Chapter 75 - 74: Suppressing the Water Bandits

Chapter 75: Chapter 74: Suppressing the Water Bandits

Lu Jing’an finished sketching the last waterline.

He set down his brush,

and held the paper up to the lamp, carefully blowing the wet ink dry.

On the map, the waterways, the hidden stakes in the reed beds, and even the distribution of sentries at the Water Stockade were all rendered in minute detail.

He carefully rolled up the map, on which success or failure hinged, and without a moment’s delay, went straight out to find Chen Xuan.

Lu Jing’an only trusted Chen Xuan with this matter.

Lu Jing’an unrolled the map, spreading it out under the dim yellow light, and said in a low voice,

"Master, the routes of the waterways in the reed marsh."

"And the details of the Black Shark Gang’s Water Stockade—it’s all here."

His finger tapped on the ink blotch on the map that represented the Water Stockade.

"I predict the Black Shark Gang won’t turn themselves in."

"When the time comes, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you, Master, to lead a team and uproot them completely."

Chen Xuan took the river channel map that Lu Jing’an had just finished—the ink still not quite dry—and studied it intently.

Chen Xuan didn’t ask how Lu Jing’an had obtained the map.

This disciple of his had many secrets, and Chen Xuan had never thought to pry.

This was also why Lu Jing’an felt that this was a task only Chen Xuan could handle.

After a long while, Chen Xuan looked up, placed the map gently on the table, and asked in a steady voice, "Young Master Lu, do you have a specific plan?"

Lu Jing’an pointed to the reed marsh. "I expect that in seven days, the Black Shark Gang will inevitably make a provocation."

"When that happens, Master, you can arrange for two Ironclad Ships to drive them from the front."

"Have another two Ironclad Ships wait where they’re likely to flee."

"After dealing with the Water Bandits on the river’s surface,"

"you, Master, will lead the ships straight to their Water Stockade."

"Take the two Mountain Cannons with you as well, Master."

"You should need them when you attack the Water Stockade."

"If you really can’t stop them from escaping, drive them towards the waters where the catfish are."

...

Chen Xuan listened attentively at his side.

After explaining his plan,

Lu Jing’an looked at the map and quickly reviewed it in his mind.

He confirmed there were no flaws.

Soon, Lu Jing’an thought of something else and said to Chen Xuan,

"Oh, right, Master. The Black Shark Gang’s Dragon King is a short man, less than four feet tall."

"He should be some kind of Cultivator, but I don’t know what type yet."

Chen Xuan nodded. "I will be careful."

Seeing Chen Xuan’s reaction, Lu Jing’an couldn’t help but ask, "Master, aren’t you the least bit curious how I know all this?"

Chen Xuan’s expression was calm as he replied, "When Young Master Lu wants to tell me, you naturally will."

Lu Jing’an hesitated, but ultimately couldn’t resist asking, a hint of probing in his tone,

"Master, you’re... not curious at all how I found this out?"

"Even the true appearance of the ’Dragon King’..."

Chen Xuan looked up, the dim yellow light casting quiet shadows on his sharp-featured face.

His tone was as ordinary as if he were discussing the weather. "If Young Master Lu feels it is the right time to speak of it, you will naturally do so."

Lu Jing’an paused for a moment, then decided to reveal a little.

"Master, this ability of mine... you could call it a... talent, one that I awakened by chance after formally stepping onto the path of a Martial Cultivator."

"My hearing has become exceptionally sensitive. Everything I hear is as if I’m seeing it."

’This wasn’t really a lie, was it? The ’entry’ system was certainly a kind of talent.’

But what surprised Lu Jing’an

was that after hearing his description, Chen Xuan didn’t seem too shocked.

"Master, does this mean other people have awakened such talents?" Lu Jing’an asked curiously.

Chen Xuan said, "Indeed, there are people who, after becoming Martial Cultivators, have had certain talents greatly amplified and enhanced."

"Some with vision, others with hearing, Spiritual Sense, taste..."

He paused, then added, "But to have it amplified to the extent you describe, Young Master Lu, is truly unheard of."

Lu Jing’an chuckled. "Perhaps my aptitude is just stronger."

Chen Xuan nodded. "That’s certainly a possibility. After all, in the ancient legends, there were Martial Artists who could move mountains and fill seas."

Hearing this, Lu Jing’an’s interest was piqued, and he wanted to ask for more details.

But Chen Xuan said that he had only read about them in legends and had never witnessed such things himself.

"Young Master Lu," Chen Xuan asked, "can your hearing perceive what’s inside a person’s body?"

Lu Jing’an nodded. "Yes, I can."

Not only could Lu Jing’an hear it, he could even see it.

After all, he also had the ability [As Clear as Daylight].

Seeing Lu Jing’an’s affirmative reply, Chen Xuan said to him, "Young Master Lu, I will now teach you a Technique."

"This Technique is specifically for finding the weak spot on a Martial Cultivator who practices Horizontal Training."

"For an ordinary person, this method might be a very useless ability."

"Because ordinary people can’t see the flow of qi and blood inside the body, they can only guess through external observation."

"The accuracy rate is extremely low."

"But since you can hear what’s going on inside the body, Young Master Lu, this Technique becomes extremely useful."

Hearing this, Lu Jing’an’s eyes lit up.

’I never would have thought...’

’that an unintentional confession could lead to such a reward.’

Chen Xuan immediately taught Lu Jing’an the method for finding the weak spot of a Martial Cultivator who used Horizontal Training.

Horizontal Training Martial Cultivators.

They made up a huge portion of all Martial Cultivators.

For one, Horizontal Training techniques were relatively common.

For another, the training was relatively less expensive than other methods.

But now that Lu Jing’an had mastered this Technique,

no Martial Cultivator who practiced Horizontal Training would have any secrets from him.

Before him, they would be as fragile as paper.

The Technique wasn’t complex. It relied on a deep understanding of the principles of qi and blood circulation and subtle perception.

After about an hour, Lu Jing’an had mastered the Technique.

Full of enthusiasm, Lu Jing’an immediately summoned a man from the estate’s Nursing Home who specialized in Horizontal Training.

The man from the Nursing Home was a stocky fellow. Hearing that the Young Master wanted to test his skills,

he stood still as instructed, though he didn’t know why.

He secretly circulated his qi and blood, and his skin took on a faint, bronze-like sheen.

Lu Jing’an focused his mind, listening quietly as he activated the Technique.

In an instant, the sound of the rushing qi and blood inside the guard’s body became clear to his "ears."

It was like streams surging along specific paths. But at a point three inches below his lower back,

the flow of qi and blood indeed showed a faint, almost imperceptible lag and thinness.

Compared to the tempestuous torrents of qi and blood surrounding it, it was like a shallow spot in a river.

"Nursing Director Li."

Lu Jing’an smiled faintly and pointed vaguely at a spot on his lower back.

"Is your weak spot... here?"

Nursing Director Li shuddered violently, the qi and blood he had built up almost dissipating.

His bronze-colored face instantly turned a horrified, pale white!

’This weak spot is a life-or-death secret! I’ve never revealed it to even my closest friends and family!’

Fortunately, Lu Jing’an meant him no harm; it was just a test.

...

The days passed in a tense calm, and the seven-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Lu Jing’an was seated early in the spacious yet somewhat empty main hall of the Water Patrol Bureau.

In the hall, there was only him, one table, one chair, and a pot of clear tea.

The heavy main doors facing the street were wide open.

Even the gates to the Water Patrol Bureau’s Government Office were thrown open,

ensuring that any passerby on the street

could see the figure seated inside with a single glance.

As the sky brightened, outside the Government Office,

a crowd began to gather in twos and threes, growing larger and larger.

They put their heads together, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Word of the seven-day deadline had spread throughout the city, and everyone wanted to see

if this young master of the Lu Family could truly suppress the bandits on the river,

or if he had just made an empty boast and would end up a laughingstock.

7:00 AM, 9:00 AM, Noon... The sun climbed higher bit by bit, then slowly began to descend to the west.

The crowd of onlookers outside the Government Office went from initial anticipation to later doubt, and by the afternoon, to whispers and veiled mockery.

The better part of the day passed. Not only were there no groups of Water Bandits, but not a single person had come forward to surrender.

Just as everyone was looking around,

a man from the Water Patrol Bureau ran in and whispered a few words in Lu Jing’an’s ear.

Hearing this, Lu Jing’an couldn’t help but frown.

Soon, the news spread through the crowd as well.

An unknown cargo ship had drifted into the Lu Family’s port.

The ship was flying the flag of the Black Shark Gang.

Everyone on board had been killed, their hearts and livers cut out.

And these hearts and livers had been arranged neatly.

There was even a note left by the Black Shark Gang.

It said this was a gift from them to Lu Jing’an.

Such a provocation.

It sent an uproar through the crowd.

At the same time, they became even more convinced that today, Lu Jing’an was toast.

No one was coming.

"Looks like no one dares to come..."

"The Black Shark Gang’s ’Dragon King’ has spoken. Who would dare cross him?"

"Tsk, tsk, how can Young Master Lu save face now? He spoke with such confidence..."

"Youths... so naive. The waters of the Canglan River run deep!"

A few tough-looking men mixed in the crowd exchanged glances.

The corners of their mouths held faint, cold smirks. ℯℯ𝘭.

’The Canglan River, in the end, isn’t run by someone named Lu.’

’The Dragon King has spoken. Who among the "friends" on these hundreds of miles of waterway would dare disrespect him?’

Inside the Government Office hall, however, Lu Jing’an seemed to turn a deaf ear to the noisy discussions outside.

Beside his hand was a cup of clear tea and a few of that day’s newspapers.

He read with great focus, occasionally picking up a brush to make a mark or two, his expression showing no trace of anxiety.

Lu Jing’an, of course, had long known that the Black Shark Gang had issued a warning to stop anyone from coming.

But he knew even more clearly that there were dozens of Water Bandit gangs, large and small, on the Canglan River.

There were no fewer than several thousand desperados trying to survive.

These people were not a monolithic bloc; each had their own schemes, their own ways of survival.

The Black Shark Gang could intimidate most of them, but they could never make everyone bow in submission.

’Someone, in a desperate situation, will always try to grasp that sliver of light that leads them back to shore.’

He just needed to wait patiently for that first, inevitable crack to appear.

The sun gradually slanted west, stretching the shadows of the Government Office’s eaves long across the ground.

The patience of the onlookers outside was nearly exhausted, and many were already preparing to leave.

They felt that today’s drama would likely end with the Young Master of the Lu Family being all talk and no action.

Just then, at the far end of the long street, several figures appeared, hugging the base of the walls.

They ran with hurried, stumbling steps.

Their clothes were tattered, stained with water and reeking of fish.

Their faces were covered with black cloths or torn rags, revealing only pairs of panicked, hesitant, yet resolute eyes.

These men rushed to the gate of the Water Patrol Bureau and paused for a moment,

seemingly startled by Lu Jing’an sitting inside and the crowd of onlookers outside.

But in the end, they lowered their heads and quickly passed through the gap that the crowd had automatically created.

They rushed straight through the open gates and, THUD THUD, knelt on the cold tiles of the main hall.

The light in the hall flickered for a moment, cut by their intruding figures.

Outside, the crowd fell silent in an instant. All eyes were fixed on the backs of the kneeling figures,

and on Lu Jing’an, who was slowly putting down his newspaper and lifting his gaze.