Insights Chapter 158: Melee

Chapter 158: Melee

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Late at night, inside the Zhao Family Ancestral Hall in Changxi County, the ancestral hall was about two thousand square meters in size, with several rattan tables and chairs placed around besides the central offering table.

Dozens of Zhao family members and six detectives faced off in the middle of the hall.

“Close the door!” Zhao Jianghai commanded, “Do you think you can leave after coming here today?”

With a wave of his hand, someone closed the door of the ancestral hall, and to prevent them from escaping, they even locked it with an iron chain.

Zhao Jianghai’s son, Zhao Zhengang, grabbed some sharp tools from the offering table.

These people had been prepared for a long time.

Shen Junci whispered, “There’s no cellphone signal here.”

Gu Yanchen remained calm, “I contacted the SWAT team before the operation, our backup is on its way.”

He never engaged in a fight without preparation, having already informed the City Bureau about the operation. However, Changxi County was indeed quite far away, and considering the time, it would take the SWAT team at least twenty minutes to arrive.

Gu Yanchen pulled the gun’s safety and fired into the air as a warning, “Assaulting the police is a serious crime. If anyone dares to lay a hand on us, I’ll shoot!”

Zhao Zhengang instigated the others, saying, “Don’t be afraid of them! The police don’t have much ammunition!”

Zhao Jianghai also pointed at the few police officers surrounded by the crowd, “Wait for the rescue to arrive. Let those people handle your corpses! Everyone, arm yourselves and attack!”

The Zhao family members held weapons in their hands, surrounding them tightly.

Several officers stood back to back, while others held weapons, preparing to confront the attackers.

A major battle was about to begin.

“Make sure the body cameras are on, remember to record,” Gu Yanchen reminded, then he said to Shen Junci, “Junci, you protect Lin Yujiao.”

Shen Junci responded with an acknowledgment, pulling Lin Yujiao to hide on the side. His hand rested in his coat pocket, gripping a sharp scalpel.

Several young men rushed forward, muscles tense, swinging their sticks fiercely.

Zhao Jianghai shouted from behind, “Today is a matter of life and death for the Zhao family. If anyone hesitates, they are not part of the Zhao family! If there are casualties, the Zhao family will take care of it!”

These people had been brainwashed for a long time and had full faith in the family’s decisions. One by one, they turned into rioters, charging forward regardless of life or death, escalating the scene into a melee.

Initially, the detectives held back, reluctant to harm them. However, the other side charged forward recklessly.

The detectives found themselves entangled in the melee. Although they were trained, they were outnumbered by the Zhao family members.

Someone rushed towards Gu Yanchen. He dodged a blow, then twisted and grabbed the fist of the attacker, wrenching his arm backward. The man cried out in pain, but Gu Yanchen didn’t let go. He used the man as a shield to block several iron rods swinging towards him.

Then, he reached out to block another iron rod aimed at his head and struck heavily on the man’s shoulder.

As another thug approached, Gu Yanchen raised his knee, kicking him in the chest. With his left hand, he picked up a fallen iron rod and swept around.

The crowd surrounding him backed off, creating an opening.

Without hesitation, Gu Yanchen raised his gun and aimed at Zhao Zhengang’s leg, firing a shot.

With several meters between them, Zhao Zhengang screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

Gu Yanchen approached, kicked away the weapon Zhao Zhengang held, handcuffed him, then turned and fired another shot, hitting another person’s leg.

The consecutive gunshots didn’t deter the Zhao family members; they continued their frenzied attacks.

Someone ran over, intending to grab Lin Yujiao while chaos ensued. He reached out and grabbed her hair, and the woman screamed in surprise.

Shen Junci had been prepared, his scalpel flashing like lightning as it pierced the back of the attacker’s hand, causing blood to gush out.

Shen Junci didn’t stop there; seizing the opportunity, he struck the attacker’s groin and throat.

The man endured several blows before collapsing in agony.

The hall was filled with people driven to madness. Even though the officers were skilled, they inevitably took a few hits in the melee.

Continuing like this was not a solution.

Gu Yanchen jumped onto a nearby rattan chair, standing tall and locating Zhao Jianghai. He took a few steps forward, then leaped down and grabbed an old man who was hiding behind the crowd.

With his gun pointed at Zhao Jianghai’s head, Gu Yanchen shouted, “Stop all of you!”

The person in charge of the clan was captured, and the others finally stopped their actions for a moment, quieting down.

Seeing this scene, they hesitated, not daring to approach.

This battle had already turned bloody, with four or five people lying on the ground. If it continued, lives would be lost.

Gu Yanchen’s elbow locked around Zhao Jianghai’s neck, his gun aimed at the crowd before him, “Do you all want to die? Do you all want to go to prison?”

“You’ve already injured my son. If you have the guts, go ahead and kill me!” Zhao Jianghai gasped, struggling, “You… You don’t understand. Only we live here… This is our territory. Our descendants will continue to live here generation after generation! Someone will avenge us, as long as we remain united…”

“Is this how you usually deceive people with your nonsense?!” Gu Yanchen tightened his grip on his throat, interrupting him, “Harboring murderers, ordering killings, and abusing women! We’ve recorded all of this! The evidence is overwhelming!”

He pointed to the body camera in front of him, “Do you think your crimes won’t be known to others? Do you think closing the door here will prevent anyone from finding out? In modern society, all criminal activities will have consequences!”

Their so-called clan was nothing but sacrificing the interests of the majority for the benefit of a few, engaging in illegal activities, and allowing a small group of people to live better lives!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Gu Yanchen took a pair of handcuffs and put them on Zhao Jianghai’s hands. Taking advantage of this gap, other officers handcuffed the injured ones from earlier and began to search for Zhao Zhixin.

Struggling with his hands, Zhao Jianghai’s face contorted in anger, “Even if you arrest me, so what? A wildfire can never be extinguished; it will always spring back to life.”

“You may deceive those people for a while, but not for a lifetime!” Gu Yanchen turned to the crowd, “Now hand over the ringleader Zhao Zhixin, and the rest of you may receive lighter punishment!”

With several ringleaders arrested, the others calmed down, and the situation at the scene was brought under control.

The defeat of the Zhao family was inevitable. The people began to discard the weapons they held, looking at each other in confusion. The chaotic melee had just ended, and the Zhao family members only now woke up from their frenzy, searching for Zhao Zhixin.

“There he is!” Someone pointed to the back. Zhao Zhixin had already taken advantage of the distraction and reached behind the crowd. He reached out to grab a lotus lamp placed on the side of the offering table.

At this moment, a sinister smile appeared on Zhao Zhixin’s face marked with a cross. After so many years, trapped in this hall like a prison, he had already made up his mind…

He wouldn’t surrender willingly. Whether it was the police or the Zhao family members, they all deserved to die!

Gu Yanchen realized what Zhao Zhixin was about to do. Without hesitation, he reached out and raised his gun, a gunshot echoing.

A bullet hit Zhao Zhixin’s lower back, instantly causing a severe injury.

But Zhao Zhixin’s hand still touched the lotus lamp, tipping it over, and the oil inside spilled, igniting the nearby curtains.

The flammable fabric, combined with the oil and fire, caused flames to soar high in an instant.

Then the fire spread, engulfing the offering table, and the entire ancestral hall was made of wood. The flames twisted and turned like a snake, rapidly climbing up the beams of the ancestral hall, setting the ancestral house ablaze.

This scene caught everyone off guard, and the Zhao family members panicked. In front of the raging fire, they rushed towards the door, hoping to open it and escape the ancestral hall.

But the door was closed by themselves just now to block the police. Now, it trapped them here.

Earlier, because they had hidden Zhao Zhixin in the ancestral hall, they had reinforced the windows and sealed them shut in ancient style. The door was also secured with special locks.

Now, these designs became their cages, they trapped themselves, reaping what they had sown.

Seeing the fire spreading to the offering table, Zhao Jianghai, like a madman, broke free from the officers’ restraints and rushed forward, “Ancestral tablets! We can’t let the ancestral tablets burn!”

He rushed into the flames like a moth, his clothes quickly catching fire, enveloping him in a fireball. He screamed in agony, but no one dared to approach.

“Where are the keys?”

“Don’t push! The keys are on Zhao Jianghai!”

“Damn old man! He hid the murderer in the ancestral hall, and now he’s lit the ancestral hall on fire, trapping us. He probably wants our Zhao family to die out, right?!”

“Help! Can anyone help us!”

People in front wanted to open the door, while those behind pushed forward. With so many people, the door was locked with iron chains. How could they escape?

Instead, they were stuck at the door, trampling on each other, crying out. Some were burned, their skin instantly blistering.

At this moment, all notions of family honor, clan rules, respecting elders, and caring for the young were thrown out the window.

The fire started in the center of the ancestral hall, then quickly spread to the surroundings along the beams. Those who had never experienced a fire wouldn’t understand its terror. In just half a minute, the fire engulfed the entire ancestral hall, filling it with thick smoke.

Burning wood chips fell from the beams, igniting the rattan chairs, and several ignition points emerged in the ancestral hall, emitting thick smoke.

The entire ancestral hall turned into a sealed box, filled with a large amount of smoke and dust. The fire grew bigger and bigger, and even those who were nearby couldn’t see the people on the opposite side clearly. The panicked cries of the people dispersed the officers.

Shen Junci handed Lin Yujiao to a police officer, then raised his head to look for Gu Yanchen but found it difficult to discern the direction in the thick smoke.

He already had a sore throat, and when the smoke choked him, Shen Junci bent over, coughing repeatedly. With the lack of oxygen and the spread of toxic gasses, he felt it difficult to breathe, his vision darkened, and his limbs weakened. He could only maintain balance by kneeling on one knee.

In that moment, Shen Junci thought of those corpses he had seen burned to death, their darkened skin, charred flesh. He also remembered the principles of death by fire; most fire victims died from carbon monoxide and toxic gasses…

Would he die here today?

No, he had actually died several years ago. The life that followed was like borrowed, and now that the great vengeance was avenged, what else did he have to cling to? He just couldn’t rest assured about Gu Yanchen.

Suddenly, a strong hand supported his body. Shen Junci struggled to support himself, and when he looked up, he saw a familiar figure.

Gu Yanchen had found him amidst the red tongues of fire…

Surrounded by red flames and the screams of the Zhao family members, Shen Junci’s lips cracked, feeling like he was being roasted all over. He murmured, “I’m afraid…”

Gu Yanchen embraced him, saying, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Shen Junci shook his head, struggling to regain consciousness. He frowned and finished his words, “Don’t worry about me. I’m afraid of dragging you down.”

As a medical examiner, as someone who had died once, he wasn’t afraid of death. He just felt somewhat powerless. What he feared was burdening Gu Yanchen…

Gu Yanchen choked up all of a sudden, feeling a tightness in his chest. He pulled one of Shen Junci’s hands over and placed it on his shoulder. His gaze was firm yet gentle, “I won’t let anything happen to you! Neither of us will be in trouble.”

In the chaotic scene, Gu Yanchen remained calm. He supported Shen Junci, relying on his memory to discern the direction, and found two more officers.

Gu Yanchen shouted, “Hang in there, everyone! This kind of ancient structure must have more than one door! Follow me!”

They groped around and, bypassing the rear screen, indeed found a pair of double doors.

An officer checked and shook it, “This door is also locked.”

However, this rear door was much smaller compared to the heavy main door, and the wood used was much lighter.

Gu Yanchen placed Shen Junci in a safe spot away from the fire, directing the officers, “Let’s try to break the door open!”

They exerted all their strength and slammed into the door with their shoulders. The rear door made a loud clang, shaking entirely.

The fire spread rapidly, scorching hot flames licking their skin, and all they could hear were the desperate cries of the Zhao family members.

“Hurry up! Give it all you’ve got!” Gu Yanchen commanded again, “Let’s try again!”

Several of them pushed with all their might simultaneously.

“Three, two, one…”

The wooden structure, already burning from the flames, couldn’t withstand their forceful impact.

With a loud bang, the rear door burst open, and in an instant, fresh air from the courtyard rushed in.

Thick smoke billowed out.

Outside the ancestral hall, the night sky stretched out, with the moon hanging high.

They finally returned from that deadly fire scene to the earthly realm.