Chapter 267 - 259: Flipping the Table

Chapter 267: Chapter 259: Flipping the Table

The setting sun cast a slanted glow.

On the tree-lined driveway before the Wen Mansion, the crisp sound of horse hooves grew from a distant echo to a frantic gallop.

Outside the heavy, black cast-iron gates, more than a dozen uniformed guards heard the sound, instinctively tightening their grips on their long guns. They all turned to face the direction of the hoofbeats.

Before long, a white horse appeared at the far end of the lane, galloping rapidly in their direction.

The lead guard frowned, stepped forward, and shouted, "Stop right there!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, his vision blurred. It was as if a gust of wind had blown past him.

By the time they recovered, a young man in a white suit was standing before them.

"You—"

"I am Fu Juemin."

The young man glanced at the guard. His tone was level, but it carried an undeniable authority.

"Open the gate."

"Fu Juemin?"

The guard frowned, raising the muzzle of his gun slightly. "I don’t know any Fu Juemin," he said coldly.

"I don’t care who you are. Right now—"

He didn’t get to finish. Someone came up from behind him and tugged gently on his sleeve.

After listening to his companion’s hushed whisper, the guard’s expression shifted. His gaze, as it fell upon the young man before him, grew complicated.

"Ah, so it’s Young Master Fu."

The guard forced a smile onto his face and quickly stepped aside, clearing a path.

He turned, about to signal his men to open the gate, when a voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

"What?"

An inexplicable sense of alarm surged from the depths of his heart—sudden, without reason or warning.

It was as if the muzzles of a hundred rifles were pressed firmly against his back.

WHOOSH—

Almost at the same instant, the guards at the gate raised their guns in unison, aiming at the same spot. Their expressions were tense, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

But the young man in the white suit, now at the center of countless rifle muzzles, had done nothing.

He simply stood in place, his gaze fixed on the guard who had whispered to the other one. That man was now drenched in sweat. Fu Juemin calmly repeated his question:

"What did you just say to him?"

...

「Wen Mansion. The main residence.」

Inside the magnificent, Western-style hall, beneath an exquisite crystal chandelier, rows of white-sheeted corpses were laid out on the black-and-gold tiled floor.

The bodies nearly filled the entire hall.

Many people stood gathered around the bodies. Some wore numb expressions, others were overcome with grief, while still others wept softly. A solemn, mourn-filled, and oppressive atmosphere shrouded the entire hall.

"Who are you! You can’t go in!"

THUMP!—

Suddenly, a shout and the dull thud of an impact shattered the hall’s silence, followed immediately by the sharp crack of a gunshot.

In an instant, everyone in the hall tensed, their expressions changing as a nervous commotion broke out.

"It must be those bastards again!"

In the crowd, a burly man covered in blood and grime, dressed like someone from the martial world, rose from beside a corpse. He drew the long saber from his waist with a savage expression and roared, "Damn it, you dare to come back!

I’ll tear them apart!!"

The burly man raised his saber and stalked toward the door, radiating killing intent.

But just as he reached it, the two large, tightly-shut doors suddenly swung inward.

WHOOSH!—

A furious gust of wind surged in, forcing the man to squint.

When he opened his eyes and took in the sight outside, the savage look on his face and his murderous aura vanished without a trace.

"Hero... Hero Fu."

The burly man froze before the door, saber in hand, his expression a mixture of shock and bewilderment.

Outside the doors, in the center of a circle formed by countless guards aiming their guns but daring not to approach, stood a handsome young man dressed in a white suit.

The young man’s expression was unnaturally calm.

He slowly walked past the burly man, not sparing him a single glance. He didn’t look at anyone else in the hall, either.

He walked past the bodies on the floor as if no one else existed, finally stopping directly beneath the crystal chandelier.

Two burly figures knelt there, their bodies riddled with bullet holes and blackened as if scorched by fire.

Hearing the footsteps, the two men looked up. One of them called out in a hoarse voice, "Young Master."

The young man did not look at them.

He simply passed between the two of them and walked over to a middle-aged woman lying silently on the floor. Her eyes were closed, as if she were just sleeping.

He bent down, took one of her hands, and whispered in a voice barely audible.

"Aunt Ding... I’m here."

...

Isn’t it cold on the road? Why didn’t you put on more layers?

Just call me Aunt Ding.

They’re Big Cat and Kitty. From now on, they’ll be with you.

You’ve come to my side. If you want to make something of yourself, I’ll teach you everything I know. If you don’t want to do anything at all, as long as I’m here, you can live comfortably as a pampered young master in Shenghai.

Lingjun, you only need to remember one thing.

In this world, if there’s only one person who will dote on you and protect you unconditionally, it won’t be your father, Fu Guosheng...

It’ll be me.

Lingjun!

Lingjun...

Fu Juemin stared silently at Madam Ding’s cold corpse. Memories of her, of the words she had spoken to him, surged into his mind, one scene and one sentence after another.

But strangely, he felt no urge to cry.

His heart was unnaturally calm.

’That’s right, how deep could his feelings possibly be for someone he had only known for a little over half a year?’

’Even though she was so good to me, even though she always looked out for me, even though she treated me like her own son...’

Fu Juemin studied Madam Ding’s face intently.

After a long moment, he released her cold hand and slowly rose to his feet.

He turned around. Every eye in the hall was on him.

Fu Juemin’s gaze swept over them one by one, finally settling on Wen Zhiqiu, who stood deep within the crowd, his right arm wrapped in thick bandages.

He smiled and spoke in a low voice.

"Aunt Ding is dead... Why didn’t you all just die along with her?"

Everyone froze.

From behind Wen Zhiqiu, a figure stepped forward, glaring at Fu Juemin. "You—"

BOOM!

An invisible ripple swept through the air. The man was sent flying backward, slamming into a wall with a loud CRASH and vomiting a mouthful of blood.

Instantly, everyone in the hall fell back, their expressions tense as if facing a formidable foe.

The guards from outside flooded in, and a hundred rifle muzzles were aimed squarely at Fu Juemin.

Fu Juemin, however, just stood there quietly.

"Lower your weapons!"

But it was Wen Zhiqiu who barked the order. His authoritative gaze swept over the guards, who then slowly lowered their rifles.

Wen Zhiqiu’s expression was calm as he walked step by step to stand before Fu Juemin. He paused, then spoke, enunciating each word. "Do what you came to do.

I promise no one will stand in your way—"

He paused again, his voice lowering.

"Then again, I doubt anyone here *could* stand in your way."

Having said his piece, Wen Zhiqiu simply looked at him, saying nothing more.

Fu Juemin stared into Wen Zhiqiu’s eyes, searching for any trace of fear, nervousness, or feigned calm.

He searched and searched.

His search was interrupted when a well-dressed, scholarly-looking man with a pale face stepped forward and spoke quickly. "No one wanted to see Brother Moshan die.

Nan Xiangcheng allied with the Westerners, the Woodcutter Gang, and a few compradors from the New Realm... There were too many of them, and they came too quickly. We had no time to react. They were trying to kill Mr. Wen. Brother Moshan rushed out on her own and took two bullets for him.

She said... she was repaying Mr. Wen for taking a blade for her in their youth..."

Fu Juemin listened quietly until the man finished speaking. He remained in place, seemingly lost in thought.

No one in the hall spoke. It was as if even breathing had ceased. The atmosphere was terrifyingly oppressive.

A moment later, Fu Juemin turned, walked back under the crystal chandelier, and lifted Madam Ding’s body into his arms.

"Big Cat, Kitty. We’re going home."

"Yes."

The two massive figures rose and followed him, walking step by step toward the door.

All eyes followed Fu Juemin and his two companions as they left.

Just as the three of them reached the doorway, Fu Juemin suddenly stopped.

The next second, a calm voice drifted back, as if he were muttering to himself.

"Since everyone is so set on dying... then... let none of you live."

And with that...

BOOOOM!!!—

A terrifying, twisted aura exploded from the entrance, and the massive gates were instantly blown to smithereens.

A terrifying shockwave blasted into the hall, making the floor feel as if it were shaking. The crystal chandelier swung violently, and debris rained down from the ceiling...

When the chaos subsided, everyone looked up to find that the three figures who had been standing at the entrance were gone without a trace.

All that remained was a group of armed guards, their faces filled with a horrified terror, as if they had just seen a ghost...