Chapter 3222: Tribe Members Attacked

On Qinglian Island, within a secluded manor, Wang Moshan, Wang Yongping, and Wang Moxin chatted idly in a blue stone pavilion. Wang Yihong had gone to the Qingli Sea and had not yet returned.

Wang Yongping, a deputy head of the Commerce Hall, is currently in the Mid-Stage Void Refinement realm. Her primary responsibility is managing the sale of the family's puppet beasts. Wang Rumi also advanced to the Void Refinement realm and was promoted to deputy head of the Commerce Hall due to her contributions, overseeing the family's inland business. Wang Yixin is another deputy head of the Commerce Hall, responsible for the family's overseas business. These three assist Wang Moxin in managing the family's overall business.

"Yongping, the head of the Commerce Hall in the Qingli Sea has died. When the Han Family's inter-realm treasure ship arrives, you will lead a team to the Qingli Sea. As you'll be managing the family's business there, who do you recommend to take over your current position?" Wang Moshan asked slowly.

The Wang family's marriage alliance with the Li family of Jinyi Island served as a prelude to expanding their family's strength. Forces like the Xuanqing Sect already had significant personnel in the Qingli Sea, mainly for collecting cultivation resources. With the Wang family's current strength, they were also qualified to extend their reach into the Qingli Sea. For example, Void Refinement materials like Heavenly Sound Sand and Styx Water were rarely seen on Xuanling Continent.

Wang Dushan had long ago dispatched Wang Yiwen with a team to the Qingli Sea to collect cultivation resources, primarily to inquire about Styx Water. Wang Yiwen, a deputy head of the Commerce Hall in the Early-Stage Void Refinement realm, had his life soul lamp extinguish not long ago. The family member guarding it immediately informed Wang Moshan. Wang Moshan naturally needed to find a second candidate to go to the Qingli Sea and take over Wang Yiwen's position, managing the family's business there.

"Let Shen Feng take over my position. She has good capabilities; she'd have no problem replacing me," Wang Yongping replied after a moment of thought.

Wang Moshan nodded and said, "It will be at least five hundred years before the Han Family's inter-realm treasure ship arrives. Cultivate a few more family members and choose the most outstanding one to replace you."

Wang Yongping agreed. Remembering something, she asked, "What happened to Ancestor Yiwen? Why was he suddenly killed?"

"I don't know! Chuanming happens to be in the Qingli Sea; he should be able to find out." Wang Moshan was also unclear about the cause of Wang Yiwen's death. The Qingli Sea was too far from the Wang family. It was said that only an eighth-tier communication array could establish contact, and the Wang family couldn't set one up. There was one eighth-tier communication array on Xuanling Continent and another in the Qingli Sea. Those two arrays were set up with the help of the Ye Family's eighth-tier formation masters. They were not to be used lightly unless humanity faced a life-or-death crisis, as activating them required a rare material. The Northern Cold Icefield was too far from both the Qingli Sea and Xuanling Continent. In case of a clan-extermination disaster, the Ye Family's reach would be insufficient. The Ye Family's eighth-tier formation masters specifically set up the eighth-tier communication arrays to strengthen the connection between the Qingli Sea and Xuanling Continent. The inter-realm treasure ships served a greater purpose of transporting troops for easier support. With a Void Refinement realm family member killed, Wang Chuanming would definitely investigate thoroughly.

Wang Moshan took out a blue communication plate, struck it with a magic seal, and his face lit up with joy. He instructed, "Yongping, go back and prepare. Assemble capable personnel; get ready to depart for the Qingli Sea."

"The Han Family's inter-realm treasure ship is here? That fast?" Wang Yongping asked, bewildered. This was too quick!

"No, you'll know when the time comes. Just go back and prepare first!" Wang Moshan instructed. This news was relayed to him by Wang Qingcheng. Xuanqingzi had refined the Xuanqing-hao and was preparing to go to the Qingli Sea. Zhenhai Palace would send people to join the voyage. Chen Yueying had already informed them that the Wang family could send people along, but this matter was a top secret and could not be leaked.

"Yes, Patriarch," Wang Yongping and Wang Moxin replied, stood up, and left.

***

On Seven Stars Island in the Qingli Sea, within a vast manor, Wang Chuanming sat in a blue stone pavilion, his gaze gloomy. Wang Yongxin was reporting to him, his brows tightly furrowed. Wang Yiwen and dozens of other family members from the Commerce Hall had gone out and not returned. Wang Yiwen's spiritual attachment jade token, left with other family members, had also shattered.

The life soul lamps of high-level Wang family cultivators were all on Qinglian Island. Family members undertaking dangerous missions elsewhere would entrust a spiritual attachment jade token to another trusted family member. Should anything happen to them, the family member would know immediately. The spiritual attachment jade token was a high-grade jade token. A cultivator would attach a wisp of their sub-soul to it. If the cultivator died within one billion li, the jade token would shatter. Beyond that distance, it was ineffective. As a deputy head of the Commerce Hall, Wang Yiwen had left a spiritual attachment jade token with a trusted subordinate in the market before departing on his mission. In less than seven days, the jade token shattered. The subordinate immediately reported it, and the news eventually reached Wang Chuanming. If this were on Xuanling Continent, the Enforcement Hall would handle the death of a family member. However, here in the Qingli Sea, besides gathering intelligence, the Covert Hall was also responsible for investigating cases of family members being killed.

"Where did they depart from? Where were they going? How many people in total? How many knew the route? Did they offend anyone or any force?" Wang Chuanming posed several questions.

"They were in the Jinfeng Archipelago, a total of thirty-seven people, escorting a batch of supplies to the Jinquan Archipelago. To save time, they intended to travel to Jingu Island and take a teleportation array to the Jinquan Archipelago," Wang Yongxin reported. "According to our family members on Jingu Island, they did not see Ancestor Yiwen or his group. As for the specific route, only Ancestor Yiwen likely knew it. Whether they offended anyone or any force, we are currently unsure and are investigating."

"Send more people; investigate this for me. I want to see them alive or their bodies if they're dead. I refuse to believe that out of thirty-seven people, not a single one survived. Commerce Hall family members traveling externally must carry valuable treasures. Even if they encountered a powerful enemy, they should have been able to send out a distress signal," Wang Chuanming said in a deep voice. This was the first major case he handled since arriving in the Qingli Sea, and it represented the Wang family's largest loss in the region. With thirty-seven family members missing, he had to get to the bottom of it. If they were targeted by a certain force or high-level cultivator, it would help them strengthen their defenses.

"Yes, Ancestor Chuanming, I will personally go to the Jinfeng Archipelago to investigate," Wang Yongxin agreed.

"I recall the Seven Radiance Gate is in the Jinquan Archipelago, right? Any news on True Monarch Jinhong?" Wang Chuanming continued to ask. Wang Ruyan had warned him to be cautious of the Seven Radiance Gate, especially True Monarch Jinhong.

"Yes, True Monarch Jinhong hasn't been heard from for over a thousand years. Perhaps he's in secluded cultivation," Wang Yongxin speculated. It was not unusual for cultivators at the Integration stage to enter seclusion for ten thousand years. True Monarch Jinhong's last public appearance was over two thousand years ago.

"Focus your investigation on the Seven Radiance Gate. Be careful not to give them any leverage," Wang Chuanming cautioned.

Wang Yongxin acknowledged and turned to leave.

"Seven Radiance Gate! True Monarch Jinhong! I hope I'm overthinking this," Wang Chuanming muttered to himself, his expression grave. If it truly was the Seven Radiance Gate behind this, he wouldn't be able to resolve it alone and would have to report to the family.