Corpse Retriever.

Chapter 493

Outside, folk songs from Yazhou drifted closer.

Inside the house, Chen's matriarch, Jiang Xiuzhi, bit off the end of the thread in her hand.

Deep within the Chen family ancestral home, only a handful of people were qualified to make a loud noise, and among those few, only one could sing so terribly.

Sometimes Jiang Xiuzhi would wonder why the young master of the Chen family, who had been such a charming gentleman in front of Sister Liu, turned into a painting of bamboo after she had won him over, as if a thick layer of greasy lard had been poured over it.

She asked him, but he just chuckled and then reminisced about the understanding and considerate woman he knew before they got married.

It was as if the two of them were still in costume, acting out a play, and on their wedding night, they couldn't wait to strip naked.

The door was pushed open, and Chen Pingdao, his cheeks flushed from drinking, staggered in.

Jiang Xiuzhi: "I saw Xi Yuan."

Chen Ping asked, "How did you know?"

Jiang Xiuzhi: "No one can make you this happy except for my granddaughter."

Chen Ping said, "That person is here too. I saw him."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xiuzhi looked at the burial shroud she had just sewn in her hand.

Chen Ping said, "The young mistress of the Qin family may also be here."

Jiang Xiuzhi asked in a trembling voice, "Are you sure Sister Liu is here?"

Chen Pingdao shook his head: "That person is very confident, so I guess the young mistress of the Qin family has also come to Qiongya. If not, then things are even worse."

Jiang Xiuzhi: "Come on, try on the clothes."

Chen Ping said, "Zhizhi, I like all the clothes you make, even the funeral clothes."

Jiang Xiuzhi placed the burial clothes on the bed, walked to the wardrobe, and selected a set of plain-colored elegant clothes from it, saying:

"You forgot, today is the funeral of the Ming family's matriarch, and you said you were going."

Chen Ping tapped his forehead with his wine gourd: "Right, right, right, look at my memory, I really forgot."

Old Chen came over and, with his wife's help, changed his clothes.

Jiang Xiuzhi: "Not bad, it fits well."

Chen Ping said, "Isn't it too plain?"

Jiang Xiuzhi: "How flashy do you think you'd dress for someone's funeral?"

Chen Ping said, "Heh, what are you saying? Whether he's dead or not, who knows?"

Jiang Xiuzhi: "You mean..."

Chen Ping said, "Change into that one, look more presentable. It's been a long time since I've attended a scene like this. Last time, Xi Yuan went to Wangjiang Tower by herself."

Following her husband's suggestion, Jiang Xiuzhi took off a rather flamboyant dress for her age.

"You think Sister Liu will be going this time too, right?"

"Oh, really? Will the young mistress of the Qin family go?"

"Then why didn't you go to Wangjiang Tower when you were sure she would?"

Chen Pingdao's eyes drooped, like a child whose secrets had been exposed.

"Alright, alright, every time we meet is one less time, and it might be the last time anyway. I'll make sure you get ready properly."

"hey-hey."

Chen Pingdao sat down in front of the dressing table, and Jiang Xiuzhi shaved his face.

"Zhizhi, you didn't see it. When our precious granddaughter sees me, she protects him like a mother hen guarding her chicks, as if she's afraid I'll pounce on him and kill him in the blink of an eye."

"You've done this kind of thing before."

"It's a pity that he's too young. If he were a bit older, they would be a perfect match."

"Isn't it about Sister Liu's granddaughter and that person..."

"I saw them. They were standing right next to him, holding hands. They were such a perfect couple. Even if I did nothing all day, just seeing them standing together would be a treat."

The granddaughter of the Qin family's young mistress looks a lot like her back then.

"Sigh, if you hadn't gotten involved in that matter and hadn't done that, things would have been so much better. Although Xi Yuan is kind-hearted and optimistic, she has never had any friends since she was little. She finally found someone she liked to spend time with and was willing to play with, but you ruined it like this."

The mess you, as the head of the family, have made, has your granddaughter having to clean up your mess.

Look at the Ming family's current state; you've made things so difficult for her.

"Who would have thought that he could get up so quickly and so powerfully?"

"Do you regret it?"

"The more that person acts this way, the more it proves that I didn't make a mistake back then."

Jiang Xiuzhi shook her head, too lazy to say anything more.

Chen Ping said, "Alright, you go and rest for a while. I'll go to the Ming family's funeral first and show my face."

Jiang Xiuzhi walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.

Chen Ping opened the domain, encompassing the entire room, and the tokens, candles, incense burners, and other items were all automatically arranged in order.

The old man closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again.

"The head of the Chen family from Qiongya has arrived!"

Chen Pingdao's figure emerged from the projection of a huge bronze mirror.

Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse, and the Ming family's structure hasn't completely collapsed yet, so the funeral of the matriarch naturally attracted a large number of guests.

Those who are qualified to attend a funeral in this way are either luminaries themselves or represent luminaries.

The long road leading to the funeral hall was cleared out, and the bustling guests in reality all retreated to the sides to make way for the distinguished figures of the martial arts world.

The Ming family elders, leading the surrounding Ming family members, bowed to Chen Pingdao.

Chen Pingdao nodded slightly.

"Patriarch Chen, please."

Chen Pingdao strode forward.

Upon arriving at the vast mourning hall, the core members of the Ming family, led by Ming Qinyun's sons, knelt down to pay their respects.

Chen Pingdao walked into the mourning hall, and incense appeared in his hand, which he inserted into the incense burner.

The person is a shadow, and so is the incense; however, the Ming family will place the real incense on their behalf.

The mourning period has ended.

Chen Pingdao turned and walked outside.

As soon as he projected over, other projections or important figures from the Ming family in the real world responded to him with their auras, meaning that he could come and have a chat.

This also includes Ling Muyang, the head of the Ling family, who came via projection this time as well.

However, Chen Pingdao declined all of these invitations, which is consistent with the style of the Chen family of Qiongya. The Chen family has never liked to participate in the struggles of the martial arts world.

"Madam Liu has arrived!"

This shout caused everyone present, including Ying, to become solemn.

Actually, before this, everyone was speculating whether that family would come, and if they did, who they would send.

The matter of Tingfeng Gorge is a secret because almost everyone involved is dead; but because so many people died, it is difficult for it to remain a true secret.

Considering the young family head's act of bringing a coffin to demand answers before the incident, coupled with Ming Qinyun's sudden "death," no one would naively believe that these two events are unrelated.

It's just that on the surface, everyone hasn't completely torn each other apart, but underneath, they've already fought a bloody battle, leaving corpses everywhere.

Chen Pingdao stood at the entrance of the mourning hall, looking at Liu Yumei's reflection in the bronze mirror.

Liu Yumei was dressed simply, not specifically for the funeral, but in her home clothes, having not changed her clothes for the occasion.

She was eating sunflower seeds as she walked this way.

Halfway there, Liu Yumei stopped, turned her head, and called out back:
"You guys go first, don't wait for me, I'll come on the next round."

All the members of the Ming family present had ashen faces.

The guests, both in real life and projected onto the screen, displayed a variety of expressions.

This was a break from playing cards, during which I took the time to attend a funeral.

And that was indeed the case; Liu Yumei was in the middle of a losing streak today.

If Aunt Liu hadn't reminded her, Liu Yumei would have completely forgotten that she was supposed to come to the funeral.

Chen Pingdao looked at Liu Yumei: "Young Mistress of the Qin family."

Liu Yumei did not respond.

Chen Ping stepped aside to make way.

Liu Yumei walked up to Chen Pingdao and stopped.

Chen Pingdao, Zhang Kaiyu, and Liu Yumei were surrounded by auspicious feng shui aura. A head of the Dragon King Clan and a former head of two Dragon King Clans demonstrated to the host family and guests what true power and skill were. They could even influence reality through the projection.

The overlapping of the domain's energy and the feng shui energy is enough to ensure that no one can hear the two people's conversation before breaking through this barrier.

Chen Ping said, "Sister Liu."

Liu Yumei: "It seems that you have seen my Xiaoyuan."

Chen Ping said, "I have seen him. Don't worry, sister. He's just one of our own juniors. I'll take good care of him."

Liu Yumei: "Chen Pingdao, how come you've become so repulsive?"

It was only because Xiao Yuan survived the typhoon that caused the giant turtle to land that she was able to hold her down. Otherwise, Liu Yumei would have already personally led the evil spirits in her family to visit the Chen family in Qiongya.

If you have too many enemies and can only take revenge on one, most people will choose a former friend.

Chen Ping said, "I believe Sister Liu wouldn't be unaware of that person's true identity."

Liu Yumei: "Yes, I'll tell you this outright. I noticed it the day my son Xiaoyuan had his introductory ceremony."

Chen Ping said, "I understand. I know my sister's difficulties, and I know that she has no other choice."

Liu Yumei: "It was difficult for me, but it wasn't a choice I was forced to make."

Chen Ping said, "Whether it's a blessing or a curse..."

Liu Yumei: "Listen to me, your Chen family values ​​the Way of Heaven, while my Qin and Liu families value the Way of the World."

Under Liu Yumei's gaze, Chen Pingdao subconsciously turned his face away to avoid her gaze.

Liu Yumei stepped forward and continued speaking:
"Your Chen family of Qiongya enjoys the blessings of Heaven, so why have only three Dragon Kings appeared in history?"
Our Qin and Liu families have produced many dragon kings throughout history. Some secrets and tendencies, even if they are taboo, are difficult to completely keep secret when there are many people involved.

Throughout history, the Dragon Kings, upholding the will of Heaven, have suppressed the martial world; this is cooperation.

Those who become Dragon Kings are all proud and ambitious. The Dragon King wants to be a human, not a dog!

Chen Pingdao immediately looked up and met Liu Yumei's gaze directly.

This is indeed a taboo subject.

This means that Liu Yumei, who had long sensed something was wrong, was not deceiving herself for the sake of the family's revival, but rather, she simply didn't care about the matter at all.

Just like today, she took advantage of a break from playing cards to attend the funeral while snacking on sunflower seeds.

Chen Pingdao nodded slowly: "I understand what Sister Liu means."

Liu Yumei: "When is your funeral?"

Chen Ping said, "It will be soon."

Liu Yumei: "Don't forget to send me a funeral invitation."

Chen Ping said, "Yes, Zhizhi also really wants to see you, sister."

Liu Yumei withdrew the feng shui aura, and Chen Pingdao retracted his domain. One continued forward toward the mourning hall, while the other walked backward toward the bronze mirror.

Liu Yumei stepped into the mourning hall and looked at the portrait of Ming Qinyun hanging on the wide table.

Instead of black and white, an artist was commissioned to vividly portray the dignified and kind image of Ming Qinyun as the matriarch during her lifetime.

Liu Yumei ignored the kneeling people on both sides bowing to her and did not make any gesture of holding incense, leaving the people holding incense, who were preparing to insert it into the incense burner on behalf of the honored guest, at a loss.

After standing there for a while, Liu Yumei nodded, continued cracking sunflower seeds, turned around, and muttered to herself:
“I have to make the arrangements in advance that a portrait of me when I was young must be hung at my funeral. Hanging here with my old face looking so sullen would be awful.”

The sound wasn't loud, but it was clear enough that anyone present, even those with hearing problems, who could communicate with spirits, could hear it clearly.

Immediately, many members of the Ming family stood up, their faces filled with anger.

Fortunately, the elders and senior members of the Ming family worked hard to suppress the situation, preventing it from completely spiraling out of control.

The elders knew that the matriarch had faked her death in order to temporarily extricate the Ming family from the vortex. At this time, humiliation was necessary. If they could not endure it and forced the other party to continue to retaliate against the Ming family, then the matriarch would have truly died in vain.

Their reactions did not escape Liu Yumei's notice.

Aside from the core members of the Ming family, no one knew whether Ming Qinyun was really dead. Liu Yumei didn't know, and neither did Xiao Yuan.

But it doesn't matter.

Xiao Yuan has made it clear to himself that the retaliation against the Ming family will not stop.

Ming family, cherish this funeral that can still be held now.

Liu Yumei walked to the large bronze mirror, the projection gradually faded, leaving the audience with her last words:

"What's the rush? Have you finished your round yet? It's my turn to sit down. Don't worry, the losers are still to come!"

……

Chen Ping put away the domain in the room, stood up, pushed open the door, and walked out.

In the courtyard, Jiang Xiuzhi was knitting clothes. No matter how cold it was in Qiongya, it wasn't that bad. But ever since her granddaughter started traveling by river with a lamp, she had to go outside often, and the winters outside were freezing.

Jiang Xiuzhi: "You saw him?"

Chen Ping said, "I saw him."

Jiang Xiuzhi: "What did Sister Liu say?"

Chen Ping said, "When you ask me when the funeral will be held, I say soon."

Jiang Xiuzhi: "This is indeed a problem. The birthday banquet and the funeral are too close together."

Chen Ping said, "Didn't I say that the birthday banquet is not open to outsiders? No need for outsiders or collateral relatives to come. It's just our own family having a meal and drinks. It's just a matter of two tables for the sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren."

Jiang Xiuzhi: "Alright, you're the birthday celebrant, so you get to decide."

Chen Ping said, "Then the funeral..."

Jiang Xiuzhi: "You were already dead by then, so I was the one who made the decisions."

Chen Ping said, "That makes sense."

Grandpa Chen walked out of the courtyard and headed towards the ancestral hall.

He paused slightly as he passed the willow tree in front of the ancestral hall.

Looking at the willow tree, he seemed to see Liu Yumei standing in front of him earlier.

Some things seem one way at the time, but when you look back now, you can taste a completely different flavor.

In fact, as far as he knew, it wasn't just the elders of the Liu family who opposed the marriage between the eldest daughter of the Liu family and the eldest son of the Qin family; there were also people from the Qin family who held opposing views.

It's normal for the Liu family to object, since they've suffered losses. The Qin family's objections, on the other hand, come from a few far-sighted individuals within the Qin family.

Given the status of the Qin and Liu families in the martial arts world back then, it would have been fine if it were a marriage between collateral branches. However, the marriage of the outstanding young talents of each family was enough to effectively unite the two powerful clans, which was somewhat taboo.

The Qin family is doing alright; the Qin family members with brains have far less influence than the Qin family members with fists.

The Liu family, having cultivated Qi for generations, were naturally very perceptive in this area, and thus their refusal to obstruct the marriage was the most steadfast. In the end, it was the spirit of the Liu family's Dragon King who intervened, forcibly suppressing the opposition and bringing the marriage to fruition.

It is said that on the day of the wedding, the spirits of the Dragon Kings of both families were very active in the ancestral halls of the Qin and Liu families' ancestral homes, as if they were holding a separate banquet there to celebrate the wedding.

This is the collective will of the two Dragon King spirits. They couldn't possibly be unaware that this is a taboo, yet... they don't care about this taboo.

In this light, the "scourge" does indeed meet the approval of the dragon king spirits of the Qin and Liu families, just as Sister Liu said, she doesn't care.

Chen Pingdao sighed silently, looked up, and gazed at the three memorial tablets placed in the center of the ancestral hall.

The three lamps, their milky white flames flickering, represent the spirits of the three Dragon Kings of the Chen family.

The Dragon King is the most revered, occupying the central position; on the left and right sides, there is an offering table, one for the ancestor who founded the Chen family, and the other for Chen Yunhai, who formally brought the Chen family onto the right track and laid the foundation for the future Dragon King's family.

Chen Pingdao recalled that day when he decided to do that thing, the flickering light of his family's ancestral tablet caused him to lose his breath and suffer some internal injuries.

He then collapsed, believing it was the spirit of his ancestors protecting Xi Yuan, giving him an excuse to call her back and away from that troublesome place.

Looking back now, can't this be interpreted as the spirits of one's own ancestors hindering one's progress?
Chen Pingdao sat down on the steps of the ancestral hall, picked up his wine gourd, and continued drinking.

This time, instead of intentionally using the domain to expel the alcohol from my body, I let it compress the alcohol so that I could get drunk quickly.

His mind was in turmoil; he couldn't think clearly or understand it, but he was certain that he hadn't done anything wrong.

The Way of Heaven regards it as a scourge and evil, and the Way of Heaven intends to eliminate it.

I was clearly acting in accordance with the will of Heaven, so why was I wrong?

"Hehehe..."

Chen Pingdao successfully got himself drunk; if he couldn't figure something out, he shouldn't think about it anymore.

He tossed the wine gourd aside, got up, and walked to the Stele of Listening to the Sea and Watching the Tide.

People only know that the most complete secrets of the Chen family are contained in this stone tablet, but they don't know that what is truly integrated into this tablet is the domain left behind by the four masters after their passing.

One domain belongs to Chen Yunhai, and the other three domains belong to the three subsequent Dragon Kings of the Chen family.

When people die, their realm remains, transforming into a cage to suppress evil spirits.

Chen Pingdao reached out and placed his hand on the stone tablet, merging his domain into it. Immediately, the stone tablet in reality emitted light, and Chen Pingdao stepped into it.

The first thing we encountered was a sea of ​​clouds.

Within the sea of ​​clouds, countless evil spirits howled and wailed, enduring the agony of being tormented day and night by the domain.

Chen Pingdao looked around and saw that there were three more domains on the outer edge of this cloud sea domain.

The domain I am currently in was left behind by my ancestor Chen Yunhai.

Aside from having more clouds and some changes, and not being as pure and flawless as the domains left by the other three Dragon Kings, in terms of the quality and strength of the domain, as well as the number of evil spirits suppressed within it, the domain of ancestor Chen Yunhai was not only no less than the domains of the three Dragon Kings, but even slightly superior in Chen Pingdao's perception.

The ability to leave behind a domain after death signifies that the domain was developed to an independent and perfect state during one's lifetime. The three Dragon Kings of the Chen family relied on this to suppress their respective eras.

This means that our ancestor Chen Yunhai possessed strength no less than that of the Dragon Kings of his clan in later generations.

However, his ancestor Chen Yunhai did not become the Dragon King, and Chen Pingdao was also unable to verify the true identity of that generation's Dragon King.

Chen Pingdao continued forward, ignoring the evil spirits around him. He arrived at the intersection of the four domains, took out the patriarch's token, and opened his own domain. As if an invisible door had opened, a new area appeared.

Here, four bodies sit cross-legged.

They are respectively the ancestor Chen Yunhai and the three Chen family dragon kings.

What has been preserved are only the remains; the four ancestors themselves have long since passed away.

The top forces in the martial arts world have always held a certain opinion about the Chen family of Qiongya, just as Liu Yumei said at the funeral: Your Chen family enjoys the blessings of Heaven.

The Chen family members are extremely reliant on talent; their potential has an exceptionally clear upper and lower limit.

If luck is on your side, a genius will emerge in this generation. After gaining wisdom, they will open up new horizons early on, travel across rivers with a lamp, and suppress an era.
If you're unlucky, among the younger generation of descendants, whether direct or collateral, anyone who can open up a domain is considered successful.

Moreover, every time the Chen family produces a Dragon King, corresponding terrifying evil spirits and calamities appear in the martial arts world, as if the birth of the Chen family's Dragon King was for the purpose of suppressing them.

This led even the Chen family themselves to accept this view, because they, like the old farmers in the fields, were completely dependent on the weather for their livelihood.

But if you really ask whether there is such a thing as divine favor, even the Chen family members themselves cannot provide concrete evidence, except for the heads of the Chen family throughout the generations.

Only the head of the Chen family is qualified to come here.

As long as you sit cross-legged beside the remains of your ancestors, you will be able to sense something and receive guidance in the unseen realm.

The domains left by our ancestors act as a medium here; each domain is a small world within which the heartbeat of the greater world can be heard.

Chen Pingdao sat down cross-legged, and, fueled by the smell of alcohol, murmured:

"I did nothing wrong, he is a menace, and you should kill him too."

But why does he seem like your darling no matter how you look at him?
There must be something wrong here!

Chen Ping leaned forward, looking at the body of his ancestor Chen Yunhai sitting in front of him:

"Right, is there a problem?"

At this moment, Chen Yunhai, who had already died, suddenly spoke:

"You've finally figured out the problem."

Chen Pingdao's eyes widened as he slowly stood up, staring intently at the remains of his ancestor before him.

He found it hard to believe, yet it wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was precisely because he realized where the problem lay that he came here today.

He was certain that Heaven was right; the head of the Li family was someone whom Heaven had deems a scourge that needed to be eliminated.

The problem is that since he got involved in that incident, the so-called "heaven and earth, wind and rain, all working together" phenomenon has not appeared.

Admittedly, there have been great calamities in history that have managed to rise against the tide, and these so-called great calamities must have their terrifying aspects.

But the problem is, even if this martial world is suppressed one after another, and batches of people fail, at least when you fail, you can clearly see that the wind is blowing in your direction.

Like a ship, it usually gets windy first before hoisting its sails for leverage. But this time, its sails had long been untied and the ship had left the port, yet the wind was nowhere to be seen.

Then, there is only one possibility left.

The wind will indeed blow, and it will definitely blow in this direction, but someone deliberately reported the wrong time when the wind will start!
After eliminating other possibilities, the remaining one, however unbelievable, is the truth.

That is, someone actually managed to sneak in here and give me the correct answer in advance.

Even the right thing can become wrong if you do it at the wrong time.

Chen Yunhai:
"In the eyes of Heaven, he is indeed a scourge, and Heaven will not allow him to come of age. But this knife of his is too useful, and Heaven is reluctant to break it for the time being. Of course, if he can break it on his own, Heaven will be happy to see it."

Chen Ping said, "I arranged such a good opportunity for you, but you failed to break it in advance. Now, you are being forced to your doorstep by its sharpness."

well……"

Chen Ping asked, "Who exactly are you?"

Chen Yunhai: "It's been so long, I've almost forgotten who I am."

And you, even if you notice my presence, should pretend you don't.

An existence that can pass through the array formations and restrictions of the Dragon King's ancestral home, evade the Dragon King's spirit's detection, and silently infiltrate the deepest part of your Qiongya Chen family.

"Shouldn't you have been in such a hurry to break ties with it?"

Chen Ping ignored the threat in the other party's words and asked instead, "So, it was you who wanted to kill him?"

Chen Yunhai nodded and said:
"Because I have a reason to kill him."

Firstly, if I don't break this knife now, I'm afraid it might be used to cut me in the future;

Secondly, because...

Chen Yunhai's facial features peeled away, revealing a faceless body, making him a faceless man. He opened his mouth and roared hysterically:

"He ruined my path to immortality!"

---

There will be one more chapter during the day.

(End of this chapter)