Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 108 Wuqing County is in grave danger!

noon.

Bajiazhuang.

Lin Shouzhou stepped over the soft, damp pine needles, the air filled with the pungent smell of rotting fallen leaves mixed with the cold, damp earth.

He looked at the snake path in front of him, which was almost as wide as two people could hug, and couldn't help but shiver.

The snake demon that retreated late the night before last was so enormous?

If they were to actually fight, the odds would be against them.

Fortunately, Old Chen was quick-witted and could subdue the enemy without a fight, thus averting a fatal danger.

Near Lin Shouzhou, there were several figures with wolf-like eyes and sinister demeanor, each holding a sword and bow, all at least at the second-rate level.

These people were Zhao Guangxi's elite troops, secretly trained to handle matters beyond Shuiwozi's authority and things that couldn't be brought to light.

A petite figure, with a slender, willow-like waist, occasionally flashed and appeared on the bare treetops.

When Zhou Qing saw the massive snake path, his expression also turned solemn, and his face tightened.

It was a demon comparable to a first-rate demon, but it hadn't appeared near Wuqing County for over ten years.

The last time was more than ten years ago, when a thunderstorm washed away an ancient tomb in the Western Hills, releasing a tomb-guarding toad demon that wreaked havoc in the capital, killing countless people, including top-notch masters who slew the Five Thieves.

In the end, a celestial being appeared in his dream and awakened Hai Chuan, the founder of Dachengquan, who had been in seclusion for many years. This saved the day, allowing him to kill Hai Chuan and avert a disaster.

Now, is the disaster about to repeat itself?
At first, when Zhou Qing learned from Lin Shouzhou that a powerful demon had appeared in Bajiazhuang along the water delivery route, he was somewhat dismissive.

After all, Lin Shouzhou's breakthrough to the first-class realm was too recent, and his foundation was insufficient, so he might have mistaken demons for monsters.

However, Zhao Dongjia was quite cautious. He mobilized his troops, not only asking Zhao Dongjia to come and help, but also inviting the temple keeper of Lingguan Temple, just in case.

In retrospect, it's fortunate that Mr. Zhao had foresight.

Soon, Zhou Qing was one step ahead of the others and discovered that the snake path had abruptly ended.

After a fruitless search, Zhou Qing looked into the crowd and saw an old man being carried in a small bamboo sedan chair.

This person was dressed in a crimson-purple Taoist robe with a ruddy complexion, and held a gold ingot in his arms with both ends pointing upwards and the middle rounded and concave.

It is exactly the same as the gold ingot carried by the God of Wealth in temples.

Zhou Qing said, "Temple Master Yuan, please take action and find out the demon's last whereabouts."

The bamboo sedan chair landed.

With the help of others, Yuan, the temple keeper, slowly stood up.

"We must use it sparingly, there's not much incense ash left in this precious ingot."

Yuan, the temple keeper, was the temple keeper of Lingguan Temple, and he was invited by Zhou Qing this time.

Yuan, the temple keeper, reached into the gold ingot, grabbed a handful of incense sticks, muttered a few incantations, and scattered them into the air.

The incense ash, seemingly without force, flew into the breeze, circling back and forth. Then, as if it had discovered something, it flew straight towards the small river bend at the bottom of the mountain stream.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Qing's face lit up with joy, and he quickly caught up.

After a while.

Zhou Qing, Lin Shouzhou, and several other martial artists skilled in water discovered the melted flesh on the riverbed, which was completely out of place with the surrounding mud and sand.

The incense smoke, still warm even when wet, now floats quietly above the minced meat, proving its identity.

That snake demon, whose strength was comparable to that of a top-tier expert, is dead.

Moreover, there were no signs of fighting around, the riverbed was clear and clean, and there were no extra clues on the way there.

This proves that the snake demon was killed underwater by something.

For some reason, everyone shivered.

Wow…

Without hesitation, everyone quickly swam ashore.

Zhou Qing channeled his internal energy, drying his clothes.

His face was grave. He grabbed a handful of sand from the riverbed, carefully feeling its rough texture, and said, his mouth dry.

"Is it a demon of scattered form... or a martial artist with exceptional swimming skills, who has gone into the water to fight?"

Upon hearing this, not only others but even Zhou Qing himself found it somewhat absurd. The deep waters of the Jiangze River were considered forbidden territory, even for a martial arts grandmaster.

After entering the water, his strength was reduced by 30% to 40%.

If you encounter the water monster again, the chances of survival are slim.

How could anyone kill a great demon so cleanly and decisively without leaving any trace of fighting or revealing any aura of power?
Moreover, the strength and methods of a scattered demon far surpass those of a gathered demon of the same realm.

Lin Shouzhou took a deep breath and subconsciously reached for the pipe at his waist, only to find that he had traveled light today and had not brought the pipe with him.

His hands trembled slightly.

The giant snake that brought Lin Shouzhou, Chen Shunan and others immense crisis and oppression died tragically here without a sound.
Zhou Qing, Lin Shouzhuo, and the others all looked at Yuan, the temple keeper.

Yuan, the temple keeper, sighed and said,
"You must agree that there must be enough money for the incense offerings to the God of Wealth afterward, the incense ash must be filled with these gold ingots, and the incense burner, vase, and other essential items, as well as the incense filling the room, are all indispensable... These are not for me, but for the God of Wealth."

Incense burning is a way to honor deities. The set of tools, including incense burner, incense box, and incense chopsticks, is called the "three essentials of the burner and bottle." Blended incense is a complex fragrance made by mixing a series of precious spices, such as agarwood, sandalwood, borneol, and musk.

Only a few major temples have the resources to perform rituals and worship according to such regulations.

Therefore, Yuan, the temple keeper, was undoubtedly asking for an exorbitant sum. This whole process would cost at least a hundred taels of silver.

Zhou Qing, Lin Shouzhou, and the others readily agreed.

There was no bargaining.

It's not easy to negotiate the price.

Anyway, it's not like I'm paying out of my own pocket; I can get reimbursed by Zhao Dongjia.

"All things possess a spirit, and all contain their own vital energy. We hereby invite the Six Jia Commanders to swiftly capture and reveal their true forms!"

Yuan, the temple keeper, scattered a few more handfuls of incense ash, performed ritualistic steps and hand gestures, chanting incessantly, just like a shaman performing a ritual dance.

The onlookers couldn't help but slow their breathing, their faces filled with awe, for fear of offending the spirits in the darkness.

But only Yuan the temple keeper knew that all his dancing and singing was just a bluff.

The only thing that truly possesses power is the incense ash inside the gold ingot.

Its effect is quite simple: it can only track and control birds and beasts, serving as their eyes and ears.

After the incense ash was put into the water, it seemed to be searching for something, but no results came for a long time.

"Hmm? That's strange. Why aren't there any treasure fish or strange turtles near the waters?"

Yuan, the temple keeper, exclaimed in surprise.

Not understanding why, he could only use his imagination to direct the incense ash towards more distant waters.

After more than ten breaths, a very large flounder, estimated to weigh five or six pounds, carrying a clump of incense ash on its head, slowly rose to the surface, as if summoned.

The flounder glanced at the people on the shore with some confusion, then fearfully remained in the shallow water.

Yuan, the temple keeper, gestured for everyone to step back. He stepped forward a few paces and said gently,
"King of the Sea, may I ask when the serpent demon's corpse was left at the bottom of the water? And who killed it?"

"Please tell me the truth, and I will reward you handsomely!"

Upon hearing this, the flounder pondered for a moment, then seemed to understand something. All its eyes, squeezed together on the left side of its head, revealed a deep look of fear.

It crashed headfirst into a rock on the shore and thrashed about wildly.

His skull was dented, blood was flowing freely, and the incense ash on his head was rubbed off as a result.

Then, the flounder, like a startled bird, sank and fled.

"This……"

Seeing the flounder's reaction, Yuan Miaozhu suddenly understood something.

Demons and monsters in the world have a far stronger sense of hierarchy and the intimidation of bloodlines than humans.

What could elicit such a reaction from this flounder is certainly not something a human martial artist could do.

It must be an even stronger and more ferocious demon!
That's why it keeps such a tight rein on things, not daring to reveal even a single piece of information!

Now, even the temple keeper, Yuan, was stunned. He took a few steps back, his eyes darting around, and his voice trembling.
"A great demon! A truly great demon! A water monster, a ferocious and malevolent being..."

Yuan, the temple keeper, looked up at the crowd and said in a tearful voice,
"Wuqing County is in grave danger!"

(End of this chapter)