Chapter 150 – Clowns on a Stage, Part One

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

"Kuangliu… save me…"

"I can't!"

"I'm… not going to make it…"

At Wen Yu's "agonized" plea, Kuangliu clutched his test paper more tightly.

"No copying in this Trial, remember? If either of us cheats, we both fail. Then we have to wait another hour to start again."

Wen Yu sighed helplessly.

"I know that. But what kind of Trial asks for a Chengyu Chain1 of a hundred expressions?!"

They were on the eighteenth floor of the Demon-Suppressing Tower.

And they had already discovered that this tower didn't suppress Demonic Creatures.

It suppressed "challengers."

The rewards were scant. Combat was easy-or rather, there was no combat at all. Most importantly, there was absolutely no danger to their lives.

Guardian No. 1 had certainly calculated everything to perfection.

This Treasure Land was nothing but a prison designed to waste their time and energy.

"By the way, we've been here almost a day, haven't we?"

Kuangliu checked his military wristwatch.

"Not even twelve hours yet. At this rate, we'll clear all thousand floors in less than a month. Assuming you stop copying! What the hell did you learn in primary-school language class?"

The clear Notification Tone had just announced, "Challenge failed due to cheating. Please try again in one hour." Kuangliu couldn't help shouting at Wen Yu.

Wen Yu was miserable too.

"I was always bad at Chinese… That's why my parents changed my name to Wen Yu."

"What was it before?"

"Would you believe me if I said Wen Aotian2?"

"Ha. Brother Aotian! Your reputation precedes you!"

"You're too kind. Too kind."

For two men who made their living through force, being trapped in this bizarre, maddening Treasure Land was torture enough.

Wen Yu could manage. Kuangliu was another matter.

Unaware of the cards Lin Haifeng held, he was growing increasingly irritable as he worried about events outside. That was precisely why Wen Yu kept joking with him. He didn't want Kuangliu's mental state to deteriorate.

Nor did he want to spend his time beside a powder keg ready to explode at a touch-especially after learning they might be stuck together for over a month.

…

Things in Yanjing Settlement did indeed look grim.

From a certain perspective, at least.

Having just ended his call with Sequence 1, Lin Haifeng carried his teacup to the window. Flames and explosions kept erupting in the Outer City, but he remained unmoved.

"First, cause unrest in the Outer City once the Military's main force leaves for Modu Settlement."

…

"Activate the Demon Worship Cult followers in Yanjing Settlement. As soon as the main force leaves, throw the whole Settlement into chaos!"

A hesitant voice answered Peng Jun through the communicator.

"But, my lord, we haven't recruited many high-ranking followers. I'm afraid the unrest won't reach the Inner City or the Central District…"

Peng Jun thought briefly, then decided.

"Make it as big as possible. If all we have is the Outer City, then the Outer City will do!"

"Understood!"

This was the moment he had been preparing for by building the Demon Worship Cult under the Military's nose.

To Peng Jun, the cult was only another tool. Another weapon.

…

"Order the remaining troops and police to suppress the rioters. Put all of Yanjing Settlement on the highest state of military alert. Execute any non-Military personnel found on the streets immediately!"

That was Lin Haifeng's answer. Simple, brutal, bloody, and inhumane.

But effective.

Watching the Settlement's remaining forces move toward the Outer City, he took another sip of tea and murmured to himself.

"Second, activate your inside contact in Yanjing Settlement. Wipe out the remaining troops in one stroke-or cause even greater chaos."

As though responding to his words, the gates of the Academy of Sciences in the Inner City swung open. Squad after squad of clone soldiers poured out, armed with the Academy's latest infantry guns, and charged the Military forces heading toward the Outer City.

Violent streams of energy engulfed the Inner City. Screams and explosions erupted everywhere, far louder than the earlier blasts in the Outer City.

…

"When the unrest starts in the Outer City, someone will contact you. I need you to eliminate all the Military forces that remain!"

After a long silence, an elderly voice replied.

"Peng Jun, you should understand that my clone soldiers are no match for Class Holders. However many I have, they can hardly stand against the Military."

Peng Jun sounded entirely confident.

"Don't worry. There won't be many strong fighters or troops left in Yanjing Settlement by then. Clone soldiers, advanced weapons, and suicide attacks-even if you can't beat them, you can tie them down."

"But… but…"

The hesitation made Peng Jun sneer.

"But what? Director Feng Guansheng, don't forget that what I have on you would give Lin Haifeng reason to kill you a hundred times over! If he doesn't die, I will. And if I die, I'm taking you with me! Now, what was that 'but'?"

Feng Guansheng faltered, unable to answer.

Peng Jun softened his voice.

"Relax, Old Feng. We go back a long way. Once I control the entire Military, you'll be well rewarded."

Feng Guansheng seemed to make up his mind.

"All right! But if my forces can't beat the remaining troops-"

"They can!"

Peng Jun cut the connection and snorted.

"Useless idiot. Still trying to back out at this stage! I never counted on you as my trump card."

…

"Tsk. What a fool. Can't even see which way things are going. Why couldn't you just spend your old age comfortably at the Academy?"

Lin Haifeng sighed, took another communicator from his Spatial Ring, and called a dedicated line.

After a moment, a young voice answered.

"Do you need me to activate Black Tortoise?"

"No. Take the people I just assigned you and kill Feng Guansheng. And disable the self-destruct system on those clone legions outside. Your new bombs are causing too many casualties among our soldiers!"

"Understood."

A few short sentences settled Feng Guansheng's fate.

…

Inside the Academy of Sciences, Feng Guansheng sat in his office, unable to keep still.

One saying described him perfectly: the older a man grew, the more timid he became.

He was old, but he plainly hadn't had enough of living.

The office was well soundproofed. Like a secluded refuge cut off from the world, it shut out all the chaos beyond its walls.