63: Chapter 63 The captain is dead, leaving only a widow…!

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

In the Luanzang Mountain Range, Qin Feng not only completely consolidated his cultivation at Mortal Stage 8, but also fully adapted to the terrifying strength of his Physical Body as his "Heavenly Tyrant Body" began to manifest.

That originally ferocious, unrivaled spotted tiger had been beaten by him until it was as obedient as a kitten. After using it as a mount for a few days, Qin Feng kicked it back into the deep mountains just as he approached the edge of the Servant District.

After all, keeping such a creature required feeding it meat, and Qin Feng felt it was better to keep the meat for himself.

When he pushed open the gates of the Ninth Squad's station, covered in the dust of his travels.

What met his eyes was a blinding expanse of mourning white.

A simple mourning shed had been erected in the courtyard, with a thin-walled coffin placed in the center.

White soul-summoning banners flapped in the cold wind, and the entire Ninth Squad was permeated with an oppressively suffocating Death Qi.

"Wuwuwu..."

Lin Yuxi, dressed in rough mourning clothes, knelt before a fire basin, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her frail shoulders heaved violently, and her originally gentle and dignified face was now as pale as paper, as if she might faint at any moment.

Standing around her were a few of the old brothers who had miraculously escaped, all covered in wounds, looking dejected and ashen-faced.

"Captain... you died so miserably..."

"That beast Zhang Zhongjiu deserves a terrible death. To cover our retreat, the Captain was hacked to pieces by him!"

As they burned paper money, the men cursed through gritted teeth.

Qin Feng stepped over the threshold, his steady footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the deathly silent courtyard.

Everyone turned their heads in unison...

"Qin... Qin Feng?!"

"The hell, you aren't dead?!"

A sharp-eyed guard exclaimed, pointing at Qin Feng as if he had seen a ghost.

Upon hearing the words "Qin Feng," Lin Yuxi, who was kneeling before the fire basin, stiffened, her sobbing instantly coming to a halt.

She slowly turned her head, her beautiful eyes, swollen from crying, instantly filling with incredulous shock.

She had seen with her own eyes the doomsday scene of rolling heavenly thunder on the outskirts of the Luanzang Mountain Range!

Qin Feng had clearly been struck down into the bottomless abyss by terrifying purple lightning; how could he possibly still be alive?!

Not only was he alive, but he didn't even have a single decent scar on his body. Instead, he appeared even more profound and upright than ten days ago, exuding an unfathomable and dangerous aura.

Their complex gazes met in the air.

Lin Yuxi's eyes were filled with shock, bewilderment, and a trace of humiliation and complexity buried deep in her heart that she dared not face herself.

Qin Feng's expression remained unchanged. Without sparing her another glance, he walked straight to the mourning shed and pulled three long incense sticks from the offering table nearby.

He lit them on a white candle, bowed casually three times, and inserted them into the incense burner.

Afterwards, he turned around and looked down at Lin Yuxi, who was kneeling on the ground, his tone so calm that not a ripple could be heard: "Sister-in-law, please accept my condolences."

These simple six words struck Lin Yuxi's heart like a hammer.

The frantic memories from the cave over ten days ago, intertwined with the news of her husband's tragic death, threw her mind into chaos.

She parted her chapped red lips, seemingly wanting to question something, but was ultimately blocked by her overwhelming grief and the gazes of those around her, forcing her to numbly lower her head without saying another word.

"Qin Feng, where have you been for these ten days?"

A guard named Old Li frowned, walked forward, and asked in an unfriendly tone,

"The Captain was killed covering our retreat, and we risked our lives to retrieve a scrap of cloth to build this cenotaph! And you? You ran off and didn't leave a single trace!"

"What? After the squad was scattered, everyone was running. Should I have stayed there to be a shield for you instead of running?"

Qin Feng glanced at him and sneered, "It is my capability that I could return alive. Does only your return count?"

"You—!"

Old Li was choked red in the face and clenched his fists tightly.

"Alright, stop arguing!"

Just then, a rough and impatient cold shout came from outside the courtyard gate.

Everyone turned to look and saw Steward Wang Taian, with his hands behind his back, waddling into the courtyard with his potbelly.

Following behind him was a charming young woman in a long black gauze dress.

As soon as Yang Liu entered the door, her gaze landed precisely on Qin Feng.

A flash of extremely subtle astonishment and shock crossed her long, narrow peach-blossom eyes.

'How is this possible? After spending over ten days in the Luanzang Mountain Range, not only is he not dead, but his blood and Qi look even more vigorous?'

She was secretly astonished in her heart, but on the surface, Yang Liu remained composed, even imperceptibly curling her red lips at Qin Feng.

"Greetings, Steward Wang, greetings, Madam!"

The guards in the courtyard quickly knelt on one knee and saluted in unison.

Lin Yuxi also stood up with the help of others and bowed slightly.

Steward Wang Taian swept a glance over the mourning shed, squeezing a trace of perfunctory grief onto his greasy face.

"Captain Luo Kun died in the line of duty; he was a real man. The Management Hall has noted this blood debt!"

Steward Wang Taian spoke in bureaucratic jargon, spouting a couple of meaningless pleasantries.

Then, his tone shifted, becoming cold and realistic, and he said: "However! The dead are dead, and the living must continue to work. The Management Hall does not support idlers, and the Ninth Squad's jurisdiction cannot be without a leader for a single day!"

He looked around at everyone, waved his hand, and commanded indisputably: "Everyone, assemble at the Martial Arts Arena immediately. We will select a new captain on the spot today; we absolutely cannot delay the work of the Guard Hall!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuxi's face instantly turned as pale as paper.

Her husband's body was not yet cold, and the Management Hall was already impatient to find someone to replace his position? This was the Servant District: cold-blooded, cruel, and human life was as cheap as grass.

Soon, at the Ninth Squad's Martial Arts Arena.

The dozens of survivors quickly stood in two rows. Steward Wang Taian sat imposingly on a grand armchair, and Yang Liu stood by his side, holding a cup of hot tea.

"The rules are very simple."

Steward Wang Taian tapped the armrest of the grand armchair and said loudly: "The Ninth Squad has always been ruled by the strong. Whoever thinks they have the ability, step forward! Life or death does not matter; the person who stands until the end will be the new captain!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

"Swish!"

A middle-aged man with a thin, gaunt build and a slight limp in his left leg stepped out from the ranks, carrying a short refined steel staff.

The old guard who stepped out, nicknamed "The Lame One," had a cultivation of Mortal Stage 8 Early Stage.

Immediately after, there was another heavy cold snort.

"Bang!"

A nine-ring broadsword weighing over a hundred jin was slammed heavily onto the bluestone slab, sending sparks flying!

Zhao Chong, with a face full of flab and a body covered in crisscrossing scars, moved his thick neck and walked out with a sinister grin.

He was at Mortal Stage 9 Early Stage and was the most senior member of the Ninth Squad, with strength second only to Captain Luo Kun.

Zhao Chong arrogantly scanned the crowd, swung his broadsword, and mocked loudly.

"Who else besides me is qualified to sit in this captain's seat? The Lame One, your broken leg hasn't even healed properly yet, and you dare to come out and make a fool of yourself?"

The Lame One's expression darkened, and he was about to retort.

"Count me in too."

A calm and firm voice suddenly rang out across the Martial Arts Arena.