Night Raid

Was it because the Dafang Pot had recovered its lid, or because it had devoured the avatar of "Destiny"—or perhaps a combination of both? Then again, the fact that injuries he sustained here carried back to reality and could no longer heal without medicine meant the rules within the Dafang Pot had begun to shift. It was no longer offering him such preferential treatment and protection. Yet every disadvantage brought an advantage. If he could suffer real harm here, he ought to be able to reap real benefits as well. Risk and reward went hand in hand. In other words, the rules within the Dafang Pot had become fairer. For him, it was generally a favorable development. And yet, the only reason he had dared to act with reckless abandon and slaughter his way through the Panlong World before was his ability to "resurrect" endlessly. From this day forward, did he still have an immunity from death? This divine artifact had finally torn away its tender, affectionate veil before He Lingchuan. Its former gentle pampering was likely gone for good. Henceforth, he would have to tread with utmost caution in the Panlong World. Whether he had only one life left was something he did not know, and there was simply no way to test it. He felt a twinge of wistful emotion. The changes in the Dafang Pot proved it was growing more powerful, gradually ceasing to depend on him. In truth, from beginning to end, the Dafang Pot had never acknowledged him as its master. He gave it what it needed, and it granted him a measure of returns; the two of them were more like stumbling partners in a venture. Just then, a guard dashed in from outside to report, "Commander, a brawl broke out on Rending Street. Three dead!" "Contain the area." Whenever the spiritual rain descended, casualties were inevitable. The guard hesitated for a moment before speaking. "The one who killed to seize the dew was Squad Leader Lü of the White Rock Regiment!" He Lingchuan recognized this squad leader. He was a fierce fighter under Door Plank, always leading the charge and fighting on the front lines in every battle. During the bandit suppression at Longchuan, Squad Leader Lü had repeatedly distinguished himself and had been wounded numerous times. Door Plank held him in high regard and intended to promote him. He Lingchuan, however, considered the man overly valiant and insufficiently prudent. Now, the spiritual rain had only just begun, and the man had already turned to brutal murder—and committed the crime right in the middle of the street! "Door Plank sent him out on patrol?" With the arrival of the Emperor's Flowing Dew, a person of such temperament could barely control himself. How could he have been dispatched to maintain public order? "Your subordinate does not know." "Fasten him in refined-gold iron shackles and throw him into the stockade to await trial!" That fellow possessed immense strength; ordinary iron shackles likely could not hold him. "And summon Door Plank here for me!" "Yes, sir!" "What is the status of collecting Emperor's Flowing Dew in the outskirts?" By protocol, a report was supposed to be submitted every half-shichen. With General Red's Dragon-Torture Pillar sent out, those in the know could anticipate that the subsequent eruptions of Emperor's Flowing Dew would only grow more concentrated. In the past, the Emperor's Flowing Dew fell only once every few decades without any prior forecast, so most regions and individuals never prepared equipment in advance. Panlong City, however, had already constructed a massive array specifically designed to gather the Emperor's Flowing Dew, known as the "Spirit-Attracting Grand Formation." As long as it was deployed in the outskirts, it could harvest the spiritual rain across vast areas, preventing it from seeping uselessly into the soil. "The array is operating normally. There is no report on accumulated rain volume for now." After all, the spiritual rain had only just begun. Both Panlong City and Yuheng City attached the highest importance to the Spirit-Attracting Grand Formation. When the Emperor's Flowing Dew erupted, the city guards and the army had to maintain order, leaving no time to pursue personal gain. Therefore, the officially collected dew would be refined into pastes and powders before being distributed to personnel on duty to make up for their loss. So-called unpaid volunteer service could work for a moment, but it could never last. Outside, sharp whistles sounded again, rising and falling in quick succession— This signaled that chaos had erupted once more. Listening to the thud of the guards' footsteps rushing toward the disturbance, He Lingchuan let out a soft sigh. This long, grueling night had only just begun. Yet as long as he survived tonight, he would reap rich rewards! "By the way, dispatch an additional squad to Mr. Lu's posthouse." *** Silver moonlight bathed the entire expanse of the sea. Kongmeng Island, situated on the outer rim of the Yangshan Archipelago, lay fast asleep under the night sky. Its notoriety along the shipping routes was largely due to the fact that one of the pirates' main lairs was right on this island! From the shipyards and sandy beaches to the small town of over a hundred residents, outsiders dared not set foot there. Next to the docks stood two small wooden cabins where the night lookouts lived, responsible for keeping watch over the sea. They were stationed two per shift, rotating every three shichen. Currently on duty at the right dock was a full-bearded man. He had already stood watch for two shichen, pacing several rounds along the edge of the dock. By rule, the night watchmen were forbidden from sitting down, lest they fall asleep the moment they sat. There was still one shichen before the shift change, but he was exhausted to the bone, letting out several yawns until tears streamed down his face. Tonight, bright moonlight filled the sky and stars were sparse; visibility over the water was excellent. Looking out, the sea was calm, tranquil, and completely deserted. On a night like this, there was truly nothing to worry about. He yawned again, his mouth gaping so wide his jaw nearly popped out of joint. He really could not hold out any longer. Forget it, he would find a place to doze off for a bit. First, he walked back into the dock cabin to give his companion a heads-up, then slipped around behind the right dock. Down by the ramp near the water's edge was a small hollow that could fit three people sitting side by side. Shale islands were always full of erosion caves. He squeezed into the recess. A set of bedding and a chair were already stashed inside, showing that the night watchmen were not particularly disciplined under normal circumstances. The bearded man sank into the chair to take a nap. A ship blocked the view ahead; unless someone walked all the way down to the shipyard, no one would ever discover him slacking off here. The last time the authorities had organized a campaign to wipe out the pirates was nearly ten years ago. In other words, the pirates had enjoyed a carefree, comfortable life in recent years. As long as they exercised some restraint when raiding—avoiding excessive brutality and greed—the authorities couldn't be bothered to deal with them. The Yangshan Archipelago could not be developed or governed, so no one had any interest in it. And so the bearded man slept soundly. Tonight was just like thousands of nights before—what could possibly go wrong? After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly noticed something odd about the light outside the hollow, flickering between brightness and shadow. It also felt as though something had squeezed in beside him, icy and sinister. The bearded man opened his eyes and saw a pitch-black mass probing into the cave from outside, its scales reflecting the moonlight beyond. Half its body was inside, while half its tail trailed outside. The hollow was simply too small to contain it. It was a dark, four-armed serpent monster, staring at him with cold, yellow eyes. The bearded man's reflexes outstripped his thoughts; fright launched him straight into the air. A... a yin hui? How could a yin hui from the depths of the archipelago have made its way out here? Without time to think, the bearded man scrambled to his feet and bolted toward the cave entrance, his voice tearing from his throat in a screech: "Enemy raid! Enemy—" Before the final word could leave his mouth, the yin hui seized him from behind, sinking two venomous fangs straight through his neck. Before the venom had even been injected, the man's breath was gone. The yin hui discarded the corpse, backed out of the hollow, and slithered up onto the shore. Viewed from high above, seventeen or eighteen yin hui had appeared along the moonlit beach and shipyard. At least four of them measured over thirty feet in length, their massive builds no different from giant pythons, thick-shouldered and extraordinarily powerful. They glanced left and right as more of their kin steadily crawled ashore from the water. The bearded man's companion, the other night watchman, had heard his shout. He swiftly sounded the sharp, crisp alarm bell first, then dashed out to investigate.