Zhou Wuji felt an itching urge to seize the opportunity for revenge, but Zhiyuan's parting instructions suddenly crossed his mind.
Zhiyuan's final stern warning—"Do not run about recklessly"—had plainly been a caution against causing trouble while everyone was away.
Zhang Shiheng had taken his experts to Old Dragon Island, leaving the Zhang family undefended. If anything happened to them now, suspicion would immediately fall on Zhou Wuji.
"I can't treat everyone else like a fool..."
Zhou Wuji calmed himself at the thought. Though he possessed the Heavenly Puppet Technique and the Yin-Yang Dao robe, striking at this moment would inevitably invite suspicion.
While Zhou Wuji weighed the pros and cons, Peng Yue arrived. He inquired about the situation from Zhou Wuji and stared at the towering column of smoke with a solemn expression.
Chief Constable Li Yuanqing arrived as well.
Upon hearing that trouble had broken out on Old Dragon Island, Prefect Peng Yue looked even more grave. He immediately ordered Li Yuanqing to assemble all the yamen runners, constables, and clerks.
With such a massive disaster underway, Yunyang Prefecture could not fall into chaos. Able-bodied civilians and militia had to be mobilized at once for guard duty and night patrols.
As the prefecture's true head official, the prefect could, if necessary, take direct command of the garrison troops.
While this overlapped in authority with the Pacification Office, the prefect held higher jurisdictional power. Even Zhang Shiheng would have to obey the prefect's deployments.
Peng Yue was experienced. An eerie pillar of smoke soaring into the heavens was a disturbing omen that could easily alarm the populace and incite panic.
It was not just the Five Dragons Gang that might seize the opportunity to stir up trouble; demonic cultists, local thugs, and hoodlums were all likely to exploit the turmoil.
At a time like this, firm and vigorous measures had to be taken to reassure the public. So long as the people did not descend into panic, a handful of troublemakers could not overturn heaven.
Watching from the side, Zhou Wuji found Peng Yue quite capable, resolute, and decisive.
Li Yuanqing was similar; though the sixth-rank martial artist bore the slick evasiveness typical of officials, he possessed genuine competence.
The lights in the prefectural yamen's main hall burned throughout the night, and Peng Yue did not sleep a wink. Although a few people in the city took advantage of the situation to loot, smash, and steal, every disturbance was swiftly quelled.
Seeing that he had no chance to slip away, Zhou Wuji completely abandoned the notion of taking risks for revenge.
With an incident of this magnitude, Zhang Shiheng was doomed to face fallout. Once that fifth-rank expert was out of the picture, dealing with Zhang Yunfeng would be as easy as flipping a hand.
As Peng Yue sat in command of the hall, the yamen's grand, righteous aura grew ever stronger, barring the fiendish vapors swirling through the void from entering.
This was not a spell formation, nor did it require anyone to drive it; it was simply the collective presence forged by the government seat itself.
Zhou Wuji figured this was what people called official prestige—something that not only struck awe into common folk, but could also suppress foul and unholy miasmas.
Around dawn, the dark-red smoke that had pierced the sky began to thin and disperse.
Being so far away, Zhou Wuji could not make out the details.
Still, the fading of the dark-red earthly fiend Qi was likely a good sign.
Once day broke, a horseman from the Pacification Office galloped in to report: the Gu-worm sacrificial altar on Old Dragon Island had been shattered, but the island's inhabitants had suffered catastrophic casualties. Vast numbers had been corroded by the earthly fiend Qi and mutated into zombies, while the ringleader, Chen Dalu, had vanished without a trace.
Upon hearing the news, Peng Yue managed to maintain an outward composure, yet his face turned deathly pale.
Old Dragon Island was home to several thousand people at least. Describing it as "catastrophic casualties" showed how horrific the situation was.
While Zhang Shiheng bore the primary blame for letting Chen Dalu escape and causing such a major catastrophe, Peng Yue could not escape accountability as the highest official of Yunyang.
Chief Constable Li Yuanqing looked equally grim. His official post was Vice Prefect, a proper sixth-rank official.
His primary duty was maintaining law and order and apprehending bandits. With so many dead and wounded on Old Dragon Island, he would inevitably be implicated.
Though Zhou Wuji was unfamiliar with bureaucratic maneuvering, he could easily guess that from the prefect down to Li Yuanqing, everyone was in for misfortune after a disaster of this scale.
He felt no sympathy for either of them. They had undoubtedly taken plenty of benefits from the Five Dragons Gang to have tolerated several thousand boatmen and laborers dominating the reaches of the great river.
Now that disaster had struck, it was only fair that both shouldered the blame.
The one truly out of luck was old Daoist Zhiyuan. He had consistently opposed the Five Dragons Gang and gained nothing from them, yet now that things had gone wrong, he too would likely share the blame.
By midday, Daoist Yizhen arrived at the prefectural yamen with dozens of people.
Daoist Yizhen said to Zhou Wuji, "The abbot sent word ordering us to hurry to Old Dragon Island to eliminate the evil creatures."
Zhou Wuji nodded in agreement.
Peng Yue was tactful and promptly arranged swift boats for them.
Old Dragon Island lay dozens of li downstream to the east of Yunyang Prefecture, making travel by water remarkably convenient.
The boatmen rowing the vessels were still men from the Five Dragons Gang who knew the waterways inside and out.
Agents from the Pacification Office, along with yamen runners and constables, were on board as well.
Every faction was anxious to learn the specifics, so their men set out together on the boats.
The fast boats were not particularly large, and boarding several dozen people nearly filled them to capacity.
Fortunately, Daoist Yizhen held high status and had a private cabin.
Wuming had come along as well, and Zhou Wuji unabashedly squeezed his way into the cabin with them.
The typically steady Daoist Yizhen let out sigh after sigh, mentioning that the matter had already alerted both the Head Abbey and the Celestial Master Mansion. Even if it was resolved smoothly, a reckoning was bound to follow.
Zhou Wuji said nothing. Such major matters were beyond his concern.
Unaware of how severe things were, Wuming asked with worry, "Father, you won't be implicated, will you?"
"I will be fine. I am only worried about the abbot..."
Daoist Yizhen shook his head. He was merely a hall master; even if he wanted to shoulder such heavy blame, he lacked the standing to do so.
His worry was primarily for Zhiyuan. Though the old man was greedy for wealth, he belonged to the Tianshu lineage and managed the branch abbey with great order.
If someone from another lineage took over as abbot, heaven only knew what a mess the branch abbey would become.
Seeing Yizhen's troubled face, Zhou Wuji sighed inward as well. In the past, Yizhen had always appeared calm and composed because matters did not concern him directly.
When one's vital interests were truly on the line, how many could remain genuinely unperturbed?
After a moment's thought, Zhou Wuji asked, "Martial Uncle, what is the situation on Old Dragon Island?"
"According to the abbot, many were killed by the earthly fiend Qi, but Gu worms had long been implanted in their bodies, living in symbiosis with them for years.
"Now the people are dead, but the worms live on, mutating them into zombies."
Daoist Yizhen wore a look of sorrow as he spoke. The residents of Old Dragon Island were families of the Five Dragons Gang, mostly women, the elderly, and children.
Chen Dalu had completely lost his mind, having implanted Gu worms into every single one of them long ago.
When combined with the earthly fiend Qi, they produced hordes of mutated zombies.
Zhou Wuji could only sigh. Harming outsiders was one thing, but Chen Dalu had even laid traps for his own people in advance; he truly deserved death.
His only regret was that Zhang Shiheng's incompetence had allowed the man to escape and brew such a disaster!
As the sun dipped toward the west, casting a crimson reflection across the sky and water, Zhou Wuji and the others landed on Old Dragon Island.
The moment his feet touched the sandy earth of the island, Zhou Wuji "smelled" the pervasive earthly fiend Qi in the air.
With his sharp perception of vital energies, he could even sense the scorching heat radiating from the fiend Qi, making him feel as though he stood beside a blazing furnace. His mouth went dry, and he felt as if he were about to be baked through.
In reality, ordinary people could not feel the encroaching fiend Qi, nor could they detect the parching heat piercing their internal organs.
Yet the corrosion of the earthly fiend Qi was genuine; prolonged exposure would inevitably lead to deadly affliction.
Among the members from the branch abbey who had arrived, the weakest were at the eighth-rank Qi Ingestion stage. All of them felt the corrosion of the fiend Qi, and many showed signs of severe discomfort.
Daoist Yizhen had come prepared. He produced stacks of Body-Purifying Divine Talismans and handed out a dozen or so to each person.
"A Body-Purifying Divine Talisman can last several hours to resist the corrosion of earthly fiend Qi.
"Your cultivation is insufficient, so you must take extra care with this."
Daoist Yizhen also distributed some to the accompanying Pacification Office agents and constables. Mindful of his dignity, he naturally charged nothing.
The men thanked him profusely. The talismans might not cost much money, but right now, they were life-saving.
As soon as the party came ashore, an agent arrived to guide them.
Before long, Zhou Wuji caught sight of Zhiyuan, Zhang Shiheng, Monk Xinjue, and the rest.
The entire group looked thoroughly exhausted. Only Zhang Shiheng still had a sharp gleam contained in his eyes, displaying the formidable strength of a fifth-rank martial artist.
Zhang Shiheng's gaze turned cold when he spotted Zhou Wuji, but he said nothing.
Zhiyuan sat wearily upon a rock. Naturally short and gaunt, his hunched posture made him appear even smaller. His purple-and-gold robe was covered in dust and blood, lending him an especially battered appearance.
Zhiyuan said in a heavy voice, "There are no living people left on the island. Strike with all your might and hold nothing back.
"If even a single zombie is left unslain, it could lead to grave disaster."
Daoist Yizhen solemnly acknowledged the order.
Zhiyuan instructed further, "The zombies are controlled by earthly fiend Qi and Gu worms. Some of them may even harbor a wisp of the yin dragon's remnant soul, making them exceptionally difficult to deal with. You must all be prudent and cautious.
"This is not something that can be finished in a short time. When the rest of the reinforcements arrive, build a proper camp first. Yixing is skilled in formations; once the camp is ready, lay down a defensive array to keep yourselves safe before taking any action. There is no need to rush..."
Though exhausted, Zhiyuan remained clearheaded, having arranged every aspect of the plan.
Yizhen had also come prepared, bringing along large bundles of tools and supplies. Cultivators frequently camped in the wilderness when traveling, giving them extensive experience in such matters.
Daoist Yizhen led the men away to set up camp, while Zhiyuan kept Zhou Wuji behind alone.
"Wuji, you must watch out for underhanded plots."
Zhiyuan glanced toward Zhang Shiheng not far away. With his divine sense, isolating their conversation from prying ears was effortless, so he had no fear of Zhang Shiheng overhearing.
"Once this matter is resolved, the best outcome Zhang Shiheng can hope for is demotion and reassignment. He hates you to the bone. You must be exceptionally careful around him."
Zhou Wuji asked in confusion, "Abbot, it was his own incompetence. Why would he blame me? That's entirely unreasonable!"
"Zhang Shiheng believes you deliberately offered your plan in public yesterday. If he had listened to you and succeeded, the prime credit would have gone to you. If he didn't listen and disaster struck, he would take the fall.
"The Zhang family has a deep feud with you, so he naturally wasn't going to heed your words. Zhang Shiheng claims he had intended to send men to inspect Old Dragon Island, and only refrained from doing so because of what you said..."
Zhou Wuji was speechless. What kind of twisted mind did Zhang Shiheng have to try shifting the blame onto him even now? It was utterly laughable!
Zhiyuan gave Zhou Wuji a deep look as he continued, "Zhang Shiheng is convinced that all of this was part of your scheme. What do you have to say?"
Zhou Wuji met Zhiyuan's scrutinizing gaze calmly. "What I say does not matter. What matters is what you think, Abbot."
"Though your thoughts run deep, you would not do such a thing."
Zhiyuan shook his head slightly and said, "Zhang Shiheng is merely judging others by his own petty heart. It is not worth mentioning."
The old Daoist sighed. "Zhang Shiheng can only be described as headstrong and self-serving, but Chen Dalu is truly wicked.
"He dug tunnels on Old Dragon Island to secretly channel earthly fiend Qi, using Gu worms to nourish the dragon soul within the fiendish energy.
"Originally, that dragon soul could never have amounted to much, but Chen Dalu broke the seal and released the earthly fiend Qi, butchering thousands. Feeding the Gu worms and the dragon soul with their vital essence and blood allowed him to foster a yin dragon..."
Zhiyuan was deeply versed in Daoist arts; though he had not witnessed the process, he could deduce it from the outcome.
He continued, "Chen Dalu took part of the yin dragon's soul and fled, while the remainder merged with Gu worms and remained within several zombies.
"The earthly fiend Qi here is too dense. Nourished by it, the dragon soul within the zombies will only grow stronger. Therefore, these zombies must be destroyed as quickly as possible..."
Zhiyuan placed great importance on Zhou Wuji and explained the situation regarding the zombies and the yin dragon in detail so that Zhou Wuji would understand the stakes.
Zhou Wuji understood Zhiyuan's good intentions. He said solemnly, "Rest assured, Abbot. I will certainly purge the foul fiends and leave no future troubles behind!"
"The younger generation of the branch abbey relies on you now."
Zhiyuan spoke with profound meaning, "Protect yourself well. Do not act on impulse. The days ahead are long..."
Chapter 108