On the narrow, steep banks of Threadline Gorge, the elite of the Demon-slaying Team had already completed their first systematic sweep.
At the edge of a dense forest just off the riverbank, a few veteran Demon-slaying Guards discovered several sets of jumbled footprints that had been magically concealed. They also detected the lingering aura of shattered Stealth Talismans, which are often used by Wild Cultivators.
Though the evidence was scarce, it was enough to indicate that a group of Wild Wanderer Cultivators with considerable cultivation had been active in the area around the time of Water Uncle’s incident.
Chu Bai ordered all evidence sealed and personally guarded by ten Demon-slaying Guards. All unauthorized personnel, even local hunters and boatmen, were driven more than a mile away.
Near the riverbank, however, there were no further clues besides the reefs and deadwood shattered by the force of the impact.
"My Lord, there’s a black mist swirling deep underwater. The regular River Patrol Warriors can’t get close at all," Han Xingmo said, stepping onto the bank from the water’s surface. Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he shook his head at Chu Bai in dismay.
He had already sent several waves of Warriors who were excellent swimmers to try and dive near the capsized Divine Ship at the river’s center. But as soon as they approached the black mist, they would feel an icy chill pervade their bodies and their Magical Power would stagnate. If they hadn’t retreated quickly, he feared they would have met the same fate as Water Uncle.
"Then we’ll stand guard here. It is our duty. Protecting the scene is the top priority; the investigation itself is not for us to overstep." Chu Bai stood on a high cliff, his gaze fixed on the broken mast at the center of the river.
He and Han Xingmo exchanged notes. The information either of them had was extremely limited. The power that had killed the Divine Spirit was exceptionally strange; not only had it erased all signs of life, but it also seemed to have altered the very flow of nature’s spiritual energy.
"Lord Han, Lord Chu, there seems to be a strange Spiritual Light flickering from a fissure in the Divine Ship at the river’s center."
Just then, a burly, resolute-faced man stepped out from the ranks of the Water Department. Though he appeared deferential before Han Xingmo, the aura of the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer he exuded was extremely conspicuous among the group of Warriors.
He looked at Chu Bai and Han Xingmo, cupped his hands, and requested, "While it may not be our duty to investigate, if the lords from the Prefecture City arrive and see us standing here idly with nothing to show for it, I’m afraid it will look bad for all of us.
If I could take this opportunity to dive in and retrieve some evidence, securing an early achievement, it would be a significant boon for your future promotions, my lords."
Hearing this, Chu Bai didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he turned his head, his Golden Eyes narrowed slightly, and his Divine Thought washed over the man like a tide.
"Who is this man?" Chu Bai asked coolly.
Han Xingmo hurriedly introduced him, "Junior Brother Chu, this is my right-hand man, Qi Pan, a Junior Ninth Grade River Patrol Warrior. He performed brilliantly in the Water Department’s grand examination and is now indispensable to me. His swimming skills are second to none in our Anping Water Department."
Seeing his chance, Qi Pan took another step forward, his expression a picture of sincere eagerness to prove himself. "I believe my Water-Repelling Secret Technique will allow me to hold out in the black mist for a short while. My Lord, if I could recover Water Uncle’s lost Divine Seal, or even just a fragment of his true form, the merit would be immense."
Han Xingmo felt a stir of temptation. If they could really recover something, he, a newly appointed River Patrol Officer, would have solidified his position with the Prefecture City.
He was about to agree when he noticed Chu Bai’s deep gaze was still locked onto Qi Pan, unwavering.
"Merit is all well and good, but you have to be alive to claim it."
Chu Bai slowly shook his head, his tone brooking no argument. "The assassination of a True God has shaken the Prefecture City. It is a grave mistake to disturb the scene before the officials from Dayuan Prefecture arrive. If the scene is compromised, who will bear the blame? You? Or Lord Han?"
"This..." Qi Pan was at a loss for words. He lowered his head and cupped his hands, a hint of reluctance on his face.
Chu Bai’s reminder jolted Han Xingmo back to his senses, and cold sweat instantly soaked the back of his robes. "Junior Brother Chu is right. I was being reckless. Qi Pan, stand down! Pass the order: no one is to enter the water within a hundred paces. Violators will be executed!"
"Yes, sir," Qi Pan replied meekly, and retreated into the ranks of the Water Department.
However, a storm was already brewing in Chu Bai’s mind.
Through his Divine Thought, he had perceived that Qi Pan’s behavior just now had been extremely abnormal.
A subordinate eager for merit was usually excited, greedy, or vain—desperate to show off in front of their superior.
But just a moment ago, Chu Bai had sensed that while the rhythm of Qi Pan’s breathing was steady, his heart had skipped a beat.
That wasn’t the impatience of someone eager for glory.
It was nervousness, or even... the terror of a desperate gamble.
He seemed desperate to get inside that Divine Ship.
’What is Qi Pan so nervous about?’
’Or is there something hidden in that black-misted wreck that will doom him beyond redemption if he doesn’t retrieve it immediately?’
Chu Bai didn’t expose him. He simply turned his gaze back to the black mist at the river’s center. Without a word, he quietly tightened his grip on the Jade Treasure Gourd at his waist, his mind already made up.
Seeing his suggestion blocked, Qi Pan didn’t press the issue. With a slightly dejected look, he cupped his hands, lowered his head, and said, "It was I who was blinded by ambition and failed to consider the consequences. I will take my leave to patrol the perimeter and ensure none of those Wild Cultivators get a single step closer."
With that, he turned, took a few of his trusted Warriors, and slowly disappeared among the jumble of rocks on the steep riverbank.
Chu Bai stood at the cliff’s edge, his gaze deep. Without turning his head, he asked in a level tone, "Senior Brother Han, this Qi Pan... what exactly is his background?"
Han Xingmo was taken aback for a moment. Although he was still reeling from the shock of Water Uncle’s demise, his instincts as a veteran of officialdom remained sharp.

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