I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1163 - Chapter 1163 Chapter 457 Sea Burial

Chapter 1163: Chapter 457: Sea Burial Chapter 1163: Chapter 457: Sea Burial “`

A great victory that was almost certain was suddenly overshadowed by the collapse of the formation. According to the formation master of the Xiang Family, the formation didn’t break due to external forces but completely collapsed because the five spirits became disordered and fought against each other. In simple terms, the formation had issues on its own.

This caused people throughout the Xiang Family to be filled with complaints, many of whom felt that Yulin Pavilion was nothing more than a shameless group that took money without doing the job.

So, when Xiang Loulan heard that Xiang Ange still wanted to seek them out, he felt naturally irritated.

“Echoing others, how foolish!”

Xiang Ange scolded angrily, “Get out!”

…

The sea burial ceremony is one of Chaochang’s oldest and most mournful rituals.

It is the rite that is conducted when crew members of merchant ships perish at sea, and their bodies cannot be transported back to their ancestral lands for burial.

Sea burials are usually performed at sunrise or sunset, and for water pirates, the ceremony is typically held at night.

The ritual is also quite simple: the body is loaded onto a small boat, a sail is hoisted, and it is sent westward to drift endlessly in the vast ocean.

For sailors, who view the sea as their mother, the sea burial is considered the highest honor.

Almost everyone in Chaochang knows about the ancient sea burial ritual, but no one knows that this old tradition originated with the Yun Clan.

Because the first brave souls from Chaochang to challenge the Endless Sea were born into the Yun Clan. They opened up trade routes across the four seas; it was their ancestors who completed this great feat with their own lives.

That’s why the Yun Clan doesn’t have ancestral tombs. Everyone thinks that the extraordinarily wealthy Yun Clan built a secret tomb and hoarded a trove of treasures within, but the real reason there are no tombs is that they practice sea burial.

And the Yun Clan’s sea burial practices aren’t just one kind; there are different rituals for warriors who died in battle, natural deaths, untimely deaths, and deaths from illness, and the Yun family warriors who perished in Chaochang were undoubtedly among the finest spirits, and therefore deserved the most solemn funeral.

The small boat, made like a coffin, was filled with gold and silver jewelry, colored glaze and white jade, and the clean bodies also had pearls in their mouths.

Flowers served as a cushion, brocade robes draped over them, lying solemn and dignified in the coffins, they were sent on their underworld vessels, pushed into the South Sea, drifting slowly away.

Nineteen boats, nineteen bodies; among them were Yun Clan elders, unwilling spirits, outnumbered warriors, and Yun Xiu’s relatives.

In the face of all this, Yun Xiu finally unveiled her disguise, showing her true face for the first time, which Tang Luo also saw for the first time without being shrouded by the cloud energies.

The tall and upright figure, even though covered by a gauzy skirt, the long snow-white legs were vaguely visible. The delicate features on her small oval face, the plump lips, bright eyes as clear as cut crystals, and the slightly red dainty nose, all inexplicably evoked a sense of pity.

But the grieving Xiu’er naturally didn’t notice Tang Luo’s gaze. The sorrowful young lady faced the direction of the South Sea, silently reciting the eulogy and praying softly to herself.

The morning sunlight fell upon her; a ray shone on her body, making her appear like a fairy who had descended to earth, sublime and elegant.

As the sea burial ceremony ended, and her energies roamed through her meridians, Xiu’er transformed back into the initial appearance of Brother Tian that she had when they first met.

She had just looked like a fairy, and in the blink of an eye, she had taken the form of a man. This inexplicable contrast made Tang Luo rather uncomfortable. Clearing his throat, he said, “Actually… you look quite good in your original form. Perhaps, you should not change anymore?”

Looking at Tang Luo, Brother Tian replied with a rugged voice, “In extraordinary times, one must act in secrecy. Besides, didn’t you say you enjoyed the company of men?”

“That’s what I said…”

“`

But the situation was different now. Tang Luo waved his hand helplessly, “Alright, alright, it’s time to set up the stall, otherwise it’ll be too obvious!”

“Set up the stall?” Brother Tian was puzzled, “Wasn’t setting up the stall to get the changing of the guard’s information and retrieve the bodies? That’s all been done, why set up a stall now?”

“If we don’t set up the stall, what will we eat or drink?” Tang Luo said exasperatedly, “You put all the money in the coffin and sent it into the sea, we’re completely broke now!”

“Ah?” Brother Tian’s face turned red, and he quickly apologized, “My fault, you rest today, I’ll make the meatballs.”

“Are you up to it?” Tang Luo glanced at Tian and said proudly, “My method of making meatballs is a secret technique that combines over a dozen different palm methods. It breaks the meat apart without damaging the tendons, which is how they are so chewy. Are you sure your palm technique is up to the task?”

“Underestimating me, don’t forget who taught you how to make these hand-beaten meatballs. A student shouldn’t surpass the teacher!”

Brother Tian’s figure transformed again, turning into a man in his forties or fifties, slight hunchbacked, and his voice became more rugged, “Let me show you the unique skill of your teacher making hand-beaten meatballs!”

“I’ll be watching with interest!”

…

South City Market

Luo Family Midnight Snacks Shop

Before even opening, there were already groups of people waiting, most of them were craftsmen who had worked through the night.

After all, not everyone could afford beef soup for half a gold coin a bowl, only these craftsmen could do so without batting an eyelid.

Though the battle in the Inner City had far-reaching effects, even causing no small impact on Chaochang as a whole, for these craftsmen who lived by their skills, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

After all, the destroyed pavilions and buildings needed reconstruction, and the Xiang Residence itself was extraordinarily lavish. The Xiang Family was historically generous, and this time the reconstruction was meant to surpass previous times. They even hired master builders from the Ou Clan, and only after three rounds of blueprints were the work details settled.

This massive project was like a mountain of gold for the Chaochang craftsmen, who came and went through the Inner City every day. Even the simple laborers who sold their physical strength could earn two or three gold coins a day from the Xiang Residence, let alone those craftsmen with skills.

In the past, spending nine silver horns for a bowl of meatballs would naturally cause heartache, but now, not at all. They only cursed that the boss prepared too little beef, preventing them from enjoying it to the fullest.

After all, to become a craftsman, one had to have at least the peak cultivation of Mortal Realm, otherwise, they wouldn’t even get past the apprentice stage.

Physical labor nurtured the large-bellied men. Although there were just a few of them, the empty bowls could pile up into a small tower.

But as they ate, the craftsmen began to notice something. Dining at the Luo Family Midnight Snacks Shop every day, they were extremely familiar with its meatballs.

The flavor of today’s meatballs was naturally not bad, but they were a bit less chewy when bitten into. Normally, they would definitely test a meatball for its elasticity, but today’s meatballs were too delicious to spare even one.

By the time they thought of this, their bowls were already empty. Then as if possessed, they ordered another bowl and started slurping it down again.

The beef meatballs today sold even faster than usual. Before the usual mealtime, they were all sold out.

“See? Don’t think that just because the meatballs are chewy that’s all there is to it. There’s much more knowledge involved here!” The boss said with satisfaction, legs crossed, as he proudly lectured the noodle-pulling guy.