OP Sister Chapter 477: The Funeral Begins

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“We are here. It sure is more crowded than I thought… There are even members of the Heavenly Court here,” the Heavenly Empress said.

We glanced around the palace surroundings, and indeed, it was crowded. Thousands of people had come to attend the Heavenly Demon’s funeral—more than we ever thought possible.

Why? Well, even among the people of this city, he didn’t have a good reputation. Just look at Yin Sheng: his entire family hated the Heavenly Demon so much they dedicated their lives to raising someone who could kill him.

And yet, none of the people seemed joyful that he had died. No one laughed or celebrated. The place was far quieter than I imagined a gathering of thousands would be.

“Welcome back.”

As we walked toward the town plaza near the large spring, we were greeted by a man made of gold, Fang Shuan.

“There you are… Were you waiting for me here? Why?”

“I… just needed some time alone to gather my thoughts, Master. I apologize.”

“Ah, I see… Well, it’s all right. Thanks for helping Zero One and the girls build this arm. It’s great.”

“Oh, so you’re already wearing it! I’m happy it works well.”

“You look gloomy… I was sure you didn’t care for him much, but…”

“Well, I didn’t… You’re not wrong, Young Master. However…”

He closed his eyes, then slowly looked at the blue sky, opening them with a sorrowful expression.

“As you were trained by him, as we lived with him, and as I learned about who he truly was—his family, his son, and why he fought so fiercely despite everything—I began to unwillingly admire him. Even though he belonged to the Demonic Cult, a group I abhor as someone who upheld righteousness in my world, I couldn’t help but respect and admire him. I realized that, despite being the Heavenly Demon of this world, that man—your adoptive father—did it all for his son and his wife. He was already a far better person than my own father.”

“Fang Shuan…”

I patted his shoulder as he closed his eyes again, then opened them, small tears of liquid gold falling from his bright, crystal-like eyes.

“So I realized I was just being a hypocrite,” he said with a bittersweet smile. “Your father was… an incredible man, Young Lady. He was someone to admire, someone to truly look up to as a role model.”

“I see. I’m glad you changed your mind about him,” I nodded. “Yeah, he was an amazing person.”

“His sacrifice… I will never forget it,” he said, placing a hand on his chest while gritting his golden teeth. “Even now, as I recall his death and your suffering, I become infuriated, frustrated with myself… That I couldn’t do anything! It makes me mad, Young Lady—the same frustration I felt when my world was swallowed by darkness after my father abandoned us all.”

“Calm down… You’re not the only one who felt that way,” I said. “But… it’s something we cannot change now. We have to move on.”

“Indeed,” he nodded. “The funeral… I believe it’s starting soon, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I brought some flowers… but I bet he wouldn’t even like them, haha.”

“Knowing him, the man would probably think this entire funeral is too much for him,” Fang Shuan sighed.

“Indeed…” Mother stepped forward. “I bet he would have preferred a much quieter, private funeral—something small and low-key with just a few of us. But that cannot be. Despite once being feared as a tyrant, your father, Anna, Song… he became a hero who gave his life to protect this world and everyone in it. And even now, it was his powerful final blow that helped us destroy that monster and further weaken the Void Ruler.”

“But victory wasn’t achieved with just his sacrifice…” I sighed, looking at Zero One. “It came through the sacrifice of many…”

Zero One stared at the ground sorrowfully as her sisters hugged her.

“We… we have to do our best from now on, everyone…” Song stepped forward, addressing both the cultivators and the machines. “We must stop fighting and build a world where we can live and prosper, or the sacrifices of these heroes will be in vain.”

“You’re not wrong,” Fang Shuan nodded. “It’s a pity I cannot stay here with everyone else, but I want to tell you all that I felt truly at home in this world. Despite the people being so different from my own, this world, without a doubt, holds the true spirit and soul of Murim.”

“Thank you, Fang Shuan… I wish I could hear more stories about the other Murim you came from,” my mother said, patting his shoulder. “But it’s time. Let’s go.”

We walked through the plaza and behind the palace, where a large open area was now filled with red and white flowers, interspersed with a few black bones.

This used to be an empty place—perhaps he once envisioned it as something else—but the people who came, bringing these flowers, had created a beautiful resting place, a garden that represented him.

Red, white, and black… indeed, these were the colors he always carried. Red for his eyes and the blood he spilled—both his own and his enemies’. Black for his feathers and the darkness within his heart. And… I suppose white represents his regret and the light that guided him in his final moments, which was also his kindness and love for his family.

And there he was, resting, sleeping, as if he hadn’t died, lying on a bed of these flowers with his eyes closed, dressed in new, elegant robes of red, white, and black, complete with his half-moon-shaped black crown.

His feathers looked groomed and clean; there was no blood on his body at all. He had been thoroughly cleaned and prepared well…

Probably by Mother alone.

I can’t even begin to fathom how she must have felt through that process, doing it all alone without telling any of us.

He looked as though he might open his eyes at any moment and say, “Did you fools truly believe the Heavenly Demon would die? Krahahah!” or something like that.

But no matter how much we waited for it to happen, it never did.

The more I contemplated his death, the more unreal it felt, as if this weren’t reality.

I never imagined he would…

“Anna…”

Without realizing it, I had started crying again.

Song hugged me, caressing my head as I sobbed against his shoulder.

He comforted me so warmly, understanding my pain because he had likely endured the same—or worse.

“I-I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have… I just… I couldn’t help it…”

“Don’t worry… It’s okay.”

As he stroked my head, he gently wiped my tears with the feathers of his wings.

Then I saw Mother look at me and nod before walking toward the center.

By now, nearly everyone in town had gathered, surrounding the slightly elevated center of the area where Father rested.

There, she stood behind him, looking at the crowd with sorrowful eyes.

“Thank you for coming today, everyone. I know it may have been hasty, but the funeral had to be held quickly. My daughter, Anna, will soon leave this world to return to her own. I couldn’t let her go without witnessing her father’s funeral properly. Once more, thank you all for coming to my husband’s funeral.”

She paused, looking at the crowd, and after a brief, awkward silence, she sighed and continued.

“The Heavenly Demon was never someone admired by many. I would be lying if I said my husband was beloved. Even though I admit that he walked a dark path in his early life. He committed atrocities, killed thousands, and terrorized the entire world.”

As she spoke, her Domain activated, engulfing the town. Some gasped, looking around as colors and illusions manifested above us.

Mother was giving form to her memories, just as she had once shown me her past. Now, she shared them with everyone here.

She revealed Father’s silhouette, shrouded in darkness and blood, with glowing red eyes—ruthless and malevolent, as he once was.

“Incredible…!”

“What technique is this?”

“The Heavenly Empress is showing us her memories…?”

“Oh, wow…”

“Mama, look! The Heavenly Demon!”

“Shh, be quiet!”

After a few people silenced those who spoke too loudly, Mother continued, the images shifting to make the experience unforgettable and deeply personal for everyone present.

“I would be a hypocrite if I tried to tell you all to simply forgive him for everything he did or to forget his wrongs and remember only the good. That’s not how I do things. I admit, the husband I loved, the man I had a son with, was not a righteous person. He was a criminal sentenced to death by the Heavenly Court, an enemy of our world.”

“Back then, I was tasked with stopping him during the Great War between the Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Demon Cult. I was the hope of everyone, my strength equal to his. Our battle raged for days. His power was formidable, and as we fought, I grew to admire his tenacity and willpower. Deep down, as we battled, I… felt a strange happiness. I was happy to have found an equal; the hollow feeling in my heart was gone. I don’t know how else to explain it… Despite fighting to the death, that battle, even now, I remember fondly.”

The images shifted, displaying vibrant, moving paintings of the Heavenly Empress, clad in white and gold, clashing with the Heavenly Demon, clad in black and red, their conflict sending ripples through heaven and earth.

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