In this chaotic world of martial arts, I'll become a god by adding skill points!

Chen Zhiyang walked towards us.

"Senior brother, I heard a noise and came to see if there's anything I can do to help."

Wang Anping hid himself very well, pretending that he had just arrived from the outer city.

"You're too late, the evil spirit is dead."

"Dead?" Where is the body? Wang Anping looked at the other person with some surprise.

"They're everywhere, including under your feet." Chen Zhiyang glanced around and pointed to Wang Anping's location.

"Huh?" Only then did Wang Anping realize that there was indeed a strong smell of blood in the air. It turned out that it was the flesh and blood of the evil spirit.

"Who killed him? Isn't this evil spirit supposed to be very powerful?" He was somewhat surprised.

"Hehe, who else could it be but our county magistrate?"

No one expected that he had hidden himself so well; he was actually a master at the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm.

At the crucial moment, he smashed the evil spirit to pieces with a single punch.

Chen Zhiyang said with a smile, while patting him on the shoulder: "Junior brother, you didn't expect this, did you? Our small county town is actually full of hidden talents, with even a mid-stage Transformation Realm cultivator emerging."

Wang Anping was startled, but quickly calmed down.

If the Liu family patriarch is at the early stage of the Transformation Realm, then it's not surprising that Magistrate Chen is at the Transformation Realm as well.

But are all the people in this world so cowardly? They're all at the Transformation Realm, yet they're all hiding their abilities?

Thinking about it, it makes sense. After all, the dynasty has been peaceful for so many years, and the leaders of each family haven't taken action, so very few people know their true strength.

"Indeed, there are hidden talents among the hidden masters."

Wang Anping nodded and looked into the Chen family compound.

Chen Chaoming, Fei Hong, and the heads of other major families and martial arts schools were all standing inside.

Several of them looked at Chen Jinghua with fawning expressions, seemingly trying to curry favor.

Only Chen Chaoming and Fei Hong showed no change in expression, simply standing calmly to one side without saying a word.

Wang Anping kept a close eye on things, wanting to observe them more carefully.

Suddenly, I heard hurried footsteps in the distance, accompanied by heart-wrenching screams.

The man's voice was panicked and choked with sobs as he ran towards the Chen family compound.

"Something terrible has happened! Master Chen, Master Fei, and all you esteemed officials, we beg you to save the Liu family!"

Upon hearing the sound, everyone stopped talking and turned their gazes toward the direction from which the sound came.

A young man dressed in Liu family attire stumbled and ran towards them.

His body was covered in blood and dust, his clothes were tattered, and his face was covered in wounds.

His left leg seemed to be injured, and he walked with a limp, looking quite disheveled.

He ran to the entrance of the Chen family compound, but could no longer hold on. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.

He braced himself on the ground with both hands, panting heavily.

Tears mingled with blood as they streamed down her face, her voice choked with sobs: "No...nothing's wrong! Our chieftain...our chieftain has been killed!"

These words caused an uproar, and everyone's expression changed.

The previous calm and fawning vanished instantly, replaced by intense surprise and disbelief.

"What?! Liu Wanshan has been killed?"

The head of the Sun-style Martial Arts School spoke first, his tone one of shock, and he waved his hands repeatedly.

"Impossible! Just now when we were besieging the evil spirit, Liu Wanshan even personally took action."

"How could I have died even though I was scratched by evil spirits?"

"Yes, the evil spirit fled just now, and we all chased after it."

They were together the whole time, who would have had time to kill Liu Wanshan?

The head of the Li family also frowned, his tone puzzled, his eyes full of confusion.

"Moreover, Liu Wanshan is a master at the early stage of the Transformation Realm. Even if he is seriously injured, ordinary martial artists cannot get close to him. Who can kill him?"

Chen Chaoming and Fei Hong exchanged a glance, and their expressions finally changed.

His brows furrowed slightly, his expression grave, and he remained silent.

But a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in their eyes. They really hadn't expected Liu Wanshan to be killed at this time, which completely disrupted their plans.

Chen Jinghua stood in the center of the crowd, his expression still calm, though a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He spoke in a composed tone:

"What's the panic? Speak slowly. Where was Liu Wanshan killed? Was there anything unusual?"

The disciple, upon hearing Chen Jinghua's voice, grasped at a straw.

He kowtowed hurriedly, his voice choked with sobs: "Reporting to Lord Chen, the clan chief was killed behind the broken wall on the west side of the Liu family mansion."

When we returned, we found the chieftain lying on the ground, his skull shattered, and he was already dead…

"Skull shattered?"

Chen Chaoming frowned even more deeply, his tone grave.

"To be able to kill a severely injured early-stage Transformation Realm expert with a single punch, the murderer's strength must be at least Transformation Realm or the Great Perfection of three Dark Realm experts."

Fei Hong spoke slowly, his tone cold and scrutinizing.

"Just now, we were all chasing the evil spirit, from the Liu family mansion to the Chen family, and we didn't separate the whole time."

Logically speaking, no one should have had time to kill Liu Wanshan.

Could it be that an outsider infiltrated the county and killed Liu Wanshan in the chaos?

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement, their faces full of approval.

After all, during the siege and pursuit of the evil spirits just now.

All the masters at the Hua Jin and An Jin levels were present.

There were witnesses to testify throughout the entire process, and both had alibis, so it was impossible for one of them to have killed Liu Wanshan.

"Let's go check out the Liu family mansion!"

Chen Jinghua took the first step, his tone firm.

"If Liu Wanshan is killed in the county town and the murderer cannot be found, people will surely be in a state of panic in the future."

As the magistrate, I am determined to uncover the truth and bring justice to the Liu family.

As he said this, he glanced almost imperceptibly at Chen Chaoming and Fei Hong. They had just discovered some of the two men's movements yesterday and hadn't even had time to make any arrangements, and today Liu Wanshan was dead?

He simply didn't believe that this matter had nothing to do with the two of them!

Upon hearing his words, everyone agreed and followed closely behind, heading towards the Liu family mansion.

Chen Chaoming and Fei Hong walked at the back of the crowd, talking in hushed tones, their expressions solemn.

They were clearly pondering Liu Wanshan's murder, wondering if a third party had intervened and disrupted their plans.

Chen Zhiyang's face was full of surprise. He tugged at Wang Anping's sleeve and whispered:

"Junior brother, I didn't expect Liu Wanshan to be killed. This is too sudden. Who do you think did it?"

"How dare they be so bold as to kill the Liu family patriarch at this time!"

Wang Anping also appeared surprised, and said in a puzzled tone, "I don't know, let's go and take a look."

He felt unusually calm, even somewhat enlightened.

After killing Liu Wanshan, he deliberately restrained his own energy and used the surrounding black energy to cover the aura on the fist imprint.

Even Chen Jinghua, who is at the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm, might not be able to tell that it was a trace left by his Xingyi Quan.

Moreover, he only appears to be at the mid-stage of Inner Strength, so no one would suspect him.

He glanced at Chen Chaoming and Fei Hong walking ahead, and saw that the two of them were talking to each other with their heads down and their expressions were somewhat solemn.

The group walked quickly toward the Liu family mansion, the night still deep.

The stench of blood and the black mist in the air grew stronger, and the tragic state of the Liu family mansion remained shocking.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the broken wall on the west side.

There, Liu Wanshan's body still lay in the same spot, his skull shattered.

Chen Jinghua squatted down, gently brushing his fingertips across Liu Wanshan's body, and then sniffed the surrounding air, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

"The killer is very strong, with powerful punches, and is also good at concealing his aura."

The remaining energy was very weak, mixed with malevolent black energy, making it impossible to discern the style or method of the technique.

"Sir, what should we do now?"

A family head spoke cautiously, his tone tinged with panic.

"The killer is so skilled and so secretive, we can't find any clues at all."

Chen Jinghua stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone icy:

"Everyone stay where you are and do not leave without permission. Thoroughly search every corner of the Liu family mansion."

Even if it means digging three feet into the ground, we must find the clues left by the murderer.

In addition, people were sent to seal off all the city gates of the county, and no one was allowed to leave the city without authorization.

Since the murderer was able to sneak into the county town and kill Liu Wanshan, he most likely hasn't had time to leave yet.

"Yes, sir!"

The crowd responded and quickly dispersed to begin searching the Liu family mansion.

He looked tense, afraid of missing any clue.

Chen Chaoming and Fei Hong stood to the side, their gazes fixed on Liu Wanshan's corpse, a complex expression flashing in their eyes.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt and wariness in each other's eyes.

They simply couldn't understand who would make a move at this time.

They killed Liu Wanshan, and did it so cleanly and efficiently, without leaving a trace.

Wang Anping mingled in the crowd, observing everyone's reactions discreetly.

He thought to himself: Right now, everyone is searching for clues, and no one will suspect him.

This is a good opportunity to slip away and check on Zhou Hu's situation, to see if he has found a place to hide from the disaster.

There are many people and suspicious eyes here; every second you stay increases the risk of being exposed.

Just showing his face will dispel any suspicions. It'll save him from trouble if some fool tries to search his place later.

Chen Zhiyang stood to the side, muttering under his breath, "Liu Wanshan just revealed his Transformation Realm strength, and he's already been killed. That's strange. Who did it?"

As Chen Chaoming's confidant, he was certainly aware of all their current plans, but killing Liu Wanshan was not part of those plans!

Who could have done this? And what was their purpose?

He, too, was caught in a state of confusion.

At this moment, Wang An, the culprit, spoke up from the side, still pretending to be honest and simple.

He said, "Senior brother, since there's nothing else, I'll head back. I can't be of much help in finding the murderer, so I'd better go home as soon as possible."

"Okay, go ahead. Remember to come to the martial arts school tomorrow night." Chen Zhiyang nodded and casually agreed.

While still pondering the strangeness of Liu Wanshan's death, he didn't think much about why Liu was in such a hurry to leave.

After all, everyone was in a state of unease, and Wang Anping was a disciple at the mid-stage of the Dark Force realm.

They couldn't really help much in finding the killer, so it was reasonable for them to go back early.

Wang Anping felt relieved and quickly replied, "Okay, Senior Brother, I'll definitely be there on time tomorrow."

After saying that, he pretended to be nonchalant and turned to walk out of the Chen family compound.

He kept an eye on his surroundings to make sure no one was following him.

He gradually quickened his pace and headed towards his home in the outer city.

As night deepened, the streets and alleys of the outer city had long lost their former vibrancy.

Every household closed their doors and turned off their lights, with only a few lanterns flickering in the corners, casting the street light on and off.

Wang Anping moved through the streets and alleys like a blur, and soon arrived at the gate of his own courtyard.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a straw hat and put it on his head.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Zhou Hu, accompanied by four trusted henchmen, armed themselves and stood guard vigilantly inside.

His expression was serious, his body tense, and he remained on guard at all times.

Seeing Wang Anping approaching wearing a bamboo hat, Zhou Hu immediately sheathed his weapon and hurried to greet him, his tone both respectful and urgent:

"Master Linghu, I have successfully completed my mission. Everything is quiet and nothing unusual has been found."

Wang Anping waved his hand, signaling everyone to relax, then closed the courtyard gate and said in a low voice:

"Well done. How's the place I asked you to find for shelter? Did you find it?"

His biggest concern at that moment was the safety of his family.

Only by finding a safe place to hide can one put their mind at ease and focus on dealing with the subsequent conflicts.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Hu's face lit up with joy, and he quickly nodded:

"I have successfully completed my mission and found it!"

One of my men is a hunter from the mountains.

He said there was a hidden cave in the deep mountains, about 20 miles from the county seat.

I went to see it myself earlier.

The cave was located in an extremely remote area, hidden deep in a dense forest, and ordinary people could not find it at all.

Moreover, the cave is dry and spacious inside, with a natural water source and many interconnected passages.

Easy to defend and difficult to attack, it is perfect for avoiding disaster.

As he spoke, Zhou Hu took out a simple map from his pocket and handed it to Wang Anping.

Pointing to a mark on the map, he explained in detail:

"Look, this is the location of the cave."

Starting from the county town, you can reach it in less than an hour by taking the small path behind the mountain.

I had already had the cave cleared in advance and had also set up cover at the entrance.

Even if outsiders get nearby, they won't be able to tell there's a hiding place inside.

Wang Anping took the map, looked it over carefully, and then listened to Zhou Hu explain the details of the cave.

A satisfied expression appeared on his face, and he slowly nodded:

"Good, well done. This location is well hidden and safe enough."

A huge weight was finally lifted from his heart, and he had this cave.

Even if the situation in the county gets completely out of control, at least his family will be safe and sound.

"Make the arrangements," Wang Anping instructed firmly, putting away the map.

"Tomorrow morning, you will lead your men to prepare supplies: food, healing pills, and warm clothing."

We need to prepare plenty of these things, the more the better, since we don't know how long we'll be staying in the mountains.

The day after tomorrow morning, you will personally lead a group to pick up the people in this courtyard, and you will all stay there as well.

Something big is going to happen in the county town in a few days. You should all go and hide there. I will notify you to come out when the time comes.

Remember this! Be sure to do it quietly and don't alert anyone.

Avoid all eyes and ears and safely escort them into the cave.

"Understood!" Zhou Hu nodded heavily, his tone firm.

He didn't ask much about what would happen in the county town in a few days; in his mind, Wang Anping was a big shot.

He never doubted that an adult like that was saying something big was going to happen.

"Don't worry, sir, I will definitely handle it well and there will be no mistakes."

I will personally inventory the supplies, and I will choose the most secluded routes for pick-up and drop-off.

Wang Anping patted Zhou Hu on the shoulder, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes:

"Thank you for your hard work. This matter is of great importance and must not be taken lightly."

You can leave now. Once you've arranged the supplies, just tell my entourage.

"Yes, I understand!"

Zhou Hu respectfully responded, then immediately turned around, gathered his confidants, and left the courtyard.

He didn't say a word about what he should or shouldn't ask.

Wang Anping stood in the courtyard, gazing at the night sky, his thoughts churning.

..........