Chapter 112 - 97: Holding a Press Conference to Announce the Li Family’s Sins

Chapter 112: Chapter 97: Holding a Press Conference to Announce the Li Family’s Sins

[Refinable/Restorable Divine Soul detected. Collect?]

The first light of morning pierced through the gauzy mist on the river, its shimmering surface reflecting the pale white of the dawning sky.

Two translucent notifications hovered above the water’s surface.

The edges of the text shimmered with a faint golden light, rippling gently with the waves.

Lu Jing’an stood at the bow, the morning breeze tugging at the hem of his deep cyan uniform.

Lu Jing’an’s calm gaze swept over the notifications.

With a mere thought, he made his choice.

[Collect]

The moment the thought formed, two invisible ripples emanated from the depths of the river.

Like fine threads, they were drawn directly into the Zhengqi Furnace.

According to the classification system for Demon Fiends he knew, the Piggy Dragon was the strongest of the three Water Demons from the Canglan River, having reached the Lower-class Ghost Level.

The Water Monkey and the Catfish Demon were both Upper Human Level, the same rank as the Tiger Demon he had eliminated in the past.

That Tiger Demon had yielded four entries: one orange and three green.

This time, with a Ghost Level fiend in the mix, the rewards should be even more substantial.

What’s more, he still had the Divine Souls of those two blind men and the Fate Cultivator to refine.

This venture had been incredibly profitable for Lu Jing’an.

He had foiled the Li and Liu Families’ plot, driving them to the brink of ruin.

On top of that, he had a massive haul of new entries to look forward to.

It was a true jackpot.

While Lu Jing’an was lost in thought, the crew was already working deftly to haul the floating Demon Corpses aboard.

The Piggy Dragon’s skull was half-shattered, and its blackish-red Demon Blood left a large stain on the deck.

The Catfish Demon’s long barbels were snapped, and its mouthful of sharp teeth glinted a ghastly white in the morning light.

As for the severed body parts that had sunk to the riverbed, eight Martial Cultivators, all strong swimmers, tied ropes around themselves and dove into the water.

This was the deepest part of the Canglan River, with the riverbed a good seventy to eighty meters below the surface.

The undercurrents were fierce, and ordinary fishermen never dared to venture near.

But for Martial Cultivators who had refined True Qi, holding their breath for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn and diving seventy to eighty meters was no difficult feat.

The eight men, with Cowhide Ropes tied around their waists, clenched Water-Splitting Sabers between their teeth.

After exchanging nods, they plunged into the river, leaving behind nothing but spreading ripples.

A short while later, with a series of SPLASHES, the eight men burst from the water’s surface. Their faces were all pale, and their lips trembled.

What they had seen on the riverbed had clearly surpassed their expectations.

"It’s... it’s tied fast!" the lead Martial Cultivator said, his voice strained.

The crew heaved on the ropes in unison. The thick lines scraped against the gunwale with a low GROAN.

A shadow began to rise from the depths, at first the size of a millstone.

Then it grew to the size of a roof. By the time it fully broke the surface...

Even the most seasoned veterans of the Water Patrol gasped.

Though the two demon fiends were dead, the foul, fishy demonic aura they exuded was still terrifying to behold.

The two demon fiends were so massive they nearly filled the entire deck.

By the time both corpses were dragged onto the deck, the entire Ironclad Ship’s draft had doubled.

The hull groaned, unable to bear the weight.

By the time the flurry of activity was over, the eastern sky was already painted in the golden-red hues of dawn.

As the sun fully crested the horizon, the Ironclad Ship slowly approached the shore.

The fisherfolk who were up early on the docks mending their nets glimpsed the two mountain-sized Demon Corpses on the ship.

The shuttles they were holding fell from their hands with a CLATTER, and one elderly man even fell to his knees in worship.

He kowtowed repeatedly toward the Demon Corpses, muttering incantations.

The commotion drew more onlookers, and within moments, the dock was completely swamped with people.

The soldiers of the Water Patrol Bureau stood tall and proud, surrounded by the crowd.

They excitedly recounted the perils of the previous night’s battle and the sheer might of Director Lu.

"That Piggy Dragon opened its mouth, and the river surged thirty feet high!

Our Director walked on water and took off half its head with a single slash!"

"The Catfish Demon tried a sneak attack from below, but the Director, without even looking back, ran it through the skull with a reverse spear thrust!"

"...And that Catfish Demon, bigger than our own ship, we took it down too...!"

Before his man could finish, Lu Jing’an cut in. "Just stick to the facts. I didn’t get involved."

The man immediately replied, "Director, you may not have fought, but we couldn’t have done it without you."

"Anyone else wouldn’t have even had the guts to try."

Even though Lu Jing’an denied it, the stories still spread through the docks like wildfire.

The fishermen who spent their whole lives on this river were stunned. Some rubbed their eyes.

Others pinched their arms. Once they were sure they weren’t dreaming...

...they suddenly fell to their knees in unison, shouting toward the direction Lu Jing’an was leaving:

"Lord of Heaven!"

"A Bodhisattva, come to save us from our suffering!"

Those who didn’t make their living on the Canglan River could never understand the constant fear they felt when casting their nets each day.

They could never understand the terror of hearing the river moan in the dead of night, much less the absolute despair of encountering a Water Demon, from which there was no escape.

Now that all three demons were gone, it was as if they had been granted a new lease on life.

Inside the carriage, Lu Jing’an watched the fishermen prostrating themselves on both sides of the road.

The morning light slanted across their dark, weathered faces, and their eyes shone with a genuine light he hadn’t seen in a very long time.

Lu Jing’an’s fingers, resting on his knees, twitched slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

He just tapped lightly on the carriage wall, signaling the driver to move on.

The wheels rolled over the stone-paved road, leaving the shouts of gratitude further and further behind.

By the time he returned to the Lu Family’s Old Mansion, the estate had been mostly cleaned up.

The collapsed spirit screen wall hadn’t been cleared away yet; the rubble of bricks and tiles was piled in a corner under a tarp.

But the bloodstains had been scrubbed clean with fresh water. The cracks between the flagstones were still damp, glistening in the morning light.

Damaged doors and windows that could be salvaged were temporarily reinforced with wooden planks; those beyond repair had been cleared away, awaiting reconstruction.

The estate had returned to its usual tranquility, though a faint scent of blood and smoke from the previous night still lingered in the air. Beneath the covered walkway, several pots of autumn chrysanthemums had been knocked over, spilling soil across the ground.

In the main hall, the members of the Lu Family and Chen Xuan were all waiting.