38: Many suspicious points!

The ship was on its return journey.

At this moment, Hall Master Lin and Lord Zhou sat in the main hall.

There was no longer the sound of singing and dancing.

They sat in their seats deep in thought, their previous good mood completely vanished!

"Hall Master!"

Outside the door, the Third Elder hurried over with several Deacons.

Following behind them was a middle-aged man with a face turned ashen-blue.

It was none other than Lu Shanhe.

He was soaking wet, bloodstains on his robes, looking utterly disheveled.

"Lu Shanhe?" Hall Master Lin frowned. Wasn't this Lu Yunfei's Clan Uncle?

Lu Shanhe without a word, knelt directly on the ground, his voice hoarse.

"Hall Master! My nephew Lu Yunfei died a wrongful death!"

"What?" Hall Master Lin's expression changed.

He naturally knew Lu Yunfei, a standout among the Inner Sect Disciples with exceptional talent.

He was only one step away from a Breakthrough to the Late-stage Condensing Yuan Realm and was a strong candidate to become a Personal Disciple.

Such a Disciple was a future pillar of the martial arts hall.

"Third Elder, what exactly happened?"

The Third Elder's expression was solemn.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, Lu Yunfei is indeed dead. The state of his corpse..."

He paused.

"...is exactly the same as Constable Gao's."

These words caused both Hall Master Lin and Lord Zhou's expressions to change simultaneously.

"The same?"

Lord Zhou asked suspiciously.

Lu Shanhe raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.

"Reporting to your Lordship, I saw it with my own eyes!"

"A Water Arrow shot out from the river water and pierced straight through Yunfei's forehead!"

His voice was filled with anger and pain.

"That Water Arrow was incredibly strange. Chen Meng was in front of Yunfei."

"But that Water Arrow actually curved and hit Yunfei!"

He didn't dare say that Lu Yunfei had pulled Chen Meng in front of him.

Such a thing could not see the light of day.

He had already made things clear with Chen Meng earlier.

He had originally wanted to silence her, but too many Inner Sect Disciples were watching.

There were also Deacons nearby.

He could only threaten Chen Meng.

If she wanted her father to continue living a happy life, she must not speak of Lu Yunfei's misdeeds.

"Curved?" Hall Master Lin's pupils constricted.

"Yes!" Lu Shanhe nodded heavily.

"That Water Arrow was like it had eyes; it went around Chen Meng and took Yunfei's life directly!"

These words caused everyone present to gasp in shock.

If Gao Qiang's death could still be attributed to an accident, then Lu Yunfei's death completely confirmed a terrifying fact.

Something was hunting with specific targets!

"Moreover," Lu Shanhe continued.

"The Vicious Beasts' behavior was also off. They clearly had many chances to kill, yet they insisted on forcing us into the water, as if they were intentionally creating chaos."

Hall Master Lin's face grew increasingly grim.

He also knew the Vicious Beasts were creating chaos.

Two people, the same cause of death.

This was definitely no coincidence.

"A Water Arrow that can turn..."

He muttered to himself, the image of that Black Armored Turtle surfacing in his mind.

Water Control—this was indeed an ability that Spirit Beast had displayed.

And just now on the main ship, there had indeed been a water mist obscuring their vision.

"Hall Master."

The Third Elder's voice trembled slightly.

"If that Spirit Beast truly has such precise lethality and can target specific individuals..."

He didn't finish, but the meaning was already clear.

The Autumn River Night Hunt was nothing but a trap!

That Black Armored Turtle had been planning all of this from the start, commanding Vicious Beasts to create chaos and then taking the opportunity to assassinate.

"Why Lu Yunfei and Gao Qiang?" Hall Master Lin asked in a heavy voice.

They had already tallied the results; the Inner Sect Disciples were only injured, and the only fatality was Lu Yunfei.

This question plunged everyone into deep thought.

Lu Yunfei was an Inner Sect Disciple with exceptional talent and a bright future.

Gao Qiang was a city government Constable with average strength.

There seemed to be no common ground between the two.

"Hall Master," the Third Elder said cautiously.

"Could it be that the Spirit Beast is intentionally provoking us? Killing our most promising Disciple and someone from the Prefecture Government just to enrage us?"

Hall Master Lin shook his head.

"No. Spirit Beasts possess wisdom; they would never do something that brings trouble upon themselves."

He paced back and forth on the deck, his thoughts racing.

"Unless!" He suddenly stopped.

"Unless it has a master and is acting on its master's instructions!!"

This deduction left everyone stunned.

A masterless Spirit Beast and one with a master held different values.

"Seal off the news immediately!" Hall Master Lin ordered.

"This matter must not be leaked!"

"Even if it has a master, we must make it masterless!"

He turned to Lord Zhou.

"Lord Zhou, this matter is of great importance. Please report it in detail to the City Lord. My Fierce Wind Martial Arts Hall is willing to fully cooperate with the City Lord's Manor in the investigation."

Lord Zhou nodded, his face gloomy.

The deaths of these two people were not simple.

Something must be hidden behind it!

...The ship reached the shore; it was already afternoon.

The Autumn River Night Hunt ended abruptly.

"Disperse." Hall Master Lin waved his hand.

"Yes!"

The crowd began to disperse, and Li Qing followed the other handymen back toward the martial arts hall.

On the way, he heard people around him still whispering about the events of tonight.

"That Spirit Beast is too terrifying..."

"Even Senior Brother Lu from the Inner Sect died. Aren't we Outer Sect Disciples in even more danger?"

"The Hall Master will definitely avenge Senior Brother Lu!"

Li Qing listened silently, his heart devoid of any emotion.

In his eyes, Lu Yunfei's death was merely a byproduct of clearing obstacles.

That fellow had poor character and deserved his death.

Li Qing carried the bags and followed behind Chen Meng.

He kept his head down, his steps unsteady, as if his legs had gone weak from fear.

Coward!

Chen Meng glanced at him and then looked away.

No one gave him a second glance.

Everyone's attention was on discussing what they had seen today.

After saying a word to Chen Meng, he quietly returned to his Handyman's Quarters.

In the Attendants' Quarters, a heated discussion about today's events was taking place.

Li Qing did not participate, using the excuse of feeling unwell to lie down on his bed.

Li Qing lay on the wooden bed, excitedly planning his next move.

Tonight's operation had ended perfectly.

Gao Qiang was dead, and Lu Yunfei was dead.

Next, he could focus on developing his strength with more peace of mind and wait for the right opportunity.

He could no longer remain an Attendant!