After closing the Blood Seal, Lin Hui stood up and put the Wish-Fulfilling Scepter back on his waist.
Stepping out of the inner room, the sky outside was dim, with a thin mist faintly visible.
Several crows stood side by side on the wall of the training ground, preening their glossy black feathers while watching the group of students practicing swordsmanship below. Lin Hui had recently hired someone to build a row of small wooden houses on this side of the training ground, serving as temporary resting places for the students to shelter from the wind and rain.
After all, one needs a nap after practicing swordsmanship, and he is renovating this place according to the standards he used when he was at Qingfeng Temple.
The number of disciples in the school has reached more than 30. Apart from the ten who are rudimentary martial artists, the rest are all skilled martial artists.
The tuition fees paid by these martial arts schools each year are now the main source of funding for the sword academy.
Lin Hui didn't want anyone to notice anything amiss, so maintaining a balance between income and expenditure was essential.
Gazing at the sunset on the distant horizon, he often felt an urge to unleash his full power and fly into the sky to see if the view there was the same as in the previous world.
But the thought of those purple tentacles made him suppress his desire.
The longer I stayed in this place, the more strange a feeling of unease I got.
"Why isn't Steel Ox here today?" After turning his gaze away, he glanced down at everyone and immediately noticed that Xie Tieniu, the usually most hardworking rough martial arts disciple, was not there.
Since joining the sword club, Steel Ox has been getting up the earliest and going to bed the latest almost every day of the year, taking on all the dirty and tiring work. He is the most honest disciple in the sword club.
He was also one of the people who admired Lin Hui the most.
Unlike the elite martial arts disciples who just came to practice and get some exercise, several of the rough martial arts disciples had witnessed how powerful Wu Anning had become. When the old master was alive, Wu Anning wasn't this strong. Now that the new master has taken over, he has suddenly unleashed such power. It's hard to say that it's not because the new master has modified the sword techniques.
"Reporting to the Master, Steel Ox received a message from his village just this afternoon saying that his father had an accident and he asked me for leave to go back home. I hope you will understand," Wu Anning replied carefully as he quickly approached.
Now she's grown into a young woman.
Large in the literal sense.
Standing at about two meters tall, similar to Lin Hui, Wu Anning possessed a slender waist and a broad back, with long, straight, and powerful legs. His once full chest had been transformed into well-developed pectoral muscles. His previously pretty face had become cold and hard, and his gaze carried a captivating air. Due to his strong and imposing physique, Wu Anning had earned the nickname "Bear" among the disciples.
As the eldest sister, leading everyone in practicing swordsmanship, she was the one who whipped the most people, naturally making her the most intimidating. "Since Father is busy, there's nothing to forgive; it's only human nature. Later, get ten taels from the accounts and send it to his family," Lin Hui said calmly. "Yes!" Besides her duties as the eldest sister leading the sword practice, Wu Anning was also responsible for the daily management of the entire sword hall. She handled all these miscellaneous tasks.
Lin Hui was used to being a hands-off boss, so he immediately cultivated an assistant-type person who allowed him to slack off.
He turned around, intending to go back inside to rest for a while.
Although he came here to investigate the cause of the Decay and mutation, in reality, since he couldn't find any more clues for the time being, he could only establish his own power base and then cast a wide net to gather information.
Otherwise, relying solely on oneself Avatar, and it would take an indefinite amount of time to complete the investigation.
Currently, he and Wu Anning have basically defeated all the gangs in the area near West East City, and have initially established a relatively stable rear base.
A large amount of intelligence from various sources can also be gathered for him.
Just as he turned to go inside and close the door, a disciple guarding the gate shouted loudly from afar.
" Steel Ox, how did you manage to carry such a huge thing back?!"
"Hello Steel Ox."
" Steel Ox, you look terrible."
"Master!!"
Immediately following was a wail, Xie Tieniu rushed into the sword hall, knelt down, and kowtowed several times to Lin Hui in front of the house. Beside him on the ground was his father's corpse, wrapped in a quilt.
"My father was murdered! Master, please do justice for me!!" Xie Tieniu cried out.
Lin Hui frowned and turned to look at the courtyard gate. Besides Steel Ox, there were several other people who had followed him there.
Outside the sword hall at this time.
Brother Hao, Daoist Zhu Xiang, and Thunderclap Palm Dai Yunhua were followed by two local police officers.
They had been running all the way with Xie Tieniu. Zhu Xiang and Dai Yunhua were alright, as they had all trained, but Brother Hao suffered. He ran all the way here, so tired that his eyes rolled back, he was panting heavily, his face was pale, and large beads of sweat kept dripping down his face.
The three of them had been trying to persuade Xie Tieniu along the way, but unfortunately, this guy's physical strength was too abnormal. He ran wildly for two whole hours, and only stopped when he reached the sword hall training ground.
The three of them were also somewhat curious about the Pine Breeze Sword Hall.
On the way, Dai Yunhua frankly admitted that he had only heard of the place's reputation; it was well-known in the area. As for the actual situation, he didn't really know and would have to see for himself.
They ran all the way to the entrance and followed Steel Ox into the sword hall. As soon as they entered, they sensed that this place was different from other places. The gate of the sword hall was repaired and even a bit dilapidated, but these were not the main issues. The important thing was the disciples and students here.
Each of them was strong and powerful, and they wore or held thick iron rods on their bodies and in their hands.
Yes, although this is a fencing school, none of the students have swords; they mostly practice with thick iron bars.
Because swords are sharp weapons, they are not used for daily practice and sparring.
As they entered, surrounded by burly men, Brother Hao and his two companions unconsciously moved closer together. Brother Hao even subtly placed his hand on his gun holster at his lower back.
Then, the three of them saw Steel Ox rush out, kneel down, and begin kowtowing repeatedly, pleading incessantly.
" Steel Ox, when you first joined the organization, we signed a contract. Do you remember what it said?"
Then, a cold and calm young male voice came from a corner of the training ground.
The three of them looked in the direction of the sound.
A slight chill ran down their spines as they saw two burly, bear-like giants, a man and a woman, looking in their direction. The one who spoke was the man. He was even more imposing than the other, with bronze skin, a masculine and imposing presence, and a face with a subtle, cold, chiseled handsomeness.
"This place..." Brother Hao nudged his friend Dai Yunhua. "It looks a bit fierce."
"Don't be afraid, what's there to be afraid of with a gun?" Dai Yunhua said calmly.
Hearing this, Brother Hao felt a little more at ease.
While Xie Tieniu was still taking in his surroundings, he had already started talking to the man and woman, and it seemed that they had agreed that the sword guild would be responsible for burying and disposing of Xie Tieniu's father's body.
Steel Ox explained the potential trouble the corpse might cause, but the museum owner seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, casually agreeing without any real concern. This immediately alarmed Zhu Xiang, who stepped forward and loudly tried to dissuade him.
"Does this swordsman truly understand the trouble this corpse will bring? These past three nights have attracted various levels of immense danger! Don't let your blind overconfidence endanger the entire swordsmanship!"
"It's alright. Steel Ox is a member of my sword-wielding school. Naturally, I need to handle his affairs properly," Lin Hui said indifferently.
"Has the museum master ever seen ghosts or zombies?" Zhu Xiang asked anxiously.
"Without."
"And yet you remain so confident?!"
"Isn't this a perfect opportunity to see for yourself?" Lin Hui countered.
Zhu Xiang was immediately speechless and could only watch as Lin Hui turned and went into the house. Wu Anning then led people to comfort Xie Tieniu and help him with his father's funeral arrangements.
The three were at a loss for what to do. They stood by the training ground, watching the other students resume their sword practice as if they hadn't taken what had just happened, which only fueled their anxiety.
It will soon be dark, and midnight will be the time when the first trouble will occur. If we don't persuade the museum owner now, the spread of the Blood Character Case will likely expand further.
The three then split up. One, using his position as the deputy director of the district, went to communicate with Lin Hui, the owner of the martial arts school, while the other two went to persuade Xie Tieniu. Unfortunately, no matter what the three said, Xie Tieniu remained unmoved, firmly believing that the owner would uphold justice for him.
Lin Hui, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, no matter what Brother Hao said or tried to persuade him.
As it grew increasingly late, the three had no choice but to leave the training ground and discuss their next move.
"There's only one way left," Zhu Xiang sighed.
"What?"
"On the first night, keep the ghost outside and prevent it from entering the sword hall. This way, the commotion we cause while suppressing the ghost will let the people at the sword hall see the truth and realize how difficult it is to deal with. Then we can try to persuade them in the following two days."
"That's right. For the next two days, we didn't even need to persuade them; they just came to us for help on their own." Brother Hao clapped his hands and said in a moment of realization. "You couldn't even think of something this simple, Brother Hao? Did you get your deputy director position through a donation?" Dai Yunhua teased.
"What do you know? I thought of this a long time ago. It's just that Master Zhu said what I was thinking beforehand," Brother Hao retorted stubbornly. Dai Yunhua didn't believe him, and after a few more words of banter, they settled on their strategy for the night.
Since the sword-fighting academy doesn't believe they can't handle the danger, then let them see for themselves.
Immediately, the three of them discussed it and Brother Hao led his men to the temporary Daoist temple where Zhu Xiang was staying to retrieve talismans and consecrated ritual implements.
Dai Yunhua kept watch over the sword hall to prevent the body from being moved away.
Zhu Xiang then focused his energy and prepared to be the main force, resting and waiting for the big battle that night.
Inside the sword-fighting hall at this moment.
In reality, Wu Anning and other rough martial arts disciples, as core members of the sword hall, appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, but they were still somewhat worried inside.
Taking advantage of a break, Wu Anning knocked on the door and entered Lin Hui's meditation room.
"Master... what that Daoist priest said is true. I asked someone from Steel Ox's village."
"Really?" Lin Hui opened his eyes, finally showing some interest.
These days, there are many cases of truth and falsehood. He had previously investigated and encountered similar situations. As a result, rumors spread that they were demons and monsters, but in reality, most of them were just the work of human hearts.
Only a very small number of the crimes were committed by mutated beings, but by the time he arrived, they had long since vanished.
Now, it seems there's a high probability that Xie Tieniu's story is true. This has stirred up anticipation in his heart.