Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Settling New and Old Scores

One more step and the dagger would have pierced through Lu Jingyu’s foot, pinning him to the floor.

Staring at the still-quivering dagger, Lu Jingyu’s expression was as black as ink. He didn’t raise his head for a long while.

Xu Qingsui looked panicked. She glanced from Lu Jingyu to Chen Chang’an, whose face was just as grim. Though he had been the one to throw the dagger, his expression was hardly better than Lu Jingyu’s.

The other six elders stood nearby in small groups. Elder Wang was whispering with Qiu Fang, stealing glances at Lu Jingyu. He couldn’t suppress a smirk, his eyes filled with mockery.

"Lu Jingyu, do you understand my meaning?" Chen Chang’an was the first to break the silence as the dagger stopped quivering.

Lu Jingyu tapped the dagger with the tip of his boot. With a sudden flick, the dagger flew up from the floor and soared toward an empty area.

No one saw how he did it. The dagger embedded itself deep in the wall, quivering again.

"I don’t understand. Hasn’t Mr. Chen been at home caring for Yun Fei? I fail to see why Elder Chen has appeared today only to start making trouble."

Even after Lu Jingyu had spoken, the dagger had yet to stop quivering, showing that he had thrown it with even more force than Chen Chang’an.

However, he had only vented his displeasure on the wall.

"Then you are sorely lacking in awareness!" Chen Chang’an glared at Lu Jingyu before his gaze swept over everyone else in the room.

"It’s true that for the past three years, I have been unable to concern myself with the Alliance because of Yun Fei’s situation. But to the six elders present: what has kept you so busy that you, too, have neglected the Alliance?"

Although Chen Chang’an had relinquished power many years ago, his sharp rebuke had lost none of its former authority.

The other six elders grew solemn, lowering their heads and not daring to make a sound.

"Someone! Come and report this morning’s casualties to the elders and Captain Lu."

Chen Chang’an’s voice was full and powerful, his shout echoing endlessly through the assembly hall.

Meng Donghua entered from outside. As he passed Lu Jingyu and Xu Qingsui, he snuck a glance at the pair before walking to Chen Chang’an’s side.

But instead of immediately reporting, he leaned in and whispered something in Chen Chang’an’s ear.

As Meng Donghua spoke, Chen Chang’an’s expression visibly darkened several shades.

SNAP!

A sharp crack suddenly sounded from under Chen Chang’an’s hand.

The wooden armrest of his chair had shattered under his grip.

Seeing this, Meng Donghua immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word.

Everyone else’s gaze shifted between Meng Donghua and Chen Chang’an, wondering what could have been said to make the old man even angrier.

"Don’t just tell me. Say it so everyone here can listen," Chen Chang’an said, his face grim, giving the room a chance to learn what was said.

Meng Donghua bowed, then stepped forward and announced, "According to the infirmary’s count, this morning’s incident resulted in fifteen members killed on site and thirteen who died despite medical intervention. In addition, twenty-seven members are seriously injured, and thirty-four are lightly injured."

The casualty report hadn’t been finalized until now. Everyone knew the results were tragic and had steeled themselves for the worst, to some extent.

But hearing the actual numbers still made everyone’s heart clench.

Even Elder Wang, who had initially refused to provide medical supplies and acted so indifferently, now had a grave look on his face.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Meng Donghua took a deep breath and continued, "This morning’s incident triggered a retaliatory attack from the Mutants. That attack resulted in another seven killed on site, four who died during treatment, nine seriously injured, and sixteen lightly injured."

When Meng Donghua rattled off another string of numbers, the entire assembly hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"The final tally for today is thirty-nine dead, thirty-six seriously injured, and fifty lightly injured. A total of one hundred twenty-five casualties."

Dead silence.

As if on cue, the dagger in the wall stopped quivering.

"Heh..."

A cold laugh suddenly broke the silence.

Chen Chang’an sneered, his gaze sweeping across each person in the room as if trying to see right through them.

"Is this how you all protect the Alliance? One hundred and twenty-five casualties in a single day! Just how many members does the Alliance have in total?"

No one dared to answer. Even Lu Jingyu kept his head lowered in silence.

"Captain Lu, don’t you value this position dearly? That’s why, while Yun Fei lay in his sickbed for three years, you’ve been sitting in this seat for three years."

When he spoke again, his tone was dripping with open hostility.

His words drew the attention of many in the room. Several people exchanged knowing glances.

Everyone knew Chen Chang’an already held a grudge against Lu Jingyu because of what happened to Chen Yunfei.

With such a major incident on top of it, it seemed he was planning to settle both scores at once.

No wonder a dagger had been thrown at Lu Jingyu the moment he walked through the door.

"I may not have left my home in recent years, but I still hear things. It seems Captain Lu has been too preoccupied with matters of the heart to concern himself with the Alliance."

"In that case, I see no reason to trouble Captain Lu with Alliance matters any further. Besides, it seems Captain Lu has had his fill of this seat. He’s not like he was in the beginning, when this position was the only thing that mattered to him."

His words were heavy with insinuation, and all eyes in the room darted between him and Lu Jingyu.

Most were simply watching the drama unfold, but a worried expression appeared on Qi Qin’s face.

After a long moment of hesitation, Qi Qin stepped forward. "Elder Chen, this incident can’t be blamed on Jing Yu. It wasn’t his team, and after it happened, he’s been working constantly to gather medical supplies to try and reduce the casualties."

"As for the recent rumors, it’s normal for young people to get entangled in romantic matters. Things like that always get exaggerated when they spread. You can’t take it as fact."

A cold glare from Chen Chang’an silenced Qi Qin. "Elder Qi, that’s enough. I may have been in seclusion for the past three years, but plenty has happened right under my nose. I have my own judgment about what’s really going on and how to handle it."

"As for today’s incident, I’ve already sent someone to bring Captain Shen here. But before that, I hereby announce Lu Jingyu is stripped of his position as Captain. The Alliance cannot be leaderless for a single day. However, since the Alliance currently lacks a member capable of shouldering this burden, I will have to trouble the esteemed elders. You must first choose one from your ranks to manage the Alliance."

Chen Chang’an’s gaze swept over the six elders one by one, lingering for a moment on Qi Qin and Qiu Fang in particular.

Feeling Chen Chang’an’s gaze on him, Qiu Fang’s eyes lit up.

’Such a sudden stroke of luck!’ he thought. ’Perhaps I won’t need to use anyone else to achieve my ambitions after all.’

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