Chapter 12623
Chapter 12623
If he were to openly defect, the impact on the original structure of Tianjun would be devastating.
Emperor Sheng is very likely to take action personally for this.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zhang Baiyu personally helped the coffin of the strategist out of the main gate, and the entire venue fell silent instantly.
No matter how tense the situation, at least for this moment, everyone is in mourning.
However, the funeral procession was stopped before it even left the house.
The real show is about to begin!
Everyone's spirits lifted.
"Zhang Fengxiao? That strategist's second son who betrayed us? Is he up to no good?"
Seeing Zhang Fengxiao blocking his way, Zhang Baiyu was not surprised, but his expression was somewhat complicated.
However you can say that, they are his own brothers from the same mother.
Even if the other party doesn't acknowledge him as their older brother, the bond from their childhood still exists.
Moreover, the strategist never truly removed his second son from the family register, despite his blatant betrayal of the family.
Zhang Fengxiao's name is still recorded in the genealogy of the strategist lineage.
"I'll see him off, you don't mind, do you?"
Zhang Fengxiao looked up at Zhang Baiyu.
Immediately, members of the Zhang family expressed their dissatisfaction: "What right does a rebellious son who openly betrayed the Zhang family have to serve as a pallbearer for the strategist?"
Zhang Baiyu waved his hand, and everyone immediately fell silent.
Even though some people were privately dissatisfied with his successor, personally chosen by the strategist, no one dared to openly defy him.
Zhang Baiyu appears gentle and refined, but anyone familiar with his past deeds knows that he is definitely not a fussy or nagging person.
Once they get serious, their ruthlessness and cruelty are second to none.
It's simply that they don't usually show off their talents.
"Come over here."
Zhang Baiyu stepped aside and walked to the right side of the coffin.
There was a commotion in the crowd.
For aristocratic families in Tianjun, especially top-tier families like the lineage of the Strategist, the positioning of the spirit tablet is extremely important.
Only Zhang Baiyu could stand in that position.
Anyone else standing there would be overstepping their bounds.
"What do you mean? Do you mean you want to take Zhang Fengxiao back?"
Everyone didn't know why.
A strange glint also flashed in Zhang Fengxiao's eyes.
From the moment he was born, everyone compared him to Zhang Baiyu. No matter what he did, Zhang Baiyu's shadow always loomed over him.
His defection from the Zhang family was largely a result of his desire to escape this pervasive comparison.
There's no other reason than that his older brother, who shares the same mother, is simply too outstanding in every way—he's the perfect "other people's child."
Anyone would break down if they were in this environment for a long time.
"Is this pretense really interesting?"
Zhang Fengxiao curled his lip.
He said that, but his body behaved very well, and he walked to the spot where Zhang Baiyu had just been.
The moment Zhang Fengxiao reached out to support the coffin, his expression changed slightly.
Complex and difficult to understand.
"This isn't in accordance with the rules!"
An elder of the Zhang family raised an objection.
Zhang Baiyu sighed softly and said, "I hope my relatives will understand my father's last wish."
Everyone immediately fell silent.
When the auspicious time arrived, the funeral procession immediately set off.
Emperor Saint, Confucius Saint, Food Saint, and Lin Yi, the ultimate monster, along with a host of other prominent figures from Tianjun, were all present.
This kind of spectacle alone is unprecedented.
The only one who was absent was Emperor Jiyi, but since he never showed himself in public, no one had any high hopes for him.
The entire journey was speechless.
Just as the Zhang family was preparing to formally bury their dead at their ancestral grave, a strange incident occurred.
An extremely dangerous and bizarre energy fluctuation emanated from inside the coffin without warning.
Immediately afterwards, a crisp snapping sound pierced through the noise.
The whole place fell silent instantly.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, a tiny crack silently appeared on the coffin, and in the next second it spread out like a spider web, quickly spreading throughout the entire coffin.
"Father!"
Zhang Baiyu's expression changed.
This coffin is no ordinary coffin. Not only are the materials top-grade, but it is also equipped with layers of sophisticated formations, which theoretically make it impossible for anyone to destroy.
It's impossible to destroy it in front of him.
However, the root of all this lies not in anything else, but in the corpse of the strategist himself.
Lin Yi frowned slightly upon seeing this.
Through the perspective of the world's will, he could clearly see that the corpse of the strategist was now occupied by a dark and evil energy.
Using his corpse as a medium, a spatial passage spanning two dimensions is rapidly taking shape!
Zhang Baiyu couldn't help but look at Zhang Fengxiao: "Why did you do this?"
As they spoke, the cracks deepened until the coffin shattered with a crash.
The twisted and deformed corpse of the strategist was immediately presented to everyone without any obstruction.
The whole place was in an uproar.
It's obvious without a doubt that Zhang Fengxiao was the culprit behind all of this.
"Why? You ask me why?"
Zhang Fengxiao stared intently at the corpse of the strategist, which was rapidly being corroded by darkness. His knuckles clenched so tightly that they cracked, and his eyes were filled with years of pent-up resentment and bitterness.
"In front of everyone in Tianjun, you've reinstated me, this treacherous and rebellious son who betrayed his family. Don't you think you've done a good job as an elder brother?"
Zhang Fengxiao sneered: "With my talent and diligence, no matter which family I was born into, I would be an absolute prodigy!"
"Because I was born into the Zhang family, no one has ever given me a second glance, just because of your existence."
No matter how hard I try, I'll always just be your supporting character!
"The title of strategist is all yours to claim. No one can compete with you for even a fraction of it. You are destined to remain forever high above, while I will have to live at your beck and call for the rest of my life!"
"It's all because you are the eldest son of the strategist, and I am the second son of the strategist."
“Is it fair?”
Zhang Baiyu choked for a moment.
To be honest, he didn't value the position of "Master Strategist" that much.
Whether the strategist passes it on to him or not, it's just a choice in his eyes; either way is fine.
Zhang Baiyu overlooked one crucial point.
His younger brother, who had betrayed the Zhang family, didn't think that way.
"Stop him! He's about to open the demonic portal!"
Finally someone reacted.
But it was too late.
"What's the point of spouting this nonsense now?"
Zhang Fengxiao sneered and slapped down with his palm, causing the strategist's corpse to explode completely, revealing a pitch-black passage in front of everyone.
An indescribable aura of blood and evil poured out, instantly sweeping across the entire Tianjun County, making even the air thick and icy.
Feeling this nauseating and extremely evil aura, everyone's face clearly showed two words.
It’s over.
The gathering of Tianjun's top combat forces should not normally lead to this situation.
But who could have imagined that Zhang Fengxiao would use his own father's corpse as bait, dragging the entire Tianjun County into the abyss, just to open the demonic passage!
Lin Yi felt a complex mix of emotions.
Although this scene was unexpected, he had a vague feeling that it was not entirely Zhang Fengxiao's doing.
