Chapter 244 - 238: Ming Society, Fire Pit

Chapter 244: Chapter 238: Ming Society, Fire Pit

Fu Juemin had only met He Renli once; the two of them shared no real connection.

When Aunt Ding summoned him this time, giving instructions was likely a secondary concern. Her main goal was probably to introduce him to the key players.

After all, with Nan Xiangcheng now holding a knife to their throats, Fu Juemin, as a member of the Wen System, couldn’t afford not to know all of his allies.

Fu Juemin hesitated, initially wanting to find an excuse to decline.

But as he looked at the scene before him—countless men dispatched, turning the earth upside down to no avail—a thought suddenly occurred to him.

He planned to use an open stratagem: display the water monkey’s bride’s corpse for three days to force the creature to reveal itself.

But the water monkey was cunning and patient by nature. No matter how much it cared for its "bride," why would it walk into an obvious death trap and throw its life away?

’He had to... leave it a visible opening, a sliver of hope, to tempt it into taking a reckless risk.’

’Perhaps, my leaving the scene for a while is actually for the best.’

With this in mind, Fu Juemin summoned Xu Hengjiang and gave him detailed instructions. Only after seeing all the arrangements were in motion did he depart with Big Cat.

He had done everything he could. Whether it succeeded or not, now, was up to fate.

....

「An hour later.」

A convoy of black cars slowly came to a stop at the entrance of the Shanghai Ji Yi Public Funeral Hall.

The door of the central sedan, marked with a golden emblem, opened. A tall, slender young figure was deferentially escorted out.

Fu Juemin, dressed in a fresh black suit, stood firm, his calm gaze sweeping over the scene.

Inside and outside the funeral hall’s main gate, and even along the streets on both sides, stood fully armed Patrol Police and plainclothes officers. The atmosphere was solemn, yet tinged with a palpable tension.

Looking from the entrance into the hall, he could see black drapes, white flowers, and a forest of elegiac couplets. Before he even stepped inside, the ceaseless chanting of Monks and Daoists reached his ears.

Given Fu Juemin’s grand arrival, an usher waiting at the door hurried forward to greet him the moment he stepped out of the car.

He led Big Cat and the others inside, and it wasn’t long before they reached the mourning hall.

The entire hall was draped in stark white. A massive black-and-white portrait of He Renli hung in the center, with numerous braziers placed below, from which paper ash swirled into the air.

A large group of people wearing sackcloth and mourning knelt on the floor. Among them were He Renli’s four sons, two daughters, his primary wife, and five concubines.

Besides the chanting Daoists and Monks, many other mourners were seated or standing on either side of the hall—all of them prominent figures from the Wen System.

As Fu Juemin entered, numerous gazes immediately converged on him. His expression remained indifferent; he paid them no mind.

After Fu Juemin finished offering incense to He Renli and completed the rites, he heard someone call his name, "Lingjun."

Fu Juemin turned his head and was met with the sight of Aunt Ding standing before him in a black cheongsam.

"Aunt Ding."

Fu Juemin acknowledged her, noticing that her expression showed little grief. Instead, it was filled with gravity and solemnity.

Seeing Fu Juemin, Madam Ding’s stern expression softened slightly. She beckoned to him and led him directly to a small room behind a side door of the mourning hall.

It appeared to be a temporary lounge prepared for guests, for tea and quiet conversation.

The door closed, shutting out the noise and chanting from outside. The two of them sat down in the tea room, with Big Cat and Kitty standing guard at the entrance.

"Nan Xiangcheng’s doing?"

Fu Juemin was the first to speak.

Aunt Ding nodded, her eyes complex. "We’d long suspected Nan would eventually make a move. He Renli was careful enough, but alas... it still happened."

A flicker in Fu Juemin’s eyes, he asked casually, "What kind of master does Nan have under him, that even ’Young Master’ ended up dead?"

"I don’t know."

Madam Ding shook her head, her tone heavy. "We’ve sent several groups to assassinate Nan Xiangcheng. Not a single one has returned alive.

They didn’t even manage to cause a stir...

But."

Madam Ding paused, then continued, "No matter how powerful a Martial Arts expert is, they can only carry out assassinations. They can’t influence the overt situation.

Even though Nan Xiangcheng killed He Renli, it’s wishful thinking for him to seize control of the police in the Hua Realm because of it.

What he truly relies on are the troops under his command..."

"Since he’s already made a move, he won’t stop there. There’s no telling who his next target will be."

Fu Juemin looked at Madam Ding before him and warned, "Aunt Ding, you must be extremely careful."

Madam Ding nodded, then said slowly, "I’m afraid we aren’t the ones Nan Xiangcheng wants to deal with most right now..."

"He has other enemies in Shenghai?" Fu Juemin asked, slightly surprised.

Madam Ding merely glanced at him and softly uttered three words: "The Ming Society."

Upon hearing those three words, a name instantly flashed through Fu Juemin’s mind, and he blurted it out: "Li Mingyi?"

"Yes."

Madam Ding’s expression was calm. "Li Mingyi came to Shenghai this time to meet with the core members of the Ming Society from the Southeastern Provinces.

Starting tomorrow, these people will begin to leave Shenghai one by one..."

Fu Juemin understood immediately.

’What would Li Mingyi and the Ming Society be discussing? Revolution, of course.’

Nan Xiangcheng wouldn’t be able to sit still. As the representative of the Xin Republic’s Government in Shenghai, he would never allow such a "flame" to spread.

Compared to that, his struggle with the Wen System would have to take a backseat.

After hearing this, Fu Juemin couldn’t help but smile. "In that case, this is a good opportunity for us."

"While Nan Xiangcheng is busy arresting members of the Ming Society and has his hands full, Aunt Ding could advise Mayor Wen to seize the opportunity to settle the score for He Renli—with interest."

"It’s not as simple as you think."

Madam Ding sighed softly and gave a wry smile. "Do you know where the Ming Society has been holding its secret meetings for over a week?

The Wen Mansion!

Without Mr. Wen’s protection, they wouldn’t have lasted two days together before Nan Xiangcheng rounded them all up.

Ever since Li Mingyi arrived in Shenghai, he has had long talks with Mr. Wen late into the night, almost every night.

Mr. Wen... he..."

Madam Ding’s words faltered before she finally said slowly, "His stance has become quite clear."

"I understand."

After listening, Fu Juemin suddenly let out a low laugh. "Mr. Wen is preparing to drag everyone... to their deaths with him," he said, his tone flat.

"Lingjun!"

Madam Ding’s tone suddenly grew severe.

But when her eyes met Fu Juemin’s calm gaze, her voice immediately lost its force and softened.

She lowered her gaze and said in a low voice, "Mr. Wen naturally has his reasons. We just need to follow his orders.

I don’t like what you just said. In the future... don’t say it again."

Fu Juemin’s lips twitched into a slight smile, but he said nothing.

’In his view, if Wen Zhiqiu were only fighting against Nan Xiangcheng, he wouldn’t necessarily die even if he lost. He could most likely secure a graceful exit from power.’

’But once he resolved to get entangled with the Ming Society’s Revolutionary Faction, the end would inevitably be utter doom.’

’This was a line that could not be crossed with the Xin Republic’s Government. They would dare to kill even Li Mingyi for crossing it, let alone an insignificant figure like Wen Zhiqiu!’

’Fu Juemin had no grand notions about serving his country. Ever since he’d crossed over into this chaotic world, all he wanted was to look after himself and those close to him.’

’Wen Zhiqiu held the fate of the nation in his heart and wanted to perform a heroic deed. Fu Juemin had no objection to that. After all, everyone has a different level of ideological awareness. He could support it, even admire it.’

’But to knowingly leap into a massive Fire Pit was one thing; to drag all his subordinates in with him was another...’

’Aunt Ding understood all of this perfectly, yet she was still stubbornly determined to follow Wen Zhiqiu to the bitter end.’

’Sigh...’

"...In a few days, Mr. Wen will organize a student protest, making a big show of it to escort Li Mingyi out of the city.

Overtly, the Xin Republic’s people won’t dare to do anything, but they will certainly try to assassinate him in secret.

Mr. Wen hopes that when the time comes, we will protect him at all costs..."

Just as Madam Ding was speaking, Fu Juemin suddenly interrupted, "There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Aunt Ding.

But it’s not too late now..."

Madam Ding was taken aback. "What is it?"

Fu Juemin said calmly, "It’s about the Jianghai Defense Command, and a certain Commander Luo Zhengxiong."