Alvin Morgan glanced back at the person in the interrogation room, his brow furrowing slightly. "We don’t have any evidence yet."

Arthur Lockwood’s temper flared. "How could it not be them?" he snarled. "We’re their mortal enemies!"

He wanted nothing more than to storm the Trent Family’s estate right then and there.

The Lockwood Family had sacrificed dozens of their best to drive the Trent Family out of Kingsford.

The Trent Family was like a venomous snake, capable of lashing out for one last bite even in death.

But Alvin Morgan’s voice on the other end of the line was placid. "The Martial Affairs Bureau only acts on evidence."

"Are we just going to let it go?"

"We won’t." A cold glint flashed in Alvin Morgan’s eyes.

***

After more than four hours of treatment, Elias Lennox was stabilized and moved to the ICU. That same night, he was flown back to Kingsford on a private jet provided by the Lockwood Family.

The next day, news of the attack on DAF hit the headlines of major gaming sites, entertainment platforms, and news outlets.

The faces of the seven death-sworn assailants were also released to the public. The Martial Affairs Bureau called on DAF’s massive fanbase to help find clues in Harbor City regarding an eighth attacker, offering a reward of up to 500,000.

When the Trent Family saw the news, their faces darkened. They had sent eight people, and only one had escaped. That person still hadn’t contacted them, making them a ticking time bomb.

Victor Trent’s face was a thunderous mask as he glared at Drake Trent and roared, "Didn’t you say it was foolproof?"

Drake Trent glanced at a subordinate who was trembling with fear, then lowered his head. "The oversight was mine, Father."

"Clean up our tracks, quickly! The Morgans and the Lockwoods are not to be underestimated..."

"They were all death-sworn operatives," Drake Trent replied, his eyes dark as he clenched his fists tightly. "They don’t know the Trent Family was behind this."

Victor Trent stared at him for a moment before warning, "Drake, before you act, think about what happened to your brother..."

The color drained from Drake Trent’s face.

The news sent the entire gaming community into an uproar. DAF’s fans were so furious they nearly tore the event organizers to shreds online.

They all turned into amateur sleuths, scouring the streets and alleys of Harbor City for clues.

The power of the fanbase was not to be underestimated; they actually managed to dig up a few leads.

Several of the seven death-sworn assailants had been spotted near properties owned by the Trent Family.

One fan boldly speculated: could the Trent Family be involved? Though it was baseless conjecture, the comment was briefly liked by DAF’s official social media account. The "like" was quickly removed, but not before screenshots were taken. Public opinion began to spread like a virus.

The Trent Family’s PR department immediately issued a denial, but its impact was severely weakened when DAF underperformed in the playoffs, suffering a crushing defeat against the Spark Team in their second match.

DAF’s manager, Gideon Lockwood, appeared haggard before the cameras. He choked up several times while speaking about the absent Elias Lennox, winning the sympathy of the entire internet.

The entire online narrative, as if expertly manipulated, turned overwhelmingly against the Trent Family.

[So many coincidences? All seven suspects were spotted near different Trent Family properties?]

[Exactly! The Trents must have pulled some strings to make the Spark Team win.]

[I heard the Trent Family’s eldest son is a shareholder in the Spark Team.]

[Smoking gun! The Trent Family’s eldest son is a citizen of Crestland. His father met with a Crestland business tycoon right before the match. (Image)]

Several clear photos spread like wildfire online, especially the one showing the nationality section of Drake Trent’s passport, which was glaringly conspicuous.

It was like poking a hornet’s nest. The entire Trent Family was vilified online, and the public was so incensed they seemed to forget what the original issue was.

More and more people began boycotting the Trent Family’s businesses, which even started to affect their strategic plans in Kingsford.

Victor Trent smashed his phone in a rage and sat fuming on the sofa.

"Family Head, we miscalculated this time. I never expected the disciple from Sunstone to be so powerful. The Young Master of the Morgan Family has struck first, and public opinion is entirely on their side. We’re now on the defensive, forced to try and salvage our reputation. It’s time to move forward with the Young Master’s participation in the Martial King Level tournament."

Two days later, aboard a plane, Arthur Lockwood saw the official announcement from the Trent Family. He let out a cold snort, but a smirk played on his lips.

’Morgan really killed two birds with one stone,’ he thought. ’On the surface, it looks like he launched a media war to get back at the Trent Family, but he was actually dismantling the Martial King gambit they had set up.’

’They wanted to use the "Martial King" publicity stunt to capture the nation’s attention, paving their way back into Kingsford and the Martial World. But now that they’ve been forced to announce it prematurely, the impact will be greatly diminished.’

And sure enough, the news about Drake Trent being a Martial King was met with mixed reactions, including significant backlash. DAF fans, in particular, publicly accused the Trent Family of using the "Martial King" title to whitewash their image, calling it an insult to the title itself.

Shortly after the Trent Family’s announcement, the Veridian Martial Alliance released a statement of its own:

[The Alliance has approved Mr. Drake Trent’s application to compete. This year, two Martial King Level contestants will participate in the international tournament.]

This announcement further diluted the impact of the Trent Family’s news, and as a result, Drake Trent’s reveal failed to generate the same level of excitement as Marshall Lowell’s had.

***

In the hospital room, Elias Lennox was awake but still unable to move.

Leigh Miles was beside him, seriously feeding him some clear broth. Elias Lennox managed a weak smile and teased, "You’ll never get married with such a long face, Junior Sister. I’m not dead, am I?"

"Don’t say things like that!" Leigh Miles’s eyes started to well up again. She was consumed with guilt.

Elias Lennox quickly changed the subject. "Alright, alright, I’ll stop. Where’s our senior sister?"

"She went with Morgan to the Martial Affairs Bureau to investigate the case."

"Who did it?"

Leigh Miles pulled out her phone and showed him. "It was these people. One of them got away."

"They look so unremarkable," Elias Lennox analyzed, his brow furrowed. "Are they professional assassins?"

Leigh Miles shook her head and pouted. "I don’t know. Senior Sister won’t tell me anything about the investigation."

"Well, you’re still young," Elias Lennox replied understandingly. Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him, he asked, "Leigh Miles, be honest with your senior brother. Is our senior sister at the Advanced Martial King level?"

His eyes were shining, his face filled with hopeful anticipation.

The way Aurora had manipulated the Yellow Sand that day... it didn’t seem like the kind of power someone in the Martial King Realm could wield.

Leigh Miles froze. She glanced around warily before lowering her voice. "Don’t tell anyone. Senior Sister has already broken through the Martial King Realm."

Although Elias had been prepared for it, he was still stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief. "She’s... a Great Martial King?"

"Mhm... Senior Sister was the one who crippled Marshall Lowell."

Elias was so shocked he broke into a coughing fit. Leigh Miles quickly patted his back to help him breathe and gave him some water.

After a long moment, once his coughing subsided, Elias asked with a complex expression, "Does the Young Master of the Morgan Family know about this?"

Leigh Miles nodded.

Elias Lennox’s brow furrowed slightly. "Junior Sister, you need to be more careful when dealing with people from the Great Families. You can’t just tell anyone this, okay?"

Leigh Miles nodded again.

***

「Elsewhere.」

In a secret Martial Affairs Bureau detention center, Alvin Morgan met with Marshall Shaw.

The man looked utterly haggard, with streaks of silver showing in his black hair and exhaustion etched deep into his features.

He had been interrogated relentlessly over the past few days, and his nerves were stretched to the breaking point.

Alvin Morgan had come to question him about the Spider Woman’s murder of the drug-enhanced Chameleon, but Marshall Shaw knew very little about the drugs that induced the transformation.

He offered only a single lead: the head of the West Family, a suspect in that case, might have ties to the Trent Family of Syland Province.

He had once received a message from the West Family Head, ordering him to kill Norman Trent inside the Martial Affairs Bureau.

As Alvin Morgan prepared to leave, Marshall Shaw suddenly asked, "Am I going to die?"

Alvin Morgan glanced back at him, his face devoid of expression, and walked out of the cell.

As the iron door clanged shut, Marshall Shaw slowly lowered his head. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and his lips twisted into a strange smile.

’How could I let ants like you ruin the Master’s grand plan?’

Alvin Morgan left the detention center with Aurora Sinclair. Once in the car, he said in a low voice, "It’s time for us to head to the Trent Family’s main base."

Aurora Sinclair nodded.

"Morgan, do you have other business to attend to?"

Alvin Morgan, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, paused for a moment. "No."

"Can you take me to the hospital? My junior sister said Lennox is awake..."

Alvin’s eyes snapped open. He turned to face her and reminded her, "Aurora, even though Elias Lennox saved Leigh Miles, you still can’t tell him anything about Sunstone."

Aurora Sinclair studied him for a moment, a strange glint in her eyes. Finally, she nodded and turned to look out the window.

"Is he still a suspect?"

Alvin sighed to himself. "For now, it seems not..."