I Am Your Natural Enemy

Though this one is unruly, he still wouldn’t put on a face to bully ordinary people.

The stuff inside the Yellow River is a mess; there’s a great possibility that this incident is related to someone in the Yellow River.”

The Old Celestial Master listened to the matter over the phone, furrowing his brows slightly.

”The ancient Water Gods, within a single river, always had more than one deity; there’s a reason for this.

Except for the Huai River, where only a few minor streams have Little Water Gods, no one dares respond to an Imperial Decree for the position of Venerable God.

Other places have always been like this.”

The General Director was reminded of something and, after a bit of pondering, recalled a viewpoint from a paper by a Scorching Sun Department member he had read before.

Throughout history, the customs, beliefs, and pantheons across the Divine Land have been a complete mess, with no overarching integration.

The functions among various pantheons and deities are intricately complex and overlapping.

Sometimes, additional functions are added, like the God of Wealth, who supposedly exists in multiple forms.

The Water God is the same; even Water Gods themselves accept that within a single river, there can exist multiple Water Gods.

Aside from very rare circumstances like the Water Monarch, situations where one person controls an entire great river are impossible to occur.

With each generation adding more layers, things have become particularly complex and chaotic, making them impossible to fully sort out.

Moreover, some dynasties particularly favored bestowing additional titles and functions on already decreed deities.

A single grand figure could acquire many titles, many functions, and totally different Precious Decrees, which would be quite normal.

In such situations, it would be quite troublesome for non-professionals to fully understand everything.

The General Director himself doesn’t have much time to study these deeply, but he also knows that there are several officially decreed water gods, as believed by the people, along the upper and lower reaches of the Yellow River.

He understood the Old Celestial Master’s meaning; issues of the Yellow River are too vast to take extreme measures unless absolutely necessary, much like in the Huai River.

But not taking extreme measures does not mean doing nothing at all.

When action is required, it’s far better to start from within than to intervene from outside.

”Old Celestial Master, can the location for this session of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony be set now?”

”It can be.”

”Great, I’ll trouble the Old Celestial Master.”

”It’s within my duty.”

The next day, within the Scorching Sun Department, a case announcement quietly appeared.

A Yellow River Water Demon used demonic arts to confuse people and usurped a position of a Water God. It attacked Scorching Sun Department experts on a Yellow River tributary while they were conducting their mission and was killed on the spot. This announcement is issued to strip this Water Demon of many rights, urging related personnel to surrender promptly for leniency. After a month, those who do not surrender will all be listed as Heretic Rites.

This announcement is a standard template, nothing special, as the Scorching Sun Department has issued many in the past.

Everyone also knows about the explosion on the Yellow River’s surface a few days ago.

Some people are also aware that on the same day, a big carp over a hundred pounds was brought ashore from the Yellow River.

These things could easily be connected, but no one paid particular attention.

After all, the Water Demon was already dead.

Similar events actually occur every year; Demons receive preferential treatment but are still dealt with harshly if they commit crimes.

Some Different Races that cannot run sewing machines have to tear squid; there are always things to do.

That day, in a gentle bend in the Yellow River, two Little Demons gathered.

A large carp in the water, eyes wide open, even had a tone of anxiety.

”I happen to have business with you.”

On the riverbank, a leopard with drooping ears wore an unhappy expression.

”I was going to see you too.”

The leopard puffed up its cheeks and spat out a phone wrapped in a sealed bag.

It sat on the ground, extended its paw, and skillfully tapped the phone’s screen to bring up an announcement.

”You tell me, what’s going on here?”

”I was going to ask you about this. This guy is my distant relative; later, he got in with big connections.

He became the most promising one among our kind, and I even went to chat with him to get some benefits.

Who could have thought he’d be bolder than you, even attacking experts from the Scorching Sun Department?

He must have intended to kill, otherwise, the Scorching Sun Department wouldn’t have issued this announcement.

I wanted to ask you if this would implicate me?”

”First of all, I’m not bold at all!” The leopard anxiously scraped the ground, baring its teeth: ”I’ve told you countless times, don’t misuse words, just because I’m a leopard doesn’t mean I’m daring!”

”But everyone says ’leopard courage’; I secretly learned and heard it many times as fishermen talked on the shore.”

”Damn you, getting back to business, what’s going on here! Spell it out clearly, or I’ll report you today!” The leopard was somewhat frantic.

”It really has nothing to do with me. Doesn’t the Scorching Sun Department issue these things often? I’m just worried that accepting benefits from this distant relative will get me labeled as an accomplice.”

”You know nothing, this is the Scorching Sun Department laying a trap, do you get that? Laying a trap, get it?”

”I don’t get it.”

”It means if you have any connections and don’t surrender within a month, you’re involved in Heretic Rites, and once the Scorching Sun Department catches any clues or evidence later, they’ll deal with you as with Heretic Rites! You can be killed on sight, no need for interrogation!”

The large carp in the river suddenly gaped wide.

”Then...then...then I should surrender, right?”

”What did you do with him?”

”I...I really didn’t do anything; I just accepted some benefits.

I also want to become a Water God. Haven’t you heard about a Demon being decreed a Water God in Nanwu County?

Last time someone fell into the water, it was me who saved them. That person now sends me buns every month, they’re delicious.”

”What benefits did you receive?”

The big carp opened its mouth and spat out a Gold Nugget.

”Just this; he said this is more useful than money.”

”That’s all?”

”That’s all.”

”I’ll take this thing and quietly send it to the Scorching Sun Department.”

”Thanks a lot, next time I get buns, I’ll save you half; they’re really tasty.”

The leopard picked up the Gold Nugget, puffed its cheeks, and the Gold Nugget vanished.

”Remember to keep a low profile recently, be honest, and don’t run around crazily!”

”Oh oh...” The big carp responded repeatedly.

The leopard picked up the phone and quickly darted into the woods, disappearing from sight.

After running through the forest for ten minutes, it found a vehicle in the woods, with someone on guard beside it.

The leopard set down the phone and first spat out the Gold Nugget.

”Boss, I’ve recorded this, listen in, my buddy here seems unaware and uninvolved; he handed over something, claiming it was given by that evil demon.”