Chapter 345: No Empty Seats

Chapter 345: No Vacant Seats

Half an hour later, the Xuanwei Company.

The building, once ablaze with brilliant lights, was now reduced to a scorched ruin of blackened debris, with remnants blasted outward by the explosion scattered across a radius of hundreds of yards.

The heavy snow melted into filthy sludge under the licking of the fierce flames, leaving the blast zone thoroughly bogged down in mud.

The only structure remaining somewhat intact was that gold-gleaming company signboard, driven upright into the ground directly ahead of the ruined building.

Yet, where the character for 'Wei' had once been inscribed, a hole had been gouged out, rendered completely hollow from front to back.

Its prestige no longer existing, it was an exceptional irony.

Dozens of sentries from the Soldier Sequence stared with bloodshot mechanical eyes, leading hounds modified by the techniques of the Agriculture Sequence to meticulously comb through the ruins.

However, everyone knew in their hearts that under an explosion of such intensity, the probability of anyone surviving was close to zero.

"Found him!"

A sentry suddenly shouted aloud, cradling a half-shattered, unrecognizable skull from amidst the fractured brickwork and stone.

The medical officers of the Sentry Bureau waiting on the periphery immediately rushed forward, and after carefully verifying the genetic information, confirmed that the owner of the skull was indeed the Vice Commissioner of the Inuyama Castle Pacification Office, Luo He.

"Lord Luo has died in the line of duty!"

A trembling voice echoed through the ruins, drifting into the ears of Yang Baize.

Though he had already anticipated such an outcome, at this moment Yang Baize’s countenance still uncontrollably turned a severe, ashen pale, his once high-spirited brows locking tightly together.

The implementation of the New Policy had just begun to bear fruit, and the intimidating warning from Honghu followed immediately after.

It was not difficult to see from the bleak expressions of the surrounding officials from the Pacification Office that this was no small blow to them.

"My men have already investigated the process of the attack; the one who committed the crime is a criminal outlaw named Terao Reki."

Li Jun stood beside Yang Baize, speaking in a low voice: "He was among the first batch of students enrolled at the Confucian Temple."

"Using a student of the Confucian Temple to assassinate an official implementing the New Policy..."

Yang Baize let out a melancholy sigh, "With this practical action, Honghu is telling me that the Empire's civilization and education hold absolutely no sway over this land, wishing for me to retreat in the face of difficulties."

Li Jun asked: "Then what do you plan to do next? Temporarily avoid their sharp edge, or change your strategy?"

"Brother Jun, the two choices you mentioned are essentially the exact same—both are a form of admitting defeat to Honghu!"

Yang Baize raised his hand to brush away the gloom on his face, saying dispassionately: "If I were thirty years older, perhaps I would choose forbearance and circumvention. But unfortunately, right now, I, Yang Baize, have not yet learned how to write the words 'yield and back down'."

"For the first step of Honghu's entry into the city, they chose the Xuanwei Company as their target, which precisely demonstrates that the New Policy currently being implemented in Inuyama Castle has struck a raw nerve."

Yang Baize pressed his right foot onto a stone encrusted with gunpowder smoke, grinding it lightly.

"To strike a snake, one must hit its vitals; right now, it is we who hold the vitals of this venomous serpent. If we let go out of fear at this moment, only then will we be consumed by the swarm of snakes."

Li Jun understood: "So you do not intend to suspend the New Policy?"

"Not only will it not stop, but the original schedule will be brought forward!"

Yang Baize’s gaze was steadfast and resolute, "Starting from tomorrow, the four primary private academies will open immediately, beginning to enroll every single child of tender age across Inuyama Castle!"

"I want the people of Honghu to understand that the false future they boast of, where 'everyone can ascend the sequences,' can be easily and utterly dismantled by nothing more than a thick coat and a bowl of hot rice!"

Looking at the high-spirited youth beside him, Li Jun softly reminded him: "Luo He being blown to death was merely a single warning from Honghu; their next target will likely be you."

"As the situation stands, the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. In that case, wouldn't it be just perfect for me to act as the target to draw their fire?"

Yang Baize bared his teeth in a smile, "Furthermore, with you here, Brother Jun, what do I have to worry about?"

"You trust me that much? The methods of those Honghu people are insidious and their movements are ghostly; I may not necessarily be able to protect your safety completely."

Li Jun was speaking the truth; that Honghu could survive for so many years within the Empire relied precisely on their ability to conceal themselves among the populace.

Particularly now, with Inuyama Castle serving as the experimental pilot for the implementation of the New Policy across the entire Yamato Sector, there were absolutely no precedents to follow for any of the policy rollouts; they were all crossing the river by feeling the stones.

No one could accurately predict the ultimate effect of the New Policy's implementation; they could only test the acceptance level of the criminal outlaws step by step.

At a time when public sentiment was so volatile, it was the perfect opportunity for Honghu to exploit the opening.

Every single person dissatisfied with the current state of the world could potentially be bewitched by Honghu into becoming one of their own.

"Do man's utmost, and resign the rest to fate."

Yang Baize's smile was calm, "If it is my destiny to die at the hands of Honghu, then I only ask one thing of you, Brother Jun."

"What is it?"

"Kill more people to accompany me in death."

Inuyama Castle, West Outskirts Office.

Slap!

Fan Wujiu slammed a human face viciously onto the table, pacing back and forth within this meeting room like an enraged bull.

"A disgrace! A total disgrace to our ancestors!"

"What happened?"

Li Jun, who had just returned, pushed open the main door only to witness this heavy, tense atmosphere, and could not help but ask in puzzlement.

"Little Black's precious informant was killed."

Chen Qisheng, curled up in the corner, said: "It happened just a step behind us; the other party killed the person practically right under our noses."

"Just a step behind..."

Li Jun asked in astonishment: "You didn't catch anyone?"

"No."

Chen Qisheng shook his head, pointing at the human face thrown upon the table, saying helplessly: "Not only did we not catch them, but we were instead given a meeting gift by someone."

"This is a demonstration of force!"

Fan Wujiu said furiously: "I have knocked around Inuyama Castle for so many years, and this is the first time someone has climbed right over my nose and onto my face! If I don't slaughter this bastard this time, my name isn't Fan Wujiu!"

"It seems that the operations of our West Outskirts Office are being watched perfectly clearly by someone."

While speaking, Li Jun cast a glance out the window; the wind and snow were clearly normal, yet in his eyes, every single falling snowflake seemed to be a peering gaze filled with malice.

An enemy in the whole world; this was the unavoidable difficulty and problem they faced as occupiers.

Li Jun sighed inwardly, turning his head to look at Xie Bi'an, who had remained silent in the room the entire time, and asked: "Little White, how are things on your end?"

Xie Bi'an replied in a deep voice: "The stage has already been set for them; now we just wait for them to mount the stage and sing their play."

"Then let us dispatch all of our brothers; if none of us audience members leave the house, who is going to show up to applaud and support the others?"

"Very well, I shall go arrange it."

Fan Wujiu’s bewildered gaze darted back and forth between the two, attempting to understand what the riddles they spoke of actually meant.

"However, Brother Jun, judging by the momentum they have gathered this time, our audience numbers are still a bit too small; I fear it won't be enough for the other party to enjoy themselves fully."

Xie Bi'an expressed a hint of worry. Hearing this, Li Jun smiled, tilting his chin toward the utterly confused Fan Wujiu, "Doesn't Little Black still have many friends? Have him invite the others to come along and join the fun."

"My friends? I don't fucking have any friends?"

Fan Wujiu moved closer to Chen Qisheng, nudging him with his elbow, "Old Chen, do you have any idea what they are talking about?"

“You don’t even get this, do you?”

Chen Qisheng rolled his eyes, irritated: “It’s just about finding people to brawl with.”

“A brawl? Have you already found the target?”

Fan Wujiu’s spirits lifted, he sneered: “Why look for anyone else? I’m handy with this—my right hand a shotgun, left hand an embroidered spring blade, chopping heads while blasting away!”

“And you’re still rhyming here.”

Chen Qisheng moved away with a look of disgust, lest he be injured by that shotgun‑wielding brute.

He leaned against the wall, hands tucked into his daoist robe sleeves, muttering sorrowfully: “Over a hundred more have been caught; if this keeps up, I, the Daoist, will have no choice but to fight them to the death.”

“Hey Xiaohei, don’t get worked up; you’ll have your thrill soon.”

Li Jun smiled, soothing the excited Fan Wujiu, then asked Xie Bian: “Is Old Ma’s update still not finished?”

“No.”

Xie Bian shook his head upon hearing that: “According to Master Ma, this is a major update; though I’m not entirely clear on what the ‘ming gui’ mean, it should take quite some time.”

Li Jun pondered a moment, then declared decisively: “For this performance, we’ll prepare as if Old Ma is absent; we must ensure every seat in the audience is filled.”

“Alright.”