Chapter 175: Bluffing and Spouting Nonsense in Public (5k)

Jiang Yanyan moved upstream against the current, arriving at the section Wen Yan had mentioned. With a slight sense, he found the local Water God.

He dove to the riverbed and knocked on a stone at the bottom.

"Hello, are you the local Water God? I have some questions I’d like to ask you."

The stone rolled in place, transforming into an old turtle whose shell was half a meter wide.

The old turtle lay prone on the riverbed, eyes closed, trembling with fear.

"Forgive me, Lord, I am not the local Water God, I am just a little demon who has lived a long time and possesses a bit of Water God’s power."

"I have a question for you. A few years ago, there was a kid named Wu who fell into the water and was later saved. His soul was incomplete from being in the water. Do you know who did it?"

"Spare me, Lord, this really has nothing to do with me. I’ve lived here for many years and have never harmed anyone. Last time there was a shipwreck here, I was even the one who went to save people.

I remember that child, but it really wasn’t me. The rotten fishing net tangled around his feet, I was the one who bit and pulled it off for him.

He was about to drown at the time, but he had some mystic connection, and at death’s door, he burned part of his own soul to survive.

Afterwards, there were people offering sacrifices by the river, but I didn’t dare show myself.

Who would believe such a story if I told it? If the Scorching Sun Department found out, they might well drag me out and stew me alive."

"Huh? No one has ever questioned you?" Jiang Yanyan was a little surprised.

"The Scorching Sun Department people did come for routine questions, but I didn’t dare say I knew anything.

You don’t know, Lord, the people from the Scorching Sun Department are fierce and brutal.

If I had said I knew, I’d definitely be taken away for interrogation.

If I get taken away, I’ll never come back.

I’ve heard the Scorching Sun Department people are vicious by nature, they’ll eat just about anything.

I’m not making this up, Lord, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

In the past, there were still beautiful snake maidens on both riverbanks, but now they’ve all been hunted to extinction.

Among those snake maidens, some were vicious and harmful, but there were also ones who never hurt anyone.

Now they’re all dead. It’s terrifying."

The old turtle went on a long tirade, basically just trying to shift the blame.

If the Scorching Sun Department people showed up, would he dare say nothing? Would he dare hide anything?

But Jiang Yanyan revealed his Golden Body, wielded the Golden Mace, exuding such a terrifying aura—it was basically his direct superior level—so the old turtle dared not hide anything, reluctantly saying whatever he knew.

Jiang Yanyan looked resolute, staring at the old turtle.

He could believe there were few good people in the Scorching Sun Department, but he didn’t buy that they were all ruthless villains.

After all, Brother Wen seemed to be a hired expert for the Scorching Sun Department. The way this old turtle painted everyone with the same brush was just plain slippery.

Seeing that the old turtle was still babbling, and unable to make a judgment himself, Jiang Yanyan reached out, grabbed the old turtle’s shell, and sped rapidly through the water with him.

Soon after, they returned to shore. Jiang Yanyan carried the old turtle in one hand and tossed it up onto the bank.

"Brother Wen, this is the Water God from that section. He’s not being honest—I think he’s trying to fool me—so I brought him here. Brother Wen, you question him."

Wen Yan looked a bit surprised; that was a huge turtle.

And it didn’t even seem to be a nationally protected animal.

The old turtle had been hauled back by Jiang Yanyan and was already dizzy; he’d never experienced such speed in water before. As soon as he hit the ground, the first thing he saw was He Changfeng, lying to the side, almost translucent and on the verge of dissipating.

As soon as he sensed the incense aura on He Changfeng, the old turtle’s heart went cold.

An almost-dead Water God.

Lord was actually in cahoots with the Scorching Sun Department!

They really dared to kill a Water God outright!

And considering he wasn’t even First-Class, nor Second, not even Third.

The old turtle’s heart chilled even further.

He looked up, and it was like seeing a huge cauldron, the water already boiling, just waiting for him to be tossed in.

"Speak for yourself, don’t make me waste words asking again."

Wen Yan wore a stony face; when he heard even a pure kid like Jiang Yanyan say the old turtle was dishonest, of course the old turtle got no kindness from him.

The old turtle was terrified, tucking all limbs in, shuddering and wailing pitifully.

"Sir, this really has nothing to do with me! I truly didn’t mean it! I honestly don’t even know this person."

Hearing this, Wen Yan immediately knew there was something fishy.

"Take it slow, start from the very beginning; dare to hide a single word and I’ll kill you on the spot."

"When that kid was about to drown, I wasn’t yet awakened, at that point I just wanted to..."

"What? You wanted to eat people?!"

"No, no, I hadn’t awakened back then! How would I know about all this, I only knew I was always hungry.

Then when I got closer, part of that kid’s soul came to me, helping me awaken intelligence.

I was muddleheaded, but I tore away the rotten fishing net and pushed him up to the surface.

Later, the Scorching Sun Department came to ask, but how would I dare say I knew something, I just claimed ignorance.

I really didn’t do it on purpose; I wouldn’t have the power to swallow a human soul anyway.

Much less be capable of tearing off a piece and letting someone live.

I truly have no idea..."

Wen Yan’s face was like water, exchanging a glance with Jiang Yanyan.

Jiang Yanyan, being simple-minded, immediately noticed the old turtle’s story didn’t match what he’d said before and got angry; he’d suspected the old turtle was hiding something all along, and sure enough!

He hefted the Golden Mace and smashed it hard onto the old turtle’s head.

The old turtle shrank his neck; the Golden Mace hit the shell, and a dense web of cracks appeared—it almost got shattered with a single blow.

"No, no, please spare me, I swear this is true!"

"Hide anything again and the next blow kills you."

The old turtle trembled all over, seeing Jiang Yanyan raise the Golden Mace again, he knew if he kept lying, he was dead for sure.

If killed by the Golden-Bodied River God’s mace, there’d be nowhere to seek justice.

"I did see this person once. Someone set up an altar, made sacrifices, and said they knew—I’d swallowed part of that child’s soul and gained intelligence. They asked me which part the child had lost.

If I told them, there’d be sacrifices every year. They even brought a lawyer and drafted a contract, swearing to never leak who gave them this info.

If I didn’t tell, they’d drag me out and kill me, just like they did with those snake maidens.

What could I do? I could only tell them."

Wen Yan frowned, glancing at He Changfeng on the ground.

How did He Changfeng get mixed up in all this?

And it even involved a lawyer who could draft supernatural contracts.

Jiang Yanyan was right—there wasn’t a word of truth in this old turtle’s mouth.

"Is that lawyer named Zhuge Wanjun?"

The old turtle’s eyes suddenly widened. It slumped hopelessly to the ground; the fact they even knew this meant his last bit of luck was gone.

"That’s the name..."

Wen Yan took out his phone and called Zhuge Wanjun on the spot.

"Hey, Wan Jun, got a question for you."