Chapter 467: Dividing A River
“He’s going to escape!”
There was no time to figure out why the Corpse Ship was here and how Ye Qing was connected to it. All Zhou Hengshan knew was that his cooked duck was moments away from flying out of his grasp[1].
If Ye Qing really was involved with the Corpse Ship, then he might actually escape this place alive, and that was one outcome he absolutely couldn’t and wouldn’t tolerate.
Eyes bulging with shock, disbelief, and volcanic fury, Zhou Hengshan rushed headlong into the thick fog. However, he wasn’t able to find anything besides a field of corpses.
“I thought you want to kill me, Ye Qing? I’m right here!” Zhou Hengshan shouted while running across the waters like it was solid ground. Every time he took a step, the river surface would cave inward like silken fabric, and dull thunder would resound from the bottom of the river.
In just a few breaths, he had checked every space within the fog. However, he clearly missed something because he still couldn’t see the Corpse Ship or Ye Qing.
“Come out, Ye Qing! Come out here right now!”
Zhou Hengshan’s eyes were bloodshot as he raised his hand and roared, “To me!”
Buzz…
There was a strange buzz, and space itself was split apart like it was made of fabric. A gigantic saber was literally cutting through the sky and zooming straight toward Zhou Hengshan.
The saber had a broad blade that was bony white in color. Its flat sides were also covered in hooked barbs not unlike a spinal cord. In fact, it was the spinal cord of a Stranger.
The moment the white saber appeared, the weather grew violent, and what felt like the veil of death itself converged upon the saber, violent and bloodthirsty. The world fell as silent as death as it streaked toward Zhou Hengshan, shrinking until it was finally small enough to fit in the general’s hand. Its aura hadn’t diminished in the slightest, however. On the contrary, the scent of death grew even purer, and blood leaked out of the blade as if it was just barely keeping its own power compressed in such a tiny form.
The saber’s name was the Slaughterer of Ten Thousand. It was Zhou Hengshan’s main weapon and a Phenomenon-class Strange Artifact.
If you killed a fellow human, then you are just a murderer. But if you kill ten thousand humans, then you are known as a hero. The Slaughterer of Ten Thousand, as its name implied, was a vicious saber that had slain at least ten thousand humans.
The Slaughterer of Ten Thousand was forged from the spinal cord of a Rakshasa of The Dead of War, and a Rakshasa of The Dead of War was a Phenomenon-class Stranger that was born from the wastelands created by war. It ate the flesh of the dead, drank their blood, and puppeteered their souls for its own use. Whenever it appeared, the Hundred Ghosts Parade would come to life, and deadly plagues would reap all those who were living. Any country unfortunate enough to be haunted by it would suffer unending wars and other calamities.
The Slaughterer of Ten Thousand was created after the spinal cord of the Rakshasa of The Dead of War was used to slay ten thousand people so it might feast on their flesh and soul. The day the saber attained perfection, the sky wept blood, and thousands and thousands of ghosts roamed the land of the living. It was one hundred percent a cursed saber.
Zhou Hengshan had used the Slaughterer of Ten Thousand to suppress the Southern Sea Rebellion and massacre several countries with the weapon. It was how he permanently cemented his name in infamy. Without the Slaughterer of Ten Thousand, Zhou Hengshan might never become what he became today.
As he gripped the Slaughterer of Ten Thousand, Zhou Hengshan’s murderous aura grew so powerful that it shot through the heavens like a column of black light, stirring heaven and earth alike. Then, he swung the weapon with all his might.
“KILL!”
The Slaughterer of Ten Thousand was the deadliest manslaying weapon in the world. In just one stroke, he split the world in front of him into two. A gigantic crack had opened up in the middle of the Yong River, and the waters poured into the bottomless chasm. The river had literally been divided in half, and every living creature in the river—the fish, the shrimps, the plants, the Strangers and more—perished to the saber’s deathly aura.
Just like that, a river stretching tens of kilometers were divided in two.
Just like that, millions and millions of living creatures were dead.
It took a dozen or so breaths before the river water finally filled up the gap and seemingly returned to normal. However, the creatures living inside the river were utterly extinct, and it would be three to five years before any life finally returned to the river.
That was how potent the Slaughterer of Ten Thousand was.
Zhou Hengshan didn’t look happy, however. His weapon arm was shaking, his forehead was bulging with veins, and his eyes were bloodshot with anger.
His attack had split the Yong River and annihilated all living creatures living inside its waters, yes, but… he wasn’t sure if he killed Ye Qing.
It was because the Corpse Ship’s unnatural fog was still rolling away from him at high speed.
He didn’t give chase. He knew he wouldn’t be able to catch up to it.
If he could, the Corpse Ship Incident would’ve been resolved a long time ago.
A few breaths later, not even a speck of the fog could be seen anymore. Zhou Hengshan finally looked away from the river, walked up to Hong Jianglong, and glared at the man with savage, bloodshot eyes. “You owe me an explanation, Hong Jianglong.”
“Excuse me? You already killed Ye Qing, and I haven’t lifted a finger to stop you from start until the end. I don’t see how I owe you anything. Did your saber’s aura damage your brain or something?” Hong Jianglong scoffed.
“Dead? You know better than I do if Ye Qing is dead,” Zhou Hengshan said coldly. “Ye Qing is obviously cooperating with the Corpse Ship. He’s going to use its power to escape the prefecture. Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau, and yet he’s colluding with an Anomaly. As his superior, don’t you think you owe me an answer?”
“First things first, I have no idea what you mean. I thought you have full confidence in the power of the Slaughterer of Ten Thousand? In fact, you have killed every living creature in the Yong River with that strike. I don’t understand why you think that Ye Qing would somehow survive it.”
“Second, you claim that Ye Qing is colluding with the Anomaly, but where is your proof? Also, it’s not like Ye Qing’s the only one on the river. You were there too. Who knows, maybe you’re the one who’s colluding with the Corpse Ship. There is also the chance that it has always been in the area until your battle jolted it into action.”
Hong Jianglong continued in a disdainful tone, “And don’t tell me that the proof is Ye Qing disappearing as soon as the Corpse Ship appears. Everyone knows that the Corpse Ship kidnaps people from time to time. It is entirely possible that Ye Qing just happened to be its target this time.”
“Finally, I must remind you that Ye Qing is no longer a member of the Pacification Bureau. So what if he’s colluding with an Anomaly? It’s no longer my or the Pacification Bureau’s business. If you want Ye Qing this badly, then you can look into the Corpse Ship yourself.”
“Wait, what am I saying? Ye Qing is already dead. The only way you can meet him now is to slit your own throat. If you get to work now, you might still catch up to his ghost before it departs!”
Zhou Hengshan could barely control his rage. “What a load of bullshit. Just you wait. I will definitely report this matter to the imperial court and request the emperor to lay his judgment!”
Hong Jianglong folded his arms over one another and replied uncaringly, “Do whatever you want. This is no longer a Pacification Bureau business anyway.”
He then looked at Chu Hao and Chu Qingge and said, “Qingge, the murderer of your brother, Ye Qing is dead. I assume that your father and your brother have obtained the closure they seek. If there’s nothing else, let us return together and speak with the Harmony King.”
“This matter isn’t settled though. I will continue to look into the true reason behind the prince’s death. I promise I will find the truth for you and the Harmony King.”
Chu Qingge nodded. “On behalf of my father and my brother, thank you.”
“Is Ye Qing truly dead, Lord Hong?” Chu Hao asked.
It sounded like there was a bigger conspiracy behind Chu Qianli’s death, but Chu Hao didn’t care about that. He only cared about fulfilling his duty, and right now that duty was to capture or kill Ye Qing.
Hong Jianglong replied uncaringly, “Why are you asking me? The fatty over there would know better than me.”
Zhou Hengshan’s eyes were still bloodshot. In fact, they were redder, darker and more violent than before. “I beg to differ. Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau, and all members of the Pacification Bureau are required to leave behind a soul imprint in a Soul Lamp so that the organization could check in on their status from time to time.”
Due to the risky nature of the work, everyone serving in the Pacification Bureau was required to leave a soul imprint in a Soul Lamp. If the lamp was lit, then the person was still alive. If the lamp went out, then the Pacification Bureau would know that they had died and respond accordingly.
“You’ll have to pay the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau a visit. We don’t have Ye Qing’s Soul Lamp.” Hong Jianglong shrugged.
“Apologies, Your Highness, but I need to dispatch some men to the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau and check if Ye Qing’s Soul Lamp is still lit,” Chu Hao said immediately. “I’ll see you later, Lord Hong, General Zhou.”
Chu Hao leaped into the sky and quickly vanished into the distance.
1. Meaning that what should’ve been a 100% thing suddenly became uncertain. ☜
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