Chapter 153 - 113: New Water Demon

Chapter 153: Chapter 113: New Water Demon

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Lu Family was isolated.

This was exactly what the Hu Family wanted. They couldn’t wait for the Lu Family to be cornered.

They would have no choice but to fight the Bai Family to the death.

Unfortunately, the Lu Family was not run by fools.

The wealth accumulated from the Black Shark Gang was the foundation of the Lu Family’s ability to maneuver.

What’s more, the Lu Family was a smaller vessel, making it easier to change course.

If it truly came to the worst, it wasn’t impossible for them to withdraw completely.

The one truly in a bind, unable to back down, was the deeply entrenched Hu Family.

Suddenly, Lu Jing’an’s gaze fell upon a record at the end of the intelligence report:

"...According to the verbal accounts of boatmen returning from downstream, a massive monster is suspected to have appeared in the Canglan River these past two days.

A merchant ship, while sailing at night, saw a long, dark shadow beneath the water.

Estimated to be nearly two hundred feet long, its size was horrifying.

Due to the lack of conclusive evidence or physical remains, it has been temporarily classified as ’suspected.’"

’So the Canglan River is stirring up trouble again.’

Lu Jing’an gently set the paper down and turned to look out the window.

The night was hazy. In the distance, the Canglan River lay quietly, like a massive sash of black ink.

The last time he cleared out the three demons, it had only brought a temporary peace.

Now that the Spirit Nest at the bottom of the river was established, it was only natural for it to attract new spirits and aquatic creatures to take up residence.

’I just wonder, what realm will this new neighbor be from, and what is its origin?’

Lu Jing’an’s gaze was deep, as if piercing through the night to stare directly at the river’s turbulent heart.

...

On the Canglan River, the night was as cold as the water.

Although it was deep winter and the river wind was bone-chilling, cargo ships still sailed by night with their lanterns lit.

In the past, this would have been a fool’s dream.

Back when the three demons of the Canglan River ran rampant, forget sailing at night—even traveling by day required one to be on constant alert.

Now, not long after the three demons were slain, the shipping lanes had found a brief period of peace.

So merchants were racing against time, traveling through the night to make up for lost time.

A merchant ship, fully laden with goods from upstream, was cutting through the inky black water, heading downstream toward the Provincial City.

A small sampan was tied to both the bow and the stern, with armed figures looming on board.

This was the so-called Escort Team now operating on the waters of Yin Mountain.

The name sounded nice, but in reality, they were just tax collectors in a new guise, charging even more exorbitant fees.

On the merchant ship’s deck, two watchmen wrapped in heavy, cotton-padded jackets were on duty.

Huddled in a corner to avoid the wind, they warmed themselves by a small charcoal brazier and spoke in low voices.

The firelight reflected on their faces, red from the cold.

"Sigh... Director Lu was doing such a good job. Why did they have to replace him just like that?"

The younger crewman rubbed his hands together, his breath misting in the air.

"When Director Lu was in charge, we felt so much safer sailing at night!"

The older crewman opposite him glanced warily toward the small boat at the stern and lowered his voice.

"Shh—keep it down!

Those men now are all with the new director. They’re not like Director Lu’s disciplined crew."

He sighed, his voice dropping even lower.

"Tell me about it... But in this world, might makes right.

I thought this newcomer might be a good official, since he took the heads of those Li Family people a few days ago.

But then he turns around and doubles the escort fee. Isn’t that just bleeding us dry!"

The young crewman’s face was full of indignation, but he didn’t dare raise his voice, only forcing the words through his clenched teeth:

"But Director Lu was the one who caught those Li Family guys.

These new guys just came in to kill them. Anyone can see they’re just here to steal the credit.

I really miss the days when Director Lu was here..."

"SPLASH—!"

Before he could finish, a murky wave suddenly surged from the center of the river!

The wave wasn’t high, but it was abrupt and fierce.

It rocked the huge cargo ship violently, and the ship’s timbers let out a strained "CREAK."

"It’s the middle of winter, with no wind or rain. Where did a wave that big come from?"

The young crewman stumbled, grabbing the gunwale, and stared at the dark surface of the river with surprise and suspicion.

The older crewman’s face, however, went deathly pale. His voice trembled, "

D-don’t tell me... the thing in the water is back?

A few days ago, people were saying they saw something huge in the river.

A shadow, way longer than a ship. It was pitch-black, couldn’t make out what it was..."

"Don’t scare me!" The young crewman’s scalp tingled. "If there’s really something that big, this ship wouldn’t even be a mouthful for it..."

"BOOM!!!"

A massive explosion, ten times more violent than before, erupted!

It came from behind the ship, accompanied by the piercing sound of splintering wood and countless horrified screams!

Scared out of their wits, the two men scrambled and crawled to the railing at the stern.

A single glance was enough to make their blood run cold.

Just a hundred feet or so behind them, a colossal creature burst from the water!

It was a gigantic serpent, larger than they could have possibly imagined!

The part of it visible above the water was as majestic as a mountain.

Its body was covered in scales as dark as iron, which gave off a cold, wet gleam in the pale moonlight.

Its head was the size of a house, topped with a menacing, fleshy crest that resembled a crown.

Its two massive eyes, as large as lanterns, glowed with cold, cruel, golden vertical pupils.

The escort boat from the stern, which had been acting so arrogantly just moments before...

...was now caught between the serpent’s fearsome teeth!

The people on the small boat were screaming, crying, and firing their guns wildly. The bullets only sparked against its scales, not even leaving a white mark.

The giant serpent tilted its neck, and its throat convulsed.

It swallowed the entire boat, along with the people on it, whole!

The sounds of chewing, splintering, and desperate screams mingled together before being quickly drowned out by the surging river.

"Run... Run! Jump ship!!"

The older crewman let out a bloodcurdling shriek, no longer caring about the bone-chilling cold of the river.

He vaulted over the railing and plunged headfirst into the pitch-black, icy water.

The younger crewman, as if jolted from a nightmare, quickly followed.

He dove into the water and swam for his life, paddling desperately toward the faintly visible riverbank in the distance.

The freezing water instantly soaked through his padded jacket, feeling like a thousand needles pricking his skin.

But he didn’t feel it. There was only one thought in his mind:

’Get away from that serpent! Get away from this river!’

The two of them swam frantically, driven by pure survival instinct.

After what felt like an eternity, when their limbs were nearly frozen and numb,

they finally crawled, bedraggled, onto a muddy bank.

Looking back at the river,

the three ships from before had vanished without a trace. All that remained were some broken planks and debris, bobbing in the turbulent water before being swallowed by the darkness.

Besides the two of them, the survivors

included a few other crewmen who were strong swimmers and escaped quickly, totaling less than ten people.

The dozens of others, along with the two escort boats, had all been entombed in the serpent’s belly.

A cold wind swept across the empty riverbank as the survivors collapsed to the ground.

They stared at the inky surface of the river, which had returned to calm but seemed to hold an endless nightmare beneath.

Shivering, they didn’t even have the strength to cry.

The night grew deeper. The Canglan River continued its silent eastward flow, as if nothing had happened.

Only the thick, cloying stench of blood, impossible to disperse, drifted hauntingly on the cold wind.

The few who survived

didn’t dare linger on the bank.

They scrambled and ran deep inland.

「The next morning.」

These survivors

arrived outside the Water Patrol Bureau.

A new Water Demon had appeared in the Canglan River, and the Water Patrol Bureau had to be told.

At the same time, they needed to ask the Water Patrol Bureau to step in and eliminate the demon.

If this demon wasn’t dealt with, they could forget about running boats on the river ever again.

Along with these men came representatives from the merchant guilds that owned the ships.

And it wasn’t just their guilds.

All the guilds that relied on the Canglan River to make a living had sent people.

It couldn’t be helped.

They weren’t sure

what kind of temperament the new director had.

They were worried that if too few people showed up,

the new director would just brush them off.

In the end, they would be the ones to suffer.

So, they brought more people.

This way, the new director would have to take them a little more seriously, right?

Bai Lang listened to his subordinate’s report.

His brow furrowed.

A new Water Demon had appeared in the Canglan River.

It wasn’t that Bai Lang was afraid of the Water Demon.

He was simply worried it would interfere with his commander’s plan.

’I already got chewed out before. This time, I have to handle things perfectly.’

Bai Lang immediately assured the merchant guilds that the Water Patrol Bureau would eliminate the demon as soon as possible.

After receiving this assurance,

the guild representatives temporarily dispersed.

As for Bai Lang, he gathered his men, boarded an Ironclad Ship, and headed directly to the waters where the incident occurred.

He would absolutely not allow anyone—or any demon—to disrupt his commander’s plan.