Film & TV: Public Enemy of Justice

"If your drinking water is contaminated, where do you get clean water from?"

“At first, every household would bring their own bottled water. But soon they ran out of water and went to the market to buy it. Because of the water shortage, the crops in the village withered and died. The villagers’ income was poor, and they gradually could no longer afford to buy water from the market.”

Selling water at the market? Lin Yaoxie thought to himself for a moment.

Is the water sold at the market expensive?

"It wasn't expensive to begin with, but the price eventually doubled, becoming comparable to gold."

Lin Yaoxie pondered for a moment, then turned to Zeng Shushu and said, "Let's go to the market."

The market streets were sparsely populated, and the usual street vendors were nowhere to be seen. All the shops were closed, and the streets were a mess. Lin Yaoxie found one of the open shops, where villagers were crowded around buying and selling. Lin Yaoxie asked one of the villagers, "What are you all rushing to buy?"

"Of course I'm buying water. Water is the most scarce commodity these days." After saying that, the man squeezed back into the crowd.

"That's easy. I'll take the shop owner hostage and demand that he give me water for free. I don't believe he's not afraid of dying." Zeng Shushu said smugly from the side.

"Alright, you can do this."

"what!"

Zeng Shushu watched Lin Yaoxie leave alone, swallowing back the words she wanted to say.

In the middle of the night, on a dark and windy night, Zeng Shushu changed into a set of black clothes, covered his face, and quietly slipped into the backyard of a shop. After a long period of searching, Zeng Shushu finally found the owner's house.

Having anticipated this, Zeng Shushu took out a bamboo tube and slowly extended it towards the window. He then gently blew a few breaths into the tube, filling the room with a misty haze. Boss Jin, sound asleep, was completely unaware of the danger outside the window and gradually drifted off to sleep.

Zeng Shushu opened the door smoothly, glanced at the unconscious Boss Jin, and said, "Being able to be kidnapped by me is a blessing you earned in your past life." After saying that, he quickly stuffed the person on the bed into a sack and fled with the sack.

The next morning, Mr. Jin, waking from a deep sleep, stretched comfortably. He had dreamt again of becoming incredibly wealthy, lying atop a pile of gold and jewels, with ingots raining down from the sky. Even in his sleep, Jin Yuanbao was smiling.

"Are you awake? Did you sleep well last night?"

"Hmm, that's good." Boss Jin trembled slightly and subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound. At that moment, Zeng Shushu smiled and greeted him (Qian Yuan).

"Who are you, and what is your purpose in arresting me?" Mr. Jin, now fully conscious, demanded loudly.

You'll find out soon enough.

This is the government office in the market. Last night, after Magistrate Wang learned that Lin Yaoxie was sent by the city lord to manage the river, he told Lin Yaoxie and Zeng Shushu to stay at the government office and promised to cooperate with Lin Yaoxie's work instructions.

At this moment, Lin Yaoxie sat in the main seat of the yamen hall, tapped the table with his clapper, and asked sternly, "Who is below me? State your life."

Seeing Lin Yaoxie trembling, and then looking at Magistrate Wang standing beside him, Boss Jin honestly replied, "I am Jin Qian, the owner of a shop." After saying that, Boss Jin added, "Sir, I have always been law-abiding and have not done anything illegal."

Lin Yaoxie banged the table several times with his clapper: "Silence! No noise is allowed in the courtroom. Whether or not a crime has been broken, I will decide."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: River Management (Part Two)

Lin Yaoxie sat upright in the courtroom, his face stern: "Now that the village is facing disaster, as a member of the village, you should support the villagers. Now, as Magistrate Wang, I order you to distribute clean water to the villagers free of charge, without asking for anything in return. I believe that the villagers will remember your kindness and be grateful for it. At that time, you will be the great saint of the village. I will also personally build a golden statue for you so that future generations can worship and sing praises of your good deeds."

Boss Jin's face turned ashen: "Sir, this, this..."

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Zeng Shushu asked through gritted teeth.

Mr. Jin hung his head dejectedly, unable to speak.

With the help of Lin Yaoxie, the village's water supply problem was alleviated. That day, Boss Jin sat alone in his house, sighing.

"How could I have gotten myself into such a terrible mess?" Boss Jin pounded his chest and stamped his feet, looking up at the sky and sighing deeply.

What's troubling Mr. Jin so much? Perhaps he has some grudge he hasn't voiced?

Zeng Shushu stepped into the room with his hands behind his back and said casually. Then Lin Yaoxie followed Zeng Shushu in.

Upon hearing this, Boss Jin immediately stood up and respectfully replied, "I wouldn't dare, I have no complaints whatsoever."

"Mr. Jin, there's no need to be too nervous. I'm here today simply to ask you a question, it won't take up too much of your time."

"Please feel free to ask me any questions, sir. I will answer them to the best of my ability," said Boss Jin with a sigh of relief.

Lin Yaoxie glanced at Boss Jin and paced back and forth around him: "The village has been severely flooded recently, and water sources are scarce. Where do you get this water to sell?"

Boss Jin stammered, "I only found out about a place with a water source by chance. I hired some people to dig a well and that's how I got the water." "You found the water source and didn't even tell me, but you took the opportunity to make dirty money," Zeng Shushu said indignantly.

Startled by Zeng Shushu's questioning voice, Boss Jin shrank back and remained silent.

"As long as you take us to that well and promise not to draw water from it again, we will not deliberately make things difficult for you."

Boss Jin nodded vigorously, while Vivi looked at Lin Yaoxie.

“Now that the village’s water supply is no longer a problem, we can rest assured. Should we go and tell Grandpa so he can worry less?” Zeng Shushu said casually to Lin Yaoxie.

"We don't need to worry about the villagers' living conditions in the near future, but we should try to find a way to solve the water supply problem as soon as possible. As for the city lord, we'll send a guard into the city to report the good news later."

Zeng Shushu nodded in agreement, and then the two of them walked together toward the Qiling River.

Compared to the turbulent rapids of the upper reaches, the downstream river water lacks the grandeur and domineering presence of the upper reaches, but possesses a touch of gentleness and grace. The Qiling River water itself has not changed, except for the addition of a seemingly harmless yet deadly dark purple petal.

"How can we remove the toxicity from the river water? Can such a large river be completely purified?" Zeng Shushu asked doubtfully.

Lin Yaoxie casually picked up a petal, feeling secretly distressed. He had been searching for an antidote to the poisonous flower for days, but had no clue whatsoever.

"This flower is called Dark Night Bloodlust. It is highly poisonous and needs to be fed with animal blood. Because it is very difficult to grow, the survival rate is extremely low. Only the Yan Cliff Grass can neutralize its poison."

Lin Yaoxie turned around and looked at the person behind him. Overjoyed, he ran over and hugged her tightly, only letting go of her after a long while.

"Biyao, you're back. What happened at the Ghost King Sect? And how did you know I was here?"

“My father was furious when he found out about the poisonous flower incident and wouldn’t let me go out. I ran away secretly to find you. The innkeeper said you hadn’t returned to the inn for several days. Later, I heard that the flood in Peach Blossom Village had eased, so I thought you (aefe) might be here and came to find you.”

Lin Yaoxie pulled Biyao into his arms again, feeling her body temperature and fragrance.

Zeng Shushu watched all this coldly from the sidelines, at a loss for what to do.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem, I say you two should get down to business."

At Zeng Shushu's prompting, Lin Yaoxie reluctantly released Biyao and said in a deep voice.

How do you know about Yan Cliff Grass? Do you know where to find it?

"During my time imprisoned in the Ghost King Sect, I was searching through ancient texts. I found it in an old book. Yan Cliff Grass is extremely difficult to find, with a very low rate of existence in the world. Perhaps we can go to Moon Bay to take a look."

Moon Bay is actually a valley, named for its crescent shape. The area below Moon Bay is damp and shrouded in mist; most who venture there never return. Lin Yaoxie, Biyao, and Zeng Shushu entered Moon Bay together.

“Be careful,” Biyao warned. “Many divine beasts inhabit these areas. They dislike noise and will become enraged if disturbed. Try to finish the battle quickly and avoid startling them.”

Lin Yaoxie led the two cautiously deeper into Moon Bay. Deep underground, isolated from light, the area was dimly lit, and the surrounding mist made the path even more difficult. Following Biyao's description, Lin Yaoxie finally discovered a Swallow Cliff Grass in a secret cave.

The cave was surrounded by green vines, and water kept dripping from the cave ceiling to the ground. Lin Yaoxie found the Yan Cliff Grass among a pile of green vines.

Lin Yaoxie was overjoyed and forcefully pulled the Yan Cliff Grass from the wall. The moment the grass was pulled out, the secret cave suddenly shook violently, and Lin Yaoxie grabbed Biyao, who was about to fall.

Then the three of them grabbed the green vines on the cave wall. Lin Yaoxie looked at all this in confusion, with a bad feeling about it.

Lin Yaoxie instinctively led the two out of the secret cave. The moment they stepped out, a huge explosion sounded behind them, and Lin Yaoxie discovered that the secret cave behind them had collapsed.

"Such a commotion may have alerted the mythical beasts here. We should leave immediately."

Biyao gave a warning, and the three of them ran towards the cave entrance without hesitation. They hadn't run far when a monster with a completely black body and blood-red fangs suddenly appeared in front of them. Lin Yaoxie stood in front, sword in hand, and said to Biyao and Zeng Shushu, "I'll hold it off, you two take the opportunity to escape."

"No, I can't do it. We have to fight together," Biyao said stubbornly.

"Hey, I don't care about your sweet talk, but don't forget that I, Zeng Shushu, am also a person with blood and guts."

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Adventure at Moon Bay

Lin Yaoxie's eyes flashed coldly as he stared intently at the monster ahead. The monkey-like beast's eyes gleamed with ferocity as it glared menacingly at Lin Yaoxie and his companions. The monkey-like beast was a divine beast that survived from ancient times. When Pangu created the world, he annihilated most of the chaotic divine beasts, but the severely wounded monkey-like beast was rescued by the Father God and raised in Moon Bay. From then on, the monkey-like beast slumbered deep underground, never to be seen again.

Lin Yaoxie sensed the powerful force emanating from ahead and secretly tightened his grip on the arrow in his hand.

The raccoon opened its gaping maw and roared at Lin Yaoxie, then leaped forward. Lin Yaoxie dodged to the left, avoiding the raccoon's attack, and in the instant they brushed past each other, he swung his sword at the divine beast beside him.

The leopard-like creature with the heavy sword howled in agony and turned to attack Lin Yaoxie again. At the same time, Biyao and Zeng Shushu attacked from behind the leopard-like creature, while Lin Yaoxie fought the small leopard at close range to avoid being fatally attacked.

Lin Yaoxie's sword carried a fierce aura, each strike delivered with all his might. The monkey hyena's entire body was covered in sparks, which swayed constantly with its movements, making people afraid to approach easily.

The wolf-like mane spewed forth bursts of flame, turning everything in its path to ashes that scattered in the wind. The demonic forest conjured a demonic realm, attempting to imprison the wolf-like mane's fury, while the monkey-like mane unleashed a burst of flames...

The rage burned it to ashes. During their close combat with the Three-Headed Lizard, Biyao and Zeng Shushu tried their best to extinguish the divine fire on its body, but they were still unable to do so.

"The heavens and the myriad things emerge as rays of light, swords gleam across ten thousand trees, thunder roars across the dark river."

Lin Yaoxie held a sword in front of him, with two fingers of his right hand positioned horizontally on the hilt, and muttered something under his breath.

In an instant, dozens of swords fell swiftly from the sky, forming a circle around the monkey hyena. Trapped, the three hyenas could not move and struggled desperately in the sword prison, bursting out fierce roars.

"Quickly, now's the time."

Lin Yaoxie clasped his hands together in front of him, chanting incessantly. Suddenly, the sword on the ground flew into the sky, transforming into a giant sword that emitted a dazzling sword light, illuminating the dim Moon Bay with a spiritual aura.

"cut."

The giant sword descended rapidly from the sky, bringing with it a hurricane. A fierce wind swept across the ground, sending rocks and gravel flying. With a muffled boom, the giant sword landed on the raccoon, kicking up a cloud of dust.

After a moment, once everything had calmed down, Lin Yaoxie was able to see the situation inside the sword prison. The monkey-like creature, wounded by the giant sword, lay panting on the ground, motionless. As it slowly closed its eyes...

Then its entire body was enveloped in a ring of bright light, gradually shrinking into a sparkling little night pearl, which flew towards the direction of the demon forest.

“This is the soul pearl of the ancient divine beast, the monkey-like beast. Since you have slain the divine beast, this soul pearl naturally belongs to you,” Biyao explained.

"What is this Soul Bead for, and what is its function?"

“Generally, divine beasts rarely have soul beads inside their bodies. Divine beasts that possess soul beads are of very high rank, and the higher the rank of the divine beast, the greater the effect of its soul bead. Moreover, this is the soul bead of an ancient divine beast. After a cultivator swallows the soul bead, they will inherit the power of the divine beast. Brother Lin, you have turned misfortune into blessing today.”

Lin Yaoxie stared blankly at the soul bead in his hand, "The soul bead of an ancient divine beast!"

Lin Yaoxie looked up and swallowed the Soul Pearl. His whole body radiated energy, and his forehead was burning hot. He clenched his fists and tried to resist the burning sensation of the fire inside his body.

"Ah, ah, ah....."

The wild cries of the demonic forest echoed from the depths of the valley, startling the crows in the trees into flight.

"Congratulations, Brother Lin, on your rapid advancement in cultivation! You have now broken through to the seventh level of the Upper Clarity Realm. You have far surpassed Bi Yao."

Looking at the red flames emanating from his arms, Lin Yaoxie said incredulously, "I didn't expect this Soul Pearl to be so powerful; it saved me a lot of effort."

"That's right. Soul beads are rare treasures that are hard to come by. Many cultivators spend their entire lives without ever obtaining one. Brother Lin, you are so lucky to have encountered a soul bead at such a young age, and it is even the soul bead of the ancient divine beast, the fox-like fox."

"Exactly, even I'm starting to get jealous of you," Zeng Shushu said, full of resentment.

"Let's put that aside for now and hurry back to get the medicine to save the villagers of Peach Blossom Village."

Next, Lin Yaoxie and the other two headed towards Peach Blossom Village.

"The best way to remove all the poison from the Qiling River is to bring down a heavy rain using Yan Cliff Grass."

"Rain? How will it rain?"