After returning to Divine Wind Island, Chen Ming immediately summoned the Four Chiefs and gave them a detailed account of his scouting expedition. When he mentioned Blood Hawk's appearance, the atmosphere in the Council Hall grew noticeably heavier.
"Blood Hawk?" Feng Wuying frowned. "I've heard that name. He's a notorious lone assassin in the Chaotic Star Sea's underworld. Supposedly, he once accepted a contract to assassinate an early Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Although he failed, the fact that he escaped alive speaks volumes. Why would he target us?"
"I'm afraid he wasn't targeting us on his own initiative. Someone paid him to," Chen Ming said calmly. "His presence in those waters was no coincidence. I suspect word had already leaked before we set out."
"You mean... there's a traitor on the island?" Shi Dashan asked in his rumbling voice, his expression darkening.
"Not necessarily." Chen Ming shook his head. "Our activities on Jade Wave Island or Black Wind Island might have caught someone's attention, allowing them to follow the vine to the melon and deduce our movements. After all, although our exploration voyage was kept secret, gathering supplies and mobilizing personnel inevitably left a few threads of clues."
He paused before continuing, "Whatever the case, we can't use that route for now. At least until we pull out the thorn that is Blood Hawk, we can't risk taking it."
"What about our plans, then?" Liu Qingqing asked. Her injuries had largely healed, and she had returned to her duties. "Our infiltration of Jade Wave Island has only just begun to yield results, and construction hasn't even started on Black Wind Island's Joint Smelting Workshop. If we slow down now..."
"No. Our plans for Jade Wave Island and Black Wind Island remain unchanged. Keep moving forward," Chen Ming interrupted. "Those are