472: Chapter 472 Ideal Land, the Name of That Person

As soon as those three words left his mouth,

a trace of bewilderment appeared on the faces of Lin Chuqiao, Pan Wendi, Bailing, and even Second Young Master Chen Xuan, evidently having never heard of this before.

However, Fang Cheng's heart shook violently.

He had, of course, heard of this organization.

And the person who told him was none other than Shi Chengyi, the former head of the Action Department of the Special Investigation Team.

The mastermind behind the Guangwumen Shooting Incident—an event back then that shocked the entire country and even directly led to the downfall of the military government—was rumored to be this mysterious organization named Utopia.

Shi Chengyi had personally taken command, mobilizing the most elite forces of the Special Investigation Team to invest in the investigation of this earth-shattering case.

Yet in the end, he suffered a crushing defeat, falling just short of success.

Before he even had time to lift the mysterious veil of the organization, the then-president Feng Zhonglin announced his stepping down, and the investigation of the case was consequently shelved.

Then, this case was taken over by the former intelligence official, now head of the Special Investigation Team, Ling Shaofeng, and was finally successfully cracked.

And his own father, Fang Shijie, was implicated in this huge storm and unfortunately lost his life.

Old Master Chen Hongye took in every subtle change in Fang Cheng's expression, smiling knowingly.

"It seems that when you were inquiring about your father's case before, you had already caught wind of it."

Then, he put away his smile, his expression instantly turning solemn and dignified:

"Speaking of which, your father's death has a direct connection to a betrayal our organization suffered internally back then."

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's gaze suddenly narrowed.

The killing intent that had just converged on his body showed signs of flaring up once more.

"Utopia..."

Old Master Chen Hongye turned a blind eye to this, as if completely immersed in his own memories, his voice low and distant.

"Heh, the mediocre people of this world, many haven't even heard its name."

He let out a light sneer, speaking to himself:

"We are different from those fame-and-fortune-chasing plutocrat families, nor are we a group-style large-scale multinational organization."

"What we follow is the absolute path of the elite. Decades ago at the founding of the organization, counting me, there were only a handful of people."

"Those who are qualified to join us are all one-in-ten-thousand talents, at the lowest a Rank B ability user, and they must pass rigorous tests and uphold the same philosophy."

He paused, his tone carrying unconcealable pride:

"The organization we created has no strict Rank, no scheming infighting; members are more like family, brothers and sisters walking side by side."

"Because all of us hold a distant and great common ideal."

Old Master Chen Hongye raised his head slightly, his curse-covered face actually revealing a hint of a near-sacred radiance:

"That is to create a wonderful world truly free of oppression, where everyone is equal."

"There, everyone can enjoy a happy and stable life, with no war, no hunger, no racial divisions, and even no distinction of high and low birth."

"Even us supernatural beings whom ordinary people regard as monsters do not need to hide in dark corners, and can live freely."

How lofty this description sounded.

Yet to Lin Chuqiao and the others, it only evoked a strong sense of absurdity.

The charred, terrifying monster before them, who had just publicly consumed the blood of a living person,

at this moment was using a compassionate tone to recount the great ideal of creating a wonderful world.

Such a discordant scene was really a bit hard for people to accept.

Old Master Chen Hongye seemed completely unaware, ignoring everyone's strangeness, still immersed in his own words:

"Our members are spread across all walks of life in society, including scholars, soldiers, politicians..."

"They are all in their respective Domain, quietly adding bricks and tiles to this common goal, waiting for the day the dawn arrives."

"However..."

His tone abruptly shifted, his voice turning cold:

"As the organization's members continued to grow, divergences also emerged."

"One faction believed that to achieve the ideal, one must grasp power, so they chose to cooperate with the military government of the time and accept amnesty."

"While another faction, including myself and your father, firmly opposed it, believing that once we wallow in the same mire with the evil Dragon, even if we tried our best to maintain our original intention, we would eventually become an evil Dragon ourselves."

Fang Cheng coldly interjected:

"So, the Guangwumen Shooting Incident was planned by you guys?"

"It was us, and it was not us."

Old Master Chen Hongye shook his head, undisguised disdain and hatred flashing in his eyes:

"Just as I said earlier, it was the good work of that bunch of shortsighted fools who chose to compromise with power!"

"Blinded by greed, they completely degenerated into the former president's lackeys, secretly clearing out dissidents for him, and their hands were long stained with blood."

"The Guangwumen Shooting Incident was a tragedy directed by them to frame their political enemies."

"In the end, it was playing with fire and burning oneself!"

Old Master Chen Hongye sneered repeatedly, his voice revealing a hint of schadenfreude, yet filled with thick disappointment.

"The military government fell, the new government came to power, and their dirty dealings with the old regime were leaked, immediately suffering the official authorities' harshest suppression."

"The Special Investigation Team came out in full force, launching indiscriminate crackdowns on all suspected members of Utopia."

"During that time, the entire Xia Country was on edge, with every bush and tree looking like an enemy soldier. We who adhered to the ideal were also implicated, forced to go completely underground and lurk low-profile."

"However, the most fatal blow often comes from within."

Speaking of this, Old Master Chen Hongye suddenly appeared somewhat emotional, his hands involuntarily clenching into fists, his knuckles making cracking sounds.

"Just at the most critical moment of the organization, a traitor appeared, leaking a list of core members!"

"After that, the organization completely disintegrated; members were either arrested and imprisoned, spending the rest of their lives in dark cells, or hunted down to the ends of the earth, dying in foreign lands..."

"Utopia suffered a heavy blow to its Origin Qi ever since, and to this day, it has never fully recovered."

Finishing this memory, he slowly loosened his fists, looking at Fang Cheng with complex eyes.

"Your father, Fang Shijie, didn't join the organization for long; in fact, he couldn't be considered a core member yet, and wasn't originally on the Special Investigation Team's priority arrest list."

"It's just that he usually was mainly responsible for peripheral liaison matters, knowing the real-life identities of quite a few members in the organization, which also included this old man."

"Originally, Fang Shijie could have completely continued to lurk, living safely with his family like usual until the storm passed..."

"Yet later on, he was still betrayed by that traitor who deserved to die ten thousand deaths!"

Old Master Chen Hongye sighed long and deep, his tone turning sorrowful, as if truly lamenting for an old friend.

"In order not to fall into the hands of the Special Investigation Team, and to avoid the whereabouts of other organization members being tortured out of him by special means by the other side."

"He chose the most heroic way... generously dying in a raging fire, using his own life to cut off the Special Investigation Team's clues for tracing back along the vine."

"He can be called a true hero!"

Old Master Chen Hongye's voice suddenly rose a few notches, carrying a hint of deliberately crafted tragic grandeur.

As his voice fell, the courtyard fell into a brief silence.

The night wind suddenly grew stronger, blowing the bonfire crackling, and sparks were whipped around everywhere.

Fang Cheng stood quietly.

The expression on his face flickered in the firelight, making it impossible to tell joy or anger.

It seemed as though he was digesting this dusty past, or perhaps weighing something.

After a long while, he finally spoke, asking in a cold and hard voice:

"That traitor, the person who killed my father, exactly who is he?"

Hearing this, Old Master Chen Hongye sighed again, a look of helplessness of a hopeless case appearing on his face.

"Young friend, you still don't understand. This is not a problem of a single traitor, but rather a serious split that occurred inside our Utopia."

He shook his head, explaining patiently:

"The ones who caused trouble back then were those factions advocating surrender; later, to pledge allegiance to the new government and betray their companions, it was also them."

"If you just want to find a specific person to take revenge on, I'm afraid it's not that easy."

"After all, this old man is not someone specially responsible for investigating cases in the Special Investigation Team; how could I possibly know specifically who betrayed your father back then?"

Seeming because he had spoken too much, Old Master Chen Hongye felt a bit tired and didn't continue speaking.

"Since that's the case..."

Fang Cheng frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked again:

"Then, who is the leader of the surrender faction in your organization?"

This straightforward question seemed to instantly poke at Old Master Chen Hongye's weak spot.

His face instantly froze, recalling something terrifying, and a trace of fear actually emerged on his curse-covered face.

"That person's name... this old man also dares not mention it lightly."

Old Master Chen Hongye's gaze flickered, speaking haltingly:

"Once his true name is uttered, it is very likely to be perceived by him, and I'm afraid it will immediately invite catastrophic trouble..."

Seeing that Fang Cheng was still staring at him, Old Master Chen Hongye immediately changed the subject.

"Besides, didn't I say that just now?"

"The Guangwumen Shooting Incident was not a simple vendetta, but a political storm sweeping the country; the powerful figures and high officials involved behind the scenes were intertwined and countless."

"Knowing too much is no good for you. This matter belongs to a sensitive forbidden zone in Xia Country, being top secret, and public information has long been completely deleted."

"If you really want to investigate the truth, unless you can break into the Special Investigation Team's archive!"

"In short, the water here is very deep. Those who understand understand, and for those who don't, you won't understand even if I explain."

Speaking up to here, Old Master Chen Hongye waved his hand, his tone carrying a bit of impatience.

"Regarding your father's matter, I have said enough; let's stop here."

"Young friend, this old man has already kept his promise. Should you not also fulfill the condition, stop interfering in the Chen family's affairs, and leave this place?"

Fang Cheng didn't take up the words, directly and coldly rejecting:

"What you've said is completely useless to me."

He stared at Old Master Chen Hongye with burning eyes, his tone yielding not a single bit:

"I don't want to know how many interest relations are involved behind the case; I just want a clear answer: who on earth is the chief culprit that led to everything."

"Tonight, you must give me a name."

"Either the leader of the surrender faction, or the traitor who betrayed my father—choose one, pick it yourself."

"You... aren't you making things difficult for someone?"

Looking at Fang Cheng's tough attitude that allowed no discussion, Old Master Chen Hongye's mouth twitched, his face full of difficulty.

"If this old man leaks that person's name, he will inevitably know, and even directly lock onto my existence."

"By then... this old bone of mine will probably find it hard even to find a place to rest in peace!"

Fang Cheng was unmoved, just looking at him quietly.

As if he hadn't heard these few words of complaint at all.

The two sides stared at each other like this for a few seconds; Old Master Chen Hongye couldn't hold on first, and eventually gave in.

"Fine, fine!"

He compromised helplessly, raising both hands:

"I can tell you."

"Only..."

Old Master Chen Hongye's gaze swept toward Lin Chuqiao and the others not far away, lowering his voice meaningfully:

"There are too many people here with loose lips; some things are really inconvenient for outsiders to hear."

Fang Cheng slightly nodded:

"Then let's agree on a time and place to talk again."

"Heh."

Old Master Chen Hongye let out a dry laugh:

"Aren't you afraid that after I get away tonight, I will vanish without a trace, making it so you can never find me again?"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng's gaze suddenly became blazing, and undisguised killing intent emanated from his body.

That look seemed to say, you can try.

"Young friend, there's no need to look at me like that; this old man was just joking."

Old Master Chen Hongye hurriedly waved his hand, his tone softening a bit more.

"How about this."

Pondering slightly, he put forward a suggestion:

"Now, you will accompany me into my spiritual Secret Realm."

"That place is absolutely private, undisturbed by anyone. Even with that adult's ability, it is utterly impossible to sense, making it most suitable for telling secrets that shouldn't be known by outsiders."

"After entering the Secret Realm, I will tell you that person's name, as well as the information of other personnel involved in the Guangwumen Shooting Incident that I know, one by one, completely."

"Perhaps, it can help you find the real enemy."

Old Master Chen Hongye's words could be described as full of sincerity.

"Wait."

However, before Fang Cheng could respond, Lin Chuqiao couldn't help but speak up.

She hurried to Fang Cheng's side, her delicate body leaning slightly forward, leaning close to his ear, and reminded him in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"You must be careful to prevent any tricks. I have a bad premonition; this old monster might be unfavorable to you."

The two were very close, their warm breath gently brushing against Fang Cheng's auricle as they spoke, carrying a hint of faint, elegant fragrance.

A few strands of hair even gently brushed across his cheek, making Fang Cheng's heart involuntarily sway slightly.

Seeing the intimate actions of the two, Old Master Chen Hongye standing not far away flashed his scarlet gaze, and then added:

"Two, spiritual Secret Realm, as ability users, you should both understand it, right?"

"Besides, Young Friend Fang seems to have some powerful protective item on his body, which can even block this old man's 'Soul-Hooking Demonic Shadow', so presumably you don't have to worry about me playing any tricks..."

Before finishing his sentence, Old Master Chen Hongye coughed violently a few times.

At this moment, blood kept seeping from the depression in his chest, and the crawling speed of those dark red curses slowed down a bit.

The whole person appeared extremely weak, as if he would collapse at any moment.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng pondered slightly and nodded in agreement.

"Alright."

Then he turned his head to look at Lin Chuqiao, his calm gaze revealing a bit of gentleness.

"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing. Wait for me to come back here."

After saying this, he paused, and added in a more solemn tone:

"Help me guard my Physical Body, don't let others take the opportunity to approach. If you find any abnormal situation, wake me up at any time."

Hearing this, Lin Chuqiao was slightly stunned and nodded heavily:

"Mhm... I will always guard by your side, and will never let anyone touch your..."

Once these words were spoken, she herself felt that there might be some ambiguity.

A moving blush instantly flew across her fair cheeks, and she hurriedly turned her gaze aside, avoiding Fang Cheng's line of sight.

"Brother, go ahead with peace of mind."

At this time, Pan Wendi also walked up carelessly, patting his chest to guarantee:

"My cousin and I will act as your Protector together. Whoever dares to touch you, I'll fight him to the death! Even those monsters can't even think of getting close!"

As he spoke, he also scanned around, his eyes revealing a bit of vigilance, as if confirming whether there were any potential dangers.

"Boss, you must pay attention to safety."

Bailing similarly cheered him on in a low voice.

Second Young Master Chen Xuan on the side saw this, his heart the most anxious.

He could only hold his faintly aching chest, watching the two in the arena reach an agreement with a face full of unwillingness, yet not daring to say a single extra word.

Having finished giving instructions, Fang Cheng once again cast his gaze toward Old Master Chen Hongye, his eyes recovering their previous sharpness.

"Now, how do we enter your spiritual Secret Realm?"

(End of Chapter)