CHAPTER 545: CHAPTER 543: THE GIANT FISH

North of Chenzhou city, upon the Ling Shui River.

Three colossal tower ships traveled across the broad expanse of the river. These sailboats were as tall as cities, with high bows, wide sterns, and towering steel supports erected at the prow. The ships bore three-tiered structures, complete with crossbow windows, lance holes, and stone-throwing artillery, resembling fortresses.

The hulls were painted in striking, alternating red and black colors. On both sides, the ships were mounted with Crossbow Guns and firearms, their firepower capable of easily tearing through small wooden vessels, let alone common whales and sharks.

Sailors with dark, tanned skin nimbly climbed the masts to survey the distance, shouting directions to the officers below. Meanwhile, dozens of soldiers on deck stood armored and armed, their faces stern, their bodies swaying slightly with the gentle rocking of the ship.

These were soldiers from the Wude Guard. Armored, armed, and well-trained, they lacked extraordinary abilities. However, through strict discipline and fierce bravery in combat, they could hunt demons and monsters with the sabers and spears in their hands.

But the protagonists of today’s events were not them.

"Monk Zhu?"

A young soldier rushed across the deck to where Scholar Zhu and others stood peering over the railings at the Ling Shui River. He bowed and said, "We will soon reach the Fish Demon’s location. General Du is gathering everyone to discuss strategy."

Scholar Zhu gazed at the sun-dappled, shimmering expanse of water and murmured, "The waters of the Ling River are so turbid..."

"Cultivator, what are you saying?" the young soldier laughed. "The Ling River is always muddy with silt. That’s why there’s the saying, ’The Ling River is turbid, while the Wei River is clear.’"

"Hmm."

Scholar Zhu acknowledged noncommittally with a nod and turned around, saying indifferently, "Lead the way."

Several days had passed since Luo Siyuan had approached him to propose hunting the Fish Demon. During this time, Luo Siyuan had sought out many other people. He even successfully convinced the Governor of Chenzhou to dispatch troops to assist in the demon hunt. Commanding the three tower ships was none other than the Governor’s nephew, General Du Tinghuai.

Scholar Zhu and the others followed the soldier into the tall structure of the tower ship.

Inside the cabin, General Du Tinghuai, dressed in Bright Plate armor, sat at the head. He was tall and handsome with a beard, bearing a striking resemblance to the Governor. Several of his lieutenants sat beside him, while the two rows of seats before him were filled with dozens of Cultivators from Chenzhou. These included Wude Guard captains, Taoist priests from Longhu Mountain, several prominent monks, and Luo Siyuan, who wore a purple Taoist Robe and a Zhuangzi Jin on his head, and held a horsetail whisk.

Upon seeing Scholar Zhu enter the cabin, Luo Siyuan greeted him with a friendly smile. General Du Tinghuai, seated at the head, also nodded, showing no annoyance at his tardiness—after all, Scholar Zhu had previously saved the life of the Governor’s wife, General Du’s aunt, thus General Du owed him a favor.

"Monk Zhu, please take a seat."

General Du Tinghuai gestured for his subordinates to bring chairs for Scholar Zhu and the others.

Once Scholar Zhu was seated, the General cleared his throat, glanced over the Cultivators below, and slowly said, "Some of you were invited just today to hunt the Fish Demon. For everyone’s convenience, I will ask Taoist Head Luo to explain the Fish Demon’s origins once more."

Luo Siyuan stood up with a flick of his horsetail whisk and spoke calmly, "A few days ago, a disheveled young man found this humble Taoist and beseeched me to help him uphold justice.

"He said his surname was Xu and his given name You Qi. His father, Xu Wen Cai, was a merchant from Nan County.

"A month ago, Xu Wen Cai chartered a ship to transport goods along the Ling Shui River. While in the middle of the river, a sudden gale arose, dark clouds gathered, and thunder and lightning roared.

"The calm river surface was whipped into waves. A monstrous black fish head, as large as a small hill, emerged from the water. It opened its gaping maw, bit the cargo ship in half, and swallowed everything—people and cargo alike.

"Xu Wen Cai was devoured by the Fish Demon. When the terrible news reached his home, his wife and children were grief-stricken and nearly inconsolable.

"Several of the Xu family’s eldest sons swore an oath to avenge their father. They then went to Fu County, the site of the incident on the Ling Shui River, to report the matter."

Luo Siyuan paused for a moment, cast a glance at the Wude Guard Captain sitting opposite him, and said indifferently, "Over the past few years, there have been multiple incidents of Fish Demon attacks in Fu County.

"Eliminating such demonic evils should have been the duty of the Wude Guard.

"However, the Ling Shui River is vast and winding, its waters deep and murky, making it difficult to search and investigate. Furthermore, the Fish Demon is cunning and its movements elusive.

"The Wude Guard deployed several times but never found any trace of the Fish Demon, so they eventually shelved the matter. After all, Fish Demon attacks were infrequent.

"The number of ships sinking annually in the Ling Shui River due to hidden reefs far outnumbered those destroyed by the Fish Demon.

"When reporting to their superiors, they could simply attribute all ships destroyed by the Fish Demon to these underwater reefs.

"When the Xu family saw that reporting the demon’s whereabouts was fruitless, they sold their property, gathered funds, and prepared to seek help from an expert at Longhu Mountain to slay the Fish Demon and avenge their father."

Luo Siyuan sighed and continued slowly, "The Xu brothers left home with their money and lodged at an inn in Fu County.

"Unexpectedly, a fire broke out that very night, burning the inn to the ground.

"All the elder Xu brothers perished. Only the youngest, Xu You Qi, escaped the disaster.

"He made his way to Chenzhou to find me, claiming he had heard the clang of weapons on the night of the fire.

"He suspected someone had deliberately set the fire to murder the Xu brothers and steal their money.

"He feared the Fu County officials were involved, so he dared not report it to them. Instead, he asked me to help him seek justice.

"Though my learning is shallow and my cultivation meager, how could I stand idly by when faced with such injustice?

"So, I accompanied him back to Fu County. Using a spiritual communication technique, I summoned the soul of the eldest Xu brother to inquire about the case.

"Sure enough, we uncovered something suspicious and, following the clues, traced it to a local wealthy merchant, Huang Silang.

"I presented the Longhu Mountain Token to the Fu County Magistrate and requested he arrest Huang Silang for interrogation.

"The Magistrate was initially skeptical.

"Huang Silang had once been a poor fisherman. A few years prior, he had an incredible stroke of luck, unearthing a piece of Dog-headed Gold by the riverside.

"Using the proceeds from selling the gold as capital, he started a business and, in just a few years, accumulated a vast fortune.

"He also frequently donated money and materials to build bridges and repair roads in Fu County, earning an excellent local reputation.

"After considerable persuasion from me, the Fu County Magistrate finally dispatched constables to arrest Huang Silang.

"Unexpectedly, the interrogation revealed a horrifying case."

Luo Siyuan’s expression turned mournful as he spoke, "Huang Silang claimed that a few years ago, he had seen the River God of the Ling Shui River in a dream. The River God promised that if Huang Silang made offerings to him, he would be blessed with lifelong wealth and prosperity.

"Huang Silang awoke half-believing, half-doubting. Just a few days later, his wife was due and gave birth to a baby girl.

"The vile custom of infanticide has existed since ancient times.

"In the rural areas between Yue and E, common folk typically raise only two sons and one daughter; any more are killed.

"Often, when the mother is in labor, they prepare a vessel of water. As soon as the baby is born, it is drowned in the vessel. This is called ’washing the child.’

"As an impoverished fisherman, Huang Silang already found it a heavy burden to support his two sons.

"Upon seeing he had a newborn daughter, he simply rowed out to the middle of the Ling Shui River, placed the infant in a wooden basin, and set her adrift.

"The wooden basin bobbed on the water’s surface before eventually being engulfed by the river.

"The next morning, Huang Silang found a nugget of Dog-headed Gold, the size of a human head, washed up on the riverbank."