Chapter 349: Death

A lawyer named Li Feiwen accompanied Chen Fei back to the city. He was said to be very well-known in Lanfu Base City.

“Hello, here’s my digital business card,” Li Feiwen said with a smile.

He appeared to be a man in his early thirties, tall and well-built, with sharp, handsome features and bright, deep eyes that radiated confidence. His smile was especially infectious.

Li Xiaofei accepted the business card and stored it in his light core. When he turned to Chen Fei, he couldn’t help but ask, “So your solution to this problem is to come back and fight a lawsuit?”

Chen Fei gave a bitter smile. “I embezzled funds, and the Audit Bureau caught me. They’ve been holding onto this little detail and won’t let it go, so I had no choice but to bring in a professional to handle it.”

“Embezzled funds?”

Li Xiaofei was surprised.

Did Old Chen really do something like that?

Chen Fei explained, “It was Director Qin. On New Year’s Eve, he messaged me saying his niece was in the hospital and needed three surgeries, but he couldn’t gather enough for the medical bills. So, I borrowed 2 million star coins from the school’s funds as an advance payment...”

Li Xiaofei rubbed his temples and sighed, “Why didn’t you ask me for help?”

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

“I know you’ve got deep pockets,” Chen Fei snorted. “But you’ve already done so much for the school by donating money and providing cultivation techniques. I couldn’t just keep squeezing the same sheep dry, could I?”

“Well, I guess I should thank you for that,” Li Xiaofei responded, speechless.

The situation was far more complicated than he expected, and it seemed that even Chen Fei had been caught up in this tangled mess. But now with Li Feiwen involved, perhaps there was a way forward.

Li Xiaofei understood Chen Fei’s situation. For so many years, Chen Fei had treated Red Flag High School as his home, and everyone in it as his family. The school was a neglected place that was unloved by both the government and private donors. Chen Fei had poured countless hours, effort, and personal resources into it. The operations were undoubtedly unorthodox, with no proper oversight.

So to him, something like embezzling school funds seemed like no big deal. It was just a matter of temporarily borrowing and paying it back later. But in the hands of those with ulterior motives, it became a weapon to destroy him.

“Did you manage to replace the funds?” Li Xiaofei asked. “If you’re short, I’ve got—”

Chen Fei interrupted, “I paid it back. I pawned some of my collectibles and scraped together enough.”

“That’s good then,” Li Xiaofei said, choosing not to poke at the old man’s pride. He turned to the lawyer. “So, Attorney Li, is this case easy to defend?”

Li Feiwen smiled. “There’s absolutely no problem. Most of the groundwork was already handled in Lanfu Base City, so there’s little left to do here in Liuhe Base City. We just need to follow the proper procedures.”

Chen Fei added, “Thanks to Attorney Li, I’m still walking around free. Otherwise, I’d be sitting in a cell like Old Qin.”

Li Xiaofei quickly asked, “What’s the situation with Old Qin now?”

“His case is a bit more complicated. He physically assaulted a member of the Police Department, so it’s not an easy fight. Thankfully, his mental state is questionable. We’re working on getting him evaluated by a reputable institution for mental illness. If it’s confirmed, he could avoid jail time,” Li Feiwen explained.

Li Xiaofei felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Li Feiwen continued, “However, cases like this take a lot of time. With external pressure involved, it’s normal for these back-and-forth legal battles to drag on for half a year or more.”

Li Xiaofei asked curiously, “Attorney Li, you know there’s external pressure, and you still took on the case?”

Li Feiwen burst out laughing.

"I’m the kind of person who loves a challenge," Li Feiwen said, his laughter brimming with confidence.

Chen Fei also chuckled, adding, "You might not know this, but Attorney Li is famous in Lanfu Base City as a tough lawyer. He’s always stood up for the underdog and taken on cases for the poor. The harder the case, the more he loves it. He’s won countless high-profile cases."

Li Xiaofei instantly felt a deep sense of respect for him.

Li Feiwen waved his hand and said with a smile, "What can I say? I wasn’t blessed with martial talent. After twenty years of cultivation, I’m only at the Limit Breaking Realm with two shackles broken. Since I couldn’t excel in martial arts, I had to focus on law."

Chen Fei, now much more at ease, said, “We’ll leave the rest to Attorney Li.”

Li Xiaofei offered, “Should I arrange some people to protect you, just in case?”

“Haha, no need,” Li Feiwen laughed, shaking his head. “I’ve weathered all kinds of storms over the years and I’m still standing. Don’t worry.”

With that, the discussion ended. The arrival of the old principal, Chen Fei, had indeed alleviated some of the pressure on Li Xiaofei. Soon, Li Feiwen’s expertise began to show results.

The first major victory was the cancellation of Red Flag High School’s suspension. By that very afternoon, the school resumed classes. Next, Li Feiwen filed an administrative lawsuit on behalf of Li Xiaofei, challenging the revocation of his student status. The legal process had begun.

“This kind of case is easy,” Li Feiwen said with unwavering confidence. “I’ve handled far too many similar cases in Lanfu Base City. No challenge at all... I guarantee that within three days, you’ll have your student status restored.”

Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but be infected by his optimism. After all, if things could be resolved legally, who would want to resort to violence? However, there was one thing Li Xiaofei couldn’t change, he would miss the High School War God League tournament on Saturday. For the first time since the start of the season, Li Xiaofei’s name was missing from the roster. He didn’t even have a spot on the substitute bench.

Of course, Chen Fei was also absent from the match. The two had originally planned to sit in the stands and cheer for the team, but they were stopped at the school gates. Fortunately, under Yan Chiyu's leadership, the Red Flag High School battle team won the match without any major mishaps, extending their unbeaten streak.

When Li Xiaofei and Chen Fei heard the result, they were in good spirits. But that good mood didn’t last long.

Li Feiwen was dead. He had been brutally hacked to death and his mutilated body had been dumped outside Chen Fei’s temporary residence. His tongue had been cut out, his mouth sewn shut and a sentence had been carved into his chest.

This is what happens to those who speak out.

The sky above was dark and heavy, seemingly preparing for the first snowfall of the year. Chen Fei’s eyes were bloodshot, his whole body like a powder keg on the verge of explosion. He couldn’t comprehend how, in just a matter of days, the once peaceful and orderly Liuhe Base City had descended into chaos. When Li Xiaofei arrived, he helped gather and prepare Li Feiwei’s body.

“These people don’t play by the rules at all,” Li Xiaofei said coldly. “Chen Fei, I know what you’re thinking, but you shouldn’t take matters into your own hands. Leave this to me.”

"You can barely protect yourself," Chen Fei said, his voice tense. "Don't be reckless."

Li Xiaofei responded calmly, "I never wanted to be a martial world big shot; I just wanted to be a reasonable student. But some people in this world think that having the bigger fist makes them right. To deal with those kinds of people, you have to use martial world methods... Leave it to me."

With that, he turned and walked away, deciding he would no longer hold back.

Chen Fei watched Li Xiaofei’s retreating figure, sinking into a deep internal conflict.

He stood there for a while, until finally, he pulled out his light core and dialed a number. It was one he hadn’t called in fifteen years, yet it was engraved in his mind as if it had been burned there. The line connected quickly.

"Little Chen, you finally decided to call me," came a voice on the other end, aged but commanding, brimming with joy that couldn’t be concealed.

"I agree to return to the team," Chen Fei finally said, the words heavy with meaning. "But you’ll have to do me a favor."

The silence on the other end lingered for just a moment before the voice responded, resolute and certain. "Whatever it is, consider it done."