Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"It's Captain Qin, what a coincidence." Ning Xiu immediately returned the greeting upon hearing the other party speak.

Standing eight feet tall, with a broad back and thick waist, a red face and a large beard, Ning Xiu had met this person at the welcoming party before. He knew that the other party's name was Qin Zhen, who was a fifth-grade martial artist and the leader of the Bronze Leopard Team 117.

"What mission are you here in Qiantang City for?" Qin Zhen asked curiously, straightening his collar.

"I heard that there have been incidents of demons harming fishermen near Qiantang City, so I came here to investigate and see if I can eliminate the demons." Ning Xiu looked at the lobby on the first floor through the second-floor railing. At this moment, all the Iron Horse Demon Subduing Guards who were eating were exposed to his eyes: "I didn't expect that so many Copper Leopard Squads would be gathered in Qiantang City this time. It's really not common."

Qin Zhen chimed in, "That's right. I've been with the Demon Subduing Division for almost twenty years, and I've only encountered so many Bronze Leopard Squads appearing in the same place two or three times in a row."

"Captain Qin, what is your team's mission this time?" Ning Xiu asked curiously.

"Sigh, it makes me angry just thinking about it. Some people have gone mad and secretly hid books given to them by sorcerers to practice sorcery. In order to increase their strength, they killed 28 neighbors. All of them were hidden under their own stoves. I came all the way to Qiantang City to deal with this matter and also to check if there are any other people practicing sorcery."

“The external situation of the Great Shang Dynasty is already complicated, and now even ordinary people are doing such things. It’s just adding unnecessary trouble,” Ning Xiu sighed.

"That's right. Then I won't say any more to you, Captain Ning. I have important business to attend to. Besides the matter in Qiantang City, I have a lot of other tasks waiting for me to handle."

“I also need to go out on some errands, let’s go together,” Ning Xiu nodded.

Qiantang City is located next to the Longwang River. Every spring and summer, a large number of fish swim upstream in the Yellow River, so the fishing industry is thriving and many local residents take boats to fish on the river.

However, recently, many fishing boats have been attacked in heavy rain. When they were discovered, the fishermen on board had disappeared without a trace, and the fishing boats all showed signs of attack, with many claw marks and tooth marks.

Later, the people and soldiers of Qiantang City discovered rotting corpses on both sides of the riverbank, some with bones gnawed away and others missing their lower bodies.

This situation continued unabated, eventually leading to a point where no fishermen dared to start fishing anymore. The people of Qiantang City were unable to cope on their own and had no choice but to report to the Demon Subduing Bureau for help.

Coincidentally, Qiantang City, as the prefecture capital, was originally assigned a Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Captain to be stationed there. However, due to the current situation at the front lines, many Silver Tiger Demon-Subduing Captains have been transferred to the front lines to help, and Qiantang Town is no exception.

Therefore, the city currently lacks the ability to deal with such evil spirits.

After parting ways with Qin Zhen at the entrance of the inn, Ning Xiu went alone to the fishing boat ferry in Qiantang City, intending to first see the wreckage of the damaged fishing boats.

Runshui Bay is the largest ferry crossing for fishing boats in Qiantang City. Many fishermen have simply made their homes on their fishing boats, eating and sleeping on them. This strange incident on Longwang River, which prevented them from going out to fish, has seriously affected the livelihoods of the fishermen, making them quite anxious.

When Ning Xiu arrived at the ferry crossing to inspect the wreckage of the fishing boat, many fishermen who learned of his identity immediately surrounded him, anxiously making various requests of him.

"My lord, you must hurry up and kill that wicked monster! Now is the perfect time for fishing, and we've suffered huge losses every single day."

"Your Demon-Slaying Commandant has finally arrived. Please take a look; we really can't delay any longer."

...

Facing the fishermen who surrounded him in layers, Ning Xiu calmly nodded and said, "I already know the details. Don't worry, everyone. I will give you an answer as soon as possible. Now, take me to see the damaged fishing boats."

"Alright, alright, sir, this way."

The fishermen did not discard the wreckage of the attacked fishing boats, but piled it up in a corner of the ferry crossing so that someone could come and investigate.

Looking at the piles of fishing boat ruins, Ning Xiu's expression was quite serious.

The surface of each fishing boat is covered with numerous bite marks and scratches, some several fingers deep, a truly shocking sight.

A monster capable of causing such destruction to fishing boats would certainly not escape the fate of fishermen who fall into its hands; they would be doomed.

"Has anyone seen what the monster that attacked the fishing boat looked like?" Ning Xiu asked.

"No, sir. Everyone who encountered the monster is dead. There isn't a single survivor."

Ning Xiu nodded and said, "Okay, I understand the details. Now prepare a boat for me, I want to go into the water."

"Wh-what?"

"Sir, are you going down into the Dragon King River now?"

When the fishermen in the surrounding area heard Ning Xiu say this, they all showed expressions of disbelief, finding Ning Xiu's decision incredible.

【087】Hunting the Fish Demon

Although the rain has weakened considerably compared to the previous few days, it is still dangerous to go into the water at this time.

Besides the fact that monsters are lurking in the Dragon King River, the rain could suddenly intensify at any time, making it impossible to prevent.

The fishermen were not very accepting of Ning Xiu's idea to go into the water at this time, as it was too dangerous.

"Just listen to me and do as I say, and try to resolve the Dragon King River problem as soon as possible so that everyone can have peace of mind." Ning Xiu then listed out everything he needed.

The fishermen, concerned about whether they could catch fish, naturally wouldn't refuse. They did whatever Ning Xiu needed, with incredibly high efficiency.

Since we're going to go into the water, it's not just a simple inspection. Ideally, we should lure the harmful monster out of the Dragon King River once and for all.

One live pig, three live chickens, three live ducks, and a bowl of pig's blood...

Soon, all the things Ning Xiu needed were brought over by the fishermen and loaded onto a fishing boat prepared for him to launch. After everything was ready, a fisherman immediately asked, "Sir, everything you asked for has been loaded onto the boat. Is there anything else you need?"

"It's ready. Wait for my good news." Ning Xiu led Ba Wang onto the boat and immediately started rowing towards the center of the Dragon King River.

This section of the Dragon King River is about seventy or eighty feet wide. As Ning Xiu led his boat further and further away, the fishermen standing at the ferry soon could no longer see the fishing boats in the rain.

May Buddha protect this gentleman and ensure his safe return.

"We must get rid of the monster problem, otherwise we really won't be able to survive without fish."

……

Amidst the misty rain, Ning Xiu quickly steered his boat to the very center of the Dragon King River. The current was swift and strong, and it was fortunate that the boat provided by the fishermen was heavy and sturdy enough; otherwise, it would have been impossible to work in the middle of the river.

Ning Xiu controlled the Overlord to drop the anchor and secure the ship. He then picked up the pig's blood provided by the fishermen and poured it onto the river. At the same time, he grabbed a fishing net, covered a large, fat live pig, and threw it into the water.

The crimson blood mixed with the dark blue water, quickly gaining the upper hand and spreading in all directions, leaving a pungent smell of blood in the air.

The live pig that fell into the water struggled frantically, filled with immense fear of its current predicament. Ning Xiu held the fishing net with both hands, keeping it at a point where it could neither sink nor climb out.

At the same time, ignoring the cries of the live pigs, he carefully scanned every inch of the water surface.

The most direct way to lure monsters is to throw out bait, and a live pig in blood would be a good bait.

The rain was light and the noise was minimal.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The rain intensified, turning from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour, making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.

Ning Xiu, wearing a straw hat, stood by the fishing boat, silently watching the water with a complicated expression.

Two days have passed, and the live pig has been soaked in water by Ning Xiu until it is on the verge of death. It is estimated that it will not survive the day. As for the other live chickens and ducks, Ning Xiu also put them into the water one by one, just like he threw the live pig into the water.

Even so, no unexpected activity has been detected in the past two days. The water is quite calm, and not even a single fish has been seen.

This situation left Ning Xiu no time to ponder. Could it be that the monsters appearing in the Dragon King River were not ordinary monsters, but rather monsters that had developed intelligence and could be alert?

If that's the case, luring it out will be quite difficult.

Just as Ning Xiu was about to lift the dying pig up to let it catch its breath and live a little longer, a live duck that was floating on the water suddenly screamed violently, spreading its wings and struggling very hard.

Ning Xiu immediately looked over and saw the live duck tremble, and in the blink of an eye, only the duck's head was floating on the water, while the body disappeared.

The other chickens and ducks seemed to sense the danger and couldn't help but flap their wings and glide away, trying to escape the place.

But Ning Xiu's fishing nets held them firmly in place, leaving them no chance of escape.

Soon, another live chicken lost its life, leaving only a chicken head and a lot of feathers on the surface of the water.

Monsters are coming!

After waiting for so long, the target finally appeared, and Ning Xiu couldn't help but smile: "Finally, they've taken the bait!"

In this way, he no longer needed to lift the live pig up to catch its breath. He simply let go and sank the struggling pig back into the water, preparing to catch the 'big fish' of the Dragon King River.

"Rumble rumble!"

All things have a spirit. The pig sensed a great danger in the water. Even on its deathbed, it still waved its hooves and thrashed about in the water, trying to escape the clutches of evil.

But if the net is not pulled, it has no chance of survival at all. The two pigs' eyes are wide open, filled with fear.

Just then, a faint dark shadow appeared below the live pig. Ning Xiu reacted quickly and forcefully pulled, using the fishing net as a fishing rod, and with a burst of all his might, he pulled the entire live pig out of the water.

Behind the live pig, a huge figure also emerged from the water, its enormous mouth snapping open as it lunged to bite the pig's body.

With the help of the daylight, Ning Xiu was finally able to see the true face of this monster. It was like a big fish, two or three zhang long, and its whole body was covered with triangular scales. Its huge mouth took up a third of its head.

Its mouth was covered with fangs, and three purple tongues shot out like frogs. Even more terrifying, on the belly of this fish demon, there were two strange four-fingered claws that looked like dragons.

Once the fish demon broke through the water, its target was the live pig, intending to swallow it whole and then return to the water.

Ning Xiu was not about to give it that chance. He controlled the Overlord to throw the Thunder Hammer, grabbed it, leaped out of the fishing boat, and smashed the Thunder Hammer down on the fish demon.

boom!boom!boom!boom!boom!

The fifth level of Dengfeng Force erupted, and the moment the fish demon's cheek was struck by the Thunder Hammer, the entire area caved in, and its bones shattered. Even though its body looked huge and ferocious, it was clearly no match for Ning Xiu.

The fish demon, in pain, fell into the river and tried to escape by flailing its tail. Ning Xiu grabbed the fish demon's tail fin and prepared to deliver another blow to kill it and prevent future troubles.

But at that moment, the purple light on the surface of the Thunder Hammer that Ning Xiu had raised vanished in an instant, a thunderclap suddenly erupted in the sky, and then a purple lightning bolt fell down like a divine sword, striking the fish demon's head.

The fish demon, which had tried to escape, was instantly slashed until its body was charred black and convulsing, emitting a foul stench. It then floated sideways on the river surface, its life extinguished.

[Defeat monsters to gain +1000 General Proficiency]

Hearing the notification from the proficiency panel, Ning Xiu, standing on the fish demon, looked quite surprised.

He had no idea what had just happened, because it wasn't a method he possessed. Looking at the Thunder Hammer in his hand, which had returned to its normal state and was no longer moving, Ning Xiu reached out and stroked it.

It's normal, there's nothing strange about it.

“The Thunder Hammer didn’t do this before, attracting lightning… Isn’t this an ability that can only be obtained by combining the Purple Lightning Hammer and the two hammers?” Ning Xiu frowned and looked around.

Could the Purple Lightning Hammer be nearby?

In the torrential rain, nothing could be seen at all in the Dragon King River. Ning Xiu had no choice but to first load the fish demon's corpse onto the fishing boat, preparing to transport it back to the ferry.

The moment the fish demon's corpse was placed on the fishing boat, the waterline of the entire boat dropped by more than two feet, and even the hull made a cracking sound.

Fearing that the boat wouldn't be able to support the weight of the fish demon, Ning Xiu quickly controlled Ba Wang to row the fishing boat, rushing towards the riverbank.

……

After several days of continuous rain, the city of Qiantang was wet and muddy, and some damp places even had large patches of moss growing on them.

Unable to go out fishing, the fishermen could only gather at the ferry crossing to drink tea and chat, passing the time.

"That Demon-Subduing Commander has been out for two days and there's still no sign of him. Could something have happened to him?"

"If even the Demon-Subduing Commander gets into trouble, we can forget about fishing in the Dragon King River forever. Everyone will have to change professions, or we'll starve to death sooner or later."