Chapter 371 - 371 228

Words : 1375 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

371: 228. Funeral 371: 228. Funeral A tall, slender figure walked silently along the narrow path paved with cobblestones. The veil of rain enshrouded the graveyard, where tombstones of varying heights stretched into the distance amidst the withered yellow grass. The sharply pointed spire of the church seemed to pierce through the rain, not far from a bustling funeral where groups of people clad in black and gray gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones. The arrival of Lu Li only caught the attention of a few nearby onlookers; recognizing a stranger’s face, they paused briefly at his dark eyes before looking away. “You’re late,” a man in a black top hat, holding a black umbrella, said as he approached the fence gate and handed Lu Li a white rose. Droplets of rain clung to the petals, reflecting a whole world. He brought it to his nose and smelled it, sensing a cool freshness with hardly any scent. “It’s made of fabric; finding a bunch of flowers isn’t easy these days,” Tesla sighed. Lu Li didn’t speak, instead imitating Tesla by placing the white rose in his breast pocket. “When does it start?” Lu Li looked past the umbrella, where a grave had been dug, but he saw no coffin. Given the gruesome state in which Rudolf Thomas had died, even if a coffin were brought in, it was quite possible it would be an empty one. “In a little while, the guest of honor at the funeral has gone to the Confessional to repent for her father,” he said. “She’s a believer?” “Sort of, common folk these days always need something to cling to,” Tesla hinted, not dwelling on the topic much, before adding, “Shall I introduce you to some people?” “No need,” Lu Li didn’t want to get too involved with too many people. “Alright then, you can go over there and have something to drink, I’m going to meet an old friend, and I’ll come to find you when the funeral starts,” Tesla said, pointing towards a shelter set up at the edge of the graveyard, then leaving Lu Li to approach a middle-aged man with a big beard dressed in black. Lu Li walked under the shelter, closed his umbrella and asked a nun playing the role of a waiter for a glass of juice. Nowadays, juice cost as much as an equivalent weight of beef, affordable only to the wealthy and noble—and it wasn’t necessarily freshly squeezed. The fragrance of the juice dispelled the musty, earthy odors that lingered in the graveyard as Lu Li idly surveyed the entirety of the funeral. Men made up the majority of the funeral attendees, with the remainder being ladies dressed in black. People conversed amongst themselves, and like Lu Li, many stood alone in secluded spots, avoiding interactions with others. Most of those who attended the funeral were Rudolf Thomas’s colleagues and exorcist practitioners. After finishing his first glass of juice, Lu Li picked up a second glass of orange juice, when noise emanated from the side door of the church: a coffin was being carried out. More and more eyes turned towards it and conversations above the funeral gradually ceased. People’s gazes followed the approaching coffin; some looked at the young woman behind it, veiled, her wide-brimmed hat hiding her features, as they brought the coffin to the edge of the prepared grave. An old man dressed as a priest in a grey-white robe stood in front of the coffin, slowly delivering the eulogy amidst the gentle “whooshing” of the drizzle: “Three days ago, we bid Rudolf Thomas farewell forever... life is a battle from birth to death, his birth was to convey verses of hope...” The priest, due to Thomas’s unique status, omitted many religious elements, such as “returning to the embrace of the Father” and “the gates of heaven wide open,” with every metaphor in the eulogy alluding to Thomas’s true identity. Of course, only the exorcist guests could understand the metaphors in the eulogy. “Don’t you want a glass of milk?” Tesla asked, appearing beside Lu Li at some point, speaking softly. “They don’t have it here, and the juice isn’t bad,” Lu Li replied, slightly raising his glass of orange juice that swayed as he spoke. When Lu Li first arrived, he could still afford an orange, but now, even catching a glimpse of one was difficult. “Please bring me one too,” Tesla motioned to the nun and said. “Is your trouble taken care of?” Lu Li asked him. “I suppose so, they wouldn’t dare come back,” Tesla said, looking at the priest not far away. “What do you think of Cecilia?” “I don’t know her.” “Cecilia Thomas, Thomas’s daughter.” Lu Li turned to the woman in the black dress standing with her head bowed behind the priest but did not answer Tesla’s question. “Why do you ask?” Tesla smiled, accepting the juice that the Nun had stirred. “For a long time before Thomas died, he was looking for a suitable husband for her. I heard that their estrangement stemmed in part from that.” Lu Li fell silent for a moment and said, “It’s outdated.” Tesla knew what Lu Li was referring to and fell silent too, thinking about a hopeless future. Minutes later, the priest finished the eulogy, and the workers carried the casket into the prepared grave. The gravestone bore a photo that seemed to have been cut out from a group picture; it was not very natural, but the smile had a hint of fatherly love. One could imagine that in the original photo, his daughter would have been right beside him. Cecilia extended her hand with a handkerchief into her veil to wipe the corner of her eyes. Next was the flower offering segment for family and friends; guests lined up at the grave, dropping their roses onto the not-yet-sealed casket. When it was Tesla’s turn, he placed the artificial rose solemnly and whispered, “Farewell, old friend.” Behind him was Lu Li, who said nothing, dropped the rose, and walked away. With the offering of flowers complete, the burial began, and the casket was gradually buried under layers of dirt. Over time, the shiny surface of the casket was no longer visible, leaving only the smile on the tombstone to speak of the end of Thomas’s life. After that was a time for mingling. Some people left, but most stayed at the funeral, catching up with friends they hadn’t seen in a long time—detectives rarely had the chance to meet. Lu Li stood under the canopy, drinking juice one cup after another, but suddenly, a slightly hoarse female voice came from nearby. “Did you know my father?” The veiled Cecilia said to Lu Li. Lu Li looked around and only saw Tesla hurrying away. “I didn’t know him.” Cecilia’s eyes appeared slightly red behind her veil as if she had just cried, but her tone was harsh, “Only his close friends would come to the funeral.” “I only saw him for the last time.” Cecilia obviously knew more and pressed further, “Tesla said you were with my father when he died.” “His death has nothing to do with me.” “I know, I’m asking...” Cecilia’s voice suddenly softened, filled with a certain hope, “Did he say anything before he died?” The usually indifferent Lu Li suddenly understood what she was looking for. Lu Li thought for a moment, then answered Cecilia, “‘This is...’ he said.” After finishing the last cup of juice and feeling slightly bloated, Lu Li put down the cup and prepared to leave. “Wait, could you tell me... his identity?” “Exorcist,” Lu Li said without looking back. There was no reason to hide that. To put it another way, with a hint of malice, it wouldn’t be long before people came face to face with the true side of this world. Cecilia stood in shock, and Lu Li exchanged glances with Tesla, who was looking over from a distance, and left the funeral.

Chapter 371 - 371 228

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