60: Chapter 60: Waiting for the Death Knell, a Mass Ascension!

The time reached 11:50 AM.

Below the He family's Ancestral Worship Peak, over four hundred luxury cars had come to a stop one after another.

Members of the He family, each dressed in a sharp black suit, gathered at the foot of the mountain and slowly walked toward the ancestral hall square on the peak.

As for why they didn't drive up, according to the He family, it was a mark of respect for their ancestors and a way to demonstrate the piety of the younger generations.

Meanwhile, on the observation platforms of the eight surrounding peaks, a dense crowd of spectators had already gathered, creating a massive clamor.

In the sky above the peaks, aerial photography planes from various television stations circled, with reporters excitedly narrating the scenes until their throats were nearly parched.

Of course.

The most eye-catching things in the sky weren't these aerial reporters from the TV stations.

It was the He family's sixteen large transport planes.

They were loaded with all the rewards the He family was giving to the spectators for this ancestral worship ceremony.

Once the He family's ancestral worship ceremony concluded,

the moment the ancestral hall's bell rang,

these rewards would be scattered across the eight peaks via airdrops.

How many rewards one could obtain depended entirely on personal luck.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. As expected of the He family. When my family worships our ancestors, we just stick three incense sticks in the ground. We don't have this kind of spectacle. Those who know call it ancestral worship; those who don't would think it's a coronation!"

"I have to admire them; in just a few hundred years, the He family has actually developed to this extent. I heard that they started out as just smelly fishmongers at the harbor. When will I, Li San, finally strike it rich?!"

"Shh, keep your voice down. As they say, a hero's origin doesn't matter. The current He family is already a colossus in our Tianlin City. They even produced an S-rank within the clan. At this rate, their future ancestral worship ceremonies will only get even more outrageous!"

"You're right. Unless the He family offends some incredibly terrifying powerful figure, it's impossible for them to decline."

"Decline? What are you thinking? Even if all of you were gone, the He family wouldn't decline. I don't believe for a second that the He family could rise like this in just a few centuries without some serious methods!"

...

Not far from Li Fan, several cleaners who had come along with him couldn't help but express their amazement.

Listening to these discussions, Li Fan couldn't help but nod.

It seemed the He family's prestige in Tianlin City was even higher than what he had previously understood.

Growing from fishmongers to their current scale in a few hundred years, the He family could indeed be called a miracle.

However...

That miracle ends right here!

"Stop talking! Look, the He family members are almost at the square!"

Just then, one of the cleaners nearby couldn't help but cry out in surprise, his gaze fixed on the square outside the He family's ancestral hall.

And the cheers...

...now erupted from the eight peaks.

"They're here, they're here!"

"What a sense of pressure!"

"Is this a top-tier noble family?"

"I love the He family! The He family is awesome!"

"Holy crap! Is that Fourth Master He walking at the very front? I heard he's a top-tier Quasi-Saint!"

"I remember the He Family Head used to come. Why is Fourth Master He here this year?"

"Isn't it obvious? The He family's business is booming, so he must be incredibly busy. Having the Fourth Master come for the ancestral worship is enough."

"Why do you care so much? We only came for the rewards. Whether the He Family Head shows up or not has nothing to do with us."

"You've got it figured out, brother!"

...

The spectacle of the He family's ancestral worship...

...reached its climax amidst these cries of amazement.

Li Fan looked up.

Rows of sharp black figures indeed slowly appeared from the hillside.

The older generation walked in front, while the younger generation followed behind.

The older generation was exceptionally composed, showing no emotional fluctuations at such a scene, clearly having long since grown accustomed to it.

In contrast, the younger generation's reactions were generally characterized by rapid breathing and slight excitement, their faces filled with pride.

Of course, some of the more arrogant youths were quite disdainful of the cheers from those they considered 'lower-class people' and didn't show much emotion.

As the time reached twelve o'clock,

over four hundred members of the He family gathered on the square outside the ancestral hall.

"The ancestral worship begins!"

Fourth Master He spoke in a low voice, his powerful tone instantly echoing through the sky.

The crowd, which had been noisy and cheering moments ago, all shut their mouths at once, not daring to make another sound.

Since this wasn't the first time the He family had held an ancestral worship ceremony,

basically everyone in Tianlin City knew the subsequent process.

It was very simple.

First, they would perform a collective kowtow.

Then, they would go to the ancestral hall one by one to burn incense and kowtow.

Once everyone had finished burning incense and kowtowing, the entire He family would kowtow once more. Finally, the leader would ring the bronze bell on the second floor of the ancestral hall.

The ancestral worship would then officially conclude.

After that, the carnival for the spectators would begin.

Li Fan wasn't from Tianlin City, so he didn't know the process.

However, Li Fan had ears and could listen.

After learning the general process,

Li Fan's original idea of sending these four hundred-plus He family members to the afterlife right now underwent a change.

They even ring a bell.

That's perfect!

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, a playful thought forming in his mind.

Then let's wait for this death knell!

When the time comes, I'll let these four hundred-plus He family members go see their ancestors in the most pious posture!

...

Time passed bit by bit.

Roughly ninety percent of the He family had already gone into the ancestral hall and completed the incense-burning and kowtowing ritual.

Only a small handful of juniors had yet to enter.

It had to be said,

this process was incredibly dull.

And it wasn't just that it was dull.

To avoid disturbing the He family's ancestral worship, the people present weren't allowed to make any sound, which was truly enough to drive someone crazy from the suppression.

But at the thought of the generous gifts coming later, everyone was willing to endure it.

As for Li Fan, he didn't feel bored at all.

Because to Li Fan,

every He family member who went in was part of a countdown to death.

Finally,

as the last He family junior emerged from the ancestral hall,

Fourth Master He leaped up and arrived beside the massive bronze bell on the second floor.

"All descendants of the He family, perform the grand kowtow!"

Fourth Master He looked down at the four hundred-plus He family members and spoke in a deep voice.

Immediately after, the four hundred-plus He family members all kowtowed in unison, performing a solemn bow toward the ancestral hall.

Dong!!!

In the next second, the bell rang.

The crowds on the surrounding peaks, who had been waiting for a long time, officially began their carnival, their cheers reaching the clouds.

At that moment, a smile curled on Li Fan's lips.

He narrowed his eyes, and with a single thought,

the four hundred-plus He family members kowtowing on the square instantly lost their lives!

It had to be said, however, that everyone was kneeling very steadily; even without life, they still maintained a standard kowtowing posture.

Of course, Fourth Master He hadn't been kneeling.

But just as he finished ringing the bell, before the striker could even stop, his life vanished. His head slammed violently against the bronze bell, causing a second chime to ring out.

Of course, how could a bronze bell withstand the physique of a Quasi-Saint-level expert?

Thus, Fourth Master He's corpse smashed a hole right through it and was ultimately covered by the bell as it fell.

And so...

...a third bronze chime rang out once more!

On the other side,

many people with poor views thought that because the He family's business was on the rise this year, they were adding two extra bell tolls. Their cheers grew even louder.

Meanwhile, the pilots of the He family transport planes in the sky hadn't heard a verbal command for a long time. Hearing the unusual bell tolls, they all assumed it was the signal to drop the rewards.

Consequently,

a bizarre scene began to unfold.

On the surrounding peaks, countless gifts and red envelopes poured down. All the spectators were incredibly excited, their faces beaming with happy smiles.

Yet on the central peak,

the entire He family was now devoid of life, and the silence was terrifying!

Such a scene...

...didn't even immediately arouse the suspicion of the aerial reporters. They merely thought the He family's attitude toward ancestral worship was more pious than in previous years, hence the longer kowtow.

Furthermore, at this moment, the cameras were all focused on the celebrating crowds on the nearby peaks.