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Chapter 447 possesses the potential to break the rules.

The continuous rain outside the pavilion acted like an invisible barrier, separating the two people inside from the real world.

Fang Cheng stood there silently, his posture as upright as a pine tree.

His aura was extremely calm, as if he had merged with the pavilion, the mountain, and the rain, so profound that it was unfathomable.

Shi Chengyi did not urge him, but simply looked at him quietly, his eyes filled with the patience and expectation of an elder.

He was waiting for an answer, an answer that would significantly impact the future of the Xia Kingdom and martial arts.

In the end, Fang Cheng slowly shook his head and said apologetically:
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Shi, but I am used to being free and undisciplined and cannot stand the rules and regulations in the team."

"Right now, I just want to live a peaceful life, spend more time with my family, and be an ordinary office worker."

Upon hearing this, Shi Chengyi seemed to have expected it and did not show any disappointment. Instead, he smiled gently.

That smile carried a hint of understanding, as well as the感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions or reflections) of someone who had been through it all.

"A stable life... Yes, who wouldn't want that?"

He sighed softly, gazing wistfully at the tranquil cemetery outside the pavilion.

"Your father must have had the same wish back then, hoping that his son could live a peaceful and ordinary life."

This seemingly ordinary remark was like an invisible needle, gently piercing Fang Cheng's carefully maintained composure.

He didn't speak, but his originally relaxed brows unconsciously furrowed slightly.

Shi Chengyi took in the subtle changes in his expression and continued in a soothing tone:

"However, a truly stable life is never something that comes out of thin air, whether for an individual or a country."

“Some things, if you don’t deal with them and keep them hidden and dragging them out, will remain there forever, becoming an inescapable shadow and an irreparable wound in your and your family’s lives.”

He turned around, looked at Fang Cheng gently, and his eyes were full of sincerity.

“Child, do you really think that carrying that past will bring you the peace you desire? Don’t you… want to seek true justice for your father?”

Fang Cheng's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and the knuckles of his hand, which had been hanging by his side, tightened slightly.

He then raised his eyes to meet Shi Chengyi's gaze, his voice low and calm:
"Elder Shi... what do you mean by that?"

Shi Chengyi's expression turned solemn, knowing that some truths had to be revealed by someone like him.

"According to police records, your father, Fang Shijie, was the perpetrator of a serial murder case seventeen years ago. He committed suicide by self-immolation during his arrest, is that right?"

Fang Cheng pursed his lips slightly, offering no reply, but his gaze darkened.

“Have you ever thought about that?”

Shi Chengyi's voice was not loud, but every word carried immense weight:

"How could a man who is usually gentle, kind, and responsible suddenly change his personality overnight and become a vicious murderer? Isn't there something fishy about this?"

He stopped beating around the bush and looked directly into Fang Cheng's eyes, saying in a deep voice:
“I can tell you definitively that there are many suspicious points in that case file. Your father’s case may not have been an ordinary criminal case from the very beginning.”

Upon hearing this, a clear ripple finally appeared deep within Fang Cheng's calm eyes.

Shi Chengyi paused deliberately, giving him enough time to process the information, before continuing:
"Back then, I was the head of the Special Investigations Unit's Operations Department, and I was in charge of investigating another 'Guangwu Gate Shooting Case'."

"You should have heard of this case. It can be said to be a shocking case that could shake the foundation of the country. I was appointed to the position in a time of crisis and personally led the team, mobilizing the elite of the entire department."

“During the investigation, we discovered that an unseen force with supernatural powers was interfering with the investigation and erasing all clues and witnesses.”

"After analyzing the strange energy remaining in the bodies of several key witnesses who died under mysterious circumstances, we found a clue and began to investigate all forces and events related to supernatural beings in society, and finally locked onto a mysterious organization called 'Utopia'."

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng's pupils contracted slightly as he listened intently.

Shi Chengyi continued:
"However, before we could find conclusive evidence and prepare to launch an operation to arrest the organization, the original military government collapsed."

"With the change of regime, the case was forcibly transferred from my hands to the intelligence department at the time."

"And in just half a month, they announced that they had caught the so-called 'murderer,' presenting a perfect pledge of allegiance to the new government and thus bringing the case to a successful conclusion."

Shi Chengyi's gaze became incredibly deep, as if he were recalling those turbulent years.

Originally, this long-forgotten case had nothing to do with you.

"However, before Wei Zheng came to see me, he went through your father's file and found a detail that had been deliberately ignored."

He emphasized his words, his eyes sharpening:
"Back then, investigators from the Special Investigations Unit briefly investigated your father!"

Seeing the puzzled look on Fang Cheng's face, Shi Chengyi patiently explained:
“If a case involves certain ‘special individuals’ who cannot be known to the general public, then the authority to handle it will be immediately transferred from the regular policing system to our special investigation team.”

“Initially, the police were investigating the infamous ‘Xiguan serial murder case’ that caused a great stir back then. They suspected that your father might be the notorious killer ‘Midnight Red Devil’, so they reported the relevant clues to us.”

“After our team members started monitoring your father, they discovered that he was suspected of having private dealings with a wanted criminal who was on the run in the ‘Guangwu Gate shooting incident’.”

"At that time, according to regulations, any clues related to the 'Guangwu Gate' had to be immediately reported to the intelligence department and personally supervised by the most elite intelligence officers."

"But before the intelligence department could launch an in-depth investigation, your father, for some unknown reason, suddenly carried a gun, openly hijacked a police car, and fled to a farm in Xishan, where he was subsequently surrounded and captured by the police."

"You know the final result."

Shi Chengyi sighed softly, gazing at the cemetery shrouded in mist and rain:
"The lead that pointed to the 'Guangwu Gate shooting incident' was completely cut off when your father set himself on fire during the pursuit, and the intelligence personnel in charge of the case were forced to withdraw because they lost their investigation target."

"The whole matter was hastily concluded with the police report that the serial killer had been brought to justice."

call--

A mountain breeze carrying moisture swept through the stone pavilion, swirling up a few fallen leaves that danced around their feet.

The rain outside the pavilion seemed to have intensified, with raindrops pattering against the glazed tiles on the pavilion roof, producing a crisp and dense sound.

Fang Cheng's hands, hanging at his sides, unconsciously clenched into fists.

The tranquil aura that had blended seamlessly with the heavens and earth was shattered at this moment, revealing a chilling sharpness.

Shi Chengyi looked at him and continued:

"Your father's case file is still in the police archives. But does that file record the facts, or is it the 'truth' that others want you to see?"

"Who exactly did he contact back then? Why did he choose to self-immolate? And was he connected to that mysterious organization of supernatural beings?"

"Or is there a powerful force manipulating everything behind the scenes? These are all mysteries that have been covered up."

"To find out the truth, we must touch upon the 'Guangwu Gate Shooting Case,' which has long been taboo."

"But, child, you must understand."

A deep sense of powerlessness was evident on Shi Chengyi's face:
"This case is not just a historical event that led to the downfall of the military government as described in textbooks; it is a political storm that swept through the entire country's top echelons, with deeply entrenched forces involved behind the scenes."

"Back then, as the person in charge, I was ultimately unable to bring the mastermind to justice due to political changes."

"Now, seventeen years later, it is no longer a case, but a political symbol, the cornerstone of power for some people. Anyone who dares to bring it up again is shaking the foundation of the country and is at odds with the entire new order."

Shi Chengyi sighed, reached out and patted the cold stone pavilion railing, a hint of melancholy in his voice:

“I’m an old man who has retired. My words carry no weight in this matter.”

"To be honest, if you were just an ordinary person, I would also advise you to settle down and be a regular office worker, and just let this matter go, preferably forgetting about it completely." "Because, let alone finding out the truth, you don't even have the right to access the relevant files."

“If you forcibly intervene, it could bring unforeseen disasters to you and your family.”

"but……"

At this point, he suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Fang Cheng.

A fiery light rekindled in his slightly dim eyes, as if he were looking at a peerless sword that could cleave through all shackles.

"Fang Cheng, you're different!"

"Your talent and strength, given enough support and resources, are enough to grow into someone who can break the rules like Chief Li!"

"This kind of power is an absolute strength that no political maneuver can suppress, and that must be faced squarely by any conspiracy or trickery!"

"So, if you want to find out the truth about your father's death, to clear his name of the injustice that has been imposed on him for seventeen years, and to give him true justice..."

He stepped forward, looking intently at Fang Cheng, and said, word by word:

"Join the Special Investigations Team, use this system to grow stronger step by step, and reach a height that is enough to surpass power and shake taboos."

"This is absolutely your best choice!"

After he finished speaking, the pavilion fell silent once again.

Fang Cheng still did not answer, but slowly raised his head and looked at the cemetery outside the pavilion shrouded in rain.

His gaze pierced through the rain curtain, as if he saw the great fire seventeen years ago, and his father's blurry face.

The distant mountain outlines became blurred in the increasingly heavy rain, leaving only a bluish-gray silhouette.

The wind grew stronger, the rain heavier, the mountains were shrouded in mist, and all was silent.

Only that touched heart beat heavily and powerfully in its chest.

....................................

The conversation in the pavilion ended in silence.

Fang Cheng did not give a clear answer.

Shi Chengyi didn't say anything more.

He knew he had said enough and needed to give the young man time to think it over.

At that moment, the rain in the mountains suddenly intensified.

The two walked back along a secluded path and returned to the cemetery.

Wei Zheng and the driver were each holding a black umbrella, talking to Li Zhenhua and Li Biyun.

Perhaps worried that the two elders might catch a chill standing in the rain for too long, Wei Zheng spoke with just the right amount of warmth.

The driver, Xiao Zhang, would occasionally chime in with a few words, a kind and polite smile on his face.

Upon seeing Shi Chengyi and Fang Cheng approaching one after the other, the four of them abruptly stopped talking and turned their gazes toward them.

Li Biyun's eyes were filled with the worries of a mother, while Li Zhenhua's gaze was sharper, carrying a scrutinizing and probing quality.

As for Wei Zheng's eyes, they revealed an undisguised sense of anticipation.

Fang Cheng remained calm, nodding slightly to his mother and grandfather to indicate that he was alright.

Shi Chengyi stopped in front of the tombstone. He glanced at Fang Cheng, then gave a wink to Xiao Zhang, the driver standing next to him.

Xiao Zhang immediately understood and took out a bunch of white chrysanthemums that had been prepared in advance and carefully wrapped in oil paper from his briefcase.

Under the watchful eyes of Fang Cheng's family, Shi Chengyi accepted the bouquet, removed the wrapping, and personally walked down from the stone pavilion to Fang Shijie's grave.

Driver Xiao Zhang quickly caught up and opened an umbrella for him.

Shi Chengyi bent down and solemnly placed the bouquet of white chrysanthemums in front of the tombstone, and carefully straightened the ribbon that had been wet by the rain.

After doing all this, he straightened up and glanced at the photo on the tombstone.

Then he turned to face Fang Cheng and his family, nodded slightly, and spoke calmly and sincerely:
"Farewell."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He led Wei Zheng and the driver, Xiao Zhang, down the slippery steps.

The rain pattered down, and the three steady figures quickly disappeared around the bend in the mountain path.

Only the Fang family and a bunch of white chrysanthemums lying quietly in front of the tombstone, standing out conspicuously in the gray-blue cemetery, remained.

....................................

Outside Xishan Cemetery.

A black sedan's door closed silently, it started smoothly, and merged into the rain-soaked traffic.

Inside the car, Xiao Zhang was focused on driving, the windshield wipers rhythmically swishing across the windshield.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Wei Zheng finally couldn't contain himself any longer. He turned to look at Shi Chengyi, who was resting with his eyes closed in the back, and asked in a low voice:

"Teacher, how did the talk go? Did he... agree?"

Shi Chengyi slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gentle and calm, and shook his head slightly.
"not yet."

"what?"

A clear look of disappointment crossed Wei Zheng's face.

"Even your personal invitation couldn't sway him?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Chengyi's lips curled into a faint smile, a smile that showed no sign of defeat but rather a hint of appreciation.

"Xiao Wei, you must remember that a true thoroughbred cannot be harnessed with ordinary reins. You must point out a worthwhile path for it and let it gallop willingly on its own."

He turned his gaze to the window, looking at the road signs that had been washed clean by the rain, his voice steady and resonant:
"Haste makes waste. We are not recruiting soldiers who simply follow orders, but a leader who may one day lead our martial arts lineage into a new era."

“Especially young people like Fang Cheng, whose cultivation has already entered the inner realm, and whose temperament is calm and resilient, far surpassing his peers. The more you urge him, the more resistant he becomes.”

“What we should do is to present him with bait… no, to present him with a path he cannot refuse, and then give him enough time to think and weigh the options.”

Shi Chengyi withdrew his gaze and looked at Wei Zheng, who was still somewhat puzzled, with a calm expression in his eyes.

"This child is loyal and righteous, cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He seems indifferent to the world, but he is actually born with a proud spirit."

"The words I uttered today are enough to stir up a storm in his heart, and he will definitely make a choice that suits his own needs."

As he spoke, he nodded approvingly, as if he were appraising a rare treasure:
"Such a talented and promising individual would be a real loss to us if he were to go astray. No matter the cost, we must make him willingly become one of us."

As if he had made up his mind, Shi Chengyi stopped talking, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes slightly.

The car fell silent again, with only Wei Zheng quietly reflecting on his teacher's words.

Outside the window, the rolling green hills receded into the rain, their outlines appearing hazy and serene.

(End of this chapter)