Chapter 113: Serpentine Mutant’s Revenge
Chen Chang’an knew exactly what his son was thinking. He waved a hand, gesturing for Chen Yunfei to follow him to the pavilion.
The father and son shared a cup of the remaining wine. Only then did Chen Chang’an slowly begin to speak.
"Qiu Fang began coveting my position ten years ago. He wants to be the one calling the shots in the Heiyu Alliance, but as its founder, so long as I’m around, he has no legitimate claim."
"He probably figured that once I was gone, he could take my place. What he didn’t expect was for me to have such a capable son."
As he said this, Chen Chang’an clapped Chen Yunfei heavily on the shoulder, his eyes filled with pride.
"And just like that, you became a thorn in his side. Only by getting rid of you could he hope to achieve his goal."
"Back then, he probably didn’t take Jingyu seriously. He figured that as long as you were out of the picture, he would succeed. He never imagined that after your... incident, Jingyu would directly take your place."
"And Jingyu has done an excellent job these past few years, leading the Heiyu Alliance to rack up numerous accomplishments in battle. That left Qiu Fang with even less of an opportunity."
"It must have been him who’s been spreading rumors all these years, hinting that Jingyu was the one who harmed you, all to put pressure on Jingyu."
"Dad, did you blame Jingyu, too?" Chen Yunfei suddenly interrupted Chen Chang’an.
Chen Chang’an was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to answer him.
In the end, it was Chen Yunfei who decided not to press the issue. He urged Chen Chang’an to continue, and his father complied.
"Jingyu’s performance kept improving, making Qiu Fang’s hopes increasingly slim. So, he’s started stirring up trouble again recently, even treating the lives of our members like a game and causing massive casualties."
"But Qiu Fang is an old fox. We might know what he’s done, but without concrete evidence, he’ll never admit to anything."
"That’s why you’re a key figure now. We need to gather evidence, expose what he’s done, and completely remove this cancer from our ranks."
"If he finds out you’re awake, he’ll definitely try to eliminate anyone and any clues connected to you. Finding evidence then will be even more difficult."
Understanding the stakes, Chen Yunfei had no choice but to accept the situation, though he still felt a little resentful.
Still worried about the situation outside, he could only put down the wine jar and gaze silently in the direction of the alarm.
On their way to the scene, Xu Qingsui and Lu Jingyu ran into a team assembling to head there.
But Shen Ling’an was nowhere to be seen among them.
He was supposed to be the new leader, a figure apart from Lu Jingyu. In a crisis like this, he should have been leading the charge.
"Captain, another Mutant just appeared where the last incident occurred. It looks like the mate of that serpent Mutant. It’s gone berserk, probably because its partner was killed. We lost several more squad members the moment it showed up. All combat-capable personnel are rushing there now."
The last serpent Mutant had caused so many casualties; it had already cast a shadow over the squad members’ hearts.
Facing the berserk serpent Mutant again, everyone was gripped by a strange fear. They didn’t want to charge in, but for the sake of Zone 9, they had to.
So when the squad members spotted Lu Jingyu and Xu Qingsui, it was as if they’d seen a ray of hope. Someone immediately came over to report the situation to Lu Jingyu.
Lu Jingyu frowned. ’The serpent Mutant’s mate? So this one is here for revenge. That’s going to make it even harder to deal with.’
Last time he had stood by while the casualties mounted. He definitely wouldn’t be a bystander this time.
But he still had his doubts and couldn’t help but ask, "What about Captain Shen, Shen Ling’an? Didn’t he lead a team to deal with this?"
The squad member looked awkward. Previously, swept up in the crowd, he had also cheered for Shen Ling’an, supporting his promotion to new captain.
But just now, after the Mutant was discovered, the people sent to find Shen Ling’an couldn’t find him anywhere.
A whole group of members had already fallen, yet there was still no sign of him.
’I must have been out of my mind to support Shen Ling’an for captain back then,’ he thought.
When he answered Lu Jingyu, the squad member couldn’t hold back a few curses aimed at Shen Ling’an.
Meanwhile, Shen Ling’an, who had rushed back to Qiu Fang’s home, let out a series of sneezes.
"Elder Qiu, that serpent Mutant’s mate is here for revenge! Do you have any more of that chemical agent you had your men use last time? I need it to kill the Mutant."
It was chaos outside, but Qiu Fang remained as unshakable as a mountain, as if the sky falling would be of no concern to him.
Seeing Shen Ling’an’s desperate expression, Qiu Fang showed a flicker of disdain. "Captain Shen, as a captain, your duty is to lead your squad to eliminate Mutants. Since when does that involve relying on a chemical agent to do the job?"
The color drained from Shen Ling’an’s face. "Elder Qiu, what are you saying? You’re the one who arranged for your men to use that agent to kill the first Mutant! You must have known how powerful it was. Its mate is here for revenge—there’s no way I can handle it! You can’t just abandon me!"
Qiu Fang shook his head, his face a mask of disappointment. "Captain Shen, you disappoint me greatly. As captain, are you going to rely on others’ help forever? How can you possibly bear the responsibilities of your position that way?"
"Don’t look at me like that. First of all, I’m telling the truth. Second, did you think that agent I used last time was something you can find just anywhere? That small amount was worth nearly half of Zone 9. That was all I had, and it’s already been used. I have nothing left to give you."
"So, Captain Shen, this Mutant is your problem now. And let me give you a little reminder: you’d better hurry to the scene. If the captain doesn’t even show his face, how do you expect your squad to have any faith in you?"
Shen Ling’an couldn’t refute Qiu Fang’s reasoning, but seeing how calm and collected the man was, he was certain Qiu Fang was hiding something.
’I don’t get it. I’m just following his orders. What is he playing at now?’
"Elder Qiu, you’re the one who put me in this position. Are you really going to wash your hands of me before I’ve even properly settled in?"
Qiu Fang sneered. "You’re aware of that, are you? Then you should also understand that I support you. But now, it’s time for you to prove your worth."
Shen Ling’an stared at him, completely unable to read him.
But he knew pestering him further would yield no answers. Left with no other choice, he stumbled away.
The very thought of the serpent Mutant made him shudder, but he couldn’t bear to give up the title of Captain Shen.
He had finally reached this position. He couldn’t bear the thought of falling from grace without lasting even a single day.
Leaving Qiu Fang’s home, Shen Ling’an gritted his teeth and decided to risk it all.