Shao Yun left the Chinju Teahouse and made his way toward the distant Tenryou Commission headquarters.
When he arrived, what met his eyes made his heart tighten.
In front of the main gates of the Tenryou Commission, several members dressed in simple mourning robes were silently going about their tasks.
Their expressions were solemn and heavy, silently sweeping every corner of the courtyard with brooms and other tools. The already somber atmosphere felt even more oppressive and sorrowful under this scene.
Perhaps Shao Yun had come too late—those who should have paid their respects had already done so.
Or maybe… no one had come at all.
Or maybe most of those who could have come were already dead.
Still, Shao Yun didn't say a word. He simply stood quietly at the entrance, gazing at the scene before him.
After a moment, he drew a deep breath and stepped forward into the Tenryou Commission estate.
As he entered, the attendants who had been focused on their work all lifted their heads.
They said nothing, only watching Shao Yun in silence with complicated expressions until he disappeared inside.
After all, the fall of the Tenryou Commission wasn't unrelated to him.
Inside the main hall, Shao Yun saw Kujou Sara's coffin placed prominently at the center.
Several burnt-out candles surrounded it, their wax puddled on the ground—symbolizing that Kujou Sara had well and truly departed.
White mourning drapes hung along the walls, filling the room with a thick sense of mourning and grief.
As Shao Yun stepped into the hall, his gaze was instantly drawn to four figures not far ahead.
There stood Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu, Gorou, and the newly appointed head of the Kujou Clan—Kujou Kamaji.
Just as that old man Kujou Takayuki had predicted, the moment he died, his second son Kujou Kamaji took over the clan and thus the command of the Tenryou Commission.
Not that it mattered much now—the Tenryou Commission was but a hollow shell.
Arataki Itto stood silently before the finely crafted coffin, his once wild and unrestrained eyes now filled with rare focus.
Following his gaze, one could clearly see the photograph set atop the coffin.
It was anything but traditional.
In the photo, Kujou Sara appeared to be inside a private room at a restaurant.
Her left hand held a plate with a half-eaten tamagoyaki, while her right hand gripped a spoon.
A bit of yolk still clung to the corner of her mouth, left unwiped.
Most amusing of all was her expression—panic-stricken, her eyes wide in shock as she stared directly at the camera, clearly caught off guard.
There was no doubt this was a photo Arataki Itto had secretly taken without her noticing—only to be caught red-handed the moment he pressed the shutter.
Her startled face had been immortalized. Who knows what price Itto paid afterward—probably spent a few nights in the slammer again.
As for why they chose that photo for her funeral portrait, the reason was simple.
They couldn't find any other decent photo. This was all they had.
Shao Yun scanned the four of them calmly.
Seeing Arataki Itto, Kuki Shinobu, and Kujou Kamaji here didn't surprise him—Itto and Shinobu had always been close with Kujou Sara, so their presence was natural.
This was the Kujou Clan's estate, after all. Family members like Kamaji would of course be present.
But why was Gorou here? Had he come to pay respects to an old rival?
Shao Yun gave a soft cough and spoke.
"Hello. You don't mind if I offer my respects to Kujou Sara, do you?"
Gorou blinked in surprise at the familiar voice. He turned and stared at Shao Yun in shock.
Kujou Kamaji, standing nearby, was also momentarily stunned—but quickly composed himself and replied politely, "Mister Shao Yun, your visit honors us. You are most welcome here..."
Just then, Arataki Itto—who had been standing before the coffin in silent mourning—turned slowly upon hearing Shao Yun's voice.
He wiped the tears from his eyes and spoke in a tone thick with suppressed rage.
"Tacitus... no, I should call you Mister Shao Yun, shouldn't I?"
"You're the one who killed Kujou Turtle—ah, slip of the tongue—Kujou Sara, aren't you?"
Shao Yun nodded without hesitation, answering frankly, "That's correct."
Itto was even more bewildered by his bluntness. He pressed further.
"Why did you do it?"
Shao Yun's lips curved in a faint smirk as he retorted, "What do you mean why? Could you be a bit more specific?"
Itto's eyes went wide with fury. He jabbed a finger toward Kujou Sara's coffin and roared.
"Why did you kill her?! She even took my Vision and I wasn't that mad at her!"
His gaze then shifted to the Vision hanging at Shao Yun's waist, and he went on.
"Your Vision wasn't taken—so why'd you have to kill Kujou Sara? Couldn't you just beat her up a little?!"
At this, Shao Yun paused in genuine surprise—then burst into laughter.
So that's what he thinks? That I killed Kujou Sara to resist the Vision Hunt Decree? How laughable.
When his laughter faded, Shao Yun cleared his throat and scoffed coldly.
"Hmph! From the moment you challenged Kujou Sara to a sumo match, I knew you were as naive as Paimon. But I never imagined... this naive!"
He gave the revolver at his waist a light tap, then pointed toward the door and spoke in a low voice.
"Do you really think war is like a beetle duel? Flip your opponent's bug on its back and call it a day?
You think everyone's some flying knight like the Red Baron?
This isn't a playground. We're not kids. We're men, fighting in a bloody, brutal war!"
In some ways, Arataki Itto was just like Shao Yun—he struggled to grasp the deeper, grimmer truths.
Realizing he couldn't match Shao Yun in words, Itto's eyes stayed fixed on him as he jabbed a finger toward Shao Yun's nose and shouted.
"I—I don't care! You killed Kujou! I... I won't forgive you!"
Before his sentence even ended, he clenched his fists tightly, arms tensing as he began to build power. A low growl rumbled from his throat.
"I'm gonna kill you myself!"
Shao Yun frowned slightly. This is a funeral. It's no place for a fight.
But if Itto insisted on it, Shao Yun wasn't backing down.
He shifted slightly into a duelist's stance—his right hand resting atop the holster at his hip, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
Still, he decided to try reasoning with him one last time.
"This is a place of mourning. Show some respect to the dead. If you really want to fight, let's take it somewhere quiet."
Just then, Kuki Shinobu rushed forward and grabbed Itto's arm, trying to hold him back.
"Boss! Please, calm down…"
Seeing this, Shao Yun relaxed and slowly pulled his hand away from his gun.
He turned to Kuki Shinobu and asked sincerely, "Miss Shinobu, what do you think?"
"Do you believe war comes without bloodshed? Or do you think death is just... expected?"
Kuki Shinobu stared at Kujou Sara's cold, solemn coffin, her heart heavy with sorrow.
She sighed and replied quietly, "All I can say is... everything that's happened is just too complicated. But no matter what, Sara's death breaks my heart."
Her words perfectly captured her inner turmoil—neither accusing nor excusing Shao Yun, only expressing the weight of her grief.
The truth was, Kuki Shinobu and Kujou Sara had shared a close bond.
At one point, Kujou Sara had even warmly invited Shinobu to join the Tenryou Commission—but was politely turned down.
Still, their friendship remained strong.
They'd often share food and conversation at izakayas throughout Inazuma City.
It was likely this very relationship that caused Sara to be unusually tolerant of Itto and his gang of mischief-makers.
Of course, part of that was because they hadn't crossed any serious lines.
But more importantly, it was out of respect for Kuki Shinobu.
After all, with Kujou Sara's strict and disciplined nature, if not for Shinobu's presence, there's no way she would have let them off so easily.
...
Just as the commotion seemed to be settling down...
No one expected Arataki Itto to suddenly flare up again and shout at Shao Yun.
"Enough with the talking! Like you said earlier—let's take this somewhere quiet and have a proper fight!"
His voice shattered the fragile calm, plunging the room back into tension.
Kuki Shinobu didn't hesitate. She raised her fist and whacked Itto hard on the back of the head, yelling:
"Boss! Calm. Down!"
Her heart was pounding.
If Itto really fought Shao Yun... even surviving would be a miracle.
With Shao Yun's skills, Itto would no doubt get wrecked.
The sudden blow left Itto dazed. He instinctively rubbed the back of his head and turned to face her.
He opened his mouth as if to say something—but swallowed his words.
He stomped hard on the floor, face twisted with frustration, and bellowed:
"Arghhh! I need to get some air!"
Without another word, he spun around and stormed out of the Tenryou Commission.
As he passed Shao Yun, he deliberately paused, casting a glare full of hostility.
He snorted a breath of hot air through his nose in silent provocation.
Then, without looking back, Arataki Itto walked off and vanished from the estate.