novelapdf Chapter 149, 1rd update
Chapter 149, 1rd update
Yancheng, the council hall of the Demon Slayer Division.
It was raining continuously outside the window.
Rainwater fell from the eaves like beads from a broken string, pattering against the stone slabs with an annoying crackling sound.
A huge topographical map of Yancheng and its surrounding area hangs on the wall of the hall.
Mountains, rivers, cities, villages, and defense zones are clearly marked.
Yan Wu, the magistrate of Yancheng, stood with his hands behind his back before the map, pointing to several red-circled defense zones as he recounted the latest intelligence gathered in recent days. After Yan Wu finished, the heads of each prefecture also reported on the recent patrol situation within their respective defense zones.
The reports were mostly brief and contained largely the same content.
It's just rain, and more rain.
And the deployments disrupted by the rain and the movements of the demon army delayed.
When the topic inevitably turned to the rain again, Tian Wenjing, who had been listening silently, stroked his gray beard and slowly spoke: "Chief Yan, colleagues. These days, I have had some doubts in my mind, so I went to the county government to review the rainfall records of Yancheng and the surrounding areas over the past thirty years."
According to records, Yancheng has a relatively dry climate. Even during the rainy season, the rain is usually short-lived or moderate, and there are rarely several days of continuous heavy rain like this.
In my humble opinion, are these unusual celestial phenomena... somewhat abnormal?
Yan Wu frowned upon hearing this:
"Does Elder Tian mean... this rain isn't a natural disaster, but rather the work of a demon?"
"That's unlikely, isn't it?"
A magistrate from a neighboring city shook his head and raised an objection.
"Demons that can summon wind and rain and change the celestial phenomena are extremely rare. Usually, only great demons belonging to the dragon family possess such supernatural powers."
Only a dragon demon of the twelfth rank or higher could cause such a torrential rain that covered hundreds of miles around Yan City and lasted for so long.
How could someone of this caliber possibly appear in Yancheng?
Tian Wenjing's gaze was deep and unfathomable.
"That was my initial thought as well. But you all must not forget that there is a demon at the foot of Fire Dragon Cliff, not far from Yan City."
The previous official retorted:
"Even so, what is the purpose of the demon going to such great lengths to bring rain?"
Rainwater alone cannot drown the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Yancheng. The city has a complete network of ditches and canals, which are sufficient to dredge the water.
On the contrary, the demon army itself consists mostly of land-dwelling demons.
Such heavy rain and muddy conditions were also detrimental to their marching and combat operations, effectively delaying their own offensive opportunities.
Why do something that harms others without benefiting yourself?
The others nodded in agreement, finding this statement reasonable.
Tian Wenjing stroked his beard and pondered:
"That's precisely what's puzzling. Perhaps... the rain itself isn't meant to kill, but has some other purpose?"
For example, to cover up certain actions? To change certain environments? Or is it the prelude to some large-scale formation or ritual?
These are all just my baseless speculations and should not be taken as fact.
Therefore, I propose that we send an elite squad secretly to Fire Dragon Cliff to investigate and resolve our doubts, so that we can prepare accordingly. What do you think, Chief Water Master?
However, Shui Miaozheng seemed somewhat distracted at the moment.
She held a cup of tea that had long since gone cold in her hands, unconsciously turning the cup gently with her fingertips. Her gaze was fixed on the tea swaying slightly in the cup, but her focus seemed to wander elsewhere.
For some reason, from the moment she stepped into the council hall, she felt uneasy and her eyelids twitched violently.
It felt as if my heart was suspended by a thin thread.
The raindrops outside the window fell in rhythm, tightening with each patter.
I have a feeling that something bad is about to happen.
"Water Master?"
Seeing that she hadn't responded for a long time, Tian Wenjing called out again.
"Um?"
Shui Miaozheng snapped back to reality, raising her slightly bewildered eyes. "Old Tian, what did you say?"
Seeing her like this, Tian Wenjing felt helpless, knowing that she probably hadn't listened to anything just now.
He had no choice but to briefly repeat his speculation and his suggestion to investigate Fire Dragon Cliff.
Upon hearing the words "Fire Dragon Cliff," Shui Miaozheng felt a pang of pain in her heart.
Her capable subordinate, Tang Guixin, was betrayed by a traitor and thrown off that cliff, her body never to be found.
It is also a scar that will never leave her heart.
She took a breath, suppressing the surging emotions in her heart, and barely managed to calm herself, saying, "Old Tian is right. In that case, I'll go and investigate, and while I'm at it..."
"Report!"
A hurried announcement came from outside the hall.
A guard on duty rushed in and ran straight to Shui Miaozheng, speaking urgently:
"Commander Shui, your subordinate, Miss Ming Cuicui, urgently requests an audience, saying it's something extremely urgent!"
Cui Cui?
Shui Miaozheng was taken aback.
She should be patrolling the defense zone with Xiao Jiang right now, so why did she suddenly run into the city?
That sense of unease in my heart reached its peak.
"Let her in."
Shui Miaozheng immediately said.
Soon, two disheveled figures rushed into the hall.
The one leading the group was Ming Cuicui.
The girl was soaked to the bone, her hair plastered messily to her cheeks, her face covered in rain and tears.
Zhu Chang followed closely behind her, his face as pale as paper.
"Master Boss..."
As soon as Ming Cuicui entered the door, she knelt down with a thud and cried out:
"Master Jiang...Master Jiang is dead!!"
The hall fell into a sudden, deathly silence.
Everyone froze in place, wondering if there was something wrong with their ears.
"What did you say?!"
The first to react was Tian Wenjing.
This usually composed old man, however, was like a tiger whose tail had been stepped on. He sprang up from his chair, rushed to Ming Cuicui, and his eyes wide open:
"Which Master Jiang?"
There is only one hall master surnamed Jiang in Yancheng.
The news was so shocking and outrageous that people instinctively didn't want to believe it, and dared not believe it.
Ming Cuicui cried her heart out, gasping for breath: "It's...it's Master Jiang Mu."
"Buzz"
The hall erupted in chaos.
The faces of the crowd were filled with disbelief.
The death of any other hall master, while tragic, is still within an acceptable range.
But that's Jiang Mu!
He's a guy who's recently risen to fame, has an impressive track record, and has repeatedly created miracles!
The impact of his death was far greater than usual.
It's hard to accept at first, and it even creates a strong sense of unreality.
Shui Miaozheng seemed to have had her soul ripped out.
She slumped into the chair, the teacup in her hand falling to the ground with a clatter and shattering.
Tea splashed onto her skirt, but she didn't notice.
My brain was buzzing.
It was as if millions of bees were flapping their wings at the same time, filtering out all the noise from the outside world and turning it into a blurry background noise.
died?
How is that possible?
This morning before she left, he was still smiling and praising the food she had cooked, and he was even joking around with her in high spirits...
How could such a vibrant person just disappear like that?
This must be a dream.
Yes, it must be a dream, I haven't woken up yet...
"You bastard!"
A loud shout pulled Shui Miaozheng back from her daze.
Tian Wenjing grabbed Zhu Chang by the collar, lifting half of his body up. His aged face was contorted with rage and ferocity: "Speak! What exactly happened?!"
"Did they encounter a powerful demon lying in ambush? He's not made of clay, how could he die so easily!"
Zhu Chang said with a face full of grief:
"There was no demon... It was Wenhe Hall Master of the Third Hall who killed Hall Master Jiang."
"Wenhe?"
Tian Wenjing's pupils contracted; he was completely stunned.
He released Zhu Chang, staggered back two steps, his face full of disbelief.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"How could it be Wen He? Does he have the guts? He and Jiang Mu have a conflict, but why would he go so far as to do something so vicious?!"
Tian Wenjing knows Wenhe too well.
That kid might have had some backbone in his younger days.
But over the years he has become worldly-wise and even somewhat timid.
There is absolutely no way that someone would kill a colleague in public over a mere altercation, especially when the other party is Jiang Mu, who is currently enjoying great success.
"He killed him! We all saw it with our own eyes!"
Ming Cuicui raised her tear-streaked face.
"Only Hall Master Wenhe made the move; no one else did. There were no demons present either. He was the one who killed Hall Master Jiang!!"
Zhu Chang, his eyes also red, gritted his teeth and said, "If Elder Tian doesn't believe me, he can ask the brothers who are with him."
"Where's the body?!"
Tian Wenjing forced herself to calm down, a sliver of hope still lingering in her heart.
"Where's the body? Take me there! I want to see him alive or dead! I don't believe that kid died so easily!"
"The body is gone." Zhu Chang lowered his head, his voice hoarse.
"That's it?"
Tian Wenjing frowned. "What do you mean by 'gone'?"
Through Zhu Chang's explanation, everyone understood the general idea.
Jiang Mu and Wen He had a conflict, and Wen He drew his sword and said he would kill him. Jiang Mu was killed by the sword.
The body was instantly blown to pieces.
Everyone looked at each other.
No, is Wenhe really that arrogant?
What a deep grudge! He blew up his own colleague, leaving not even bones behind.
"lead the way!!"
Tian Wenjing let out a low roar, no longer caring about anything else, "Whether there are corpses or not, take us there first, I want to see for myself!" He grabbed Zhu Chang and rushed out.
The other state officials exchanged glances and followed suit.
Yan Wu's feelings were most complicated at this moment.
Upon hearing the news of Jiang Mu's death, he did feel a surge of instinctive pleasure.
The young man who had embarrassed him finally disappeared.
It's like pulling out a thorn from your heart.
But what followed was regret.
Putting aside personal grudges, Jiang Mu's strength is indeed outstanding, and he could have played an important role in the upcoming battle.
His death was undoubtedly a great loss to the defense of Yancheng and even the entire war effort.
"Alas, these are turbulent times."
Yan Wu sighed and was about to follow them to see what was going on.
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Shui Miaozheng out of the corner of his eye.
The other person remained sitting there, seemingly lost in thought.
The woman's face was as pale as paper, her eyes staring blankly into the void before her, motionless like a delicate doll stripped of its soul. "Water Master?"
Yan Wu stopped and called out softly.
Shui Miaozheng's delicate body trembled, as if she had been awakened from a long nightmare.
She slowly turned her head, looking at Yan Wu with a blank expression, as if trying to recognize who the person in front of her was.
A few breaths later.
Shui Miaozheng suddenly stood up.
It transformed into a long blue rainbow, bursting through the doors of the council chamber.
Within the mountains and forests, torrential rain poured down.
Led by Zhu Chang, the group arrived at the scene of the incident.
The heavy rain had blurred the original marks on the ground, but the dark red bloodstains mixed with mud and water were still visible. However, what was even more chilling than the bloodstains were the belongings.
The shattered fragments of the Demon Slayer's official robes, Jiang Mu's ever-present sword, and the hall master's token that symbolized his status.
And a dusty storage ring and other items...
These items were collected by the demon slayers of Yunzhou City and piled up under a rock.
The members gathered around, most of them with red eyes and expressions of grief and indignation.
Tang Guixin's old subordinates, in particular, were in tears, sobbing silently.
Although Jiang Mu was only their acting hall master, they hadn't spent much time together.
But his decisiveness and loyalty in avenging Tang Guixin by publicly beheading the traitor Du Yuanfei had already won them their sincere respect.
We've spent these past few days together like friends and family.
Tian Wenjing staggered forward.
When he heard in the hall that the body had been destroyed, he still held a tiny sliver of hope deep in his heart.
But when he saw these belongings with his own eyes, his heart sank completely.
The last glimmer of hope was mercilessly extinguished by the irrefutable evidence before them, leaving only a chilling coldness.
As the others looked at these relics, they finally accepted this absurd reality.
Jiang Mu, the young man who was stirring up trouble in Yancheng not long ago, arrogant and dazzling, seemingly possessing unlimited potential, is really dead.
He died so suddenly.
Instead of falling on the battlefield against the demon army, he perished in a crude conflict among his colleagues.
It's truly heartbreaking.
"Where's Bunhak?!"
Tian Wenjing turned around abruptly and let out a roar.
No one responded.
A member of the Third Hall of Huzhou City stepped forward tremblingly and said in a trembling voice, "Reporting to the Commander, Hall Master Wen said he was feeling unwell and has returned to his post."
"Bring him here!!"
Tian Wenjing's forehead veins bulged, and his roar almost tore through the rain.
"yes!"
The member scrambled and stumbled as he ran towards the outpost.
Tian Wenjing's chest heaved violently as he pointed at the remaining members of the Third Hall, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Speak! Tell me exactly what happened back then, word for word. If you conceal or distort even a single word, I'll skin you alive!"
Rain pelted his gray hair and beard, streaming down his deeply wrinkled face.
This made his face look exceptionally old and ferocious at that moment.
Under Tian Wenjing's terrifying pressure and the watchful eyes of many leaders, the members of the Third Hall dared not conceal anything.
With gritted teeth, they took turns recounting the entire process in detail.
Their account largely coincided with what Ming Cuicui and the others said.
Even they themselves believed that it was their own sect leader who killed Jiang Mu.
After hearing the testimonies from the "murderer's" subordinates, Tian Wenjing felt as if a wad of wet cotton had been stuffed into his chest, making him almost suffocate.
My vision blurred and I had difficulty breathing.
He swayed and stumbled half a step. A guard next to him saw this and quickly stepped forward to help him up.
"Tian Lao..."
"Get out of the way!"
Tian Wenjing pushed the guard away.
He staggered to the pile of belongings, looked at the familiar horizontal sword, and then at the cowering Third Division subordinates…
He opened his mouth as if to curse angrily.
But he found that something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't make a sound.
All it could make were heavy breathing sounds.
His gaze inadvertently drifted to the side.
Shui Miaozheng was standing frozen in the rain, clutching a piece of Jiang Mu's clothing tightly in her hand.
She was soaked to the bone, her usually dignified and elegant hair now disheveled and plastered to her cheeks, her face as pale as paper, her eyes empty and lifeless. It was as if her body had been ripped from its soul.
Seeing this, a surge of anger rushed straight to the top of Tian Wenjing's head.
He instinctively reached out to curse.
After all, if this woman hadn't insisted on transferring Jiang Mu away, this might never have happened!
They said it was to protect him, to keep him safe.
The results of it?
There's not even a trace left of them!
How did you protect him?!
But when he saw Shui Miaozheng's dejected and heartbroken appearance, Tian Wenjing's vicious words of blame stuck in his throat.
Then he realized that the murderer was Wenhe, whom he had brought along.
That profound sense of powerlessness and absurdity nearly drove him to the brink of collapse.
Tian Wenjing could no longer hold back. He suddenly turned around and slapped a towering ancient tree next to him.
"boom!"
The ancient tree, which required three people to encircle, exploded, sending wood chips flying everywhere, mixed with the rain, crashing down with a loud crackling sound.
The violent blast of air briefly pushed away the surrounding rainwater, creating a vacuum zone.
The high-ranking officials of the Demon Slayer Divisions in other prefectures shook their heads and sighed, their eyes filled with sympathy, as they watched Tian Wenjing lose his composure.
Huzhou City had finally produced such a brilliant and talented young man, who was on the verge of soaring to great heights, but he died in this heartbreaking internal strife.
It's truly a case of heaven being jealous of talent, and fate playing tricks on people.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the demon slayer who had gone to summon Wenhe came running back in a panic.
His face was even paler than before, he was panting heavily, and his voice was filled with terror:
"My lord! No...something terrible has happened!"
"Master Wen has disappeared!"
"What do you mean 'disappeared'!?"
Tian Wenjing stepped forward and grabbed his collar like a chick, her eyes wide and bloodshot, practically spitting fire.
"Explain yourself!"
"How could a living person just disappear?!"
The demon slayer said with a mournful face:
"I...I rushed to Master Wen's residence and searched inside and out, but there was no one there."
Those who stayed behind all said they hadn't seen Master Wen return.
Fleeing to evade punishment!
These four characters instantly appeared in everyone's minds.
Originally, Tian Wenjing still harbored a slight suspicion deep down about Wenhe's murder.
But upon hearing that Wenhe had run away, even that last bit of doubt vanished.
Before everyone could process the news, another guard rushed in, his face ashen, carrying something in his hand:
"My lord, we found this under Master Wen's pillow!"
He opened his palm, trembling.
A blood-red, umbrella-shaped dart lay quietly in his palm.
"The Red Umbrella Cult!?"
Everyone present gasped in shock upon seeing this.
Could it be that Wenhe is not only the murderer of his colleagues, but also a spy planted by the Red Umbrella Cult within the Demon Slayer Division for many years?
All these conflicts, even Jiang Mu's death...
Was it all a conspiracy by the Red Umbrella Cult?
Tian Wenjing snatched the red umbrella dart and gripped it tightly in his palm.
The sharp edge cut his skin, and blood mixed with rainwater dripped down between his fingers.
His vision went black for a moment, the world spun around him, and he staggered back a few steps.
"Tian Lao!"
"Tian Lao, be careful!"
Several people nearby rushed forward and helped him up.
Tian Wenjing gasped for breath, and it took him a while to catch his breath.
He raised his bleeding hand, trembling, and pointed into the depths of the rain:
"Grasp!"
"Grab him! Don't let him get away!!"
Yan Wu immediately turned around and sternly ordered the accompanying high-ranking officials of the Yancheng Demon Slaying Division:
"Pass on my order: immediately seal off the four gates of Yan City and all major entrances and exits! Place the entire city under martial law and search every house for Wenhe's whereabouts!"
At the same time, closely monitor all suspicious persons in the city, especially places and people that may be related to the Red Umbrella Cult. Do not let a single one slip by! The order was quickly relayed.
Yan Wu then said to the guards who were supporting Tian Wenjing:
"Old Mr. Tian is already advanced in years and has been overwhelmed by anger and anxiety. We first helped him back to the city to rest and asked a doctor to take good care of him."
The guards agreed and helped Tian Wenjing, who looked ten years older, slowly walk towards Yancheng.
Seeing this, the officials in charge of other prefectures shook their heads and sighed, and left one after another.
Only the demon-slaying envoys from Yunzhou City remained at the scene.
And Shui Miaozheng, still squatting by the stone, seemingly one with the fragments of clothing in her arms, oblivious to everything around her.
The cold rain had already soaked through her clothes.
Her wet hair clung to her soft, pale cheeks, water droplets sliding down the ends of her hair and dripping down her delicate jawline... She stared blankly at the tattered cloths in her arms.
It was as if I was trying to see something in it, yet it was also as if I hadn't seen anything at all.
"Chief..."
Ming Cuicui knelt down beside her, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry... It's all my fault... I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have let Hall Master Jiang come... It's all my fault..."
Shui Miaozheng slowly lowered her head, looking at the little girl who was crying her eyes out.
She moved her pale pink lips, her voice as fleeting as if it might dissipate in the rain at any moment:
"Cui Cui..."
"Where's Xiao Jiang?"
Time slips away silently.
Jiang Mu felt that she was probably really dead.
He felt like he was having a dream.
A dream that was ethereal, chaotic, and very long.
In his dream, he seemed to transform into a formless consciousness.
Drifting on a boundless river.
At first, he felt as if he had become a tiny fish, carefree and playing in the water.
But at some point, play turned into chasing.
The pursuit turned into devouring.
Small fish are swallowed by slightly larger fish, and the slightly larger fish are then preyed upon by even larger fish...
He seemed to be both predator and prey at the same time, experiencing a cycle of continuous growth and annihilation in the mutual fusion and annihilation of countless "selves".
In the end, all the "little fish" disappeared.
Only one remains.
It no longer swims, but lies quietly at the bottom of the river.
Consciousness, initially as innocent and instinctive as a fish, gradually awakens and regains human thinking.
However, he was unable to move his body.
What's wrong with me?
Jiang Mu tried to sort out her situation.
But the memories are like shattered glass, scattered all over the ground.
He was momentarily at a loss.
After a long, long time, many memories slowly returned.
I am dead?
Correct!
I think I was killed by a sword.
then……
And then what happened?
Jiang Mu tried hard to recall, "I think I was killed by Wen He, no, it wasn't him, that sword appeared out of thin air, how strange..." So where am I now?
I'm not dead?
Oh, right, I had a substitute doll. It was this magical substitute doll that saved my life…
Jiang Mu's thoughts became clearer, but her body remained limp.
It was as if my soul had been stuffed into a clay mold that was not yet fully formed, unable to move, unable even to open my eyelids.
I don't know how much time passed, but then I heard voices.
"Grandma, look! There's someone here!"
It was a little girl's childish voice.
"That's a dead person, isn't it?" a man's voice rang out.
"Don't go there, it's bad luck!" It was the woman's voice.
"It's alright. These days, we've all seen dead people. But why isn't this guy wearing any clothes?"
"They've probably encountered robbers."
"Hey! It seems like he's still alive!"
Jiang Mu felt something poking her body with a wooden branch.
Then his consciousness began to blur again, and he vaguely felt as if he was being carried on someone's back.
The little girl's voice rang out:
"Aunt Zhang, has this uncle been bitten by a big snake? Quickly grab a long stick and chase it away!"
"Go away, little brat, what do you know? Go play somewhere else and stop staring!"
The woman seemed to slap the little girl away.
"Honey, stop staring at her like that. She's just a bit stronger than us..."
The man's voice mumbled with a hint of embarrassment.
Jiang Mu could no longer hear the rest of the conversation; she had completely lost consciousness.