Splendor

Traffic was at a standstill.

The closer they got to the entrance of Hengguang Garden, the worse the traffic became.

The Jin Family had assets worth tens of billions. They had already been among the wealthiest families in Guangzhou City.

Now, the rumor that had been circulating about the family had been confirmed: Jin Zhiya had truly become a Nominal Disciple of the Red Sun Sword Sect, vaulting into the ranks of cultivators who stood above all other mortals. The entire Jin Family now stood on the threshold of soaring to even greater heights.

In such circumstances, which force in Guangzhou would dare deny the Jin Family face?

For this funeral, even a figure of the local council speaker's rank had sent a secretary to offer condolences in person.

That was proof enough of the Jin Family's influence in Guangzhou City.

Madam Jin and Jin Haoxuan had died, and Jin Guangming was clearly determined to give them a grand funeral. The scale of the ceremony was unprecedented.

On top of that, the Jin Family turned away no one who came to pay their respects. Small business owners and minor officials who hoped to forge a connection with the Jin Family—or at least show their faces and make an impression on its powerful members—were seizing the opportunity.

It wasn't only people Jin Guangming knew, or even mere acquaintances. Suppliers with only the most tenuous business ties to the family were coming in droves.

As a result, the main road from the entrance of Hengguang Garden to the Jin Family Courtyard was choked with traffic for hundreds of meters.

Countless small-time business owners worth a few million, or even tens of millions, waited to enter the estate, clutching gifts they believed they'd spent their entire fortunes preparing and driving luxury cars worth hundreds of thousands, even over a million.

There were also plenty of people along both sides of the road, keeping order and guiding the guests.

Among those maintaining order and directing guests were Jin Corporation employees, staff from Hengguang Garden's property management company, and even a good number of members of the Public Security Department and the Garrison Department.

There were plenty of staff, but far too many guests had come that day.

So many clever people were trying to attach themselves to the Jin Family, which was destined to shine brighter than the sun, that even with a large force guiding the crowds, there was no way to cover every inch.

At least...

Li ChunJun had passed through the gate and entered Hengguang Garden with ease. Following the flow of people, he made his way to the Jin Family Courtyard as if he knew the place by heart.

Compared with the last time, when he'd had to climb over a wall, the guards at the Jin Family Courtyard...

were far stricter.

But there were too many people coming and going. Even with several times as many guards, they couldn't cover every angle. Li ChunJun followed behind the owner of a small company, used the blind spot created by the man's position, and slipped into the Jin Family Courtyard without difficulty.

Of course, it also helped that the guards could never have imagined anyone would dare cause trouble at a gathering like this. Their inspections weren't especially thorough.

"There are a lot of people. So many."

Li ChunJun spoke from the heart.

He couldn't see the mourning hall.

Because everywhere he looked, the grounds were packed with people.

The Jin Family Courtyard was only a little over two thousand square meters, yet hundreds, even thousands, of guests and staff had gathered there.

Lively.

This funeral was truly lively.

He could understand.

Jin Guangming felt guilty.

He believed that he'd sensed something amiss with Shen Zhengxian but hadn't warned his wife and son right away or left with them. So he wanted to give them a grand funeral, hoping to make amends for his guilt in this way.

But there was something he couldn't understand!

Why...

The true culprit hadn't even been apprehended. He was still at large. So how could they dare hold a funeral of this scale in Guangzhou City, acting as if nothing were wrong?

Were they really not worried at all that he'd disrupt the funeral?

Li ChunJun glanced around.

The security was extremely tight.

Not only had Mount Tai Security thrown nearly all its people into the effort, but the family had also hired several well-known security companies in Guangzhou City.

They'd even sent out all their own security personnel.

And with the Public Security Department and the Garrison Department deploying hundreds of people to maintain order in the surrounding area...

The entire Jin Family was as secure as a fortress.

That was the source of their confidence.

"Both were human beings. She had no family by her side, and she hadn't even been given a proper burial. She was reduced to ashes in a blaze, every trace of her existence in this world erased..."

A hint of emotion seemed to stir in Li ChunJun's eyes.

But he quickly suppressed it.

He returned himself to his usual, unruffled state.

It didn't matter.

Whether it was lively or not, none of it mattered.

He hadn't come here to watch the spectacle, either.

He only had to keep pursuing his goal.

After all...

They were just a bunch of NPCs.

He pushed through the crowd toward the mourning hall.

His boorish behavior made those he shoved aside frown in annoyance.

But in the end, they all considered themselves civilized people—successful members of society with status and standing.

And since they didn't know who Li ChunJun was...

Though he shoved them aside, none of them said anything.

He didn't even cause much of a stir in the crowd.

Li ChunJun's appearance hadn't changed, but his aura was so different from the student in the Wanted Order that unless someone knew him well, even those who had seen the order would rarely connect the man before them with that student at first glance.

So he reached the mourning hall without trouble.

It was the main building's living room behind the hall that was showing signs of something wrong.

In particular, several important figures who stood on equal footing with Jin Guangming had already received bits and pieces of news.

Take Mo Lei, the Garrison Department chief.

After hearing his subordinate's report, he was so shocked that he could barely contain his disbelief.

He made several inquiries, spent a few minutes, and placed several phone calls before he finally confirmed the news.

Even then, the shock in his eyes lingered.

"How is that possible!?"

A moment later, after managing to piece together what had happened, he quickly called over an assistant and gave him some instructions.

Once the assistant had left, he had someone from the Jin Family bring Jin Guangming over.

After receiving the message, Jin Guangming soon set aside what he was doing and came over.

But when he saw Mo Lei's expression, he frowned. "I thought you'd called me over with good news. Maybe that after a full seven days of searching, the killer had finally been brought to justice, just in time for me to offer my wife and son some comfort in the afterlife. But it doesn't look like that's the case."

Mo Lei understood Jin Guangming's frustration.

Seven days!

They'd mobilized thousands of people and poured in countless resources, yet they still hadn't caught the criminal. Anyone would have grievances.

But Mo Lei knew this wasn't the time to listen to complaints. He quickly said, "I just got word that the maniac has... appeared again! And what he did this time was every bit as heinous as what happened to your wife and son seven days ago."

Without pausing, he drew a deep breath and continued, "In the basement of Chief Prosecutor Liu's residence, he brutally murdered the upright and impartial Chief Prosecutor Liu Zhengcun!"

Jin Guangming froze for a moment. Then his pupils contracted sharply, and he nearly thought he'd misheard.

"Chief Prosecutor Liu Zhengcun!? He dared to kill a government official!? Has he gone mad!?"

But then he realized something.

After the four of them had joined forces to corner Li ChunJun, leaving him no way out, it wasn't impossible that he'd been driven mad and decided to take them down with him.

After all, he was only eighteen, young and hot-blooded.

When a common man raged, blood spilled five paces away.

But the second half of Mo Lei's report left him rooted to the spot.

"I've confirmed Chief Prosecutor Liu's death again and again. It's true. That maniac really has gone completely berserk and lost all control. I say that because there's another piece of news I'm still in the process of confirming!"

As he spoke, Mo Lei took a deep breath.

Even though he'd risen from being a Martial Artist to the head of the Garrison Department and weathered countless storms, his voice still trembled slightly despite himself.

"According to the report, after killing Chief Prosecutor Liu Zhengcun, the maniac didn't stop for even a moment. He rushed straight to Sword Tasting Hall and went on a killing spree, murdering more than a dozen disciples, including its master, Han Shan. Sword Tasting Hall has become a river of blood!"