After City Lord Fang Daoqi made his move, the giant crocodile roared—and then quietly vanished.
It left Green Ridge City.
Several houses collapsed, and more than a dozen people died or went missing... The authorities sent people to rescue those in need.
The dead were buried, and the injured were treated.
Everything soon fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
Even when Luo Zhou returned to the Dao Academy, none of his classmates discussed it.
Word of the incident was forbidden to spread. Apart from the eyewitnesses, no one had heard a thing.
The reason Luo Zhou had come to the Dao Academy was that many of his classmates were there. Their boisterous chatter gave him an indescribable sense of peace.
Being with his classmates stopped Luo Zhou's body from trembling with fear.
People still liked to huddle together for warmth.
The old Crocodile Dragon's terror had left Luo Zhou chilled and afraid.
But what chilled and frightened him even more was Green Ridge City's attitude.
The man-eating crocodile had eaten people, and that was that.
City Lord Fang Daoqi had acted, but all he did was drive it away. He hadn't tried to kill the old Crocodile Dragon.
Unable to fathom why things had turned out this way, Luo Zhou abruptly stood up, gritted his teeth, and strode toward the Dao Academy headmaster's office.
When he arrived, he stood at the door for a long time, unsure whether he should go in.
Suddenly, a voice came from beside him. "Is that Hero Luo? Come in!"
There was a hint of teasing in the voice.
Luo Zhou pushed open the door. An old man was inside.
The gaunt old man wore a green robe. He stood straight and vigorous, with white hair and a youthful face.
On closer inspection, he was neat and spotless, without a speck of dust on him. A dense spiritual aura swirled around his body, as though everything nearby would be torn apart by it.
It was Headmaster Zhao Bochen, one of the top three figures in the city. Even the city lord had to bow when he saw him.
Luo Zhou had once borrowed his name and pretended to be his student, though in truth they had no teacher-disciple relationship.
Entering the office, Luo Zhou bowed and said, "Luo Zhou of Class Three of the Immortal Sprouts, greetings, Headmaster. I hope you're well!"
He bowed deeply and respectfully.
Zhao Bochen watched Luo Zhou with a smile. He had noticed the boy long ago.
"Hero Luo! Is something the matter?"
Luo Zhou smiled bitterly. "Headmaster, please don't tease me. 'Hero' was just a joke my classmates made."
"It's all right. I'm glad of what you've done. The Dao Academy is proud to have a student like you.
"Luo Zhou, work hard in the years ahead. Pass the Ascension Ceremony and enter the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect.
"Then you can become a true hero, protect the weak, and bring blessings to all!"
Luo Zhou spoke slowly:
"Headmaster, the so-called hero business really was just a joke.
"When I was little, I was sickly and stupid. I survived only because my parents never gave up on me. They loved me and took care of me.
"But when I was ten, sea beasts besieged Ningze Prefecture. My parents died fighting for Green Ridge City and the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect."
As he spoke, every word weighed on him. Headmaster Zhao's expression grew solemn as he listened closely.
"After that, there were only the three of us brothers. Back then, we loved listening to the storyteller at the teahouse perform The Great Heroes of Three Heroes and Five Gallants.
"My big brother said that if a hero had happened to pass by and killed the sea beasts, our parents wouldn't have died, and we wouldn't have gone hungry or been bullied!
"Later, my big brother became an apprentice. I haven't seen him in three years.
"My younger brother had good talent and was adopted by our uncle. I had no talent, so our uncle didn't want me.
"I clung to my little brother, unable to bear letting him go!
"He said he'd work hard at cultivation and return as a hero. Whoever bullied me, he'd beat to death...
"So after I awakened and gained a little Broken Spirit, I started dreaming of becoming a hero.
"But I understood that it was only a game we played with our classmates at school.
"With the Dao Academy protecting me and the headmaster backing me, I could play at being a hero.
"In the real world, a hero would truly die—without even a grave!
"Even the protagonists of The Great Heroes of Three Heroes and Five Gallants died for the cause of justice. No matter how the storyteller sugarcoated it with fancy turns of phrase, none of them had a good ending..."
Old Headmaster Zhao Bochen let out a long sigh. "You're a clear-eyed child, and a hard-luck one, too.
"Tell me, what did you come to see me about?"
Luo Zhou spoke slowly. "I know I can't be a hero. I can't stand up for people and deliver justice.
"But this city is full of heroes. Why won't a single one of them stand up for the hundreds of thousands of people in Green Ridge City?"
Before the old headmaster could speak,
Luo Zhou continued, "This morning, in the pouring rain, I passed Green-Green Bay.
"I saw the old Crocodile Dragon, Yue Canglong. I saw City Lord Fang Daoqi!"
Then Luo Zhou flew into a rage. "Everyone knows who the Rainy Night Devil is!
"It's nothing but a beast. I don't believe all the heroes in the city can't kill it!
"Why? Why won't anyone stand up for what's right!
"It's eaten tens of thousands of people—tens of thousands! Enough to circle the city!
"Why? Why has no one stopped it!
"I don't understand. I know you're the most just person in the city, Headmaster, so I came to ask you: why?"
At that question, old Headmaster Zhao Bochen fell silent for a long time, then let out another long sigh.
At that moment, he seemed to have grown impossibly old.
"Since you want to know, I'll tell you.
"Do you know what Green Ridge City was called one hundred and eighty-seven years ago?"
Luo Zhou was taken aback. "No."
"Back then, it was called Qingniwa, just a small town."
Zhao Bochen gazed into the distance, as though recalling something, then continued:
"Back then, this place was unremarkable, no different from anywhere else.
"But a great hero was born here.
"You've seen the stone statue in front of the City Lord's Mansion, haven't you?"
In the city center, in front of the City Lord's Mansion, stood a statue of a heroic woman. Every festival, the city lord led people in a ritual bow before it.
Every celebration in the city was held in the square before that statue.
Luo Zhou nodded, though he didn't know who the statue depicted.
"That statue is the great hero of Green Ridge City.
"Her name was Yue Cangqing. She was the first female cultivator from our area to climb the Ascension Ladder at the Ascension Ceremony and enter the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect.
"Once there, she found a great teacher and countless opportunities, made friends and fought to the death alongside them, and relied on her own strength to rise ever higher.
"One hundred and eighty-seven years ago, she advanced to the Golden Core realm and took the title True Person of Green Ridge!
"When she advanced to Golden Core, the Liang Kingdom renamed our town Green Ridge to curry favor with her.
"She never forgot her roots. Back then, she returned home almost every year, bringing all kinds of gifts and giving Green Ridge her full support.
"She built the city's protective array, slew great sea demons, drove out evil gods, erected a mighty sea pillar, set up talismans to block storms, opened up fertile fields, formed the Fire Crow Army...
"With her support, Green Ridge grew from a town into a city and thrived. That's how we got where we are today.
"In truth, every cultivator and every ordinary citizen in this city has benefited from her. We're all among those she sheltered.
"Without her, we wouldn't be here!
"It's only in the last sixty years, since True Person of Green Ridge entered seclusion, that our ties with her have grown weaker."
By this point, Luo Zhou understood.
"Yue Canglong was her pet?"
"Before she attained the Dao, Yue Canglong protected her, and that was how she survived.
"But Yue Canglong never shed its beastly nature. It liked to eat people.
"She couldn't take it into the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect. She was still weak then, and if she brought it there, Yue Canglong would surely die, so she left it in its home.
"All these years, Yue Canglong secretly ate people. Everyone knew, but who dared touch it?
"Because True Person of Green Ridge stood behind it!
"Anyone who killed Yue Canglong would die!"
Luo Zhou didn't know what to say.
"Forget the old ties. Think of people's livelihoods.
"You should know that Qinglan City, a hundred and twenty li down the coast, has always competed with us for the title of the most prosperous place in Ningze Prefecture!
"No—in truth, we took their former glory.
"Because we had True Person of Green Ridge!
"Why have they started competing with us again now? Because a True Person Qingning has appeared there.
"Is our rivalry between the two cities just about reputation?
"We compete over docks, shipping, fishing, and trade...
"We're fighting over the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of people in our city!
"Without True Person of Green Ridge's support, think about it: perhaps Green Ridge City would fall back into being Qingniwa...
"That's why no one dares act, and no one can act!"
Luo Zhou remained silent for a long time. So that was the earth-shaking secret behind it all.
"Besides, the most important thing is that Yue Canglong has been empowered by True Person of Green Ridge.
"It has received a divine seal of Heaven and Earth and become perfectly fused with this stretch of sea, rivers, and lakes.
"Without the power to shatter the sea, rivers, and lakes, no one can kill it.
"It isn't that they don't dare. They just don't have the strength!
"I actually tried to ambush it in secret!"
At those words, Luo Zhou's eyes lit up, and he looked at the headmaster.
"But I failed. I couldn't break its bond with the mountains and rivers of Heaven and Earth!"
"So, for the rest of my life, I've been sentenced to serve only as headmaster of the Dao Academy. I'm not allowed to leave Green Ridge City—not even once!"
Those final words were the punishment True Person of Green Ridge had given him.
Luo Zhou rose to his feet and bowed deeply to Headmaster Zhao.
"Your student Luo Zhou thanks you, Headmaster, for defying those in power and protecting the people!"
Headmaster Zhao chuckled. "I'm not dead yet. Why are you bowing?
"By the way, Luo Zhou, what spiritual talent did you awaken, exactly?
"I've noticed your strength keeps increasing."
Luo Zhou chose his words carefully:
"Headmaster, I actually awakened the divine ability Nine Bulls' Strength and Two Tigers' Strength.
"But so far, I've only awakened the Nine Bulls' Strength. I'll need some time and a few lucky breaks to awaken the Two Tigers' Strength."
Headmaster Zhao nodded. "I see. So you have the divine ability Nine Bulls' Strength and Two Tigers' Strength!
"With strength like that, don't let it go to waste.
"Luo Zhou, I'd like to pass on the auxiliary cultivation profession of spirit laborer to you. Are you willing?"
During the last battle, the bandits from the Sanjiang Gang had already mistaken Luo Zhou for a spirit laborer.
At those words, Luo Zhou didn't hesitate for a moment. He dropped to his knees and bowed!
"Master, please accept this disciple's bow!"
If a chance came along, you grabbed it and clung on for dear life. This master had to be claimed!
Before you continue