Chong Xuan Xin followed Jiang Wang away, his steps hesitant, his gaze darting about, as if fearing yet another mishap. After all, witnessing an Outer Building realm expert meet such a terrifying end right before his eyes was enough to send shivers down his spine. He knew, with chilling certainty, that if the one who forced Wu Yi Yu’s “suicide” had been present, even Jiang Wang would have been powerless to protect him.

In stark contrast to Chong Xuan Xin’s trepidation, Lin You Xie, a cultivator of the same realm, showed not a flicker of fear. Jiang Wang and Chong Xuan Xin had already departed, yet she remained in the courtyard for a while, then quietly knelt. From her waist pouch, she drew forth a pair of translucent gloves of unknown material and carefully donned them before meticulously examining Wu Yi Yu’s corpse. From his hair to his seven orifices, even his spatial ring—nothing escaped her scrutiny.

The scripture of the *Du’e Golden Needle* lay casually by her side, untouched. It wasn’t that she held it in utter disdain. As a sect under Qi’s jurisdiction, Golden Needle Gate enjoyed the protection of the Qi Law. A Green Card Head Hunter was obligated to apprehend Wu Yi Yu, but they held no authority to peruse the secret scriptures of the Golden Needle Gate.

“Found anything?” An aged voice sounded from behind her.

Appearing in the courtyard was a spirited old man with flowing white hair. Within the shoulder-length expanse of white, two strands of black hair, remarkably symmetrical, framed his temples.

Lin You Xie didn’t turn her head, seemingly aware of his arrival beforehand. Having concluded her careful examination, she removed the gloves and returned them to her waist pouch. The small cloth bag, appearing to be a miniature spatial storage, showed no signs of bulge regardless of what was placed within. Such storage tools were exceedingly rare in this era.

Her ten fingers, unlike the soft, delicate hands of ordinary maidens, possessed an unnatural cleanliness, an almost sterile paleness. It was as if she washed her hands a hundred times a day.

With parallel index fingers, she lightly brushed across her eyes, and her vision immediately cleared, a hidden brilliance flickering within her gaze. Only then did she fix her stare upon Wu Yi Yu’s eyes, still wide open in death.

For a long time.

Finally, Lin You Xie closed her eyes and murmured, “Is it the power of a curse technique? Yin Guan?”

The old man neither affirmed nor denied. “And what else?”

Lin You Xie opened her eyes, pondered for a moment, and let out a soft sigh. “Old Wu, I cannot discern anything more.”

“It is normal that you cannot,” the old man’s voice was light and gentle, yet he showed no inclination to reveal the answer to Lin You Xie. He merely continued, “Though Yue Leng has been worn down by the unambitious younger generations within his family and lacks the sharpness of yesteryears, he is by no means muddled. For Yin Guan to break through to the Divine Arrival realm under his pressure is sufficient proof of his terrifying ability.”

“Yin Guan’s talent is indeed terrifying, but his fight is not the responsibility of the Green Cards,” Lin You Xie said softly. “Let Chong Xuan Zun and Jiang Wang worry about such matters.”

“Do you believe Jiang Qing Yang can be compared to Chong Xuan Zun?” the old man asked.

“Not yet,” Lin You Xie replied. “But Jiang Wang is, after all, much younger.”

“Age, realm, disposition, timing, these can all serve as excuses,” the old man stated. “But before life and death, they hold no meaning. Each generation has its own destiny. Sometimes being born a little earlier is simply an advantage.”

Lin You Xie smiled. “I am not defending the Jiang surname. Whether he can compare to Chong Xuan Zun or not is unrelated to me. Furthermore, for me, a mere cultivator of the Teng Long realm, to comment on these heavenly prodigies is indeed a bit presumptuous.”

The old man, however, did not smile. “Do you already have an answer?”

“Yes,” Lin You Xie’s demeanor also turned serious. “I can now confirm that Jiang Qing Yang is unrelated to that case of years past, and his purpose in coming to the Qi Country is quite simple. His initial acquaintance with Chong Xuan Sheng, I surmise, is due to the Tai Xu Illusion Realm.”

“However, he is absolutely acquainted with Yin Guan. There is some matter to discuss here.”

Having said this, she added, “But he claims to be a good person, and for the time being, I accept that.”

The old man didn’t ask how she had reached her conclusion, seemingly possessing considerable confidence in this young woman. He simply asked, “Then, what do you plan to do next?”

Only then did Lin You Xie stand up, her gaze sweeping across the sky, blue and clear as if washed, her eyes exceptionally bright. “The small mouse has turned its head back to hunt. First, I shall seek out the large old mouse that is hidden.”

The old man nodded and, with a turn of his heel, vanished. Only one sentence, floating in the courtyard, remained: “Wu Yi Yu’s remains and belongings will be collected by someone shortly.”

Lin You Xie departed without any lingering attachment, only, as she stepped out of the courtyard, she let out a soft chuckle. “Lord Jiang, I am truly very curious as to what you will do. The task you wish to accomplish… may be much more difficult than catching mice.”

Her laughter, light and fleeting, scattered away, barely heard by anyone, carried away by the sea wind.

If Jiang Wang were to know the identity of this old man, and that he had been nearby all along, he would undoubtedly feel a profound sense of fortune for not having harbored any murderous intent towards Lin You Xie.

This man was named Wu Lie. Many years ago, he was spoken of in the same breath as Lin Kuang. They were once hailed as the Blue Card Twin Prodigies, people saying “South Wu Lie, North Lin Kuang,” both renowned and world-shaking divine constables. Later, Lin Kuang perished in a shockingly significant case. Not long after, Wu Lie also resigned from his official post. Several years after that, only Yue Leng achieved the title of Catch God. One could say that this person’s qualifications far surpassed Yue Leng’s.

And Lin You Xie was none other than the direct granddaughter of Lin Kuang.

However, Jiang Wang knew nothing of this. Even when Wu Yi Yu spoke Lin Kuang’s name, he didn’t know who that was. Not only him, but even Chong Xuan Xin was ignorant. Perhaps from Wu Yi Yu’s tone, they vaguely knew it was someone of past glory, nothing more. After all, when those events transpired, they were not yet born.

Yet, Jiang Wang, who knew nothing, did nothing amiss. Even in his moments of difficulty, he maintained a certain decorum. Compared to his confrontation with Lin You Xie, it was more a form of helplessness.

Finally shaking off this major trouble that was Lin You Xie, Jiang Wang was able to calm his heart and seriously review this journey.

“Ah Xin,” Jiang Wang’s voice called out. “From here to Small Crescent Moon, how far is it roughly?”

Small Crescent Moon Island was situated in the central part of the nearby archipelago, directly opposite Embrace Island, which bore the name Crescent Moon Island. It was also a small island shaped like a crescent moon, only its curve faced the opposite direction of Embrace Island, and its area was much smaller, hence the name “Small Crescent Moon.”

Xu Xiang Qian and Li Long Chuan should both be there currently—having fought with Yang Liu Gan, a true disciple of Fish Sea Tower, they naturally couldn’t continue to suffer intimidation in Fish Sea Tower’s territory. Therefore, Xu Xiang Qian had withdrawn from Embrace Island early on.

But then again, as long as one was within the nearby archipelago, except for a few places like Decision Ming Island and Yang Valley, where else could one completely escape the influence of Fish Sea Tower?

If Xu Xiang Qian and Li Long Chuan were at Small Crescent Moon, Yan Fu should also have gone there. After all, Young Master Yan’s trip to the sea was merely to find friends and relax.

“You cannot fly randomly within the nearby archipelago. You can only take ships along fixed routes. Even taking the shortest route will likely take a day. If you get a pass, flying directly is very fast. Do you need me to get you one?”

Chong Xuan Xin’s inner panic had not entirely subsided, but when speaking of the situation in the nearby archipelago, he was quite familiar. He had been stationed on Wu Dong Island for so long, after all, he hadn’t been eating dried rice.

Jiang Wang pondered for a moment. “You can get a pass, to be prepared for unexpected circumstances. Give me another copy of the map. I’ll find my way there myself. After all, this trip has other matters, and bringing you, a young master of the Chong Xuan family, might be a bit conspicuous.”

“Heh, good.” Chong Xuan Xin also wasn’t intent on following. Wu Yi Yu’s death had truly left him with a sense of panic. An Outer Building realm expert, gone just like that. Following Brother Jiang really wasn’t as safe as he thought.

“Just leave these matters to me. Brother Jiang, if you have any other matters in the future, feel free to send a letter. I will prepare people and await your arrival at Wu Dong Island!” He patted his chest and declared.