Chapter 70: Flood Dragon Emerges from Shallow Waters

Gong Zixian placed two yellow talismans on Hong Sheng and Hong Yu, then left Hongjia Village.

Hong Sheng persuaded Hong Yu to pack up the family belongings—since Hongjia Village only had the two of them left, and it was impossible for them to stay in the deep mountains forever, bringing some old items along would at least allow them to look upon them in remembrance in the future.

However, after Hong Yu packed some small objects from home, she stubbornly refused to join Hong Sheng in setting up a memorial mound for the villagers of Hongjia Village.

Helpless, Hong Sheng had no choice but to handle the simple funeral rites for Hong Wen and the others by himself.

Two days later, Gong Zixian returned to Hongjia Village empty-handed, having neither caught a demonic beast nor found any survivors.

Even though the siblings had already expected this outcome, their expressions still darkened.

Gong Zixian patted Hong Sheng’s shoulder:

“Such a thing happening—I also feel sorry. If only I had come earlier.”

Although, due to the Grand Astrologer teacher’s warning, it had been nearly impossible for Hong Wen to avoid this calamity, perhaps the rest of Hongjia Village could have been spared?

But that was nothing more than speculation after the fact.

Hong Sheng shook his head:

“Daoist Lord, for you to spend these three days for us, my sister and I are already endlessly grateful.”

“It’s just that… we still don’t know what Daoist Lord wanted to say to us three days ago?”

Gong Zixian smiled and invited:

“I intend to invite you both to the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring in the Capital. I wonder, what do the two of you think?”

Hong Sheng was shocked upon hearing this:

“The Bureau of Heaven Monitoring in the Capital? Daoist Lord, why would you make such an invitation?”

It was already strange enough that Gong Zixian had suddenly appeared in this remote corner of a small mountain village, and now he wanted to invite them to the Capital’s Bureau of Heaven Monitoring.

How could Hong Sheng not be suspicious?

Gong Zixian smiled slightly:

“You should be able to see that I bear you no ill will.”

Hong Sheng fell silent.

With the strength Gong Zixian had displayed, it would not have been surprising if he could simply shake his tiger’s frame and knock the siblings down in one breath.

“There are some things I cannot tell you, but going with me to the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring in the Capital is undoubtedly the best choice for you.”

After thinking for a moment, Gong Zixian took out a waist token:

“But I see you are still doubtful. How about this—here is my identity token.”

Hong Sheng took the token and examined it. Written on it was:

Bureau of Heaven Monitoring – Chief Bureau, Third Rank.

Hong Sheng was stunned:

“Chief Bureau? Third Rank!”

He raised his head, repeatedly scrutinizing the Daoist who looked only to be entering middle age.

So, he was actually a Third-Rank Daoist of the Chief Bureau of Heaven Monitoring?

Hong Sheng had spent two years at the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring branch in Ningjiang, often chatting idly with the Daoists there.

Through such conversations, he learned that Wei Hanyu and Chen Qu, who often looked after him, were both Third-Rank Daoists of the Ningjiang County branch.

A Third-Rank demon-catcher at a branch was already capable of contending with Earth Demons.

Although both Gong Zixian and Wei Hanyu, Chen Qu were Third-Rank, Hong Sheng had heard from the Daoists that those of the Capital’s Chief Bureau held titles two levels higher than their branch counterparts.

Therefore, Gong Zixian’s Third-Rank Chief Bureau position, if transferred to any branch bureau, would easily correspond to a First-Rank—a top-tier existence!

Of course, for Gong Zixian, transferring from Third-Rank at the Capital’s Chief Bureau to First-Rank at a branch bureau would actually be considered a demotion—after all, he was favored by none other than the Grand Astrologer himself.

But for Hong Sheng, this was shocking enough, and all his doubts vanished:

“But Daoist Lord, my sister and I are temporarily staying at the Ningjiang branch. Daoists Wei Hanyu and Chen Qu, as well as the village schoolteachers, have all taken good care of me. If we suddenly follow you to the Capital…”

“Wei Hanyu? Chen Qu?”

At this, Gong Zixian nearly laughed out loud.

Those two were his old acquaintances.

He waved his hand:

“Are you worried that after receiving their kindness all these years, it would be ungrateful to just leave with me?”

Hong Sheng nodded.

“That’s too simple to settle. I know them well. Once I tell them, they will not stop you.”

“Ah?”

Hong Sheng clearly hadn’t expected Gong Zixian to know Wei Hanyu and Chen Qu.

Gong Zixian reached out, grabbing Hong Sheng and Hong Yu:

“Alright, time waits for no one. Let us hurry to the Ningjiang branch.”

Since the siblings had already packed, he grabbed one in each hand and soared into the sky, flying straight toward Ningjiang.

What followed was simple—after arriving in Ningjiang, Hong Sheng learned that Gong Zixian had originally been from Ningjiang himself and was an old friend of Wei Hanyu and Chen Qu.

Later, by chance, he had gone to the Capital, where the old Grand Astrologer of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring had taken him in as a disciple.

Upon hearing about Hongjia Village’s fate, Wei Hanyu and the others felt pity for the siblings.

They readily supported Gong Zixian’s proposal to “take them to the Capital”—after all, compared to the Ningjiang County branch, the Capital’s Chief Bureau could clearly provide far superior resources and education.

The only surprise was that, when Gong Zixian was about to take the siblings to the Capital, Hong Yu refused, insisting on staying in Yongzhou.

She even shifted from studying at the branch to directly seeking instruction in demon-catching from Wei Hanyu and Chen Qu, leaving everyone astonished.

Although Hong Yu said little, as her brother, Hong Sheng could see she was now much like their late elder brother Hong Wen—her eyes clouded by hatred.

He never expected that the obsession he had once persuaded Hong Wen to abandon would now be picked up again by his own sister.

After a quarrel, the siblings parted on bad terms.

In the end, Gong Zixian—who had already foreseen this through his teacher’s prophecy—did not force her, and only took Hong Sheng with him.

Hong Yu stayed behind with the two Third-Rank demon-catchers, Wei Hanyu and Chen Qu.

Yet, who could know when—or if—the siblings would ever meet again?

……

Half a year later, Mo Lin awakened from his slumber in the Dragon Cave.

“Earth Rank, Lower Grade—success!”

Mo Lin felt the demonic power surging in his body, overflowing with joy.

After successively refining a mountain stronghold, a village, and a Child of Fate, he finally broke through the Profound Rank and steadily stepped into the realm of Earth Demons, becoming an Earth Python.

No, it should not be called an Earth Python.

Mo Lin glanced at the freshly shed python skin beside him and at his body, which had once again surged in size—now over fifty meters long.

At this point, perhaps calling himself an Earth Anaconda would be more fitting.

“Not only that.”

Mo Lin took out the Soul-Respecting Banner and nodded with satisfaction:

“During the time I slumbered in Shedding, the Thousand-Soul Resentment Fire inside the banner has already been fully refined.”

“As expected, the villagers of Hongjia Village harbored endless hatred toward me. Compared to ordinary souls, where only one in ten might become a Resentful Spirit, their souls had a ratio as high as one in two.”

“Out of six to seven hundred souls, refinement was enough to directly complete the Thousand-Soul Resentment Fire.”

Mo Lin put away the Soul-Respecting Banner:

“I wonder how long I have slept this time after advancing.”

“Although I lost my precise sense of time while slumbering, I can still roughly judge that I must have already missed my agreed meeting with Xu Jiaren.”

Mo Lin swam out of the Dragon Cave and spread his wings.

“No matter what, I should first return to Black Wind Stronghold and take a look.”