Wang Lan hurried forward to investigate. Upon sensing Ma Dongwei still had a faint breath, he quickly pressed Ma Dongwei's chest and began treatment.

Ma Dongwei was truly unlucky. Last time, three foreigners had ganged up on him, beating him half to death. If Wang Lan hadn't arrived in time, he'd be pushing up daisies by now.

This time, he was on the brink of death again, and his injuries were even more serious than last time. Had anyone other than Wang Lan arrived first, he would have been a goner by now.

As Wang Lan was treating Ma Dongwei, he heard a disturbance nearby. Several Star Martial Warriors wearing black masks appeared out of nowhere and rushed at Wang Lan. His face darkened. He was about to pause the treatment to counter-attack when he heard several sharp shouts beside him.

"Thunder Hide—"

"Ice Slice—"

With a ripping sound, two streaks of light flashed before Wang Lan's eyes. The figures slashing towards him were suddenly split in midair, blood spraying like scattered crimson rose petals.

Lige and Zhang Xiaoxue appeared beside Wang Lan, guarding his left and right flanks.

"Wang Lan, what happened?"

"I don't know. By the time I arrived, Captain Ma was already like this. It seems we can only find out when Captain Ma wakes up."

Ma Dongwei's injuries were severe, but in Wang Lan's hands, they were not quite so serious. After three minutes, Ma Dongwei's injuries had mostly healed, and he slowly regained consciousness. Seeing Wang Lan's palm pressed against his chest, treating him, a relieved expression spread across Ma Dongwei's face.

"Captain Ma, what happened?"

"I don't know. I had arranged to have dinner with Lin today. When I walked here, I saw a few thugs dragging a drunk girl into an alley. I never anticipated it was a trap. They suddenly ambushed me. Caught off guard, I was severely wounded. Although I managed to kill a few, I ultimately lost."

"Lin? Who's that?"

"His name is Xuan Lin, my childhood friend and a scion of the Qinzhou Star Martial noble family. He had excellent grades and became Eld Di's disciple seven years ago. He's now a tactics professor at the Modu City Star Martial Academy. He came to Suzhou City with Eld Di, and knowing I was with the Tianjian Bureau here, he invited me for a drink. We haven't seen each other for almost ten years."

After hearing Ma Dongwei's story, Wang Lan's eyebrows twitched slightly. "He reached out to you first?"

"Yes!"

"Did anyone know about your arrangement?"

"No one knew. He just asked me this afternoon, and I didn't tell anyone." Ma Dongwei also furrowed his brows, thinking deeply. Tonight's attack was clearly premeditated; it seems they knew his itinerary.

At this moment, Lige's phone rang. He answered, "Hello? Director Li, what?"

A short while later, Lige hung up. "Director Li just called. Eld Di's disciple has been assassinated..."

"What? Lin!" Ma Dongwei's expression changed drastically, a look of shock, horror, and disbelief spreading across his face. "How is that possible... Lin... he was a Star Sea Stage expert!"

The Star Sea Stage represented the peak power in the Star Martial World. While Titled Star Martial Warriors were the apex combatants, with the exception of the Five Emperors, all Titled Star Martial Warriors belonged to the Star Sea Stage. The differences in Cultivation Levels among those at the Star Sea Stage weren't vast.

To kill a Galaxy Stage expert was no easy feat, let alone a Star Sea Stage expert.

"Let's go!"

The four of them shouted almost in unison, their figures flashing as they rushed towards the incident. By the time Wang Lan and the others arrived, the entire area around the restaurant had already been cordoned off. There used to be a restaurant here, but now it had been obliterated as if by a giant hand, leaving nothing but rubble.

Li Weixin, Wang Qianfeng, and others had already arrived. On a stretcher before them lay the still body of a young man: Xuan Lin, the student Eld Di had brought.

"Eld Di has arrived," Hu Qing said quietly, approaching Wang Qianfeng and the other leaders. They hurried to greet him. A black sedan screeched to a halt, and Eld Di, leaning on a cane, hastily exited the car.

"Eld Di, I apologize. We failed in our security arrangements..."

"There's no need to say more." Eld Di raised his hand, interrupting Wang Qianfeng. "I knew Lin's strength. Although his foundation was damaged, he was still a genuine Star Sea Stage expert. To kill him in such a short time and depart so calmly, the assassin must be no ordinary individual, definitely not some unknown."

"Yes. Based on the clues we've found, we suspect the one who murdered Mr. Xuan Lin is Wang Mingling."

As he spoke, Eld Di had already approached Xuan Lin's body. Xuan Lin's injuries weren't obvious, aside from a single fatal wound to his chest. His face still bore a look of regret and anger.

"Wang Mingling? The traitor who wants me dead?"

"Yes! Wang Mingling is the leader of the Hellfire terrorist organization. However, our investigation suggests he may have already joined Paradise Bird."

"No wonder... Lin was first caught in an Illusion Technique before Wang Mingling killed him. And from my understanding of Lin, even a powerful Illusion Technique shouldn't have ensnared him so easily, nor trapped him so deeply. Wang Mingling understood Lin very well; he must have targeted a specific vulnerability in Lin's psyche."

"Mr. Xuan Lin's psychological vulnerabilities?"

"Lin greatly admired Little Phoenix. Although born into a Star Martial Art family, his family hadn't produced a Star Martial Warrior in three generations. Lin was the entire clan's hope. So, from a young age, driven by his own aspirations and family pressure, Lin desperately pushed to elevate his Star Martial Art level and strength.

"But everything must be done in moderation; going too far is as bad as not going far enough. His excessive focus on raising his Star Martial Art level resulted in an unstable foundation. When I discovered this, it was a great pity. He was originally the most promising among my disciples, the one with the best chance to surpass the Star Sea Stage and reach a higher realm. Yet, due to one misstep, he lost that chance.

"When Lin learned of this, he was in agony, and it became his inner demon. He had been so close to Little Phoenix's level, but his eagerness for quick success led to his downfall just short of his goal. Unless the Illusion Technique specifically targeted this, the killer could never have dispatched Lin so easily."

"So, you're saying Mr. Xuan Lin's personal information was leaked? How many people knew about these things?" Wang Lan suddenly asked.

Eld Di turned, looking kindly at Wang Lan. "Very few people knew."

"We have two leads to pursue now," Lige stated calmly from the side. "First, how did the killer know Mr. Xuan Lin's and Captain Ma's movements? Who leaked their itinerary? Second, who leaked Mr. Xuan Lin's personal information?"

"Correct. Let our intelligence division handle this," Wang Qianfeng immediately said to Lu Zhao.

"That's not right! Shouldn't this be a matter for our Law Enforcement Department?" He MingXue quickly retorted.

"Is there even a Law Enforcement Department anymore? Aren't you always swamped with the Shadow Guard Office?"

"But the Law Enforcement Department is still under my purview."

"Stop arguing. Regardless of who investigates, I only want the truth."

Wang Lan had a competition the next day, so he had to leave first. He walked alone towards the Grand Hyatt Hotel, his mind still trying to unravel what had happened. Even if Wang Mingling intended to target Eld Di, what was the logic in assassinating Xuan Lin? Was it to 'beat the grass to scare the snake'? That seemed even less plausible. Eld Di was one of the Five Elders; he had weathered countless storms throughout his life. Could the mere killing of an associate intimidate him? If so, he wouldn't be Eld Di.

Because of the assassination, martial law had been declared within a five-kilometer radius. Consequently, the usually bustling commercial district, typically alive with lights and pedestrians, was now nearly deserted.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure darted past Wang Lan. The person was wearing the red uniform of the Tianjian Bureau. Curiosity sparked within Wang Lan. Why would a colleague from the Tianjian Bureau be here, acting so furtively? If it were a covert operation, Tianjian Bureau members would be in plain clothes.

In an instant, a torrent of information flooded his mind, finally coalescing around two keywords: 'Tianjian Bureau' and 'mole.'

Wang Lan hesitated briefly but then decided to discreetly follow and see. Although risky, any discovery would be a significant gain. As for a potential ambush, Wang Lan estimated that the restaurant was less than a kilometer away. If he called for backup immediately, all of the Tianjian Bureau's top experts could arrive very quickly.

In his Phoenix form, holding out for five minutes wouldn't be a problem. Combined with the recently learned Phantom Tracer and the power of four fused Star Martial Skills, his combat strength in Phoenix form already surpassed the peak of the Galaxy Stage.

If he didn't dare take such a risk under these conditions, then he, Wang Lan, truly didn't deserve to be in the Tianjian Bureau.

His figure flashed, and he silently tailed the person. Watching the figure from a distance, he felt a sense of familiarity. This person was definitely from the Tianjian Bureau, someone he had seen before. But since it was only a back view, Wang Lan couldn't confirm the person's identity.

Red uniform... that's a captain's standard. Who could it be...?

He followed the figure into a small neighborhood park, which was surrounded by three residential communities. But as soon as he entered the park, the figure in front suddenly vanished.

Not good—it's a trap! Wang Lan was instantly on alert, quickly pressing the distress signal on his phone. As the signal transmitted, he crouched, warily scanning his surroundings.

His surroundings were utterly silent, as if the person had simply vanished into thin air.

Wang Lan cautiously advanced along the pebble path, alert to any rustle from the trees around him. Suddenly, with a soft sound, a figure dropped from a nearby tree, lunging at Wang Lan in an ambush.

Without a moment's hesitation, Wang Lan instantly retreated. As he moved, a Crescent Arrow shot out, passing unimpeded through the shadowy figure and soaring into the sky.

"Wan Kui, Wan Kui... Where are you?"

"Wan Kui, quick, look! There's movement over there!" calls came from the distance.

As the voices approached, a wry smile appeared on Wang Lan's face.

He'd never imagined that the Demon Clan, or whoever the mastermind was, would stoop to such a childish trick to frame him.

At Wang Lan's feet lay a person, face up. Wang Lan recognized him: a contestant from the Tong City team, defeated by Mu Shaoyun just two days prior.

This guy's name was indeed Wan Kui, the name being called out faintly from behind him. Well, well... they're really throwing all pretense to the wind now.

Soon, the voices drew nearer. Five or six figures appeared: an instructor leading several students.

"Who's there?!" the instructor shouted sternly, warily eyeing Wang Lan, whose back was turned to them.

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