute, Bulage, personnel of all races were in unified black formal wear, quietly watching the funeral procession.

On the right, headed by Morakesi, all dragons and dragon-beasts that had passed the juvenile stage, as well as the commanders of the Security Institute and Shadow Intelligence Institute, and all levels of armed forces in the Duke's territory, were arranged in order according to the level of strength, responsible for both vigilance and serving as funeral personnel along the way.

The low and sorrowful funeral music swayed slowly between the roads, setting the rhythm for the entire procession. At the very front of the procession, the giant Thorn Deer stood silently with her head lowered, her massive body like a calm mountain, leading the way for everyone with slow and solemn steps.

Following closely behind were the four people who lifted the coffin. On the left, Sakavi in dragon-man form carried the front of the coffin, his wings retracted, his steps exceptionally steady. On the right, the drow elf Weilna walked side by side with him, her silver hair fluttering slightly in the wind, and every step she took was firm and restrained.

Behind them, the newlywed Su Lai De and Klaosuna in dragon-man form, both with their eyes lowered, together lifted the back of the coffin, following silently.

When these four coffin-bearers walked slowly past, the people on both sides of the road also moved. Bulage and Morakesi, who wore special formal wear, immediately took steps and steadily merged into the procession. The people behind them also followed silently in order, like a solemn black river, flowing quietly toward the resting place at the top of the plateau in the funeral music.

The tomb was located on a cliff facing the rising sun in the east. From here, one could overlook the entire wilderness. The soil at the edge of the cliff presented a dark brown color, containing rich nutrients, and a few cold-resistant plateau grasses swayed gently in the wind. This was a place of eternal watching that was integrated with the order he had built.

When the coffin was slowly lowered into the tomb naturally entangled by ancient tree roots by ropes, Sakavi was the first to bend down, grab a handful of fertile soil mixed with wildflower seeds, and sprinkle it gently on the coffin lid. Subsequently, Weilna, Klaosuna, Su Lai De, and all the silent high-level members behind them stepped forward in turn to complete this final, respectful ritual.

When the star berry falls into the rotten soil

When the salamander dives into the ice river

The forest never asks for the date of return

The mud always opens its arms

You once drew shipping lanes on the cracked riverbed

Filtering the poison of an entire era with gill sacs

Now in the pulse of the swamp

Every drop of living water is continuing your heartbeat

Look—

The steel plow is cutting the black soil

Salt grains are crystallizing in the clay pot

The seedling of order you watered

Has grown a canopy wider than dragon wings

From now on you have turned into

The phosphorescence in the eyes of the figurehead

The warmth in the depths of the granary

In every south wind that urges the wheat ears to grow

There is your unextinguished breath

"Weilanthe, I didn't expect you to write poetry. I didn't see any poetry collections at your house back then! When did you learn this?"

"It came with the trolls last time, and there were also dark elves. I learned a few sentences from a bard. I didn't write this, just heard that person sing it a few times, and it just happened to be used today."

"Why don't we engrave this poem on Gelapu's tombstone? I feel this poem is quite suitable for him, although that guy's style of doing things here is very tough."

Sakavi turned around and saw an acquaintance, but this old lizardman who came from afar seemed unwilling to have too much involvement with himself. Seeing that he really couldn't avoid it, he could only bite the bullet and go up to say hello.

"Luoen has seen the master. May your scales be harder than rock, may your claws tear the storm. You are the embodiment of wisdom and power. Seeing you again is my honor."

"You haven't been my vassal for a long time, no need to be so polite. So many years have passed, and you have also grown old. I remember when I left, you were still a young guy. Now you are even using a cane. Where have you been hiding these days?"

"Back then, as a vassal, I couldn't follow your footsteps, so I really don't have the face to see you again."

"Hahahaha! Back then, I was the one who caused trouble and was hunted down, throwing you away and running away myself. You felt there was no way out following me, which is not a problem."

"You two don't need to talk anymore, both are cowards. Last time I went to the Kadowen plane, I heard from Aikuilong that this guy was so scared he didn't even show his face, hahahahaha!"

"Klaosuna, when can your mouth not be so infuriating? Revealing my shortcomings every day."

…………

"Weilanthe, I felt the disturbance of the plane's magic power. Someone has broken through to the Legendary Rank. Is that person you?"

"You come here, Sakavi, I guarantee I won't beat you to death. I kindly came here once, and you actually made me unable to go home. I must break your legs today."

"Then don't go back. Actually, it's quite good here. Leave the Great Swamp to Luoen's son. I see he is already a High-Level warrior, enough to deal with normal threats. It just so happens that I am missing a Great General Manager of the Edict Institute here."

"Not doing it. I want to go wherever I want. Do I need you to worry about it?"

"Hmph, if you don't do it, don't think about leaving here. Don't look at whose lair this is!"

"So arrogant after not seeing each other for a few years?"

"This is my territory, can there be anyone more arrogant than me? Su Lai De, you hand over the work with our Great General Manager of the Edict Institute, and by the way, fire those two druids. There is a more cost-saving method."

"You are so poor now, I can't start work even if I go! Have you thought of a way to raise money?"

"No, because I don't intend to give you money."

"If there is no money, why let me go clean up the plane? I don't have that much ability."

"If there was money, why let you go? There are so many undead creatures on it, you can sell them all for money. I can only provide you with five thousand skeleton soldiers as labor. There is also an abandoned undead manufacturing workshop on it. I have already repaired it. You go there and develop well."

"If I hadn't known you since you were a child, I would have suspected that you were a blue dragon about to starve to death, painted with black paint to deceive me. Only blue dragons who like to exploit their subordinates can think of this kind of thing."

"Hahahaha! No way, my money was squandered by your good student. Now I can only trouble you for a while. After I get through this difficulty, it will be fine in the future."

"Fine, give me some time. I will contact my sons and let them come over, and by the way, ask if the dark elves can come."

"Then I will trouble you with this matter. I have received your help many times in the past, and now I have to trouble you again."

"Sakavi, have you seen the fields outside? If the plane is cleaned up, I want a place five times larger than this as my own fief. I must choose it myself. There is no room for negotiation on this matter."

"Then you can be as fast as possible. I want to transfer a batch of personnel over before the demon invasion. This time I am not sure if I can hold on. You must know that no force is willing to support me. They all hope that I will die under the demon's butcher knife." ===== CHAPTER 81 =====