Chapter 299: Section 87: Successive Homicides
Thump, thump, thump!
Violent knocking echoed at the door.
“Open the door, quick!”
“Runbao, open the door!”
A large group of Fishmen were blocking the entrance.
The Fishman youth opened the door, and the Fishman fighters unceremoniously surged into the room, leaving a few standing guard outside in an encircling stance.
...
“What do you want?” the Fishman youth asked, his complexion looking awful.
“Lord Man Ying?” The Fishman youth suddenly spoke again, shock evident in his voice.
Man Ying was the last to enter the youth’s dwelling, his gaze fixed on the youth, his expression grave, his voice heavy. “Sword Scar is dead.”
The Fishman youth was first taken aback, then uttered in disbelief, “What? He’s dead?”
Man Ying stared intently at the Fishman youth.
The next moment, he noticed a flicker of joy flash across Runbao’s face before it quickly disappeared.
Then, realizing something, the Fishman youth’s complexion grew even worse. “Lord, it wasn’t me. I’ve only just pledged allegiance to you, how could I kill a colleague?”
“The guards at the city gate saw Sword Scar humiliating you, and you stormed off,” Man Ying said. “And I too know that there was bad blood between you and him. Plus, he directly threatened you, saying he’d settle the score with you after the Fish God trial.”
The Fishman youth was stunned for a moment, then hastily nodded, stuttering his defense. “Yes, that did happen. But, but I wouldn’t go so far as to do that.”
“How did he die?”
“He was a Black Iron; there must be traces left at the scene!”
The Fishman youth looked desperate to prove his innocence.
Man Ying snorted coldly, which was precisely why they were suspicious.
Sword Scar had died, his death shrouded in mystery, highly peculiar. The scene was immaculately clean; no signs of a struggle, not even a fragment of Sword Scar’s body remained.
If it weren’t for the Divine Temple informing them of the transfer of the Divine Arts imprint, everyone would still think Sword Scar had mysteriously vanished!
A Fishman Shaman stepped forward from behind Man Ying, his eyes somber as he stared at Runbao, explaining, “Not long ago, Sword Scar made a generous offering of swordfish fins to our clan, relics reserved specifically from past swordfish Fishman warriors. Among them were even seven Silver Level swordfish fins.”
“So, I granted him the qualification to partake in the Fish God trial. That’s the imprint.”
“But that imprint has now transferred, to someone else.”
“Sword Scar would not give up the imprint; in fact, he couldn’t transfer the imprint willingly. The only possibility for the transfer is that he was killed.”
“The person who now possesses the imprint is the murderer!”
The Fishman youth immediately responded, “Then check me, quick, there must be a way to see if I have the imprint.”
“Of course.” Man Ying replied, “That’s the very reason we’re here. Do not resist.”
“How could I dare to resist in the presence of a lord? Besides, I didn’t do this!” the Fishman youth said, spreading his hands, puffing up his chest, eager in his gestures.
The Fishman Shaman frowned as he cast his spell.
Everyone stared fixedly at Runbao’s forehead.
No reaction.
To rule out any mishap, the Fishman Shaman tried several more times, all with the same result.
Seeing this, the other Fishmen silently relaxed.
The Fishman youth exclaimed, “How about that? I’m innocent! I didn’t kill Sword Scar.”
“Your suspicion is temporarily lifted,” Man Ying patted the youth’s shoulder. “But don’t leave the city these next days; further investigation will follow.”
“Understood, Lord. Please feel free to investigate me! But I’m not the murderer. There’s no use in investigating me,” the Fishman youth cried.
“Right.”
“I remember now.”
“Sword Scar also had a conflict with other Fishmen at the city gate. They were a group from the Poison Arrow Tribe, seemingly there specifically to trouble Sword Scar.”
“Perhaps they…”
“Without evidence, do not speculate needlessly. I don’t want you to speak of this anymore, understood?” Man Ying cut the youth off directly.
“Understood, Lord Man Ying.” The youth nodded in haste.
Man Ying gestured, leading the team to hastily depart.
“If it were him, it would’ve been simpler,” the Fishman Shaman said with regret.
Man Ying shook his head. “Even before we came, I felt the chances were minimal.”
“Shall we investigate the Poison Arrow Tribe next?” the Fishman Shaman asked uneasily.
Man Ying sighed deeply. “I feel their involvement is even less likely. Would Runbao, a newcomer, not know the gravity? Which of the three great clans does not know the rules?”
“The one troubling Sword Scar was the guy named Du Liu. Although he has a strong bloodline, he’s too young and thus was not chosen by the Poison Arrow Tribe to participate in this Fish God trial. He’s the grandson of the contemporary Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow Tribe. If we were to forcefully investigate him, it might cause friction with the Poison Arrow Tribe,” the Fishman Shaman worriedly expressed.
Man Ying gritted his teeth. “But we have to investigate; Sword Scar was my man. Now he’s dead, not even a single scale to be found, missing right within our Barbarian Fish Fortress. How would it look if I didn’t investigate?”
“It’s not just about my reputation, it’s about the face of the Barbarian Fish Clan! To dare to strike within the Barbarian Fish Fortress…”
“We must find the audacious killer as soon as possible!”
With a sigh, the Fishman Shaman lamented, “Ah, if only we could just grab any Fishman to give an explanation. That fellow Bubo would have been a fine choice. Sadly, he does not bear the Divine Arts imprint. Now that we’ve lost the imprint in our possession, the great lords will surely hold us accountable if we can’t retrieve it.”
Just as Sword Scar had once mocked the Fishman youth, as a brown-scaled Black Iron Fishman, outsiders seeking to join would never squeeze into the inner circle of the Barbarian Fish Clan.
Had the Fishman youth not been disqualified, he would have been sold by Man Ying and others as a sacrificial victim by now.
The death of Sword Scar had caused a big stir.
In just one night, a storm had swept through the city.
The deeply troubled Man Ying and his companions, after discussion, had no choice but to proceed to the Poison Arrow Tribe with determination.
Inside the Poison Arrow Fortress.
“Tell me, did you kill Sword Scar or not!” The Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow banged the table and pressed Du Liu for answers.
Du Liu, the grandson usually most favored by his grandfather, pleaded with a wronged expression, “Grandpa, how could I dare to kill anyone? At most, I’d only challenge him. I’m not ignorant of the rules!”
“Tell me the truth; I want to hear the truth!”
“I am telling the truth!”
The Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow softened his tone slightly, “You must not hide even a trace. Grandson, this matter has gotten serious. If it was indeed you who killed, your grandfather would secretly cover for you. But you must tell the truth!”
“Grandpa, I definitely didn’t kill anyone. Can’t you just check the Divine Arts imprint? You could simply check me.”
The Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow looked at his grandson Du Liu intently, “To be honest, I don’t quite believe that you’re the killer.”
“Grandpa, you watched over me as I grew up. No, I mean, you watched me grow up. I’ve always been good,” Du Liu protested.
“Good, my ass! The reason I don’t believe you took action is that you’re not strong enough. You’re only at Black Iron level, as was Sword Scar, but he was a renowned fighter. You couldn’t kill him so cleanly, especially not inside the Barbarian Fish Fortress.”
“Grandpa, listen to how you’re talking!”
While the grandfather and grandson were discussing, a Fishman guard came to report that the investigation team from the Barbarian Fish Clan had arrived.
“Hmph, these useless Barbarians, someone’s been killed right in their den, and they still have the audacity to come investigate us!” The Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow was very dissatisfied but still ordered the gate to be opened.
“Quick, let them all in,” called Du Liu eagerly, hoping to clear himself of suspicion quickly.
The investigation naturally pointed to Du Liu not being the killer.
Man Ying frowned with worry, but also breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that Du Liu wasn’t the killer. This meant that the Barbarian Fish Clan and the Poison Arrow Tribe wouldn’t escalate their conflict any further.
However, just as Man Ying and the others were about to leave the Poison Arrow Fortress, they were stopped by the Fishmen of the Poison Arrow Tribe.
“You can’t leave!”
“We only came to investigate; is there really a need for such hostility?”
“Hostility! Our tribesman is missing, the imprint has moved. And it just so happens during your visit! One of you must be the killer!” The Poison Arrow Fishmen were incensed.
“What?!” Man Ying and the Shaman beside him exchanged glances, both pale with shock.
Knowing the gravity of the situation, Man Ying did not resist and immediately ordered his men to lay down their arms and cooperate fully with the investigation.
Wave after wave of Spell probing revealed that Man Ying and his companions were all innocent.
“Members of the Barbarian Fish Clan, I ask that you stay here for the night. Perhaps the Spell can’t trigger the imprint, and that might be the killer’s trick. This time, I will personally invite a priest from the Divine Temple for inspection,” the Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow Tribe declared.
Man Ying was very straightforward, “We will stay, but please inform my fellow tribesmen. Also, may I have permission to see the crime scene?”
The Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow Tribe responded indifferently, “You can see it, but only after the Divine Arts inspection.”
Man Ying immediately expressed his understanding.
The Fish God’s priest arrived, and the Divine Arts inspection yielded no results.
Man Ying and the others then viewed the crime scene, also with no findings.
“It’s the same again, not a single trace left behind.”
“I even doubt if this is the actual crime scene! After all, the victim only disappeared, and this was merely the last place he was seen.”
Man Ying discussed with the Fishmen of the Poison Arrow Tribe at length, but there was no progress.
Man Ying wished to leave, but the Poison Arrow Tribe would not allow it.
This frustrated Man Ying even more, as he had initially come to investigate Du Liu, but now his group was being detained.
The Clan Leader of the Poison Arrow Tribe didn’t want to trouble Man Ying unnecessarily; he was waiting for the Clan Leader of the Barbarian Fish to come in person for the release, to conduct a secret discussion with the leader of the other clans.
The Clan Leader of the Barbarian Fish understood the implication but did not set off.
The Poison Arrow Tribe soon received a message that shocked them—another murder had occurred!
This time, the deceased was a Fishman of the Barbarian Fish Clan itself!
Two Black Iron Fishmen dead in one day, with the same modus operandi, the imprint gone, and the killer leaving no trace.
The news could not be contained; all of Sea Eye City was stunned.
Who was the killer?
What method was used?
And why could neither Spells nor Divine Arts detect anything?