Chapter 151 – Clowns on a Stage, Part Two

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

Knock, knock, knock!

At the crisp sound, Feng Guansheng straightened his collar and headed for the door.

He hadn't taken a single defensive precaution in his office.

He intended to hedge his bets.

If Peng Jun's plan succeeded, the outcome spoke for itself.

But if it failed, having no defenses would help him pretend he had done nothing. With a few little tricks, he could pin the clone legion's actions on someone else.

Play innocent. That was exactly what he had in mind.

He wasn't the only one who could activate the Academy of Sciences' clone forces. Several people had that authority.

Including that upstart Wei Tian…

Yes, he would blame the kid. It was the fellow's own fault for being talented enough to threaten Feng Guansheng's position as director.

With that thought, he slowly reached the door and pulled it open.

An oddly designed Gun pressed against his forehead.

"What… what are you doing?"

He stared at Wei Tian and the muscular Black man and little girl behind him, his mind flooded with questions and fear.

The next second, it was over.

Bang!

The shot wasn't loud, but it was effective.

One bullet from the modified handgun blew Feng Guansheng's head apart.

Wei Tian smiled at the corpse.

"The Military's Black Tortoise War God sends his regards. Enjoy your trip to hell, idiot."

…

"Mission complete. I just didn't expect him to have no defenses at all. Looks like he was planning to blame everything on me. I didn't even need the two people you sent along."

Lin Haifeng felt a flicker of disappointment too.

"It doesn't matter. I didn't expect Feng Guansheng to be that stupid either."

"Should I send the two of them back, then?"

Lin Haifeng considered it briefly and shook his head.

"No need. They'll protect you. You're the only person in the Military who can activate Black Tortoise now."

"Understood."

Lin Haifeng ended the call. He looked at the worsening chaos outside, shook his head slightly, then left the window and sat at his desk. His hands went swiftly to work.

Soon, a fresh pot of fragrant tea was steaming before him. He bent down, took four additional cups from a desk drawer, and filled them.

…

"The way of tea is the appreciation of its beauty."

"What matters isn't so much the flavor on your tongue as the process of preparing it. If you brew tea with care, it becomes a cleansing and an elevation of the spirit."

"Personally, I enjoy both preparing and drinking it. I take more pleasure in the process than the result."

"Because, in my eyes, the result is already fixed."

"Please. Have some tea."

Lin Haifeng placed two cups on the opposite side of his desk.

His visitors did not accept the gesture.

"Then I'd like to ask you something, Commander Lin. Are you going to die?"

Lin Haifeng took a small sip and nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. Everyone dies. I'm no exception. But I won't die today."

"Oh?"

Yang Pengguang raised an eyebrow.

"I don't believe you."

"Whether you believe me doesn't matter. What matters is whether you do, Fang Bai."

Beside Yang Pengguang, Fang Bai calmly regarded Lin Haifeng, then lifted his cup and drained it.

"I do!"

With all his strength, he brought his enormous halberd down at Yang Pengguang's head.

"Because I'm here!"

…

A vast demonic-god phantom rose from Fang Bai and merged with him in an instant. His aura surged wildly.

Caught off guard by his companion's sudden attack, Yang Pengguang stared at him in shock.

He barely blocked the heavy blow, then retreated to the edge of the office.

"What are you doing? What the hell are you doing?"

"Killing someone. Isn't that what you brought me here for?"

Fang Bai watched him calmly as he adjusted his position, placing himself between Yang Pengguang and Lin Haifeng.

"But I decide who."

…

"I've watched Fang Bai grow up. These past days have been hard on him."

Lin Haifeng sipped his tea as he watched the two fight, showing no concern about the outcome.

A huge Barrier now enclosed the entire office. Its sole purpose was to reinforce everything inside it.

That was why the shock waves of the battle had not yet destroyed the building.

"Oh, do have some tea."

He pushed another cup toward the seat beside him.

The man there accepted it and gulped it down, appreciating its subtleties about as much as an ox chewing flowers.

"Good tea. And a good plan. Looks like these clowns couldn't have threatened your safety even if we hadn't come, Commander Lin."

Lin Haifeng glanced at the golden-robed Sequence 7, Qin Min, and shook his head.

"An extra layer of protection never hurts. Who knows what else that old bastard Peng Jun has planned?"

"Whatever it is, he won't escape your grasp."

At the half-compliment, Lin Haifeng smiled and nodded.

"Within Yanjing Settlement, I am all-knowing and all-powerful."

…

From the beginning, this had been a trap for the Demon Worship Cult and Peng Jun.

Lin Haifeng had indeed killed Fang Bai's father. But appearances were misleading: Fang Bai had not turned against the Military.

In fact, he had played a major part in bringing his father down.

Using Fang Bai as bait to catch the Demon Worship Cult-or anyone plotting against Yanjing Settlement-had been the plan all along.

The cult had simply happened to walk into it.

As the battle in front of him intensified, Lin Haifeng spoke to Qin Min.

"Give Fang Bai a hand."

After a brief hesitation, he added:

"Take him alive if possible."

"No problem."

Qin Min smiled and nodded. His aura soared, and his body became a streak of golden light as he joined the fight.