Stirring from Eastsea City

The first rays of morning sunlight rose from the deep sea, shining warmly upon the land.

Yet the streets of Eastsea City were exceptionally solemn.

"Curfew! Curfew! All residents, hurry home and do not go outside!"

Squads of soldiers charged through the streets, their faces filled with extreme tension as they shouted at the top of their lungs.

The soldiers seemed to have only just received their orders.

Some had not even had time to fasten the clasps on their armor.

They had simply taken up their weapons and begun standing guard in the streets.

The residents who had risen early to visit the market had no idea what was happening and gathered around in confusion, gossiping among themselves.

"What's going on?"

"Why are they making us go back?"

"Can I still sell my vegetables?"

Those who were better informed smugly revealed the news.

"Hey, you still don't know?"

"A huge incident happened in Eastsea City last night. The four great families led by the Zhou Family were all wiped out overnight."

"...Does that mean the City Lord of Eastsea City and the master of Spirit Hall are both dead?"

"Of course!"

"That's good news! Those bloodsuckers who oppressed us deserved to die after committing so much evil!"

"Exactly! The girl next door to my family was ruined by the Zhou Family. She couldn't bear it and killed herself."

"At last, some hero has avenged her!"

"Everyone, watch your words! Those dog soldiers are still on the streets!"

At that, the crowd exchanged glances, lowered their heads, and headed home.

Zhou Family.

Members of the Pope Palace's Holy Knight Order who had rushed over upon hearing the news approached the Zhou Family's gates.

They were stopped by the local soldiers standing guard.

The soldier frowned and glanced at them before extending a hand. "Crime scene. Unauthorized persons are not allowed inside."

The Holy Knights exchanged amused smiles. One of them leisurely took a gilded token from his robes.

The soldier's pupils suddenly contracted when he saw it.

As a soldier of Spirit Hall, how could he not recognize a token representing Spirit Hall's highest authority?

Only Holy Knights possessed one!

The soldier immediately stepped forward to open the gates, not daring to show the slightest neglect. "Please enter, my lords!"

The Holy Knights had no intention of blaming him. Their mission was to investigate the matter clearly, then report it to His Holiness the Pope.

Time was pressing, so there was no need to waste effort on an insignificant soldier.

The moment they entered the gates, an inexplicable sense of oppression washed over them.

The corpses of the Zhou Family members lay scattered everywhere.

One Holy Knight stepped forward to inspect them.

He discovered that there was not the slightest trace of panic on their faces.

The Holy Knight rose from beside the corpses, his expression gradually hardening.

"These people died without even realizing it."

"It seems the attackers were all experts."

A Holy Knight beside him said, "The Zhou Family Patriarch was a Soul Douluo. Before his death, he should have fought the enemy."

"Perhaps we can find some clues from that."

The leading Holy Knight nodded slightly and stepped forward. "All right. Let's inspect the Zhou Family Patriarch's body."

The group arrived at the Zhou Family Council Hall.

They discovered that the positions of all the bodies perfectly matched where they would have stood during a meeting.

In other words, none of them had even had time to make a move before dying.

"Gasp!"

The knights could not help crying out in shock at the sight.

"Who on earth did this? That's far too terrifying!"

"Even a Soul Douluo had no time to react. The enemy's strength has likely reached the level of a Super Douluo."

Only a Super Douluo could utterly crush everything before them.

Just then, one Holy Knight noticed something amiss.

"Not good. Everyone, hold your breath. There's poisonous gas in the Council Hall."

He stepped forward and carefully examined the corpses.

He found a tiny bloodied hole on each of their bodies.

The Holy Knight drew the dagger at his waist and dug a sharp metal pellet out of one of the bloody holes.

His expression grave, he turned to the others. "Like the Zhou Family members outside, those in the Council Hall were also injured by this concealed weapon."

"The only difference is that the concealed weapons inside the hall were coated with a deadly poison."

A well-traveled Holy Knight stepped forward. After carefully identifying it, his face turned grave. "I've seen this poison before. Mandala Poison! Its toxicity is exceptionally fierce, taking effect immediately upon poisoning."

"Moreover, Mandala Poison is extremely rare. Even Spirit Hall has only preserved a single sample vial."

Upon hearing this, the Holy Knights fell silent.

The enemy's speed of action and sophisticated methods were completely beyond their imagination.

Even they, Holy Knights, had no idea where to begin.

Let alone those idiots in Eastsea City.

This was destined to become an unsolvable case.

After a moment of silence, the leading Holy Knight clapped his hands and took the lead in leaving the Council Hall.

"There's no need to investigate further. A Super Douluo-level expert is not someone we can interfere with.

Burn all the corpses to prevent an epidemic. Also, compile the details into intelligence and report it to His Holiness the Pope."

Inside Butterfly Farm.

In Bibi Dong and Hu Liena's room, both women stared at the intelligence report on the desk.

After reading it, Hu Liena took a deep breath.

"The four great families were wiped out in a single night? And without a sound? Even the Holy Knight Order couldn't find the slightest clue. That's too terrifying!"

After sighing, Hu Liena suddenly raised her head and stared at her teacher's delicate brows. "Could Ye Tian have sent Scorpion Douluo to do this?"

If anyone on the East Sea Coast possessed such terrifying strength, it could only be one of Ye Tian's subordinates.

Bibi Dong, who was staring at the report, silently shook her head. "It wasn't Scorpion Douluo. At least, with his rank ninety-four cultivation, he could not silently kill everyone in an instant."

"But one thing is certain: Ye Tian did this."

When she learned from the intelligence report that every victim's wounds were remarkably identical and that they had died from bullets—

the answer had become obvious.

"I never expected Ye Tian's subordinates to be so astonishing."

Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes flickered.

Na Na had still been worried last night that Ye Tian might suffer retaliation from the Zhou Family.

Yet early this morning, she had received such a surprise.

"It seems Ye Tian's methods are not as simple as they appear."

Hu Liena grew solemn.

Then she suddenly felt a little cold.

What if, after Ye Tian learned the truth, he chose not to stand with Spirit Hall?

Given her teacher's temperament...

She did not dare think any further.

That was a tragedy she did not wish to see.

Across from the women's room, Ye Tian had just finished washing up and stepped out of his room.

Zhou Long had long been waiting outside. When he saw Ye Tian emerge, he casually handed him an intelligence report.

He respectfully said, "Young Master, everything has been dealt with."

"We also secretly emptied the treasuries of the four great families and stored everything at a secret stronghold in the city."

Taking the report from Zhou Long, Ye Tian smiled calmly. "You've worked hard, Uncle Zhou."

He had given the order to empty the four great families' treasuries.

Since he had resolved to destroy the four great families, naturally he could not let their wealth go.

Otherwise, who would reimburse the North Star Squad for its ammunition expenses?

After carefully reading the list of gains from the treasuries in the report, Ye Tian gradually narrowed his eyes. The four great families really were four plump little lambs!