Chapter 182: Jingnan Township
Chapter 182: Jingnan Township
In Jingnan Township, a vast expanse of turbulent waters stretched as far as the eye could see, murky and filled with mud and sand. Even Iron Muscle and Sinew Transformation Realm warriors would hesitate to venture into such waters, fearing the dangers that lurked beneath the surface.
Several officials from the Inspector Bureau were resting on the shore, but they kept their distance from the riverbank, concerned about the potential for earth pulse turmoil and the risk of further flooding. They also feared the monsters that lurked within the water.
During times of flood disaster, some monsters would venture onto land, but they were in the minority. These creatures were often more formidable in the water, like fish demons and water snake demons. Once they left the water, they became weaker.
During a flood, the shore was not a safe place either. The further one was from the water, the better.
"Here it comes!"
Just then, one of the officials who had been keeping watch on the water suddenly stood up and shouted twice. Several other officials nearby quickly got up and looked towards the distant water.
They saw a dark shadow approaching from afar, riding the wind and breaking through the waves. As it drew closer, they could make out its appearance—it was the boat that Chen Mu was steering, gradually approaching the shore.
"Let's go," said one of the officials, and they all headed towards the shore to greet Chen Mu.
"Is this the seventh batch?" someone asked quietly as they walked.
"Yes, it should be the last one. There are probably only a thousand or so stranded civilians," replied another official.
"In these times, it's a stroke of luck for these commoners to encounter our Director, who is said to have risen from the lower ranks of the common folk..."
"Qi, how can you compare the Director to those stubborn and unreasonable commoners? Even though he is of common birth, the Director is a celestial warrior descended from the star of Wu Qu. No matter his origins, he is destined to be a towering figure."
The officials chatted as they made their way to the riverbank.
They stood waiting for the boat to approach, although it was already visible, it was still nearly a hundred zhang away. In such swift currents, even a Sinew Transformation warrior would find it challenging to steer a boat across such a distance.
Just as the boat drew closer, and Chen Mu's face became discernible, the riverbank suddenly erupted with turbulent waves. A four-limbed, two-zhang-long monster, resembling a giant lizard, leaped out of the water. Its enormous mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth, and it lunged towards the nearest person.
The onlookers were terrified.
The person closest to the attacking monster was also the most powerful among them, a Sinew Transformation Realm warrior. His immediate reaction was to leap back and draw his long sword, slashing at the demon crocodile's upper jaw.
However, as the sword struck, it produced a clanging sound, and sparks flew without causing any damage. It left only a faint white mark, barely noticeable.
A Fourth Rank Demonic Creature!
The officials from the Inspector Bureau were all shocked.
The demon crocodile, having missed its first attack, suddenly twisted and whipped its tail, aiming for the person on its right. This move was incredibly fast, accompanied by a foul stench and a terrifying aura that froze its target in fear, leaving them unable to react in time.
"How dare you!"
But in the next moment, a cold and authoritative voice rang out.
A lightning-fast arc of wind and thunder shot forth from the water's surface. It was a thrown long sword, covering a hundred steps in an instant. With incredible speed, it arrived in a blink of an eye, slicing through the demon crocodile's head and piercing its lower jaw before finally pinning it to the muddy shore.
The demon crocodile, struck by this fatal blow, immediately stopped its attack. Its massive body slammed onto the shore, writhing in pain for a few moments before becoming still, its blood flowing freely.
The official who had narrowly escaped death was now drenched in cold sweat, staggering back a few steps. He stared at the demon crocodile's corpse, still shaken. After a moment, he took a deep breath and quickly bowed towards Chen Mu, who was gradually approaching the shore: "Thank you, Director, for saving us..."
A Fourth Rank Demonic Creature, slain in a single strike. This Director's strength was even more formidable than the rumors suggested.
At that moment, the boat gradually approached the shore and eventually came to a stop. The numerous commoners on board began to disembark, and as they reached land, they bowed deeply towards Chen Mu, expressing their gratitude.
Yu Jun and the others were among those on the boat. After all the civilians had disembarked, Yu Jun and several members of the Demon Slayer Bureau and Inspector Bureau also came ashore. Then, Chen Mu leaped onto the shore.
As the boat that Chen Mu had been controlling drifted away with the surging tide, the connecting mortise and tenon branches snapped one by one, breaking into two pieces and quickly disappearing into the distance.
"If I hadn't mastered the Earth Mountain Root Concept, this would have been a difficult situation."
Chen Mu watched the makeshift boat vanish into the vast waters, shaking his head slightly.
This rescue mission seemed simple, but it had required his full effort. He had crafted the boat using the Whistling Wind and Fire Departure Concepts, and navigated it across the river by harnessing the power of the Whistling Wind to propel it, and the Earth Mountain Root Concept to stabilize it, ensuring a smooth journey.
Otherwise, a single wave could have capsized the boat, and while he would have been unharmed, the elderly and children on board might have been tossed into the water. In that case, he would have had to expend his Primordial Energy to stabilize the boat, which would have been a significant drain on his energy.
"Director," Yu Jun approached Chen Mu, who was still observing the river, and tentatively asked.
Chen Mu turned and said, "Let's go. This is the last group of survivors. As for whether there are still people in the water, it's unlikely. Even without a Bone Forging Realm expert like you to protect them, it's hard for anyone to survive the monster attacks in the water."
In half a day, they had rescued over a thousand survivors, and Chen Mu had done all he could. He wasn't the kind of Martial Saint who could move mountains and rivers with sheer force, capable of cutting through rivers and treating floods as nothing."
Having completed the rescue, Chen Mu's return to Jingyu County wasn't due to fatigue but to gather intelligence from various locations, which was more important than patrolling along the riverbanks.
Chen Mu didn't accompany Yu Jun and the others. After the Inspector Bureau's personnel escorted the last group of survivors to safety, he set off on his own. Although it was his first time in Jingyu County, he had memorized the map of Yu Prefecture, and soon arrived at the county government office.
In reality, half of Jingnan Township had been flooded, and the township was not far from the county government. With Chen Mu's current speed, he could easily cover a hundred li in the blink of an eye, far surpassing the speed of a galloping horse.
Jingyu County was one of the territories controlled by the Xue family.
However, this had no impact on Chen Mu. He was following the orders of Yan Jingqing, and was in charge of the Qingping River Basin, which meant that all officials, including those from the Inspector Bureau and Demon Hunter Corps, had to follow his instructions. Even if Xue Huaikong, the head of the Xue family, were here, he wouldn't be able to interfere.
Compared to the chaos outside, the county government of Jingyu County was relatively stable. Despite the drizzle, some streets still had bustling markets, with pedestrians wearing raincoats or holding umbrellas, hurrying by.
Chen Mu didn't linger and soon arrived at the county government office.
Without exchanging words with the guards at the entrance, he strode directly inside.
"Who...!" The two guards at the entrance were startled, as if something had passed by in a blur, but they couldn't make out the figure. When they looked towards the county government, they saw no trace of anyone, and for a moment, they stared at each other in confusion.
This was the county government office, located in the center of the city. It was naturally impossible for monsters to appear here, so the figure that had just passed by must have been a person. To move at such a speed that even their shadows were barely visible was undoubtedly the work of an extremely powerful Martial Artist. Furthermore, they had entered through the main entrance, leaving no doubt that they were an official from the prefecture.
Upon entering the county government...
Chen Mu strode through the halls, passing several courtyards and directly arriving at the central main courtyard. He took one step into the courtyard and entered the main hall.
In the main hall, a man dressed in the county governor's robes was attending to another person, carefully pouring tea for them. When he saw Chen Mu barge in, he frowned instinctively, about to reprimand him.
However...
Before he could speak, the person who had been sitting in the main seat stood up in surprise upon seeing Chen Mu enter. He then took the initiative to greet him and said with a bow, "Your subordinate greets Director Chen."
Although he addressed himself as a subordinate, the official robes he wore were actually those of a 'Director'. However, this set of official robes belonged to the City Defense Bureau, and he was the Director of the City Defense Bureau in the outer city of Yu Prefecture, Yan Guang.
Once the superior of Xu Hongyu, he was also the superior of Chen Mu's superior.
"Director Yan, you're too polite. We hold the same rank, and I cannot be considered your superior," Chen Mu said upon seeing Yan Guang.
Chen Mu wasn't surprised to see Yan Guang, as he was an in-law of the Xue family, and Jingyu County was part of their territory. It was natural for Yan Guang to personally come and take charge.
There was no animosity between Chen Mu and Yan Guang. In the past, when Xu Hongyu was the Chief Inspector of the Southern City, he had received much care from Yan Guang... Of course, this was due to the Xue family's intention to maintain a balance between the Yu and He families, so Chen Mu's attitude was merely casual.
Chen Mu spoke, and Yan Guang dared not be negligent.
He bowed slightly and said, "Chen, you hold the position of Director of both the Eastern and Western Departments, and under the orders of the Inspector General, you oversee the entire Qingping River Basin. All directives must be followed, and I, as your subordinate, will always heed your commands."
Though he spoke these words, his slightly lowered head revealed a complex expression in his eyes.
Chen Mu?
Just two years ago, he was merely an official in the outer city, a subordinate to Yan Guang, and in Yan Guang's eyes, he was just a talented individual. Yan Guang had even considered transferring Chen Mu from Xu Hongyu's command to his own, taking this talented individual from the Yu family. But in the end, he decided against it, deeming it unnecessary.
Who could have imagined that in just two short years, Chen Mu would rise rapidly, breaking through in his martial arts, entering the Bone Forging Realm, comprehending two Concepts, and gaining the favor of Yan Jingqing. He was promoted to Director of the Demon Slayer Bureau!
Although they both held the position of Director, the value of his position in the Eastern Department paled in comparison to that of the Inspector Bureau. Even in normal times, Chen Mu would exercise restraint over Yan Guang's authority, let alone during this emergency. Chen Mu now had control over the entire Qingping River Basin, with all departments and officials under his command. Moreover, Chen Mu also held the position of Director in the Demon Hunter Corps.
Whether in terms of strength or authority, Chen Mu now surpassed him.
Yan Guang didn't dare to show the slightest negligence and treated Chen Mu with the respect due to a superior official.
This naturally left Yan Guang with a complex mix of emotions. If only he had transferred Chen Mu from Xu Hongyu to his command with a simple order back then, he would have had the favor of discovering such a rising talent. At that time, he had even advised Xue Huaikong to recruit Chen Mu, but Xue Huaikong ultimately didn't take him in.
"Gather all the disaster information and intelligence from Jingyu County and bring it here."
Chen Mu glanced at Yan Guang and, without saying more, calmly issued the order. He then walked to the side of the main hall, sat down in the chair next to the main seat, and looked at the map on the table.
The county governor of Jingyu County, who was still in a daze, suddenly snapped out of it and hurriedly bowed to Chen Mu, nearly lowering his head to his chest. "Yes, sir! I'll take care of it immediately!"
As his voice trailed off, he didn't even have time to pour tea for Yan Guang. He lifted his official robes and rushed out of the main hall.
The hall was now empty except for Yan Guang, who stood by the table, watching Chen Mu study the map of Jingyu County. He didn't dare to sit in the main seat but instead stood by the table, also looking at the map, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
Thinking back, he felt a bit of resentment. What favor did the Yu family owe Chen Mu? It was merely a matter of giving him some silver, Sinew Strengthening Pills, and other resources, which the Xue family had in abundance. As for Xu Hongyu... the Xue family also had girls with beauty comparable to hers, and Chen Mu could have chosen any of them. In the end, it was his own fault for not recognizing Chen Mu's talent. With such exceptional aptitude, if Chen Mu had joined the Seven Mysteries Sect, he might have even become a true disciple like Meng Dan Yun in the future.
Not long after, the county governor of Jingyu County returned to the main hall, accompanied by a group of officials. They proceeded to brief Chen Mu on the various situations.
Chen Mu listened attentively, referring to the map of Jingyu County as he organized the information. After everything was sorted out, he said, "The previous orders were made by Director Yan, right? Indeed, they were well-planned and executed."
Although he was in charge of the entire Qingping River Basin during this flood disaster, he didn't intend to meddle recklessly, given his usual style. Unless there were obvious issues with the arrangements in the various counties, he would only make minor adjustments.
After all, he had a clear understanding of himself. Perhaps he could surpass everyone in martial arts comprehension, but when it came to practical management of disasters like floods and droughts, he couldn't possibly do better than experienced officials like Yan Guang, who had gone through three or four such disasters. Yan Jingqing believed that Chen Mu had the ability to govern, but in reality, he merely followed certain principles: not giving commands without understanding the situation, not interfering unnecessarily, and not being greedy for wealth and valuables.
When it came to managing the various affairs of the departments, he wasn't particularly outstanding.
But that didn't matter.
After all, there were few people who were good at everything.
Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty, excelled in governing the country with the help of Xiao He, commanding the army with Han Xin, and strategizing with Zhang Liang. It was through recognizing and utilizing the strengths of his subordinates that he was able to conquer the world.
This was why, upon arriving at the flood-stricken area and receiving the initial reports from the two counties, he understood that he didn't need to interfere too much with their flood management. So, he immediately set out to do his duty, traveling along the river and slaying monsters while rescuing stranded civilians.
(End of Chapter)
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