You promised steampunk martial arts, but you've got an internal combustion engine in your chest

Chapter 72 The Funeral Hall

Deep inside the Ding family's old house, the screams in the secret room finally subsided.

Ding Xue poured the last bit of gunpowder into Ye Xunwei's mouth. Ye Xunwei struggled for a moment before swallowing all the gunpowder.

Then, Ding Yan and Ding Xue moved with lightning speed, adding the last few talismans to Ye Xunwei's body.

After a moment, Ye Xunwei finally stopped moving.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes half-open and half-closed, empty and lifeless, looking no different from a corpse. Only his chest was still slowly rising and falling, and the strange runes that covered his body had merged into his flesh and gradually disappeared.

Ding Yan straightened up with satisfaction, a kind smile on her face: "Sister, mission accomplished. Now that you have some free time, why don't you go and ask the immortal master of Xuandu Immortal Temple—when exactly will he arrive in Shencheng?"

Ding Xue turned her head, lowered her voice, and angrily scolded, "What's the rush! It's the middle of the night, how am I supposed to urge you?! Just wait patiently!!"

Ding Yan shrugged, just about to make another joke, when suddenly there was a knock on the door.

The two exchanged a glance, and Ding Xue pulled back the curtains around the bed, obscuring Ye Xunwei.

On this side, Ding Yan put away the talisman brush, walked over and opened the door.

Standing outside the door was the old butler.

He stammered as he reported, "Master, a guest has arrived in the front yard—it's Fourth Master. He said he's come specifically to offer incense and pay his respects to the young master."

"Fourth Master?"

Upon hearing this, Ding Yan was momentarily stunned and didn't quite react.

"Master, it's that one—Bai Lijing!" the old butler hurriedly added.

Upon hearing the name "Baili Jing," before Ding Yan could even speak, Ding Xue rushed forward, roaring fiercely, "Baili Jing?! He crippled Xun Wei, indirectly causing Si Nan's death, and he still dares to come here?! Mobilize all the mechanisms in the manor! Kill him!"

"Sister, please don't!"

Ding Yan chuckled and raised his hand to stop Ding Xue, his tone unhurried: "If we kill Baili Jing now, how can we continue our act? Without this catalyst, how can we shift the blame onto the Chaosheng Society and the Canal Gang? Besides, since he dared to come alone, we need to consider the bigger picture. You should stay here and keep Xunwei company. As for the matter in the front yard—your younger brother should go and see him."

A moment later, in the front hall of the Ding family's old house.

The pale lanterns swayed in the wind, and white banners fluttered in the mourning hall.

Baili Jing stood alone in front of the flower coffin, his hands behind his back, looking around without any restraint.

"Hahaha! Fourth brother! What wind blew you here!"

A burst of laughter followed.

Ding Yan, with her large pregnant belly and a smile on her face, strode out to greet them.

Upon hearing the commotion, Baili Jing immediately withdrew his gaze from his surroundings, his face contorted with sorrow and grief. He sighed, "Third Brother! Alas, I feel so guilty! My eldest nephew, Si Nan, has unfortunately passed away. As his uncle, it's only right that I come to see him one last time. But—Third Brother, why do you look—not sad at all?"

Ding Yan chuckled, his chubby face scrunched up: "Fourth brother, you flatter me. When you're out in the world, you always have to smile. If you smile, your luck won't be too bad. Besides, look—"

Ding Yan looked at the servants and maids wailing in the mourning hall, his tone extremely relaxed: "So many people are mourning for my son Si Nan. If I, as his father, were to join in, what kind of scene would this mourning hall become?"

"What happened?"

"However, my son Si Nan's funeral and burial are not until early tomorrow morning. Fourth brother, why are you here alone in the middle of the night?"

Baili Jing sighed deeply, bowing his head with some self-reproach, and said, "Third Brother, to be honest, my nephew died indirectly because of me. I'm really heartbroken. If I don't come to see him tonight, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep peacefully when I get back!"

As he spoke, Baili Jing secretly raised his eyes to observe Ding Yan.

Ding Yan showed no anger whatsoever.

He even patted Baili Jing on the shoulder, quite moved, saying, "Thank you so much, Fourth Brother!"

That fat bastard, he's got a really deep mind—

Baili Jing cursed inwardly, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued to steal glances around while talking.

After looking around, he did find some clues in the courtyard. Dark bronze pipes and runic mechanisms were faintly visible in those places, most likely some kind of powerful steam-powered warning and defense machinery.

But they're too far away right now, and Baili Jing can't tell exactly how those things are triggered or what their destructive effects are in the short term.

I still don't quite understand it.

As for Ding Yan in front of us?

This fellow was dressed in a luxurious silk robe, and he was so fat that he looked like a ball. The clothes were layered on top of each other, so it was impossible to tell what he was hiding on his body.

But Baili Jing hadn't forgotten that when he suddenly punched the fat man outside the dock warehouse, a pair of steam-powered mechanical wings instantly exploded from the fat man's back, making him run extremely fast.

Should we take action now? Definitely not.

If he couldn't crush Ding Yan to ashes in an instant, and they got caught in a tug-of-war, it would be one thing if he were besieged by the mansion's traps, but if he alerted the old dog and it escaped, that would be a real problem.

So, Baili Jing put aside his thoughts, walked casually to the offering table, picked up three sticks of incense, and lit them on the candles.

Through the rising wisps of smoke, he saw the portrait of Ding Sinan hanging in the center of the mourning hall.

The man in the portrait was skinny and had a pointed mouth and monkey-like face; he looked like a spoiled playboy who had indulged in excessive sexual activity for many years.

Baili Jing bowed three times, muttering to himself, "Buddy, we really have no grudges against each other. If you have to blame someone, you can only blame Dad."

"You're clearly not up to the task, but your father insisted on pushing you into the position of heir to the Grand Canal Gang, and what happened? He ruined you."

Yes.

"I'm here tonight to protect myself. You can go to the underworld in peace and report to the King of Hell. When you're reincarnated next time, be sure to keep your eyes open and don't find such a heartless and insane father again."

Baili Jing carefully placed three incense sticks into the incense burner, clapped his hands, turned around, and smiled at Ding Yan, saying, "Third Brother, to be honest, this is the first time in my twenty years of life that I've ever been inside the mansion of such a grand family. Since we're just killing time tonight, why don't you take me for a walk around the inner courtyard of the Ding residence and broaden my horizons?"

Ding Yan was visibly taken aback, his smile freezing for a moment: "Now? Fourth Brother, in the middle of the night—"

Baili Jing didn't give him a chance to refuse.

He strode towards the backyard, laughing, "Oh dear, I just joined the gang and became the Fourth Master. I was just thinking about how to get closer to you, Third Brother! This is my first visit, and as your younger brother, I haven't prepared any gift. How about this, Third Brother, you go and make me a cup of hot tea. I'll just stroll around the garden and look around as I please, I won't cause you any trouble!"

Ding Yan's brow twitched, and a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

Now, he no longer dares to underestimate Baili Jing.

He said he came from a manual labor background, but everything he's done during this period has been extraordinary.

First, he escaped from prison and fled from Miao Han's clutches; then he killed Master Yang; subsequently, he won a gambling match in the warehouse, and later even defeated Wu Yan'an.

If that's the case, then he's just a brute who can fight.

However, this guy actually managed to take away all of the Blackwater Gang's most important thousands of laborers with just a few words, and then even made Zhiyao kowtow and admit her mistake.

So why would he suddenly come to the Ding residence alone in the middle of the night?

What exactly does he want to do?

Could it be that he already knows something?

etc----

Ding Yan's gaze suddenly sharpened.

What was the name of that maid who was sent out to order gunpowder? Has she returned?

Thinking of this, Ding Yan broke out in a cold sweat.

At the same time, Baili Jing was also working his brain at lightning speed.

He discovered that the Ding residence was completely empty except for the servants and maids.

There were no Blackwater Hall martial arts disciples, not even a decent high-level guard. Ding Yan didn't even have anyone protecting him? Where did everyone go?

He turned around, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Third Brother, there's something I don't quite understand. Why is your house so deserted? Also, where are the Miao and Han offerings?"

Why isn't he with you? I wanted to talk to him.

Ding Yan stopped with a smile, and said with some helplessness, "Fourth brother, you're really asking a question you already know the answer to. You've taken away all my laborers, but the ships at the dock can't wait. The cargo that needs to be unloaded must be unloaded. Without laborers, I can only send all the Blackwater Hall disciples to the big dock to work as laborers carrying heavy loads."

"As for Miao Han, he went to the market to help keep things in order, since I, his brother, have no one to rely on these days."

"Oh? I see."

Baili Jing drawled out his words, chuckling softly, "So, does that mean, Third Brother, you're currently—completely defenseless? You don't even have anyone to protect you?"

Ding Yan still smiled: "Yes, but—in this city of Shanghai, there really isn't anyone who dares to lay a hand on me, Ding Yan."

Baili Jing asked earnestly, "Third Brother, really—no?"

Ding Yan gave a forced smile, his gaze unwavering: "Yes, Fourth Brother, really not."

The candlelight on both sides of the corridor flickered uncertainly in the wind.

Their gazes collided violently in the air, and for a moment, the air in the entire backyard of the Ding residence seemed to freeze completely.

Just then, the old butler's voice suddenly rang out from not far away: "Master!! Master!"

"The Immortal Master of Xuandu Immortal Temple—the Immortal Master has arrived!"