Before dawn, it had rained, dispersing the hot, moist air.

The early morning fog lingered between the cliffs, masking the noisy sound of the tide.

Ji Jue, who had just fallen asleep not long ago, was awakened by the sound of a car passing through the mountains. As he opened his eyes and walked toward the front door, he saw Old Tang standing there.

There was also a middle-aged man in a black suit who handed over an envelope before turning to leave, not even glancing at the unburied bodies on either side.

He left.

"Who was that?" Ji Jue asked.

"...Lei Yaoxing's man," Old Tang said as he looked at the item in his hand, his expression complex.

"Did he come to collect the bodies?"

"It is indeed about collecting bodies, but not the bodies here," Old Tang handed the item over. "You'd better look at it yourself."

Ji Jue took it in his hands—two thin sheets, resembling some sort of notice, different from a wedding invitation, the pure white card was elegant yet simple, printed with a faint watermark pattern.

It was a funeral invitation.

"First to consider Lei Wuye..."

After reading the beginning and glancing at the signature, Lei Yaoxing, Ji Jue suddenly realized, "Did Old Deng finally kick the bucket?"

After struggling for half a month, he had finally kicked the bucket, left behind a mess, and yet had died quickly and painlessly.

Why did all the good things in the world happen to that old thing?

However, this funeral at this crucial time... Ji Jue had an uneasy feeling.

With Lei Wuye's death, so many 'friends and relatives' from his lifetime must have received the funeral notice. Whether for sake of emotion, traditions, or their own situations and planning for the future, they probably had to show up.

In other words, this funeral could turn into the first meeting of all members of Cliff City Desert Market more than a week after you died and I survived.

"This is going to be a big meeting," he muttered in sudden realization.

It was supposed to be Lei Wuye's funeral, yet how peacefully Lei Wuye died no longer seemed to matter.

This funeral could potentially turn into a meeting that would decide the future of Cliff City's underworld—a meeting that could end in only two ways, either Lei Yaoxing could subdue everyone with his bloody tactics and take his place as the leader, or it could end in disagreement, leading everyone back to their corners to continue fighting until only one victor remained.

No, if things were handled poorly, the funeral might not be just for Lei Wuye alone; who knows how many others would have to be buried with him.

In a moment of rapid reflection, Ji Jue felt like he almost grasped some crucial points, but then his thoughts blurred. What made him more puzzled was the invitee listed on the funeral invitation...

It wasn't Chen Xingzhou, but Chen Yubo.

He took out his cell phone, intending to call Wen Wen to inquire about the situation, but the call didn't go through—it was on Do Not Disturb mode, with only a preset message saying she'd call back later as she was in a meeting.

In fact, it wasn't long before the call came.

Even before he could ask.

"Has Chen Yubo received the funeral invitation?" Wen Wen asked.

"Yes," Ji Jue asked, "Should we bother with it?"

"It's up to you, whether you go or not, it doesn't matter," she said. "It's already over."

"Huh?" Ji Jue was confused.

"It's kind of complicated to explain in a short time, but there's no need for you to be so nervous. If you're interested, just take that silly kid, Chen Yubo, for a trip; it might be interesting to watch."

Wen Wen chuckled at something she had thought of, "There should be people from the Security Bureau there. As long as you don't jump in Lei Yaoxing's face, he can't touch you, rest assured."

She said, "There's no harm in going, just see it through to the end."

It's over?

After hanging up the phone, Ji Jue pondered for a long time, still clueless, but finally decided to check it out.

After all, Sister Wen wouldn't just kick him into a pit of fire.

Moreover, having been so anxious on the fringes of the clouded and foggy battle for so long, there must be some answers, right?

"Shall we go have a look?"

He looked toward Chen Yubo, whose face was pale.

For a moment, Chen Yubo hesitated, almost bursting into tears.

Could we not go?

Unfortunately, no.

And you couldn't bring a cat either...

What if, at the funeral, your cat jumped onto the coffin lid and startled Lei Wuye back to life, whose fault would that be then?

Thus, after tearfully saying goodbye to his two cats, the very reluctant Chen Yubo finally got into the car under Ji Jue's urging, along with Old Tang.

Although he kept saying, "Our contract doesn't cover outings, you got to pay extra!" he still followed, muttering things like, "If there's really a fight, I'm out of here."

When they neared their destination, he got off the car by the roadside to buy grilled sausages and in one breath polished off two bowls of noodle soup and three baskets of steamed buns, his mouth greasy all over.

Crouching by the roadside, he watched the lavish cars go by, clicking his tongue.

"It sure is lively."

Lei Wuye had barely passed away when Cliff City's largest funeral home was already set up, the scene solemn and peaceful, starting from the entrance where white wreaths, covered with all sorts of messy elegiac couplets, were placed.

In the sparse light rain, someone stood at the entrance, handing out umbrellas to the guests.

One by one, black umbrellas opened up, the sporadic raindrops shimmering like dew as they fell. Hundreds and thousands of umbrellas moved to and fro on the narrow road.

At first glance, the darkness seemed as if dried blood and death were flowing out from a cemetery, spreading like germs toward Cliff City downhill.

It was so solemn it became laughable.

Ji Jue bit into a bun from a roadside stall and sighed lightly, "Even in death, he caused such a stir, what a pity."

"What's a pity?" Mr. Tang was perplexed.

Ji Jue said, "It's a pity I don't like black umbrellas."

There should be some red, how festive, how bright would that be?

After watching the hustle for a while by the roadside, the two returned to their car and brought Chen Yubo some steamed buns, but Chen Yubo was too jittery to eat.

At one moment he said a man should live and die with backbone, suggesting to take a knife and blow up Lei Yaoxing, and at another, he worried if he should die, then Ji Jue should take care of his cat and treat it a bit better, buying more food cans.

After much coaxing and assuring him all was well, Chen Yubo tremblingly got out of the car, opened an umbrella, and walked toward the chapel.

Unexpectedly, at the entrance, they saw the greeter.

Lei Yaoxing.

This was the first time Ji Jue had encountered this criminal overlord who had been stirring up unrest in Cliff City, but he looked just like any middle-aged man, his hair slightly graying, a stern expression with a hint of warmth.

There was none of the terrifying air of someone about to devour ten children.

Even though a whole squad of his men had died last night in the villa, seeing Chen Yubo today, he showed neither joy nor anger, just carefully looked him in the eye: "Chen Yubo?"

Chen Yubo feigned boldness, but his expression twitched and his voice trembled, "Yes."

"This is our first meeting, isn't it? I did not expect you to be so different from your brother... You are a blessed man!"

Lei Yaoxing looked at him for a long time, extended his hand, and patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, today all who come are guests, go in and have a seat."

Throughout, he never glanced at Ji Jue or Mr. Tang behind Chen Yubo.

Ji Jue was happy to be treated as air.

After the incense ceremony, a few children and some unfamiliar young women wearing black veils returned their greetings; they were probably Lei Wuye's relatives, but at this moment, their expressions also subtly held apprehension and unease, hard to conceal.

Surrounded by flowers, an old man lay in the coffin, dressed in new clothes, looking so peaceful.

After finishing the ceremony, Chen Yubo rushed to sit in the back, shrinking his head, fearing being noticed. Meanwhile, Ji Jue, quite interested, watched the crowd coming and going.

Most were reputable figures, many of whom he had seen on television.

But after the incense ceremony, they all hurried away without lingering, obviously unwilling to be involved with the internal struggles of Desert Market.

But still, many sat down directly at the sides after finishing the incense, their expressions either solemn or irritable, whispering among themselves. They kept to their respective factions, some close, some distant, but the divisions were clear.

Many of them bore bandages or casts, especially the woman sitting in front of Chen Yubo, who nearly had 'I am unhappy' written across her face, smoking a cigarette regardless of the setting, flicking ash as if no one else was there.

On that meticulously maintained face, however, was covered by a gauze eyepatch.

One eye was already blind.

When she turned back to look at them, Chen Yubo's head shrank even tighter. Mr. Tang looked over blankly, while Ji Jue was looking down at his phone, unconcerned.

Seeing Chen Yubo that way, she irritably twisted her mouth and turned her gaze away.

And on Ji Jue's screen had already appeared the views from the surrounding cameras, even the surveillance at the intersection. Soon, a black sedan caught his eye.

It was clearly an older model, but well-maintained, not any expensive brand but commonly seen. Most importantly, the symbol printed on the car body.

The Radiant Ring, nested within three rings.

Chongguang Church?!

Clearly enjoying special treatment, the vehicle from Chongguang Church drove directly to the front of the chapel, from which an elderly, slightly emaciated man descended, his skin dry, covered in sun spots, draped in a plain black robe, completely devoid of decoration.

In Chongguang Church, only one kind of person would dress like this, those who had vowed before the Radiant Ring to never accumulate personal wealth, seek personal gain, or harm others, following the tenets of the church as official members!

But in Cliff City, there were only two or three such people...

Ji Jue's eyes widened as he finally realized that this was an elder managing Cliff City's assets for Chongguang Church!

Clearly surprised by the elder's visit, even Lei Yaoxing paused slightly, greeting the elderly man and exchanging a few words.

After entering, the elder declined any assistance and simply lit two sticks of incense, then surprisingly once more declined the invitation to rest in the side hall by the master of ceremonies.

Yet he did not turn to leave.

Instead, he directly walked toward the seats at the sides from everyone's astonished gazes, and sat not far from Ji Jue and his group.

Noticing Ji Jue's astonished gaze, the elder slightly lifted his head to look over, nodded politely, then averted his gaze.

His eyes drooped, sitting steady as a mountain.

Ji Jue stiffened for a moment, subconsciously feeling a tingling on his scalp.

Those unwilling to get involved in the internal struggles of Desert Market, yet obliged to come for courtesy's sake, had all left after the incense ceremony. But the elder had deliberately stayed, sitting here...

Was Chongguang Church going to meddle in the mess of Desert Market?!

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