"White Feather Gang?"

"Are you sure?"

Hearing this name, Lin Qi was momentarily stunned.

Just past midnight yesterday, Wu Zhuoqun contacted him on behalf of the top echelon of the Human Race to inform and congratulate him on becoming the fifth vice city lord of Chasing Light City. Thus, he asked the top echelon to investigate which force was behind the assassination attempt.

After all, being targeted by a powerful force capable of hiring the Red Moon Commerce, if not taken seriously, he might not even know how he died.

Moreover, the most crucial point was that only by uncovering the behind-the-scenes force could he solve this conspiring force, otherwise, he would continuously be at the receiving end with no chance to strike back.

The Human Race had always been present since the creation of Chasing Light City. Even though it had declined over the years, its information network in Chasing Light City was much faster than that of an ordinary big force, drastically quicker than if he were to investigate alone.

However, this result truly exceeded his expectations.

In his memory, the White Feather Gang was just an outdoor gang in Chasing Light City. Although it rapidly rose later, climbing high among the wild gangs and once even attempting to suppress the Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, after he became a martial artist, the White Feather Gang was long forgotten.

It was hard to imagine that a gang established just on the outskirts could afford to hire the Red Moon Commerce; even if he sold the current Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, he definitely couldn't gather the funds.

"This can be confirmed." Wu Zhuoqun nodded, taking out a memory chip to hand to Lin Qi, saying, "All the evidence is inside here."

In fact, when they were investigating who hired the Red Moon Commerce, they also couldn't believe a gang just established on the outskirts could afford to enlist the Red Moon Commerce.

However, after multiple investigations and solid evidence, it was confirmed that there would be no falsehood. There were only a few places that had a grudge with the Black Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, and it's difficult for the forces in Chasing Light City like the Ape Race or Feather Race, or even the Three-Eyed Race and Half-Scale Race, to muster such financial power.

With that many energy crystal stones, it'd be better to handle it personally.

At the end of the investigation, only one remained that had been ruled out from the start: the White Feather Gang.

It was astonishing what investigation revealed about the White Feather Gang. Since establishing in the outskirts, it had unimaginable riches, with various martial artist resources that even the families in the city would envy, and all these resources were delivered into White Feather Gang's hands through the Red Moon Commerce's channels.

Although the Red Moon Commerce operated discreetly, no force in Chasing Light City could escape the City Defense Corps' surveillance, but usually, they just turned a blind eye to it.

"Fifteen hundred energy crystal stones; Isaac truly has money," Lin Qi said, astonished looking at the evidence in the memory chip.

The image showed the Red Moon Commerce secretly handed Isaac fifteen hundred energy crystal stones, which Isaac clearly obtained from some transaction with the Red Moon Commerce.

"We suspect Isaac sold something to the Red Moon Commerce, and the fifteen hundred energy crystal stones were just the end payment," Wu Zhuoqun explained, "Likely a considerable portion was used to hire the Red Moon Commerce."

"With such ample evidence, arresting Isaac now shouldn't count as violating city rules, right?" After reviewing all the evidence, Lin Qi turned to Wu Zhuoqun questioningly.

"Naturally, Hall Master Lin, as the victim, has every right to deal with him. None of the major cities would intervene," Wu Zhuoqun nodded, but his expression turned somewhat awkward as he said, "However, Isaac fled from Chasing Light City immediately upon learning of the assassination failure."

Lin Qi wasn't surprised by this and asked again, "Do you know where he went?"

The assassin's failure would certainly be known to the Red Moon Commerce first and naturally communicated to the client. Knowing his capabilities as a vice city lord level master meant Isaac understood Chasing Light City wasn't safe anymore, especially with the manpower and resources he could now summon — previously incomparable in scope.

Finding the mastermind within Chasing Light City was merely a matter of time.

"Yes," Wu Zhuoqun said, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Moreover, we sent someone to capture Isaac immediately, but Isaac moved faster, and he's now under the protection of the Smiling Skull. A captor was even killed by the Smiling Skull, sending word that matters end here — Isaac is now one of the Smiling Skull's people."

"Smiling Skull? What force is this that dares to kill a City Defense Corps member executing missions in Chasing Light City?" Lin Qi said, face full of confusion. "Isn't the Smiling Skull afraid of Chasing Light City's retaliation?"

Any city's dispatched Defense Corps member represents a city's will, especially for someone like Isaac who openly violated city law, yet even during capture, the killer was intercepted and executed. That certainly slapped Chasing Light City squarely in the face, and Chasing Light would be insane not to retaliate.

And a city's retaliation is not to be trifled with, as other cities could also suffer heavy costs.

"The Smiling Skull is one of the three great forces not to be provoked in our Wu Mountain Region, alongside Domain City and the Red Moon Commerce," Wu Zhuoqun explained seeing Lin Qi's bewilderment, "However, not many know of the name because they never operate within the city range of major cities in the Wu Mountain Region, instead always entrenched in the Wraith Mountain Range."

"The Wraith Mountain Range is a monster's lair. Even someone as strong as the city lord risks falling there, yet the Smiling Skull can come and go freely and even trade items over from the Flowing Light Region on the opposite side of the Wraith Mountain Range. Rumor has it some of Red Moon Commerce's supply routes come from the Smiling Skull."

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