Within the inner sanctum of the Zhen Clan compound, a gathering of bereaved clansmen and well-wishers were mingling in a grand courtyard.
At the center of the courtyard was a rather ostentatious memorial tablet decorated with flowers and burial gifts. Depicted on the tablet was an artistic rendition of a young man with the words, "In memory of the Fourth Young Master: Zhen Liu", written on the side in traditional serpent script, a dialect from the Roaring Tide continent.
It's common knowledge in Stone Claw City that the Zhen Clan originated from the Roaring Tide continent, but only the patriarch and a select few elders know the reason why they had emigrated in the first place.
Regardless, the well-wishers invited from outside of the clan to attend couldn't help but admire and comment on the craftsmanship of the beautiful yet morbid tablet done in Roaring Tide style.
"Is that how the Fourth Young Master actually looked? I recall him looking a tad thinner...," a portly gentleman with long sideburns commented. His companion, a lanky man with red hair, explained the situation to him.
"It's a Roaring Tide thing. You know how some ladies here pay the painters to give them bigger eyes?"
"Yeah..."
"Same deal, but they go for rounder forms over there. I think it's suppose to be a sign of fortune? Big pockets, big bellies?"
"Huh. Can't say that's wrong," the portly man said while rubbing his own stomach.
Meanwhile, a bespectacled scholarly couple was admiring the penmanship in the stone.
"So Roaring Tide script letters-"
"Characters, dear."
"Characters, each of those stand for a whole word and strung together they mean new ones?"
"Indeed darling. It's a phonetic language."
"Efficient for writing, but I can't help but imagine the confusion in verbal communication."
While all this was happening, two groups of people were having very different conversations, but with the same subject matter: Zhen Liu.
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In one of the private areas of the Zhen Liu compound, a marital problem was currently trying to solve itself.
"I'm not going!"
"Darling please, we have to make an appearance", a middle-aged man with a strong jawline and pointed beard pleaded while on his knees in a begging pose, "It's tradition!"
This man was Zhen Liu's father, Zhen Yan. He was a 3rd ring Aether Master and was considered one of the top five powerhouses in the clan. But right now, he was on knees and fighting someone he could never win against.
"Mroar!"
Standing by his side was an Ox-Horned Lion, a three star aether beast. Unusually, the Ox-Horned Lion was mimicking his master's pose.
"I know it's tradition, but as I said before Zhen Yan, I will not partake in this farce of a memorial!," replied a beautiful middle-aged woman with long curly brown hair and sharp green eyes. The aether beast by her side was a Jade Clawed Tigeress, and like her master, equally fierce.
"Gao!"
The woman that Zhen Yan was arguing with was none other than his wife and Zhen Liu's mother, Daria Nerisa-Zhen.
Daria had an interesting reputation within the clan for not only being the first non-Roaring Tider to marry into the main branch of the Zhen Clan, i.e., Zhen Yan, but also for being somewhat ferocious. If she felt something was unjust or wrong, she would get involved and she would get vocal.
"Xiao Liu has only been gone for a month, and you're ready to just write him off as dead?!," Daria shouted with rage.
"It wasn't my choice, you know that! Father is convinced he is gone and so are my brothers", Zhen Yan began to explain for himself, "When Moka came back with-"
"Don't you mention that slippery rat to me! He's lying, I know it!"
"How do you know?"
"Maternal instinct!"
Zhen Yan was about to snort derisively at his wife's logic, until he felt her starting to glare at him. She didn't know any vision-based aether arts, but her gaze was sharp enough to chop somebody in half. With this in mind, Zhen Yan decided to change tactics.
"Daria," Zhen Yan tried again in a complacent tone, "I know you think this whole thing is a farce-"
"It is."
"But that doesn't change the fact that we need to at least present some face in the matter."
"But-"
"Before you argue any further," Zhen Yan interrupted, "Just know that after this, I will do everything in my power and leverage every connection I have in order to find our son."
Daria critically gazed at Zhen Yan moments before presenting her pinky before him.
"You promise?," Daria asked in a serious tone, despite the childish nature of presenting her pinky.
Zhen Yan hooked the presented pinky finger with his own.
"I promise."
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Away from prying eyes and hidden in the shadows of a large dark hall, a meeting of a most clandestine nature was taking place between a kneeling man and a standing robed figure.
The robed figure was dressed in black and was donning a white mask decorated with black flames. While he didn't look visually powerful, the aura he radiated belated a feeling of power unmatched by many others.
The one kneeling on the ground was a middle-aged man with fine features and dressed in a blue suit with the emblem of the Zhen Clan stitched onto it's back. If any member of the Zhen Clan saw this man, they would recognize him immediately as Moka, the personal assistant to Patriarch Zhen Shi.
"Moka," the robed man said to the kneeling man, "would you ever lie to me? Betray me?"
"Never my master, why would you ask such a thing?," Moka replied in a sycophantic tone.
"My scouts have reported seeing a young man that looks especially like the Fourth Young Master walking the city, "Not only did he appear unharmed, he somehow managed to breakthrough to the Acolyte stage."
"What?!," Moka exclaimed as he stood up in shock, "that's impossible! I killed him myself."
"So you say, but how do I know that the dear little Moka, the one I had painstakingly given so many advantages, hasn't suddenly developed a fault?", the robed figure began to say, "how do I know that he hadn't switched loyalties?"
Moka's face paled as he heard the implicit threat in his master's voice. Quickly, he took a knee and began to grovel.
"Please my master, I have been nothing but loyal. For years I have worked hard to get into the Zhen Clan's inner circle and made sure to relay all of their plans to you ever since. You have to believe me."
The robed figure stared hard at the kneeling Moka for a few moments, before relaxing and releasing a hard breath.
"Hmmm. Very well then," the robed figure said dismissively, "Consider this a moment of leniency. Return to the funeral and make sure to lay the foundation for the next part of the plan."
"Yes my master!"