TL: Etude
The Mo family residence was crowded with people, but most didn't dare to enter. Only warriors from some of the major families cautiously ventured in after waiting for a long time. What they found was a horrifying scene. Apart from children, women, and some ordinary people, almost all of the Mo family's higher-ups and warriors were either dead or severely injured. Bodies littered the ground, shocking everyone present. It was almost as if the family had been wiped out.
"The elders and the head of the Mo family are dead!" someone shouted after finding the bodies of Mo Changqing and others.
Just then, a Grand Warrior from the Lin family arrived. As the ruling family of the Linhai Base, the Lin family had to show up when such a major incident occurred.
"Greetings, Elder Lin Ze!" the crowd of warriors greeted as an old man approached.
Lin Ze surveyed the scene, nodded slightly, and then began examining the bodies of the Mo family members.
"The killer must have acted alone. These warriors were all killed with a single blade strike, indicating that the killer's blade technique is terrifying. I estimate that the killer is a Grand Warrior skilled in blade techniques," Lin Ze concluded.
"A Grand Warrior skilled in blade techniques?" The crowd pondered; there didn't seem to be such a Grand Warrior in the Linhai Base.
"What about the Mo family's Grand Warrior?" someone asked.
"Why not ask the surviving members of the Mo family? Someone must have seen what happened," another warrior suggested.
After questioning the surviving members of the Mo family, they had a basic understanding of the situation.
"Elder Lin Ze, we've found out that a person wearing a ghost mask invaded the Mo family. None of the warriors were a match for him. Even the Mo family's Grand Warrior, Mo Changqing, was defeated and fled in that direction," a warrior pointed eastward.
The east was where the Lin family resided. Lin Ze had come from a different direction and had thus missed Mo Changqing.
"Elder Lin Ze, should we go and take a look?" a warrior whispered.
They wanted to go but were afraid of encountering the killer—a Grand Warrior capable of killing even elite warriors in seconds. Didn't Mo Changqing, a Grand Warrior himself, have to flee?
"Let's go take a look. The killer likely had a grudge against the Mo family, which is why he attacked them. We have no quarrel with him and shouldn't be targeted. Besides, I am a Grand Warrior of the Lin family; he won't be foolish enough to oppose us. You can come with me," Lin Ze calmly said.
So, the group of warriors followed Lin Ze. They quickly found Mo Changqing's body, following the trail of blood he had left behind.
"Mo Changqing is dead!" A warrior broke out in a cold sweat.
This was a Grand Warrior, a level he could never hope to reach in his lifetime. In his eyes, Grand Warriors were like gods, and now one had died. The impact was staggering.
Lin Ze immediately went over and examined Mo Changqing's body. "Mo Changqing's skin is aged; he must have used some secret technique. Rumor has it that he had a technique that burned his lifespan to temporarily boost his strength. Even with that, he could only flee, which speaks volumes about the killer's strength. What's strange is why the killer only caught up with him here when Mo Changqing was injured. Could the killer also be injured?"
Lin Ze then noticed the iron ball in Mo Changqing's hand, the holes in his body from the steel needles, and the needles scattered on the surrounding walls.
"This is a hidden weapon—Iron Pear Bead. Rumored to come from a mysterious force, it's one of the weapons of mutual destruction. Its power is immense. At close range, even a Grand Warrior would find it hard to escape its attack. Only those at the peak of Grand Warrior strength could possibly evade it."
Lin Ze was astonished the first time he saw the legendary hidden weapon. From the condition of the body, it was clear that Mo Changqing had activated the hidden weapon just before he died and had successfully launched it.
"The person didn't die, but he's likely severely injured," Lin Ze concluded. His face then turned grim. The near-annihilation of the Mo family didn't concern him, but the appearance of such a mysterious Grand Warrior in Linhai Base without any information reaching the Lin family was not a good sign.
The key questions were: Who was this person? Why did he kill the Mo family? Would he pose a threat to the Lin family? These were all matters the Lin family needed to consider.
"Everyone, I'm heading back," Lin Ze said, quickly departing.
"With almost all of the Mo family's higher-ups dead, do they even have any warriors left?" someone suddenly spoke up.
As soon as the words were out, many warriors quietly left and re-entered the Mo family residence. Their intentions were obvious. That night, the Mo family, having just experienced near-annihilation, suffered another round of burglaries. Countless warriors entered the Mo family residence and stole their possessions. In the chaos, no one knew who took what. Even if the Lin family investigated later, they wouldn't know whom to blame. Who would stand up for the declining Mo family?
More importantly, the Mo family had many enemies. When Mo Changqing was alive, other families didn't dare to mess with them. But now that Mo Changqing was dead, and their elite warriors were gone, the Mo family had become easy pickings. Whether they could even survive in Linhai Base was now a question. One could say that the Mo family was effectively removed from Linhai Base.
Back at his home, Ye Tian quickly disposed of the bodies of the ten elite Mo family warriors. By "disposed," he naturally meant dumping them on various streets. With so many people from the Mo family dead that night, ten more bodies wouldn't raise eyebrows.
The next day, Ye Tian acted as if nothing had happened, went out for a stroll, and then returned home to continue his cultivation.
Meanwhile, the Lin family was discussing the matter of the Mo family.
Lin Ze was reporting the situation to his elder brother, Lin Wanli, the strongest member of the Lin family.
"Big Brother, based on my personal investigation last night and the overnight investigation of the Mo family, it's preliminarily considered a vendetta. However, who the killer is remains a mystery. There are too many people with a motive, but none with the capability to annihilate the Mo family," Lin Ze said, looking helpless.
"Are there any suspicious people, or coincidences related to this vendetta?" Lin Wanli asked.
"Suspicious? Coincidences?" Lin Ze thought carefully and suddenly remembered something—
"Big Brother, there are a few warriors left alive in the Mo family. One of them is named Mo Yuan. From him, I got some information that might be related to this incident, but I don't think he has the capability to wipe out the Mo family!"
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