Fangs of the Qingling River

Three days later, at the hour of Shen (3–5 PM).

"The mountain range ahead should be where Yulian City lies."

Chen Jinshu sat atop Xiao Yin, scanning the steep mountains around her while quickly comparing them to the scroll in her hand. The scroll described the Yulian Mountains: from afar, shaped like a fish; up close, like a fishbone. Steep peaks, sparse vegetation, and herbs scattered throughout.

"Up close, it does resemble a fishbone. No wonder they call it the Yulian Mountains."

Yulian City was a place where mortals and cultivators lived together—though very few of the latter. Most were unaffiliated rogue cultivators with poor spiritual aptitude. They came to the mountains to tap into its weak spiritual veins.

The western mountains were home to many of these veins, albeit low-grade ones—mostly first-rank. But for rogue cultivators, even that was a rare treasure trove. The river running through Yulian was called the Qingling River, named after the lush green mountains near its source.

The river teemed with fish, and the city's people made their living from it. That was, until a man-eating water serpent appeared in the Qingling River. Since then, no one dared approach the waters.

What was once a river of life had become a den of monsters—a place of death.

It was said the serpent had only come in recent years, developing an unusually sharp intellect and—guided by its beastly instincts—finding this spiritually rich river.

After surveying the area for a while, Chen Jinshu soared to the mountain peak. From there, she spotted a moderately large city about 200–300 li ahead, with a broad turquoise river flowing alongside it.

"The townsfolk rely entirely on this river to survive. No wonder they'd seek out cultivators when their lifeline is severed."

The reason the Xuanming Sect had posted this mission was because the people—or sometimes entire cultivation cities—petitioned for help. They paid a price, and the sect sent someone. The sect gained reputation, trained its disciples, and earned resources in return—a win-win-win. The price Yulian's citizens and cultivators had offered was a small aquamarine ore vein.

This ore was commonly used to forge water-element spiritual tools or construct water-based structures. While not particularly rare, it was a useful resource with wide applications.

"I'll scout the city first—see how the people describe this water serpent's savagery."

After a moment's thought, Chen Jinshu leapt onto Xiao Yin and flew quickly toward the city.

A short while later, about ten li from Yulian City, she switched to traveling on foot to avoid unnecessary trouble. Soon she arrived at the city gates and found the streets bustling with people—yet none of them were smiling. It was as if something heavy weighed on them all.

As she walked deeper into the city, she observed the townspeople. The streets were crowded, and many small stalls lined the way. With no fish to sustain them, selling trinkets had become the only way for many to survive.

Chen Jinshu's eyes scanned the stalls, and soon she found a suitable person to speak to. She approached a near-abandoned incense bag stall. The elderly woman tending it wore a sorrowful expression, trying to attract customers—but too many nearby were selling the same goods.

"Auntie, did you make all these bag yourself?" Chen Jinshu asked casually, feigning interest.

"You have a good eye, miss. Every stitch is mine. Pretty and affordable," the old woman forced a smile as she replied.

"I'll take all these. I plan to fill them with herbs." Chen Jinshu ran her fingers across a few finely embroidered pouches.

"All right, five wen per bag—ten bag, I'll give them to you for forty-five."

After paying, Chen Jinshu gently asked, "Auntie, what made you decide to start selling these? With so many doing embroidery, it must be hard to get by."

Her voice was soft, laced with sympathy, while her gaze scanned the surroundings.

"It's that cursed River Dragon, isn't it? Anyone who gets close to the river is swallowed up. Plenty have died already—who would dare go near it anymore?"

"River Dragon?" Chen Jinshu raised a brow.

"So the serpent was being worshipped?"

"Yes, the River Dragon it is. It's got dragon horns and a massive mouth—can swallow five or six people in one go. Whenever it surfaces, there's a storm and torrential rain."

"Even so, calling it a dragon is too much—it's just a serpent trying to become one."

"Miss, don't say things like that in public!" the woman said in alarm. "If someone reports you to the River Dragon, you'll be the next it comes for."

Chen Jinshu was surprised. She hadn't expected the townsfolk to both fear and revere this creature. Perhaps they didn't even know cultivators lived among them. And the ones who aimed to kill the beast were cultivators acting on their own—it had little to do with these commoners.

If she rushed to slay the serpent without understanding the locals' views, she might eliminate a threat, but win their hatred. Not that she cared what they thought—but hearing their words still left an unpleasant taste.

"I'll need to plan this more carefully."

She stood up and walked off, browsing other stalls while asking around. In the end, most of the information she gathered matched the old woman's. The townsfolk had a love-hate relationship with the serpent. They loved the rains it brought—which helped their crops—but hated losing the river that sustained them.

Finally, Chen Jinshu visited the City Lord's estate and requested an audience. The city lord of Yulian wasn't an ordinary man—he was a cultivator too. Though with limited talent, he was only in the early Qi Refining stage.

"Greetings, senior from the Xuanming Sect!" he said with respectful enthusiasm.

"No need for pleasantries. I'm here to eliminate the water serpent. Tell me everything you know about it," Chen Jinshu replied with a cold gaze.

"Please, take a seat!"

"We don't know exactly when the serpent arrived. But the first incident happened eight years ago—out of nowhere, the sky turned stormy and the river surged into a giant whirlpool. That's when the beast first reared its head..."

As he spoke, the shock in his eyes grew deeper. Clearly, even recalling the event left him shaken. His cultivation was low, his insight shallow. Chen Jinshu let him speak for a while before cutting in, urging him to focus on the important details.

Eventually, she learned some valuable things:

—The serpent could summon storms and rain.

—Its body was massive and powerful, though it lacked claws.

—It never left the river—possibly either to hide while cultivating or to guard some treasure beneath the water.

—Its greatest weakness: dryness. If it left the river, its scales would dry and harden immediately. Only immersion in water would restore it.