Chapter 379: Chapter 378- A Cause for Alarm It was a major cause for concern that everyone present had overlooked, including Grey himself. However, he could understand why it had happened.
Each of them possessed respectable strength and held the position of Captain within their respective divisions. With such status came a quiet confidence—a belief that very few people in the city would dare provoke them.
After all, the Detective Agency was not an organization that anyone wished to offend.
Every one of its members carried a baleful aura and possessed a ruthless side that revealed itself whenever they handled dangerous criminals or complicated investigations. They had built their reputation through countless bloody missions, and that reputation alone was enough to intimidate most people.
Grey belonged to that group as well.
However, his naturally aloof personality and constant indifference often concealed just how ruthless he could be whenever a situation demanded it. Those who did not know him well would easily mistake his silence for passiveness, when in reality, he simply preferred letting his actions speak instead of wasting words.
After Violet pointed out the obvious flaw in their thinking, everyone wore slightly embarrassed expressions.
Even so, the seriousness in their eyes never disappeared.
After all, someone had truly been murdered here.
That fact alone could not be ignored.
"So... what do we do now?" one of the five Captains asked in a low voice.
He was a Sequence One cultivator who specialized almost entirely in direct combat. His name was Noren Sui, and among the Captains, his offensive strength ranked near the very top.
Violet nodded after hearing his question.
She remained silent for several seconds, organizing her thoughts before finally speaking.
"Let’s continue investigating the area before calling a cleanup crew," she began calmly.
"If we summon our members immediately, we have no guarantee that the danger has already passed. Whoever committed this murder could still be hiding somewhere nearby."
Her gaze slowly swept across everyone present.
"So it’s better if we thoroughly inspect the surroundings first. Once we’re certain the area is secure, we’ll personally accompany the cleanup crew while they recover the bodies and preserve the crime scene."
As soon as those words left her mouth, everyone nodded in agreement.
It truly was the safest course of action.
None of them knew who was responsible for these murders, nor did they understand the killer’s motives.
The last thing they wanted was to lose even more members because of a careless decision.
Although Violet was the only female Captain among them, none of the others looked down on her.
Instead, they treated her as an equal.
Grey understood that things had not always been this way.
She must have earned their trust through countless missions where she repeatedly demonstrated extraordinary judgment, sharp analytical skills, and an almost frightening ability to solve problems under immense pressure.
Her reputation had not been built through strength alone.
It had been built through results.
Had another Captain been leading this investigation, they probably would have summoned the cleanup crew the moment they arrived at the crime scene.
Doing so could very well have sent innocent investigators straight into an unseen trap.
Fortunately, Violet had considered that possibility first.
Without realizing it, she may have already saved several of their members’ lives.
"Since this murder happened within the last twenty-four hours," Violet continued, "there should still be traces leading back to the killer."
She glanced toward the dark streets stretching beyond the alley.
"The clues might not necessarily be here at the crime scene anymore."
"But I’m certain they still exist somewhere within the Market District."
Silence descended once more.
Everyone lowered their heads in thought.
Finally, one of the Captains broke the silence.
"Alright... but where exactly do we begin?"
His question echoed everyone’s thoughts.
Searching the entire Market District from end to end was practically impossible.
The district covered far too much ground.
Even with all of them working together, they simply didn’t have enough time.
In only a few more hours, the first rays of sunlight would appear over the horizon.
By then, merchants would begin opening their shops, workers would flood the streets, and countless residents would pour into the district to start their daily routines.
Once that happened, any remaining footprints, scents, disturbed objects, or subtle traces left behind by the murderer could easily disappear beneath the activity of thousands of ordinary people.
Their best opportunity to uncover meaningful clues existed right now.
Before sunrise.
Before the city awakened.