Chapter 107: Fooled on April Fool’s Day

Chapter 107: Fooled on April Fools' Day

After finalizing the plan and obtaining official approval, Sheng Qingquan dove headfirst into preparations for its execution.

For instance, he first needed to determine the exact time when the necromancer Clara would arrive on Tianlanxing.

This timing had to be down-to-the-minute accurate.

Unlike previous instances where clues had to be painstakingly pieced together from narrative details, this time it was surprisingly easy to find—practically spelled out right there in plain sight.

Though Sheng Qingquan had already figured out from earlier clues that Clara would appear before Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming Festival).

"After all, it was during tomb-sweeping on Qingming Festival that people discovered she had been digging up graves everywhere but failed to find a single usable skeleton."

The staff knew this too.

But what about the exact timing?

There was still nearly a week left before Qingming Festival.

"Before Qingming Festival is when sacrificial goods sell like hotcakes. The short holiday also marks a small tourism boom. Some people take extra days off to string together a nice vacation with the three-day Qingming holiday. Even without extra leave, three days are enough for families to visit nearby attractions after paying respects to ancestors."

"Tomb-sweeping is about honoring the departed. Besides one’s own ancestors, many also visit the graves of legendary figures from history—like the tombs of Zhuge Liang, great generals, the legendary Champion Marquis (Huò Qùbīng), the Immortal Poet (Li Bai)..."

"And of course, martyrs are never forgotten. While martyrs' cemeteries see visitors year-round, foot traffic undoubtedly peaks during this period."

"People on Tianlanxing are big on traditions. Wine left before the Immortal Poet's tomb, chocolates at the Champion Marquis’ grave, and martyrs' cemeteries filled with flowers and miniature weapon models at memorials..."

"Some bring offerings they believe the deceased would have loved, while others seek to make up for lost opportunities, hoping the departed might see them."

"You don't show up empty-handed when visiting ancestors. Especially as Qingming approaches, even if it's not the main day, most feel compelled to bring some tribute."

"With so many doing the same, nearby merchants naturally seize the opportunity."

"So when Clara arrived, she was greeted by lines of street vendors, competing loudspeakers blaring."

["‘Qingming Festival is just four days away! How can you visit the martyrs' cemetery empty-handed? Full sets—listen up, full sets! Latest military uniforms for army, navy, and air force, available in men’s and women’s styles. Winter and summer wear, outfits for all seasons. Won’t you bring some new clothes for the martyrs this Qingming?’"]

["‘Machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, new tank models, fighter jets, assault ships, missiles, aircraft carriers…’"]

["‘All models available, official merchandise, guaranteed precision. Limited quantities, buy now! Once sold out, I’m closing shop—I’ve got a train ticket home for tomb-sweeping at 3:30 PM! No kidding, if you're visiting, grab these deals now!’"]

["‘No fooling around - everything's half-price today, rock-bottom prices! Discounts shrink each day: 60% off tomorrow, 70% the next, 80% after that.’"]

["‘No 90% discount—by Qingming, prices return to normal. Don't wait - grab these deals now! You won't find better prices online!’"]

...

Sheng Qingquan checked the calendar. This year, Qingming Festival fell on April 4th. Four days before Qingming meant Clara arrived on April 1st.

Add to that April Fools’ Day. Unlike Qingming, which falls between April 4th and 6th, April Fools’ Day is fixed on April 1st every year.

While many merchants employ deceptive tactics for promotions—claiming the boss is bankrupt and liquidating stock when they’re actually rolling in dough, or running endless 'final days' sales—it’s unlikely every vendor would do the same.

Especially since this was clearly catering to Qingming shoppers—there was no need to lie. Plus, everyone knows when Qingming is; lying about dates would just make customers distrust them.

If even the dates are fabricated, how can we trust anything they say?

"So Clara must have arrived on April 1st."

"But given it was April Fools’ Day, what was said might not have been truthful. She could still be tricked."

So Sheng Qingquan didn’t fully buy the date until he saw more of the story.

"The festive atmosphere of Qingming Festival is strong, but April Fools’ Day still has its impact."

"Especially since Qingming Festival was still a few days away, and with April Fools’ Day being that very day, even if Clara didn’t initially understand the holiday, after being on Tianlanxing for half a day, how could she not figure it out?"

"In the original work, later on, Clara kept digging up graves but kept striking out—no bones, just ashes. Sometimes, when her undead minions pried open a tomb, they’d only find a few pieces of clothing or other items."

"She’d hit empty graves—just memorials."

"After days of coming up empty, Clara felt like the universe was messing with her. Even when she did find something, the meager haul paled in comparison to the rich rewards she had envisioned."

"Reflecting on this, Clara recalled the day of her arrival—what day it had been. The humiliation burned even worse. It was like the world itself was laughing at her, fueling her fury."

"The real kicker was that upon her arrival, hearing the blaring advertisements, she’d figured these people really honored their dead."

"She also sensed a suffocating sense of death. Thus, Clara instinctively believed that the dead in this world were meticulously preserved."

"Sure she’d hit the jackpot, she got slapped in the face by their hypocrisy!"

"Everywhere, they displayed respect for the dead. Larger cemeteries even had guards, patrols, and dedicated staff who daily carried buckets and cloths to wipe down tombstones."

"Back in her homeland, even royal mausoleums didn’t receive such meticulous care. Guards were posted only to ward off necromancers. Here, where necromancers didn’t exist and no one would desecrate corpses, they still went to such lengths. They treated the dead like royalty."

"But while they showed such care, it was also they who committed the damnable act of burning bodies to ash!"

"No wonder Clara lost it after such a crushing disappointment."

"This twist of cruel irony undeniably confirmed Clara’s arrival date from another angle. The text explicitly stated it was April Fools’ Day—no way she got the date wrong."

"Moreover, from Clara’s furious flashbacks, the time could even be pinpointed to 9:47 a.m. on April 1st."

"Because the vendors at the time weren’t set up right outside the martyrs' cemetery."

Though earlier, upon hearing the ad content blaring from the speakers, everyone had their suspicions, hearing 'martyrs’ cemetery' made their stomachs drop.

This was the last thing they wanted to see.

A necromancer linked to a martyrs’ cemetery. The dread was palpable—what would happen next required no imagination.

"Cemeteries demand quiet. Outside, while business was business, out of respect, vendors kept a respectful distance from the gates, lining the roads leading to the cemetery."

"Nearby, aside from the cemetery, there were hospitals, residential areas, and other buildings. So on April Fools’ Day, they hawked gag gifts too."

"At the time, someone heading to the hospital to visit a sick child paused to check the time. Seeing they still had time, they bought a few harmless prank toys to get a laugh out of the kid."

"The text explicitly noted the time: exactly 9:47."

"When Clara later flew into a rage, she recalled this detail. The person buying so many prank toys right as she arrived felt like yet another reminder of April Fools’ Day—impossible to forget. In her fury, Clara ordered her undead minions to hunt the person down and butchered them in a rage."

"Even the street vendors died horribly."

What a psycho!

Someone couldn't help but mutter a curse under their breath. They'd seen people take out their anger before, but never to this extent. Those people didn't even know her—probably never even saw her.

If you're so embarrassed, why kill them? Just off yourself instead.

"The timing of Clara's appearance is already confirmed: 9:47 AM on April 1st."

"What remains to be determined is the location."

"Just knowing it's near a martyrs' cemetery isn't enough."

"Unfortunately, there are countless martyrs' cemeteries, large and small, on Tianlanxing."

"Every province, even every city, has several. The city with the most has a whopping 22 cemeteries."

"Every inch of soil was paid for in blood. It shows how arduous those times were."

"Nailing down the exact spot won't be easy."

"Luckily, we have the source material to go by."

"In the story, after Clara appeared, she initially intended to target the cemetery immediately. She could sense how special the dead buried there were."

"These corpses might even outclass the paladins and priests' bodies she obtained from the Holy Church. Their power isn't from holy mojo."

"But because they were martyrs."

"They bought it for noble causes, for hope, for protection. They were tough as nails, their convictions firm. After death, they were deeply revered and remembered."

"Corpses like these, when transformed into undead, are way better than those who kicked the bucket unnoticed, forgotten or unmourned. They advance more easily into powerful undead."

"But before acting, Clara picked up another thick wave of death vibes shooting into the sky from the distant southeast."

"Unlike the cemetery here, which held many deceased, that direction didn't have as many dead. But she picked up some ancient juju there."

"Ancient, and powerful."

"For a necromancer, among corpses, the older they are, the stronger they become."

"The old ones are the good ones," a staff member remarked without thinking.

Who'd have thunk you could take it that way?

Since Clara's appearance time was confirmed smoothly, and they were closing in on the location, plus Clara being drawn to other corpses meant she likely wouldn't target the martyrs' cemetery immediately—even though they knew from the source material that the cemetery wouldn't escape her forever.

Still, everyone's mood lightened somewhat. Buying time still counted for something. Besides, in reality, they'd move heaven and earth to stop that from happening.

Hearing this, someone couldn't resist teasing the speaker with a glance: "You're a real card!"

"Among them was one corpse. Even from a distance, Clara faintly sensed it. She realized that once transformed, it would instantly surpass other ranks and become one of her heavy hitters."

"It might even replace her strongest undead, becoming her new number two."

"This made Clara put a pin in attacking the cemetery and book it over there eagerly."

"The place Clara went to."

"It's the Mausoleum of the First Emperor."

"Where?!" someone's voice cracked.

"The Mausoleum of the First Emperor?!"

"Which First Emperor's Mausoleum?" someone asked, though they already knew the answer but couldn't help clinging to a sliver of hope.

Yet their colleague mercilessly shattered it.

A staff member snapped in exasperation, "Where else could it be? There's only one Mausoleum of the First Emperor on the entire planet Tianlanxing." [Note: The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are legendary Chinese rulers.]

His virtue eclipsed the Three Sovereigns; his deeds dwarfed the Five Emperors. Before him, rulers were merely kings—after him, they became emperors.

Originally, Clara's attempt to target the martyrs' cemeteries had already left everyone seeing red.

The martyrs had devoted their lives to their homeland, and after death, everyone wished for them to rest in peace, their heroic souls left in peace. Yet Clara not only sought to disturb them but also to puppeteer their honored remains.

Who could stand that?!

The staff were already fuming, and now she dared to target the First Emperor himself.

That just poured gasoline on the fire!

This isn't the immortality our ancestors dreamed of!