Chapter 109: The Ailing Tiger Rises from Its Couch

In Qingyuan Prefecture, the floods left behind a trail of devastation. While the common folk remained mired in grief and anger, cultivators and formidable martial artists began appearing frequently along both banks of the Qingyuan River.

The flood had caused the water veins of the Qingyuan River to surge violently. Although this brought immense loss to the prefecture, it also washed up many spiritual treasures that had long been buried deep within the riverbed. In a short time, many lucky individuals had already discovered such treasures along the banks, some of which were quite rare.

Naturally, this caught the attention of many cultivators and martial artists. Occupying the geographical advantage along the river, the Taiping Sect did not let the opportunity pass. Led by the Black and White Elders, almost the entire treasure-hunting contingent of the sect was deployed to scour the river for various spiritual items.

During the height of the floods, they had successfully refined the demon skins of the Tortoise and Snake. With the power of these skins, they could transform into tortoise-snake hybrids, allowing them to traverse the still-tumultuous Qingyuan River freely and withstand most dangers, giving them an edge over many other cultivators. The only drawback was the significant physical toll that frequent use of these demonic powers took on them. Although they had used blood-refinement techniques to turn the skins into artifacts, activating them was far more taxing than it was for true cultivators. Furthermore, to maintain or increase the potency of the skins, a constant supply of blood essence was required. The more frequently they were used, the greater the demand. This was the true purpose of the Blood Flame Technique and the Blood Fiend True Flame; the blood essence they refined served as vital sustenance for the skins. Without this nourishment, a demon skin would soon become useless, or worse, a particularly malevolent skin might backfire and drain its host dry.

"Hmm, it seems my luck is in," Jiang Chen remarked. While riding the wind, he had spotted something: a massive clam shell, washed ashore by the flood and embedded in the mud.

"A Water-盈 Shell, a first-grade spiritual item. The pearls it produces are excellent medicinal ingredients, highly favored by cultivators for crafting vitality-nurturing elixirs."

With a thought, Jiang Chen sealed the shell and tucked it into his storage pouch. Satisfied that nothing had been missed, he took to the wind once more.

Meanwhile, in Qinghe County, disaster relief efforts were underway. Although the county seat itself had been spared the direct impact of the flood due to its higher elevation, many of its subordinate villages had been devastated—some even completely washed away—leaving tens of thousands displaced. To address their plight, the Taiping Sect organized the local trade guilds to distribute relief grain and implement a "work-for-relief" program. By involving the able-bodied in the reconstruction of Qinghe, they aimed to keep people occupied and minimize chaos. Under these measures, despite the severity of the disaster, the overall situation remained stable. Of course, the process was not entirely smooth; some opportunistic rioters sought to profit from the confusion, and a few guild members tried to embezzle resources. All such individuals simply vanished.

In the Cao family mansion, Cao Jinfu walked into the back courtyard with a grim expression.

"Was it you who dealt with the Li family? Do you realize they were our kin by marriage?" He glared at Cao Banshan, who was sitting leisurely, sipping tea and watching the fish.

Cao Banshan’s expression remained unchanged. "The Li family was passing off substandard goods, selling grain at inflated prices, and even seizing land during the crisis. They broke the rules."

He glanced at his father, but Cao Jinfu was unmoved. In a year of great disaster, such practices were standard; disasters often made the poor poorer and the rich richer—how else did the great clans amass their land?

"The Li family may have been at fault, but there was no need to be so ruthless as to wipe out their entire household! We are kin! How will outsiders view us now? Who will dare to associate with the Cao family?" Cao Jinfu paced back and forth, venting his frustration.

Cao Banshan finally looked up. "It is precisely because we were kin that I acted without reservation. This relief effort is a task personally entrusted to me by the Sect Master. If I fail, my future in the Taiping Sect is effectively over; the Sect Master has no use for the incompetent. Anyone who stands in my way will be destroyed. Since the Li family dared to break the rules, I used their blood to warn the others. As for what outsiders think? Why should I care? I only care about what the Sect Master thinks of me."

Like a sick tiger rising from its lair, a fierce, predatory aura erupted from Cao Banshan. A sick tiger is still a tiger, and tigers eat men. Stunned by this display, Cao Jinfu felt an unprecedented sense of alienation and stood speechless.

Seeing his father so despondent, a flicker of regret softened Cao Banshan’s heart. "Father, you are old. You should rest well at home from now on. By the way, Xiao Lu is pregnant. You will be a grandfather soon."

With a sigh, he left. In troubled times, harsh laws are necessary; at this juncture, he would show no mercy.

While the Taiping Sect was busy with relief efforts, the County Magistrate's office remained quiet. Ever since his attempt to levy a "Snow Disaster Tax" failed and backfired into public outrage, Magistrate Liao Yonghuai had kept a low profile.

In a secret chamber within the Magistrate's residence, Liao Yonghuai sat cross-legged among piles of gold and silver, meditating before a golden toad statue. Threads of strange energy flowed from the toad's mouth, which he slowly absorbed.

When his practice concluded, he opened his eyes. "That previous tax brought me quite a harvest. It seems letting the Taiping Sect play the hero is a sound strategy." A look of satisfaction crossed his face. Although he appeared to do nothing, he was well-informed about everything in Qinghe County. He allowed the Taiping Sect to act because he did not want to reveal his own strength too early, and because their actions were ultimately profitable for him.

"The surge of the Qingyuan River has washed up many spiritual treasures. There are even rumors of a 'Origin Spirit Fruit Tree' being sighted in the county's waters..."

As he finished his meditation, thoughts of these rumors made his round face turn greedy. He craved these treasures, especially the Origin Spirit Fruit Tree. Though he knew the report was likely an exaggeration, his greed remained insatiable.