After establishing a cooperative relationship with Hisoka, the first thing Morrow did was inquire about the situation at the cemetery.
Facing Morrow's questions, Hisoka truthfully recounted his encounter with Shalnark at the cemetery, including the content of Shalnark's conversation with Phinks.
This was undoubtedly bad news for Morrow.
In fact, before targeting Feitan, Morrow had already anticipated the possibility of Feitan and Phinks acting together.
After all, the two were practically inseparable.
So when Morrow found only Feitan alone at the cemetery, he considered himself lucky.
Even so, Morrow was well aware that once Phinks couldn't reach Feitan, he would quickly realize Feitan's death.
But what Morrow hadn't expected was that after Feitan's death, it would be Shalnark who intervened so swiftly.
This meant the Phantom Troupe would soon learn of Feitan's demise and might immediately launch an investigation.
Morrow wasn't sure if the Phantom Troupe could trace it back to him.
At least now, with Hisoka as an inside man, any movement from the Troupe would be reported to him immediately.
This was the benefit of cooperating with Hisoka, being able to monitor the Phantom Troupe's actions in real time.
Of course.
There was also the possibility of Phinks and others acting independently.
If that were the case, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for Morrow.
In any case, if he assumed the worst, that the Phantom Troupe would eventually uncover his involvement, then...
Morrow felt it necessary to strike first, taking advantage of the Troupe's delayed reaction to eliminate as many isolated spiders as possible.
On the hospital bed.
Hisoka stared intently at Morrow, lost in thought.
Without any concrete evidence, he vaguely sensed some of Morrow's intentions.
Morrow glanced at Hisoka, who seemed to be suppressing some emotion, then turned his gaze to Kalluto, who sat quietly on a chair nearby.
"Kalluto, is there any medicine left?"
"There's still some."
Hearing this, Kalluto instinctively glanced at the disgusting pervert on the hospital bed, whom he deeply disliked.
He knew Morrow's sudden question likely meant he intended to give the medicine to that freak.
"Hand it over."
Morrow said.
Kalluto hesitated but ultimately handed over the remaining medicine.
Morrow took it and turned back to Hisoka.
Since Shalnark had already seen the situation at the cemetery, the Phantom Troupe might gather soon because of it.
Before that, Morrow believed it would be best for Hisoka to recover from his injuries first.
If only Kurapika had already developed his Holy Chain ability, things would be much simpler...
Still, the Zoldyck Family's special medicine would have to suffice for now.
Hisoka eyed the medicine jar in Morrow's hand, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly as he spoke in a teasing tone: "I... can't move~"
"..."
Morrow's eyelids drooped as he caught Hisoka's implication, he wanted Morrow to apply the medicine for him.
Sometimes, he felt that being too perceptive was a terrible thing.
Especially around someone like Hisoka.
"Suddenly, I feel giving you this medicine is a waste. So I've changed my mind."
Meeting Hisoka's expectant gaze, Morrow shook his head slightly and returned the medicine to Kalluto.
Seeing this, Hisoka remained indifferent internally, but his face showed a hint of disappointment. It was unclear whether he regretted not needing the special medicine or not having Morrow apply it for him.
Morrow watched Hisoka's reaction and found the pervert somewhat unbearable.
But what he had just said was a lie.
The remaining Zoldyck family special medicine still had to be used on Hisoka.
Ignoring Hisoka, Morrow headed downstairs to call a nurse from the clinic to help apply the medicine.
Just as he reached the door,
Suddenly, a burst of intense gunfire erupted from downstairs, followed by terrified screams.
Hearing the commotion, Morrow frowned, immediately recalling the incident at the clinic the day before.
Kakin's mafia, huh...
The rapid gunfire made it obvious what was happening.
The Ten Dons' mafia influence spanned ten regions across the six continents, including the area where Kakin was located.
However, compared to other regions, the Ten Dons' presence here was much weaker.
This was because Kakin had its own local mafia factions, backed by the princes of the kingdom.
Due to these local factions, the Ten Dons couldn't extend their reach too far.
The two corpses Morrow had seen yesterday were clearly members of one of Kakin's mafia groups, who had somehow clashed with Morena.
Most likely...
Morena had provoked it.
After all, the other two major mafia factions in Kakin prioritized balance, while Morena had always been unrestrained.
In any case, Morrow had no interest in the conflict and no intention of getting involved with Morena.
He glanced back at Kalluto, signaling for him to stay in the ward.
Then, Morrow pushed open the door and headed for the stairwell.
In those brief ten seconds, the gunfire downstairs abruptly stopped.
As Morrow reached the stairwell and looked down, he came face-to-face with two men wielding submachine guns, just about to ascend.
The moment they spotted Morrow, they immediately raised their guns and opened fire without hesitation.
Rat-tat-tat...
Muzzle flashes erupted as a hail of bullets engulfed Morrow.
He didn't dodge, instead using his Nen to block the barrage while flicking two tiny Shooting Stars from his fingers.
Thud. Thud.
The projectiles pierced the men's foreheads with precision, and the gunfire ceased abruptly.
"Seems they're here to 'clean up' the place..."
Morrow descended the stairs.
The way those men had fired without hesitation made it clear they intended to eliminate every living person in the clinic.
Typical ruthless mafia behavior.
Morrow couldn't help but feel annoyed.
Stepping over the two corpses at the bottom of the stairs, he reached the first floor, where over a dozen armed mafia members rushed toward him.
Without hesitation, Morrow dispatched them all with Shooting Stars.
He didn't even care about the Ten Dons, let alone Kakin's local mafia.
As the bodies fell, two men emerged from the examination room and immediately locked onto Morrow, whose body radiated solidified aura.
They were Nen users as well, and their expressions shifted slightly upon sensing his aura.
Strong…
That was their first impression of Morrow.
Morrow, in turn, assessed them.
Pathetic.
With just a glance, he could tell their levels were around 30. Under the experience decay mechanism, it was unlikely to grant him any experience anymore.
Nevertheless, Morrow decided to kill these two men.
"Shooting Star."
Sharp aura surged in Morrow's right palm.
Seeing the powerful aura gathering in Morrow's hand, one of the men hastily shouted, "Wait, there must be some misunderstanding here. We're..."
But before he could finish, the fluorescent green Shooting Star was already hurtling toward his face.
The battle erupted instantly, and ended just as quickly.
One man was obliterated by Morrow's Shooting Star, while the other had his throat slit by the Poultry Scarlet Knife.
Gurgle...
The man who had tried to explain now clutched his gushing throat, unable to utter another word, his eyes wide with terror.
Morrow glanced at him impassively, sheathed the Poultry Scarlet Knife, and walked into the clinic.
The sight that greeted him was the doctor and nurse lying in pools of blood, along with several patients who had been receiving treatment, none had been spared.
Morrow paused for two seconds, then silently turned and left, returning to the second-floor ward.
"We can't stay here."
Morrow entered the ward and looked at Hisoka, who was the most severely injured.
Compared to Kurapika, whose fever had subsided, Hisoka's condition was far more troublesome.
Morrow tossed the remaining Zoldyck family special medicine to Hisoka. "Figure out how to apply it yourself."
Without waiting for a response, he went straight to Kurapika's bedside.
"Kurapika, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
Kurapika got out of bed immediately.
Though he had many wounds, none hindered his movement.
Morrow gave him a nod, then turned back to Hisoka.
Hisoka was resourceful, after removing the bandages, he used Bungee Gum to coat the medicine and flick it precisely onto his most severe injuries.
Then, with Texture Surprise, he adhered the bandages seamlessly over the wounds.
His precision in controlling Nen was extraordinary, with his ability, he was even more dexterous than using his hands.
Soon, Hisoka finished applying the medicine.
"Let's go."
Morrow led the way out of the ward.
Kalluto and Kurapika followed closely behind.
Hisoka, however, was in a bind. Despite finishing his treatment, his severe injuries made walking difficult.
But seeing that Morrow had no intention of helping, he gritted his teeth and forced himself off the bed, limping slowly after them.
Outside the clinic, the downpour continued.
The group emerged and hurried through the rain to their car.
Moments later.
The engine roared to life, and the car drove out of town.
Meanwhile.
In a house within the town, Morena sat quietly on a chair by the window, her hands clasped gently on her lap.
She tilted her head slightly, watching the raindrops batter the window.
After a long while.
A subordinate arrived to report the incident at the clinic.
The gang members sent to clear the clinic were actually from the Xi-Yu Family, one of the three major mafia groups in Kakin.
Just as Morrow had guessed, the conflict between Morena's Heil-Ly Family and the Xi-Yu Family had been instigated by Morena herself.
Morena believed that only by creating chaos and disrupting the balance could she seize the opportunity to claim the position of family head.
But this was only the beginning. Morena initially had no intention of escalating matters, this provocation was merely a test run on her part.
But when she left the clinic yesterday, she suddenly sensed two extraordinarily powerful auras emanating from within.
This planted the idea in her mind that they could be exploited, leading to today's incident.
Morena gazed at the raindrops sliding down the window, Morrow's figure flashing through her thoughts.
"Battle Olympia champion… truly deserving of the title."
Amid the pouring rain, her soft murmur blended into the downpour.
—--
The car raced through the storm along the road.
This direction…
Kalluto, seated in the passenger seat, noticed they were retracing their earlier route.
Which meant...
The path back to the cemetery.
Shalnark might still be there. If he's alone…
Morrow gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead as he calmly stated, "Then we kill him."
After learning from Hisoka that Shalnark had also gone to the cemetery, along with the call Shalnark made to Phinks, Morrow had already considered returning.
Based on the information Hisoka provided, he could at least confirm Shalnark was alone there.
Thus, when the idea of weakening the Phantom Troupe took root, his first thought was eliminating Shalnark.
But this had to be done swiftly.
Morrow had only instructed Kalluto to prepare a living paper doll targeting Feitan beforehand, so in haste, he couldn't rely on Kalluto's tracking ability to confirm Shalnark's presence.
If Shalnark was still there...
Delaying even a few days risked other Phantom Troupe members arriving to regroup with him.
By then, the opportunity would be lost.
Morrow had originally planned to leave Hisoka, Kurapika, and Kalluto at the clinic while he went to the cemetery alone.
But getting entangled in the Kakin mafia's conflict made it impossible to leave them behind.
Hearing Morrow's words, Kalluto understood.
He'd overheard Morrow and Hisoka's conversation in the ward and knew Morrow intended to take on the entire Phantom Troupe...
Now, it was clear how strong that resolve was.
Kalluto had always remembered Silva's warning to avoid provoking the Phantom Troupe.
Yet when Morrow decided to confront them, Kalluto silently made the same choice.
No matter what...
He only wanted to keep walking alongside Morrow.
In the backseat.
Hisoka wasn't the least bit surprised by Morrow's decision.
During their earlier talk, he'd sensed Morrow's intent to target Shalnark.
This kind of swift, decisive action based on available information...
Gave Hisoka deeper insight into Morrow.
Kurapika, hearing Morrow's plan to return and kill Shalnark, merely glanced down at his bandages before silently studying Morrow's profile.
Even now, he didn't understand the grudge between Morrow and the Phantom Troupe.
One that warranted such extremes.
—--
Fengde Town was an unremarkable settlement in Kakin's eastern region.
Its sole claim to fame was its steadfast observance of the ancient Soul-Returning Rite.
The cemetery where the rite had been held two days prior lay just two or three kilometers from the town. After bringing the charred corpse back to Fengde Town, Shalnark wasted no time in identifying the body. He directly used his Manipulation ability, "Black Voice," to turn the town's mayor into a puppet.
This solved many problems at once.
On one hand, with the mayor under his control, any subsequent issues at the cemetery were no longer a concern.
On the other hand, he could use the mayor's authority to mobilize the local forensic team and quickly determine the identity of the charred corpse.
Whether it was the autopsy results or Phinks, who was already on his way here...
All Shalnark could do now was wait.