Of course, Elder Ma's standing in the Cult truly was higher than that of a mere Branch Hall Leader like him.
Still, a Branch Hall Leader wielded real power, the equivalent of a governor ruling a frontier province.
So he had no desire to openly offend the man named Ma.
Just then, a rustling sound came from behind him.
Immediately afterward, an enormous dark shape roughly a hundred feet long emerged from a slippery cave on the other side and nestled docilely against Branch Hall Leader Huang's leg.
"Little Black, have you been sneaking out to eat again? Isn't all the blood food here at home enough for you?" Branch Hall Leader Huang smiled faintly and patted its enormous head affectionately.
Just then, a subordinate arrived with a report.
"Branch Hall Leader, the Northern Barbarians have arrived."
Meanwhile, Zhao Feng and the others were sailing their treasure ship along the Lancang River. Song Zhi took out a map and said, "Based on where that flood-dragon exotic beast has appeared, we've identified three possible lairs within a thousand-mile radius: Thousand Leaf Marsh, the swirling inlet at the entrance to Great Wind Abyss, and finally Nine-Link Whirlpool, beside Bone-Eating Shoal."
"We'll send the Ink-Scaled Fish into Thousand Leaf Marsh first. If there's any trace of that flood dragon there, it'll warn us," Song Zhi said.
Thousand Leaf Marsh? Zhao Feng offered no opinion. The strange flood dragon probably wasn't there.
Sure enough, when they reached Thousand Leaf Marsh, Song Zhi sent the Ink-Scaled Fish around it, but it found nothing unusual. Everything was calm. They went ashore on a sandbar to rest and regulate their breathing, ate the dried meat they had brought, then set off again an hour later for their second destination-Great Wind Abyss, where the waters grew treacherous.
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