Chapter 1208: Gathering of the Alien Elders

The funeral for Lina Saladin Weikes was scheduled for the third day after the assassination.

According to the traditions of the Fengqi Star Alliance, the deceased should be laid to rest within three days, allowing the soul to enter the eternal gaze of the Three-Eyed as quickly as possible.

The Saladin Family is an ancient noble house that places particular importance on these rituals passed down for hundreds of years.

Six o'clock in the morning, the east hall of the main residence.

The mourning hall had already been prepared.

Lina's remains were placed in a Crystal Coffin in the center of the hall, dressed in the formal attire of a female member of the Saladin Family.

A deep blue robe, a Three-Eyed serpent emblem embroidered in silver thread, and the honorary badge of the Intelligence Department pinned to her chest.

Family members arrived one after another.

The first to arrive were several senior Elders; they took their seats in the front row of the mourning hall, their faces solemn, whispering to each other about their concerns regarding the situation.

The Capital Star had fallen into a state of near-paralysis over these three days, with the chain of command broken in eleven key departments.

Officials called this an "unfortunate coincidence," but no one truly believed it.

Next to arrive were representatives from various branches.

Distant relatives, corporate executives, local officials, mid-to-low-level military officers... they took their seats in order of family status, their expressions varied.

Seven-fifteen, Karl Saladin arrived.

This actual power-holder of the family wore a solemn black robe, and there were clear signs of fatigue around his Third Eye.

He stood before Lina's coffin for a full thirty seconds, then walked to the center seat of the first row of Elder seats and sat down.

Seven-thirty, the Patriarch's hover-car drove into the residence.

The Patriarch of the Saladin Family, Vilar Saladin, had been critically ill for three years.

He was pushed into the mourning hall in a wheelchair, his face withered, his three eyes clouded, and his breathing required life-support equipment to maintain.

Yet his arrival still made everyone stand; as long as he was alive, he was the symbol of the family.

The Elders crowded around the Patriarch, whispering reports of something.

Vilar's Third Eye turned with difficulty, as if searching for someone.

"Where is Alan?"

"On his way."

Karl leaned over to answer.

"He... is not in a good state. Lina's death has hit him very hard."

The Patriarch nodded and did not ask again.

Eight o'clock sharp, Alan Saladin Weikes appeared at the entrance of the mourning hall.

He wore a black military dress uniform, his chest covered in medals.

Alan walked toward Lina's coffin, and everyone present watched him.

Alan stopped in front of the coffin.

He leaned over and placed a bouquet of white Star Orchids on the lid of the Crystal Coffin.

Those were the flowers Lina liked most during her life.

"I'm sorry."

He said in a low voice, just loud enough for those nearby to hear.

"Big brother is late."

His shoulders trembled slightly.

Captain Ketuo, standing to the side, could not help but turn his face away, his Third Eye moist.

He had followed the Saladin Family for twenty-three years, watching Lina grow from a young girl into an outstanding intelligence officer, and now, she lay here quietly.

Alan stood before the coffin for a full three minutes, then turned and walked to the secondary seat next to the Elder seats.

When passing by Yingzhou, his footsteps did not pause at all, but his left hand made two extremely quick gestures at his side.

Ready.

Yingzhou nodded slightly, continuing to maintain the silent posture of a "loyal Adjutant."

Eight-thirty, the funeral ceremony officially began.

According to Fengqi tradition, the mourning is divided into three parts: Remembrance, Farewell, and Burial.

The Remembrance phase consists of those closest to the deceased in the family telling stories of their life;

the Farewell phase is presided over by an Elder, who chants ancient requiem prayers; the Burial phase involves moving the remains to the family cemetery.

Alan stood behind the lectern in the center of the mourning hall, with a blank holographic notebook spread out before him—that was a keepsake Lina had left for him.

"My sister Lina was smarter than me since she was a child."

He paused for a moment.

"When she was five, she showed her talent for the first time. Father showed her three completely different business reports, and it took her less than three minutes to find a key data error in one of them. At that time, Father said that this child would be the future eyes of the Saladin Family."

The mourning hall was very quiet, with only Alan's voice.

"She entered the Intelligence Department at sixteen, became the youngest senior analyst at twenty-three, and independently completed a comprehensive assessment of the military deployment of the Ashes Star Alliance at twenty-nine. Her reports were never wrong, and her judgments never missed."

Alan's Third Eye slowly swept over everyone present.

"Three nights ago, she made a judgment for me for the last time. She analyzed the route back from the banquet and suggested taking the main shipping lane, as it was safer. I chose the shortcut to save twenty minutes."

His voice trembled slightly.

"She blocked that bullet for me."

Alan was silent for a long time.

Then he closed the holographic notebook and looked up.

"I owe her a life. I will spend the rest of my life paying it back."

He walked down from the podium and returned to his seat.

The ceremony entered its second part.

The Chief Elder, an old man over two hundred years old with white hair and beard, stood up and began to chant the Requiem prayer.

The prayer required forty minutes of chanting.

During these forty minutes, everyone had to remain silent, only responding with "May Three Eyes Watch" at specific passages.

Yingzhou sat in the corner of the Adjutant's seating area, eyes closed, as if in silent prayer.

But his psionic perception had already extended outward, covering the entire mourning hall.

Eleven people.

The eleven members of the Saladin Family's core power circle were all gathered in this three-hundred-square-meter space at this moment.

Patriarch Vilar sat in a wheelchair, his breathing faint.

The Chief Elder was chanting the prayer.

Karl Saladin sat with a straight posture, his Third Eye half-closed, unsure if he was praying or thinking.

Nine Elders, each in charge of the family's various spheres of power, were distributed in different positions throughout the mourning hall.

The nearest bodyguard was three meters away.

The furthest surveillance camera was seven meters away.

There were twenty-three family guards outside the mourning hall, but they had received no warning, nor would they.

Yingzhou opened his eyes.

His gaze met Alan's.

Alan nodded slightly.

He rose and walked toward the Chief Elder.

He walked behind the Chief Elder and leaned over slightly, as if listening to the details of the prayer.

The Chief Elder did not turn his head and continued chanting.

Then, Alan's hand moved.

His left hand passed under the Elder's armpit to support the old man's upper arm—this was a standard posture for a junior supporting an elder.

But his right hand quickly touched the back of the Elder's neck.

The Chief Elder's Third Eye suddenly widened, his pupils contracting sharply.

He wanted to turn his head and make a sound, but the muscles in his throat were completely paralyzed.

His body began to tilt to one side, but Alan's left hand held him steady.

"The Elder is tired."

Alan's voice was steady, just loud enough for those in the front row to hear.

"I will help him go rest."

He supported the Chief Elder as he walked toward the side door.

The Intelligence Elder frowned and wanted to stand up to ask a question.

But as Alan passed by her, he whispered a sentence:

"Lina mentioned your report from last month before she passed; she said it was the most precise enemy intelligence analysis she had ever seen."

The Intelligence Elder was stunned.

That was a secret work exchange between her and Lina, never made public.

How could Alan know?

In the one second she was stunned, Alan had already supported the Chief Elder out of the main hall of the mourning hall.

The side door closed.

Ten seconds later, Alan returned alone.

"The Elder is too tired, so I had someone send him back to his room to rest."

He said to Karl.

"He asked me to tell you to continue presiding over the prayer."