87: Chapter 87 Sakura is up to something

However, Lin Muyang had previously considered that Fierce Wolf might come to find him directly.

At this point in time, the appearance of this Nation-Guarding Level Expert, famous for his investigative and law enforcement work, in Tianhai City, and his timely warning to the Lou family, indicated that his visit was related to him, and he had likely been watching from the shadows all along.

Since the matter with the Lou family had temporarily come to an end, it was perfectly reasonable for him to come and make contact with the main person involved.

"So, he witnessed the entire scene where I planted the 【Fear Brand】 on Lou Tianyu?" Lin Muyang pondered, but he didn't care much.

So what if he saw it? He now had enough trump cards for self-preservation; even if he were noticed or partially seen through by higher levels, he wouldn't fall into a situation he couldn't handle.

As long as he didn't actively expose all his secrets, the official authorities would likely adopt an attitude of cautious contact and cooperation.

Soon, that invisible figure, which had almost merged with the night, landed silently on the eastern beach, not far from where Lin Muyang was.

The person who arrived was none other than the "Iron-Blooded Judge" Fierce Wolf. He looked like a capable young man in his early thirties, dressed in a well-tailored black trench coat with short, crisp hair, his resolute face carrying a hint of the calmness cultivated from long-term investigative work. In reality, he was nearly sixty years old, but the powerful physical attributes brought by his high level had delayed his aging.

At this moment, he was maintaining an invisibility state as high as level 31—this was the maximum invisibility level he could achieve with the aid of special equipment, enough to make it impossible for the vast majority of Nation-Guarding Level Experts to see through directly. He intended to observe the scene up close, especially Lin Muyang and the extraordinary young ladies beside him, before deciding how to make contact.

Unfortunately, he had encountered Lin Muyang.

【Divine Sight】 (God-Tier Aura): Upon activation, gain an absolute God's-eye view, capable of ignoring any level or form of invisibility, disguise, or stealth effects, and directly observing the target's essential information.

This was different from the stealth level provided by the 【Divine Concealment Aura】; 【Divine Sight】 was an absolute anti-stealth at the rule level. As long as it was within Lin Muyang's observation range, any concealment method was futile!

Thus, when Fierce Wolf had just approached and stood to the side, thinking he was hidden while preparing to observe, Lin Muyang had already seen him clearly, even taking in the trace of caution and inquiry on his face.

Lin Muyang couldn't be bothered to play the game of "you hide, I seek" with him, so he simply lay on the beach chair, glanced in the direction where Fierce Wolf was hiding, and spoke in a flat tone: "Senior of the Nation-Guarding Level, since you have graced us with your presence, stop hiding. How about you show yourself and we have a chat?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere around them changed subtly.

Upon hearing this, Lilia, Elabess, and the other young ladies felt a slight tightening in their hearts, their gazes subconsciously probing in the direction Lin Muyang was looking. A Nation-Guarding Level Expert? Hiding right next to them? Master (Brother Lin Muyang) could actually see through it directly? Although they had already witnessed too many of Lin Muyang's incredible abilities, every new display still left them in awe.

And the ones with the biggest reactions were none other than the father-daughter duo, Shen Yanshan and Shen Muyao.

They had originally been focused entirely on the processing progress of the Blue Whale carcass, but upon suddenly hearing Lin Muyang's words, both of them froze as if under an immobilization spell, then quickly and vigilantly looked around, their faces full of shock and disbelief.

A Nation-Guarding Level Expert? Right here on this moonlit beach? And hiding nearby? This was too much information! Shen Yanshan's heart skipped a beat; he had only seen a handful of Nation-Guarding Level Experts in his entire life, and he never expected to "encounter" one in such a setting and in such a manner.

The person in the entire scene who could least believe it and was the most shocked was, naturally, the person involved, Fierce Wolf.

"How is that possible?!" he exclaimed internally, his pupils slightly constricted. His invisibility level was as high as level 31! This was a level of concealment that surpassed conventional understanding; even among his Nation-Guarding Level colleagues, very few could see through it! How could this young man, who looked no more than a teenager or in his early twenties, see through it at a glance?

"Could it be a bluff? Trying to trick me?" This thought flashed through Fierce Wolf's mind instantly. He forced himself to remain calm, still maintaining his invisibility, not responding or revealing himself, but instead focusing his concentration even more to observe every subtle expression and subsequent action of Lin Muyang, attempting to find a flaw.

However, Lin Muyang's next words completely shattered his last shred of hope.

"Fierce Wolf, level 248, main class: Shadow Assassin. Your current position is 26 meters to my left rear, and the angle at which the sea breeze is blowing the hem of your trench coat is about 37 degrees."

Lin Muyang's tone remained flat, even carrying a hint of helplessness, as if he were saying, "I've been so clear, what are you still hiding for?"

Name, level, talent, class, precise location, and even the details of the trench coat's movement were all pointed out!

This was beyond just seeing through him; it was as if he had been scanned from the inside out with an X-ray, complete with a real-time coordinate broadcast!

Fierce Wolf felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, his scalp tingling. He was exposed! Completely and utterly exposed! In the face of this level of insight, his invisibility was practically a joke.

At this point, continuing to hide was not only meaningless but also appeared ridiculous.

"Ahem..."

A slightly awkward cough sounded in the air.

Immediately following, under everyone's gaze, Fierce Wolf's figure slowly emerged as if from water ripples, transforming from virtual to real, and clearly appeared on the beach about 26 meters to the left rear of Lin Muyang. He was wearing a sharp black trench coat, with crisp short hair and a resolute face, though there was a hint of awkwardness on his face now that he had been "caught in the act."

To alleviate this sudden awkward atmosphere, he subconsciously raised his hand and waved at everyone, greeting them somewhat stiffly: "Hello everyone."

However, this greeting not only failed to ease the atmosphere but instead caused the scene to fall into an even more subtle silence. Shen Yanshan and his daughter held their breath, the young ladies looked on with curiosity, and Lin Muyang watched him with ease.

"Ahem, ahem." Fierce Wolf coughed twice, quickly adjusting his state and regaining the steady demeanor that a Nation-Guarding Level Expert should have. His gaze swept across the scene again, lingering briefly on the young ladies and Ao Qingyan on the distant reef, then he slightly cupped his hands and said loudly to the empty space: "I am Fierce Wolf. I have come presumptuously to visit that... Senior. May I ask if the Senior could appear to meet me?"

The night wind blew across the beach, bringing the sound of waves lapping against the shore; apart from that, it was completely quiet.

After a few seconds, Lin Muyang replied leisurely: "That Senior doesn't really like to show their face, nor do they want to reveal their name. Whatever you have to say, you can just tell me."

Fierce Wolf: "..."

The corner of his eye twitched imperceptibly. Talk to a young man? Although he could tell this young man was not simple, the matter was of great importance, and he preferred to communicate directly with the main person involved.

However, circumstances were stronger than people. He was 100% certain that the mysterious big shot was definitely nearby at this moment, perhaps even watching from here in some way he couldn't understand. But he just couldn't perceive or discover them, let alone "invite" them out.

Thinking of the mission he shouldered and the fundamental purpose of this trip, Fierce Wolf suppressed the helplessness in his heart and quickly adjusted his mindset. In any case, being able to obtain some information from the conversation with this young man was better than returning empty-handed.

His expression became solemn again, and looking at Lin Muyang, he asked the most crucial question, the one the higher-ups were most concerned about: "Then... may I ask, is that Senior a citizen of our Xia Country?"

Lin Muyang heard the solemnity and probing in his words, and understood the significance behind this question. He didn't hesitate at all and gave a direct, affirmative reply: "They are from Xia Country. And I can clearly tell you that the Senior has no malice toward Xia Country, and certainly won't do anything to harm Xia Country. You can rest assured."

Hearing this, Fierce Wolf felt slightly relieved. Although it was relayed by the young man, combined with the past behavior of that "Senior," which, while strange, did not involve indiscriminate killing of the innocent and mostly targeted those who actively provoked, coupled with the willingness to convey such a statement through the young man now, the credibility was relatively high.

Of course, out of duty and security considerations, he couldn't be completely reassured by just one sentence. He had to continue following up, and without provoking the other party, obtain as much information as possible, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain it to Sword Saint and other colleagues upon returning—would he say, "I didn't even see the person, I just heard a young man say 'they are a good person' and came back"?

His gaze involuntarily fell again on the Frost Blue Whale carcass that was being processed. Thinking of the recent international incidents that had caused such a stir, his heart stirred, and he asked tentatively: "By the way, young friend Lin, how did this Frost Blue Whale appear here? As far as I know, epic-grade sea beasts of this level rarely beach themselves."

"It was killed by the Senior," Lin Muyang said concisely.

"As expected," Fierce Wolf nodded; this matched his previous speculation. The fact that Lin Muyang could find people to process this priceless carcass so "openly and honestly" in itself indicated that its source was "legitimate" and inseparable from that Senior.

But immediately after, a more critical detail was captured by him!

Although this Frost Blue Whale was dead, its residual level information was still there—level 139, an epic-level secret realm BOSS! Monsters of this level usually possessed an "level suppression" trait: if the challenger's level exceeded its level by a certain range, they would be unable to cause any damage to it! This meant that the "Senior" who could kill this Blue Whale could not be higher than level 142 at most!

"Level 142... or perhaps even lower?" Fierce Wolf's heart surged with stormy waves, even more shocked than when his invisibility had been seen through just now!

A Class Transferee whose level might not exceed 142 could possess so many unbelievable abilities that even he couldn't understand? Could easily see through his level 31 invisibility? This completely overturned his understanding of the power system!

The most critical issue was the anti-stealth problem. To see through his level 31 invisibility, one usually needed an anti-stealth level exceeding 31. But equipment and skills that increased anti-stealth levels were extremely rare and precious; a Class Transferee of at most level 142, theoretically, it was almost impossible to stack such high anti-stealth attributes!

Unreasonable! It was too unreasonable!

Fierce Wolf felt that the cognitive system he had built up over a long time was suffering a violent impact. The image of that "Senior" became even more mysterious and unfathomable in his heart. Perhaps the other party simply couldn't be measured by conventional levels and attributes?

"Perhaps it's some kind of special talent or inheritance? Or have they mastered some lost ancient secret technique?" Fierce Wolf could only forcibly use these guesses to soothe his chaotic thoughts. In any case, the two core pieces of information—that the other party was a "citizen of Xia Country" and had "no malice"—made him breathe a little easier.

He steadied himself and led the topic to another point of concern: "Young friend Lin, I wonder if that Senior, when hunting this whale, happened to see any... suspicious persons? For example, a whaling team from Japan?"

"Japanese whalers?" Upon hearing this, a hint of appropriate confusion appeared on Lin Muyang's face. He had been focusing on hatching and grinding skills on the seabed these days and really hadn't paid attention to outside news; even when he went online, it was just to find "teaching materials" for Elena.

"Did something happen?" he asked in return.

"It's not really a big deal," Fierce Wolf explained in a relaxed tone. "It's just that there was a professional whaling team of over forty people from Japan that went missing in our waters a few days ago; no one has seen them alive, and there are no bodies. They are now making a fuss, demanding an explanation from us, and some international forces are also joining in the clamor. We naturally can't be bothered to pay attention to these ridiculous claims."

So that was it. Lin Muyang understood; this Japan was really good at shifting the blame—illegally entering the country to cause trouble, and then wanting others to take responsibility when their people disappeared?

He glanced at the bloated abdomen of the Frost Blue Whale, where the dissector was carefully making cuts. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he said to Fierce Wolf: "As for where those whalers are... it's hard for me to say."

He paused, and under Fierce Wolf's slightly confused gaze, continued: "If you really want to ask me, I can only suggest that you..."

He raised his hand and pointed to the whale carcass's abdomen. "Look carefully, don't blink."

Before his words had faded, that experienced dissector had just finished the final cut on the critical part.

Splash—! Accompanied by the sound of mucus and ice chunks sliding down, one after another, human corpses—frozen stiff and maintaining expressions of terror or struggle from before their deaths—rolled out from the stomach and esophagus that had been cut open in the Frost Blue Whale, piling up on the beach!

Most of these corpses were wearing special deep-sea combat suits, and the equipment and ornaments in the style of Japan still remained on them; they were clearly the members of that missing whaling team!

Under the moonlight, this scene appeared exceptionally eerie and shocking.

Fierce Wolf: "..."

Shen Yanshan, Shen Muyao, and all the personnel from Tianqi Tower present: "!!!"

Everyone gasped, their eyes wide open. No wonder... no wonder that well-equipped whaling team had mysteriously disappeared without even being able to send a distress signal! So, they had all been buried in the belly of this epic-grade sea beast! They had become part of this "big meal"!

Fierce Wolf looked at the pile of frozen corpses on the beach, then looked at the calm-faced Lin Muyang, and then associated this with the fact that the "Senior" could kill this terrifying giant beast that had swallowed over forty level-100 experts... He suddenly felt that his previous evaluation of that "Senior's" strength was probably still too conservative. The level of this "Senior" was perhaps far more profound and unfathomable than he had imagined.