At first, Shao Yiyi seemed a little reserved, but fortunately, she had met most of the people in the conference room during the incident two years ago. It didn't take long for her to adjust to the atmosphere. As for the rest of the Bureau, only three or four people actually knew the inside story—most others were baffled as to why Sun Fatty had gone to such lengths to bring her in.
Still, with the arrival of the first-ever female investigator (Wang Lu being a secretary), these guys—long used to their all-male "monastery"—couldn't help themselves. They clapped loudly, some even whistling and jeering, which made the veins on Wu Ren Di's forehead bulge in anger.
Sun Fatty saw Wu's reaction and, knowing better than to push too far, casually said a few words before announcing the meeting was over. He arranged for a few clerical staff to look after Shao Yiyi, while the rest of us were to attend Gao Liang's funeral.
Everyone changed into black mourning clothes. The moment we stepped out of the Bureau's main gate, a fine drizzle began to fall from the sky.
"Even the heavens are weeping," Ouyang Pian Zuo muttered as he looked up. His words instantly weighed down the mood, and the eyes of several old Bureau veterans began to redden.
Gao Liang had written his will two years ago. His wife had passed away more than two decades ago, and his older brother had died last year. With no immediate family left, his estate would be inherited by his nephew. That very nephew, dressed in mourning robes, was already waiting for us at the Bureau's entrance.
Standing beside him was Xiao Heshang, recently discharged from the hospital, his head still wrapped in bandages. This was the first time I'd seen him since the catastrophic incident.
Gao Liang's nephew was a man in his forties and bore a striking resemblance to a miniature version of Gao Liang himself. Due to Gao's strict orders banning him from appearing at the Bureau during his lifetime, few had seen him apart from old-timers like Xiao Heshang and Ouyang Pian Zuo.
Strictly speaking, today's was a collective funeral. Gao Liang was the centerpiece, but four other investigators from the Third Division were also being buried—victims of the Soul Husks during the incident.
As for Moyes, who died alongside them, due to religious reasons, Hugo had arranged to have his body returned to Europe for a proper Catholic ceremony.
The five coffins were brought up from the cold storage beneath the Bureau and loaded into the funeral cars. Ouyang Pian Zuo guided Gao's nephew through the rites for departing the home. Once the rituals were complete, we all boarded our vehicles and followed the five funeral cars in a long procession to the cemetery.
By the time we arrived, nearly everyone who had planned to attend was already there. The ceremony began with solemn grandeur.
Though Gao Liang had never publicly expressed a religious belief, in consideration of the various religious groups that had cooperated with the Bureau over the years, Sun Fatty made an executive decision to conduct a joint Taoist-Buddhist ceremony.
On the eastern side of the cemetery were representatives from several Taoist temples. A few altars had been set up, and elderly Taoist priests—some in their eighties or nineties—were helped to stand behind them, gripping peachwood swords and stepping through intricate ritual movements.
On the western side, monks, nuns, and lamas from several prominent temples were grouped according to sect. Hundreds of voices reciting Buddhist funeral chants in unison created a hauntingly powerful spectacle.
Nicolas Hugo, Director of International Affairs, also showed up in his flowing white cassock, apparently planning to hold a Catholic ritual as well. But before he could get started, Sun Fatty grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.
"That's enough, alright? I'm serious, Director Hugo—what, you trying to turn this into a three-ring circus?" he scolded in a low voice."Save that ritual of yours for me when the time comes, will you?"
Disappointed, Hugo stepped aside.
I leaned in and whispered to Sun Fatty,"Was all this really necessary, Dasheng?"
He gave a slight nod to show he'd heard me. Then, after confirming that no outsiders were within earshot, he whispered back:"Funerals aren't for the dead. They're for the living. Whether Gao Laoda's doing alright down there—well, no one's better equipped to find out than Wu Ren Di."
The farewell ceremony began next.
One by one, those who had received Gao Liang's help over the years came forward to circle his coffin, weeping openly. Even Ma Xiaolin brought Blind Jin, supporting him as the two paid their final respects and shed a few tears in front of the casket.
As the ceremony neared its end, a group of eight or nine men and women entered the hall. Leading them was an elderly woman, probably in her sixties, seated in a wheelchair and holding a single, unopened lily flower.
The moment she entered, she made brief eye contact with Xiao Heshang. He seemed to recognize her—his expression flickered awkwardly, and he quickly averted his gaze.
The elderly woman in the wheelchair didn't seem bothered. She was pushed toward Gao Liang's coffin, glanced at the man lying inside, and let out a long sigh. She placed the lily in her hand on Gao Liang's chest and wiped away a tear. But before she could even turn to leave, Sun Fatty stepped forward, picked up the lily, and handed it back to her.
"Ma'am, you really shouldn't leave something like this behind," he said casually. "Gao Laoda is going to be buried beside his wife. If he brings this thing down with him, and they can't explain it properly, it might cause a little... unpleasantness between the couple."
His casual "ma'am" seemed to throw the woman off. She pointed at herself in disbelief and asked,"Who are you calling ma'am?"
Sun Fatty just grinned."I could've called you something nicer," he said. "But considering Gao Bureau Chief just died at the hands of your so-called chairman, wouldn't calling you senior be a bit much? Don't you agree, Advisor Jia?"
The moment Sun Fatty said that, the man in the black suit pushing the wheelchair glared at him."Hey! What's your problem?" he snapped, his accent clearly Taiwanese.
The rest of the group began moving toward Sun Fatty aggressively.
I stepped up beside him immediately, stared at the suited man, and said coldly,"Trying to flex with numbers? You sure picked the right place. Die here and we'll bury you on the spot—no need to dig new graves."
As I spoke, Ximen Lian, Xiong Wanyi, and a few others gathered behind us, all glaring murderously at the group from the Religious Affairs Commission.
"Heh…" The old woman chuckled flatly and looked at Sun Fatty."You wouldn't want a bloodshed at Gao Liang's funeral, would you?"
Sun Fatty smirked."It was Gao Laoda who saved you all. But let me tell you something in advance. I've got a colleague named Yang. Decades ago, you people captured and killed his friend—Tao Heru. That's a grudge he's never let go of. The only reason he hasn't come knocking is because Gao Laoda was holding him back. Now that he's gone, I can't guarantee where Yang might show up."
The old woman's face immediately changed. She looked around, trying to spot Xiao Heshang, but he had vanished from the farewell hall at some point. Realizing there was no one to speak for her, she lowered her voice and said,"He died at the hands of your own man—Xiao Sanda…"
But before she could finish, Sun Fatty cut her off, locking eyes with her."You think he'll believe you… or Wu Ren Di?"
The moment he said that, the woman looked like a frostbitten plant. Her shoulders slumped, and she fell into silence.
Sun Fatty leaned in and whispered,"Go home. Pack up. Get ready. Yang Xiao is coming."
He had just pulled back when the old woman grabbed his sleeve."We'll give your Bureau a satisfactory answer regarding Hao Zhengyi. If you're willing to talk… everything is negotiable."
Sun Fatty's lips curled slightly."We'll see about that. Now go on—take care."
With that minor drama behind us, we moved on to the final stage of the ceremony.
I, Sun Fatty, Ouyang Pian Zuo, Hugo, Xiao Heshang, and a few of Gao Liang's old friends carried his coffin to the freshly-dug grave. Amid sobs and cries, we gently lowered him into the earth.
And just as the coffin touched the bottom, the rain that had been falling all morning suddenly stopped. A ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining directly onto the coffin. Moments later, a rainbow bloomed across the sky, starting right from the cemetery and arching outward, shimmering brilliantly under the golden light.
As people gasped in awe, the grave was filled, and the funeral officially came to a close.
After we left the cemetery, Sun Fatty dragged me into his car. He didn't say where we were going—just drove around aimlessly for a bit before circling back and parking at a secluded spot near the graveyard.
He didn't get out of the car.
I asked him a few times what we were doing here, but he deflected every time, joking and playing dumb. When I finally got annoyed and threatened to leave, he sighed and said vaguely,"Just wait a bit longer. An old friend will be here soon. Keep me company until then, alright?"
With no other choice, I waited with him in silence for about another hour.
Eventually, a Nissan sedan appeared, pulled up briefly at the cemetery gate, and then drove inside.
The moment that car appeared, a strange expression crossed Sun Fatty's face. He didn't explain—just said,"Let's go. Time to see an old friend."
He slowly drove the car inside. As we neared Gao Liang's gravesite, we saw a man kneeling in front of the grave, wailing loudly.
It was Hao Wenming—the one who stabbed his own brother and passed out afterward.