Chapter 282 - 164: First of the Ten Heroes
The Main Hall of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance stood on a secret island, hidden deep within a winding marsh.
The hall was built against a cliff, half embedded in the rock face and half jutting out over a deep pool. It was shrouded in a perpetual mist, its stone walls slick and moss-covered.
At this moment, towering candles of whale fat burned brightly within the hall, casting dancing shadows upon the various water-beast skulls and exotic weapons adorning the walls, adding a sinister, barbaric air to the place.
Enthroned on the great tiger-skin chair at the head of the hall sat Zhou Kuohai, Alliance Leader of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance.
He was draped in a dark cyan cloak embroidered with wave patterns. He had a square face, a broad mouth, and thick, halberd-like eyebrows. His round eyes flashed with a sharp light with every blink. The majesty cultivated from years in power mingled with the uniquely savage aura of a water bandit chieftain, inspiring fear in all who beheld him.
But at this moment, his face, usually as impassive as a mountain, was a storm cloud of shock and fury.
Glaring down at the elders and deacons who stood with heads bowed, daring not even to breathe, Zhou Kuohai’s chest heaved violently. He slammed a palm down on the heavy table beside him, a piece carved from a single block of ironwood.
"BOOM!"
The table didn’t so much as budge, but the muffled impact made the candle flames shudder in unison, the sound echoing thunderously through the hall.
"Speak! What exactly happened to Chengzong?!"
The moment he’d learned of Zhou Chengzong’s disappearance, Zhou Kuohai had sent men to investigate. But when they returned, they were all scared silent.
How could he not be enraged?
"Alliance Leader."
An Elder Jiang hurried forward, bowed, and said in a low voice:
"I personally went to Changshan Mountain to investigate. It’s all but certain that the Young Master and the envoys from the Taiping Dao ran into trouble during their rendezvous. The signs of a battle are still there.
Additionally, we found Elder Liu’s corpse..."
"What about Chengzong? Did you find his body?"
Zhou Kuohai asked, his voice cold.
"No, we couldn’t find the Young Master’s body. He’s presumed missing. And after a thorough investigation, I’ve concluded that what happened to him is almost certainly connected to the Jingwu Bureau."
"The Jingwu Bureau?"
Zhou Kuohai’s gaze sharpened, a chill entering his eyes.
"Correct. My investigation revealed that in recent days, Chen Sheng of the Jingwu Bureau made an unexplained trip to Changshan Mountain. His purpose is unknown, but it’s highly probable that he was targeting the Young Master."
"Chen Sheng’s Cultivation is only at the Earth Fiend realm. How could he possibly defeat my son?"
Zhou Kuohai’s brow furrowed in doubt.
’Even if Chen Sheng’s strength is extraordinary enough to defeat Zhou Chengzong, it’s impossible for him to have defeated Elder Liu, who was in a higher realm. And the Taiping Dao would have sent their own experts as well.’
’How could Chen Sheng possibly overpower so many Innate masters on his own?’
"I suspect the Jingwu Bureau had other experts in tow. I’ve already sent someone to contact our mole within the Bureau. We should have news back shortly."
Elder Jiang quickly added.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Kuohai snorted coldly, his expression grim.
The atmosphere in the Main Hall grew incredibly oppressive.
A short while later, another elder hurried in, finally breaking the tense atmosphere in the hall.
"No nonsense. Just speak."
Zhou Kuohai glared down at the elder, his voice cold.
"Yes."
The newly arrived elder didn’t dare to delay and quickly explained:
"Alliance Leader, our source reports that several days ago, Jingwu Bureau Vice Governor Sun Yuzhi left Ning’an Prefecture City for an unknown reason. When she returned the day before yesterday, she brought back two prisoners, who have been locked away in the Demon Suppression Tower.
But we cannot yet confirm if the Young Master is one of them."
"It must be."
Elder Jiang, who had been listening, interjected with certainty, "It must be him. The Jingwu Bureau plans to use him to blackmail you, Alliance Leader, which is why they didn’t kill him. As for the other person, if I’m not mistaken,
it must be someone from the Taiping Dao."
At his words, the atmosphere in the great hall instantly grew heavy.
The surrounding elders all wore grave expressions.
Zhou Chengzong’s capture was a minor issue; colluding with the Taiping Dao was a major one.
The former left room for negotiation. After all, while the Government Office and the water bandits appeared to be in constant conflict, they shared a tacit understanding not to push things too far, lest they destabilize the entire Ning’an Prefecture.
Besides, the Government Office was largely unable to deal with the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, so they wouldn’t push things to the point of no return.
By paying a certain price, they could likely secure Zhou Chengzong’s return.
The latter, however, was far more problematic.
The Taiping Dao was no mere Jianghu Influence; they were bona fide rebels.
In fact, just over a year ago, they had launched an uprising in Yunzhou that shook the empire. Although it was swiftly crushed by the Government Office in tandem with various sects and Noble Families,
the turmoil it caused had yet to subside.
If the Government Office came to believe the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance harbored rebellious intentions, the consequences would be dire.
Being a regional scourge and raising an army in rebellion were two entirely different matters.
The government could tolerate the former to a certain extent, but they would use any means necessary to annihilate the latter.
A grave expression appeared on Zhou Kuohai’s face as well. After a moment of deep thought, he gave his orders.
"First, immediately send someone to communicate with the Government Office. Make it clear that the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance has no intention of rebelling and that we are willing to pay a price to prove it. Second, do whatever it takes, use any means necessary, to ensure my son’s life is spared."
’Zhou Chengzong is my only son. I’ve placed such high hopes in him, spared no expense or resource to groom him. I absolutely cannot let anything happen to him.’
’Otherwise, what would be the point of my power, of being the lord of this region and commanding all the heroes of the Ning’an waterways?’
’What’s more, due to my Cultivation Technique, I can no longer father another child.’
’Even if I wanted to, abandoning Chengzong is simply not an option.’
"Yes, Alliance Leader."
The elders all voiced their agreement.
"One more thing. Conduct a thorough internal investigation. Find the traitor."
Zhou Kuohai commanded, his voice grave.
Only a handful of people within the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance knew about the rendezvous to discuss pledging allegiance to the Taiping Dao. The fact that the Government Office had learned of it in advance meant there had to be a mole within their ranks.