37: Gao Qiang, die! (To be continued)

The bloodstains were not yet dry, and the edges of the hole were smooth. It didn't look like it had been pierced by a Sharp Weapon, but rather penetrated by a high-speed object.

"What?"

Hall Master Lin stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling upon Gao Qiang's corpse.

He squatted down, reached out, and lightly touched that bloody hole.

A cold sensation met his fingertips. The hole was deep; it was clearly a killing blow.

He looked up, scanning the surrounding Constables and Guards.

"Who did this?"

Hall Master Lin's voice was low, carrying a suppressed fury.

No one answered.

Everyone looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion and fear.

The river surface had just been a scene of chaos, with Vicious Beasts running rampant and massive waves reaching for the sky.

They had been too busy looking after themselves; no one had noticed when Gao Qiang was killed.

"Which Spirit Beast was it?"

Someone speculated.

"Impossible!"

Hall Master Lin flatly denied it.

He stood up, his gaze sharp.

"If that Spirit Beast wanted to kill someone, it wouldn't use such methods."

"Furthermore, its targets just now were the ships, not any specific person."

His words left the crowd even more perplexed.

If it wasn't a Spirit Beast, then who could it be?

The people on the ships were either Disciples, Deacons, or Guards of the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall, or Lord Zhou's retinue and the other Constables.

Could it be one of their own?

This thought made the atmosphere in the air grow heavy.

Hall Master Lin turned his gaze back to Lord Zhou.

"Lord Zhou, Constable Gao was your subordinate. Did he have any enemies?"

Lord Zhou's face was ashen, and he shook his head repeatedly.

He turned his head to look at the leader of the Constables, a tall and thin man.

The man cupped his hands and reported.

"Reporting to my Lord, Gao Qiang acted with caution and had no apparent enemies."

Lord Zhou looked back at Hall Master Lin; Hall Master Lin had also heard what his subordinate just said.

Hall Master Lin didn't speak, his brow merely furrowed tightly.

He had an idea in his mind.

He looked around, his gaze sweeping across every person's face.

Li Qing was curled up on another vessel, his body trembling slightly and his face pale.

He looked quite frightened, no different from the other Attendants.

He kept his head down, not daring to meet Hall Master Lin's gaze, looking every bit like a terrified nobody.

That water arrow was the [Mystic Water Manipulation] talent he had unleashed through his Clone.

He had compressed the water elemental Qi to its limit and then attached his [Great Strength] talent to it for an instantaneous burst.

Its speed was too fast for the naked eye to discern, and its piercing power was even more astonishing.

Lu Yunfei had also died in the same manner earlier.

While everyone's attention was distracted and their vision obscured by the water mist, he had completed the fatal strike.

The plan was perfect.

Now, all he had to do was continue playing the role of a frightened Handyman.

Hall Master Lin gave a command in a heavy voice.

"All Elders and Deacons, organize the Disciples and assemble!"

His voice, carrying the pressure of a Martial Artist at the Peak of the Meridian Unblocking Realm, caused the clamor on the deck to instantly subside.

"Yes!"

This Autumn River Night Hunt was the most disastrous event in its history.

Even Inner Sect Disciples had suffered casualties.

One of the City Lord's Constables had also died.

To be able to kill a Constable so silently...

Could someone also silently kill Lord Zhou under his protection?

Chen Meng's face was pale. She had just been used as a shield by Lu Yunfei, and now witnessing Gao Qiang's miserable state, she was mentally shaken.

Wait?

Wasn't the mark on Gao Qiang similar to the water arrow in Lu Yunfei's forehead!

And both of them just happened to have a grudge against Li Qing!

She subconsciously looked toward Li Qing, only to see him curled up in a corner, his body still trembling.

She sighed; this Li Qing really was a useless waste.

She must be overthinking it!

Gao Qiang was dead, and the Autumn River Night Hunt was completely ruined.

Lord Zhou's face was grim. If that assassination had been aimed at him...

He might be dead right now!

"Hall Master Lin, this is no place to linger."

Lord Zhou said to Hall Master Lin.

"We must return to the Martial Arts Hall as quickly as possible and report this matter to the Prefecture."

Hall Master Lin nodded.

Continuing to stay in the middle of the river was too risky.

"All injured Disciples, receive treatment immediately! Count the survivors and check the hull for damage!" he ordered.

The Guards began to move, cautiously checking every corner.

Gao Qiang's body was moved to the side and covered with a white cloth.

Li Qing, his body trembling, huddled in the corner and watched it all unfold.

He knew that Hall Master Lin and Lord Zhou's primary focus right now was the identity of the killer.

Who would they suspect?

Firstly, the Spirit Beasts and Vicious Beasts on the river, though dismissed by Hall Master Lin, would still be among the suspects.

After all, they were the direct cause of the chaos.

Secondly, someone within the Martial Arts Hall.

Who had the ability and the motive?

Hall Master Lin would investigate everyone based on strength, relationships, background, and so on.

Li Qing sneered inwardly.

They would never imagine that the killer was right beside them—a waste they had completely ignored.

The ships slowly began to turn around, preparing for the return voyage.

The river surface returned to a deathly silence.

Inside the cabin.

Hall Master Lin was discussing in low tones with several Deacons and Elders.

"The manner of Gao Qiang's death is strange. The bloody hole in his forehead was not caused by a blade or sword, nor was it from the power of a fist or palm."

One Elder analyzed.

"It's more like some kind of high-speed, tiny, and highly penetrative hidden weapon."

"A hidden weapon?" Hall Master Lin pondered.

"But I was sensing the movements on the river the entire time, and I didn't detect the sound of any hidden weapon breaking through the air."

Another Deacon added.

"Furthermore, to be able to launch such a lethal hidden weapon silently right under the nose of a powerhouse at the Peak of the Meridian Unblocking Realm... such a technique is unheard of."

Their discussion reached a stalemate.

"Could it be that Spirit Beast's Divine Ability?" someone suggested.

Hall Master Lin's brow furrowed tightly.

"That Black Armored Turtle does indeed have the power to manipulate water."

"The massive waves it whipped up just now were a water-based Divine Ability. If it could condense water into arrows..."

He didn't continue, but this speculation sent a chill through everyone.

If it was the work of a Spirit Beast, then its intelligence far exceeded their imagination.

It could not only command Vicious Beasts to create chaos but also take the opportunity to assassinate specific targets.

This meant that what they faced tonight was not a group of mindless beasts, but a powerful entity with a plan and intelligence.

This possibility made them feel uneasy.

"Regardless, let's return to the Martial Arts Hall first," Hall Master Lin decided.

"This matter must be reported to the Prefecture to request support from stronger experts."

He looked at Lord Zhou.

"Lord Zhou, regarding this night hunt..."

"No need to say more." Lord Zhou waved his hand, his face full of exhaustion.

"Gao Qiang's death is far more important than a mere night hunt."

Hall Master Lin's face darkened slightly as he cupped his hands.

"Rest assured, Lord Zhou, the Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall will certainly do its utmost to investigate this thoroughly!"

In the darkness of the night, the ships slowly sailed away from that chaotic stretch of the river.

Li Qing still sat in the corner, his body occasionally trembling.

He felt the stability of the ship and listened to the whispered conversations around him.

Hall Master Lin and the others had directed their suspicions toward that "Spirit Beast's" Divine Ability.

That was indeed the truth.

But they didn't have any evidence yet.

Once they learned about the state of Lu Yunfei's death...

They would certainly reach a conclusion.

A powerful, intelligent Spirit Beast was a more terrifying threat to human society than any human traitor.

They would expend all their efforts to track down the Black Armored Turtle Clone; he had been a bit careless after all.

He should have let the Black Python kill Lu Yunfei back then.

But he had insisted on taking revenge himself; he'd have to remember that for next time.

The look Chen Meng gave him just now felt different.

Fortunately, he usually acted excessively cowardly.

The current strength of his Clone was already enough to hold its own among Third Tier Fierce Beasts.

Even Hall Master Lin, at the Peak of the Meridian Unblocking Realm, wouldn't be able to easily deal with him.

Hall Master Lin's palm strike shattering the ten-meter wave earlier had looked formidable, but that was only one Divine Ability cast by the Black Armored Turtle.

If he had gone all out, Hall Master Lin could never have handled it so easily.

He couldn't expose himself yet.

His main body was still too weak.

It was also time to shed his identity as a Martial Arts Hall Attendant.