Chapter 288: Chapter 286: Send the Old Matriarch on Her Way

“Xuanwu Mountain, Fire Refining Thunder Pond… President, I don’t understand any of these things, is it really okay?”

Upon hearing this, Su Mengqing was a bit stunned, murmuring and shaking her head.

The various mysteries surrounding Lin Fan made her feel like they belonged to two different worlds.

And what Iguchi Tama mentioned now seemed even more like a fantastical tale, hard to accept all at once.

“Mengqing, it’s normal for you not to understand the strength of the Hidden Sects.”

Iguchi Tama switched to a softer tone, but there was a hint of superiority in her eyes.

“It’s not your fault; your level is too low, just like the vast majority of ordinary people in the world, who almost never come into contact with these things.”

“Don’t be fooled by Lin Fan’s current resurgence and endless glory. Once he’s targeted by experts from the Hidden Sects, he’s finished!”

She shook her head with a cold smile.

“Ying Bufan seven years ago was so majestic, his martial arts skills were considered extraordinary.”

“But in the end, wasn’t he secretly poisoned with the world’s most incredible poison, with not even a chance to resist?”

“The prestigious Ying family of Xia Country was even forced into panic by the people sent from Xuanwu Mountain, and in the end, had to have Lin Fan’s mother, Lin Suxin, take the blame and commit suicide by poison on the spot, barely escaping a calamity.”

What, what?

So seven years ago, Lin Fan also had such shameful past?

No wonder he ended up in Haicheng with Lin Suxin, in utter destitution.

Even after returning to the Imperial Capital, he was not accepted by his family, and finally became hostile to them!

Su Mengqing’s eyes widened, caught between shock and a hint of temptation.

Even the mighty Ying Bufan and the Ying family were nothing more than dust before Xuanwu Mountain, a Hidden Sect.

If I could join the Hidden Sects, would I not have the power to trample Lin Fan beneath my feet once more?

“Does it sound absurd? In fact, this world has always respected the strong, where the law of the jungle prevails.”

Iguchi Tama’s lips curled into a meaningful smile.

“The power and wealth that ordinary people envy and revere are mere trinkets in the eyes of those from the Hidden Sects.”

“Just like our Holy Poison Sect, its magnitude is beyond your wildest imaginations!”

“Overturning small government regimes, influencing regional wars, even sparking global financial crises… it’s just a matter of a word from them.”

Hearing this, Su Mengqing was deeply moved, her eyes glinting brightly.

Even the short-haired female assistant Ah Long, who was listening intently, was visibly shaken.

“Our Iguchi family used to be just an inconsequential pharmaceutical company in Sakura Country.”

“Since my grandfather was chosen as the Sect Manager of the Holy Poison Sect in the Narrow Island region, the Iguchi family has, in just a few decades, risen to become the largest pharmaceutical group in all of Sakura Country.”

At this, Iguchi Tama slightly raised her chin, quite proud.

“And I, Iguchi Tama, was honored at the age of fifteen to be chosen as one of the twelve Holy Daughters of the Holy Poison Sect!”

“Dare Lin Fan betray me, I will make him pay, regret it for the rest of his life!”

“President, I’ve made up my mind, I will go to the Fire Refining Thunder Pond of Xuanwu Mountain with you, no matter the cost!”

Su Mengqing took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in her heart, and nodded firmly.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she absolutely couldn’t miss.

Once she gains significant power, she’ll have the qualifications to join a Hidden Sect and become a formidable figure with a voice.

What is Lin Fan? What is the trifling Ying family of the Imperial Capital? They are nothing but ants underfoot!

Now she has nothing left.

Aside from fighting desperately, there is no other choice.

Only by following in Iguchi Tama’s footsteps can she reclaim everything that belonged to her.

To become once more that Su Mengqing, who was the center of attention!

“I can see your determination, Mengqing, trust me, Lin Fan will definitely regret the harm he has caused us before!”

Iguchi Tama nodded with satisfaction and immediately signaled Ah Long to start the car, preparing to return to Sakura Country.

“Lin Fan, just wait, I will prove that Su Mengqing is not a failure, but still the one you cannot reach…”

Watching the bustling street scenes of the Imperial Capital rapidly recede outside the car window.

Su Mengqing gritted her teeth, eyes full of resolution.

Meanwhile,

in a deep war zone of the Imperial Capital, an underground detention room.

“You have only ten minutes for this meeting, speak quickly and don’t make it difficult for us.”

A guard in a combat uniform escorted Shen Yueli, seated in a wheelchair, to the door, advising in a rather tense whisper.

“Thank you, the Ying and Shen families won’t forget this favor.”

Shen Yueli smiled and nodded, her face partially covered by a mask, appearing somewhat pale and haggard.

Yesterday, half of her face was disfigured, and she had kneeled the entire way to send Lin Suxin off, her knees worn bloody and raw.

She had been unconscious for a whole day and night.

After she woke up, her family went to great lengths to pull strings, finally giving Shen Yueli the chance to meet her father, Shen Changlong.

“…Yue Li? Is it really you, how did you end up like this?”

As the door opened, the rigid figure sitting in the corner slowly turned, startled.

In just two days, Shen Changlong no longer possessed the gallant demeanor of the past.

His beard was unkempt, and he appeared much older and frailer.

“Dad, I’m fine. Why have you grown so many gray hairs?”

Shen Yueli pushed the wheelchair forward, coming to Shen Changlong’s side, looking at her father’s graying temples with some heartache.

“Has Lin Fan gone to the house again and done this to you? That bastard, once I’m out of here, I won’t let him go!”

Bang!

Shen Changlong punched the hard concrete ground, immediately causing it to crack with countless fine lines.

“Dad, Lin Fan has been in the limelight today. I just received news that he is about to attend a national banquet and will receive the special national merit medal personally awarded by the emperor.”

Shen Yueli’s lips curled into a bitter smile, a forlorn laugh.

“Moreover, all the hard work Wen Yuan did for the past six months has been in vain, as almost all the credit was taken by Lin Fan… that bastard, he also received the title from the old king of Sha Country himself, and from now on, he will be the renowned honorary prince of Sha Country…”

What, what?

Not only was Lin Fan meeting the emperor, but he would also return to the public eye with a completely new identity?

What does this mean?

All past crimes being offset, ready for reinstatement and redress?

With a boom, Shen Changlong’s pupils contracted violently, trembling with anger all over.

Back then, the Ying and Shen families expended great resources to crush that bastard to death.

Who would have thought that in just a few days, Lin Fan managed to turn things around!

“Dad, the situation is far worse than we imagined, Wen Yuan’s position might be untenable, you and Rufeng…”

“The Wang family has also sided with Lin Fan, and they’ve joined forces with the Hua family and other old friends to confess to the higher-ups, testifying against us for framing Lin Fan back then.”

“Even your subordinate Ye Yunjing has presented evidence proving that you covered for Rufeng and placed the blame on Wang Meng and the others.”

“Those warriors who were left with aftereffects from the Qi Replenishing Pill have all been cured by Lin Fan… but they all hold grudges against us, taking advantage of our plight!”

Shen Yueli, as she continued to speak, suddenly shed two streams of hot tears.

The great Ying and Shen Families were rapidly collapsing in a short period, nearing the brink of breakdown.

And the root cause of all this was Lin Fan, who hadn’t completely died back then!

“…Yueli, it’s time for someone to step up and make sacrifices.”

Silence, a long silence.

After a while, Shen Changlong took a deep breath, and a grimace appeared on his ashen face.

“Our two families cannot just surrender like this; as long as someone is willing to take the fall, the big matters can be reduced to small ones!”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yueli’s heart trembled, and she gritted her teeth without speaking.

She had actually thought of this solution a long time ago.

But the question is, who should sacrifice themselves to protect everyone else?

A minor character definitely wouldn’t suffice.

Only she, Mrs. Ying Sr., Ying Wenyuan, Shen Changlong, and Ying Rufeng are suitable candidates!

However, how can one easily make such a ruthless decision?

“I can’t die, your brother Shen Qingqiu is a useless coward and can’t support the large Shen family.”

Shen Changlong’s forehead veins stood out, his fists clenched tightly with a cracking sound.

“Wen Yuan can’t have anything happen to him either, I would never push him out alone, nor can Rufeng!”

Shen Yueli shook her head desperately, her face already pale.

“Then there’s only one person left. She’s old, and perhaps, for the safety of the two families, she can make one last contribution.”

Shen Changlong painfully closed his eyes, his brows twitching incessantly.

Being forced to push a family member out to take the blame.

What an extreme humiliation, an unbearable situation!

“…Dad, is this really retribution? Back then, we forced Lin Suxin to commit suicide by poison, and now, we have to walk the same path again.”

Shen Yueli wiped away her tears, offering a bitter smile.

“Stop talking nonsense, a temporary setback, what’s the big deal? As long as our Shen family stands firm, there’s always a chance to start over.”

Shen Changlong turned his back, looking up at the narrow iron window above.

“Go, get things done quickly so we can clear the three of us from this mess!”

“Alright, Dad, take care. I’ll head back now…”

Shen Yueli nodded, leaving the detention room alone, pushing her wheelchair.

After a while, she anxiously returned to the Ying Family’s Ancient Mansion and saw Mrs. Ying Sr. kneeling and chanting in the Buddhist hall.

“Mom, I saw my father; he’s doing well, no issues.”

Shen Yueli approached Mrs. Ying Sr., speaking softly.

“Good, good, Bodhisattva bless, we will surely get through this crisis.”

Mrs. Ying Sr. opened her eyes, trembling as she rose to her feet, joyfully tearful.

“But my dad said that our current situation is too difficult, and someone needs to step up and make sacrifices for the two families…”

Shen Yueli turned her head away, avoiding Mrs. Ying Sr.’s gaze.

The smoke-filled Buddhist hall was suddenly engulfed in silence.

“Shen Yueli! Wh-what do you mean?”

Mrs. Ying Sr.’s smiling face froze, her eye twitching sharply.

She wasn’t foolish and quickly realized.

Come to think of it, besides her as an old thing in the family, no one else had both the weight and the lack of substantial power.

To be pushed out as the scapegoat, naturally was very appropriate!

“Mom, I’m sorry, for Wen Yuan and Rufeng and my dad, we can only let you suffer!”

Thud!

Shen Yueli climbed out of her wheelchair, trembling as she knelt before Mrs. Ying Sr.

“Someone, escort the old lady on her way!”

She bit her lip hard, shouting towards the door.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep