The Matter.

"What a beast!"

The crowd cursed under their breath, also feeling a great headache.

They couldn't do much more than curse the other person for being an unfilial father to vent their resentment... and that was all they could do to vent their resentment.

Although they didn't really think Li Zhenfang could conjure anything to stop the Great Beast's advance, well... what if...?

This operation was not merely an action against the Yan; it was also a pledge of allegiance that they had finally found to the Great Beast.

If what they did really caused trouble for the Great Beast's actions, how would they face it?

For a moment, everyone's expressions turned complicated.

But at this moment, the man who had finished gathering the information suddenly raised his head.

"Actually, we don't necessarily need to figure out what they're going to do..."

"Um?"

Everyone present turned their heads and looked at the man strangely.

The man also took a deep breath at this moment.

"Admittedly, we have no idea what Li Zhenfang people are up to or what they're building... It's too late to rearrange personnel now."

"But... if we want to deal with them, we don't necessarily have to figure out what they're doing right now."

"Actually, we can start from the source..."

As the man spoke, he drew the attention of everyone present.

"Start with the source?"

"Yes! Let's start from the source."

The man raised his head, his gaze sinister. "I know who forged those raw materials for them..."

~~~~~

302

Chapter 302 The Matter.

The city was quiet at night.

Although a large number of people were working hard to repair the city's defenses on the outskirts of South River City, Maria did not hear any noise, perhaps because the residential area was too far away.

In the quiet room, only the girl's breathing could be heard.

Maria closed her eyes, silently feeling her own heartbeat.

She exhaled slowly, evenly, and after a moment, she opened her eyes again.

I can't sleep...

Slowly rising, Maria silently gazed out the window at the tranquil night.

Then his eyes glanced to his side.

There are many reasons why she can't sleep... but it has nothing to do with the boy who is now fast asleep, hugging her waist.

After carefully removing it from her body, Maria stood up again and slowly walked to the side.

"What... is wrong with me?"

Maria reached out and pressed her hand against her forehead, her breathing slightly uneven.

This situation would be normal for anyone else, but... it's utterly horrifying for Maria.

It's important to know that even during battles with Great Beast, Maria maintains precise control over her breathing rhythm.

No matter how critical the situation, she always manages to remain as calm as possible.

But... she is no longer as composed as she once was.

She began to become indecisive.

Just after nightfall, she was actually thinking about Li Chang!

Of course, calling him Li Chang wouldn't be entirely accurate.

What Maria was thinking about was actually about the relationship between father and son.

Maria admired Li Zhenfang's decisiveness.

After realizing that his son had already joined the Shanhai Assembly, he was able to make a choice without hesitation... This is an extremely difficult thing for most people.

Especially when they first met, Maria could clearly sense the man's pride in his child.

He was genuinely proud of Li Chang's achievements.

But when his own child went astray, and he had to choose between the people of South River City and his child, he chose South River City...

Maria couldn't judge whether this choice was right or wrong.

She wasn't sure whether such actions were reasonable or accurate.

But this reminded Maria of something else.

"Deep Sea Hunters."

Maria may need a lot more time to understand the subtle changes in emotions.

But she did indeed feel a strong sense of dependence from the girl named Skadi and Specter.

Moreover, both of them do indeed have some of their own blood components in their bodies...

If I'm not mistaken...

"Was it me who carried out the Deep Sea Hunters Project?"

Thinking of this, Maria couldn't help but furrow her brow.

She couldn't understand it.

She couldn't understand how she could possibly agree to such a plan.

She couldn't understand it at all...

What was my mindset when executing this plan?

Even now, when she asks herself again, she still believes that the blood of those in Great Ones poses an immeasurable threat to humanity.

He still loathed all those plans that attempted to transform humans into Great Ones.

That frenzied, indifferent, and nauseating madness remains vividly etched in her memory, even after countless years have passed.

What was her mindset when she did all of this back then?

And those girls calling out to their mothers...

"..."

Maria frowned, and her eyes showed a hint of irritation.

At that moment, in the dim darkness, she suddenly heard a faint sound...

"Um?"

Maria hesitated, then looked up to the side.

She temporarily calmed her inner turmoil and began to listen quietly to the sounds around her.

"Tap tap..."

In the pitch-black night, that faint sound was even lighter than breathing.

Even so, she still couldn't escape Maria's perception.

Is anyone there?

They took a few steps forward silently.

Maria closed her eyes and continued to sense.

There were about ten people in the group. Two stood guard at the front and back doors, while the rest were quietly making their way up to the second floor, trying to block Maria and Sui's escape route. In the distance, there were also a few faint breaths...

"Someone... is trying to make a move?"

Maria opened her eyes, a hint of confusion appearing on her face.

There are people... who would dare to make a move against her?

All I can say is that they have commendable courage.

Maria shook her head and didn't say anything more.

She simply left the room without a sound.

The dark figure moved with ease in the night.

In the blink of an eye, Maria easily dealt with the guards still outside the door.

We entered the inn again.

As the attackers cautiously lined up and made their way down the street, Maria quickly noticed that their clothing was remarkably similar to that of the attackers from the Mountain and Shanhai Assembly from a few days prior.

After hesitating for a few moments, she slowly stepped forward and silently followed the other person's movements.

Before long, Maria watched helplessly as these people blocked her doorway.

"Is everyone here?"

Soon, the man in the lead cautiously asked a question.

They made considerable preparations for this operation.

According to their investigation, they have confirmed that the people who helped Li Zhenfang refine those weapons lived here.

If they can take him down, Li Zhenfang will inevitably have a huge weakness, which may even directly lead to the failure of his plan.

Given the current tight security in South River City, this is the limit of what they can do.

"Everyone's here..."

Behind him, another person counted the figures in the darkness.

Including myself, there are eight in total... That's right, exactly the same as when I came out.

"Now that everyone's here, let's get ready."

The leading man shook his head slightly, without much hesitation.

Meanwhile, the other underlings looked somewhat puzzled.

"Boss... don't you think this is strange?"

"What's strange?"

"Since the person living here is an important member of Li Zhenfang's plan, why not send troops to protect her? Letting her stay in this place... do you think this might be a trap?"

The younger brother's words awakened the man, making him hesitate.

Indeed, if the other party was indeed a key member of the entire South River City defense project, as they had discovered, then Li Zhenfang should have sent people to protect them at every level.

How could there not even be a single guard?

But the truth is, they entered the entire inn without any hindrance, and there were even fewer patrols passing by compared to other places.

Such an unusual situation certainly makes one wonder if this is some kind of trap specifically designed to target them.

But now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to back down.

Men grit their teeth too.

"Don't worry about all that... just focus on the mission!"

"Uh... yes."

Hearing his boss's faint, clenched teeth, the younger brother shrugged in fear.

They were actually somewhat conflicted about whether or not to attack the mysterious craftsman.

But things had come to this point, and they couldn't really back down. After exchanging a glance, they gritted their teeth.

Let's do it!