Today's funeral took a strange turn.

Perhaps it was because Chen Fan deliberately played the suona so horribly, but there was a palpable sense of disdain from the guests around him.

Even the coffin next to him seemed off.

There were faint, subtle sounds emanating from it, yet it remained still.

Chen Fan thought he was hearing things.

So he played harder, trying to distract himself.

The suona blared even louder.

Suddenly, the coffin lid seemed to shift.

Chen Fan abruptly stopped playing and turned to look.

The lid immediately stilled again.

The guests, noticing Chen Fan's sudden stop, turned to look as well.

Everything appeared normal.

Hongyun, who was eating nearby, was displeased.

Was this cripple how he did his job? Was he here to cause trouble?

Deciding on the spot, Hongyun resolved to give Chen Fan a few copper coins after this and send him on his way.

His troupe didn't need this kind of loafer.

Chen Fan hesitated, unsure whether to mention the coffin lid moving.

But after a moment's thought, he decided against it. No one would believe him anyway.

He picked up the suona again and resumed playing.

The mournful and jarring sound of the suona returned, as if trying to rip souls out of their bodies.

With a loud boom, Chen Fan assumed someone had thrown a plate of food at him in protest.

Turning his head, he realized it wasn't food—but the coffin lid had exploded open.

???

The coffin lid exploded!!!

The commotion quickly drew everyone's attention.

Chen Fan stood by the coffin, bits of wood debris still clinging to his hair, looking completely bewildered.

From the coffin rose an old man with a head full of white hair, a pale complexion, and an air that was faintly immortal-like. He sat up straight, looking equally confused.

Was this… corpse reanimation?!

Those who had seen their fair share of strange things began to run.

Those who hadn't stood dumbfounded.

It was said that some people, driven by deep resentment after death, could transform into a creature known as a Corpse King under the right conditions.

A Corpse King had strength comparable to an ox. A dozen adults would be no match, reduced to mere snacks in its presence.

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In a matter of moments, the banquet attendees were in total chaos, including the disciples of Fukun Palace.

Despite their years of cultivation, they had never encountered something like this.

They trained for immortality but were now risking their lives.

Why stick around?

Only Chen Fan knew that running wouldn't help.

Even if he tried, he couldn't get far. His Wind Walk Technique had too short a duration to carry him and Yao Yao to safety.

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Fan raised his crutch.

Thud!

The crutch struck Fuyunzi's head with a dull thud, like hitting a watermelon.

The recently revived Fuyunzi fell back down without even a scream.

The fluidity of Chen Fan's actions left the panicked crowd stunned.

A cripple, this formidable?

Even a Corpse King couldn't withstand his crutch?

As the scene settled, some brave souls cautiously approached the coffin to investigate.

One curious individual leaned over the coffin to take a closer look.

Just as he peered inside, Fuyunzi's pale face and tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped open, staring directly at him.

The man screamed, collapsing to the floor as his pants grew visibly damp.

Chen Fan, unperturbed, raised his crutch again, preparing to stab it into the coffin.

Before he could, Fuyunzi quickly raised a hand, sat up, and spoke in a raspy voice:

"Wait, give this old man a chance to explain."

Hearing Fuyunzi speak, the crowd visibly relaxed.

After all, legends said Corpse Kings couldn't talk.

This confirmed he was still alive.

Immediately, a group of Fukun Palace disciples rushed forward, crying as they surrounded him.

Halfway through the banquet, the funeral had turned into a celebration.

Later, Fuyunzi explained what had happened.

Before the duel with the Liuyun Immortal Sect, he had prepared in advance, taking a medicine called Vitality Elixir from a so-called Half-Immortal in the city.

However, the medicine seemed to be a fake. Instead of helping, it exacerbated the pain after he stepped on the sect's hidden traps.

It felt like thousands of needles piercing his bones.

Fuyunzi fainted on the spot.

In his semi-conscious state, he found himself at the gates of the underworld, where the ox-headed and horse-faced guardians readied their hooks to drag him in.

At the critical moment, the grating and jarring sound of a suona pulled him back.

Fuyunzi swore he had never heard anything so awful in his life.

His only thought at the time was to come back to life and teach the suona player a lesson.

Now that he had returned, however, his anger had dissipated.

Instead, he found Chen Fan increasingly pleasing to the eye, as the man had effectively saved his life.

Regardless, surviving was a blessing in itself.

Fuyunzi even felt physically stronger, with a new sense of energy coursing through his body.

Previously, with his limited immortal strength, he could shatter a large boulder with one punch.

Now, he felt like he could break two.

Perhaps this was what the immortal texts meant by "rebirth through near-death."

Not thinking too deeply, Fuyunzi ordered the white mourning banners to be taken down and the hall redecorated.

The banquet resumed as usual, but the somber tunes were replaced with lively ones.

Fukun Palace was filled with joy and celebration.

By evening, it was time for the troupe to leave.

Fuyunzi insisted on giving Chen Fan a hundred taels of silver as a token of gratitude, saying that a life-saving favor could never be forgotten.

Fukun Palace, though not a renowned sect, was never short on money.

Chen Fan politely declined at first, but his hands readily opened his pocket to receive the silver.

Fuyunzi, still warm and welcoming, even commented that Chen Fan had the potential to become an immortal.

As Chen Fan left, Fuyunzi could still feel the throbbing pain of the lump on his head.

...

On the return carriage.

Chen Fan sat silently in the corner, holding Yao Yao's hand.

Today's earnings were substantial, enough to support them for some time.

Yao Yao seemed delighted, her lips greasy as she smiled with her small tiger teeth exposed.

"Sir, today's banquet was so delicious. Yao Yao loved it."

Chen Fan smiled, gently wiping the grease from her lips.

"Is that so? Then we'll attend more banquets next time."

"Mm-hmm." Yao Yao nodded enthusiastically, her big eyes brimming with happiness.

"Oh, and Sir, I have a surprise for you," Yao Yao said with a grin, reaching into her pocket.

But before she could reveal it, the carriage suddenly stopped, interrupting her.

Hongyun stood up, slowly walked over to Chen Fan, and handed him twenty copper coins.

"This is your pay for today."

"Thank you."

Chen Fan's smile faded into an expressionless calm as he accepted the payment.

However, after paying him, Hongyun's hand remained extended, as if waiting for something.

"Is there something else?"

Chen Fan asked, sensing the strange atmosphere in the carriage.

At that moment, an eerie silence fell over the group.

Outside, the twilight sky darkened further as black clouds rolled in, deepening the gloom.