Blessed with Good Fortune

"You bastard, why the hell didn't you say so sooner?!"

At the Cang Prefecture Prefectural Office, the Prefect leaped over the long desk, kicked the chief constable aside with a flying strike, and rushed out of the office.

"Prepare horses! Prepare horses!"

"The Old Dragon King is enraged! The Blood River, the Blood River—there may be a great calamity!"

"I said long ago, we shouldn't dig the river, shouldn't dig the river."

"What nonsense are you spouting? If we didn't dig the river, could an old fool like you be eating fish and rice? You'd have starved to death in some godforsaken corner long ago!"

The cold wind howled, and mud and sand churned.

Dead trees and fish floated across the river, while water birds tucked their wings and stretched out their claws.

The common folk buzzed with discussion.

Looking out—

A long stretch at the center of the clear Jinglan Grand Canal had turned murky yellow. The stench of blood soared into the sky and lingered without dispersing. Scattered riveted crates bobbed to the surface, rising and falling like unclothed beauties, tempting bold cultivators to brave the winter's bone-piercing water, their teeth chattering as they waded into the river to scramble for them.

They had seen it clearly: the ship was a fine one, and the cargo it carried could not have been ordinary. If they snatched even one crate, they would be rich!

Yet before anyone could drag a crate onto a small boat or carry it ashore by swimming—

Crack! The tip of a whip exploded through the air.

A figure darted to the middle of the river and raised a hand, lashing out with the whip.

With one strike, she flayed the looters' skin and flesh, making them howl and let go. Before the crates