52: Chapter 52 Is Little Li Dragon Dead?

Huang Zu's brows twitched.

Coastal demon infestation?

It is probably the commotion made by that Little Li Dragon.

Huang Zu naturally knew that there was a Fourth-Turn Little Li Dragon in the coastal waters of the East China Sea.

He was truly willing to listen to the situation of this Little Li Dragon.

"Alright, then let's go."

Huang Zu waved his hand and said.

Clerk Liu stepped aside to make way, and Huang Zu walked past him.

In the front hall of the county yamen, sunlight filtered through the lintel, illuminating the cracks between the bricks on the floor clearly.

Several constables stood below the hall, their clothes still covered in the dust of the journey.

Constable Meng Yu stood at the very front, holding a bowl of tea that had already gone cold, not drinking it, just holding it like that.

Footsteps came from the inner hall.

Clerk Liu entered first and stepped aside.

"The County Magistrate has arrived—"

Before Clerk Liu's voice had faded, Huang Zu had already stepped across the threshold.

He wore the official robes of a magistrate and a black gauze cap on his head.

Huang Zu walked over and sat down on the grand master chair in the center, leaning his body back against the chair and crossing his legs.

"Speak."

Constable Meng Yu put down the tea bowl, stepped forward, cupped his hands, and bowed.

"County Magistrate, your subordinate and the others, under the orders of the clerk, patroled the coastal villages for demon infestations and have now returned to report to the County Magistrate."

He paused and then continued.

"From what we saw on this trip, all the villages were plagued by demons, Cone Snails ran rampant, fishing boats were damaged, and many villagers were killed, injured, or fled, except for..."

Constable Meng Yu paused.

Huang Zu narrowed his eyes.

"Except for what?"

"Except for Qin Family Village, which is completely unharmed."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Clerk Liu glanced at Constable Meng Yu, then looked at Magistrate Qian.

There was no expression on Huang Zu's plump, fair face, only that his narrowed eyes squinted a bit more, as if he were thinking about something.

He naturally thought of the village that had cost him three subordinates, and the young boys and girls he had yet to get his hands on.

Just who was in that Qin Family Village?

Not only did Second-turn Martial Artist Hu Fu fall there, but even the demon infestation couldn't encroach upon it.

Constable Meng Yu continued.

"When your subordinate and the others entered Qin Family Village, we saw that the fishing boats in the village were intact, the fish catches filled the racks, the villagers' lives were normal, and there was no sign of demon infestation."

"The children in the village ran and played by the seaside, and the elders basked in the sun, which was completely different from all the surrounding villages."

"Oh?"

Huang Zu's voice was drawn out long.

"What is special about that Qin Family Village?"

Constable Meng Yu thought for a moment.

He thought of those few silver-white scales, those two late stage First-Turn youths, and the divine statue with lowered brows and drooping eyes.

Then he continued to speak.

"There is a temple in Qin Family Village enshrining a deity, whom the villagers call Lord Qinling."

"According to the villagers, it was precisely the protection of this deity that allowed the village to remain safe."

Huang Zu tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest twice.

Lord Qinling?

A deity?

Huang Zu naturally did not believe in such nonsense as deities, and said dismissively.

"A deity? How could there be any deities in this world."

The several constables below the hall looked at each other, and no one answered.

Constable Meng Yu stood at the very front with no expression on his face.

"Your subordinate thought so at first too."

He said.

"But there is indeed something strange about that temple."

Constable Meng Yu's voice sank.

"A few scales were placed on the offering table, silver-white in color, with the largest being the size of a skull, and the aura lingering on those scales..."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

"It is very strong. Your subordinate has stayed at the late First-Turn stage for many years and considers himself to have seen some of the world, but the coercion on those scales made your subordinate's whole body go stiff; it must belong to a great demon."

Huang Zu's fingers stopped.

His narrowed eyes opened a tiny slit, and something flashed within those dark brown pupils.

"What kind of scales?"

Huang Zu pressed on.

"Silver-white, very bright, with very fine patterns and edges as thin as a blade. The largest piece has a crack on it, as if it was slashed by something extremely sharp."

Constable Meng Yu replied.

Huang Zu did not speak again.

He of course knew that those were dragon scales.

He recognized that silver-white luster, recognized those dense patterns, and recognized the coercion that made one's whole body go stiff.

There was only one dragon in this sea, and that was the Fourth-Turn Little Li Dragon.

Even now that he had advanced to the Fourth-Turn, it was a fellow he wouldn't dare to provoke casually.

But now, the scales of Little Li Dragon appeared on the offering table of a rundown temple.

Constable Meng Yu spoke again.

"There are also some ignorant villagers in the village saying that the divine lord in that temple once went out to sea to slay a dragon, splitting that dragon to death with a single sword, and even saying that those scales are dragon scales."

He shook his head, obviously sneering at such a claim.

"Your subordinate naturally does not believe it. What kind of existence is a dragon? How could it be wantonly slaughtered?"

"Most likely, they picked up the scales from somewhere unknown and placed them on the offering table just to put up a front."

"What did you say?"

Huang Zu stood up from the grand master chair.

Constable Meng Yu did not expect his words to cause such a huge reaction from the magistrate.

He raised his head and saw the magistrate's plump, fair face tightly taut at this moment, his eyes that had always been narrowed opened very wide, with something surging within his pupils.

"Slay a dragon?"

Huang Zu's voice changed; it was no longer that lazy tone, but became sharp and thin.

"You are saying that the damned Lord Qinling in that temple slew a dragon?"

Constable Meng Yu felt his back go cold from being stared at by that gaze, but he still nodded.

"The children in the village all say so, saying that that night there was golden light and thunder on the sea, and Lord Qinling in their temple went out to sea and slew the dragon with a single sword. Your subordinate thought—"

"A single sword?"

Huang Zu's voice became even sharper.

Constable Meng Yu did not expect to be interrupted again.

He stood there, watching the magistrate's complexion turn paler bit by bit.

The hall was frighteningly quiet.

Several constables lowered their heads, not daring to let out a loud breath.

Huang Zu stood in front of the grand master chair, his hands supporting the desktop, his knuckles turning white.

There was only one thought in his mind.

Little Li Dragon is dead!

Could that Fourth-Turn Little Li Dragon have really been killed by some Lord Qinling?

Could the strangeness of Qin Family Village all be because of this Lord Qinling?

Huang Zu slowly sat back down on the grand master chair.

He withdrew his hands from the desktop and placed them on his knees.

"Is there anything else to report?"

Huang Zu looked at Constable Meng Yu.

"No more, County Magistrate."

Constable Meng Yu shook his head.

"Alright, then you all may withdraw first."

This time the one speaking was Clerk Liu.

Constable Meng Yu and the three constables quietly retreated.

Only Huang Zu and Clerk Liu were left in the hall.

Huang Zu leaned against the grand master chair, his fingers continuously tracing across the armrest.

Clerk Liu stood to the side, the tea bowl in his hands already put down, his hands hanging down, his eyes gazing at his nose and his heart focused on his nose, not uttering a single sound.

Having stayed in this county yamen for twenty years, he knew best when to speak and when to shut his mouth.

Right at this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps came from outside.

A runner trotted in, stood still outside the threshold, cupped his hands, and bowed.

"Reporting to the County Magistrate and the clerk, Village Chief Zhou Ping of Zhou Family Village is outside seeking an audience, saying he wishes to report on the matter of changing the enshrined deity."

Huang Zu, sitting on the grand master chair, raised his head, his pupils contracting as he looked at the runner.