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

Chapter 121 Malice
"That Master of the Lizi Hall, oh, the one nicknamed 'Money-Touching Hand' in the martial arts world, seems to have borrowed that strange item, the 'Big Black Hat.'"

These strange creatures of Sichuan, stealing breath and mimicking form, blend seamlessly into the crowd, indistinguishable from others… Now, they must have dispersed and arrived from all directions.

Lu Jing said quietly.

The world is full of wonders, and Chen Shunan's chicken head pearl is one of them.

This large black hat was made hundreds of years ago by a man from Shu who hunted a monster called the Thousand-Faced Demon. He sewed it together from its face and hair, and then performed special rituals such as Nuo opera and shamanism, and kept it for many years.

Anyone who wears it can perfectly imitate others by using their breath as a guide, including their internal energy, breathing rhythm, body odor, and even some minor physical details such as birthmarks.

Therefore, no one, not even those within the Guolu Society, knew the true face of this 'big black hat'.

But thinking about it now, having lost this big black hat, the real big black hat, he's probably sitting in jail somewhere, waiting to be released.

Hong Junxian sat at another table, speaking calmly.
"Heh, no matter how they change their appearance or disguise themselves, they'll eventually come to this execution ground to snatch the corpse. We'll remain unchanged amidst all changes, and with someone like Lord Lu in charge of the central government... How dare a firefly compete with the sun and moon?"

Nie Zheng remained expressionless and said in a deep voice,

“These rebellious traitors, who are neither subjects nor subjects, disregard the imperial court and disregard the law. Even if Zheng Shicheng is utterly wicked and even if the poisoning caused by the 'Hibiscus Ointment' is severe, they should be handed over to our government and His Majesty for judgment. When did it become the turn of these gangsters to uphold justice?”

"Moreover, there are still many opportunists in Wuqing County who are stirring up trouble and even secretly helping the Guolu Society. Once this matter is over, I will personally lead a team to catch the thieves and expose them one by one as a warning to others!"

Our government?

In the teahouse, many martial artists from the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world) sneered inwardly upon hearing this.

You, Nie Zheng, were originally a successor of a reclusive martial arts sect and had a blood feud with the imperial court. But now that you've come ashore, your self-interest has dictated your actions, and you've started to protect the interests of the imperial court.

However, no matter what people thought to themselves, their faces were full of smiles, and some were even a little envious.

After all, many of them also wanted to wear official robes and be officials...

Just then, a commotion and commotion could be faintly heard outside the window.

Then a plainclothes constable rushed into the teahouse, only to trip over the threshold and fall to the ground, losing his shoes before he could even put them back on.

"Lord Nie, something terrible has happened!"

Nie Zheng's brows furrowed suddenly, and he said coldly,

"Why panic? This is utterly disrespectful! How have I always taught you to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses before you? Only in this way can you gain the trust of the people and ensure peace and prosperity for Wuqing County!"

The bailiff trembled with fright, scrambling to his feet and stammering, "..."

"Lord Nie, the Bazhenlou restaurant in the north of the county is on fire, and there are rioters from the Guolu Society around!"

This statement sparked a great deal of discussion.

Nie Zheng's expression remained unchanged. He stood up and strode to the entrance of the teahouse, looking out with his hands behind his back.

Then a crimson flame shot into the sky from the north of Wuqing County, dyeing half the sky red.

The sounds of firefighting, panic, and shouts could be faintly heard, creating a chaotic scene.

Babaolou was owned by the younger brother of Magistrate Wang, and it was a top-notch restaurant in Wuqing County.

Nie Zheng said in a deep voice, "It's alright. The area around Babaolou is under the patrol responsibility of the Beixian gang. There are at least two first-class martial artists stationed nearby, so there won't be any major trouble."

"Lord Nie, something terrible has happened!"

Another bailiff rushed in, looking anxious.

Nie Zheng's eyes sharpened; the man seemed to understand something, and quickly composed himself, standing at attention and speaking solemnly.
"The Doujuzi Rice Shop in the south of the county has caught fire. A man who calls himself Bai Manlou not only killed the rice shop owner, but also distributed the rice shop's grain to the poor in the shantytown. He is simply lawless!"

Nie Zheng remained calm and said, "It's alright. That property originally belonged to Changlong Mill. They have their own top-notch experts to suppress and extinguish the fire."

"Lord Nie, something terrible has happened!"

"Lord Nie, something terrible has happened!"

...

More urgent voices came, and bad news followed one after another.

Large shops and mansions throughout Wuqing County were engulfed in flames, and fires broke out everywhere, filling the air with smoke. It seemed that the members of the Guolu Society had learned the art of being in two places at once, and in an instant, they were stirring up trouble all over Wuqing County.

Nie Zheng remained calm, still appearing completely confident.

Clearly, this was nothing more than a diversionary tactic by the Guolu Society bandits, who wanted to lure away as many of their top-notch fighters who were lying in ambush at Caishikou as possible.

Those arsonists were probably just ordinary江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people from the martial arts world) or ruthless bandits, merely using the name of the Guolu Society.

How could Nie Zheng be fooled?

"Oh my god, my grandma, something terrible has happened, something terrible has happened..."

A white-clad guard, covered in blood and carrying a knife, came rushing towards the enemy, shouting desperately.

Nie Zheng's face twitched, his expression turned ashen, and he glared at him with hostility.

The clerks who had just come to inform him were also looking at him with schadenfreude.

The servant was stunned for a moment, but he was still as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, his voice even becoming somewhat shrill.
"Lord Nie."

"Bastard!"

Noticing the mischievous or mocking gazes of many top-tier martial artists in the teahouse, Nie Zheng felt utterly humiliated.

When Nie Zheng first arrived in Wuqing County, he wanted to establish himself there by adopting a decisive and forceful attitude, which would make it easier to suppress dissidents.

These servants and laborers were also considered his subordinates.

If his subordinates are dishonest, then he himself is dishonest. Nie Zheng took a deep breath and said, "Speak slowly and clearly."

"Yes, yes, yes... Speak slowly, speak clearly..." The white-clad servant gasped for breath, trying to calm his tone, "The county government office was demolished! The main gate was kicked down! The fire is raging high in the sky! Magistrate Wang... he's probably in grave danger!!"

Boom! !
An invisible rage spread out like a heavy hammer, causing several constables to stagger backward, their blood churning.

Nie Zheng immediately became anxious: "You scoundrel, why didn't you say so earlier?! I will punish you first after this!"

……

Nie Zheng dispatched several top-tier experts and led a group of elites away in haste.

Hong Junxian frowned, a thoughtful look in his eyes, then suddenly stood up and said to Lu Jing,
“Officer Lu, a fire has broken out at the county government office. This is a matter of great importance, and I, Hong, am willing to go and do my part. I will take my leave now.”

"Please go ahead, Mr. Hong."

Lu Jing's gaze remained fixed on the chessboard, and he didn't even raise his head, only giving a faint reply.

Hong Junxian strode out of the teahouse, the noisy, hot wind outside hitting him in the face.

He suddenly stopped and gave instructions to his trusted aides.

"The county government office is not far from the gravel well. You should go to the gravel well immediately and have Lin Shouzhou take a group of Shui San'er to the county government office to put out the fire! If there is any delay or shirking, he will be punished according to the laws and regulations of the Wuqing Sticky Rod Office!"

"Yes!"

The man's expression hardened, he gripped his waist knife tightly, turned and ran away, his figure quickly disappearing around the street corner.
Upon seeing this, a sly glint flashed in Hong Junxian's eyes.

As long as it's for the greater good, Chen Shunan should be transferred to the county government.

With so many people around and the fire raging, there will be plenty of opportunities to 'push' Chen Shunan.
If something goes wrong by accident, all the blame can be placed on the Kuomintang, this bunch of rebels.

He then distanced himself from the matter.

This is the wisdom of our elders.

……

"Sir, are you looking for my uncle? He moved to the Miao region twenty years ago and hasn't returned to Wuqing County for many years."

"Is that so? To be honest, I am also a martial artist who practices the Golden Snake Entangling Silk Hand. I was looking for like-minded people to discuss and exchange martial arts techniques. I wonder if your uncle left anything behind, or... did you personally watch him leave Wuqing County?"

In a hutong in Nanshi, Chen Shunan stood in front of a house carrying pastries from Jialanzhai.

Perhaps because of the pastries, the family hurriedly went home, rummaged through their belongings, found a tattered notebook, and handed it to Chen Shunan.

“These are my uncle’s insights from his cultivation back then. Take a look. Of course, he left Wuqing County. I personally saw him off on the ferry.”

"Thank you very much."

Chen Shunan quickly took the note and carefully read through each page.

A moment later, he returned the journal with some regret.

The martial arts insights recorded in this notebook are perfectly normal and there is nothing wrong with them, not to mention the strange skin-shedding phenomenon that occurred after Master Li went astray.

"Farewell."

After putting down the pastries, Chen Shunan turned and left.

It was still early, but the streets were already bustling with people. The shouts of various vendors and the wisps of smoke rising from teahouses and water shops outlined the lively atmosphere of Wuqing County in the early morning.

Chen Shunan let out a long sigh.

Two days ago, he claimed that after giving guidance, he needed to make offerings to the gods and sacrifice treasures to fulfill his vow.

Li Shicheng was asked to present the martial arts insights of the Li family's ancestors, and it was also learned that in recent decades, there had been people who had obtained the Xuan Snake Shedding Form Diagram.

In the past few days, Chen Shunan has been searching for many people, but to no avail.

These people are either still alive or have left Wuqing County.

After comparing the handwriting, Chen Shunan also found that the missing or dead characters did not match the pictorial image he had obtained from the snake demon's belly.

"Phew... there are still a few households left. Let's search slowly. This can't be rushed, there's no use in rushing it."

After all, this matter was just one of the ways Chen Shunan, unwilling to bury his head in the sand, took the initiative to contact the secrets of the Holy Dynasty.

It is not a high priority or urgency.

Chen Shunan ate two bowls of hand-pulled noodles at a dim sum restaurant, barely managing to fill himself up to about 40%, before striding towards the gravel well.

But after walking a few streets, they suddenly saw something strange on the distant horizon: thick smoke billowing and flames flickering. People on the street stopped and pointed in that direction, discussing it amongst themselves, their faces filled with fear.

Chen Shunan glanced at the scene and, seeing that it wasn't his own well shed that had been the cause of the accident, felt somewhat relieved and continued on his way.

"Old Chen!"

As soon as I arrived at Weiheng Street, a familiar voice came from inside.

Chen Shunan looked in the direction of the sound and saw Sun Xiao rushing over.

"What's wrong?" Chen Shunan asked curiously.

Sun Xiao quickly approached and lowered his voice, saying, "Quickly, the Guolu Society has set fire to the county government office. We've been urgently summoned to the county government office to push carts and put out the fire!"

"Burn down the county government office?"

Chen Shunan's lips curled up; this was truly a joyous occasion!
(End of this chapter)