Chapter 156: Memorial Service

Nobody knew how long they had been chatting, but every trivial detail of Tang Li's life over the years had been thoroughly recounted. At something particularly amusing, Tang's mother would manage a faint smile, yet it was a smile of profound tragedy. Eventually, she composed herself, neatly packing away the letters and photographs to examine closely after the wedding. The group stayed at a nearby hotel for the night, and after attending the wedding the following day, Qin Yang and the others departed.

Yang Gao and Wu Ya headed to Haitian City.

Qin Yang, however, drove to Fengyang County. Han Dongxue vaguely sensed that something was amiss and remained silent throughout the journey. Arriving at the mourning hall in the village where Qin Long's family lived in Fengyang County just as dusk was falling, Qin Yang instructed Han Dongxue to stay safely in the car, leaving behind a first-class ghost soldier—summoned recently at the cost of one thousand soul points—to stand guard beside the vehicle. Accompanied by the Divine Wolf, he stepped out of the car and walked into the mourning hall.

Carrying the memorial items purchased by Han Dongxue, he walked effortlessly into the hall.

Looking at the rows of small coffins, Qin Yang felt no particular emotion. Although his mother's soul had always been in the underworld, years of living as an ordinary person still allowed him to pay his respects to her ashes. He quickly located Wang Yue's coffin, reached out, and effortlessly lifted the small casket containing the urn, carrying it out into the courtyard of the mourning hall. Carefully placing it on a flatly polished stone, he sat cross-legged opposite it, while the Divine Wolf lay down beside him.

"Divine Wolf, this is my mother," Qin Yang patted its head. "Her soul is within my heart, but these are her ashes. Show some respect."

The Divine Wolf obediently nodded, edged a little closer, and shed its lazy demeanor.

"Actually, I've never quite understood why you chose to block that arrow for me. You gave birth to me more than twenty years ago, yet I spent those twenty years in utter loneliness. I once thought I would never experience a mother's affection, only to taste it at that very moment—and I experienced more of it than anyone else ever could. I have never blamed you. The last words you uttered before your death were that a mother and son share a tacit bond; I truly understand that now. Often, I would sit alone in my room, staring at the moon outside, and feel waves of heartache. I frequently imagined that the moon in the sky was my family—distant and untouchable, yet visibly right before our eyes. Whenever I gazed at the moon, I felt much better."

As he spoke, Qin Yang lit a cigarette, burned some paper money, and continued, "My life as your son hasn't been overly bitter, and as for all the apologies you offered before passing away, I feel none of it was necessary. I have never blamed you. For so many years, there has been nothing left inside me except longing. Yesterday, I visited my brother's home. When his mother heard that her son had not died years ago, but that she could now only look upon his corpse, she wept uncontrollably. When we left, she said that a mother can feel it when her son is a thousand miles away—the exact same thing you told me. She mentioned that her heart had ached a short while ago, wondering who had suffered misfortune, unaware that it was the exact moment her son sacrificed his life. I was deeply moved, and I dropped by to see you and do what a son ought to do. I cannot wear the traditional mourning sackcloth and hemp; my identity truly prevents it, and I am not qualified. I know you don't blame me, but a son must do something, right? Mom, I miss you. Truly, I do. I've missed you for over twenty years. Why must heaven treat me with such unfairness?"

"Hn? Who's there!"

Qin Yang's eyes narrowed instantly, and the Divine Wolf leaped to its feet, radiating a fierce, murderous aura that seemed almost mythical in the gathering twilight.

"Big brother, it's me."

Qin Yao's sobbing voice drifted over. Only then did Qin Yang look up to see Qin Yao standing not far behind him, shivering. Qin Yang wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled. "It's you. Come here."

Qin Yao nodded cautiously.

Hearing that she was family, the Divine Wolf docilely lowered itself back to the ground. Qin Yao sat down on the other side of Qin Yang, clearly somewhat fearful of the wolf. Qin Yang sighed and gave a bitter smile. "Your family must really hate me, don't you?"

"Brother, I heard everything. Why didn't you tell the family? Why didn't you say something sooner?" Qin Yao asked suddenly, her voice laced with emotion.

"Little sister, some things were simply meant to be," Qin Yang gently wiped the tears from her face. "I am Qin Yang, yet I am also not Qin Yang. I cannot explain because there are things you simply cannot understand. You must understand this, alright?"

Weeping, Qin Yao shook her head. "Why can't we understand? Mom is dead, so why can't we still understand? Brother, how much longer are you going to keep this hidden?"

"It is not that I am deliberately hiding it," Qin Yang smiled wryly. "Many things cannot be explained. It is like an inevitability. Perhaps the time has not yet come; I have no reason to conceal the truth. Sister, promise your brother that you will keep what you heard to yourself. Perhaps once I have truly resolved the issue of my destiny, I will return. Alright?"

"Okay," Qin Yao nodded through her tears.

Qin Yang smiled and pulled her into an embrace. "I've never hugged my own sister before. Back when I was all alone, I used to wish I had a little sister—someone I could take out to play every day, someone who would sneak me delicious treats when I was being punished, someone I would stand up for when she was bullied, only to come home covered in bruises and get scolded by our parents while my sister made excuses for me, haha. Today, I finally get to hold my little sister, and I, Qin Yang, have very few regrets left."

Qin Yao wiped away her tears and asked, "Brother, where did you go after what happened last time? Grandpa has been terribly worried about you."

"Grandpa? Doesn't he blame me?" Qin Yang asked with a bitter smile.

"He doesn't. None of us blame you," Qin Yao shook her head firmly. "During the couple of days after you appeared, Mom smiled so much more often. I secretly asked her why she was so happy, and she said she didn't know—she just felt happy inside when she saw you, not like before when she always felt as though something was blocking her heart, suffocating her. Seeing you made her happy and lifted her spirits. You have no idea, a lot of the white hairs on Mom's head turned black during those two days. Also, when Secretary Qin brought Mom back home, we all saw a smile on her face. Secretary Qin said she hadn't been smiling before that. Grandpa said it was because she had finally let go of her attachments and fulfilled her greatest wish, which was why she could smile even after death."

Qin Yang burst into a laugh, one so hearty that it left Qin Yao somewhat bewildered.

"Alright, let's put Mom back," Qin Yang said once his laughter subsided. He picked up the small coffin and carefully returned it to the mourning hall. Qin Yao, still somewhat unnerved by the eerie atmosphere inside, kept a tight grip on Qin Yang's arm.

Qin Yang chuckled, "Don't be afraid. With the Divine Wolf here, no ghosts or spirits dare come near."

Hearing the praise, the Divine Wolf proudly shook the long fur on its body, prompting Qin Yao to look on with fresh curiosity. "Brother, it's so spiritual! It can even look proud when you praise it."

As the two stepped out of the mourning hall, Qin Yang smiled and said, "It specializes in suppressing ghosts and deities. It rarely barks, but with a single roar, all wandering spirits will scatter into nothingness. You can rest entirely assured. Besides, with me here, I'd like to see which blind creature dares harm my sister."

"Really?" Qin Yao exclaimed excitedly. "Brother, something really eerie happened at our school recently. A student in our class jumped from a building and committed suicide because they couldn't handle the pressure. Everyone was terrified, and they even canceled our evening self-study sessions."

"Oh? How bold," Qin Yang smiled. "Come on, take me to your school and let's have the Divine Wolf give a roar."

Without delay, Qin Yang led Qin Yao to the car and introduced her to Han Dongxue. The two women hit it off immediately and chatted happily, though Qin Yao's playful use of the title "sister-in-law" left both of them blushing in slight embarrassment. When they drove to the school, it was already past seven in the evening, and the sky was completely dark. Except for a few scattered rooms with lights on, the entire campus was pitch black. The guard at the gate likely recognized Qin Yao, and when she claimed she had forgotten some study materials, he let the trio and the pet pass without obstruction.

As they approached Qin Yao's classroom, a faint chill could be felt in the air. Both Qin Yao and Han Dongxue felt a shiver of fear, whereas Qin Yang and the Divine Wolf remained completely unfazed. The Divine Wolf, in particular, radiated a sharp light from its eyes as if it were about to pierce through the darkness. Before Qin Yang could even give an order, it let out a low growl. Through Qin Yang's yin-yang vision, a cluster of black malevolent energy was instantly shattered into nothingness, though he couldn't help wanting to scold the wolf for wasting its energy.

"That was merely formed from lingering resentment, not a wandering spirit," the housekeeper said lazily. "The resentment of this little one is strong enough to condense without dispersing. While it looks like a spirit, it's nothing special; shattering it is fine. You'll encounter plenty of resentment in the future. If you don't want to dirty your hands, the Divine Wolf can solve them all for you."

Qin Yang nodded with an amused smile.

Back in the classroom, the two women noticeably felt the room return to normal, the eerie chill vanishing completely without a trace. Filled with wonder, Han Dongxue smiled and said, "No wonder you had the Divine Wolf sleep on the carpet in my room—I haven't had any of those recurring nightmares since. So it has this kind of talent. I'll have to properly reward you when we get back."

The Divine Wolf shook its fur with a smug look of pride.

Qin Yao said happily, "It really is amazing!"

"Alright, it's getting late. I'll take you home," Qin Yang said with a smile. "Don't want the family worrying."

As the group walked up to the school gates, they spotted Grandfather Qin standing outside, inquiring about Qin Yao with the guard. Upon seeing Qin Yao, the old man finally let out a sigh of relief, but his expression turned excited the moment he caught sight of Qin Yang. Hurrying forward, he asked, "You—how are you..."

"I'm fine," Qin Yang said. "I've worried you, and besides..."

"Alright, it's all in the past now. Come, walk with me, come home with me," Elder Qin grasped Qin Yang's arm. "I have so many things I want to talk to you about. Come. The two of us are going to have a drink."

"Grandpa, I was planning to leave tonight," Qin Yang said with a wry smile.

"Leave for where? Don't you want to chat with me?" Elder Qin said with simulated displeasure. "No way, you aren't going anywhere tonight."

Qin Yang glanced at Han Dongxue, who smiled and nodded in agreement. With no other choice, he gave his consent, causing Qin Yao to jump for joy.

..........

"I heard that after you were arrested, we kept asking Secretary Qin about your situation, but even he didn't know anything and couldn't find out a thing," Elder Qin took a sip of wine, his face slightly flushed. "A few days later, that county magistrate was investigated for serious disciplinary violations—something quite severe, it seemed—and was locked away in prison. You vanished for so long without a shred of news, and I never expected Qin Yao would actually track you down."

"When I was heading home after school, I saw someone in a car who looked just like Big Brother Qin, so I followed them," Qin Yao explained with a smile.

"You child," Elder Qin chided, "even if you're coming home late, you should at least make a phone call. You didn't come back at all, and it gave us quite a fright."

Qin Yao stuck out her tongue playfully.

"Qin Yang, where did you go afterwards?" Qin Long asked as he brought two dishes and placed them on the table. "Even Secretary Qin said he couldn't intervene in your case; it sounded extremely serious."

Qin Yang smiled. "Serious enough, I suppose, since it involved too much and became common knowledge throughout the county. I was locked up for over a month. Later, I happened to save a senior general and executed a couple of tasks along the way, so my matter gradually died down and they let me release. Now that I've returned to Haitian City and plan to visit someone in Mount Lu, I thought I'd drop by to check on you all."

"Then why didn't you come straight home?" Elder Qin asked, displeased.

"I simply didn't want to disrupt your lives right now," Qin Yang replied wryly. "My situation in Fengyang County hadn't blown over for long, and I was worried about gossip."

Qin Long waved a hand dismissively. "What disruption? You're being far too formal."

Qin Yang smiled.

"Oh, was the person Big Brother saved General Jiang?" Qin Yao asked loudly out of nowhere. "There's a rumor that Senior General Jiang had been gravely ill for a long time before suddenly making a full recovery. Was that you?"

"More or less," Qin Yang said with a smile.