Chapter 118: The Drought
Chapter 118: The Drought
The trio quickened their pace.
Chen Mu lifted the enormous bundle containing the White Wolf Demon off Xu Hongyu's back.
As they made their way back to Anyu County, they passed through scattered villages where the residents were bustling about. Each household was busy fetching water, even children as young as six or seven tottered around the wells, carrying small wooden buckets, waiting for their turn. Everyone was preparing for the impending water shortage, taking advantage of the wells that had not yet run dry and the rivers that had not completely dried up.
Villages located near rivers were in a slightly better situation, as they could access water more easily. However, those in more remote areas, relying solely on a single well, faced greater challenges. Despite this, order was maintained, with the Village Elder directing the distribution of water.
Chen Mu observed these scenes from a distance.
He couldn't help but nod slightly, recalling the severe drought that had occurred five years ago, before he had arrived in this world. At that time, he had lived in Yu City, and the residents had been well-prepared, storing large amounts of water in jars and sealing them tightly. His memories of that period were mainly of the extremely dry air, which had caused his lips to crack, but there hadn't been any other significant incidents.
The world outside the city walls was directly impacted by the drought, but such disasters occurred every few years, so most villages within a ten-mile radius had well-prepared response plans. The situation was much more orderly than Chen Mu had anticipated.
Soon, the group hurried back to the County Governor's Office in Anyu County.
The office was bustling with activity, with people rushing through the streets and alleys, most carrying water buckets. Some were heading out of the city to fetch water, while others waited in crowded lines by the wells.
"Everyone, behave! No pushing! You there... Get to the back!"
At one of the wells, five or six law enforcers were struggling to maintain order. However, several burly men, seemingly from a gang, were forcefully pushing their way to the front, causing a confrontation with the law enforcers.
An elderly woman with graying hair, around sixty years old, was knocked to the ground during the scuffle.
A younger woman nearby quickly reached out to help her up:
"Aunt Liu, are you alright?"
"..."
The elderly woman, supported by the younger one, shook her head. Her gaze, however, was fixed on her wooden bucket, which had fallen during the fall and was now being kicked around in the midst of the conflict between the gang members and the law enforcers.
Just then, Xu Hongyu and Xiao He hurried past, with Chen Mu carrying the massive White Wolf Demon bundle. He glanced at the scene and asked, "What's going on here?"
The gang members and the burly men, upon seeing Chen Mu carrying the White Wolf Demon bundle and wearing the neatly tailored green robe of the Demon Slayer Bureau's Green Robe Guard, immediately calmed down, their anger dissipating.
"Sir, just now..."
The law enforcers quickly bowed and began explaining to Chen Mu.
Although they didn't recognize Chen Mu, his attire and the bloodstained White Wolf Demon bundle left no doubt that he was from the Demon Slayer Bureau, a high-ranking official in their eyes.
Chen Mu frowned upon hearing their explanation and waved his hand casually. A gust of wind sent the gang members flying, leaving them bruised and bloodied. Despite their injuries, they scrambled to their feet and began kowtowing.
"This is a critical time. Anyone causing trouble will be thrown into jail," Chen Mu said coldly.
Although he was no longer part of the City Guard Corps and Anyu County was not under his jurisdiction, as a Green Robe Guard of the Demon Slayer Bureau, he had the authority to directly command local law enforcers during extraordinary times like the impending drought. He could also ignore hierarchical boundaries and give orders across ranks, and in case of conflicts with the City Guard Corps, the Demon Slayer Bureau's orders took precedence.
"Yes, yes..."
Both the gang members and the burly men were terrified, bowing and agreeing in unison.
As Chen Mu turned and walked away, the group revealed expressions of relief, no longer daring to cause trouble. They slunk back into the crowd, while the law enforcers who had been in conflict with them breathed a sigh of relief, regaining their confidence. They began to organize the water collection process, calling out in deep voices.
"Aunt Liu, your bucket."
The younger woman, seeing that order had been restored, went to pick up the wooden bucket and handed it to the elderly woman.
Trembling, the elderly woman accepted it: "Good, good..."
As she watched the orderly scene at the well, she couldn't help but glance in the direction Chen Mu had left. "Sigh, that young man just waved his hand and sent people flying through the air. He's like the heroic martial artist the storyteller Wang Lao talks about at the street corner. I wonder what high position he holds, and he's so young too."
Liu Rong carefully examined her water bucket, relieved to find it undamaged. Hearing the woman's words, she nodded: "Yes, yes, I remember. I've heard people mention that uniform before. It's from some bureau, and the officials there are even higher-ranking than the ones in our City Guard Corps."
"Speaking of which..."
The young man from earlier seemed to resemble her younger sister a little, but she must have been mistaken.
Her sister had gone missing decades ago, abducted by human traffickers, and was never found. How could she possibly be related to such an important figure, someone even more senior than the City Guard Corps?
With this thought, Liu Rong sighed silently once more.
In recent years, her health had been deteriorating, and she didn't know how much longer she had to live. Liu Ping was in worse health than her when she was young, so she likely wouldn't see her sister again in this lifetime. She also didn't know if Liu Ping was still alive or how she was doing.
...
Anyu County Governor's Office.
When Chen Mu, Xu Hongyu, and Xiao He returned, the office was bustling with activity. The County Magistrate, Yu Rong, was not present, and it was the County Secretary who greeted them, leading them to a large courtyard at the back of the office.
The courtyard was already filled with members of the Demon Slayer Bureau, mostly from nearby Anyu County, who had gathered upon sensing the Great Drought phenomenon. They awaited further instructions from the Demon Slayer Bureau.
"Anyu County is your Yu Clan's territory, so the responsibility for demon slaying here should also fall to your clan, right?" Chen Mu asked as they walked.
"Mhm," Xu Hongyu nodded. "The Demon Slayer Bureau will send at least one Vice Commander to oversee operations. It'll either be my third uncle or my sixth granduncle."
Xiao He covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle, and leaned close to Chen Mu, whispering softly, "I think it'd be great if you were the one in command."
The Yu Clan had two Vice Commanders in the Demon Slayer Bureau, one at Bone Forging Perfection and the other at Bone Forging Completion. The latter was Xu Hongyu's sixth granduncle, already in his sixties, and his Vital Energy was declining, placing his strength around the Bone Forging Perfection level. Neither had comprehended a Concept, and in Xiao He's opinion, they were definitely not as strong as Chen Mu.
Chen Mu patted Xiao He's head lightly. As a mere Green Robe Guard, his task was simply to hunt down demons. Besides, Xiao He had been getting more and more unruly lately, and he needed to teach her a lesson soon.
The Courtyard.
Black Robe Guards and Green Robe Guards from the Demon Slayer Bureau gathered here, mostly from the Yu Clan. Upon seeing Xu Hongyu, they respectfully addressed her as 'Lady Xu.'
Although some were of a higher generation than Xu Hongyu within the Yu Clan, they belonged to distant branches rather than the main lineage, and their relationship was distant. Additionally, their strength and status were far inferior to Xu Hongyu's, so they often addressed her by her official title.
"Are you all from the Demon Slayer Bureau?" Xu Hongyu asked.
"We were hunting demons near Anyu County and noticed the unusual phenomenon, so we rushed over to gather," someone replied.
The Demon Slayer Bureau had many personnel, usually dispersed throughout Yu Prefecture. While various families hunted demons in Anyu County, only the Yu Clan's members would gather here, as the other families would not gather here.
This was the Yu Clan's territory, under their control, and anyone who came here might disappear without a trace. This was also because the Four Great Families of the Inner City had their own separate territories, so during times of demon chaos, the Demon Slayer Bureau would directly dispatch members of a specific family to each county, except for the large region directly governed by the Prefecture City.
"This phenomenon started very early, with signs appearing a day ago. The Demon Slayer Bureau will likely respond quickly, and their personnel should be on their way. By the time the Great Drought fully sets in, they'll likely have arrived," someone said to Xu Hongyu.
Xu Hongyu nodded and turned to look at Chen Mu, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
Chen Mu nodded slightly in response, indicating that she should take the lead.
"Then let's wait for a moment for the higher-ups to arrive," Xu Hongyu announced to the group before leading Chen Mu and Xiao He to a room in the back of the courtyard.
Inside the Room.
Xu Hongyu took out a map of Anyu County and explained, "Anyu County is located in the southwest of Yu Prefecture. To the north is Jinyu County, the most populous and prosperous county in the prefecture, controlled by the Xue Clan. To the east is Huaiyu County, governed by the He Clan, who will undoubtedly be in charge this time."
Chen Mu was already familiar with the map of Yu Prefecture, so he didn't need to look closely to understand it. However, Xu Hongyu's map was more detailed, marking out various features like mountains, hills, and dangerous areas marked in red, where Poisonous Miasma lingered, uninhabited and home to ferocious demons.
Chen Mu carefully examined the map and said, "During the Great Drought, demons will infiltrate the County Office. Your clan uncle or elder will definitely be stationed there. As for the ten townships under the county's jurisdiction, at least one of them should be under the responsibility of a White Robe Guard like you. I'll accompany you to one of them, and with my presence, we can reduce the number of personnel required."
Chen Mu's words were steady and confident. Although he surpassed even the Deputy Commander of the Demon Annihilation Bureau in personal strength, this large-scale demon chaos required more manpower for hunting and dispersing across various locations. After all, the affected area was vast, and it was only suitable for him to take action if there was a large gathering of demons.
Xu Hongyu glanced at Chen Mu quietly. Last year, during the Great Cold demon chaos, she had also come to Anyu County, and a clan uncle had overseen the operation. This time, with Chen Mu's presence, her heart was instantly at ease, and she could relax her tense mind a little.
At this thought, a strange light flashed in Xu Hongyu's eyes. Initially, she had cultivated Chen Mu, hoping to have a capable subordinate to help her establish a foothold in the South District. At the very least, she wanted to stabilize a small area, but the development of events was completely different from what she had envisioned. Now, Chen Mu had already become capable of overseeing a territory and even protecting her.
"Anyu, Huaiyu... Dong Hong Township, Xi Xia Township, Shuang Gou Township..." Chen Mu murmured as he studied the map.
Xu Hongyu stood beside Chen Mu, staring at him in a daze, while Xiao He silently observed the map, then Chen Mu, and finally Xu Hongyu, a smile tugging at her lips, but she remained silent.
After a while, sounds came from outside.
"Deputy Commander!"
"Greetings, Deputy Commander!"
Numerous footsteps could be heard approaching from the courtyard, accompanied by respectful voices.
Xu Hongyu snapped back to her senses and realized that Chen Mu had stopped looking at the map and was now gazing at her. Seeing that she had regained her focus, he smiled lightly and said, "Alright, let's go outside, Miss Xu."
The slightly amused 'Miss Xu' caused Xu Hongyu's heart to skip a beat, but her face remained calm as she nodded slightly and headed out the door.
Chen Mu watched Xu Hongyu leave the room, then turned to Xiao He and winked at her.
Xiao He covered her mouth, suppressing a giggle, and winked back before following Xu Hongyu outside.
"Uncle."
Xu Hongyu greeted the middle-aged man approaching in the Demon Annihilation Bureau's Deputy Commander uniform with a respectful bow.
Yu Jun nodded slightly at Xu Hongyu and said, "I'm already aware of the general situation. The number of people I've brought is similar to the last time. I think we should follow the previous arrangement. What do you think, Hongyu?"
Xu Hongyu finally regained her composure and replied after a moment's thought, "I've reached Sinew Transformation Perfection, so I can also oversee one of the townships. How about I take charge of Dong Hong Township?"
"I forgot that you're also a capable White Robe Guard," Yu Jun said with a chuckle. He hadn't forgotten; it was just that if Xu Hongyu wanted to follow the team to hunt demons like last time, there wouldn't be any issues with the Yu Clan's manpower. But if she wanted to take charge of a township, that was also good. Although she had recently reached Sinew Transformation Perfection, martial artists needed constant tempering to achieve true mastery.
If Xu Hongyu could gain some experience and benefits from this demon hunt, her advancement to the Bone Forging Realm might not be far off. After that, if she could comprehend three more sword techniques, she could even attempt to comprehend the Water Conduit Diagram of the Yu Clan.
In the future, she might be able to become a pillar of the Yu Clan.
"Alright," Yu Jun said with a smile. "Then I'll leave Dong Hong Township to you. You can choose the personnel yourself."
"Thank you, Uncle," Xu Hongyu said, nodding slightly before heading outside to assess the people Yu Jun had brought.
Among the group Yu Jun brought, not all were from the Demon Annihilation Bureau. Only a small portion were from the bureau, while most were from the Yu Clan, including hundreds of Yu Clan swordsmen.
Xu Hongyu quickly selected a group and reported to Yu Jun before setting off with Chen Mu.
(End of Chapter)
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