Incontrasttothe Chapmanfamily’sapproach,theQuillenfamilyadheredto
thearrangementssetbytheNuthanaMartialArtsAssociation,optingtotake
acarbacktotheirhotel.
Duetotheneedtowaitforthesearrangements,theiritinerarywasless
flexibleandswifparedtothatoftheChapmanfamilyandtheZelinsky
family.
Afterabriefwait,thegroupboardedthecarandreturnedtothehotel.
Despitethewait,theatmosphereremained cheerful.Afterall,theyhad
sessfullysecuredaspotinthetop8.
IntheeyesofMackenzie’saunties,eveniftheydidn’tultimatelywinthe
championship,theQuillenfamilyhadalreadygainedsignificantprestige.
TheirperformanceservedasaremindertoNuthanathatYeringhamwasnot
tobeunderestimated!
Asthecarapproachedthehotel,theQuillenfamilywastakenabackbythe
unexpected sight.Thehotelentranceasswarmingwithpeople,creatinga
<b>was</b>
177Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.
Chapter1619LunaMooneWas Assassinated
chaoticscene.
Curiousandconcerned,theystrainedtohearthesourceofthmotion.
Suddenly,Nathan’sfuriousvoicecutthroughthecrowd.
<b>“</b>Investigate!Youmustthoroughlyinvestigatethis!”hethundered.“Otherwise,
I,NathanChapman,willneverletitrest!”Hisangerreverberated,echoinghis
determination.
Butthatwasn’tall.Nathan’sfrustrationspilledover.<b>“</b><b>This</b>isgoingtoofar!”he
continued.“DotheythinkmyChapmanfamily’swealthofseveralhundred
billion isn’tworthconsidering?Ordotheythinkwe’repushovers?”
Emmanuel,sensingthetension,swiftlyguidedMackenzieoutofthecar.
ShaneandFrederickcleareda path,allowingtheQuillenfamilymembersto
reachtheheartofthecrowd.
Andthere,inthemidstofthechaos,theywitnessedashockingscene..
LunaMoone,whohadjustshakenhandswithEmmanuel,was foundlying
motionlessonthefloorandhadbeenshotinthehead!
Chapter1619LunaMooneWasAssassinated
Emmanuel’ssharp eyesassessedthesituationwithrity.Theassassin<b>had</b>
wieldedanFR–F2sniperrifle,lyinginambushatthehotelentrance.Assoon
asLunasteppedoutofthecar,theshotrangout!
Thesuddennessoftheattacklefteveryonestunned.“Ican’tbelieveit!”Shane
eximed urgently.“Quick,protectEmmanuel!”TheQuillenfamilymembers
wereonedge,sensingthattheattackseemedspecificallytargetedatthe
advancingcontestants.
Emmanuel,caughtinaparadox,appreciatedeveryone’sprotectiveinstincts.
Yet,theircloseproximitymadethemvulnerableinawaythatasnipercould
easilylockontotheirarea.However,hiskeenbattlefieldintuition,honedas
theWolfWarrior,toldhimthatnoassassins lingerednearby.Thekillermust
havealreadyvanishedfromthescene.Thesituationwasdire.The
quarter–finalshadtakenanunexpectedturn,andthestakeswerehigher
thanever.
Despitethetenseatmosphere,Nathan’swordshungheavyintheair likea
forebodingomen.“Ms,Quillen,”NathanwalkedoverandsaidtoMackenzie.
Heleftoutafewcoughswhilecontinuinghislines.“Thisisalessonfromthe
Chapter1619LunaMooneWasAssassinated
past.Youmustprotectyourhusbandwell,or<b>else</b>you’llbeawidow.
Evenso,I’llstilltakegoodcareofyou!”
Thefirsthalfofthesentencehadbeentouching,areminderofvulnerability
andlove.Butthesecondhalf,whichwastheominouspromise,hadobviously
sentshiversdownherspine.
Nathan’sgazeflickeredtowardtheshadows,asifexpectinganunseen
threat.Hismaster’spresenceloomednearby,andNathanknewbetterthan
tounderestimatethedanger.Hesighed,aweightsettlingonhisshoulders,
andgesturedfortheresttofollowhimintothe hotel.
Together,EmmanundMackenziealsosteppedintothehotellobby.
ThemembersoftheMartialArtsAssociationstoodguardattheentrance,
theireyessharpandvignt.Theywere assignedanewtaskof investigating
thismatterandenhancinghotelsecurity.
Theseincidentswerenotumonduringpeaktournaments.
Chapter1619LunaMooneWasAssassinated
Thecovetedtitle ofGrandmasterbroughtimmensebenefitslikepower,
wealthandinfluence.Butwheretherewererewards,therewerealso
desperatemeasures.hicalmethodslurkedintheshadows,waitingto
eliminaterivals.
Inanunexpectedtwist,Luna,beinganunparalleledexpert,methisdemise
fromabulletnrgerthanapeanut.Theshockrippledthroughtheranks,
defyinglogicandexpectation.
Asthesayinggoes:Eventhebestfalldownsometimes.Inthishigh–stakes
game,anythingwaspossible.ThisrhymedwithAlistril’squote“Everything
couldhappen!”
Meanwhile,withintheopulentconfinesofanexclusivehotelroom,Envoy
Azure,disheveledanddiscreet,approachedLeviLestrange.“Mr.Lestrange,
thedeedhasbeendone.Thepersonisdead.”Inabarelyaudiblevoice,he
deliveredthenews<b>.</b>
“Goodjob!”Levi’sresponsewassinct.
Chapter1619LunaMonneWasAssassinated
Yet,beneathhispraisyaseedofsuspicion.Theoperation wentsmoothly
andwlessly.Hmandedacadreofcapableindividuals,eachskilledin
theirownright.Todoubttheirsessbasedonitswlessexecutionwould
beaninsulttotheipetence.
EnvoyAzureleanedcloser,hisquestionawhisper.“Doweneedtoeliminate
thefakeWolfWarrioraswesEmmanuel?”Thestakeshadescted,and
Leviweighedtheconsequences.
Theroomhelditsbreath.Mr.Lestrangeleanedbackinhischairwithfingers.
steepled.Hismindchurnedwithcalctedprecision.“Givetheorganizers
respect,”hemusedaloud,hisvoicealowmurmur.“Ifonlyonepersondies,
they’llconductathoroughinvestigation.Butiftwolivesareextinguished,
they’lllockdowntheentireindandhuntfortheculpritrelentlessly.”
EnvoyAzurestoodbythewindowandnoddedinsilentord.
“Andhonestly,”Mr.Lestrangecontinued,“Idon’tbelievethatfakeWolfWarrior
istherealdeal.Tooshy,tooeagerforthespotlight.Realstrengthdoesn’t
announceitself.Itshouldmovelikeashadowandstrikelikeaviper.”
<b>13:02</b>Tue,4Jun
Chapter1619LunaMooneWasAssassinated
“Indeed,Icertainlyagreedwithyourwisewords,Mr.Lestrange,”Envoy
concurred,hisvoicealowmurmurintheroom.
ThefakeWolfWarriormighthavedeceivedsomenovicesorthosewhoare
easilyfooled.Butwe’realltopexpertswithkeeninsight.Allofuscancertainly
seethroughit.
Mr.Lestrangeleanedback,hisfingerstracingpatternsonthearmrest.“Asfor
Emmanuel,”hemused,“let’sobservewhetherhecansessfullyovee
hisbattlewithEshalSilverbane.Evenifhereachesthefinals,theoddsofan
S–levelexpertlikehimfallingtoYosefarerminglyhigh.”Hiseyesgleamed
withcalctedwisdom.“Interventionwouldbefutile.”