Translator: Silavin
Transferring dozens of core members versus transferring alongside thousands of troops, which would be more concealed and attract less attention was patently obvious.
Yet the Ouyang Family had done precisely the opposite, disappearing en masse with their entire household.
This was just too absurd.
Actually, speaking of it, in his previous life, even the Feng Family could not find any clues about the Ouyang Family’s whereabouts!
No matter how capable the Ouyang Family might be, they were merely a Top Tier Force within an Imperial Dynasty. How could they possibly evade the Feng Family’s surveillance network!?
[I had hoped to find some useful clues there, but let’s hope they have some news…] After leaving the Ouyang Family Residence, the first place Qin Yichen went to was the Prince’s mansion.
Seeing the two inseparable Martial Emperors beside Qin Yichen, Long Zexiao’s expression shifted slightly, and his gaze towards Qin Yichen became somewhat different.
Of course, these two Martial Emperor guards were one aspect.
However, most importantly, he had received intelligence that someone had emerged from within the Fallen God Abyss!!!
He had personally interrogated one of those present at the time. According to that person’s description, the individual who had emerged from the Fallen God Abyss should have been Qin Yichen!
Moreover, during that tense period, rumours had also circulated about Qin Yichen entering the Fallen God Abyss.
Perhaps because Qin Yichen was still alive, not many people paid further attention to the veracity of this news. Because in everyone’s subconsciousness, they believed that no one could emerge alive from the Fallen God Abyss!
Even a Martial Emperor could not manage to do it!
Yet Qin Yichen, regardless of his exceptional talent, was merely someone at the Martial King Realm. He was still a considerable distance from the Martial Emperor Realm.
According to Long Zexiao’s intelligence, all evidence suggested that Qin Yichen had visited the Fallen God Abyss and, moreover, had emerged alive!!!
“Your Highness!” Qin Yichen spoke, awakening Long Zexiao from his thoughts. Then Qin Yichen enquired, “I wonder if Your Highness has made any progress regarding the matter I entrusted to you?”
Hearing these words, Long Zexiao frowned and said, “Ever since then, I’ve had people continuously monitoring Ouyang Haotian, but before long, he went to the Feng Family.”
“What about the other members of the Ouyang Family?” Qin Yichen pressed further.
“Apart from frequent contact with the Qian Family, there wasn’t anyone particularly noteworthy.” Long Zexiao shook his head.
At the time, he had not understood why Qin Yichen wanted him to monitor Ouyang Haotian and the Ouyang Family, but now it seemed as though Qin Yichen had anticipated today’s situation all along.
“How could this be…” Qin Yichen muttered to himself with furrowed brows.
This affair was bizarre to the extreme!
“Your Highness, on the night the Ouyang Family disappeared, were there any anomalies in the Imperial City?” He enquired further.
“There were no anomalies, and no one passed through the city gates!” Long Zexiao replied with certainty.
Many servants within the Ouyang Family had not even practised Martial Arts, yet they too had vanished. This was something Long Zexiao could not comprehend either.
“No anomalies, and they didn’t leave through the city gates…” Qin Yichen pondered.
“Then, an Ancient Transportation Array!”
After the Ouyang Family’s collective disappearance, he had not failed to consider this possibility.
However, setting aside whether anyone in the Ouyang Family could master Ancient Transportation Arrays, even if they possessed such knowledge, activating an Ancient Transportation Array was not a simple matter. Moreover, from what he knew, utilising such Arrays would create considerable commotion.
If it was not an Ancient Transportation Array, and they had not left through the city gates, then where on earth had the Ouyang Family gone!?
“Actually, there’s another matter…”
As though having deliberated for a long time, Long Zexiao finally said, “Amongst the Ouyang Family’s leadership, there was an informant on my side, but on that night, he vanished along with them!”
“The informant disappeared as well?” Qin Yichen immediately sensed that far too many things were amiss. He paced back and forth in the hall, his brow furrowing ever tighter.
[Thousands of people vanished without any warning whatsoever, leaving no traces behind. How on earth was this accomplished!?]
Rubbing his increasingly aching head, Qin Yichen made his way to the Xing Family Residence.
“Daddy!” The moment he appeared, Little Ling’er threw herself into his embrace.
“Ling’er is such a good girl.” Qin Yichen affectionately rubbed her little nose while looking towards Lu Linghan and Shu Ruyan, whose excited eyes brimmed with tears.
“I’ve worried everyone.” Qin Yichen first bowed towards Xing Yuhuan. “Brother Xing’s kindness is something I, Qin Yichen, dare not forget.”
This time, if not for Xing Yuhuan’s determined protection of the Soaring Joy Chamber Of Commerce, relying solely on Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai would not have been sufficient to protect everyone. Furthermore, he had learned that the Hidden Family behind the Qian Family had also dispatched their people to assist!
“Brother Qin, you speak as though you are an outsider. Without Brother Qin, how would I, Xing Yuhuan, have achieved my status today!?” Xing Yuhuan laughed heartily, not claiming any credit whatsoever.
Behind him, several Xing Family Elders, upon seeing the two Feng Family Martial Emperors behind Qin Yichen, immediately widened their eyes.
The Feng Family had actually dispatched two Martial Emperors to serve as Qin Yichen’s personal bodyguards. What manner of treatment was this!?
Thinking of the Ouyang Family’s fate and the currently reclusive Qian Family and other Forces, they felt incredibly fortunate.
After lengthy courtesies, everyone finally entered the main hall together and sat down.
“You rascal, what trouble did you stir up in the Feng Family this time?”
“Oh yes, I heard you went to the Fallen God Abyss?”
“What exactly happened with the Ouyang Family…”
Everyone had endless questions.
Regarding matters within the Feng Family, Qin Yichen revealed nothing, and concerning whether he had entered the Fallen God Abyss, he merely smiled without answering.
He wondered whether he would ever see that nameless Elder again.
Without him, when falling into the abyss, Qin Yichen would likely have already perished.
It was the Jade Pendant that had saved him!
As for the Ouyang Family matter, Qin Yichen did not conceal anything.
“Ouyang Haotian committed acts that neither Heaven nor Earth could tolerate…” Thinking of Feng Qianxue, Qin Yichen’s fists involuntarily clenched.
Recalling how Ouyang Haotian and the Ouyang Family had escaped unscathed made his chest feel as though a stone was lodged within it, causing intense discomfort.
“You’re saying those ordinary servants and the informant all disappeared together?”
Upon hearing Qin Yichen describe the situation within the Ouyang Family, Ye Liangchen interjected.
“Yes.” Qin Yichen nodded heavily.
“That’s strange. How could they not take anything with them? It’s not as though they were kidnapped. Why wouldn’t they take any belongings!?” Ye Liangchen muttered.
“Kidnapped?” His offhand remark suddenly caused a flash of inspiration to streak through Qin Yichen’s mind, and he murmured, “Kidnapped… kidnapped…”
“Exactly! If the entire Ouyang Family had evacuated, it would be impossible for them not to take anything, and impossible for them to bring everyone along. But if they were kidnapped…”
“What if they were annihilated!?” Suddenly, as though struck by a realisation, Qin Yichen’s body trembled. He immediately stood up abruptly and headed towards the door.
He absolutely had to visit the Ouyang Family Residence once more to verify something.
Had the Ouyang Family collectively evacuated, or had they been completely exterminated!?
Although, considering the Imperial Dynasty’s current situation, no Force possessed the capability to silently annihilate the Ouyang Family, but what if the perpetrators came from a Force beyond the Imperial Dynasty!?