Abyss Summoner-Chapter 260 - 255: The Conspiracy
The night was like water, with stars adorning the sky, calm and serene like pebbles.
Feng Zhiyong's residence.
The leader of the pro-war faction held an envelope, pacing around the room as if facing a formidable enemy, his expression a mix of hesitation, struggle, and surprise, his face flushed. It was clear that his heart was extremely uneasy at this moment.
"Colonel, you've always maintained your composure, exuding the aura of a tiger. Why are you so flustered now?" Seeing Feng Zhiyong pacing, Han Qiang, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, spoke.
Han Qiang, an advisor under Feng Zhiyong, though his strength was merely at the ordinary Bronze Tier, held authority only slightly below one person and above ten thousand, controlling the fate of tens of thousands in the pro-war faction.
At this time, only four people were seated in the room, but any one of them held significant influence in Qiaodong.
Feng Zhiyong, Han Qiang, Zhou Xian, Tian Xuefeng;
These individuals held heavy responsibilities, busy every day, yet tonight, Feng Zhiyong had called them together, indicating something had occurred that made it difficult for him to make a decision.
"How can I not be flustered? Chen Feng sent a letter saying he killed Li Chuan. That was already a big deal. But he also said Li Chuan was a disciple of the Devil and the culprit of the serial killings in the city. Besides, Hong Jiuling and his subordinates are all suspect. How can this be handled?" Feng Zhiyong stood up, pacing back and forth.
"If you ask me, just kill the damn bastard. It's just a life, anyway. I haven't liked that old bastard Hong Jiuling for a long time. I'll put the Magic Crystal Cannon at his doorstep, and with one order from the Colonel, he won't leave anything behind!!" A rebellious voice interrupted Feng Zhiyong's recounting.
Tian Xuefeng, a balding man in his fifties, had a prominent hooked nose giving a hint of Western features, with sharp eyes like a hawk's, gleaming with a fierce light. Having spent a near forty-year military career, he had seen all kinds of storms and was immensely experienced. Known as a sharpshooter, an ordinary handgun in his hands could exhibit several times its power, if not more.
Moreover, he possessed the ability to capture souls and seal them into weapons, amplifying the weapon's destructive power and lethality, greatly increasing the Warriors' survival chances.
Han Qiang looked at Tian Xuefeng, adjusted his glasses, and said nonchalantly, "Everyone knows that the pro-war and conservative factions are like water and fire. This isn't a simple fight. One mistake, and it'll trigger massive chaos in the city, causing misery for the ordinary survivors! Or have you forgotten the previous lesson?"
When the conservative faction first emerged, Feng Zhiyong tried to suppress them. Unable to do otherwise, they even prohibited distributing food rations to anyone involved with the conservative faction, thinking this would force the survivors to abandon Hong Jiuling.
But who would've thought it incited a riot? Under some sort of bewitchment, a group of die-hard followers attacked the granary. It originally only involved a few hundred people, but a single spark can ignite a prairie fire. In the post-apocalypse, people's hearts were already suppressed and in pain, and amidst the chaos, their inner change began.
Unleash!
The riot was a release, drawing more people into the looting, pursuing pillage, robbery, arson—it was sheer lawlessness! By the time the pro-war faction finally suppressed it, over three thousand people were dead!
A frightening number.
It was from that point the pro-war faction began to fall behind while Hong Jiuling slowly gained the upper hand.
The riot had erupted so suddenly. Among the throngs were professionals, and everyone knew it was a conspiracy against the pro-war faction. But what could Feng Zhiyong do? Command people to grab machine guns and fire into the crowd? That would only cause a bigger panic.
This bloody memory was something Feng Zhiyong found unbearable to recall, which is why he tread so cautiously, afraid of making another mistake.
"No action? Just sit and wait to die? Hong Jiuling has been eyeing the Colonel's position for more than a day or two, hasn't he? Han Qiang, I think you're up to no good. You've got no guts. Seems it's time for you to move from that position." Tian Xuefeng tilted his head, as domineering as ever, threatening to depose Han Qiang.
"Old Tian, watch your mouth. We should unify against outside enemies. What you said will only give our foes cause to laugh at us." At this time, the last person in the room, Zhou Xian, spoke.
Compared to before, Zhou Xian now appeared more like a sage. Though his face was lined with wrinkles, his skin was as delicate as a baby's, as if he had rejuvenated, exuding an indescribable feeling.
He was quite different from Tian Xuefeng. Though both had the calmness of those at the top, Tian Xuefeng carried a wanton arrogance, while the old man conveyed worldly wisdom. Despite sitting together, in terms of aura, Zhou Xian slightly outmatched Tian Xuefeng.
Zhou Xian's ability was "Iron Brush, Silver Hook." Despite his age, his strength was at the Silver Peak. His tone was calm as the wind, exuding an audacity that could span rivers and mountains, a profound momentum holding vast plains—an aura beyond mere dominance.
A wisdom long used to seeing everything.
Tian Xuefeng's eyes flashed sharply, fingers tapping lightly on the table, undaunted, saying discontentedly, "Old Zhou, I'm not targeting Han Qiang. Isn't it life or death now? If we don't act, do we wait until Hong Jiuling tramples us before resisting?"
"Tian Xuefeng!" Feng Zhiyong furrowed his brow, clearly somewhat angry.
Tian Xuefeng, an old acquaintance of Feng Zhiyong, seeing his demeanor, knew the other was genuinely angry, so he closed his mouth and said no more.
Feng Zhiyong sighed and said to Zhou Xian, "Old Zhou, you're the eldest and most knowledgeable. I want to hear your advice."
Zhou Xian raised his eyes slightly and said, "I agree with Old Tian's suggestion—to act and suppress Hong Jiuling!"
What?!
The few in the room immediately wore odd expressions. None had expected that this usually calm elder would agree to such a risky idea.
"Old Tian was right in one thing. Qiaodong is at a critical juncture. Hong Jiuling is too domineering. I observe him to have the traits of a wolf; his momentum is set. Coupled with the recent zombie siege and heavy casualties, the anti-war sentiment gave Hong Jiuling a perfect opportunity. If it turns dire, we'll be totally passive." Zhou Xian spoke softly.
"Old Zhou, I understand your point, but there's so much involved now, I'm afraid…" Feng Zhiyong still hesitated as he spoke.
"One must give to gain. If Hong Jiuling is truly tainted by the Devil, suppressing him will be ridding evil for the people. If not, his beliefs are contrary to ours. Not a friend, then an enemy. Suppressing him could help survivors regain consciousness, understanding that in this world, evasion is futile. To live, one must face and bear it."
After a brief pause, Zhou Xian continued, "Moreover, this time Chen Feng is fully supporting us. Hong Zhuang also mentioned in the letter that Chen Feng's subordinates have many talented individuals. They relied on him to eliminate Hong Jiuling's claws. Now the conservatives have lost a fierce general, providing us the best opportunity. Colonel, make your decision. The opportunity won't come again!"
At this point, Zhou Xian's words had stirred their blood, none expected his resolute standpoint.
Feng Zhiyong's body shook, then he slowly clenched his fist.
"Seize the opportunity… before it's lost… Chen Feng's letter was precise, not mere speculation, especially given Hong Jiuling's peculiar anti-war sentiment. Qiaodong is my foundation. I can't let anyone destroy it."
With this thought, Feng Zhiyong took a deep breath and loudly declared, "Inform Chen Feng, once he returns, we'll suppress Hong Jiuling together and restore clarity to Qiaodong!"
The group exchanged glances, then bowed and went to prepare…
