Adam Cooper examined Old Abbey for a moment, then drew in a sharp breath. “A third of the ribs are broken, all the internal organs have shifted, and the heart was directly shattered—killed in a single blow... What a domineering punch. This kind of force is absolutely beyond what a fourth-level martial artist could unleash.”

“It must have been a fifth-level martial grandmaster who struck. Look here.”

Benjamin Lee walked over to the spot where the wall had been smashed through and said, “The opponent broke the wall first, then struck Old Abbey's body. Although this wall isn’t load-bearing, it’s still quite sturdy. Even for us, it would take special force techniques to punch through it. Such overwhelming power is not something a martial arts master could possess. In fact, even some martial grandmasters who lack strength or skill in punching might not be able to generate such terrifying force.”

Adam Cooper stared at the wall for a while, then moved to the shattered window, carefully examining the windowsill where William King had pushed off for leverage. He then looked into the distance, his expression growing more and more grave. “Dodged bullets, leapt upstairs, crashed through a window, punched through a wall, killed with a single blow... The whole process was seamless... There’s no doubt the opponent is a martial grandmaster. What truly shocks me is—how did he avoid the sniper fire from the Eight-Armed Garuda!?”

“Maybe the killing intent was leaked before the shot, and the grandmaster sensed it in advance.”

“Are there any cameras nearby?”

Adam Cooper neither confirmed nor denied, turning his gaze to a middle-aged man who had followed them.

“This building is across from the villa district in Linjiang City, so it’s not part of the wealthy area anymore. There aren’t any cameras installed. But since this is the suburbs, there aren’t many people coming and going. If we investigate carefully, we might still be able to find out who did it.”

The middle-aged man replied.

“Go investigate quickly.”

Benjamin Lee gave the order, then stood at the broken window, scanning the surroundings. His gaze finally settled on the The Carter Family villa, partially hidden by greenery. “The best target to monitor from this spot is the The Carter Family villa. Was the Eight-Armed Garuda Old Abbey after the Flying Immortal Sword Grace Carter? What has that girl been up to lately? First it was the demonic prodigy Stephen Ward, and now another Eight-Armed Garuda has shown up. We old men are all getting on edge because of her...”

“The Flying Immortal Sword Grace Carter? Maybe it’s just a coincidence. If the Eight-Armed Garuda was after Grace Carter, would he have failed? Or are you saying Grace Carter has already broken through to the fifth level and become a martial grandmaster?”

Mark Evans joked to lighten the mood.

Adam Cooper and Benjamin Lee thought about it, but couldn’t be sure either. If Old Abbey really was after Grace Carter, why would he die here? The The Carter Family does have some influence in Linjiang City, but ever since Brian Carter died, only Grace Carter remains as a fourth-level martial artist. If the Eight-Armed Garuda Old Abbey wanted to deal with the The Carter Family, they’d have no way to resist.

“That may be true, but the Green Province has been unstable lately. I’ll invite President Arthur King from the main association to come and oversee things for a while. Hopefully, that will deter the riffraff from the crooked paths.”

“President President King from the main association is coming? That’s great.”

“The Carter Family...”

The presidents’ speculation made Lily think of something, but she didn’t dare voice it in front of them. Instead, she tugged at Emma Sullivan’s sleeve and whispered, “Emma, do you think this has anything to do with William King?”

“William King? How does this involve William King?”

Emma Sullivan was puzzled.

“When I called President Evans, I happened to see William King coming out of this building. And... and there seemed to be some dust on him...”

“What!?”

Emma Sullivan’s expression immediately turned serious.

The matter with Stephen Ward could be chalked up to coincidence, but now the Eight-Armed Garuda Old Abbey is also connected to William King. Even if Emma Sullivan found it hard to believe, she sensed something unusual.

“This William King... Let’s go pay a visit to the The Carter Family.”

……

William King returned to the villa. In the living room, a servant was serving snacks and desserts. On the sofa, Claire Carter and Claire Bailey were chatting idly, apparently complaining that Grace Carter wouldn’t go hiking with them. In the lounge area, Grace Carter’s friend Ethan Cook was flipping through a photo album.

William King’s arrival didn’t cause any stir in the living room. Claire Carter glanced at him and continued chatting with Claire Bailey, treating him as if he were invisible.

“Is Grace Carter here?”

William King didn’t mind and addressed the butler, George Wright.

“Miss is entertaining guests. Does Mr. King need something?”

George Wright responded with neither humility nor arrogance. His tone lacked the hostility of Claire Carter, but wasn’t particularly friendly either. His politeness was just as if he were dealing with any guest.

“Mm, have her pause for a moment. It’s about time. There are some things she needs to understand and make a choice about.”

William King said, heading toward his own room.

But his tone made the always-displeased Claire Carter bristle. “Hey, William King, what’s with your attitude? What do you mean, ‘have her pause for a moment’? My sister is entertaining guests—the daughter of Martial Arts Association President Mark Evans, Anna Evans. Can’t it wait until she’s done? Besides, what business could you possibly have?”

William King glanced at Claire Carter, smiled, and said nothing.

“What’s with that look? Why are you smiling? Did I give you permission to smile?”