Chapter 235:

Xiang Haoti watched the group with undisguised frustration on his face.

“Will someone step forward and explain what happened?” he demanded.

His voice carried an unmistakable air of authority, and his presence alone was enough to make the surrounding cultivators straighten their backs.

The crowd naturally parted to make way for him, and the circle around the confrontation grew wider as people hurried to give the general room to enter.

Now that even a royal envoy had become involved, the commotion had attracted far more attention than before. Everyone wanted to know what had happened, and no one was willing to miss the chance to witness such a major incident firsthand.

Peng Tianqe immediately seized the opportunity.

“General Xiang, I have an explanation!” he declared, pointing directly at Lin Xuan. “The Lin Family’s patriarch is responsible for the disappearance of our Peng Family’s patriarch, Peng Tianyuan!”

Xiang Haoti turned his attention toward the old man, his expression remaining stern.

“Explain yourself.”

Peng Tianqe cupped his hands before continuing, his voice filled with indignation.

“Not long ago, the life lamp belonging to our patriarch went out. That can only mean one thing: he has perished!”

He paused briefly, allowing his words to sink in before continuing.

“However, before his life lamp extinguished, it had shown signs of recovery. Its light had been flickering weakly, but it was gradually stabilizing. We believed our patriarch was still alive and might soon return.”

Peng Tianqe’s expression darkened as he pointed toward Lin Xuan again.

“Then Lin Xuan entered the Yew Woods. Shortly after his arrival, our patriarch’s life lamp suddenly went out completely. And now, Lin Xuan has returned alive and well, while our patriarch is dead!”

His voice grew louder with every sentence, drawing the attention of everyone within earshot.

“Does that not seem suspicious to you, General Xiang?”

Without waiting for a response, Peng Tianqe continued laying out his accusations.

“Furthermore, the Lin Family is hosting the current hunting event. As its patriarch, Lin Xuan has access to information about the cultivators entering and leaving the forest. He could easily have kept track of our patriarch’s movements and waited for the right opportunity.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed as he delivered his final accusation.

“Once he confirmed that our patriarch had entered the Yew Woods, he took advantage of the opportunity to strike. He knew that the mist would make it difficult for anyone to discover what happened inside, allowing him to kill our patriarch without leaving witnesses!”

The surrounding crowd erupted into whispers.

Some cultivators exchanged doubtful glances, while others turned toward Lin Xuan, curious to see how he would respond. The connection between Peng Tianyuan’s death and Lin Xuan’s return from the Yew Woods certainly sounded suspicious when presented in that manner.

However, suspicion was not proof.

Xiang Haoti listened without interrupting, his gaze moving from Lin Xuan to Peng Tianqe.

“Those are serious accusations,” he finally said. “Do you have any evidence that Lin Xuan personally killed Peng Tianyuan, beyond the timing of their visits to the Yew Woods?”

Peng Tianqe’s expression stiffened slightly, but he quickly recovered.

“The circumstances speak for themselves, General. Our patriarch was alive when Lin Xuan entered the forest, and his life lamp extinguished shortly afterward. If that is not enough to warrant an investigation, then what is?”

Xiang Haoti did not immediately answer.

Instead, he turned toward Lin Xuan, waiting to hear the other side of the story.

But before Lin Xuan could get even a second, a sudden commotion erupted from the Hao Family’s side.

“Patriarch! Patriarch, what’s wrong?”

Hao Zhenshan, who had been leaning against Peng Tianqe for support, suddenly stiffened. His eyes widened, and his body convulsed violently as another mouthful of black blood spilled from his mouth.

Before anyone could react, his head slumped forward.

“Patriarch Hao!”

The Hao Family cultivators rushed toward him in panic, but their patriarch no longer responded. His aura rapidly weakened, and the last trace of life left his body.

Hao Zhenshan was dead.

For a brief moment, the entire area fell silent.

Then the crowd erupted into an uproar.

“The Hao Family’s patriarch died too?”

“What is happening today? First, Peng Tianyuan disappears, and now Hao Zhenshan has suddenly died!”

“Could the Lin Family really be responsible for both incidents?”

Lin Xuan had not even begun explaining himself when the situation took another unexpected turn.

His gaze settled on Hao Zhenshan’s lifeless body. Although his expression remained calm, his eyes grew slightly colder.

How convenient.

He had already suspected that Peng Tianqe was trying to frame him. Now, with Hao Zhenshan dead before the royal envoy, the old man’s accusations would become far more difficult to dismiss.

Sure enough, Peng Tianqe reacted almost immediately.

He staggered backward, putting on an expression of horror as he pointed at Lin Xuan.

“General Xiang, you have seen it with your own eyes! First, Peng Tianyuan was murdered, and now Hao Zhenshan has died in front of everyone!”

He raised his voice until everyone nearby could hear him.

“This is no coincidence! Lin Xuan is deliberately eliminating the patriarchs of the two Rank Nine families in Southwatch City!”

The crowd’s whispers gradually subsided as people listened to his accusation.

Peng Tianqe continued, his expression growing increasingly indignant.

“Think about it, General! With the Peng and Hao patriarchs gone, who stands to benefit the most? The Lin Family has been expanding its influence under Lin Xuan’s leadership. If he eliminates the two strongest families in Southwatch City, he can extend his influence into their territory without facing much resistance!”

He pointed at Lin Xuan once more.

“This is his ambition! He wants to expand the Lin Family into Southwatch City, and he is willing to murder anyone who stands in his way!”

Several Peng Family cultivators immediately voiced their agreement, while the Hao Family members stared at Lin Xuan with grief and growing hostility.

Peng Tianqe seized the opportunity and continued his attack.

“General Xiang, this is not merely a personal feud between our families. If someone is using murder to seize control of an entire city, then the consequences will affect the whole kingdom!”