Life went on peacefully. Although Lin Ye had promised Fei Lan he would not act rashly, he still began secretly investigating Karen and the whereabouts of the old Bloodhand Gang. Every week, he accompanied Fei Lan to the supply exchange in District 13. While trading for supplies, he used his Observation Haki to eavesdrop on the various gangs and gather news from the outside world. He also traded food and supplies with the information brokers there, asking about the Bloodhand Gang and Karen. But the results were disappointing. Those events had happened more than a decade ago. After Fei Lan killed their boss, the Bloodhand Gang had fallen apart and long since vanished into history. Karen, meanwhile, seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. He had never resurfaced in the Hunter world, and there was no news of him whatsoever. Lin Ye did not give up. He knew perfectly well that a man like Karen, who could betray a brother he had faced life and death with for money and power, would never settle for an ordinary life. He must have received a huge sum from Bloodhand for selling out Fei Lan's plan back then. There was no way he would simply disappear. Either he had assumed a new identity and joined a larger power, or he had founded a new gang himself and was hiding somewhere, continuing his shady dealings. Meteor City was the perfect refuge for someone like that. There were no laws or rules here. With enough strength and money, a person could do whatever they pleased. It would be no surprise if Karen was hiding in Meteor City. Lin Ye focused his investigation on its various districts, particularly the large gangs controlling underground trading and black-market business. His Observation Haki became his best intelligence-gathering tool. Every time he visited the supply exchange, he expanded its range to the limit, covering the entire exchange and listening to everyone's conversations, sifting useful clues from the jumble of information. That day, Lin Ye, Fei Lan, and Lina returned to the supply exchange to trade for padded winter coats and medicine. Fei Lan took Lina to pick out coats at a stall, while Lin Ye stood nearby. He appeared to be casually looking around, but in reality, he had already pushed his Observation Haki to its limit, covering the entire shopping center. Countless voices flooded his mind like a tide. Deals between gangs, territorial disputes, news from outside, black-market bounties... His Observation Haki rapidly sifted through the chaotic information. Just then, a conversation caught his attention. In a private room on the second floor, two men in black suits with steady, composed auras were speaking in low voices. Both carried a thick air of bloodlust. They were clearly genuine Nen users, and powerful ones at that. "Lord Karen said we have to take District 13 as soon as possible. That old bastard of a District Chief is getting too old to hold on to this territory," one man said quietly. "Don't worry, boss. We've pretty much won over the Wild Lion Gang. That Wild Lion is nothing but a reckless idiot. Give him a few benefits, and he'll do exactly what we tell him. Before long, District 13 will belong to our Blood Hand Gang," the other man said with a laugh. The Blood Hand Gang! Lin Ye's heart jolted. He instantly focused all his attention on the two men's conversation. Lord Karen! It really was him! The Blood Hand Gang hadn't disappeared completely after all-Karen had taken it over! And now he was in Meteor City. He had even extended his reach into District 13! "Don't get careless." The first man's tone grew stern. "Lord Karen said Fei Lan may very well be hiding in District 13. He's been searching for him for over a decade. He wants him found, dead or alive. Our most important task in taking District 13 is to find Fei Lan." "Fei Lan? That bounty hunter from back then? It's been over a decade. Couldn't he be dead already?" "Hard to say. Lord Karen said we all know how strong Fei Lan is. Even if he's lost half an arm, we absolutely cannot underestimate him. The moment you find any trace of him, report it immediately. Do not act on your own. Understood?" "Understood!" Lin Ye stood rooted to the spot, his blood turning cold. He had finally found him. Karen was in Meteor City. And he already knew Fei Lan might be hiding in District 13 and had begun sending people to investigate. He had even won over the Wild Lion Gang. No wonder Wild Lion, the gang's leader, had managed to establish himself in District 13 despite not even having the courage to fight back against Fei Lan back then. Karen's Blood Hand Gang had been backing him all along. The shadows were closing in. Karen's men had already reached District 13 and were looking for Fei Lan. Before long, they would trace him here and discover his whereabouts. Lin Ye's gaze turned cold. Without betraying anything, he kept his Observation Haki firmly locked on the two men in the upstairs room, memorizing their auras, appearances, and every piece of information in their conversation. Just then, Fei Lan walked over with Lina, carrying several padded coats. He smiled at Lin Ye. "Lin Ye, take a look at this coat. I bought it for you. Winter's coming, and it'll keep you warm." Lin Ye immediately came back to his senses and suppressed the chill emanating from him. He accepted the coat with a smile and nodded. "Thank you, Master." He did not tell Fei Lan or Lina about it immediately. It was not yet time. He only knew that Karen's men were in District 13. He did not know where Karen himself was, where the Blood Hand Gang's headquarters were, how many members or Nen users they had, or how powerful they truly were. Telling Fei Lan rashly would only upset him and risk alerting the enemy. He had to uncover everything about Karen first, then decide what to do. After finishing their trades, the three left the exchange and headed toward the abandoned factory where they were hiding. On the way back, Lin Ye kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings with his Observation Haki. Only after confirming that no one was following them did he relax. Back in the courtyard, Lina went to sort out their purchases, while Fei Lan headed to the study to organize the books on Nen Abilities he had brought back. Lin Ye found an opportunity to quietly pull Fei Lan aside in the study and shut the door. "Master, there's something I have to tell you," Lin Ye said, his tone utterly serious. Fei Lan froze briefly at his grave expression, then lost his smile as well. "What is it? What happened?" Lin Ye took a deep breath and repeated the conversation about Karen and the Blood Hand Gang he had overheard at the exchange, word for word. When Fei Lan finished listening, his expression froze. He stood there, trembling slightly, his hand clenched into a fist on the desk so tightly that his knuckles turned white. More than a decade. He had hidden in Meteor City for more than a decade, believing he would never hear that name again, believing those people had long since forgotten him. Yet Karen had been searching for him all those years. And now his men had reached District 13, right under his nose. A long time passed before Fei Lan slowly raised his head. The shock and anger in his eyes had faded, leaving only an icy chill. "I understand," Fei Lan said, his voice hoarse and cold. "Karen... So he really is still alive." "Master, I'm sorry. I investigated behind your back," Lin Ye said quietly. "It's not your fault." Fei Lan shook his head and patted his shoulder, a trace of guilt flashing in his eyes. "I'm the one who dragged you both into this. Karen has found his way here. This place isn't safe anymore. We have to leave as soon as possible and find somewhere else to hide." "No." Lin Ye immediately shook his head. "Master, leaving now would only alert them. Karen's men only know you might be in District 13. They haven't found your exact whereabouts yet. If we leave, we could expose ourselves instead." He paused, then looked at Fei Lan earnestly. "Besides, you've been hiding for more than a decade. We can't keep hiding. Karen has searched for you all these years. Even if we evade him this time, he'll keep looking. We'll spend our whole lives living in his shadow." "Then what do you want to do?" Fei Lan asked. "Investigate first." Lin Ye's gaze was unwavering. "Find out where Karen's Blood Hand Gang is headquartered, how many members and Nen users they have, and how strong they really are. Once we know everything about them, we'll strike first and put an end to this problem once and for all." Fei Lan looked at the determination in Lin Ye's eyes and remained silent for a long time. He had spent more than a decade in hiding not because he feared Karen, but because that betrayal had left him disillusioned. He had never wanted to get caught up in those conflicts again. But now Karen had found his way here and threatened Lin Ye and Lina's safety. Fei Lan could no longer hide. He was their master, the elder of this family. He had to protect both children. "All right." At last, Fei Lan nodded, the coldness in his eyes hardening into resolve. "We'll do as you say. Find out everything about Karen, then strike first." "This time, I won't hide anymore." From that day onward, their peaceful lives came to an end. Lin Ye and Fei Lan began investigating in secret. Relying on his Observation Haki, Lin Ye slipped into the center of District 13 every day, eavesdropping on members of the Wild Lion Gang and the Blood Hand Gang to gather intelligence. Fei Lan contacted several old friends from his bounty-hunting days who were still alive, using their connections to seek news of Karen and the Blood Hand Gang. Before long, they had uncovered everything about Karen and his gang. After Fei Lan killed the Blood Hand Gang's boss all those years ago, Karen had used the money he earned from betraying Fei Lan to take over the gang's remaining forces. He had assumed a new identity and hidden in Meteor City. Over more than a decade, Karen had established himself there through ruthless methods and the Nen Abilities he had learned from Fei Lan. He had built the Blood Hand Gang into the dominant power in Meteor City's District 7. He had several hundred followers, including more than twenty genuine Nen users. Its strength was formidable, making it one of the largest gangs in Meteor City. Karen's own strength was even more unfathomable. Back then, he had been an elite fighter second only to Fei Lan. Over the past decade and more, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, and he was now widely recognized as one of Meteor City's top Nen users. This time, he wanted to take District 13 partly to expand his territory, but more importantly, to find Fei Lan. He had searched for Fei Lan for more than a decade and had never given up. Their intelligence also revealed that in three days, Karen would personally visit District 13 to meet Wild Lion, the leader of the Wild Lion Gang, and finalize their plan to annex the district. It was an opportunity that might never come again. In the study, Lin Ye and Fei Lan looked over the intelligence they had gathered, then exchanged a glance. Each saw the resolve in the other's eyes. "Karen will come to District 13 in three days," Lin Ye said earnestly to Fei Lan. "This is our best chance to finish him here." Fei Lan nodded and tightened his grip on the Revolver, a cold flicker of killing intent flashing in his eyes. "All right." "In three days, I'll go meet this dear brother of mine myself."
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