Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

—

Zhao Manyan and Mu Bai finally returned near dawn.

Their clothes were ragged, like they were victims of a ship that had sunk and were begging for shelter in the city. Their hair had dried after being soaked in seawater. Not only did they look miserable, they smelled like three-day-old fish, too.

Despite an appearance which would easily convince people to stay a few hundred meters away from them, Zhao Manyan was smiling like a retard who had found some treasure in the sea.

“Did it work?” Jiang Shaoxu asked, while pinching her nose.

“It did! It was one hell of a ride, but I do believe you now,” Zhao Manyan exclaimed excitedly.

Zhao Manyan had been hesitant to believe Jiang Shaoxu when she explained the relationship of the Black Tortoise and the Totem Beasts. After all, Baxia had never mentioned he had any siblings. However, Zhao Manyan believed Jiang Shaoxu was telling the truth when he saw the carcass under Dawn Island.

Baxia’s Totem Seal was surprisingly compatible with the corpse’s Totem Seal, helping deduce the Seal of another Totem Beast. Jiang Shaoxu was on point; apart from Baxia, the Black Totem Snake, and the body in the sea, there were other Totem Beasts that were subordinates of the Black Tortoise. If they found all the Seals, they could combine them into the Seal of the Sacred Totem Beast!

The Black Tortoise used to be one of the strongest Totem Beasts. Zhao Manyan had initially been following Mo Fan around looking for Totem Beasts because he had nothing else to do. However, he was now caught in the middle of it all.

The way Baxia had shown up in Venice had already given Zhao Manyan a strong first impression. How shocking would a real Sacred Totem Beast be? He was slowly approaching it and learning its true identity, whether it was still alive or if it had fallen to eternal slumber, similar to the dead Beast in the sea. If it was still alive, as a Totem Guardian, could he get the Sacred Totem Beast to fight by his side? If it was dead, its remains might still grant him incredible benefits!

“What’s the thing in the sea called?” Mu Bai asked. Mu Bai was still in awe still when he recalled the breathtaking sight in the sea.

“It’s Aofu, the ancestor of every ocean beast. Those creatures with massive bodies and shells are most likely related to it in some way,” Jiang Shaoxu stated.

“You know that too?” Zhao Manyan was surprised.

“I told you, my brother left a lot of clues behind. I’m slowly recalling them as I trace his steps. He mentioned there was a Totem Beast’s burial site related to Baxia somewhere around Dawn Island. He also mentioned a flying Totem Beast was constructing its nest above the clouds of some ocean. I can only piece the puzzles together by visiting the places myself or relying on the information you gave me. However, it’s very likely the creature under Dawn Island was Aofu. So… did it help?” Jiang Shaoxu asked with some anticipation.

“Of course it did, as soon as my Wooden Clapper touched its corpse… Forget it, I’m too tired. I’ll tell you tomorrow,” Zhao Manyan said.

“Mu Bai, how about the spores?” Lingling asked.

“Don’t worry, I’ve done everything you told me to,” Mu Bai confirmed.

“Great, we’ll wait patiently for the outcome!” Lingling said.

“By the way, what are we going to do about Zhu Qi and the Councilman behind him?” Mu Bai asked as he thought of something.

It was obvious that the Councilman behind Zhu Qi was the main culprit. He would have no trouble bailing out the chief of an Enforcement Union with his power. They had obviously angered the Councilman, too. The Councilman was not going to forgive them easily, if only for the sake of his election.

An enforcer under Tangyue suddenly came up to them while they were in the middle of their discussion.

“Vice Chief, the military has sealed the highways and the entrances leading into Wanggui Town. The town is being isolated!” the enforcer said, his forehead covered in sweat.

“The military? Which division are they from? The town is supposed to be managed by the Enforcement Union. Why would the military come and seal up the area!?” Tangyue lost her temper.

“Sister Tangyue, it must be Councilman Nan’s doing. The election is just around the corner. He must have sent the army to seal up the town when he did not receive a report from Zhu Qi,” Lingling deduced.

“Didn’t we already report the incident to the Lingyin Enforcement Union? Why aren’t they taking over instead?” Jiang Shaoxu said.

“They must have passed it on to the higher levels, giving Councilman Nan an excuse to send the army here,” Lingling conjectured.

“Damn it, how shameless is that guy? So many cities along the coastline are fighting the sea monsters. The military is already short on hands, yet the assh*** still assigned an army unit here to clean his ass? Does he not know the army can easily save a whole town’s lives instead!?” Jiang Shaoxu snarled.

Jiang Shaoxu’s father was in the army. His father had assigned all his men from inland stations to the coastline. She had been having trouble meeting her father for years. It was obvious how grim the situation was, yet someone had sent a whole battalion to the town, when the danger would be resolved on its own in four to five days. Councilman Nan had placed the town in lockdown just to make sure his secret was not exposed!

“If a man like him is elected a Great Councilman, many more are going to suffer!” Zhao Manyan grumbled.

Zhao Manyan finally understood why Tangyue was so determined to find out the truth. There were Councilmen who would never repent after ten or twenty years. They could not care less about the wellbeing of others when their benefits and power were at stake!

The Battlemages rode into town on their beasts, stirring up a long trail of dust behind them.

A loud voice kept repeating in the town through bullhorns, “Wanggui Town’s Dawn Island has been classified a Level A threat, with the possibility of turning into a poisonous plague! The army of Jiande Mountain Division has been placed in charge to put the town in total lockdown. No one is allowed to enter or leave the town for the next five days. Please try your best to stay indoors during the lockdown. You shall not leave without permission. No communication devices are allowed during the lockdown!”

“No communication devices are allowed during the lockdown!”

The words echoed throughout the town. Jiang Shaoxu immediately took out her phone. As she thought, there was no signal!