Chapter 287 149: White Dragon

Wu Ziyu glanced around, and only after confirming no one was paying them any mind did she lower her voice and speak.

"That Ruan Jinzhong was once a Deputy Captain in the South City Captain's Mansion, a Transforming Force expert. When he was around fifty, his cultivation stagnated. Later, he succeeded in mastering the Wandering Dragon Technique. During the years the government forces were attacking the Black Cloud Water Stronghold, he performed incredible feats in battles large and small."

Wu Ziyu paused. Her tone shifted as she lowered her voice even further.

"However, during the largest water battle, the Captain fell overboard, and Ruan Jinzhong went to rescue him. Logically, with his underwater prowess from achieving Great Success in the Wandering Dragon Technique, saving someone should have been effortless…"

"But in the end, he didn't even bring back the Captain's body. Afterward, the government dismissed him and stripped him of his Military Merit. The Captain's son, Xu Linyuan, later came seeking revenge and severely wounded him, causing his cultivation to plummet."

"For the past two or three years, the government has been unable to wipe out the Black Cloud Water Stronghold, so they've started considering offering amnesty instead. They've tacitly allowed the city's influential factions to pay regular tribute to the Water Stronghold in exchange for peace on the waterways."

"But Ruan Jinzhong has exploited this situation, colluding with the Black Cloud Water Stronghold to commit many heinous acts… I won't go into detail, but he alone sends no fewer than a hundred young boys and girls to the Water Stronghold every year."

At this, Wu Ziyu's eyes turned cold. She pursed her lips, as if unable to bear the thought.

After composing herself for a moment, she continued.

"They are mostly children from the slums. Ruan Jinzhong either buys them for a pittance or simply orders his men to steal and snatch them away at night…"

"After being sent to the Black Cloud Water Stronghold, the children are used as sacrificial offerings. They're drowned, burned… and then… and then carved up and eaten by the Water Bandits."

When Wu Ziyu finished, she seemed afraid Chen Cheng wouldn't believe her, and added in a low voice,

"This is all verified intelligence from a government mole."

Chen Cheng nodded, but he didn't respond or ask any further questions.

The government obviously couldn't make such things public. Otherwise, its prestige and reputation would be utterly destroyed.

'As for how Wu Ziyu knows all this in such detail…'

'It's most likely because that mole is connected to the Wu Family, or is even one of their own people.'

Chen Cheng didn't feel the need to press for more specific details.

He wanted to know about something else.

"So what's Ruan Jinzhong's current strength? Can he handle the Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel?" he asked.

"It's a sure thing."

Wu Ziyu said,

"Even though Ruan Jinzhong's cultivation plummeted after he was severely injured, he's still a master of the Transforming Force."

"On land, he's just a mediocre, low-tier practitioner among those at the Transforming Force Realm. But once he's in the water, it's nearly impossible for an expert of the same tier to match him."

"The Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel may be ferocious, but it stands little chance of resisting a Transforming Force Martial Artist. Besides, with four other skilled underwater fighters assisting him, there's absolutely no reason for them to fail."

"If that weren't the case, Zhou Yonglu would never have taken so much crap from them."

"As long as they can handle it."

Chen Cheng replied nonchalantly, his gaze drifting toward the distant surface of the water.

After the five men entered the water, the surface ahead remained calm and undisturbed.

And the vast majority of people present shared Wu Ziyu's opinion.

Zhou Yonglu had already started instructing the expert Fishermen from his Fishing Village to prepare for the recovery operation.

Zhou An had changed his clothes and now sauntered over to chat with Chen Cheng.

A few Manor Soldier Captains had their men lower their crossbows to relax their arms and nerves.

Time trickled by. The sun shone warmly and the wind was gentle. Many people relaxed completely, almost forgetting why they had come today.

"Brother Chen, my sincerest apologies…"

Zhou Yonglu also ambled over, a cheerful smile on his face.

"I've been so busy that this is the first chance I've had to come say hello. It was by no means intentional neglect, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not."

Chen Cheng smiled.

"Business comes first. How could I not understand that?"

"Brother Chen, you are most gracious!"

Zhou Yonglu's smile widened, and he said heartily,

"After we succeed today, we'll celebrate at the Immortal Tower. I hope Brother Chen will honor us with his presence. We must have a proper drink together."

"Young Master! There's trouble!"

Just then, a frantic shout suddenly came from the lookout post above the helmhouse:

"To the east! There's a body! A body has floated to the surface!"

At these words, Zhou Yonglu instinctively glanced up, then followed the direction the man on the lookout post was pointing.

Chen Cheng and the others immediately looked over as well.

"It looks like there's a dark speck, but it's too far away. I really can't see clearly…"

Zhou An squinted, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

Zhou Yonglu and Wu Ziyu's eyesight was far inferior to Zhou An's. They hadn't even managed to locate the dark speck yet.

"It's Cai Bao. His neck is broken."

Chen Cheng said slowly.

"Looks like he's already dead."

The three people beside him were stunned. They looked from Chen Cheng to the distant water, their six eyes filled with disbelief.

It wasn't that they disbelieved Chen Cheng's eyesight, but that they couldn't believe Cai Bao was actually dead.

"Is… Is that really Cai Bao?"

Zhou Yonglu's voice trembled slightly.

"He's a Dark Force master with Six Pillars of Blood Qi! With his excellent swimming ability, even if he couldn't fight the Iron-Bone Crocodile Eel head-on, he should have had no problem escaping at full tilt, right?"

"Young Master, don't worry about that now. We need to recover him, quickly!"

Zhou An said grimly,

"Dead or alive, we have to bring him aboard. Everyone is watching…"

"Right, you're right…"

Zhou Yonglu nodded repeatedly.

For someone like him, reputation was paramount.

If he earned a reputation for leaving a man to die, who would be willing to work for him in the future? How many of the Manor Soldiers on this ship would still be willing to lay down their lives for him?