Chapter 538: Few Are Awake, Many Are Foolish (End)

Chapter 538 – The Few Who Awaken, The Many Who Fool (Complete)

In the heart of Jingling City, along the bustling Great Street, stood the ancestral hall of the Gong family. The night was deep, illuminated only by the flickering lights that danced across the wooden beams. It was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and as tradition demanded, all the family members would gather in the temple on the third floor to offer sacrifices to their ancestors, guided by the wise and discerning Gong family elder, Gong Zhihui.

Such a solemn moment should echo through the halls of the ancestral hall, with solemn drums beating and incense swirling in the air. But as the night wore on, the grand entrance was shattered—two massive red doors collapsed, and the bodies of the deceased lay scattered amidst the chaos, their faces twisted in expressions of agony.

Amid the pandemonium, Gong Zhihui emerged, his face pale with shock. The young man trembling, he hesitated before stepping forward, his voice barely above a whisper. “Please, don’t be afraid. Let’s go together to honor our ancestors.”

Gong Zhihui’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You think you can take my place? You’re nothing but a fool!”

The young man’s face flushed with fear, but he quickly regained his composure. “I’m just a humble son. I’ve always believed in our family’s traditions. I’ll do anything to prove myself.”

Gong Zhihui studied him closely, his gaze piercing. Beneath the fear, he saw a spark of determination. “You may have doubts, but I won’t let you ruin our legacy.”

With a heavy heart, Gong Zhihui stepped forward, his voice steady. “This is not just about me. It’s about our family’s honor. If you truly believe in what we do, then you must accept this responsibility.”

The room fell silent. Then, a single, trembling eye twitched—curiosity breaking through the tension. More than that, a wave of overwhelming joy surged through him. If this was real, then tonight would be the day he became the true heir.

Gong Zhihui’s eyes widened in realization. “You… you’re the one?”

The young man nodded, tears welling in his eyes. “Yes. I’ve waited all my life for this moment.”

And with that, the weight of the ancestral hall’s fate rested on the shoulders of a boy who had once been overlooked.

The figure settled upon the chair bestowed upon the sage’s secret, a crossbow resting upon his knee, his gaze distant yet troubled. “An elder, what plight befalls you?” His reflection flickered, a whisper of sorrow entwined with resolve. “No distress, merely fatigue.” He lightly tapped his head, a gesture of quiet reassurance. “Rest, elder. Here I shall guard you.” His gaze lingered, deep and unyielding, upon the boy’s posture, a fleeting moment of empathy bridging solitude and shared burden. The air hummed with unspoken tensions, yet stillness clung to the moment, a fragile pause before the storm’s inevitable arrival.

"Lei Yao?"

"Li Jun!"

A vicious wind whipped his face, and relying almost entirely on instinct, Lei Yao leaned backward as an armored whip-kick grazed the very tip of his nose.

Lei Yao’s silhouette bounded upward instantly, his hands flattening into twin blade-fingers that struck simultaneously toward Li Jun’s throat and heart.

Fists and feet collided ceaselessly, explosions of impact erupting one after another.

"Martial body-tempering?"

"Movement technique and internal energy?"

"You tempered two distinct disciplines as well?!"

"Your flesh isn't rotting, so you haven't taken the official seal—meaning you willingly chose to be a dog!"

Bang! Bang!

Exchanging a kick each, the two men recoiled backward, but without a moment's respite, they instantly clashed once more.

Amidst the surging tide of wandering ghosts, a succession of thundering footsteps intervened, vibrating the fracturing ground, overturning metal basins of burnt sacrificial paper, snuffing out red floating lanterns, shattering window glass with flying stones, and bringing a sudden, jarring end to the whispered prayers of families.

Scornful sneers, shocked and furious roars, the clanking of mechanical armor plates, and the fleeting flash of sharp blade-light.

At the very brink of the midnight hour's end, all the tumult finally culminated in a single, agonized groan.

Lei Yao collapsed limply into a kneeling posture on the ground, a fractured segment of a blade impaled deep in his chest, bright red blood dripping continuously onto the earth.

He slowly unstrapped the metallic square box from his back, placed it before him, and murmured under his breath.

"The Master told me to bring your brain home to give you a chance to survive in death... I truly regarded you as a brother."

Thud!

His face twisted with murderous rage, Li Jun brought his foot down, crushing the box containing Liu Dian’s brain into absolute pieces.

[Obtained 100 Mastery Points]

[Remaining Mastery Points: 182]

[Rank Four Movement Technique: Great Flood Step learned via Gluttonous Absorption]

The hour of the Rat gave way to the Ox, the gates of hell closed, and the entire city of Jinling returned from a realm of ghosts back to the world of men; the once-brilliant neon lights flared to life again, casting motley colors over the warrior’s battered and ruined armor.

"Master Ma..."

"Hmm?"

A thoroughly exhausted voice emerged from the red eye.

"It’s good that you’re not dead."

Li Jun extended a palm now stripped bare of any armor plating, raising his eyes to look at the sky where the stars and moon were growing clear.

"The rain has stopped."

"I lost."

Within the Gu family ancestral hall, Gu Xi abruptly sat up straight. Outside the hall, gasps of alarm rang out in succession as those fierce, wolf-like death-guards of the official seal unaccountably collapsed and drew their final breaths one by one.

"Uncle, what did you say?"

The youth’s tone was panicked, tears welling up rapidly in his trembling eyes.

"The rain outside has stopped. Tell your uncle, are you still afraid now?"

Gu Xi’s tone softened as he looked down at the boy.

"No, I'm really not afraid anymore."

The youth shook his head frantically, his hands reaching out tentatively to grasp Gu Xi’s sleeve, but in the end, they tightly hugged the leg of a chair instead.

"Promise me, never give outsiders any opportunity in the future. You must protect our Gu family. Do you understand?"

Choking on his tears, the youth replied, "I understand..."

Gu Xi nodded with satisfaction, but his expression suddenly turned cold as he barked harshly, "Do not cry! Do you think crying can buy you a way to live? Get out!"

"Uncle..."

"Get out!"

Driven by that fierce glare, the youth fled the ancestral hall and stumbled blindly into the embrace of his family.

Bang!

The report of a gunshot suddenly erupted, and the Gu family members, whose faces had just borne flashes of joy, underwent a drastic change in expression, staring blankly at the solemn ancestral hall from which the echo of gunfire still rolled.

The ghosts had gone where they belonged.