Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 204 One Against Many
An old friend?

Where in the capital would I find any old friends?
Moreover, at this critical juncture, everyone else is trying to distance themselves from the Kwok Association, fearing they might be implicated, so why would they take the initiative to visit them?

Hong Wuye was somewhat surprised.

Could it be...

Hong Wuye seemed to realize something, his gaze suddenly changed, and his usually calm heart was surprisingly stirred with a bit of excitement.

Who is it?!

Just then, he suddenly stopped, looked towards the end of the snowfield, and said in a deep voice,
"Show yourself, you've been following me all this way."

Then, a man in gray emerged from a dark corner.

Then, one figure after another followed closely behind.

Most of them cover their faces with cloth, change their muscles and bones, and alter their body shape.

Only a few figures dressed in black uniforms, who were Wuqing constables, walked out without any hesitation.

Fifth Master Hong looked around at everyone, then suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with sarcasm.

"I never imagined that my country would be so hated, with so many people wanting to kill me?"

One of the constables sneered, "You people who disregard the laws and regulations and disrespect the laws of the Holy Dynasty deserve to be executed by everyone!"

Fifth Master Hong laughed and said,
"Zheng Shicheng smuggled hibiscus oil, causing countless deaths, and you didn't care; the ringleader sold children and enslaved people, and you didn't care; the person in my hands was brutally murdered, and the murderer is still at large, and you didn't care, but you insist on interfering with my Guolu Society?"

The constable's expression remained unchanged as he spoke.

"They are guilty, and the government and the imperial court will deal with them. What right do you have to interfere? Go!"

Without another word, the group charged forward.

Then, a clear, bell-like sound suddenly drifted lazily from the treetops.

"Hey! You dare to sneak out like that, Red Fifth Brother? Put on your shackles and surrender!"

Zhang Xiangling put her hands on her hips and jumped down from the tree. With a light touch of her toes, she appeared beside Master Hong Wu as fast as lightning.

Xu Hong followed closely behind without saying a word, his hand on the broadsword at his waist, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a hint of intimidation.

Upon seeing this person, the constables stopped in their tracks, filled with surprise and doubt, and dared not approach.

Did they sneak out?

You didn't release it on purpose, did you?
Hong Wuye remained silent, grabbed the shackles from his waist, fastened them to his neck again, and silently stood back behind Zhang Xiangling.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiangling clapped her hands in satisfaction, then looked at everyone and said,

"I intend to take this scoundrel back to Tongzhou City and have him tried by the Assistant Magistrate of the Eastern Circuit of Shuntian Prefecture. Gentlemen, do you have any objections?"

Everyone fell silent.

Isn't this Assistant Magistrate of the Eastern Circuit of Shuntian Prefecture a member of the Zhang family?
It seems to be the same grandfather as Xiangling.

Who can have an opinion?
Seeing that no one objected, Zhang Xiangling's expression turned serious.

Her gaze swept over everyone present, especially those gray-clad figures who were covering their faces, lingering briefly as if trying to see who was beneath their clothes.

“As soon as Hong Laowu ran away, you all followed him. I have reason to suspect that you are trying to steal the credit and disregard the prestige of the Zhang family!”

Zhang Xiangling shouted righteously.
"You're all cowards hiding your true colors! Let me see what you're really like!"

After saying that, a fervent fighting spirit flashed in Zhang Xiangling's eyes, and a refined martial will surged forth. Just looking at it made one's eyes sting and felt as if it were captivating. Before the battle even began, her energy waned, and her strength was reduced to only seventy or eighty percent.

With a leap and a bound, the hem of her tight-fitting clothes swept across the snow, and her fists whistled through the air as she charged towards the crowd.

He actually had to fight against many opponents.

"Come and fight!"

……

A pine incense burner burned in the quiet room, its faint fragrance swirling around the rafters.

Chen Shunan sat cross-legged on the futon, and Ran Yi'an's divine water transformed into a cool sensation, flowing through his limbs and bones.

As if in a dream, a short hour of deep sleep swept away all the fatigue from last night's fishing, demon-slaying, martial arts practice, and bandit-slaying.

He opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, illuminating the quiet room with a blinding light, but it dimmed again in the next instant, returning to its murky and weathered state.

"My Qi and blood have made some progress again. The five thieves I cut off—body, ears, eyes, nose, and tongue—have made a comeback, and the frequency of them obscuring my mind is getting lower and lower. I can start cutting off the thief of intention now. My true intention is complete."

Chen Shunan exhaled a breath of stale air, which, like a dragon's soft roar, echoed in the quiet room and slowly dissipated after a long time.

Moreover, after slaying the six thieves, one reaches the realm of perfect true intent.

The only hurdle to becoming a martial arts grandmaster is 'the elimination of all yin impurities and the extinction of corpse energy'.

There is no such thing as continuing to refine one's Qi and blood or increase one's willpower.

The three refinements of physical strength, jade tree, and true intention have reached the limit of what a human body can achieve.

Only by breaking through the barriers, combining the three refinements into one, and stepping into the realm of the Grandmaster can one achieve a new leap in physical strength.

Therefore, theoretically speaking, as long as one can overcome the hurdle of 'the yin essence is exhausted and the corpse energy is extinguished' in advance.

In the instant he annihilated the six thieves, he was able to leap two realms and directly break through to the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm.

However, this is almost a fantasy, something that has never happened in the nine-hundred-year-old Changbai Holy Dynasty, or even in ancient dynasties before that.

The thought crossed his mind, and he glanced again at the information he saw out of the corner of his eye.

[Wish +224]

[Wish: 992 → 1216]

Most of the wishes were made from the water obtained from the Crouching Tiger Well, the sweet rain gambling, and the daily distribution of water.

However, while subduing a group of minor demons yesterday, it also contributed more than ten points of wish energy.

Chen Shunan slowly got up and changed his clothes.

This robe was given to me by the flag officer yesterday. It has the style of the training clothes from the military academy, and the words "Tongming Envoy" are embroidered on the chest.

The fabric is lightweight and feels like a high-quality material, especially with its excellent waterproof properties, like a duck's feather. Lu Jing has already left the pass today and sent word to everyone to gather at the Sanchakou shore to board the boat together and head to the bay where the Yangtze River dolphins are located.

Just as Chen Shunan stepped out, he saw Fang Cangshi standing under the eaves, his cotton robe stained with snowflakes, hurrying towards him with a low voice.
"Manager Chen, something has happened. Mo Long A Tai is dead."

"What?" Chen Shunan asked, his face showing surprise.

"How did you die?"

"I don't know. He froze to death in the river this morning. Chief Lu has already gone to see him and told you to wait on the bank. He will be there shortly."

At this point, Fang Cangshi lowered his voice and said,

"Be careful later, and don't anger Chief Lu. If all else fails... just pretend to be sick!"

Mo Long A Tai has been incredibly popular lately, especially for his ability to translate heretical messages, which has made him a highly sought-after figure.

Lu Jing was very optimistic about it.

And now, just as he was about to head to the Yangtze River dolphin habitat today, Molong Atai died mysteriously.

This naturally leads to much speculation.

Could it be that a competitor harbors resentment and deliberately sabotages them?

However, that's all.

Manager Chen came here without any assessment. If he exposes his true colors, wouldn't he be walking right into a trap?
Fang Cangshi had a bit of a headache.

The flag officer was probably in an even bigger predicament.

When Chen Shunan reached the shore, a large ship was already waiting in the water.

Once aboard the ship, Chen Shunan saw that Xiao Changping and the others had all arrived and were standing on the deck.

"Manager Chen."

"Brother Chen."

There was little sense of impending conflict.

When they saw Chen Shunan, most people greeted him with a cupped hand.

Even Xiao Changping nodded slightly to Chen Shunan.

However, everyone found their own place and stood apart, their gazes towards each other containing doubt and distrust.

Clearly, the death of Mo Long A Tai had made everyone quite frightened, fearing that the murderer was among them.

"Lord Song, Chen has arrived."

Chen Shunan entered the ship's wheelhouse and saw a man dressed in a blue robe with embroidered seaweed patterns on his rank badge, seemingly wearing some kind of standard uniform, standing in front of the wheel.

This person is a military officer from the Wuhe River Management Office, named Song Qinghe. He will accompany the person throughout the encounter with the Yangtze finless porpoise, record the events, and then report to the Wuhe River Management Office.

The main purpose is to summarize the habits, abilities, and even migration routes of the Yangtze finless porpoise, making it, in a sense, an 'aquatic investigator'.

They did not participate directly, but observed the entire process.

"Oh, it's Manager Chen..."

Song Qinghe smiled slightly, pointed to the saddle on the table, and said in a warm tone,
"When you approach the Yangtze River dolphin, do not make any noise. When your name is called, take a small boat and approach alone. This is the saddle... Oh, and whatever you do, do not bring any weapons, or you might accidentally injure it."

At this point, Song Qinghe paused slightly, then said in a somewhat benevolent tone, in a deep voice,

"In addition, you'd better bring some dried small fish, preferably finely dried Baoyu, such as those from 'Wanji River Goods Shop'... That guy is cunning; if you don't bring gifts, he won't like you and might even spit on you."

"Especially now that its appetite has become more discerning, it doesn't even look at ordinary bluefin bream or barracuda!"

Chen Shunan took the saddle and listened to Song Qinghe's explanation, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

Laziness and bribery, these bad habits, have actually spread to spirits?

As for why Song Qinghe showed some goodwill towards Chen Shunan.

Without him.

The new owner of Wuqing Shuiwozi, Chang Liushui, not only came from the Wuhe River Affairs Office, but was also Song Qinghe's cousin.

Over time, Chen Shunan and Song Qinghe naturally developed a certain degree of kinship.

This is what connections are!

"Thank you for your guidance, Lord Song. I understand."

Chen Shunan cupped his hands in greeting, left the wheelhouse, and returned to the deck.

He then asked a crew member to go to the fish market and buy some fresh fish, which he then secretly stored in the hold.

To avoid being noticed by others.

Chen Shunan is professional and complacent about cheating and using back channels.

Before long, everyone saw Lu Jing's figure quickly appear on the shore.

As soon as the cold wind blew, Lu Jing landed on the deck.

"Set sail!"

Lu Jing's face was solemn as he gave the order in a loud, decisive voice.

Immediately, the war drums sounded loudly, and three rounds of beating were fired.

The crew hoisted the sails, and especially at the bow, near the water's surface, there was a separate cabin where more than ten martial artists, wielding long-handled tools such as ice chisels, sledgehammers, and iron pestles, exerted all their strength to break the ice.

The ship immediately broke through the turbulent waves and shattered the ice river, truly as stable as flat ground.

In this era, martial artists are the most efficient means of production.

Seeing the questioning looks from Chen Shunan, Xiao Changping, and the others, Lu Jing remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"The death of Molong Atai had other reasons and has nothing to do with you. Rest assured, you can tame the Yangtze River dolphin."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Changping and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)