In Qiu Xiaopingâs words, thereâs some truth and some falsehood, nobody knows for sure, but at least face was given.
The crowd couldnât help but whisper among themselves, buzzing with speculation.
In an intangible way, the power of that unknown perpetrator seemed to have been elevated to an unimaginable level.
"Could it be the Ten Major Families..."
Someone guessed in a more terrifying direction, but their mouth was quickly covered by someone else.
Disaster stems from the mouth; whatever the situation, you can think it but must never speak it aloud.
Fa Hongbaoâs face also turned unsightly.
He knew Diao Deyiâs strength, profound and unfathomable, and this unknown Miss Qiu was equally unfathomable in power.
But now, a presence possibly more powerful than Miss Qiu, and thus more powerful than Diao Deyi, has emerged, eyeing the Forest Snake Gang like a hungry wolf...
Fa Hongbao was afraid.
But... how could that be? What virtue or ability does his Forest Snake Gang have to provoke such a terrifying enemy??
"Qiu, Lord Qiu..."
Qin Er spoke again.
"Your words enlightened me... If the gap in strength between the two isnât as exaggerated as we thought, then for the perpetrator to take down Master Tai so effortlessly and silently, thereâs only one possibility left."
Qin Er raised a finger: "That is, Master Tai and the perpetrator knew each other well, extremely well!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a flash of lightning seemed to pass through Fa Hongbaoâs mind, and he immediately thought of something.
"Hall Master! Where are the other three Hall Masters? Havenât they been summoned yet?"
Fa Hongbao shouted suddenly, his face livid.
The crowd looked at each other, they had sent the notification, but the Hall Masters were slow, and there was nothing they could do about it.
It canât be wrong!
Fa Hongbao clenched his trembling fist.
It canât be wrong! Itâs that person! Heâs back!
Tai Xuelin, he definitely killed him! Is this a show of strength against me?
Just as Fa Hongbao was inexplicably angry, Qiu Xiaoping, who was gradually getting interested, pointed out a problem.
"What about Hou Mo, the one responsible for patrolling? Why did he die? He was supposed to be patrolling outside, so why did he die in the Firewood Room?"
Indeed.
Why?
Although initial impressions might mislead, now one death and one disappearance, with Tai Xuelin dead at the door and the exaggerated bloodstains in the Firewood Room, it was naturally believed that Hou Mo died in the Firewood Room here.
But... why kill Hou Mo? Why kill in the Firewood Room?
Fa Hongbao was puzzled, and he started to doubt his earlier inference.
Could it be, this wasnât done by the true Gang Leader of the Forest Snake Gang, Fa Xiao?
"Disguise!"
Qin Er suddenly seemed to think of an answer and exclaimed excitedly.
"The perpetrator should have killed Hou Mo, who was responsible for patrolling, then disguised as him! For Hou Mo to be trusted with such an important security task, he must be one of Master Taiâs confidants, right? In that case, it all makes sense!"
"The perpetrator disguised as Hou Mo, and because Master Tai had no defenses against Hou Mo, he was ambushed and killed!"
It seems, it seems... to make sense??
Fa Hongbao was somewhat bewildered.
But he still didnât understand.
"So that person first infiltrated the Tai Mansion, killed Hou Mo in the Firewood Room, who was supposed to be on patrol outside? Then disguised as him, went to meet Tai Xuelin, killed him at the door, and left unhurriedly?"
"Our Forest Snake Gang, though not large, isnât a place where anyone can come and go as they please. Especially since this is the core area of the gang, coming and going isnât as easy as you think. Also, at that time, Tai Xuelinâs death was clearly recent, and we immediately sent people to search for Hou Mo. Wherever he tried to escape, he would have been caught by the gangâs informants. Since there hasnât been any news, that means your so-called âsecond Hou Moâ hasnât been discovered, or perhaps doesnât even exist."
As Fa Hongbao continued, his thoughts became clearer, especially emphasizing one point, that is...
"Disguise."
Qiu Xiaoping suddenly spoke, interrupting what Fa Hongbao was about to say.
Qiu Xiaoping looked calmly at Qin Er.
"Disguise isnât as simple as you think. Youâre not in the Martial Arts, so youâve imagined disguise to be too miraculous. In the world, the disguise technique isnât formidable enough to fool close acquaintances, at least in Thunder City, thereâs no such level of experts."
However, she paused for a moment, glanced around, and slowly said.
"But if disguise isnât possible, what if... a demon?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the whole crowd was in an uproar!
A demon?!
If it were a demon that eats people and wears their skin, it would naturally be seamless and indistinguishable.
But a demon infiltrating the Forest Snake Gangâs interior is an unimaginable, unbelievable idea.
"If itâs a demon, indeed it could do this, and... if itâs a demon, then that same demon might still be within the mansion! It may even be hiding among us, silently waiting for a chance to escape!" Fa Hongbao said, trembling in his voice.
The death of the Hall Master unexpectedly implicated the possibility of a demon hiding within the gang, making the situation increasingly exaggerated and horrifying...
The surrounding people were even more uneasy, instinctively putting some distance between each other. Even long-time life-and-death brothers now set up defenses.
"Donât panic, itâs all just speculation for now. First, tell me, who was the first to discover Master Taiâs body?"
The crowd:...
Silence.
Endless silence.
No one spoke, or rather, no one dared to speak up.
Whoever speaks now might be the demon in disguise!
Some were clueless and ignorant, while others dared not speak.
The nuances among these differences were subtle.
The silence brought pressure, an intangible force spread...
"Itâs you! Li Debang! I saw with my own eyes, it was you shouting that something happened to the Hall Master! You were the first to shout!"