680 “The Black Hand”_3 680 “The Black Hand”_3 “Again with the fishing nets and the Formation…”
“I was careless for just a moment and got caught in the net, pulled ashore, then dragged into the woods and surrounded by those several stinky brats…”
“It’s not that I was negligent, but that their actions were too meticulous.”
Crossing River Dragon said, “I guess, they must have someone behind them, hiding in the shadows, secretly scheming, sinister and despicable, experienced in cunning tricks…”
“Enough!” Mr. Jin said disdainfully, “You’ve slipped up, just admit it. Don’t make excuses for yourself; it’s not your first day out in the world.”
Mr. Jin’s face darkened, “You’ve really messed things up, do you think the ‘Masters’ will listen to your explanations?”
Mo Hua paused.
Masters…?
Why are there Masters?
And not just one, but Masters?
This Mr. Jin, is he not the real Master?
Hearing the word “Masters,” Crossing River Dragon indeed turned pale and his eyes filled with terror.
“It’s… it’s my fault for being careless, for a moment I fell for those little bastards’ trick, nearly ruining the Masters’ plans.”
“I am so foolish…”
Crossing River Dragon said with sincere trepidation.
Mr. Jin then nodded with satisfaction, but a moment later he frowned again, “How did those Sect brats find you?”
Crossing River Dragon had a bitter expression, “I don’t know…”
He practiced the White Wave Skill, and usually moved freely in the water, stirring the wind and waves, with unrestrained power.
Unexpectedly today, out of nowhere, he got tracked, fell into an ambush, and was forcibly dragged from the river to the shore.
Crossing River Dragon recalled the incident carefully, feeling a sinking feeling in his heart, “Could it be… someone has their eye on me?”
Mr. Jin also looked displeased, but after pondering for a moment, he still shook his head,
“It doesn’t seem likely…”
“If someone really had their eye on you, they wouldn’t send a few brats to catch you.”
“It’s more likely they took on a Sect’s rewards to earn some Merit Points… But to be able to catch you, these brats do have some ability.”
Mr. Jin sneered, then looked at Crossing River Dragon indifferently, scolding,
“I told you to act discreetly. It was just a killing, yet you were sloppy, leaving behind traces that allowed the Taoist Court to uncover your involvement?”
“Otherwise, how could those Sect brats have gotten to you?”
Crossing River Dragon had no choice, “I didn’t intend for it to happen. I just wanted to drill a hole in their boat, drag those people into the water, and let the Water Demons eat them…”
“Unexpectedly, that Lin had a Water-Repelling Pearl on him, and the Water Demons couldn’t kill him. I had no choice but to use the Three Jiao Hooks to tear his throat, leaving behind evidence that the Taoist Court discovered…”
Mo Hua’s expression shifted.
Surname “Lin”?
Among those six, was the dead family’s young master surnamed “Lin”?
Mo Hua quietly noted this surname and continued to listen to Mr. Jin saying,
“The situation has been tense recently. I will send you into the Taoist Prison later. You ‘die’ there, the Taoist Court will close the case on their side, seal your dossier, and once things cool down, you change your appearance and name to keep working for the ‘Master’…”
Crossing River Dragon said: “Thank you, Mr. Jin, it’s just…”
Mr. Jin said in a deep voice, “Speak.”
Crossing River Dragon lowered his voice with an anxious look,
“Why has the situation… become so adverse recently?”
“Those brothers who swore blood oaths, one by one, either getting caught, killed, or scattering like bereaved dogs, not daring to show their faces…”
“Those who are still breathing and can mix in the world can be counted on one hand…”
“Even ‘Venerable’… just a step away from the Golden Core, with terrifying powers, even he…”
Crossing River Dragon’s eyes showed terror, and he trembled uncontrollably.
Mr. Jin’s expression turned solemn, and his eyes glinted sharply,
“Mr. Tu speculates that we have been plotted against…”
“For so many years, there have never been any mishaps or leaks, but in just over a year, those who pledged have fallen by more than half…”
“…all because of sloppiness, leaving behind clues, being targeted by the Taoist Court, who then issued missions, and Sect Disciples took on the tasks in exchange for Merit Points.”
“What’s more peculiar, the ones issuing the rewards in this process are from the Taoist Court, and those taking the rewards are ordinary Sect Disciples, who might not know anything about it at all.”
“There are no apparent loopholes on the surface.”
Mr. Jin’s tone was slightly cold,
“Therefore, I guess… there must be one invisible, gigantic ‘black hand’ secretly manipulating all this…”