Chapter 322: Coincidental Timing

How could a small Zhai of two or three hundred people possibly have the capability to do this? It's highly likely that some powerful force is backing them up.

"Old Qiu, do you think we should set off now and go take a look at the Lu Family Stockade? We might be able to find some clues." Dai Shiyun's tone revealed a hint of excitement; he felt this might be a good opportunity to earn some merit.

To be honest, they didn't have much to worry about regarding Wang Dezhi's death; after all, this matter had no direct connection to them.

But if they could report this matter to Lord Wang, they might even be able to scrape together some credit.

Of course, if they could find the murderer, that would be even better.

"Old Dai, I'm afraid this matter isn't as simple as we imagine." Qiu Liang took a deep breath, his expression becoming incomparably grave.

"What do you mean?" Dai Shiyun was stunned, looking at Qiu Liang with some confusion.

This matter was already very complicated, which was why they needed to go to the scene to investigate; what did Qiu Liang mean by that?

"Old Dai, do you remember that yesterday morning, Lord Wang took a group of his Pulse Refining Realm Martial Artists and left the city early?"

"I remember, everyone in Yongan City knows about that, so what?" Dai Shiyun answered directly without even thinking.

"Don't you think the timing is too coincidental?"

"!!!" Dai Shiyun stood frozen on the spot, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

That's right, the timing really did seem too coincidental, didn't it? Zhou Chengsong took people to bomb the Lu Family Stockade yesterday morning, and Lord Wang took his Awakened subordinates and rushed out of Yongan City in a hurry, also yesterday morning.

Could it be that these two groups went to the same place? It wasn't impossible.

After all, Zhou Chengsong could have completely called Lord Wang to inform him of this; given their relationship, he definitely would have notified him—it was just a matter of when.

"It seems you've thought of it too." Qiu Liang took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, "Zhou Chengsong took people over there and hasn't returned yet, and their weapons and equipment are all gone; clearly, they are in grave danger. And as for Lord Wang, it seems he hasn't returned yet either, right?"

Upon hearing this, Dai Shiyun's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He swallowed hard, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of terror: "Old Qiu, do you mean that even Lord Wang has...?"

Qiu Liang shook his head and said, "I'm not sure either. Perhaps I'm overthinking it; maybe Lord Wang returned to Yongan City long ago, and we just don't know about it."

"But his brother's corpse is still lying here, isn't it?" Dai Shiyun was full of confusion and couldn't figure it out. "If Lord Wang had returned to Yongan City long ago, he definitely wouldn't know that his brother had met with an accident. Otherwise, he certainly would have sent people to bring the body back already."

Qiu Liang didn't speak, because he had thought of the most terrifying possibility.

That was that Lord Wang had likely also gone to the Lu Family Stockade and then met with misfortune along with Zhou Chengsong and the others.

If that were truly the case, then the waters here were far too deep, far beyond what a mere Martial Artist of the External Strength could get involved in.

"Old Dai, let's not go to the Lu Family Stockade." Qiu Liang said with a serious face, "It's best we tell Sheng Yuan about this immediately and let him notify those above. If Lord Wang has really met with an accident too, I'm afraid only the City Lord himself can resolve this big trouble."

"The, the City Lord." Upon hearing this title, Dai Shiyun's breathing hitched. Was this matter really so serious that it required the City Lord to step in?

"Okay, okay." Although Dai Shiyun was shocked, his hands were quick; he hurriedly took out his phone, found Sheng Yuan's contact number, and dialed it.

"Beep, beep, beep..." A busy signal came from the phone. Time ticked away second by second until, after one minute, the call hung up automatically.

"No one answered?" Qiu Liang said in surprise.

"I'll call again." Dai Shiyun refused to believe it and dialed again. However, there was still no answer.

"What is going on?" Dai Shiyun was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth on the spot.

He called two more times in a row, but still, no one answered.

"Forget it, stop calling." Qiu Liang frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Let's go back directly and tell him about what happened here in person."

"Ah?" Dai Shiyun was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

That was right; such a major matter really couldn't be explained clearly in a few words, and face-to-face communication was the best way.

"What about the corpse?"

"Leave it for now. Just in case, bring that old man along too. When we see Sheng Yuan or the people above, let him explain it to them in detail."

"Mm." Dai Shiyun hurriedly agreed.

The two then walked out. Yang Degang opened his mouth, just about to say something, when he was interrupted by Dai Shiyun: "Our boss wants to see you; you're coming with us."

Yang Degang was stunned, and having no other choice, he could only smile bitterly and agree.

The three of them got into an off-road vehicle, and the car drove straight out of the city gate like an arrow released from a bow, speeding toward Yongan City.

The interior of the car was depressingly quiet; apart from the slightly hurried breathing of the three, there wasn't a single other sound.

Because they all knew in their hearts that an unprecedented storm was about to arrive.

In the villa, Lu Yu was focused intently on the skill bar listed on the panel.

At this moment, the status of the 【Sun-Shooting Arrow】 was displayed as 【Not Even a Clue】.

With a thought, he added one point of Experience Value without hesitation.

In an instant, the proficiency jumped like a changing number, increasing by one-eightieth all at once.

"It actually requires eighty points of Experience Value."

Lu Yu nodded inwardly, unable to help but feel a bit more anticipation for the power of this arrow technique.

After all, before his 【Basic Archery】 had reached its current height, it had only cost forty points of Experience Value to raise the 【Cloud-Piercing Arrow Technique】 to the Entry realm.

Yet the Experience Value required for the 【Sun-Shooting Arrow】 was twice that amount.

Immediately following, Lu Yu added all his remaining Experience Value in one go.

Instantly, a faint, warm current, like an agile stream, flowed slowly along his arms.

"It seems this arrow technique also enhances the strength attribute." He pondered silently in his heart, his gaze focusing back on the skill bar.

At this moment, the skill bar had changed: 【Sun-Shooting Arrow: Initial Glimpse, Trait: Power of One Ox Level 1】.

And the description for 【Power of One Ox】 was: 【For every level the skill increases, the strength attribute permanently increases by 100 points】.

"A strength bonus of one thousand jin." Lu Yu muttered to himself.

Compared to the "Ability to Carry a Tripod" trait of the 【Cloud-Piercing Arrow Technique】, the bonus was directly doubled.

Although 100 points of strength attribute might not seem like a large increase, if one could cultivate this arrow technique to Consummation, it would add an extra 500 points of strength attribute.

For Lu Yu, whose strength attribute already exceeded 10,000 points, this meant a 5% increase.

Although the percentage increase seemed limited, don't forget, this was merely a Vein Refining Realm martial art, and one focused on weaponry at that.

If this were replaced with a martial art of fists and kicks at the same level, once cultivated to the state of Consummation, the attribute increase might approach 10%. If one were to learn seven or eight such martial arts of fists and kicks, a single basic attribute could almost achieve a doubling in growth.

"Continue to upgrade." Lu Yu was full of enthusiasm and invested another 160 points of Experience Value.

This time, not only did his arms once again feel that familiar, faint warm current, but a flash of inspiration also seemed to pass through his mind.

【Sun-Shooting Arrow Technique: Minor Accomplishment, Traits: Strength of One Ox Level 2, Jian She Chang Kong Level 1】.

Among them, the introduction for 【Jian She Chang Kong】 is: 【Active Skill, after activation, consumes 3000 points of True Qi to increase the shooting range by onefold; for every level the Skill is upgraded, the True Qi consumption decreases by 10%.】