I Contracted All Ancient Divine Artifacts

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Year’s End

Li Shutong’s funeral was arranged on the day of the year’s end.

In the old days of commerce, debts had to be cleared by the end of the year. For those in debt, celebrating the New Year was as tough as passing through a checkpoint; hence it was called the year-end barrier.

The current plight of Great Xia is even harder than passing through a barrier.

Therefore, after Han Zhan discussed with several senior brothers, they scheduled the funeral on the year’s end, leaving all sorrows in this year, allowing hope to stay in the new year of tomorrow.

On the day of the year’s end, heavy snow began to fall.

The Four Seasons Spring Array only covered the main residential area, with snow still flying heavily elsewhere, accumulating in thick layers, blanketing the world in silver.

Han Zhan, Wei Qing, Lin Jingxuan, and Shen Zheqi carried a coffin with staggering steps through the snow.

Behind them followed a grand procession, with no one making a sound.

Like a silent march.

The coffin was empty, as Li Shutong’s body had long since perished, unable to bear the power beyond mortal limits.

The empty coffin weighed heavily on the four men’s shoulders, as if it were a thousand pounds.

The burial site was chosen at Julu Pass, a strategic point within North County, and the nearest southern pass.

A lifelike statue of Li Shutong was sculpted, facing south.

To the south lies the land we lost.

To the south are our captured compatriots.

To the south is the hatred we must not forget, and our enemies!

The crowd was dense, and with the snow pouring down, everyone was covered in white, with some people’s faces turning red from the cold, while others were stiff with cold, yet no one left.

As Li Shutong’s coffin was buried, snow mixed with earth covered it.

Everyone solemnly and reverently held a moment of silence, completing the final farewell ceremony.

Li Shutong’s epitaph was erected before the grave, just like those combat spirit contract masters Han Zhan had seen.

”To risk one’s life for the nation, never avoiding disaster for personal gain.”

This was the epitaph Han Zhan wrote for Li Shutong, feeling that this phrase perfectly described his life.

A century ago, he turned the tide, saved the collapsing Great Xia, continued its century-long foundation, built the Eight Major War Zones, expanded territories, and exhausted his efforts.

A century later, with his death, he uprooted the decayed Great Xia, burned away the filth with his fire, and restored clarity to the world.

Li Shutong was the Great Xia War God, truly deserving the hero’s name!

Compared to my teacher, I still have a long way to go.

But under the signal from my senior brothers, I still stepped forward to the very front of everyone.

The wind and snow grew stronger!

As the snowstorms raged, Han Zhan walked to the statue of Li Shutong, turned around, and looked at the group behind him.

In this group were my senior brothers, my partner, my compatriots, elders, and children.

They all looked at me, and this feeling gave Han Zhan the illusion of still being in the World of Hundred Herbs Sacred Heart.

In the World of Hundred Herbs Sacred Heart, he broke the curse, won the people’s hearts, completed the ”Shennong Inheritance,” and became the new Saint Master.

And here, he assisted Li Shutong in resisting the Insect Race, fighting against three Tier Nine Ultimates with a Tier Five body. He was still Li Shutong’s student, another heritage.

Han Zhan let out a deep breath.

”Fellow citizens of Great Xia, fellow comrades in arms, our pillar of Great Xia has fallen.”

”He didn’t fall in battle with the Insect Race; he fell due to greedy, selfish, despicable conspiracy calculations!”

”But we will always remember his name, always remember this man, the Great Xia War God, Li Shutong!”

”I am not a hero, nor do I want to be one. I am just a cowardly person, and compared to my teacher, I feel ashamed.”

”In the past, I just wanted to keep my small piece of land and be with the person I love, thinking that my talent is not bad and with a big figure like my teacher covering me, I would have a long time to grow.”

”My luck is very good, and yet it is very bad.”

”But friends, this is life! Losing a Great Xia War God doesn’t mean complete failure, because each of us can become our own Great Xia War God!”

”Let us bury hatred and pain deeply here, and even if we know we are destined to fail, we must resolutely step forward with every step!”

”In this apocalyptic insect disaster, everyone is as light as a feather and fragile as wild grass.”

”We have seen the darkest night, and the hot and bright flame in our hearts will not waver!”

As Han Zhan spoke, he suddenly raised the Xuanyuan Sword, turned, and inscribed two large characters on the city wall of Julu Pass!

South! March!

”This is my promise and my oath to my teacher.”

”Someday in the future, I will lead everyone south to reclaim what was originally ours!”

”South! March!”

”South! March!”

”South! March!”

At this moment, a resounding shout erupted from the crowd as they vented from the heart, roaring with fury.

They were like panicked rats fleeing north, escaping those villains who stole the fruits of victory.

Their War God had fallen, and their future lives drift endlessly like duckweed, without hope.

But now, the words ”South March” engraved by Han Zhan on the city wall stood like a bright red banner in the heart of every lost person of Great Xia!

After going north, it’s time to go south!

Losing a battle is not terrifying, as long as we are alive, there’s still a chance to win!

Even if we cannot win, we must take a piece of flesh from those people!

”Going north, marching south.” Wei Qing looked at Han Zhan standing in the midst of the blizzard, watching him use the Xuanyuan Sword to engrave the commanding words ”South March” on the city wall, his fists clenched tightly, his whole body trembling with exhilaration.

Lin Jingxuan’s glasses were slightly fogged; he removed them and gently wiped them. ”South March, South March, teacher, you were indeed right about him.”

Shen Zheqi’s gaze sparkled, and the exhaustion from days of rushing about vanished at this moment, as if boundless new energy surged from his heart!

In the sanatorium, injured and recuperating spirit contract masters and contracted spirits only heard a distant, overwhelming clamorous noise, yet with their hearing, they couldn’t quite catch what it was about.

In the innermost sanatorium room, a disheveled, half-mad man burst out from within.

”Lord Ye!” A nurse witnessing this scene quickly pursued, trying to hold him back.

Ye Qiu easily shrugged off their ”capture,” laughing heartily, then suddenly tilted his ear to listen, and abruptly burst into laughter again. ”South March! They’re talking about South March! South March! Hahaha!”

South March?

For a brief moment, silence fell inside the sanatorium, followed by the eruption of loud, passionate shouts from everyone in astonishment.

”That’s right, South March!”

”Damn it, that’s exactly what we should do!”

”South March! South March!”

This day.

Throughout North County, echoed the two words, South March!

This day,

was the day Li Shutong was buried.

This day,

was the last day of the old year.