Chapter 128: Shattered to Dust

At the same time, at the Ye family estate.

The construction crew had already departed. In the chilly courtyard, a group of women dressed in mourning clothes stood in sorrow before the prepared funeral hall. In the center of the grey-white tent sat a simple paper effigy and a crystal coffin. Ye Tian, with a peaceful expression, lay inside. Though his skin was without a single wound and he looked exactly as he had in life, he was, in every sense, a corpse. He had no heartbeat, no breath, and no vital signs whatsoever.

The Zhou sisters sat beside the massive crystal coffin, sobbing softly, while Li Muqing sat to the side, her face dark and silent. As for Gu Qingcheng, she was clinging to the coffin, crying without a shred of decorum. If anyone was the most heartbroken by Ye Tian’s death, it was undoubtedly Gu Qingcheng. After all, among these women, she was one of the two who had shared an intimate connection with him, and she held the deepest bond with her junior brother.

Zhu Yun’er and Zhu Yue, the sisters, stood guard in their white mourning attire, their expressions calm. With their master Ye Tian dead, it meant they no longer had anyone to serve and would soon return to the Vermillion Bird Unit to resume their original duties. As for Yang Xiaoyan and others who were less closely acquainted with the deceased, they stood silently in the distance, lost in a daze.

Everyone was immersed in oppressive grief, save for one person: Ye Xiaomei.

"Master cannot be dead," she stated firmly to her subordinates in Japanese.

"Why, Senior Sister Mei? Mr. Ye clearly has no breath, yet you insist on this?" the Japanese ninjas asked, puzzled.

"I am certainly not a blindly loyal fool!" Ye Xiaomei glanced at her subordinates with disdain. "I have my reasons for saying this. In any case, even if these women intend to bury him, I will secretly dig him up. Then, I will guard him until he wakes!"

The group of ninjas couldn't help but gasp. They never expected that Senior Sister Mei, who had always been rebellious, would become so loyal after becoming Mr. Ye’s servant. It was truly remarkable! Could it be the force of Mr. Ye’s charisma?

"A bunch of idiots," Ye Xiaomei sneered. She, of course, had proof to support her theory. The master had told her long ago that the "Body-Linking Technique" they shared was, in essence, a master-servant mark tied by blood. In other words, if the master died, it was impossible for her, as his servant, to remain alive!

But here she was, Ye Xiaomei, still full of life while Ye Tian lay in that coffin. What did that mean? It meant that the master was not dead at all. In all likelihood, he was in a state of suspended animation or deep slumber, and no one had realized it yet. This state was perhaps similar to the "Turtle Breathing Technique" of their homeland. He must have encountered some insurmountable force and chosen this slumber to survive the catastrophe!

She was so clever! At this thought, Ye Xiaomei felt a surge of pride. "Hmph, these foolish women. Once you bury him, I will secretly take him away—preferably back to Japan! That way, Master will belong to me alone!"

...

Solemn, mournful music played. The old servants of the Ye family and Ye Tian’s friends stepped forward one by one to pay their respects, marking the final farewell ceremony. Once the rites concluded, he was to be buried in the mountains behind the Ye ancestral home, among the graves of his predecessors.

However, just as everyone thought the proceedings were drawing to a close, a commotion erupted outside the gates. A group of foreigners forced their way in, accompanied by the loud clanging of gongs and drums.

"Apologies, the master of the Ye family has passed away; we are not receiving guests!" Li Muqing, usually silent and reserved, stepped forward to block the middle-aged blonde man leading the group. She would not allow anyone to disturb Ye Tian’s rest.

"Hehe, don’t be so heartless. We have come with sincerity to offer our condolences," the man said, speaking in a foreign-accented version of the national language. He gestured to the large group behind him. "Bring it over!"

As his voice fell, the crowd parted. A group of foreigners dressed in festive red clothing hauled a massive roasting oven to the front of the crystal coffin.

"Let me introduce myself," the middle-aged blonde man smiled. "I am Lucas Aceves, the current head of the Aceves family! And the father of Sano and Calvin!"

The Aceves family! Hearing this familiar name, the pupils of everyone present dilated. Hadn't their family been arrested by the Dragon Group and taken to the capital for investigation long ago on charges of conspiracy and rebellion? Why was their patriarch still walking free, even swaggering right up to them?

"Surprised, are you?" Lucas laughed loudly. "It’s quite simple: I am a powerhouse, a Martial King-level expert! This world respects strength; those with absolute power can ignore all rules, and therefore, the people of this nation cannot restrain me!"

A Martial King! The head of the Aceves family was actually a Martial King! The women who had intended to step forward and drive the intruders out felt a chill run down their spines and dared not make another move. This was a Martial King—if he wished, he could slaughter all the so-called Mount Tai Realm experts present in an instant! An absolute gap in cultivation could not be bridged by sheer numbers. Moreover, Lucas had brought a crowd of subordinates, including familiar faces of the Big Dipper Realm, such as Renata.

"Lucas, what exactly do you want?" Gu Qingcheng stepped forward, shielding Li Muqing, a mere civilian, behind her to bear the pressure. "My junior brother is already dead; it is not your turn to take revenge!"

"Hehe!" Lucas let out a shrill laugh. "Who says I can't take revenge?" He pointed to the massive oven beside him. "Don’t you people in this country love the phrase 'grind bones and scatter ashes' when expressing hatred? I, Lucas, would like to follow local custom today and express my hatred for that little animal who killed my son and caused my clansmen to be captured!"

He grinned hideously and beckoned with a large hand: "Men, throw that little animal’s corpse in and burn it to ash. I will scatter his ashes into the Loch Ness in the United States to feed the monsters, so he will never be reincarnated!"

!!!

The Ye family members present glared at Lucas with fury. They never imagined that this man would deny him even the chance to return to his roots, wishing to scatter his soul in a foreign land! It was utterly vicious!

"You are courting death!" Gu Qingcheng’s eyes turned red. She cared not whether the man before her was a Martial King or anything else; to humiliate her late husband’s corpse before her eyes was no different than humiliating her! Before she had even finished speaking, she transformed into a blur and charged forward, pulling two golden hairpins from her sleeves and thrusting them toward Lucas’s temples!