The War God's Homecoming

Chapter 164 The Truth From Three Years Ago

Chapter 164 The Truth from Three Years Ago

"Back then, when my leader and I, along with six others, pursued the fugitive into that primeval forest, we realized we had fallen into a trap. The enemy deliberately exposed themselves to lure us in." Spike Arnold said with a pained expression on his face.

"Inside the primeval forest, there were already two Tier-one Warlords and four late stage Battle Gods waiting for us. Among the six of us, only my leader was at the Warlord level, and just at the early stages, so we were no match."

"In less than three minutes, my leader and four other skilled fighters were killed by them."

"Why were you the only one who survived?" Judge asked.

"Shamefully, my leader, after realizing there was no way for us to escape, was determined to have at least one person carry the message out. So, when I least expected it, he pushed me off the cliff with a single palm. He knew there was a pool of water below the cliff, hoping I could survive by falling into it."

"Later events went as he had hoped. I fell into the pool after being pushed from the cliff, and miraculously managed to survive. The enemy's people searched the vicinity of the pool for three days and nights before finally giving up. I stayed in the forest for a few more days before daring to leave." Content is property of NôvelDrama.Org.

"Your luck really held out," Judge commented. "But do you know who ambushed you all that day?"

"I don't know," Spike Arnold shook his head slightly. "All of them wore Taoist robes and masks, concealing their true identities." At this point, a flash of anger crossed his face. He paused briefly

before continuing, "However, even though I don't know exactly who it was, I'm sure they were sent by the noble families."

"Why are you so certain?" Billy asked, lifting his teacup to take a sip.

"For two reasons," Spike Arnold replied after taking a deep breath.

"First, the SSS-level fugitive we were after was originally from one of the noble families. Naturally, they wouldn't let him come to harm. They also feared that if we caught him, we might uncover other sensitive matters."

"Second, the six of us were blocking the noble families' path. To keep control of SHADOW, they had to eliminate us."

"Did you choose to hide your identity in order to wait for someone to seek justice?" Judge continued.

"After coming out of that forest, I did consider going directly to the capital city," Spike Arnold exhaled deeply. "But reason told me it was not feasible."

"They didn't find my body at the time, so they probably assumed I wasn't dead. They would have issued a kill order for me. If I went to the capital, it would have been like walking into a trap. My leader saved my life by pushing me off that cliff. I couldn't selfishly throw away his hopes. If I had died too, this matter might have remained unsolved."

"Why did you deny your identity when we went to the village that day?" Judge continued.

"The other side has great influence. You were probably worried we couldn't handle the situation and didn't want SHADOW to get implicated again, right?" Billy glanced at Spike Arnold and said lightly.

"Yes," Spike Arnold nodded solemnly. "If their people hadn't found me, I wouldn't have come to find Commander Gardner."

"I'm curious, though. Which noble family was the fugitive from that you were so wary of?" Billy lit a cigarette and took a puff.

"Commander Gardner, have you seen his file?" Spike Arnold looked a bit puzzled.

"His file was switched shortly after that incident." Judge replied.

"No wonder! They're quite crafty!" Spike Arnold took another deep breath and looked at Billy. "The Leonard family!"

"Oh?" Billy squinted slightly. "Specifically?"

"Alvin Leonard," Spike Arnold responded. "He handles gray industries for the Leonard family and is the half-brother of the head of the Leonard family, though not from the same mother."

"Due to being a bastard, he wasn't initially recognized by their family. However, he managed to make connections and demonstrate his martial prowess, befriending many individuals from different walks of life."

"Later on, they saw his rising influence and wild nature and brought him back into the fold. While they didn't officially acknowledge him, he then became part of their family."

"Over the years, he handled numerous covert operations and rose in rank within the family. He's now nearly on par with some of the direct heirs of the Leonard family."

"Really?" Billy's eyes narrowed. "Was he designated an SSS-level fugitive for a particular crime?"

"Alvin Leonard is ruthless and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals," Spike Arnold took another deep breath before continuing, "Four years ago, he smuggled a batch of highly destructive thermal weapons into the country through a port in the eastern district."

"We went to apprehend him upon receiving the tip-off, but he fought back fiercely, and over twenty of our colleagues died."

"What's even more horrifying is that, as retribution for the weapons being seized, he massacred hundreds of residents in a small town near the port."

"Hmm?" Hearing this, Billy deeply inhaled from his cigarette, a chilling anger emanating from him.

"He's despicable!" Casey and Judge's expressions soured.

"Judge, how much time do I have before reaching the capital?" Billy turned to Judge.

"One month," Judge replied.

"Looks like I'll have to pay a visit to the capital," Billy mused.

Afterward, he pulled out his phone and composed a text message to Night Orchid.

Given Alvin Leonard's status within the Leonard family, they wouldn't give up easily. Considering that three years had passed and the incident had mostly blown over, it was likely that Alvin Leonard would reemerge.

"Commander Gardner, think it over carefully!" Spike Arnold advised, taking a deep breath.

"While the major noble families appear as separate entities, historically they have formed an alliance within themselves. Minor skirmishes might happen during normal times, but when it comes

to bigger issues, they will undoubtedly unite. If one family faces a crisis, the others won't just stand by. That's also why I hesitated to tell you. I was worried you..."

"I want to see how they have their hands in everything." Billy interrupted him.

"Commander Gardner..." Spike Arnold looked slightly worried.

"Ebony Lord, don't worry. They're just a few noble families." Judge added dismissively. "If needed, we can mobilize tens of thousands of SHADOW guards to the capital."

"And if that's not enough, we can have Azure Dragan mobilize hundreds of thousands from the Army of Bloodshadow. Let's see if they can withstand that."