Xia Yongzhi's eyes clouded for a moment as if remembering fond memories of his brother and son. Then he regained focus.

"Our bloodline is called the Golden Tiger bloodline. I can't tell you the full extent of our powers, but if fully awakened, our clan could soar. We might even become one of the most formidable clans on the continent." Xia Yongzhi turned toward his guards. "Do we have contacts in Mystic Moon City?"

"Yes, clan leader. We have trading partners there."

"Good. Contact them. Ask if what Liu Xing said is true. I want the answer before sunset!"

"Yes, sir!"

One of the guards got up and ran hurriedly. He leaped across the river, landed on top of a horse, then kicked it into motion. The horse ran so fast it created a cloud of dust.

Xia Yongzhi faced Liu Xing again. "If we get confirmation about your information, then I, Xia Yongzhi, will formally apologize to you and compensate you."

"All right," Liu Xing nodded. He honestly didn't need compensation or a formal apology from Xia Yongzhi, but there was no reason to refuse outright.

As Xia Yongzhi began to get up, his guards, sensing the conversation had finished, started to swarm around him to ensure he was all right.

Liu Xing contemplated his next move under the tree. He had gotten the confirmation he wanted, but the situation was now more complicated. After all, whatever had killed Bai Lin's grandson was apparently nearby.

While there was time between now and when he'd meet Xia Shizi and Xia Hongyi, there was a high chance that the thing killing people with bloodlines was close by. If he could catch a glimpse of this entity, he might get information to help his investigation about Wei Yi later. If he could catch or kill whatever was murdering people, he might even be able to stop Wei Yi's plans, assuming Wei Yi was truly behind it all.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Xing decided to at least investigate the crime scene.

"Clan leader Xia," Liu Xing called out. "Would you show me where Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi were murdered?"

"Why? While you're still under suspicion, I believe at least half of what you said. If you think you need to find more evidence to clear your name, you don't. My underling is on his way to confirm your information."

Liu Xing answered truthfully. "One of the victims is my friend's grandson, and I promised to help investigate this matter. It's pure coincidence that the murders of your brother and son happened when I'm here, but this is an opportunity to finally shed some light on who or what this murderer is."

Xia Yongzhi raised his eyebrows. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes."

Xia Yongzhi pinched his chin, then nodded. "All right, but on one condition. I know you're hiding something, so I want you to share everything that could remotely help me and my clan find who's responsible for the deaths of my son and brother."

Liu Xing thought for a moment. Telling him about Wei Yi was risky. From their brief interaction, Liu Xing knew that Xia Yongzhi could be reasoned with, but his immediate response to hearing dubious information from a child was to trust the child blindly and try to kill people. This painted Xia Yongzhi as reckless and impulsive. What if he told him about Wei Yi and he went after him?

"I can't promise to tell you everything I know, as there are still many speculations. But I can tell you who my friend suspects is behind all these murders."

Liu Xing decided to tell Xia Yongzhi about Wei Yi later, but only if he found some clues or interesting things at the crime scene.

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Xia Yongzhi nodded. He opened his mouth as if to say something but was interrupted by the sound of a galloping horse and a shout.

Liu Xing, Xia Yongzhi, and the guards turned toward the sound. Liu Xing saw a man riding a horse with a panicked face. This wasn't the guard Xia Yongzhi had sent to contact their trading partners in Mystic Moon City. This man came from a different direction. He rode a brown horse, kicking it frantically.

"Clan leader, I have an important message!" As he shouted, he finally arrived nearby. He dismounted, clasped his hands, and knelt. "The Grand Elder has finally come out of seclusion!"

"What?" Xia Yongzhi's eyes widened. "Wasn't he predicted to come out of seclusion next year? Are you serious?"

"Yes. I've seen him with my own eyes. But he didn't go to our clan compound. Instead, he flew quickly in another direction."

"Where did he go?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the Grand Elder probably went toward where we found the young master's and your brother's arms."

As Liu Xing heard this, he understood a few things. First, this Grand Elder had probably ended his seclusion because he knew Xia Hongyi and Xia Shizi were killed, and now he was at the crime scene.

Xia Yongzhi's eyes looked panicked, but he inhaled deeply and regained his focus. Then, Xia Yongzhi threw his wide silver sword, which had been attached to his back, into the sky. As the silver sword hovered, Xia Yongzhi jumped on top of it. "I'll go meet him. You guys continue the investigation, especially about the information Liu Xing provided. Also, bring Xia Weiyuan to meet the Grand Elder."

"Clan leader Xia," Liu Xing called. "You promised to show me the crime scene."

Xia Yongzhi gritted his teeth for a moment, his face contorting in anger, but it soon vanished. "All right, but I need to warn you, our Grand Elder is not someone you can mess with."

Liu Xing nodded. A Grand Elder usually had high cultivation, and Liu Xing didn't intend to do anything stupid that could potentially get him killed. This was probably one occasion where Liu Xing would meet another cultivator in the Core Splitting realm. He predicted that the Grand Elder wasn't newly advanced to the Core Splitting realm either, but someone who had cultivated for hundreds of years.

Xia Yongzhi's sword moved, whistling in the air. Liu Xing summoned his gun, activated Lightning Cloak, and kicked the ground. While he couldn't fly in the traditional sense, with his shield, he had no problem catching up to Xia Yongzhi.

Soon, they arrived at their destination. Surprisingly, this place was really close to where the newly created lake was located, and Liu Xing suspected the murder had happened when he fought that inverted pyramid.

After flying for several moments, Xia Yongzhi leapt from his sword to the ground, then reattached it to his back.

Liu Xing landed behind him and looked around. The area in front of him had nothing special. There were trees, bushes, and a dirt path. The interesting things in this place were a two-meter hole in the dirt path and several spots with remaining blood.

An old man stood in front of one bloody spot. He wore a pure black robe with golden embroidery. His back was bent as if carrying a heavy weight, and the hair on top of his head was white as snow.

"Xia Yongzhi greets Grand Elder. Congratulations on your breakthrough!"

Xia Yongzhi clasped his hands and knelt. As he knelt, the Grand Elder turned his head.

When he saw Xia Yongzhi, his face suddenly contorted in anger. His eyes sharpened, and he regarded Xia Yongzhi as if he were a beggar trying to court his daughter. But instead of shouting and cursing at Xia Yongzhi, he nodded and turned to Liu Xing.

As their eyes met, Liu Xing clasped his hands and bowed his head.

"Who are you?" the Grand Elder asked.

"My name is Liu Xing from Purple Moon Sect."

"A disciple from a great sect. What are you doing in my territory?"

Liu Xing inhaled deeply to calm his heart. While this old man looked frail, his presence was heavy. Liu Xing could feel the huge amount of qi he carried, and it felt like seeing an ancient ocean. This old man was practically filled with power.

Liu Xing had no doubt that this old man was at the pinnacle of the Core Splitting realm. If he flicked his hand, a strong gust of wind would blow away everything in its path. With the fox, Liu Xing still had confidence to defeat it, but the thought of fighting this old man was unfathomable. Liu Xing felt like an ant in front of an elephant.

After calming down, Liu Xing answered the questions. "I came here with Xia Yongzhi to investigate the place where his son and brother were killed. I think the same thing that killed them also killed my friend's grandson."

The grand elder stared at Liu Xing. His wrinkled skin looked like a dead tree, but Liu Xing had no doubt he could still live for many years.

"Tell me everything you know," the grand elder said, his eyes locked on Liu Xing. His black eyes looked peaceful, like a still pond. Yet Liu Xing sensed a hint of madness there, as if that dark water could swallow him whole. The air around Liu Xing felt heavy, cold, and suffocating. Sweat began to form on his back.

"Speak," the grand elder commanded.

"Y-yes."