Chapter 141: Dense Fog

As Wang Changsheng recounted the events, two words instinctively came to most people's minds: the Lin family.

"Could the Lin family be behind this? But that doesn't quite add up! You've only been back for a few days; would the Lin family target us so quickly? Besides, Changyu is only at the Qi Refining stage with ordinary talent, what benefit would they gain from killing her? Could it have been Li Qiwen, staging a heroic rescue?"

Wang Changsheng shook his head and analyzed, "It's unlikely the Lin family did it. Seventh Sister is only at the Qi Refining stage and doesn't know how to craft puppet beasts, so her death serves no purpose. And it certainly wasn't Li Qiwen; he would have died if I hadn't intervened. The attackers confessed they were instructed to kill Seventh Sister and leave Li Qiwen alive. The mastermind wanted to send a message: someone is targeting our Wang family. Furthermore, they must have been tracking Seventh Sister and Li Qiwen for some time, suggesting the culprits might know them and were aware of their plans to go out today."

"That's a possibility. Someone targeting our Wang family would be very troublesome. In Changping County, the Chen family is our biggest rival, but they're currently cooperating with us. What benefit would they gain from killing Changyu? It doesn't make sense. I lean more towards the Lin family. This could be a warning to our Wang family, perhaps stemming from their fury over the high price of the second-tier puppet beast during Changsheng's time in the Ghost Abyss."

Wang Yaozong shook his head. "If I were the Lin family, I'd never do something so foolish," he said. "Based on their actions in the Ghost Abyss, the Lin family prefers to use others to achieve their goals. We have no direct conflict of interest with them; doing this would mean they're openly declaring war on us. What's more, Changyu's death wouldn't significantly affect our family. This incident occurred shortly after Changsheng returned from the Ghost Abyss, which makes me suspect it was someone local."

"In Changping County, the only family with a direct conflict of interest with ours is the Chen family. As for the Huang family, we have no conflicts whatsoever. Huang Haiming is over 180 years old; he's always been honest and straightforward, and he's nearing the end of his life. Half a month ago, he even visited, proposing a marriage alliance with our family. He has no reason to do something like this."

"No reason? That means Huang Haiming would be the least suspected. I think the Huang family might be behind this, intending to sow discord between our Wang and Chen families."

"Not necessarily. It could also be the Chen family, hoping to incite us against the Huang family and then align with them. Or it might be the Lin family, wanting to plunge Changping County into chaos so they can profit from the disarray."

Despite the brainstorming, everyone's suggestions held merit, leaving all three families—Huang, Chen, and Lin—under suspicion.

Wang Changsheng felt a throbbing headache. Without evidence, it was impossible to pinpoint the culprit. If he had been the target, it would be easier to analyze who stood to gain. However, since the victim was a minor figure like Wang Changyu, there was no obvious beneficiary. If the Wang family retaliated against the Huang family, the Chen family would benefit. If they targeted the Chen family, the Huang family would benefit. And if they took on both the Chen and Huang families, the Lin family would be the ultimate beneficiary.

Just then, Wang Mingzhi swiftly entered the room.

"Second Uncle, Changsheng, Third Brother, Huang Haiming and Chen Xianren are here. They're waiting in the main hall."

Wang Yaozong frowned. "Why are they here?" he asked. "Did they say anything?"

"They didn't say, but their expressions were grim. They mentioned having an urgent matter and specifically asked to see Second Uncle and Changsheng."

"Since they're here, we should meet them and try to gauge their intentions."

Soon after, Wang Changsheng and Wang Yaozong entered the main hall.

Chen Xianren was speaking with a yellow-robed elder whose hair and beard were completely white.

The elder in the yellow robe was plump, with small eyes and a face full of wrinkles, giving him a kindly appearance.

Chen Changsheng and Huang Haiming had both entered the Ghost Abyss. Wang Changsheng had personally witnessed that all ten accompanying clansmen had died, and Chen Changsheng himself had been severely wounded.

Wang Yaozong cupped his hands to the two men and said courteously, "Fellow Daoist Huang, Fellow Daoist Chen, it's an honor to have you visit. How may we assist you?"

"Fellow Daoist Wang," Huang Haiming began, "my grandson has been murdered, and Fellow Daoist Chen's cousin has also been killed. What are your thoughts on this?"

Huang Haiming's gaze intently fixed on Wang Yaozong and Wang Changsheng, his eyes filled with suspicion.

Chen Xianren, too, scrutinized Wang Yaozong and Wang Changsheng, as if afraid to miss the slightest detail.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yaozong and Wang Changsheng's expressions shifted. They exchanged a bewildered glance.

"Fellow Daoist Huang, did I hear that correctly? Your grandson was murdered? And Fellow Daoist Chen's cousin too? Were they killed simultaneously?"

"Not exactly. My grandson disappeared over two months ago. He was supposed to visit his grandmother for her birthday, but she confirmed he never arrived. He wouldn't have gone anywhere else, so the only possibility is that something happened to him."

"My cousin also went out to visit relatives about half a month ago and was killed on his way back."

Chen Xianren's face remained grim, a hint of suspicion lingering in his eyes.

Wang Changsheng's brows furrowed. Members of both the Chen and Huang families had been killed. This suggested they weren't the culprits behind Wang Changyu's attack. Could it truly be the Lin family, then? In Ningzhou, the Lin family was the only power capable of simultaneously targeting three cultivation families.

"To be frank with both of you, my granddaughter was just attacked by ruffians. Thankfully, she's unharmed, and the attackers were killed during the skirmish. It's truly unexpected that unfortunate events have also befallen members of your families. This suggests that someone is indeed targeting all three of our families."

Hearing this, both Huang Haiming and Chen Xianren frowned deeply.

From Wang Yaozong and Wang Changsheng's immediate reactions, their distress seemed genuine.

Could it truly be that someone is targeting all three families? In Ningzhou, the only force with such power is the Lin family, but there's no discernible motive! Why would the Lin family suddenly turn on them? It simply doesn't add up. Families from neighboring prefectures, with whom they have ties, also have no reason to act this way. Could it be the work of evil cultivators?

While it's not uncommon for evil cultivators to kill for treasures, simultaneously attacking members of three cultivation families would be incredibly foolish.

The four men debated for several hours, yet failed to reach any conclusion, remaining suspicious of one another.

Before leaving, Huang Haiming proposed marrying his granddaughter to Wang Changsheng, but Wang Changsheng politely declined. Huang Haiming then suggested a compromise: his granddaughter marrying Wang Changhui. After a moment of hesitation, Wang Yaozong agreed.

In such troubled times, an additional ally was certainly welcome.

A month later, Wang Changhui married Huang Ruoyun, with Huang Haiming providing a shop as dowry. This marriage helped alleviate the sorrow on the faces of the Wang family members.

Less than a month after Huang Ruoyun's marriage to Wang Changhui, her elder sister, Huang Ruohui, married Chen Xianren, for whom Huang Haiming provided two shops as dowry.

With little lifespan remaining and as the sole Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Huang family, Huang Haiming married his two granddaughters to Wang Changhui and Chen Xianren, respectively. In these turbulent times, this strategic move secured the family's safety through these new marital alliances, ensuring the Huang family's temporary peace of mind.

To the great relief of all three families, no further casualties occurred among their members in the ensuing months.