Chapter 486

The sky over Pingjing City was gloomy, the air thick with a damp chill. A light, persistent drizzle fell, as if the heavens themselves were mourning the departed. A few men and women in black suits stood quietly under black umbrellas in front of an unassuming funeral home, their expressions solemn and sorrowful. The funeral home doors opened slowly to reveal a sparse interior. Beyond the white mourning banners and a few meager bundles of white chrysanthemums, there was nothing else. Perhaps this was the deceased’s final wish—to remain as simple and plain as he had been in life. The casket lay in the center of the hall, its black lacquer reflecting the pale, harsh light from above. The lid was half-open, revealing the peaceful, dignified face of the man within. His eyes were closed, his temples were gray, and a faint, subtle smile graced his wrinkled face, as if he were merely lost in a deep slumber. Yet, everyone knew that the man in that casket was Lu Shan, the recently deceased Director of the Special Management Bureau in Pingjing City.