Chapter 1397: Chapter 1397: 1382: The Wrath of Xio Qiangu

Chapter 1397: Chapter 1382: The Wrath of Xio Qiangu

Duke’s Secret Mansion of Luoyi.

While dining, the West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu inexplicably lost his temper. It’s said that a maid accidentally spilled soup, prompting the West Patrol Officer to erupt on the spot, smashing dishes and immediately having the maid beaten to death.

On the surface, Wei Gang’s identity was the Second Chief Steward of the Mansion of the Duke of the Secret Kingdom, but in reality, he acted as a secret Head of the West Patrol Office, waiting cautiously outside the study.

The urgent report received this morning from the West Patrol Office wasn’t good news. On the contrary, it was bound to ignite the thunderous rage of West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu once again, but it had to be reported. He bided his time, waiting for West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu to cool down before presenting it.

In his view, the Lord Patrol Officer was just unlucky.

The astonishing theft case involving the Xio Family also rendered them victims. Due to the emperor’s support, they were dragged into this whirlpool, and even after ten days, nothing was clarified.

Typically, the prince and nobles who would behave like cats before the Xio Family were now, under the leadership of Prince Xun, acting like man-eating tigers, unwilling to make any concessions.

After ten days of investigation, the astonishing theft case hadn’t produced a single clue. Every day, West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu was deeply entangled in it and unable to extricate himself, suffering from excruciating headaches.

In order to quickly free himself, West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu laid a small trap, attempting to fabricate a culprit to hasten the closure of the case.

A culprit was indeed fabricated, yet unfortunately, the princes and nobles wouldn’t acknowledge it because there was no stolen property.

Additionally, some princes bluntly pointed out this method as a deceptive tactic orchestrated by the Heavenly Patrol Department to confuse them. Helpless, the West Patrol Officer asked these princes to list the missing assets for easier investigation.

The list was so startling that it nearly made West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu spit blood upon a glance.

He couldn’t afford even a tenth, let alone the entirety.

According to Xio Qiangu, to swiftly disentangle himself, he planned to ward off disaster by sacrificing some wealth, creating a scapegoat.

However, judging by the demeanor of these nobles, that was simply not feasible.

Xio Qiangu estimated that even if they liquidated all the assets of the Secret Duke’s Mansion, accumulating everything over the past millennium, it would only suffice for a tenth.

But doing so would mean utter bankruptcy for the Xio Family.

Consequently, this case could only drag on like a quagmire for several months, even a year, only to end inconclusively.

Typically, Xio Qiangu wouldn’t fear such a delay, but now, he was deeply anxious.

Entangled in the whirlpool of this astonishing theft case, it was evident that someone deliberately framed him. Moreover, with Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long fanning the flames and offering support, and now, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long had deliberately planted a thorn in his West Patrol Office.

To suggest there was no connection? He wouldn’t believe it even if threatened with death.

Yet he couldn’t extricate himself, and one can imagine how troubled his mood was.

Suddenly, Xio Qiangu’s gaze shifted, spotting the silhouette standing outside the door. At this moment, only a few dared to wait outside his door.

“Come in!”

Wei Gang responded and entered.

“What is the matter? Speak quickly!”

Wei Gang’s expression flickered, “My lord, Official Chii Jingshan sent an urgent report.”

“Bring it here!” Xio Qiangu reached out.

However, Wei Gang didn’t hand it over immediately but advised, “My lord, Official Chii and his men are also helpless. Please, calm your anger, and do not harm yourself!” With those words, he handed the urgent report over.

After merely a glimpse, West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu violently hurled the urgent report away, roaring in fury.

“Five years!”

“A five-year construction period, within five years, to not comply with commands, and to obey this, can such an Imperial Decree be accepted?”

“A bunch of idiots, five years! That’s akin to nurturing a thief, isn’t it?”

“Five years, in five years’ time, this Ye will absolutely become a dire threat to us! How can such a decree be accepted?”

“Why accept it outright, and even publicly?”

“And providing aid…. ”

Amidst his furious shouts, West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu’s face turned purple-red, overcome with rage to the point of losing his voice.

Wei Gang swiftly rushed forward, rubbing and soothing him, preventing West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu from spewing blood on the spot.

“My lord, calm your anger, do not harm yourself! As long as you return, that Ye won’t last many days!”

After a long while, West Patrol Officer Xio Qiangu slowly sank back into his chair, his expression gradually calming, “By the way, any updates on the plan over at the Heavenly Temple?”

The question was barely asked when Wei Gang appeared anxious and hesitant to respond, evidently not bringing good news.

“Speak!” Xio Qiangu commanded sternly, “A bit of bad news won’t be beyond this seat’s endurance!” Xio Qiangu also realized something.

“My lord, the Heavenly Temple has informed us that concerning the matters with Commander Ye, they can’t intervene. They told us….to handle it ourselves!” Wei Gang replied.

“To handle it ourselves?” Xio Qiangu suddenly sneered, “Do you know the reason?”

“Reportedly, it was mentioned by Green Dawn Peak!” Wei Gang replied.

“Green Dawn Peak!”

“Hmph, I knew it, these bald thieves from the Heavenly Temple can’t be trusted!” With a burst of angry resentment, Xio Qiangu of the West Patrol suddenly slammed his palm down in fury.

That night, the mansion of the Xio Family, Dukes of the Secret Kingdom, suddenly shook, with several rooms turned into ruins.

Not long after, this incident was relayed into the Imperial Palace, becoming the laughingstock for Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long that evening.

……

The three major woes of the North Sea are the water menace, demon menace, and the military menace!

The military menace had been mostly dealt with by Ye Zhen, but the water menace, with the arrival of heavy rains, had also arrived.

Ye Zhen’s previous inexplicable unease was due to having read about the causes of the North Sea’s water menace earlier.

North Sea County is adjacent to the North Sea, where countless water demons lurk.

Under normal circumstances, these water demons wouldn’t come ashore, as they naturally love water and disdain land; even for Blood Food, they wouldn’t venture deep onto land.

Because venturing deep onto the water-scarce land would significantly weaken them, making their situation extremely dangerous.

But there’s an exception – the rainy season!

Once the rainy season arrives, it’s different. Everywhere it rains becomes a flowing ocean, allowing them to roam and hunt on land freely.

Every time the rainy season arrives is when the North Sea’s water demons rampage ashore.

Ye Zhen knew this but hadn’t recalled it until this moment when seeing what the Heavenly Patrol Divine General Fengg Jiumo was pointing at.

Below was a county town with a circumference of over forty miles, surrounded densely by water demons, leaving no gaps.

Defending here was the Sixth Army of North Sea County Soldiers, totaling over forty thousand people.

Over forty thousand people seemed many, but when facing a siege by hundreds of thousands of water demons, they could only huddle within the city, barely holding it.

However, with just a glance from the sky, Ye Zhen discerned the real intent behind the siege.

The hundred thousand water demons surrounding the county town were merely besieging without attacking, occasionally launching sporadic feints. Some extremely large water demons, like the Demon Worm, put on a show merely to intimidate the garrison soldiers.

The ones truly rampaging were the water demon squads heading towards various villages across North Sea County.

Across the vast earth, those water demons, in squads, charged toward the scattered gathering points of ordinary people, launching killings and robberies upon arrival.

The elderly were all consumed, becoming Blood Food, while young maidens and women were captured alive, to become excellent maids or even playthings in the Water Mansion.

At times, if they felt unsatisfied, they could devour them all, which would be a fresh delight.

As for the men, they were all captured.

Neighboring the Demon Clan Territory, even those young men, once transported there, could fetch a good price.

The people of Great Zhou Dynasty are not entirely helpless either; many possess some martial skills, but they can’t resist for long against packs of water demons.

Over the years, the people of North Sea County have developed ways to deal with the water demons; those with experience hide in the city or take cover well before the rainy season arrives.

Those with poor luck face trouble.

In the short fifteen-minute flight to the county town, Ye Zhen saw no less than a thousand people killed or captured from two villages.

In this hundred-mile expanse alone, other areas likely faced no less.

Seeing his subjects massacred like this, Ye Zhen’s eyes reddened immediately. He withdrew the Commander Level Heavenly Spirit Ship and, with Fengg Jiumo and others, rushed towards an afflicted village.

Given their strength, eliminating those raiding water demon squads posed no problem.

But the problem was, even if Ye Zhen and his company ran allout everywhere, how many water demon squads could they eliminate?

“Fengg Jiumo, do you have any good ideas?” In the sky, considering the nearly hundred scattered water demon squads within a few hundred miles, Ye Zhen felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Fengg Jiumo, covered in the fishy blood of water demons, smiled bitterly, “I’ve reviewed the archives of North Sea County over the years. This situation is almost unsolvable.

With limited troops and a garrison unable to attack, if they do, the tens of thousands to millions of residents gathered inside the city would suffer, leaving them no choice but to watch as the water demon squads pillage far and wide.

Each year is the same!”

“Is each year the same? Isn’t there a good solution?” Ye Zhen’s expression turned terrifyingly grim.

“Basically none, only advance preparation! And this year, the rainy season unexpectedly arrived early, resulting in many people unable to evacuate into the city in time,” Fengg Jiumo answered.

“Could it be we are to watch as my North Sea County’s subjects are massacred and abducted?” Ye Zhen’s eyes were bloodshot, deep red.

“Hardly, unless North Sea County had an army of a million, otherwise, even someone like me, surrounded by water demons, would likely fall….”

Upon hearing these words, Ye Zhen suddenly let out a furious laugh, “Fall?”

“Not necessarily! Come, charge with me!” With a roar, Ye Zhen shot like a Fire Meteor towards the county town sealed off by hundreds of thousands of water demons.

The numerous Heavenly Patrol Divine Hunters were instantly dumbstruck!