Chapter Forty-Seven: The Torrential Rain

“This talisman’s inscription is far more profound than any I’ve seen before. If I can comprehend its mysteries, I should be able to reach the eighth rank!”

Su Ye sat cross-legged upon a meditation mat. After restoring the sealing array of Huoyang Mountain, he had returned directly to Yunquan Mountain to begin studying the new inscription that had appeared on his natal jade talisman.

This inscription was left by Judge Li. Su Ye had studied it for some time and discovered that it possessed the powers of suppression and exorcism.

As time slipped quietly by, a month had passed in the blink of an eye.

It was now the height of summer. After several bouts of torrential rain, the heat had subsided. The foliage on Yunquan Mountain, nourished by the rain, appeared more lush and verdant than ever.

Standing in the courtyard, Su Ye gazed up at yet another gathering of dark clouds. A look of grave concern emerged on his face.

These days, he had been wholly absorbed in deciphering the inscription, yet in recent days, an unshakable sense of foreboding had taken root in his heart.

“Summer is often rainy—I hope I’m just overthinking this,” he murmured with a gentle sigh.

He summoned Little Li to his side and instructed, “Head down the mountain and make a round through Jinhua County. See whether these relentless storms have affected the people there.”

Upon receiving Su Ye’s orders, Little Li immediately departed Yunquan Mountain to investigate the situation of the people in Jinhua County.

The rains had significantly impacted the county’s residents. Some of the less sturdy houses had already been destroyed by the wind and rain, and the crops in the fields had suffered grave losses.

Moreover, there was no sign that the rain would cease anytime soon. If this weather persisted, the people could be left with nothing at harvest.

Su Ye dispatched Little Li to gather news, while Qu Zhang sent his underworld emissaries to patrol every corner of Jinhua. At the same time, he reported the county’s plight to the prefectural City God of Changxiang and sought a solution.

The City God and the Daoists and Buddhist cultivators within the prefectural city possessed powers capable of altering the weather. If they were willing to intervene, the oppressive clouds over Jinhua County could be dispersed in an instant.

Five days after descending the mountain, Little Li returned to Yunquan Mountain. Besides gathering first-hand information about the county’s people, he also brought a message from Qu Zhang.

“Zhao Bai, many areas in Jinhua County have been flooded. The torrential rains have greatly affected the people…”

After relating the dire situation in Jinhua County in detail, Little Li’s eyes grew somber. He spoke in a low voice, “On the way, I encountered the City God. He asked me to tell you that this relentless rain in Jinhua County is very likely the work of the Blissful Buddha…”

“Guard Yunquan Mountain. I’m going down the mountain now to find the City God!” Su Ye’s expression was grave. If this matter could not be resolved swiftly, the Blissful Buddha might soon take control of Changxiang Prefecture.

Qu Zhang informed Little Li that not only Jinhua County but several other counties in Changxiang Prefecture were beset by rain.

Jinhua County, in fact, was not the worst hit. In some counties, the rains had become devastating floods, claiming many lives.

In those places, rumors of the Blissful Buddha’s powers spread. Belief in him was said to grant safety from disaster.

During this crisis, the Blissful Buddha had performed miraculous feats, manifesting his divine form and saving many lives. The afflicted people had thus become devout followers.

The Blissful Buddha’s actions were swift. Though the City God of Changxiang soon became aware of what was happening, he was unable to prevent the spread of this new faith across the disaster-stricken counties.

After descending the mountain, Su Ye quickly found Qu Zhang.

“Brother Qu, you say this storm is the work of the Blissful Buddha, but he’s a Buddhist cultivator—how could he control the clouds and rain?” Su Ye asked in a low tone.

The imperial court had appointed Dragon Lords and River Gods throughout the land—divinities with the authority to govern rain and weather.

The River God of Changxiang was Lord Xiang of the Xiang River. His rank was just below that of the City God, but he himself was a cultivator of the sixth rank.

Lord Xiang was responsible for all matters of rain within Changxiang, and the Blissful Buddha should have no power to command him.

“In fact, Lord Xiang disappeared more than half a month ago. The prefectural City God has no idea where he’s gone. Now the dragons of the Xiang are leaderless, and chaos reigns,” Qu Zhang said with a frown, his tone heavy. After a long pause, he added, “The Blissful Buddha is not skilled in weather magic, but it seems he has formed an alliance with the Dragon Lord of Qiantang. The ones causing the rain in Changxiang are actually water demons under Qiantang’s command.”

The Dragon Lord of Qiantang, a cultivator of the fourth rank, had already pledged himself to Prince An. Now that Lord Xiang had vanished and water disasters plagued Changxiang, both the Dragon Lord and Prince An were clearly entangled in this crisis.

“So there’s no way to solve this?” Su Ye asked, his tone grave.

Since the Dragon Lord of Qiantang was involved, if the authorities continued to turn a blind eye, it would not be long before Changxiang Prefecture fell.

“The City God has asked me to seek out the water demon hiding in the clouds and, together with other local cultivators, slay it. That should end the flooding in the county,” Qu Zhang said, his brows furrowed in frustration. “The demon is concealed in the storm clouds. Though it is only of the ninth rank, even I have struggled to locate its lair.”

“Leave this to me,” Su Ye replied, lifting his gaze to the brooding clouds above. His voice was quiet but resolute.

“How will you proceed? Is there anything you need my help with?” Qu Zhang immediately asked.

“Brother Qu, please collect some rainwater and storm clouds imbued with traces of the demon’s energy. If you can, obtain any artifacts or objects it has left behind. I plan to set up a ritual altar and use a curse to attack the demon,” Su Ye said coldly.

Though not especially skilled in the art of curses, the water demon in Jinhua County was of the ninth rank. Even if Su Ye’s curse could not kill it outright, he could at least force it to reveal itself.

“I’ve been searching for the demon these past days. While I haven’t found its exact location, I did discover a scale—likely shed from its body,” Qu Zhang said with a glimmer of hope, producing a palm-sized silver scale.

The scale radiated a potent demonic aura, consistent with a creature of the ninth rank.

“This will suffice. I’ll return to make preparations. In three days, I’ll set up the altar and curse the demon!” Su Ye took the scale from Qu Zhang and sent him back to continue patrolling Jinhua County, while he himself returned at once to Yunquan Mountain.

In recent days, Su Ye had amassed a wealth of materials—enough for the ritual he had in mind.

Three days flew by. Su Ye purified himself with incense and a ritual bath, set up the altar, and drew forth the water demon’s scale, ready to begin the rite that would force the demon to reveal itself.