The status of this Commander Yu was beyond Yun Fan's expectation. He hadn't expected that even Lin Wushuang dared not investigate this matter.
After that, the two parted ways after a brief chat.
Disturbed twice while fishing, Yun Fan lost interest and reeled in his line to head home.
Upon returning to his rented apartment, Yun Fan prepared to cook. Just then, Jiang Xueyan called, saying that the Jiang family was undergoing commercial restructuring and she wouldn't be back that night.
Yun Fan then made less food.
In the evening, Lin Tianxin returned. She had been living there for a long time, and Yun Fan couldn't understand why she wouldn't stay in her luxurious mansion and instead chose to live in this dilapidated rented apartment.
Although he wished he could live in a mansion, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself, so he had to endure it.
After dinner, Yun Fan lay on his bed, contemplating how to unmask the culprit. Unlike before, if it were truly Commander Yu, it would be quite troublesome.
Because this Commander Yu's status was terrifyingly high.
At this moment, Lin Tianxin quietly slipped in.
"What are you doing?"
Yun Fan asked instinctively.
Lin Tianxin replied, "I want to experience the joy Jiang Xueyan has!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan was truly speechless. If it weren't for the need to break through that barrier, he wouldn't be so restricted.
He had thought this secret was only between him and Jiang Xueyan, but he hadn't expected Lin Tianxin to know.
However, that feeling was indeed memorable. For this reason, he asked Lin Tianxin, "Are you sure?"
"Sure!"
Lin Tianxin said firmly, "If she can, I can too!"
After all, she was someone who refused to admit defeat.
This made Yun Fan incredibly excited, as it wouldn't count as breaking his vow.
"Then come on!"
Lin Tianxin kept comforting herself not to be afraid and to be bold.
However, the next moment, Lin Tianxin's face turned red and she ran away, yes, she ran away. It seemed she still hadn't convinced herself.
"Ah... this... this..."
Yun Fan stood frozen, thinking, "I've already taken off my pants, and you're running away? Who am I supposed to complain to?"
It seemed Jiang Xueyan was still the reliable one.
...
After Huang Shisan and Xie Qingfeng returned to their assigned location, their faces showed grave expressions, as Yun Fan's words during the day had deeply imprinted themselves in their minds.
Perhaps, the conflict between the four great families and the ruling powers was indeed deliberately orchestrated by someone in the shadows.
Xie Qingfeng asked, "Should we report this?"
"What do you think?"
Huang Shisan also couldn't make up his mind and asked Xie Qingfeng in return.
After considering for a moment, Xie Qingfeng decided, "Let's ask for instructions first!"
"Yes!"
The two made up their minds and prepared to report to their superiors. However, at this moment, with two screams.
Then, two corpses flew in from outside. These two corpses were Ouyang Shanshan and Helian Yi.
"Who?"
The two were startled, not expecting someone to commit murder right under their noses, and without them even noticing.
This was terrifying. In Jiangnan, currently, only Yun Fan seemed to have this capability.
At this moment, four figures emerged from the darkness. These four figures were as one, concealing all their auras, which explained why the two hadn't noticed.
At this moment, these four figures had already invisibly surrounded the two.
Huang Shisan immediately recognized their identities.
"The Four Great Protectors!" Su Dan Novel Network.
These four were unknown, but their strength was terrifying. They were all peak Houtian realm cultivators, but the four of them working together had killed a Half-step Xiantian realm expert.
One could imagine how terrifying they were. After all, the strength of a Half-step Xiantian realm expert was very strong, strong enough to easily kill a peak Houtian realm expert.
But they were able to go against the grain, showing that their cooperation had reached an extreme level of tacit understanding.
Of course, more terrifying than their strength was that these four were Commander Yu's protectors. Their status by Commander Yu's side was even higher than that of the Imperial Dragon God of War.
Normally, they stayed by Commander Yu's side at all times, but they had never expected to appear in Jiangnan all at once.
"Is Commander Yu trying to provoke our four great families?"
Xie Qingfeng shouted.
It seemed Yun Fan's speculation was correct. It was indeed related to Commander Yu, otherwise, Commander Yu wouldn't have sent these four.
However, these four did not answer his question.
The leading Great Protector said, "You two, it's time for you to go."
"You're seeking death!"
Huang Shisan was furious. They were peak Houtian realm cultivators, with crucial positions in the four great families, yet they were being looked down upon by these four dogs.
In an instant, the four charged over, attacking almost simultaneously, heading straight for Huang Shisan.
"Be careful!"
Xie Qingfeng joined the battle, helping Huang Shisan share the killing blow from these four.
After one exchange, the four returned to their original positions.
However, the expressions of Huang Shisan and Xie Qingfeng were not good, because in that one exchange, they had both been injured.
"Drip, drip!"
At this moment, even breathing sounds were inaudible; only the sound of blood dripping onto the floor could be heard.
"Kill!"
The two sides clashed again. Huang Shisan and Xie Qingfeng, each facing the attacks of two protectors, were completely suppressed.
There was no other way; their expressions were grim. Although it was only a one-on-two situation, they felt suffocating pressure.
Because even when the four were separated, they could cooperate perfectly. They had been trained into perfect killing machines.
In their eyes, there were no emotions, only slaughter. Their purpose was to eliminate the opponents in front of them.
After several rounds, Huang Shisan and Xie Qingfeng, covered in wounds, gathered together, facing the emotionless killing intent of the three with grave expressions.
"Their cooperation is seamless. We are definitely no match for them!"
Huang Shisan gasped in pain.
Xie Qingfeng said, "I fear we are going to die here!"
Although they served different masters, they were also friends of many years and had never thought they would die together.
At their age, life and death had long been taken lightly, but they had not yet reported Commander Yu's affairs to the four great families.
As things stood, it was no longer just a suspicion; they were convinced that Commander Yu was the culprit.
The reason for killing them was undoubtedly to frame them, to frame Yun Fan and Lin Wushuang, and thus force the four great families and the ruling powers into a decisive battle.
It had to be said that Commander Yu's scheme was truly poisonous.
At this moment, Huang Shisan said to Xie Qingfeng, "I'll hold them off with all my might later, you escape."
"Old fellow, if we're going to die, we die together. How could I abandon you and flee!" Xie Qingfeng smiled, showing no intention of escaping.
Huang Shisan quickly said, "Old man, you're simply stubborn! You still have descendants, while I'm alone and have nothing to hold me back!"
"I only have one granddaughter, and she is exceptionally talented and capable! I don't need to worry about her. Today, I will die with you!"
Xie Qingfeng said with洒脱 (freedom and ease).
Seeing that Xie Qingfeng was determined, Huang Shisan said, "Very well. You and I were once famous throughout the land. How can we be bullied by four juniors today!"
"Even if we die today, we must let them know that an old man, though old, is not to be trifled with!"
"Precisely!"
Then, the two laughed with relief.
"You brats, come on!"
As the two provoked them, the four protectors immediately attacked. However, they did not lose their minds and still cooperated in an orderly manner.
In the blink of an eye, the six were locked in battle again. Xie Qingfeng and Huang Shisan, having risked their lives, saw their combat power double.
However, in front of the killing machines, even risking their lives was futile.
In less than five minutes, Xie Qingfeng and Huang Shisan fell one after another.
"Old fellow, I'll go first!"
Huang Shisan closed his eyes with relief.
"In the end, I lived longer than you! Hahahahaha!"
Xie Qingfeng died amidst wild laughter.
At this moment, the four walked over. After confirming that the two were dead, they breathed a sigh of relief. The battle just now seemed silent, with no movement at all. In reality, they were all injured. After all, it was a death throe counterattack from the two elders. Even with their perfect cooperation, they couldn't remain unharmed.
...
The next day, while Yun Fan was still asleep, he received a call from Lin Wushuang.
Yun Fan hung up directly. No matter how dire the situation, he would not be disturbed from his sleep.
However, Lin Wushuang kept calling and urging him, which made Yun Fan very annoyed. Just as he answered the phone, ready to scold this guy fiercely.
Lin Wushuang said gravely, "Yun Fan, the two elders are dead!"
"Huh?"
Yun Fan's sleepiness vanished, and he scrambled out of bed. Being able to kill two elders like this meant a terrifying existence.
When did even the small Jiangnan become a place with hidden dragons and crouching tigers?
"Let's find a place to talk!"
Not long after, the two arrived at a tea house.
At this moment, Lin Wushuang said, "The two elders died mysteriously. They seemed to have experienced a fierce battle, but the traces were not obvious!"
"It seems they encountered a master!"
Yun Fan asked, "Can you infer who the killer was based on the traces?"
"No!"
Lin Wushuang said directly. It wasn't that he was too stupid, but he truly couldn't infer it, as the Four Great Protectors were very cautious and had already erased the traces.
"Are there any survivors?"
"No, all were silenced!"
Lin Wushuang had also specifically investigated the surveillance footage, but the outcome was disappointing. The people in that house had all been eliminated.
Clearly, the other party did not want him to find any evidence.
Yun Fan said, "It seems the hidden plotter can no longer sit still. Have you reported it to the Heavenly Emperor?"
Although the other party was very clever in their actions, Yun Fan had already guessed that it was likely Commander Yu who had arranged for someone to do it.
Lin Wushuang said, "I was just about to tell you this. The Heavenly Emperor sent word that Commander Yu is not in Jinling!"
"What?"
Yun Fan was stunned, not expecting Commander Yu to be absent from Jinling. He had already concluded that this matter was done by Commander Yu.
Because Commander Yu's suspicion was growing.
At this moment, Lin Wushuang said gravely, "The Heavenly Emperor has ordered me to find the killer within ten days! Because of the deaths of the two elders, the conflict between the four great families and the ruling powers has reached the verge of eruption. The Heavenly Emperor can only suppress the four great families for ten days!"
"If the killer is not found and an explanation is not given to the four great families within ten days, then civil war is inevitable!"
Yun Fan heard this and said, "Ten days is still too rushed!"
Because, as it stood, everything he had inferred was just speculation.
Lin Wushuang directly pleaded with Yun Fan, "Yun Fan, I have never asked anyone for anything in my life. This time, I beg you to help me find the real killer!"
Seeing his sincere attitude, Yun Fan said, "This matter was originally my task, but the other party has concealed it too well. If we continue to investigate step by step, we may not find the killer even when civil war breaks out!"
"Then..."
Lin Wushuang was somewhat dejected, as his main job was not as a strategist but as a bodyguard. Asking a bodyguard to strategize was not his forte; he couldn't do it.
At this moment, Yun Fan said, "So, now we must focus our task on one point: let's assume Commander Yu is the culprit!"
"Okay, I'll listen to you!"
Lin Wushuang said firmly.
He knew that although Yun Fan was young, he was no weaker than those ambitious strategists, so he decided to follow Yun Fan's arrangements.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked, "Are there still Commander Yu's men in Jiangnan?"
"Yes!"
Lin Wushuang said, "Commander Yu's junior brother, Du Gu Ming, is in Jiangnan!"
"Then let's start by investigating him!"
Yun Fan said directly, "Tell Du Gu Ming about our plan!"
"What?"
Lin Wushuang didn't understand Yun Fan's strategy; he was just confused.
"Just do as I say. I believe he will tell Commander Yu about this!"
Yun Fan said confidently.
"Okay!"
Lin Wushuang nodded, then bid farewell to Yun Fan and returned to the base.
"Divine General Lin! The current rumors point to you, saying that you colluded with Yun Fan to kill the two elders!"
Du Gu Ming said cautiously to Lin Wushuang.
Lin Wushuang sneered inwardly, then asked Du Gu Ming, "Do you know your crime?"
"What?"
Du Gu Ming was confused, not knowing why Lin Wushuang was making such a fuss.
Lin Wushuang said, "I have already found out that Commander Yu's men are the killers of the two elders!"
"Impossible! My senior brother is definitely not that kind of person. Now that civil war is about to break out, my senior brother is worried about the country and the people and would never do anything detrimental to the nation!"
Du Gu Ming argued strenuously, but inwardly he was shocked, not expecting Lin Wushuang to have found even a sliver of a clue.
However, Lin Wushuang did not listen to his explanations and said, "Although I don't have much evidence, since there is evidence, I will report this to the Heavenly Emperor!"
"This..."
Du Gu Ming did not expect Lin Wushuang to act so quickly. If it were truly reported to the Heavenly Emperor, the situation would be very unfavorable for Commander Yu.
Before the civil war truly erupted, Commander Yu could not be brought to light.
Therefore, he asked Lin Wushuang, "Divine General Lin, could you have made a mistake?"
"Of course I wouldn't make a mistake. If it was really Commander Yu who did it, you wouldn't be able to escape the consequences!"
Du Gu Ming was truly scared, so he quickly said to Lin Wushuang, "Your subordinate can guarantee that this matter has nothing to do with me. After all, Divine General Lin, you have been watching me the whole time!"
"Oh?"
Lin Wushuang sneered, "If it has nothing to do with you, doesn't that mean it has something to do with your senior brother?"
"I don't know! After all, I haven't contacted my senior brother all these years, so I don't know. But Divine General Lin also understands that my senior brother is just an old man who is indifferent to fame and fortune."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wushuang became annoyed and said, "Forget it. I only have some evidence, which is not sufficient. Commander Yu's status is supreme. Without absolute evidence, I will not oppose him!"
Instantly, Du Gu Ming breathed a sigh of relief. How could he not have thought of this? After all, Commander Yu was an elder of the empire, not someone who could be touched casually.
However, since Lin Wushuang already had partial evidence, at this juncture, it was still very unfavorable to his senior brother.
Therefore, at this moment, he was already planning in his mind how to eliminate Lin Wushuang.
At this moment, Lin Wushuang said, "Although I don't have absolute evidence, I believe that soon I will be able to collect all the evidence!"
With that, Lin Wushuang left.
Du Gu Ming only reacted now that this matter was quite serious. Therefore, at this moment, he could only go and report to his senior brother first.
At night, Du Gu Ming carefully left the base and disappeared into the darkness alone.
At this time, Yun Fan and Lin Wushuang watched Du Gu Ming's retreating figure, a playful smile appearing on their faces.
Then, the two followed closely.
...
An hour later, Du Gu Ming arrived at a villa complex. The complex was not large but was very secluded.
At this moment, the Four Great Protectors blocked Du Gu Ming's path and asked him, "Why are you here?"
Du Gu Ming quickly said, "I want to see my senior brother!"
The Four Great Protectors exchanged glances. The leading Great Protector immediately reprimanded, "Du Gu Ming, you instigated Imperial Dragon God of War to annihilate the Su family back then. Now, the master has ordered you to be executed on the spot to avenge the Su family's annihilation!"
Upon hearing this, Du Gu Ming was stunned. However, before he could react, his neck was severed by the Great Protector's sword.
To his death, Du Gu Ming could not believe that his senior brother would kill him.
At this moment, Yun Fan and Lin Wushuang arrived but were still a step too late.
"You two came at the right time. The master has already discovered that he was the culprit behind the Su family's annihilation back then, and he has now been executed!"
The Great Protector revealed a faint smile, as if he had guessed that the two would come.
Clearly, the two did not believe this. Lin Wushuang and Yun Fan both knew that these four were there to silence them.
At this moment, Lin Wushuang said, "Even if he was the culprit behind the Su family's annihilation back then, he should have been handed over to the Heavenly Emperor for judgment. You have no right to execute him!"
The Great Protector said, "The master was heartbroken upon hearing this news. Since it is a family disgrace, let's not trouble the Heavenly Emperor with it!"
At this moment, Lin Wushuang said, "I want to see Commander Yu!"
This was their objective.
The Four Great Protectors said, "The master is in Jinling. If you wish to see him, then go to Jinling."
"Is that so? You four have always been by his side. I believe he is inside right now!"
Lin Wushuang said.
The Great Protector replied indifferently, "Divine General Lin is joking. We came here solely to deal with this traitor! We are returning to Jinling to report back immediately."
"Since you are not letting us in, we will have to search ourselves!"
Lin Wushuang said forcefully.
"Divine General Lin, please help yourself!"
The four parted to create a path.
At this moment, Yun Fan and Lin Wushuang exchanged glances and then walked in. As expected, the place was empty, with no trace of Commander Yu.
"Do you believe it now?"
The Great Protector asked with a cold smile.
Lin Wushuang was troubled. He had thought he would run into Commander Yu, but now he couldn't find him.
Yun Fan, on the other hand, said, "Four of you, if I'm not mistaken, the two elders died at your hands, right?"
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the four turned cold.
Facing their murderous gazes, Yun Fan showed no change. He continued, "I was trying to figure out who could kill the two elders, but I couldn't determine it. Until I saw you, I knew you were the most capable of killing the two elders!"
"Why would we kill them?"
The Great Protector sneered, "This is just your unrealistic speculation. We have no motive to kill the two elders!"
"There's no need for a motive. As long as we apprehend you, I'm sure you'll confess willingly!"
Yun Fan said calmly.
Upon hearing this, the four instantly became filled with killing intent.
"Who do you think you are to dare to apprehend us? Don't you know we are Commander Yu's men?"
The four threatened collectively.
Yun Fan said, "Even if you are Commander Yu's men, you cannot kill people arbitrarily, let alone elders of the four great families!"
The four did not argue further with Yun Fan but said to Lin Wushuang, "Divine General Lin, we don't have time to play deduction games here. If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving!"
Lin Wushuang was in a difficult position because he believed Yun Fan's deductions, but these four were Commander Yu's men. Without absolute evidence, he couldn't arrest them arbitrarily.
However, thinking that there were less than ten days of buffer, he immediately said, "Four Great Protectors, the Heavenly Emperor has ordered me to thoroughly investigate this case. Anyone who is suspected must cooperate with the investigation. Please come with us!"
Lin Wushuang displayed his courage, which made Yun Fan look at him with admiration. He had thought that Lin Wushuang would be hesitant to act against the four out of fear of Commander Yu's status.
It seemed that things would be easier now.
"Lin Wushuang, are you really going to be an enemy of Commander Yu? Don't forget, you are just a bodyguard!"
The Great Protector said coldly.
Although Lin Wushuang possessed peak Houtian realm strength, his position in the military was far inferior to Commander Yu's.
The two were not on the same level and could not be compared.
Lin Wushuang said, "I don't want to be an enemy of Commander Yu. I am just serving the Heavenly Emperor!"
He brought up the Heavenly Emperor's purpose very simply, which was to warn the four that even though Commander Yu's status was supreme, China belonged to the Heavenly Emperor.
At this moment, the Great Protector said coldly to Lin Wushuang, "What if we don't go with you?"
"Then I can only offend you!"
Lin Wushuang said indifferently, but the atmosphere was tense, with swords drawn.
"Very good!"
The Great Protector said coldly, "Don't think that just because you follow the Heavenly Emperor, you can be arrogant! Today, I will let you know what it means to have someone beyond someone, and heavens beyond heavens!"
In an instant, the four had assumed combat stances, ready to strike at any moment.
Yun Fan said to Lin Wushuang, "You step aside and prevent them from escaping. They are mine!"
Lin Wushuang's expression changed. He didn't expect Yun Fan to be so confident. He quickly warned Yun Fan, "The four of them together have killed Half-step Xiantian experts. Do not be careless!"
"They killed Half-step Xiantian experts, what does that have to do with me!"
Alright! Yun Fan's answer made Lin Wushuang speechless. It seemed he was overthinking it.
Of course, Yun Fan's initiative was not about showing off, but about honing himself. After all, he was only one barrier away from that stage.
The stronger the opponent, the more he liked it, because only by fighting strong opponents could he achieve the desired effect.
"Kid, you're arrogant!"
The four looked at Yun Fan with disdain. The four of them were as one, the most perfect killing machines.
They hadn't expected Yun Fan to dare to face them all alone. Calling Yun Fan arrogant or brainless.
After all, they had killed Half-step Xiantian experts!
"Let's begin!"
As soon as Yun Fan finished speaking, the four attacked him at the fastest speed, a sure kill in an instant.
However, they underestimated Yun Fan, because before they could unleash their killing blow, Yun Fan had already left his original position.
Their killing blow missed completely.
"What?"
The four were surprised that Yun Fan's reaction speed was so fast and that he had guessed their intentions. It seemed they had underestimated Yun Fan after all.
Then, Yun Fan turned the tables and attacked the Third Protector.
In just an instant, Yun Fan went straight for the Third Protector's throat. The Third Protector was shocked and quickly raised his weapon to block in front of him.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound, his sharp blade was directly broken by Yun Fan's bare hands. Fortunately, at this critical moment, the other three arrived, helping him resolve this crisis.
This scene scared Lin Wushuang, who was watching from afar. As expected of killing machines. If it had been him in that attack, he would have been heavily injured in one move.
And Yun Fan not only dodged it easily but also went on the offensive. As expected of a Half-step Xiantian, he was not on the same level as him.
At this moment, the two sides temporarily separated.
"This kid is a Half-step Xiantian, everyone be careful!"
The Great Protector reminded them.
From the previous battle, he could conclude that Yun Fan was not only a Half-step Xiantian but also a top-tier existence among Half-step Xiantian experts.
Although they had the advantage of numbers, and the four were ganging up on one Yun Fan, in the battle, they had an illusion that it wasn't the four of them fighting one Yun Fan, but rather Yun Fan fighting the four of them.
One person could create a sense of pressure for all four of them simultaneously. Such an enemy was unprecedented.
At the same time, Yun Fan had also figured out the strength of the four. The reason they created pressure was their perfect cooperation.
In terms of individual strength, they were at most comparable to Lin Wushuang, or even slightly inferior, but with the combined strength of the four, their power increased exponentially.
Therefore, the best way to deal with the four was to break them one by one. Although it seemed seamless, he firmly believed that everyone would reveal flaws.
Thus, after just a moment, the two sides engaged in battle again. This time, Yun Fan headed straight for the Fourth Protector.
Seeing this, the three protectors behind him immediately changed their combat strategy. Instead of saving the Fourth Protector, they charged directly at Yun Fan.
At this critical juncture, Yun Fan suddenly turned and unleashed a palm strike. The three of them joined forces to withstand Yun Fan's palm strike.
They were immediately forced back several steps before stopping.
"Everyone, I'm going to get serious!"
At this moment, Yun Fan was like a fierce beast. Just his aura made the four change color.
"Form the array!"