Courtyard Houses: Longevity Since the War of Resistance

Mu Hu looked solemnly at the masked man in front of him. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind: if he could get the support of Zhen Gui, the success rate of his grand plan would soar!

Taking a deep breath, he tried to paint a rosy picture: "With your ability to suppress ghosts, why must you remain hidden in the shadows of history? As long as you're willing to stand by my side and lend me a hand, once I take the throne, I can give you a legitimate status, allowing you to step out of legend and into the limelight, enjoying the glory you deserve, instead of being known only to a select few at the very top!"

"Hahahahahahahahahaha"

His response was a loud laugh coming from behind the mask. The laughter was so loud that it sounded mocking and sarcastic, making General Mu Hu's face grow increasingly ugly.

"Oh my, I'm laughing so hard I'm crying, hahaha, General Mu Hu," Li Feng's voice still carried the afterglow of laughter, but his tone became casual and contemptuous, "Since you've said something like that, I'll just call you Old Mu."

That one word from Lao Mu slapped away the last peace talks.

"Old Mu," Li Feng shook his head, "I really want to say to you, 'Old Lei,' but you've shed blood and made contributions for this country, so I can't say it."

He leaned forward. "To be honest, if these three pieces of trash were to cause trouble on their own, it would be a piece of cake for us in the Ghost Town to deal with them. Three bullets, or three doses of medicine, would be enough." His tone was as calm as if he were discussing how to dispose of trash.

"It's precisely because you, Lao Mu, were involved, and out of consideration for your past contributions, that I persuaded them to come and talk to you. But now, you're actually thinking about climbing the ladder and getting into that position?"

Completely enraged by his attitude, Mu Hu's suppressed ambition and arrogance erupted. He slammed his hand on the sofa armrest and growled, "Isn't my contribution significant? Isn't my prestige in the army high enough? In terms of seniority and ability, why can't I sit in that chair?!"

"Because there is a spirit-suppressing barrier."

Li Feng interrupted him directly, his voice not loud, but like a final verdict.

"Because you can't lead this country to prosperity and stability, it's that simple." Li Feng's words were cold and direct, tearing apart all the high-sounding excuses. "A nation's prosperity doesn't need ambitious people, it needs teachers."

"Oh, oh, oh," Li Feng said several times before he seemed to remember the other person's question. "Oh right, I still need to answer your question from before."

"Do we, the ones who suppress ghosts, need to step into the public eye?"

"No, only in the shadows can we best suppress the ghost." His gaze swept over the wooden tiger, over the three henchmen, and finally settled on the void, as if proclaiming an ironclad rule.

"Whether this demon comes from within or without, as long as its existence and its actions pose a threat to the foundation and development of this country..."

The voice beneath the mask suddenly turned chilling and menacing, carrying a palpable killing intent: "Then there's only one fate for him."

"die!!!"

The moment Li Feng uttered the word "death," the air in the room seemed to suddenly become several pounds heavier. The murderous aura pressed down on everyone.

The three people standing nearby had never seen anything like this before. Their faces turned pale instantly, and their legs trembled.

If Li Feng hadn't quickly suppressed his murderous aura, they probably would have wet their pants; well, their crotches might already be a little wet.

Having survived countless battles, Mu Hu managed to hold on, but a cold sweat broke out on his back.

"That murderous aura is too overwhelming, and how old is this kid?"

He couldn't help but blurt out, "You weren't even in the country before?"

Li Feng seemed to chuckle. "They're indeed not here. Only a small group of people recently returned, specifically to handle your matter. Once this place is cleaned up, we'll have to leave again. From the day our town was founded, our goal has never been to target our own people; that's a rule the captain set long ago." Mu Hu's eyes narrowed.

"So what are you planning to do?" Li Feng didn't answer directly, but just looked at Mu Hu.

"What are you doing? You're so smart, how could you not guess?"

Horses trampling cherry blossoms!

This was the only answer that Mu Hu could think of.

To suppress the demons, you must go wherever the Japanese devils are; they won't care whether you surrender or not.

Mu Hu remembered Li Feng saying when he was alive, "You can't talk about world peace, surrender, or the Geneva Convention when you can't win. What if you can win later? Wouldn't you have to come back for it all over again?"

Rough words are not rough.

It seems that Zhen Gui has been preparing for this all these years.

Li Feng stretched and said, "We've gotten a bit off-topic. Let's get down to business. We only have one request: Lao Mu, please stop."

"Isn't it better to just stay in the army and not get involved in those messy things? The army is full of your old buddies. You can have a few drinks and chat all the time. It'll be great."

Just as Mu Hu was about to speak, Li Feng interrupted him directly: "And don't even think about playing tricks, using the military to do things that disrupt national peace. We have plenty of capable people here; making you lose your memory or become paralyzed is no big deal for us. But as I said before, you have made contributions to the country and the people, and we will remember those contributions."

He tapped the coffee table: "Right now, your merits outweigh your demerits, but if you take another step forward, then your merits and demerits will cancel each other out."

Seeing Mu Hu's grim expression, Li Feng smiled and said, "Don't even think about where to hide or whether to join an ally or an enemy. No one can get people out of Zhen Gui's hands. Back in the Korean Peninsula, the US also fell for it."

Li Feng stood up, patted his trouser leg, and said, "Alright, I've said enough. It's almost noon, and I'm not going to invite you to lunch."

As he walked towards the door, he paused as he passed the three trembling figures: "The three of you, this afternoon is all that's left."

He glanced back at Mu Hu and said, "General, you have a whole day left. If you don't stop, we'll start a war."

After saying this, he opened the door and walked out, his footsteps fading into the distance in the corridor.

Mu Hu stood up with a livid face, grabbed his coat, and walked out, saying, "I need to go somewhere." He stopped at the door and threw down another sentence.

"As for the three of you, you can figure it out yourselves."

He had no time to deal with these cowards; he needed to find that person and get to the bottom of things.

Only Gongqiao and the other two remained in the study, staring at each other's pale faces. A full five minutes passed before they rushed out of Muhu's house as if they'd seen a ghost.

In the afternoon, Gongqiao and the other two submitted their retirement reports at the same time, threw the materials at the personnel department and ran away, saying that they were not feeling well and needed to go home to recuperate.

When Mu Hu returned home that evening, he felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Looking at the empty living room, he gave a bitter smile: "Li Feng, Li Feng, I never imagined you'd have so many backup plans even after you left."

He took a deep breath and suddenly raised his voice: "Kid! I know you're still watching me. Come in through the main gate, don't bother my guards."

About a minute later, the guard captain rushed in to report: "Sir, a masked man requests to see you."

"Let him in," Mu Hu waved his hand. "No need to search him."

"But sir, what if..."

"If he really wants to make a move, you can't stop him," Mu Hu sighed. "Just do as he says."

Li Feng, wearing a mask, strolled in leisurely and immediately noticed the four dishes and one soup laid out on the coffee table in the living room.

"Hey, Old Mu, you're living the good life!"

"What? You've got your eye on my food?"

"It's really not bad." Li Feng nodded honestly.

Mu Hu laughed: "Keep it if you like it. Anyway, your town won't miss your pair of chopsticks."

"Wow!" Li Feng chuckled. "Old Mu, your personal charm is at least in the top twenty."

Mu Hu glared at him irritably.

"So," Li Feng said, his joking tone fading, "you're really giving up?"

"I've given up on the action," Mu Hu said, pointing to the report he had just finished writing on the table. "But mentally, I haven't completely let go yet."

"I understand," Li Feng nodded, "After all, it's your Mu Hu."

"Thank you for understanding," Mu Hu said with a wry smile, scooping up a bowl of rice and pushing it in front of Li Feng. "Eat something. You won't be able to find this authentic taste anywhere else."

Li Feng waved his hand: "I'm not eating anymore, I should go."

"So soon?" Mu Hu raised an eyebrow. "Are you all so sure I'll give up?"

"Hahahahahaha," Li Feng laughed out loud, "To be honest, from the moment we met you, we knew you would stop. For no other reason than that you are the person who understands ghost suppression the most."

"I know Li Feng well." Mu Hu's eyes filled with nostalgia. "I really miss that brat. Although he was arrogant and conceited, he was indeed a good soldier."

"Alright, enjoy your nostalgia." Li Feng got up to leave.

"Wait," Mu Hu called out to him, "Does Li Feng's brother know about your existence?"

Li Feng shook his head. "The captain instructed that Li Shan should follow his own path. The captain's path, or rather our path, is not suitable for him."

Watching Li Feng's disappearing figure, Mu Hu sighed softly.

"A lonely and bloody road, a lonely and bloody ghost-suppressing journey."