Chapter 108 - 96: A Perfect Blast, Piggy Dragon and Catfish Demon Vanquished

Chapter 108: Chapter 96: A Perfect Blast, Piggy Dragon and Catfish Demon Vanquished

Lu Jing’an had never thought about becoming the Patriarch.

But he also never expected that now, everyone in the Lu Family—even his own father, Lu Huaichuan—had begun to silently follow his commands.

As long as Lu Huaichuan didn’t say anything, Lu Jing’an remained completely unaware.

It wasn’t until those words were spoken, hanging in the cold winter air like a puff of white mist, that Lu Jing’an suddenly realized every casual order he gave—from allocating resources from the storerooms to arranging personnel—had long since become an unspoken command that the entire Lu Family was obligated to follow.

Lu Jing’an’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to offer an explanation.

But Lu Huaichuan didn’t give him a chance to speak.

Over an hour later, Chen Xuan returned with his men from the Water Patrol Bureau.

A clatter of footsteps shattered the silence of the estate’s rear courtyard.

Before he even reached the second gate, Chen Xuan stopped short, raising a hand to halt the men behind him.

Chen Xuan’s eyes immediately fell upon the collapsed and shattered screen wall.

But soon enough, through the rubble of the wall, he saw Lu Jing’an.

This made Chen Xuan let out a sigh of relief.

Lu Jing’an had changed into a clean, long robe of fine indigo cloth.

He descended the steps, his boots crunching on the rubble.

"Master, did everything go smoothly with the Water Monkey?"

Chen Xuan cupped his fist. His voice was steady, yet carried the chill of the night dew.

"Yes, Young Master. Everything went smoothly.

I’ve captured the Water Monkey alive. It’s in the carriage out back."

"Captured alive?"

Lu Jing’an raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then understanding dawned.

’Clearly, my master sensed some of my secrets, which is why he went to the trouble of capturing it alive for me.’

’To have a master so meticulous, one who considered everything so thoroughly on his behalf...’ Lu Jing’an suddenly felt his luck was far better than his talent.

"Young Master, here is your Monkey Gong."

Chen Xuan took the Small Bronze Gong from his robes and presented it with both hands.

Lu Jing’an accepted it, his fingertips brushing against the gong’s icy surface.

His gaze fell to Chen Xuan’s waist.

A whip, made from some unknown combination of leathers, was tied there.

It was about as thick as a thumb, and faint, dark-red patterns seemed to flow along its length.

They pulsed like veins, emanating an indescribable mix of Spirituality and Evil Qi.

"Master, that must be the whip your wife left you, isn’t it?" Lu Jing’an asked directly.

’Between a master and disciple, some things were better handled with honesty than concealment; it was more reassuring that way.’

Chen Xuan’s fingers twitched almost imperceptibly, then he gently stroked the whip.

A glimmer of tenderness, buried for many years, flashed in his eyes. He nodded, his voice growing a little deeper.

"Yes."

Lu Jing’an pressed on. "Is it with the Li Family or the Liu Family now?"

"The Li Family," Chen Xuan’s voice was laced with ice.

"I’ve already had the man locked in the dungeon. I’ll interrogate him shortly."

Lu Jing’an nodded, the moonlight tracing the sharp lines of his profile. "Master, just tell me what you need me to do."

Chen Xuan shook his head, however, his gaze shifting to the ruins of the screen wall with pointed meaning.

"What you need to do right now, Young Master, is stabilize the Lu Family.

The Li Family is more deeply entrenched than the Qi Family was, and far more cunning and venomous.

Making a move against them will require patient planning."

Lu Jing’an understood his master’s caution and the depth of his words. He said gravely,

"Master, whenever you feel the time is right to make a move, just tell me.

The Lu Family can mobilize whatever manpower, resources, or funds are needed.

You may use any and all of our resources as you see fit, Master. There’s no need to ask me."

Chen Xuan cupped his fist, preparing to offer his solemn thanks.

But Lu Jing’an was a step ahead, raising a hand to gently but firmly press down on his master’s hands.

"Master, there’s no need for thanks between us," he said earnestly.

Chen Xuan nodded, saying no more.

Lu Jing’an quickly changed the subject. "Since you’ve returned, Master, I’ll leave the estate in your care."

Lu Jing’an looked up at the inky, sparsely-starred night sky. The white puff of his breath dissipated instantly.

"Those two Water Mines haven’t gone off yet. Tonight’s business isn’t over."

This time, Chen Xuan didn’t insist on accompanying him.

He glanced at the shattered screen wall, then at the youth before him, whose calm expression and entire demeanor had changed so drastically. He slowly nodded.

’Tonight, Lu Jing’an had faced that unknown danger alone. That was more than enough to prove his strength.’

The Ironclad Ship rumbled to life once more, breaking the stillness of the Canglan River at night as it pulled away from the docks.

Aboard the ship with Lu Jing’an were several dozen skilled men from the Water Patrol Bureau.

The river slapped against the hull in a series of hollow, rhythmic thuds.

Lu Jing’an stood alone at the bow, the river wind biting and sharp.

It felt like a blade scraping across his cheeks, whipping at the stray locks on his forehead and the hem of his Ink Cloak.

He closed his eyes, shutting out all surrounding noise, and let his consciousness sink into the void.

The next moment, a strand of Divine Thought, as fine and condensed as silk, extended from between his eyebrows.

It slipped silently into the pitch-black, freezing water of the river.

Fifty meters below the surface, the light had grown extremely dim.

The Catfish Demon’s massive, grayish-brown body, like a small submarine, hung suspended in the slow undercurrent.

It had already devoured the two heavy Water Mines.

Lu Jing’an’s Divine Thought was gentle, yet it irresistibly touched the Catfish Demon’s chaotic and rudimentary sea of consciousness—a space filled with little more than instinct and hunger.

The Catfish Demon’s immense body shuddered. A flicker of confusion passed through its murky eyes before being overwhelmed by a stronger will.

Its thick tail began to swing slowly, pushing through the current.

It swam toward a section of the river upstream, where the aquatic plants were lush and the current was gentle.

On the surface, the Ironclad Ship sliced through the river, which was like a bolt of black silk, heading in the same direction.

Its propeller churned up a wake of white foam, leaving a trail that spread out under the moonlight before being swiftly swallowed by the darkness.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, both ship and demon entered the weed-choked waters in unison.