Day after day, night after night.
Xinquan remained peaceful and quiet. Amid the drizzling rain, the vast majority of people grew accustomed to it, a part of their hearts gradually coming to believe that perhaps those water ghosts feared Xinquan's defenses and no longer dared to return.
The knights under Slan continued to ignore the downpours and humidity, keeping up with their daily patrols and drills. Having mold sprout on their armor was hardly any trouble to them.
As for the Wild Gathering Celestial Chosen from Diaomao Town, after their initial vigilant readiness, they had gradually grown slack. Some had even begun throwing themselves into liquor and carnal pleasures. Others had stirred up plenty of trouble, giving Blondie an infuriating headache the moment he opened his eyes each morning. If Uncle Lin hadn’t still been around to keep them in line, some might have already abandoned their posts and walked away.
As for the tough men of the security force, they remained as steady as ever.
The double wages instituted at the start of the rainy season and the combat stipends that continued daily even without an enemy in sight were paid into their hands every single day. Food and drink were fully provided, and with just one man bearing a bit of hardship, his whole family back in Yacheng could live comfortably. For veterans who possessed no practical skills other than killing, arson, shooting, and shelling, this was an unbeatable bargain.
Moreover, internal purchases of Haian products came with employee discounts, along with comprehensive maintenance. If any family member had children who excelled in their studies, ultralow-interest student loans and educational support were available. If a child managed to test into Tianmen, the loan was entirely interest-free, with bonus sponsorship on top...
Anyone who had tasted hardship knew that failing to cherish and seize such outrageously good days would be practically sinful.
Only Haian Industries' coffers were draining at a visibly alarming rate. Under such staggering expenditures, revenue was gradually falling short of costs.
After all, the rainy season was brutal and business was hard to conduct. Final payments for many shipments had been cut off, and ghost only knew how many clients would remain once the rains passed.
Seeing his Haizhou ravaged into such a state only stiffened Ji Jue's resolve to exterminate the bandits.
The water ghosts had to die!
Otherwise, how would he ever be able to sit back, eat hot pot, sing songs, and ride the Celestial Rail in the future?
Then, around noon that day, Ji Jue received news.
A slip of paper was delivered to Haian by Blondie himself. It stated in plain, glaring words that the Blood Cleansing Fleet and numerous pirate armadas had already pushed along the fog bank toward Xinquan, expected to arrive within days.
The intelligence clearly came from an insider, or it couldn't have been so certain.
Still, that Chen Xingzhou could reach his hand so deep into the enemy's pocket was truly beyond Ji Jue's expectations.
Soon after, he received another transmission from the Security Bureau.
The two major metropolitan centers, Chaocheng and Yacheng, were placed entirely under martial law, while Celestial Chosen from smaller cities like Chuancheng and Jiangcheng were mobilized for emergency deployment.
In the southwestern region of the Endless Sea adjacent to the Federation—a zone known as the Wandering Sea—two Extinction-tier calamity beasts, the White Jiao and Azure Jiao, had awakened and entered their feeding period. After rampaging across the Thousand Islands, they had turned toward Federation territorial waters.
Under emergency mobilization status, all operational Security Bureau personnel in coastal regions were required to return to their posts and await deployment, while advance teams had already set out to monitor the situation.
Should those damned things show any inclination to approach the mainland, they had to be repelled immediately. Every awakening and feeding cycle of the Azure and White Jiaos triggered immense upheavals. Not to mention the two calamity beasts' insatiable appetites, the real danger lay in the hordes of merfolk that lived as their parasites...
Although the name sounded mild and harmless, the calamity species known as merfolk was anything but: even freshly hatched juveniles were monsters weighing several tons and measuring at least six meters long!
Upon reaching maturity, the stronger among them had a high probability of receiving the blessings of the Desolate Ruins and Entropy, becoming bona fide Scourge-tier disasters.
Even worse, merfolk were pack creatures.
Once an alpha appeared, hundreds or thousands of kin followed in its wake...
Mutated through the corruption and erosion of the twin jiaos, these marine creatures possessed ravenous appetites and a vicious savagery far surpassing ordinary aberrations.
If they failed to contain them and those damn things crawled into Yacheng's sewers, ghost only knew what kind of chaos would erupt.
To say nothing of the sheer number of headless aberrations running wild lately—the situation was rapidly deteriorating.
For the time being, the Security Bureau had no bandwidth for anything else.
This meant Xinquan could expect no assistance from the Security Bureau in the short term.
It came practically back-to-back, with impeccably coincidental timing.
Ji Jue couldn't help but suspect foul play.
Immediately afterward, an unmitigated disaster of news swept across the wilderness.
The storm was marching west!
At this point in the rainy season every year, super typhoon weather systems blew in from the Endless Sea, bringing endless downpours, ferocious winds, and relentless storms. But this time, the typhoon had reached Force 18...
Hanging up the call, Ji Jue sighed silently.
Weather and terrain—that old bastard Pacquiao had finally gotten what he was waiting for!
Starting that afternoon, torrential rain poured down amid continuous roars of thunder.
The entire wilderness of Haizhou was engulfed in violent turmoil. Flash floods raged, mudslides swept across the land, and as water levels rose, even Xinquan—situated on the highest ground—began showing signs of flooding.
Fortunately, there were industrial heavy exoskeletons rushing to reinforce the fortifications in the rain. And construction of flood control installations had never stopped since Xinquan's founding; now, they were finally proving their worth.
Lightning flashed across the sky; the gale howled.
An off-road vehicle barrelled headlong into Xinquan Town. A mud-caked figure leaped out, completely out of breath.
"The water level rose again!"
The scout reported urgently, panicked. "The Longjiang River changed course! The old estuary is widening—we can't block it! Boss, we really can't hold it back!"
After hearing this, Ji Jue did not insist. He merely nodded. "Then pull everyone back. Everyone worked hard; their bonuses will still be paid."
With prolonged rainfall compounded by the storm, who knew how many tons of silt and water were surging downstream along the Longjiang River beside Xinquan each minute. Churned up with rocks and debris brought by mudslides, it had breached the temporary levees built earlier and crashed into the old riverbanks...
At this stage, there was no way to seal it off.
No matter how sternly he ordered them, it would only be gambling with human lives. Besides, was blocking it even possible?
Beside him, Gou Er hesitated, wanting to speak, but held his tongue in the end.
To make a good impression, he ought to have volunteered to take over the job right now, but would it do any good? It would merely mean sending another man to fail and another batch of people to die.
As the surging floodwaters rampaged toward the sea, the world-shaking roar could be heard across all of Xinquan. Thankfully, Ji Jue had reinforced the riverbank repeatedly, or Xinquan, right beside the Longjiang River's channel, would have been swamped beyond recognition.
That was a blessing in disguise amidst disaster.
Unfortunately, this also meant their prior strategy to control the water levels had failed.
Although Xinquan was still a dozen kilometers from the coast, as sea levels rose, that distance shrank rapidly. Combined with the Longjiang River rushing into the sea beside it, the gateway was swung wide open for the water ghosts.
A sudden typhoon and torrential rain had wiped out most of their geographical advantage.
Once the decision was made, Ji Jue instructed Gou Er to assist in evacuating and settling the flood control personnel. Then, he sat quietly in his seat, gazing at the surveillance feeds on the screen.
By now, Engineer Yan, the factory's core staff, and even most veteran employees had been sent by Ji Jue to Yacheng. With virtually no business or production during the rainy season anyway, he had simply organized a team-building trip for them—all food, lodging, and entertainment covered, free of worries.
Even if production needs arose, weren't there still the beasts of burden down in the underground workshop, waist-deep in water yet wholeheartedly devoted to Haian and to output?
Meanwhile, Lu Feng had been slumping in his chair from start to finish, leisurely picking his toes and scrolling through short videos without a shred of concern. A few trusted subordinates were watching over the factory grounds and Xinquan's perimeter anyway, so nothing could go wrong. What was the point of fretting? Better to conserve strength until the enemy showed their heads, then hit them with a jumping cleave.
Throughout the afternoon and night, panic gripped the hearts of everyone in Xinquan.
Amid the raging storm and unrelenting leaks, overturned sheds were swept airborne one after another before crashing down into splinters. Even bricks and stones were sent flying by the gale.
Sparks burst repeatedly from exploding transformer boxes; power lines swayed uselessly before snapping in rapid succession.
Deprived of the protection of the Law of the Heavenly Overseer, the wilderness was deformed beyond recognition by the calamity.
Right now, Xinquan in the storm was like a small box, silently enduring the ravages of gale and deluge, slowly cracking and warping.
Yet this was already far superior to most wilderness settlements.
Under the onslaught of mudslides and floods, countless settlements were submerged in muddy water. Terrified survivors huddled inside the sturdiest structure of their settlements, praying for the storm to end.
The catastrophe raged late into the night. While the rain lingered on, the winds began to subside, prompting countless people to breathe a sigh of relief.
At the same time, just as many hearts leapt into people's throats.
Anxious and uneasy.
Through the light rain and mist, only the thundering rush of the Longjiang River and the swelling roar of distant tides could be heard. In the mist rolling in off the sea, the stench of blood and foul rot began to seep through.
On the reclining chair, Lu Feng locked his phone, slowly stood up, and sniffed carefully.
He seemed to listen intently.
"Just about time."
Feeling his pulse suddenly surge, he murmured softly.
At that exact moment, piercing sirens suddenly wailed from every corner of Xinquan Town. Blinding red light flashed along with spinning beacon lamps, jolting every drowsy soul awake.
Searchlights flicked on one after another, and brilliant illumination flares shot into the sky, instantly bathing the entire town in pallid glare.
The screech of grinding steel echoed without pause.
And on the radar display, red dots suddenly emerged beyond visual range across the sea, clustered in packs, countless in number.
Like an ocean tide, rushing straight toward Xinquan!
Dozens, hundreds—until nearly half the screen was stained blood-red...
"They're finally here."
Ji Jue sighed softly. Standing up, he draped his coat over his shoulders and walked toward his workshop. "Isis."
"I am here."
"Initiate defense protocol. Launchers One through Five: saturation strike."
"Understood."
With her soft reply, the night sky was ignited by flame.
Beneath the night sky, amidst the drizzling mist in the mountains surrounding Xinquan, launch platforms rose one after another from concealed positions, shaking off mud and rock.
Target locks were acquired in an instant.
Then, like a constellation of stars, searing light surged into the heavens. Over the past half month, the short-range missiles churned out day and night by the drudges in the underground workshop had packed inventory to bursting point. There was no need for frugality now; even several rounds of reckless squandering wouldn't burn through their stockpiles.
To counter the water ghosts' raid, Ji Jue had secured defensive authorization from the Haizhou Garrison Base weeks ago. Furthermore, missiles fired seaward would not head inland, presenting no risk of crossing forbidden lines.
Suddenly, streaks of steel stars trailed blazing light and plumes of exhaust as they surged into the firmament. Streaking, streaking, streaking across hundreds of kilometers in the blink of an eye, they plunged into the dense fog, followed immediately by resounding detonations.
Under the eruption of massive phlogiston, crimson fireballs burst in rapid succession across the midnight sea.
Interweaving shades of crimson cast across the thick fog, diffusing in a display both gorgeous and sinister.
It was as though the entire surface of the sea had been set ablaze. Scorching gusts carrying heaps of vapor spread outward, spurring yet another layer of fresh mist.
In just a few snaps of a finger, half the red dots on the radar vanished, followed by half of the remainder.
Withered away with astonishing speed.
In less than half a minute, only a sparse few remained.
Yet Ji Jue's brows furrowed.
Something was wrong!
Completely wrong!
Marching into radar range like sitting ducks begging to be slaughtered was unthinkable in this day and age. What was more, if even his backwater bootleg workshop could churn out missiles with a bit of time, in an unregulated, chaotic environment like the Thousand Islands, no matter how troublesome it might be, there was no way they would lack any means of retaliation.
Unless...
"Decoys."
The drones mixed in among the missiles transmitted footage from the front line.
Shattered, twisted hulks of steel rolled across the waves and sank rapidly. To the naked eye, they were all rust-pitted junk ships—some mere iron shells—cluttered with heaps of ocean debris.
And even more crude illusions.
Like running visual effects on mining rigs, the frame-dropping, flickering, warped, and overlapping pirate ship mirages were completely identical clones. Under the barrage of bombardment, they flickered wildly before winking out.
And right at the center, shrouded in thin mist, emerged an old-fashioned masted sailing vessel!
Like a living creature, it glided effortlessly among the wreckage, brushing past the missile strikes. Masked by spoofed heat signatures and false responses that fooled missile targeting, not a single leaf clung to its hull.
At the bow stood a stooped, decrepit Celestial Chosen covered in bizarre barnacles and seaweed, his white hair patchy.
Grinning silently and malevolently.
As if sensing the drone's prying gaze, he raised a hand and casually pointed. In an instant, the drone went dead.
A shrill horn sounded across the burning sea.
Wave after wave, echoing in every direction, sounding the call for the general assault.
Then, along the coastal waters outside Xinquan, muffled thuds erupted in succession. Waterspouts leaped into the air as submerged traps were sprung.
Those were the naval mines scattered in the shallows!
The whole of Xinquan was enveloped in the approaching thunder. As chaos spread, everyone heard a boiling roar... coming from the rushing Longjiang River beside them.
Under the gaze of searchlights, the water churned and crested violently. And amid those raging waters, massive shadows surfaced one after another!
Rushing in from the deep sea!
Breaching the minefield, they surged upstream along the mouth of the Longjiang River until Xinquan was within arm's reach.
Until hysterical laughter rose from the parted waves.
An armored warship broke the surface, vaulting upward before slamming down heavily into the frothing river. Its deck cannons swiveled and opened fire directly on Xinquan!
BOOM!!!
In a thunderous blast, the town violently shuddered. Flames flared up and dissipated as the stray shell grazed the edge of Xinquan and smashed into the mud outside town.
There was no second chance to fire.
On the watchtowers, heavy exoskeletons bearing rocket launchers acquired their lock and fired!
Next, the fire-control system commanded by Isis completed its lock. A missile descended from above, tearing a gaping hole in the ambushing pirate vessel.
The raider was crippled on the spot.
It had only managed to accomplish its designated mission: blinding arcs of electricity surged from the hull like a tidal wave, spreading indiscriminately and washing over all of Xinquan.
A violent, fluctuating electromagnetic field alongside showers of lead dust and aluminum foil chaff spread with the rain.
Immediately after, Xinquan, once brilliantly lit, plunged into sudden darkness.
EMP!
Then, upon the vast, swelling waters of the river, shadow after shadow surged up in wake.
As if crude warships had been retrofitted into submersibles, they had forcefully submerged into the sea, crossed the final distance with the power of blessed creations, and surfaced right before their eyes!
Among them, a crimson flame belonging to the Swarm surged upward, slicing through the incoming missiles in an instant and scattering bursts of fire.
Bathed in the fiery glow, the giant-like Pacquiao stood at the forefront of his flagship's deck, looking down upon the town rapidly swallowed by darkness.
The bizarre spear in his hand rose, pointing forward.
He issued the command to all the starved, ravenous water ghosts:
"—Slaughter them all! Burn it to the ground!"
Chapter 416