The continuous curtain of rain outside the pavilion seemed like an invisible barrier, isolating the two people inside from the real world.
Fang Cheng simply stood there silently, his figure 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 deep that one couldn’t see through it.
Shi Chengyi did not urge him, merely watched him quietly, his gaze filled with the patience and expectation of an elder.
He was waiting for an answer, one that could influence the future of Xia Country and Martial Arts.
Eventually, Fang Cheng slowly shook his head, apologetically saying:
"Thank you, Elder Shi, for your kindness, but I’m used to being free and easy, and I can’t handle the rules and restrictions of the team."
"Right now, I just want a stable life, to spend more time with my family, and be an ordinary office worker."
Shi Chengyi, hearing this, seemed to have anticipated it and didn’t show disappointment. Instead, he smiled gently.
There was a bit of understanding in that smile, and also a hint of a seasoned person’s sigh.
"A stable life... yes, who wouldn’t want that?"
He sighed softly, his gaze turning to the tranquil cemetery outside the pavilion.
"Your father, Fang Shijie, must have hoped the same, that his son could live a peaceful, ordinary life."
This seemingly ordinary lament was like an invisible needle, gently piercing through the calm that Fang Cheng had maintained.
He didn’t speak, but his previously relaxed eyebrows instinctively knitted slightly.
Shi Chengyi noticed the subtle change in his expression, and continued speaking in a soft tone:
"But true stability in life doesn’t come out of nowhere, whether it’s for an individual or a country."
"Some things, if you don’t resolve them, they will forever linger, becoming a shadow in your life and that of your family, a scar difficult to mend."
He turned around, looking warmly at Fang Cheng, his eyes filled with sincerity.
"Child, do you really think that with such a past, you can achieve the stability you desire? Don’t you... want to seek true justice for your father?"
Fang Cheng’s body tensed slightly, his fingers slightly clenching at his side.
He then raised his eyes to meet Shi Chengyi’s gaze, his voice low yet calm:
"Elder Shi... What do you mean by this?"
Shi Chengyi’s expression became solemn; he knew that some truths must be spoken by someone like him. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel★fire.net
"According to police records, your father Fang Shijie was the culprit in a serial murder case seventeen years ago. He committed suicide by self-immolation during the arrest, correct?"
Fang Cheng’s lips pressed slightly, but he didn’t respond. However, his gaze darkened.
"Have you ever thought about it?"
Shi Chengyi’s voice, though not loud, was weighty:
"Why would a gentle and responsible man suddenly change overnight, becoming a heinous murderer? Isn’t there something suspicious behind this?"
He didn’t beat around the bush but looked straight into Fang Cheng’s eyes, saying in a deep voice:
"I can tell you clearly, there are many doubts in that dossier. Perhaps your father’s case was never an ordinary criminal case from the start."
Upon hearing this, clear waves finally rippled in the depths of Fang Cheng’s previously calm eyes.
Shi Chengyi paused deliberately, giving him enough time to digest before continuing:
"At the time, I was the director of the Special Search Team’s operations department, investigating another ’Guangwu Gate Shooting Case.’"
"You should have heard of this case; it was a shocking case that shook the very foundation of the country. I was appointed in a crisis, personally leading the team and mobilizing the elite of the entire department."
"In the investigation process, we discovered an invisible black hand, possessing supernatural powers, interfering with the investigation, erasing all clues and witnesses."
"After analyzing the strange energy remaining in the bodies of several crucial witnesses who died mysteriously, we followed this clue and began to investigate all powers and events related to mutants in society, eventually locking onto a mysterious organization called ’Ideal Land.’"
Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng’s pupils shrank slightly, concentrating on listening.
Shi Chengyi continued:
"However, before we could find solid evidence and prepare to launch an arrest operation against this organization, the former 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’s time, they announced that they had captured the so-called ’culprit,’ presenting a perfect token to the new government, thus neatly concluding the case."
Shi Chengyi’s gaze became extremely profound, as if recalling those turbulent days.
"Originally, this old sealed case had nothing to do with you."
"However, before Wei Zheng came to see me, he looked through your father’s files and discovered a deliberately ignored detail."
He emphasized, his gaze becoming sharply focused:
"Back then, investigators from the Special Search Team briefly investigated your father!"
Seeing Fang Cheng’s confused expression, Shi Chengyi patiently explained:
"If a case involves certain ’special individuals’ that cannot be known to the general public, then its handling authority will immediately be transferred from the regular police system to our Special Search Team."
"Initially, while investigating the highly publicized ’West Gate Serial Murder Case,’ the police suspected your father might be the notorious mutant assassin ’Midnight Red Demon,’ and thus reported the relevant clues to us."