Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 199: Chapter 123: Middle Stage of Qi Cultivation, Incense Fire Will Power

”To my dear junior brother: I was pleased to hear you’re investigating the Sanmu River matter. The Water Department is also keeping an eye on that Wild God.

She calls herself the Sanmu Fairy, and she isn’t some evil spirit that just recently appeared. Rather, she has been lurking at the bottom of the Sanmu River for a long time.”

”According to the Water Department’s investigation, this deity seems to have some sort of origin story; she’s not one of those bloodthirsty Evil Spirits.

On the contrary, the fishermen who worship her have indeed enjoyed bountiful catches, and we have yet to find any evidence of her demanding blood sacrifices or harming living creatures.

Therefore, opinions within the Water Department are divided. Most advocate for a wait-and-see approach. If she can keep to herself and even prove useful for improving water transport, it might be possible to officially recognize her as an Assistant God.”

”However, you must be cautious. A Wild God, after all, has not been officially sanctioned, and her nature is unpredictable. Junior brother, as you investigate this case, be extremely careful if you get involved. If anything goes wrong, send word to me.”

After reading the letter, Chu Bai released a faint pulse of Spiritual Power from his palm, turning the paper to dust.

’Sanmu Fairy... lurking for a long time... increases fish catches...’

A thoughtful glint appeared in Chu Bai’s eyes.

Combining the intelligence from both Pang Song and his senior brother, the logic behind Team Two’s previous actions quickly became clear in his mind.

’Why did Team Two investigate, only to choose extortion instead of seeing the investigation through to the end?’

’Was it merely due to laziness and greed?’

’No, there were deeper calculations of profit behind it.’

”The fisheries.”

Chu Bai softly uttered those two words.

The fish and aquatic products of Anping County were largely monopolized by fisheries controlled by a few powerful Noble Races in the city.

To put it bluntly, these fishermen were nothing more than tools of production for the fisheries, slaves who generated wealth for the Noble Races.

’If Team Two had actually enforced the law impartially and thrown all the fishermen from these villages who worship the Wild God in jail, who would be left to catch fish?’

’The fisheries wouldn’t receive any fish, and the interests of the Noble Races would suffer.’

’Furthermore, this Sanmu Fairy could increase the fish catch. For the fisheries, this wasn’t a bad thing at all; it was an absolute godsend!’

So, Team Two’s choice became perfectly logical.

They didn’t arrest anyone, which ensured the labor force remained intact. At the same time, under the pretext of ”investigating illicit worship,” they extorted a hefty sum from the fishermen. They might have even reached a private, tacit agreement with the Wild God, allowing her to exist as long as she continued to provide bountiful harvests.

This was the survival logic of the Noble Races.

Everything was for profit. The common folk were merely sheep to be shorn, and the law was just a tool for accumulating wealth.

”It’s always the same...”

Chu Bai sighed, a flicker of disgust in his eyes.

This way of treating people like dirt, of trampling over everything for personal gain, was even more repulsive than the havoc wreaked by simple Demons.

He stood up and straightened his official robes.

’As for whether that Sanmu Fairy is good or evil, that is a question for another time.’

’I have testimony now, which should be enough to solidify the bribery case. I’ll secure the evidence first...’

’Time to go see Pang Song.’

...

The Sanmu River was located thirty li south of Anping County. Its surface was broad and its current gentle, serving as the main artery of Anping County’s Water Veins.

By the time Chu Bai arrived at the riverbank, it was already noon.

Although the sun was fierce, a damp humidity still washed over him as he neared the river’s edge.

Chu Bai stood on a high slope. He was in no hurry to see Pang Song. Instead, he first activated the Guardian Scripture, slowly spreading his Divine Thought—which already had a range of ten zhang—out toward the churning river water.

As his Divine Thought entered the water, his perception became somewhat hazy. The resistance from the water was far greater than that of the air, but for that very reason, the fluctuations of Spiritual Power within it were actually easier to detect.

’Just as I thought, something’s off.’

Within Chu Bai’s perception, the depths of the seemingly calm river were indeed filled with a faint, strange fluctuation of Spiritual Power.

It was not pure Water Element Spirit Qi, but a special energy mixed with a trace of Incense Fire Will Power.

It was like a thin veil covering the riverbed, faintly guiding the current’s flow and even forming whirlpools in certain areas to attract schools of fish.

’Is this the so-called Divine Power?’

It was faint, but it was definitely there.

It seemed this Sanmu Fairy truly had some ability; she wasn’t just some charlatan putting on a divine act.

Withdrawing his Divine Thought, Chu Bai turned and headed downstream. A cluster of fishing villages had been built along the water there, but it was now completely surrounded by a group of men in the uniforms of the Evil Suppression Guard.

Anyu Village.

It was a typical waterside settlement of just over a hundred households.

Compared to other impoverished fishing villages, the houses here were mostly neat and well-maintained. Many families had even built homes of blue brick and tile, a clear sign that they had been doing well in recent years.

But at this moment, a repressive atmosphere hung over the entire village.

The black banner of the Evil Suppression Department was raised at the village entrance, where several guards from Team Three patrolled with long sabers at their waists, their eyes vigilant.

Without alerting anyone, Chu Bai, dressed in plain clothes, slipped silently into the village.

The moment he entered, the faint scent of incense washed over him.

Although the villagers had hastily hidden their idols, the lingering smell from years of worship could not be completely concealed.

He activated his Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer Cultivation, and his ten-zhang Divine Thought instantly spread out.

To his perception, the tightly shut doors and windows were practically nonexistent.

He sensed the fishermen cowering inside their houses, saw the idols hidden in rice vats and cellars, and even perceived the bone-deep terror etched on their faces.

It was not merely fear of the officials, but something more... like the panic of being caught red-handed.

Chu Bai’s brow furrowed slightly as he walked slowly down the village path.

’This village is too quiet.’

Although Pang Song had brought men to lock down the village, preventing the residents from leaving their homes, this silence was permeated by an eerie, deathly stillness.