Chapter 100 - 93: Final Showdown

Chapter 100: Chapter 93: Final Showdown

Neither Lu Jing’an nor Chen Xuan had ever expected it.

That a public case about rampaging Water Monkeys...

could unearth such an old secret.

However, Lu Jing’an already had a countermeasure in mind, so he wasn’t in a rush.

He wanted to wait a little longer, to see what other tricks the Li and Liu Families had up their sleeves.

The principle that the third time would be decisive...

The Li Family understood it. The Liu Family understood it.

And of course, Lu Jing’an understood it too.

In the first two clashes, although the Lu Family had lost some men, they had achieved what could be called a total victory.

To the various factions still sitting on the fence, this was nothing short of a powerful motivator.

Now, the majority’s allegiance had quietly shifted to the Lu Family’s side.

If they could just win one more round, the Lu Family wouldn’t have to say a word.

The others would know on their own which side to take and how to deal with the Liu and Li Families.

It was precisely because this battle was so crucial that Lu Jing’an could not afford to be hasty.

He had to wait for the other side to make the first move.

Right now, it was a contest of who had stronger nerves.

’The Liu Family themselves don’t care about the lives of the people in their own territory, so why should the Lu Family be in a hurry?’

「That night.」

The Monkey Gong was repaired.

Lu Jing’an held the newly refurbished, dark-gold Copper Gong in his palm.

The pad of his finger traced the ancient, winding patterns on the gong’s surface.

A cool sensation spread from his fingertip, and at the same time,

all the various ways to use this Treasure flooded into his mind like a tide.

Lu Jing’an had originally thought the Monkey Gong could only intimidate Water Monkeys.

He hadn’t expected it to also have the wondrous uses of "summoning" and "controlling."

The method to use its three different functions was actually simple.

The key was to strike different parts of the gong with varying force to produce distinct sounds.

Lu Jing’an lifted the mallet and tapped the edge of the gong very lightly.

"CHING—"

A low-frequency, yet sharp, ring radiated outward, almost imperceptible to the average person.

Only those with keen hearing could catch a trace of its resonance.

But to the ears of a Water Monkey, this sound was nothing less than a soul-chasing demonic tune—the sound they feared most.

Lu Jing’an then struck it again, this time forcefully.

"VMMMM..."

This time, the sound was deep and rich, long and continuous, like an undercurrent in deep water.

This was the sound of summoning.

Next, he tested the sound of control. The gong rang out in three short, consecutive bursts,

carrying a strangely hypnotic rhythm.

After testing the three sounds, Lu Jing’an’s mind was at ease.

With the fully repaired Monkey Gong in hand, he felt much more confident about facing the Water Monkeys.

At the same time, he was also more confident about winning this third confrontation.

’This will probably be the final clash between the three families.’

’If I win this battle, it’s winner-take-all.’

’But if I lose, the situation will devolve back into a long war of attrition.’

And a war of attrition was precisely what was most disadvantageous to the Lu Family.

The Lu Family’s foundation was far less deep than that of the Li and Liu Families.

Once caught in a prolonged struggle, the advantage they had built up would be completely lost.

It was common knowledge that the Lu Family lacked a deep foundation.

At that point, public sentiment would turn against them again, and winning it back would be next to impossible.

After all, their victories in the first two battles were not just due to masterful strategy.

They had also capitalized on the fact that the Li and Liu Families had underestimated them and were unaware of their true strength.

But if they were dragged back into a protracted fight, the Li and Liu Families would absolutely not give the Lu Family such a golden opportunity again.

However, reality soon proved that Lu Jing’an had still underestimated the coldness and cruelty of those people.

「Early the next morning, before dawn.」

Lu Jing’an hadn’t even had breakfast when the phone at the Water Patrol Bureau rang urgently again.

Another village in Lou Mountain County had been slaughtered last night. Men, women, young, and old—not a single person was left alive.

Two village massacres in a row, even in these chaotic times where life is cheap, constituted a major, shocking case.

Sure enough, that morning, a telegram from the Provincial Government arrived at the Water Patrol Bureau.

It ordered the extermination of the Water Monkeys within a set time limit.

Thanks to Secretary Hu’s maneuvering at the Provincial Government, the deadline was extended from three days to ten.

Lu Jing’an only glanced at the telegram before setting it aside.

’Three days or ten, it didn’t make much difference now.’

He was currently focused on carefully reading the two case reports sent from Lou Mountain County.

Two villages, nearly four hundred lives in total.

All wiped out in two nights.

The numbers on the page were cold and stark. The ink was still fresh, yet it reeked of blood.

As Lu Jing’an finished reading, what rose in his heart was not pity, but a heavy, chilling cold.

To force him to act before he was fully prepared, the Li and Liu Families had actually used the people of two villages as bait.

’If they really succeed this time, the Lu Family’s fate will probably be no better than that of these two villages.’

’Their pursuit would never stop just because the Lu Family fled to some other land.’

In this battle, neither Lu Jing’an nor the Lu Family had any room left to retreat.

He took a deep breath and gently set the case reports down.

He turned to look at the map of the Canglan River’s course on the wall.

His gaze was like a knife, slowly scraping over the section of the river where the Water Monkeys often appeared.

’For me, the best place to kill the Water Monkeys is naturally on the shore.’

’Once out of the water, the beast’s strength will be weakened by at least thirty percent.’

’But in the water, its strength will actually increase to an unpredictable degree.’

’Although I now have the Monkey Gong and can try to summon or even control it to come ashore...’

’...the whip in my enemy’s hands, which can drive the Water Monkeys, is also a variable.’

’The enemy will surely do everything in their power to move the battlefield into the water.’

’Besides, the shore isn’t Lu Family territory.’

’If the Water Patrol Bureau tries to act there, the Li and Liu Families will definitely interfere behind the scenes.’

’At that point, with Water Monkeys in front and sneak attacks from behind, the situation will be extremely perilous.’

’On the water, however, while I’ll have to face the Water Monkeys directly, I’ll only need to focus on one enemy.’

’Moreover, no matter how long the enemy’s whip is, it can hardly reach the center of the river.’

’More importantly...’

’There’s no way the Li and Liu Families could know about the Monkey Gong.’

’Even within the Lu Family, the number of people who know this secret, including Chen Xuan, can be counted on one hand.’