Chapter 203 - 201: Stroke of Genius, Small Northern Station

Chapter 203: Chapter 201: Stroke of Genius, Small Northern Station

Early morning. In the small, south-facing dining room on the second floor of the new mansion at Ink Garden, sunlight streamed through the long windows, spilling onto a mahogany dining table covered with a snow-white linen tablecloth.

The steam heater in the room was on full blast, humming softly. The air was a mixture of sandalwood and the warm aroma of food.

Fu Juemin sat "obediently" at the table, using a silver spoon to slowly skim the thin, shimmering golden layer of "congee skin" off the top of his chicken and scallop congee.

"I heard some interesting news this morning."

Madam Ding’s voice rang out.

Fu Juemin immediately put down his spoon and looked up. "What did you hear, Aunt Ding?"

Madam Ding took a hot towel from an old maidservant and wiped her hands, her speech unhurried. "Zhao Jigang is dead, along with his wife of thirty-some years.

Someone came to their door late at night seeking revenge. They were beaten to death, and the entire Zhao Mansion was nearly wiped out in the process..."

As soon as Madam Ding finished, Fu Juemin clapped his hands and laughed. "Good riddance! That Zhao Jigang was a sinister, vicious man, and an enemy of ours. His death saves us a lot of trouble..."

"You didn’t have it done?"

Madam Ding watched him with a faint, unreadable smile.

Fu Juemin put on an "innocent" face and shook his head. "Aunt Ding, you think too highly of me. As much as I wanted Zhao Jigang dead, I don’t have that kind of ability.

Zhao Jigang may have been a terrible person, but he was still the head of the Shenghai Martial Arts Troupe..."

Madam Ding didn’t argue with him. She just gestured with her hand, and someone quickly brought over a sheet of white paper and placed it in front of Fu Juemin.

"Look at this."

Fu Juemin’s eyes swept over the paper. On it was an ink-printed portrait of a man in his forties with handsome, sharp features. The corners of his mouth seemed to be smiling, yet not smiling; his eyes seemed to be closed, yet not closed.

With just a few strokes, it had captured about sixty percent of Demon Elephant Ji Shaotong’s domineering, cold, and arrogant spirit, making him leap off the page.

Fu Juemin had fully intended to keep up his act, but seeing the portrait, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "What a great drawing. Aunt Ding, do you know who drew this? I want to invite them to Ink Garden as a guest!"

"I knew it was you..."

Madam Ding shot him a reproachful look, then pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "I heard from the Kitties that this man has quite a formidable reputation in the Martial Arts. Your skills... were they taught by him as well?"

Since he’d been "exposed," Fu Juemin no longer tried to hide it and nodded frankly. "Yes. But his reputation is... not a good one."

"Your Aunt Ding’s reputation out there isn’t so great either."

Madam Ding waved her hand dismissively, took a slim cigarette from the enamel case beside her, and slowly lit it.

She took a light puff and blew out a smoke ring, her tone suddenly shifting. "...That thing you took down outside the garden, I showed it to Mr. Wen. Coincidentally, his men have also encountered similar Western demonic objects."

Fu Juemin’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Is Luo Zhengxiong making his move?"

"He’s making moves, but he’s smarter than you think."

Madam Ding flicked her ash. "Nan Xiangcheng is out of the Jianghai Defense Command.

He showed up at the German Concession Envoy’s birthday banquet a couple of days ago and even had a run-in with He Renli... It seems he’s already settled on terms with Luo Zhengxiong.

Luo Zhengxiong plans to push him out to the front lines first."

At this point, Madam Ding paused, frowning. "It’s strange, though. For the past two years, Luo Zhengxiong has made very few public moves. He’s become a recluse, and his temperament is like that of a completely different person..."

A glint flashed in Fu Juemin’s eyes as he thought to himself, ’Luo Zhengxiong himself was long ago transformed by the Westerners’ degenerate technology into that inhuman Demon Fiend form. How could he possibly show his face in public?

For the past two years, he’s probably been busy with the ’Demon Fiend transformation’ of himself and his subordinates.

His deliberate show of ’docility’ is likely just a tactic to lull the Xin Republic’s Government into a false sense of security and buy himself more time.’

Of course, these words were too shocking for him to say out loud.

The moment he uttered them, regardless of whether the Wen System believed him, he and Aunt Ding would become public enemies, and his own secrets would be exposed. It would do more harm than good.

"So our opponent for now is Nan Xiangcheng?"

Fu Juemin asked.

Madam Ding nodded. "Since Nan Xiangcheng has dared to step forward, he must be prepared to formally contend with us.

To be honest, Aunt Ding was very happy to hear this news this morning..."

Madam Ding tapped the portrait of "Li Tong" on the table, her gaze softening as she looked at Fu Juemin. "It’s not because Zhao Jigang died.

It’s knowing that you have such a powerful person secretly protecting you that puts Aunt Ding’s heart at ease...

She paused, her voice softening. "Ultimately, none of this had anything to do with you. It was all because of Aunt Ding that you got dragged into it..."

Fu Juemin saw the guilt flash in her eyes. He blinked and smiled. "Aunt Ding, you only remember that you might have implicated me, but you’ve forgotten how much trouble Lingjun has caused you over the years.

We’re family. There’s no need to talk like we’re strangers."

As he spoke, he reached over, gently took the slim cigarette from between Madam Ding’s fingers, and stubbed it out in the ashtray. He then said seriously, "Aunt Ding, you really must smoke less in the future."

Madam Ding watched him speak and put out the cigarette, her expression growing even more gentle and fond. She nodded and continued, "In the coming days, there will certainly be no shortage of covert struggles with Nan Xiangcheng’s side.

Even with this person protecting you, you must be extra careful. There’s no telling what dirty tricks they might pull.

Mr. Wen has already contacted a few old friends from the martial world to come and help. Every one of them is a top expert in the Martial Arts.

In a couple of days, you’ll come with me to receive them..."

Fu Juemin agreed. But seeing that Madam Ding seemed to want to say something more but was hesitating, he had to ask.

"Is there something else, Aunt Ding?"

Madam Ding looked at the portrait of "Li Tong" on the table and said with a wry smile, "This person backing you has Extraordinary skills. He can even kill someone like Zhao Jigang at will.

Right now, Mr. Wen is in dire need of capable people, so I was thinking... could you help me arrange a meeting with him?

I want to ask for his help in person..."

Fu Juemin froze. He hadn’t expected Madam Ding to have "taken a fancy" to the combat prowess of the "Demon Elephant" he was impersonating.

Caught between laughter and tears, he thought for a moment and said, "He has a strange temperament. When he’s happy, he’ll see anyone. When he’s not, not even the Jade Emperor himself could get him to show his face.

But don’t worry, Aunt Ding. I’ll go talk to him... He should be willing to help."

"Don’t force him."

After hearing this, Madam Ding’s expression turned serious as she warned, "If you displease him, he might not even be willing to protect you anymore..."

She pondered for a moment, then added, "Also, pass on a message for Aunt Ding.

Whether he is willing to help or not, I, Ding Moshan, will be deeply indebted to him.

Who knows how many times he’s protected you, both openly and in secret... Lingjun, in one’s life, you don’t meet many true ’benefactors.’ Once you do, you must do everything you can to maintain that relationship..."

Seeing Madam Ding nagging him with such gentle, motherly care, a soft spot in Fu Juemin’s heart was quietly touched.

’My impersonation of Uncle Tong had started on a whim, just for fun.

Now, it seemed this unintentional act had turned out to be a stroke of genius, a happy accident.

It perfectly suited the current situation.

As the friction between the various factions intensified, acting under the name of "Demon Elephant Ji Shaotong" would actually give me much more freedom.

As for having Uncle Tong take the blame for my ’dirty work’?’

Fu Juemin felt this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for Uncle Tong. ’Isn’t Uncle Tong being hunted by the current Formless Walking of the Formless Sect? If I make a big enough scene, I might be able to draw that Formless Walking to me. I can just kill them for Uncle Tong, which would repay him for all his care and for teaching me his skills.

It’s the perfect solution, a great deed that kills two birds with one stone!’

...

「Meanwhile, in a small town in the North, hundreds of miles from Shenghai.」

"WHOO WHOO—"

A pitch-black steam train, belching thick white smoke, slowly pulled into the station.

A short, gray-haired old man in black, wearing a flat-brimmed cap and carrying a medium-sized, wax-yellow wicker suitcase, slowly disembarked with a few other passengers.

Beneath the brim of his cap was a face that was deeply lined, yet remarkably calm.

If Fu Juemin had been there, he would have immediately recognized this man as the "Uncle Tong" he often thought about.

Compared to his time in Shenghai, however, the Li Tong of this moment looked more than ten years older. Even his back seemed somewhat stooped. Only his eyes, like deep, ancient wells, would occasionally flash with a keen light.

This was just a small station, and very few passengers got off here.

Li Tong carried his suitcase, walking slowly along the potholed concrete platform.

In the distance, a few vendors selling fried cakes and pulling rickshaws called out lazily.

Just as he was about to leave the platform, his steps came to an abrupt halt without any warning.

Slowly, he looked up.

Twenty meters away.

A handsome young man with a refined air, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a snow-white student uniform, was watching him with a wide grin.

Seeing Li Tong look his way, the young man gave him a brilliant smile and a wave, then strode directly toward him.

He took a single step.

An invisible ripple seemed to flash through the air.

The young man walked past a vendor carrying a pole with sweet cakes. The vendor’s body suddenly froze, and then—

A human head rolled to the ground without any warning.

Blood gushed from the neck like a fountain, splashing a dazzling crimson across the ground under the bleak winter sun....