Chapter 161 - 115: There Will Be Retribution for Unkindness

Chapter 161: Chapter 115: There Will Be Retribution for Unkindness

"It’s heartbreaking to watch."

Lu Jing’an’s hand, holding the soup spoon, paused for a moment before resuming as normal.

Lu Jing’an didn’t say anything, simply finishing the porridge in his bowl.

At a time like this, any words of comfort were hollow and meaningless.

The only thing that could stop Third Aunt and his cousins’ tears was the safe return of his third uncle.

And that was something he was working on.

...

Water Patrol Bureau, Director’s Office.

Bai Lang was dressed in a crisp, dark green uniform. A ferocious wolf’s head, embroidered with golden thread, adorned his left breast.

Bai Lang leaned back in his high-backed chair, his feet propped up on the edge of the wide, mahogany desk.

He toyed with a gleaming dagger in his hand, his gaze amused as he looked at the mountain-like pile of denunciation materials on his desk.

These had all been eagerly delivered this morning by the various businesses of Yin Mountain County.

All of it evidence of Lu Huaisan’s various crimes.

Whether it was true or false was irrelevant. What mattered was the gesture.

Bai Lang was very pleased.

This was the exact effect he had been aiming for.

Kill a chicken to scare the monkeys. More importantly, he needed all the monkeys to know which side to stand on.

"Director."

A clerk stood respectfully before the desk.

"Should we organize these materials immediately and rush them to the headquarters in the Provincial City?

As for Commander Bai..."

Bai Lang waved a dismissive hand, a cruel smile touching his lips.

"No rush. Let the bullets fly a little longer.

Wait until all the onlookers and fence-sitters have jumped out to pledge their loyalty. Then we’ll send everything over at once.

I want the Commander to see just who calls the shots in this Yin Mountain County."

"Yes, sir!" The clerk bowed.

Just then, the office door was thrown open with a BANG.

A Water Patrol Officer, his face pale as a sheet, burst in. He was so out of breath he forgot to even salute as he shouted:

"Di-Director! This is bad! Something terrible has happened!"

Bai Lang’s brows furrowed. He took his feet off the desk and sat up straight. "What’s the panic? Has the sky fallen?"

"It’s... it’s the Snake Demon! It’s... it’s back!"

The Water Patrol Officer’s voice trembled.

"We just received an urgent report. Two merchant ships coming from downstream were attacked near Blackwater Bay!

The ships were capsized, and all the cargo sank!

The eight brothers we sent to escort them.

None of them survived! The boatmen who escaped said.

...It was the Snake Demon!"

"What?!"

Bai Lang shot to his feet, shoving his chair back with such force that it screeched across the floor.

For the first time, a look of utter disbelief appeared on his face.

"The Snake Demon? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

He strode over to the Water Patrol Officer, looming over him.

The overwhelming aura of an Inner Breath Realm Martial Artist pressed down on the man, nearly suffocating him.

"I sliced that beast in two with my own hands!

It was so gravely injured, it couldn’t possibly recover in less than a year, or a year and a half at least!

Let alone come out and stir up trouble!

Did you get the story straight?

Was it some other water monster?"

The Water Patrol Officer was so intimidated by his presence that his legs felt weak, but he braced himself and said:

"D-Director, all the boatmen who escaped are telling the same story.

They all say they saw it clearly. It was the same one from yesterday.

And... and its size, appearance, and especially that fleshy crest around its neck... they were all identical..."

"Bullshit!"

Bai Lang roared, his eyes as sharp as blades.

"Identical?

I grievously wounded that beast. Even if it didn’t die, it should be hiding in some filthy ditch, clinging to life!

How could it recover completely overnight and be well enough to attack merchant ships?

Do you think it was blessed by an Immortal or something?!"

The Water Patrol Officer fell silent, too terrified to speak further as he lowered his head.

’His heart is pounding, though. The boatmen’s descriptions really do match yesterday’s demon.’

’But a recovery speed like this... it’s too appalling to believe.’

Bai Lang paced back and forth in his office, his expression dark and uncertain.

He refused to believe it was the same Snake Demon, but the successive attacks felt deeply unsettling.

After a moment, he stopped pacing, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Assemble the team!"

Bai Lang ordered in a low voice.

"Bring the heavy weapons. We’re going to Blackwater Bay!

I want to see with my own eyes just what the hell is behind this charade!"

"And if it is..."

Bai Lang gripped the hilt of the saber at his waist, his knuckles turning white as a grim, murderous aura filled the room.

"I don’t care if it’s the one from yesterday or not. Chop it to pieces and throw it in the River to feed the fish!"

"Yes, Director!" The Water Patrol Officer, as if granted amnesty, scrambled out of the room to pass on the order.

Bai Lang walked to the window, looking out at the overcast sky and the ceaselessly flowing Canglan River in the distance.

The boat traffic on the River, usually bustling, seemed much sparser today.

Bai Lang had a faint feeling.

’Something... something is stirring beneath these murky waters, quietly slipping from my grasp.’