Chapter 178: Chapter 176: Identity Revealed (Part 2) "This..." The young clerk still seemed a bit confused, hesitating to speak. The official looked around and noticed several people like him, then patiently explained, "The beast tide is about to sweep over this place, and it’s said that this one is unprecedented in scale, far beyond the previous ones." "Ordinary martial artists cannot deal with the Beast King; we can only rely on experts at the Martial Artist level. If you point out Liu Yi at this time and say he is the wanted criminal, would you arrest him or not? The beast tide is already at the city’s gates, and you still rely on him to stay alive, yet you want to accuse him now?" By the end, the official’s tone was laced with obvious anger. Hearing this, the clerks exchanged glances. But they also knew that in public, they could only call him Liu Yi. Otherwise, arresting him would affect their future safety; not arresting him would impact the court’s prestige. Lou Yi emerged as a prodigy, killing a Martial Artist at under twenty, shaking the entire city. Besides the City Lord’s Mansion, other powerful families quickly began their investigations into him. Tai City, the Huang Family. In an extremely luxurious and spacious hall. The Patriarch Huang Ji was sitting grandly on a master’s chair, listening to his subordinate’s detailed report. "Master, everything is clear; the notorious person from the Extreme Fist Sect is really named Lou Yi, nineteen years old, from Xinxiang Erhe Village in the outer city, with a father who is a scholar... After slaying a disciple of the Heavy Sword Sect along with several officials earlier this year, the City Lord’s Mansion issued a wanted notice..." "Why did he come into conflict with the disciple of the Heavy Sword Sect?" Huang Ji listened quietly, interjecting suddenly. "The conflict arose because his neighbor, Butcher Qi, fancied the location of Lou Yi’s house and wanted him to demolish it..." The subordinate’s investigation was extremely thorough. The reason for the conflict between Lou Yi and Butcher Qi was crystal clear. With the Martial Artist-level prowess Lou Yi has now displayed, it’s no longer possible to keep a low profile. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎 Any powerful family trying to investigate him could uncover everything. "...Butcher Qi’s family was wiped out; everyone believed it was done by a wild beast, but Qi Erlang was convinced it was Lou Yi, so he called upon a disciple from the Heavy Sword Sect to confront him, but they were counter-killed... Butcher Qi also had a son who had apprenticed at the Heavy Sword Sect, the aforementioned prodigy Qi Bao, and his death caused quite the uproar, with rumors linking it to your young master." At this, the subordinate cautiously glanced at Patriarch Huang. As expected, the smile on the Huang Family Master’s face quickly faded. "This boy, with such deep thoughts and strong martial skills, is a formidable character." After a long silence, he remarked with such sentiment. A moment later, an angry shout came from outside the door. "Was it Liu Yi who killed Qi Bao and framed me, damn it..." A young man in his early twenties burst in angrily. He looked pale, with dark circles under his eyes, even somewhat swollen, a clear sign of long-term indulgence in wine and women. It was the long-unseen Huang Longgang, his face filled with rage at this moment. "So what if it was?" the Huang Family Master said coolly. "Then I’ll have to teach him a good lesson..." ’Smack!’ Before Huang Longgang could finish, he received a hard slap, looking incredulously at his father. "Useless!" the Huang Family Master said angrily, "He could kill even a Martial Artist, what are you, going to teach him a lesson? It’s more likely our Huang Family would be the one getting taught first!" "So, do we just swallow this humiliation?" Huang Longgang said, feeling quite aggrieved. "In the end, it’s still your own thoughtless words about killing Qi Bao that landed us in this mess, nothing much to do with Liu Yi." The Huang Family Master actively sought to exonerate Lou Yi, continuing, "Now, in these chaotic times, one should try to befriend such people; cultivating enmity is the most foolish choice." "He framed me, and I have to make friends with him?" Huang Longgang pointed to his face, mouth agape, eyes wide open. "I told you, it was your own loose talk, has nothing to do with him," the Huang Family Master said impatiently, "You’ve had enough time to recuperate at home, tomorrow you return to your sect." "Remember, you have no grudge against Lou Yi; he never intended to kill you or steal your woman. When you return to the sect, behave yourself, and be sure to make a good connection with him." Huang Longgang heard this, somewhat reluctant at first, but for some reason, a graceful silhouette suddenly flashed in his mind. "Hong’Er..." With Zhou Yang dead, wouldn’t I have a chance? Thinking this, Huang Longgang’s eyes lit up with excitement, and his resentment towards Lou Yi lessened. It seemed they never had any major grudge to begin with. ’Fine, this young master will temporarily forgive him.’ Huang Longgang thought, feeling proud of his magnanimity. Xu Family. In a spacious and sealed ancestral hall, many impeccably dressed and formidable-looking men and women sat on either side of a rosewood long table, looking solemn. At each of the four corners of the ancestral hall was placed an exquisite ancient bronze incense burner, with white smoke curling up. At the head position, the Xu Family Master, who appeared in his forties or fifties, dressed in a golden-patterned brocade robe, wore a somewhat gloomy expression. ’The Patriarch summoned us; what major issue is at hand?’ wondered a few Xu Family high officials not well-informed of the situation. Then they heard the severe voice of the Xu Family Master: "The City Lord’s Mansion has already identified the Extreme Fist Sect’s Liu Yi as a wanted criminal, his real name is Lou Yi." "Lou Yi is closely tied with the Zhan Family, and that mysterious figure who forced his way into our Cyan Cloud Manor, the so-called ’Proud Celestial Monarch,’ is almost certainly him." "So, it was this kid who killed Blood Saber and injured Shadow Blade and Overlord Saber?" a white-haired elder of the Xu Family said angrily. Killing Great Circulation, easily defeating Full Cycle, and being allied with the Zhan Family, when these conditions are considered, they all point to Lou Yi, who has just killed a Martial Artist. "That’s right, maybe even more," the Xu Family Master said, with a tone also carrying anger, "My son was framed in an incident involving the Su Family’s young lady, and she is also quite close with Lou Yi!" Upon hearing this, a strange expression appeared on the faces of the Xu Family’s senior officials present. The incident of the eldest son Xu Haoyin being baptized by the family servant Xu Shenjian had spread throughout the city. In these times, with limited entertainment activities. A high-profile figure in the eyes of ordinary people being baptized by a household servant perfectly satisfied the public’s fondness for anti-wealth gossip. From teahouses to street corners, the issue was discussed almost daily. Initially, the Xu Family arrested a few people, but in the end, realizing they couldn’t stop the rumors, they chose to ignore them. "Only the old master can deal with this scoundrel!" a lengthier elder said furiously. Lou Yi could kill a Martial Artist; even a just-broken-through Martial Artist wasn’t someone they could deal with. "The old master is aware of this matter, instructing us to remain calm. The City Lord has issued a strict edict; any conflict during the beast tide will be treated as treason." The Xu Family Master said in a grim tone, "Furthermore, we are not the only ones wanting his life." "We could join forces with other families and eliminate him during the beast tide," someone proposed. "Yes, the arrival of the beast tide will bring much chaos, opportunities will be abundant, no need to rush now." Another agreed. Fang Family. In the incense hall of the Fulin Escort Agency, which was used for discussing important matters, many people were seated. At the top was the Chief of the Escort, listening to the discussions. "It seems that this Lou Yi is involved with Tan Lang’s death at the hands of this Liu Shu during his service in the Beast Hunter Guard..." "Haha, that Elder Ma from the Heavy Sword Sect is seeking help from us to deal with that monstrous kid from the Extreme Fist Sect, even before he’s twenty and can kill Martial Artists..." "Old Sun, you’re too soft; we’re with the Chief of the Escort on this. We should seize this opportunity!" In a heated debate, some value immediate benefits, while others are reluctant to offend the increasingly powerful Extreme Fist Sect... After Jiang Chi was shot dead, various major forces started their investigations into Lou Yi. A person with no background and never heard of before was gradually drawing the undercurrents toward the Extreme Fist Sect. ...