Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Treading the River to Slay the Dragon The Tai Lake water system, on the upper reaches of the Ti Yang River. Li Chang’an’s head broke the surface of the water. He scanned his surroundings, and after confirming there was no danger, he staggered back to the shore. That withered figure from before, the one called a Chief Banner Officer, had to be a powerful expert at the Martial King Realm. The depth of the Qi Force surrounding his body was so profound that Li Chang’an could feel a palpable threat even from dozens of meters away. Fortunately, the bottom of Tai Lake was riddled with countless underground rivers. After twisting and turning through the water, Li Chang’an had managed to slip into one of them. He then navigated its winding passages and finally shook off his persistent pursuer. After checking the Cultivation Techniques Secret Manuals in the chest and confirming they were undamaged, Li Chang’an heaved a heavy sigh of relief and snorted coldly. ’Hmph, a Martial King, are you? Just wait until I figure out how to compress Qi Force into a solid. Then we’ll see who’s boss!’ In this era of the Martial Dao’s decline, a single Martial King was enough to guard an entire province. For the Yaoqing Imperial Court to dispatch a Martial King expert just to deal with a minor Rebel Leader like him was like using an atomic bomb to kill a mosquito—an overwhelming, no-survivors-allowed dimensional-level strike. If Li Chang’an hadn’t reacted so quickly, he would have most likely been killed on the spot. After taking a moment to recover, Li Chang’an hired a horse-drawn carriage and began the journey back to Sanhuang County. Too eager to wait, he started studying the Cultivation Techniques Secret Manuals from the chest while still on the road. Three hundred years ago, the Martial Dao flourished in the Central Plains Martial World. The chest that had now fallen into Li Chang’an’s hands was even more precious; it was filled with the top-tier Cultivation Techniques from Cyan Cloud Pavilion, preserved to keep the spark of the Central Plains Martial Dao alive. It contained every Cultivation Method from the Martial Artist to the Martial Saint Realm, as well as the personal notes of a Cyan Cloud Pavilion Martial Saint. Everything had been meticulously selected, the absolute cream of the crop. For Li Chang’an, it was like receiving a massive gift package of Martial Arts Experience. As a result, Li Chang’an was completely engrossed. He spent a full month devouring the large chest of books and still hadn’t fully absorbed everything. One day, as Li Chang’an was reading in the carriage, a light drizzle began to fall outside. The rain grew heavier and heavier until the coachman had no choice but to stop at a dilapidated post station. He gazed at the dark horizon and sighed, "Ai, someone’s about to suffer again!" Li Chang’an lifted the curtain, glanced at the coachman, and asked, "What’s wrong?" Seeing Li Chang’an poke his head out, the coachman hurriedly bowed. "Young Master, the rain is too heavy outside. Should we take shelter for a bit before continuing on?!" Li Chang’an glanced at the downpour. "I wasn’t asking about that. What did you mean when you said someone’s about to suffer again?" The coachman had a good impression of him, so after a moment’s hesitation, he lowered his voice and said, "You might not know this, sir, but there’s a Demon Flood Dragon in the upper reaches of the Three Yellow Rivers that can summon wind and rain. A few years ago, the Government Office even enfeoffed it as a River God. Every rainy season, it stirs up trouble, breaks the dikes, and floods the fields!" Li Chang’an froze, his mind flashing back to the tragic state of the people on both banks of the Three Yellow Rivers during last year’s flood. He said coldly, "It destroyed a dike just last year, drowning hundreds of thousands of people. It dares to pull the same trick again this year?" The coachman wiped his dark face and shook his head. "Sir, you underestimate that Demon Flood Dragon. It dared to cause trouble in the nearby river basins even before it received the Imperial Court’s favor. And now that it has the Court’s merits backing it, it’s even worse!" He paused, then continued in a very low voice, "Didn’t you hear a band of rebels caused a stir near Sanhuang County last year? With that happening, the Demon Flood Dragon is sure to break open the river mouth, destroy the dikes, and flood the fields this year!" Hearing this, Li Chang’an’s brow furrowed deeply. It was a long time before his expression slowly relaxed. ... Yaoqing King Calendar, year 242, the fifth month. Once again, it was a year of torrential rains. The waters of the Three Yellow Rivers surged as if hanging upside down, and the faint sound of a dragon’s roar echoed between heaven and earth. Gazing at the seemingly endless downpour, the hundreds of thousands of people in the counties downstream of the Three Yellow Rivers lived in constant fear. The tragic scenes of last year’s downpour and plague were still fresh in their minds. Back then, every household had some grain stored away. As long as they could survive the plague, they would at least have something to eat. But this year was different. The people had just suffered a disaster and were pinning all their hopes on Heaven granting them a bountiful harvest to alleviate their urgent crisis. If the river overflowed again, everyone within nearly a hundred li on both sides of the Three Yellow Rivers would have to flee the famine. No one would survive. ... Under these circumstances, the Rebel Army, which had been gathering its strength for the better part of half a year, finally made its move. The Imperial Court had dispatched tens of thousands of troops from two neighboring counties to surround the Rebel Army, but they never launched a substantial attack. Previously, Li Chang’an hadn’t understood their strategy. It was only now, with the river threatening to overflow, that he realized the government soldiers were likely waiting for the flood to strike, preventing the Rebel Army from scattering to other towns. In other words, they were planning to use the flood to annihilate the Rebel Army. Li Chang’an, for his part, would not let them have their way. Amidst the howling wind and torrential rain, thousands of Rebel Army soldiers, like ants on the raging torrent, moved slowly but resolutely toward a ferry crossing. On both banks of the river, thousands of people from the vicinity of the Three Yellow Rivers watched this scene with unblinking eyes, all holding their breath. Days earlier, the Rebel Army had posted notices announcing their intention to go to the ferry crossing and slay the dragon. At first, none of the riverside residents believed it. But in the end, they still came to the river dikes, half-believing and half-doubting, wanting to see if the Rebel Army would truly do as they claimed: enact justice on behalf of Heaven and slay the evil flood dragon that had plagued them for so many years! At this moment, the eyes of every person were filled with extreme tension and a sliver of hope, like that of a drowning person grasping at a life-saving straw! ... After his men had surrounded the river dikes, Li Chang’an strode forth from the crowd. Alone, wielding a long saber, he stepped onto the river and moved upstream against the current. RUMBLE! As he drew closer, the dragon’s roar from within the river grew louder and more resonant, sounding at once like a great temple bell and a clap of thunder. From within the floodwaters, a creature more than twenty meters long—not quite a snake, not quite a dragon—reared its head and let out a furious roar at Li Chang’an. Legend has it that a snake becomes a flood dragon after five hundred years, hiding in lakes, deep pools, reservoirs, river tributaries, or caves. After a flood dragon cultivates for a thousand years and experiences its Crossing the Tribulation, it will travel down the Yangtze River into the East China Sea, where it can Transform into a Dragon. This transformation process is known as "The Flood Dragon’s Passage"! The flood dragon before him had originally been traveling down from the Celestial Lake further upstream, intending to Transform into a Dragon. However, it was injured along the way and had no choice but to take up residence near the Three Yellow Rivers. It had originally planned to continue its journey to Transform into a Dragon after it recovered, but for reasons unknown, the Yaoqing Imperial Court managed to recruit it, turning it into the ’River God’ worshiped by dozens of counties near the Three Yellow Rivers! Now, this infamous River God opened its massive, bloody maw toward Li Chang’an, and a ferocious Qi blasted toward him like a hurricane! ...