Chapter 171: In the Eye of the Storm

Mo Tang gave her orders, then waited for news at the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Lu Bai and He Liangzhi accompanied her, waiting by her side.

He Liangzhi asked, "Ma’am, how are your injuries?"

"It will likely take over a month to recover."

Mo Tang shook her head slightly.

If not for her injuries, she wouldn’t have needed to send her Evil Exterminator Guards to investigate the Water Ghost threat. She would have taken action herself.

Over three hours later.

Tang Fei and the others finally returned, their expressions grim.

Mo Tang’s gaze swept over them, and her heart sank. "Where is Cheng Yu?" she asked.

"Ma’am, Cheng Yu was dragged into the water by a Water Ghost."

One of the men spoke up. "We were investigating the sites of the previous incidents along the Jingshui River when we suddenly noticed something was off with Cheng Yu. He was walking step-by-step toward the river."

"By the time we rushed over, he was already submerged up to his torso. Two of us grabbed his arms and tried to pull him out, but the force from beneath the water was too strong. We were nearly dragged in ourselves, so we had no choice but to let go..."

Overcome with guilt, the two men knelt. "Please punish us, Ma’am!"

They had been terrified at that moment, their only choice was to abandon Cheng Yu and scramble back to shore.

"Get up. It’s not your fault."

Mo Tang’s expression was grave.

They had lost an Evil Exterminator Guard just from investigating the banks of the Jingshui River.

’The Water Ghosts in the Jingshui River are even more troublesome than I anticipated!’

Mo Tang then asked, "Have the fishermen near the Jingshui River been evacuated?"

"They’ve been evacuated into the city."

Tang Fei nodded.

Mo Tang felt a little relieved.

These Water Ghosts were formidable in the water, but they rarely dared to come ashore, let alone set foot in Jingzhou City.

At least in the city, people would be safe from the Water Ghosts.

"You are dismissed."

Mo Tang waved her hand dismissively, then led Lu Bai and He Liangzhi back to the secret chamber.

"Ma’am, is there any word on the secret report we sent to the Capital City?"

He Liangzhi asked.

At the time, Mo Tang had hoped to request that the Evil Extermination Bureau’s Jiaorui Envoy come to Jingzhou City to take charge of the situation.

A Jiaorui Envoy’s Cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul Realm.

Upon reaching this Realm, one could be called a ’True Monarch’ in both the Martial Dao and the Cultivation Realm.

If a Martial Dao True Monarch were to intervene, the Water Ghost infestation in Jingzhou City would be trivial.

Mo Tang said, "I just received a reply. My master says the Corpse Refining Sect’s matter is to be handled by the Demon Suppression Bureau. As for the Ghost Bride, we are to observe her for now. If she isn’t actively harming people, we are to leave her be."

The contents of the reply confirmed Mo Tang’s earlier suspicions.

That Ghost Bride was no ordinary Corpse Ghost.

Even the Mountain Monarch Envoy had been quite wary of her.

He Liangzhi asked, "If no Jiaorui Envoy is coming, how will we deal with the Water Ghosts in the Jingshui River? We can’t let this drag on forever."

Mo Tang said, "I’ll write to the Evil Extermination Bureaus in the nearest few states and see if any of their Morning Bell Ringers are free to come and help."

Reporting the Jingshui River’s Water Ghost problem to the Capital City and waiting for them to send someone would take far too long.

Besides, while this Water Ghost infestation is serious, it’s not quite large enough to warrant calling for reinforcements from the Capital City. It would seem like we were making a mountain out of a molehill.

Her master had sent her to her post in Jingzhou City as both a form of training and a test.

If she couldn’t even handle a matter like this and had to repeatedly ask the Capital City for help, it would reflect poorly on her competence as a Morning Bell Ringer.

At worst, she could just stall for a month. Once her injuries healed, she could go to the Jingshui River and slaughter the Water Ghosts herself!

Lu Bai and He Liangzhi left the secret chamber and returned to their respective rooms to rest.

Lu Bai hadn’t gone to the Jingshui River, but the Water Ghosts were still on his mind.

However, what Mo Tang had said made sense.

’This matter requires extreme caution.’

Many of his methods for dealing with Ghost Souls and other evil entities would be limited underwater.

His Five Emperors Coins, for example, couldn’t be thrown about as casually as before.

If he threw them underwater, the water resistance would sap most of their power, and he’d never be able to retrieve them.

The Silence Shocking Secret Technique was also unusable.

He’d get a mouthful of water the moment he opened his mouth.

Besides, he was only an average swimmer.

In his past life, he had only ever swum in pools. That couldn’t compare to a place like the Jingshui River, with its turbulent currents.

Of course, Lu Bai wasn’t without his own advantages.

The Ancient Mirror was his greatest trump card!

’I wonder if the Ancient Mirror’s power will be limited in the river.’

Now that Lu Bai had entered the Innate Realm, his Blood Qi was much more potent.

If its power wasn’t restricted, stimulating the Ancient Mirror with his current Blood Qi... the dark vortex it released would be even more powerful and have a wider range.

If he truly encountered a Fierce Ghost underwater, as long as he used it correctly, he could still absorb it into the Ancient Mirror!

Moreover, after reaching the Innate Realm, he could now activate all Five Blood Prohibitions on the Cyan Cloud Sword!

This Supreme Divine Weapon was another one of his assets.

Still, fighting underwater was nothing like fighting on land. It carried a certain degree of risk.

Lu Bai mulled it over for a moment. An idea struck him, and he began rummaging through his luggage, eventually pulling out a Cultivation Technique manual.

The Turtle Breath Technique.

He had taken it from the body of the Demon-slaying Bureau Commander on Zhongming Mountain and had kept it in his bag ever since, never having practiced it.

The *Turtle Breath Technique* was a Profound Tier Inner Strength method for holding one’s breath for extended periods.

If he could master the *Turtle Breath Technique*, it would give him another edge underwater.

With this in mind, Lu Bai began to read the *Turtle Breath Technique* and started cultivating.

For the next few days, Lu Bai holed up in his room, cultivating this technique and hoping to master it as quickly as possible.

During those days, Jingzhou City was in turmoil.

Many people depended on the Jingshui River to make a living. Forcing them all into the city was tantamount to cutting off their source of income.

The city couldn’t immediately accommodate such a large influx of people.

Moreover, all boat traffic at the ferry crossing had been halted.

This effectively severed the river trade with the Mo Country, which had a massive impact.

Several disturbances were said to have broken out in the city. Though they were quickly quelled, the unrest showed signs of escalating.

The Evil Extermination Bureau’s silence over the past few days had pushed it into the eye of the storm.

All of Jingzhou City, from the high officials down to the common folk in the streets, was abuzz with discussion, and most were deeply dissatisfied with the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Rumors began to spread like wildfire that Jingzhou City’s Morning Bell Ringer was an incompetent placeholder who did nothing to earn her keep.

After nearly five days, Lu Bai finally mastered the *Turtle Breath Technique*.

The moment Lu Bai stepped out of his room, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps all around, heading toward the main hall of the Evil Extermination Bureau.

"The Lord Governor is here!"

"What’s he doing here?"

"What else? He must be here to hold us accountable. I heard a lot of the fishermen have been protesting at the Prefecture Government Office, and even the Lord Governor can’t handle the pressure anymore."

Lu Bai frowned slightly and headed over.

Before he reached the main hall of the Evil Extermination Bureau, he ran into He Liangzhi, who was walking his way.

"What’s going on?"

Lu Bai asked. "It’s only been a few days. How did things get so out of hand?"

Back when there was the Tiger Demon threat in Bluestone City, the townspeople who fled into the city hadn’t reacted this strongly.

He Liangzhi frowned. "I made some inquiries. It seems the Fujiao Gang has been secretly instigating some of the fishing families to cause trouble. Combined with all the rumors flying around the city, all the blame is being pointed at our Evil Extermination Bureau."

"If word of this reaches the Capital City, I’m afraid Ma’am will be held accountable and removed from her post."

"The Fujiao Gang? What’s their story?"

Lu Bai asked.

He Liangzhi explained, "The Fujiao Gang is the largest gang in Jingzhou City. They built their power on the Jingshui River, trading with both the Mo and Shi Countries. Their business is substantial, their influence is vast, and they have connections with many city officials."

"The County Government Office arrested a few members of the Fujiao Gang, but it only backfired. The unrest has gotten even worse."

"Besides, the Evil Extermination Bureau is truly in the wrong here. A Water Ghost infestation broke out, and we haven’t resolved it. That’s a serious dereliction of duty."