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

Chapter 248 Taking the blame

Before even reaching the shore, Chen Shunan noticed a large group of martial artists gathered at the crossroads.

Three groups of servants, each holding a gong, carried a vermilion lacquered and gilded plaque with the words "Avoid" and "Silence" engraved on it.

A blue sedan chair quietly landed on the dock.

The two men made no attempt to conceal their presence; they were both skilled in combat, capable of slaying four thieves. They held waist knives, wore badges, and had sharp eyes, standing guard and vigilant of their surroundings.

From a distance, Chen Shunan could faintly hear excited and boisterous voices saying things like, "The honest and upright official has arrived," "Magistrate Kong has finally come to inspect the people's conditions and save them from dire straits!" and "With the magistrate here, our good days are coming!"

Chen Shunan's face tightened, and his heart sank.

Having just escaped the tiger's mouth, it fell into a pack of wolves.

Another great demon has appeared on the shore!

Lu Jing, knowing that Magistrate Kong had arrived, couldn't help but feel guilty and looked at Chen Shunan, saying...
"It must be the magistrate, who knows we went to the Funiu Marsh to slay the demon today and has come to celebrate... It's a pity that I failed and let down Magistrate Kong's trust. Manager Chen, you and I will go see the magistrate later."

"I dont go."

Chen Shunan resolutely refused.

"Ok?"

Lu Jing looked on in surprise.

Chen Shunan coughed twice, his blood churning, his mouth tasting of rust, his face pale, and he forced a smile.

"On the way here, I was trying my best to hold on... To be honest, I was butted by a beast and was seriously injured. I just want to get back to the county immediately and get treatment as soon as possible."

"Ah? How could this be... My accompanying military doctor is a medical officer who studied at the Imperial Medical Academy and specializes in treating external injuries. You will come back to the military camp with me."

"No need, thank you for your kindness, Director Lu. Mr. Chen has his own doctor and is not used to receiving treatment outside."

Once we reached the shore.

Led by the martial artist, the two finless porpoises went to rest in the shallows.

Chen Shunan hurried away, his steps unsteady and somewhat unsteady, declining requests for assistance or special horseback escort.

Once he was far from the crossroads and saw no one around, he took off running and disappeared in the blink of an eye, heading straight for Wuqing County.

Regardless of what magistrate Kong's purpose was in coming today.

Stay away from the smoke of battle, be cautious, and avoid conflict if possible.

Chen Shunan firmly believes in one principle.

Good things never seem to come my way.

When bad things happen, they might just fall on your head!

At the fork in the road.

Jun Jian glanced strangely at the lonely Lu Jing and said,
"Lord Lu, where are the other officials? Where is my Lord Liu?"

When Fang Cangshi saw that only Lu Jing had returned, his heart tightened, and he knew something was wrong.

"Officer Lu is back? Magistrate Kong invites you. Please come with me."

Just as Lu Jing was about to explain, a burly man in the distance raised his hands in a loud gesture and said...

The big man also carried a load of food boxes, two bottles of wine in his hand, and a felt strip hanging on the food boxes. He came to a willow tree at the dock, spread the felt out, and opened the food boxes.

A man stepped down from the official sedan chair. He wore a square scarf on his head, a royal blue lined robe, and a long mandarin jacket over it. Judging from his age, he was probably in his early fifties. He had a fair complexion and gave off a friendly feeling at first glance.

If it wasn't Magistrate Kong, then who was it?

"Nephew Lu, I heard that you slew the demon in Wuqing today. Is it a complete success? Come here for a celebratory drink and sit with me to enjoy the river view."

Magistrate Kong lifted his robes, sat down on the ground, displaying the demeanor of a refined scholar, completely devoid of the imposing presence of a county official.

However, Lu Jing dared not hesitate, stepped forward, bowed, and said...

"Junior Lu Jing greets Magistrate Kong! I have failed the high expectations of my hometown, this time in slaying the demon..."

Lu Jing recounted every single incident that had occurred, from the initial ambush by a monster to the capture of everyone by a great water demon and the construction of a water palace, leaving no detail unrecorded.

It is worth mentioning that Lu Jing and this Magistrate Kong were from the same hometown, both being from Yangzhou.

Kong Qiuhua entered the Imperial Academy as a tribute student and later returned to Yangzhou. Starting as a minor tax official, he managed the accounts for repairing the sea dike and reclaiming farmland. He was honest and self-disciplined and rose step by step to become the magistrate of Wuqing County.

When he left Yangzhou, the people were deeply grateful, and the "umbrellas of ten thousand people" stretched for more than ten miles, along with plaques commemorating his virtuous governance.

His essay, "A Strategy for Rebuilding the Yangzhou Dikes," is still regarded as a guiding principle by students and martial artists in the Yangzhou area.

Although the magistrate of Wuqing County was only a seventh-rank official, due to his special geographical location as a vital point on the Grand Canal, he occupied 20% of the prosperity of the capital.

In terms of authority and power, he was comparable to a fifth-rank official in the capital.

The reason why Lu Jing chose to settle down in Wuqing County and work hard was largely because he had Kong Qiuhua as his role model.

Because Lu Jing was one of the people who benefited from Kong Qiuhua's construction of the seawall.

Unfortunately, Lu Jing lacked talent and was unable to study, so he could only turn to martial arts. After many years of hard work, he finally became the head of the Liangjiang Martial Arts Academy.

Ma Xiucai was still considered to be from a poor family. After all, his father, Ma Bowen, was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and had a vacant position as a candidate for county magistrate. The knowledge and experience he had from childhood were beyond what ordinary people could compare to.

As for Lu Jing, he was a truly impoverished commoner who started from scratch, struggled and worked his way up to his current position, which can be considered a source of pride for his ancestors and a legend in the martial arts world.

Upon hearing Lu Jing's description, the nearby warehouse magistrate, soldiers from the military camp, and others gasped in astonishment, their voices filled with surprise, anxiety, and helplessness.

"I see……"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Kong also sighed.
"Such a thing has happened under my jurisdiction. I bear the responsibility without hesitation. I should write a letter of apology and retire to my hometown..."

"Lord Kong! How can you be blamed for such natural disasters and calamities? Quickly retract your order!"

Upon hearing this, the accompanying officials and servants nearby were shocked and tried to dissuade him. Some of them were so agitated that their eyes turned red and they held each other with tears in their eyes.

What followed was naturally a scene of deep affection between the fish and the water.

"By the way, according to you, there was another righteous man who also survived... Chen Shun'an? Why don't we invite you to come along and have a drink?"

Despite everyone's persuasion, Magistrate Kong temporarily abandoned his idea of ​​retiring to his hometown. Then, as if he had thought of something, he suddenly spoke up.

Lu Jing tried to smooth things over for Chen Shunan, saying,

"Manager Chen is seriously injured and has been invaded by demonic energy. He has already set off for Wuqing County to find a familiar doctor to treat him, but he will not have the chance to meet Your Excellency."

"What a pity... Then I would like to ask my nephew Lu to introduce me to him in the future."

"It is an honor for the students."

"Please take a seat and try this Xinfeng wine." Lu Jing took a seat and accepted the wine glass.

There was no grand talk, only careful sipping and savoring. After a few sips of warm wine, the chill dissipated, and Lu Jing's complexion gradually regained its rosy hue.

The conversation quietly began amidst the fragrant aroma of wine and the respect shown to the elders.

"Eat more, eat more..."

Looking at Lu Jing's appearance.

Magistrate Kong had a gentle expression and a warm smile, as if he were looking at a rapidly growing, plump, and healthy animal...

Shepherding.

……

Fengchi Taoist Temple, near Tongzhou City.

For many years, there has been a saying that "Nantongzhou, Beitongzhou, and Nantongzhou connect the north and south." Nantongzhou refers to the Suzhou and Hangzhou area, which is rich and prosperous.

And Beitongzhou is this Tongzhou city.

Both spanned the north and south, practically supporting the trade lifeline of the Holy Dynasty.

Fengchi Taoist Temple is located in the suburbs of Tongzhou City.

At this moment, a golden light and a red glow shone brightly inside the palace, which was made entirely of glazed tiles.

There was a kind-faced old immortal sitting before a jade platform, silently watching over the lamps of life offered in the hall.

This item was left behind by a celestial being from the Fengchi Daoist Academy, belonging to the [Shui Ze Jian] lineage. It is related to cause and effect, and can also indirectly reveal the state and lifespan of the corresponding celestial being.

The old immortal, ever serene and composed, routinely examines the life lamp before him.

It was on, it was on, it was on, then it went out, then it went out, then it was on again...

"Ok?"

The old immortal was stunned for a moment, thinking he was hallucinating, so he rubbed his eyes and looked again.

"This is terrible! Two lamps have been extinguished in one day... Could it be that some old fellow in the academy couldn't resist and triggered the bloodline, feeding on his own descendants?"

The old immortal immediately jumped up in a hurry, made hand seals, and emitted rays of spiritual light.

No wonder he thought that way.

Fengchi Taoist Academy is divided into two sections: the lower section is for ordinary people with a background of Baishan people who study and seek knowledge at the academy.

The Upper Courtyard consists of immortals who have deciphered the [Misty Heavenly Net], either disciples of Baishan or innate demons known as the nobles of Baishan.

Every single one of them had a distinguished background; their ancestors were all generals who followed the emperor into the pass and drove out the other lineages and traditions!
Therefore, in the past, the immortals who came from Fengchi Dao Academy, while not exactly arrogant and disdainful, were still quite self-respecting and even looked down on the immortals from the other two Dao Academy.

Generally speaking, no one dares to provoke them.

In the past, it would be enough for one life lamp to go out by the end of the year.

Today, it's like the sun rose in the west; two lamps have been extinguished in a row.

This old immortal only felt that it was fratricide, with family members harming each other.

Who would dare to do that?
A flash of inspiration emanated from it.

A beam of light descended from the sky, accompanied by swirling clouds and countless layers of white silk that rotated like lotus flowers, eventually coalescing into a figure exuding nobility.

He was indeed invincible in martial arts.

However, his figure was still somewhat illusory and ethereal, not a physical entity, but an avatar he created by gathering and refining the [Light Cloud Pure Qi].

His true self remains stationed in Wuqing County.

However, this clone still possesses about 50-60% of the original's strength, and shares thoughts and senses with it. It also has the mysterious ability to transform light into clouds and gather them at will.

"Yuan Le and Jing Zhan are actually dead? Weren't they supposed to be eliminating Zhu Tao's competitors for the Grandmaster's Manual and lying in ambush in the Funiu Marsh?"

"Furthermore, why did the murder-hunting spell I left behind when the two immortals perished not respond?"

Wu Wudi's face was ashen.

Yuan Le and Jing Zhan are both innate demon race members with their own trump cards, and neither of them is considered weak in the [Opening Meridian] realm.

Among that group of martial artists, the strongest was Lu Jing, who had slain five thieves, and the weakest was Chen Shunan, who had just broken through to the True Intent Realm.

What should have been a simple task ended in their deaths.
absurd!

Moreover, the reason the purging spell didn't reply is most likely because the place where the two immortals perished is extremely special. It's either filled with chaotic Daoist energy or located in some extremely high celestial realm or deep abyss.

This has gone beyond the scope of a magical reply.

"Could it be that the young Zhang Ju forcibly abducted the two immortals, reacted violently, and accidentally killed them?"

Wu Wudi also knew a little about the giant octopus hiding beneath the Funiu Marsh.

In terms of both ability and motives, Zhang Ju is highly suspicious!

As for the idea that the two demons would be caught off guard and killed by their assassination target, Wu Wudi only had such thoughts fleeting in his mind before quickly dismissing them.

Even more absurd!

"You could have just built your nest peacefully, but you actually killed my people? If I don't avenge this, how can I, with my invincible martial arts, attain enlightenment!"

A strong killing intent flashed in Wu Wudi's eyes.

"Pfft!"

The Funiu River, deep within.

Zhang Ju, who was growing up and only ate until he was 70% full, suddenly woke up from his dream, sneezed, and felt a slight chill.

"Huh? It seems like someone is plotting against me, harboring ill intentions?"

"I never leave my house, I just tie up some able-bodied men, I haven't offended anyone, have I?"

"Forget it, only mediocre people are not envied. There are plenty of people who envy me."

Then, Zhang Ju's eyes lit up when he saw his underwater palace gradually taking shape, and he grinned foolishly.

"Men, time to work!"

clap clap clap!
More than ten tentacles lashed out.

The able-bodied men, who had slept for a full four hours, were all jolted awake from their dreams and immediately went to dust again.

(End of this chapter)