Chapter 722: Entering the Funeral Chief

The rain was incessant.

In the misty fog along the willow-lined bank, several figures in black suits slowly approached. They emerged from the ruined main city, walking through the rain and mud, yet not a speck of dirt clung to them. They appeared like transcendent beings, moving among mortals with the utmost solemnity and dignity.

In their view, a withered willow tree gradually materialized from the mist. Alongside it, two figures were embracing.

Bai Ye, walking at the forefront, suddenly raised a hand, signaling the others to stop.

Unlike their previous encounter in the Aurora Domain, they hadn't brought umbrellas. Instead, they stood there, letting the cold rain soak their hair. Even so, they didn't move forward to disturb them, nor did anyone speak. They stood like silent mountains rising in the rain.

One minute,Five minutes,Ten minutes...

After an unknown amount of time, the figure beneath the willow tree finally wiped away tears from the corners of their eyes and slowly stood up from the ground.

Su Zhiwei turned her head, her reddened eyes scanning. A Nine Monarch-level pressure gathered in her gaze, piercing through the rain and enveloping the silent black figures.

"What... what do you want?" a hoarse voice emerged from her lips.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Lord Hongchen," Bai Ye calmly began. "We are a professional funeral service team. We have come to arrange a funeral for the leader of the Azure God Sect, His Excellency Fusheng Hui."

Su Zhiwei's eyes narrowed slightly. Her gaze swept over the group as she asked with uncertainty,

"...Twilight Society?"

"Lord Hongchen, you've heard of us?" Bai Ye was utterly surprised. Logically, Lord Hongchen was a being from the Great Cataclysm era. Having only recently awakened after years of slumber, it was impossible for her to know about the Twilight Society. Yet, simply hearing a phrase from him, she had revealed their name.

Su Zhiwei did not answer, but instead pressed on with another question:

"Where is Chen Ling?"

Upon hearing this, the group grew even more astonished. After exchanging glances, they answered truthfully, "He released the Calamity of Mockery and, along with the Calamity of Rest, was sucked into the wind tunnel... Didn't you see it?"

"The Calamity of Mockery??"

Su Zhiwei froze in place.

After a brief moment of thought, she didn't dwell on that question. "Don't you only perform funerals for the Nine Monarchs? Why are you embalming Yao Qing?"

"This was also a decision made by our superiors; we don't know the specifics... Perhaps it's because His Excellency, the Leader, made contributions to humanity no less significant than those of a Nine Monarch, making him worthy of our service. Or perhaps, it's to prevent certain thieves from secretly taking his body."

Su Zhiwei's brow furrowed slightly. She looked back at the figure leaning against the willow tree, lost in thought.

After a long while, as if having made up her mind, she looked back at the group.

"...I trust you."

The members of the Twilight Society hadn't expected Su Zhiwei to agree so easily. They had anticipated her insisting on burying Yao Qing herself, or being highly suspicious of their unfamiliar funeral team. Yet, for some reason, she seemed to have a natural trust in them.

"Thank you for your trust, Lord Hongchen. We will ensure His Excellency, the Leader, receives a proper burial," Bai Ye replied respectfully.

Ten of Diamonds walked straight to the willow tree, gently slapping his palm on the ground. Wooden coffin planks automatically emerged from the soil. With an iron hammer in hand, he continuously struck these planks, and a black coffin perfectly enclosed Yao Qing's body. The entire process flowed seamlessly, with every action and detail demonstrating their professionalism.

In less than half a minute, the Twilight Society completed the embalming of Yao Qing's body and shouldered the coffin.

"Wait."

Just as the Twilight Society members were about to leave, Su Zhiwei suddenly spoke.

Bai Ye and the others turned back, puzzled, to see the graceful figure in white training clothes standing alone beneath the withered willow tree, her reddened eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Reversing the era, restarting the world... that's real, isn't it?"

Bai Ye was taken aback, seemingly unsure why Su Zhiwei would suddenly ask this. But after a moment's contemplation, he gave the most solemn and serious reply:

"Yes, Lord Hongchen... This is the shore we are determined to reach, even if it costs us our lives."

"Then, I wish you success."

After Su Zhiwei finished speaking, she said no more. She stood silently beneath the withered willow tree, watching the Twilight Society members carry the coffin until they gradually disappeared from sight. Even long after they had left, she remained unmoving, standing there lost in thought, like an ancient, unyielding sculpture.

The main city.

Disheveled refugees emerged from underground shelters and onto the streets. They stared blankly at the unfamiliar ruins before them, at the scattered limbs and pools of blood — the raw reality of the war's aftermath. The pervasive smell of blood in the air assaulted their nostrils, causing their stomachs to convulse, and moments later, they began to vomit violently.

Most of these people were refugees from outside the main city. Upon seeing this scene, they wanted to leave and return home. Even though a few surviving police officers occasionally tried to maintain order, they were utterly unable to control the situation. The nearby streets descended into chaos, filled with cries, sounds of rummaging, retching, and roars, all rising in a cacophony.

Amidst the post-war chaos, a young woman in a blood-stained black dress stumbled slowly forward, moving against the flow of people. That was Liu Qingyan.

After separating from Chen Ling and the others, she went straight back to her home in Willow Town. However, upon arriving, she found the house completely empty. She guessed her family had probably fled with others, so she followed the main road. After a long search, she eventually found only a cluster of dismembered bodies at the foot of the mountain. Her parents and younger brother were among them.

Liu Qingyan could barely recall what happened next. She wept bitterly beside the body parts, then dug a grave with her bare hands, meticulously moving each fragmented body inside before covering them with soil. She buried all her loved ones and, with them, all her past in the Red Dust Domain. She sat numbly before the earthen grave for an unknown period before stiffly rising and walking towards the Red Dust Main City.

Mental and physical exhaustion washed over Liu Qingyan like a tide. After pushing past a wave of refugees, she leaned against a wall and entered a deserted alleyway, sitting down as if all her strength had left her. Her face was as pale as paper. Pain and confusion filled her mind. She sat there blankly, like a silent sculpture of a black rose.

Suddenly, a flicker of light and shadow pulled her back from her dazed state to reality. In the deserted alley, a beam of moonlight appeared out of nowhere, illuminating the broken wall opposite her. The light and shadows intertwined, gradually forming four enormous patterns that filled almost her entire field of vision.

They were four distinct poker card faces:—Five of Hearts, Five of Spades, Five of Diamonds, Five of Clubs.