Chapter 032: You Must Be Strong

Chapter 032: You Must Be Strong

"Ye Feng, sob, my father is gone! Sob, what am I supposed to do?" As soon as Ye Feng stepped into the room, Huang Wei rushed toward him as if she had seen her savior, throwing herself into his arms and sobbing uncontrollably. In that moment, nestled in Ye Feng's embrace, Huang Wei finally found a sliver of comfort. Ye Feng's gentle reassurance washed over her like a spring, soothing her shattered heart and offering a fleeting sense of solace.

Looking at the woman in his arms, whose tears had left her nearly unrecognizable, Ye Feng felt an indescribable emotion well up inside him. Although Huang Wei was mature in years—her curvaceous figure attested to that—she had always lived under the protection of Huang Tianba, and her inner strength was not as robust. Such a sudden blow was truly difficult for her to bear.

He gently stroked her smooth back, softly patting her: "It's alright, Wei, everything will be okay. You must be strong. Now that Uncle Huang is gone, you're the pillar of Justice Gate. I'm sure Uncle Huang would want you to stand firm."

"But, but I'm scared, sob... Do you know how much pain is in my heart?" Huang Wei's cries grew louder, her emotions more turbulent, and tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. The tragedy had struck so suddenly, leaving her completely unprepared.

"Wei, believe me, you can do this. You must. And besides, you have me, and we'll all help you!" Ye Feng didn’t know why the words escaped him so quickly—perhaps it was simply the sight of Huang Wei in such distress, a kindness he could not withhold. Besides, she was so gentle and good-hearted.

"Mmm, mmm..." The woman in his arms gradually calmed, her tears slowly drying. Hearing Ye Feng's promise, a mysterious trust blossomed in Huang Wei's heart. Yes, though her father was gone, she still had Ye Feng and her aunt.

Ye Feng suddenly realized that his shoulder was damp; Huang Wei had stopped crying, but her closeness stirred unfamiliar sensations in him. Her body pressed tightly against his, her ample chest pressed against his own. With each quiet sob, her curves brushed against him, sending strange feelings surging through him. The scent of her purity lingered in the air, stoking a fire within him.

What made matters worse was that, perhaps because the place where Huang Wei had been crying was damp, she shifted slightly, her soft body rubbing against his. More fatal still, her abdomen pressed against a part of him that had already reacted beneath her. Instantly, a rush of heat shot through him.

"Um, Wei, maybe you should go eat something now," Ye Feng managed to say, struggling. If she continued like this, he feared the fire she had ignited would become uncontrollable. He could already feel his body's response.

Huang Wei lifted her head, gazing at Ye Feng with sadness. "I have no appetite. After something like this, how could I possibly eat?" Memories of her father surfaced, and tears welled up again at the corners of her eyes.

In the end, Ye Feng persuaded her to eat a little, promising to accompany her. Seeing her frail state, how could Ye Feng refuse? And so, he shared a meal with her.

After they finished, Huang Shan emerged, and the three—Ye Feng, Huang Wei, and Huang Shan—gathered in the living room to discuss matters. Huang Shan refused to believe her elder brother had met with misfortune. In her mind, he was always the bravest, the most capable; it was impossible something had happened to him.

"Alas, the facts are before us—we have no reason not to believe. But I am certain there is a conspiracy at work here," Ye Feng mused. Though he had never met Huang Tianba directly, he had learned much about him from Huang Shan and Huang Wei.

"A conspiracy?" The two women gasped, shocked. Who would dare plot against the leader of Justice Gate? Huang Tianba was a formidable figure both in You County and the provincial capital. "What kind of conspiracy could it be?" Huang Wei asked anxiously.

"I'm not entirely sure," Ye Feng admitted, "but something about this situation feels off. By the way, Wei, do you know what kind of business your father was involved in this time?" He hoped to find a clue, but Huang Wei shook her head, saying she didn't know.

Of course, why not approach it from within Justice Gate itself? When a faction grows large, internal power struggles inevitably arise. Whenever interests clash, problems are bound to surface. Ye Feng knew this well—several major cases he had handled previously stemmed from such causes.

"Right, Wei, could you tell me in detail about the main members inside Justice Gate and their relationships? The more detailed, the better!" Ye Feng wanted to gather relevant information from her, so he could conduct a thorough analysis and uncover the heart of the matter.

"It’s like this," Huang Wei began, "Justice Gate has four main halls, each overseen by Second Uncle, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, and my aunt. Of course, my father also had his own special group of subordinates." She then slowly recounted everything she knew, including her personal impressions of each.

Ye Feng listened intently, asking questions whenever he was unclear. After hearing Huang Wei's account, he felt he had gained a basic understanding of Justice Gate. This system of branch halls had its advantages, but it also had deep flaws—especially the tendency for each hall to become its own clique, posing a significant threat to the leader's authority.

Moreover, if a hall leader was ambitious, it could prove dangerous. Especially in external business dealings, if any link failed, it could jeopardize the entire operation. Ye Feng was now convinced that an internal traitor must be at work; otherwise, the enemy would never have found an opening.

"Wei, among your uncles, who are you closest to? What do you think of their character?" Ye Feng asked gently. Based on her earlier account, he couldn’t spot any obvious problems. On the surface, everyone seemed above suspicion, but that often meant the most dangerous person lurked beneath.

"Let me think... I rarely paid attention to the affairs of the sect," Huang Wei replied, a little embarrassed. She realized she had been too immature then. Now, after everything that had happened, she had gained a measure of maturity.