Volume One, Chapter 68: The Spirit Clan Enters the Sea

Their Wuling Hongguang parked there was indeed rather conspicuous, and it didn’t take long before armed soldiers approached them.

“Hello, this area is sealed off. Please take a detour,” one of the soldiers said.

Jiang Chen smiled, “Could you please report that the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain has arrived?”

The mention of Dragon Tiger Mountain’s Celestial Master quickly brought over another group, led by a man in a tunic suit whose face bore a faint smile. Several men in plain clothes behind him began to size up Jiang Chen.

The man in the tunic suit was the first to extend his hand. “So, you are the current leader of Dragon Tiger Mountain?”

Li Jingshou, whose hand was being shaken, looked bewildered. “Ah, no, that's not me. My brother is the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. I’m just his assistant.”

Jiang Chen was a bit taken aback. Just because they arrived in a Wuling Hongguang, did they judge by appearances? But even so, shouldn’t they at least get it right? He was sitting in the passenger seat, after all.

Realizing his mistake, the man in the tunic suit immediately turned to Jiang Chen with an apologetic look. “I sincerely apologize, Celestial Master. I didn’t recognize you just now. Please forgive me.”

Jiang Chen waved it off. “It’s nothing.”

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Kong Shan, head of the Secret Affairs Division 509 here in Harbin.”

Jiang Chen nodded.

A bit awkwardly, Kong Shan suggested, “Let’s talk inside, shall we?”

They entered a large military tent, where a rectangular table was surrounded by nearly eight stools. Jiang Chen took the guest seat and asked, “What’s happened here? Why has the military been mobilized?”

Kong Shan replied, “Have you ever heard of the Spirit Tribe?”

Li Jingshou, curious, asked, “Spirit Tribe? What’s that?”

Some of the men sitting beside Kong Shan looked on with disdain. For them, the Spirit Tribe was basic knowledge—anyone who joined Division 509, or entered the path of cultivation at all, would know what they were. Was this dazed-looking boy really brought by the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain? If so, how could he not know about the Spirit Tribe?

Jiang Chen ignored their reactions and signaled Kong Shan to continue.

As the head of Division 509 in Harbin, Kong Shan explained, “The Spirit Tribe are creatures that descend from the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. They favor water, and their species are complex. We have records, but I can’t divulge too much. What I can say is that every one of them is sentient—they are collectively called the Spirit Tribe. This time, by a stroke of chance, they followed our great river downstream.”

After listening, Jiang Chen pondered briefly. “Is the Spirit Tribe entering the sea related to the incident with your higher-ups?”

Kong Shan was a bit surprised. He only had a vague idea about the higher-ups’ affair, so he hadn’t expected Jiang Chen to know about it, much less be aware of the specifics.

“It probably is. But my level isn’t high enough to know for sure. We’ll have to see how the higher-ups handle it. There’s likely a connection,” Kong Shan replied, not denying it. They were only middle management, after all, and didn’t know the full picture.

Division 509 handled matters large and small. The Spirit Tribe entering the sea seemed to be a major issue this time; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been sent. Jiang Chen wasn’t afraid, but if the great current destroyed the bridge, the economic loss would be enormous, and explanations would be impossible. The radio had reported the closure of the Hongmen Bridge for repairs, but if it collapsed during those repairs, that would be a catastrophe.

After considering for a moment, Jiang Chen decided, “Keep this matter under wraps, and evacuate the nearby residential areas. The Spirit Tribe entering the sea is no small affair. It wouldn’t be good for the public to capture it on film.”

Though some information might leak, it could be explained later. But if too much got out, things would get troublesome. Some matters simply weren’t ready for the world to know. Their duty was to shield the people from it all.

Kong Shan replied, “Evacuations are complete. Now we just wait for tomorrow night. We’ve called in two Vajra-level operatives, plus myself. That should be enough, right?”

In the cultivation world, as long as one didn’t court death, it was hard to die at the Vajra level. They were difficult to kill, and all Vajra-level cultivators had powerful organizations behind them. No one would provoke these groups unless absolutely necessary. Thus, dispatching Vajra-level cultivators usually resolved all but the most bizarre incidents.

Jiang Chen shook his head. “I don’t recommend you go out there. Just stay quietly inside the tent when the time comes.”

“Celestial Master, what do you mean by that? They’re just a bunch of mindless spirits. We’re all battle-hardened. Are you saying we can’t handle a few monsters?” one of them protested.

“Wang Tianfang! Shut up. Is this the time to show off?” Kong Shan rebuked, though his tone was mild, as if testing the waters.

Such minor provocations didn’t escape Jiang Chen’s notice. “If you two think you can handle it, I can leave right now. If not, I’ll stay. What do you think?”

“So you think we’re not up to handling the Spirit Tribe? Are you saying you, Celestial Master, can deal with it all by yourself?” another retorted, voice low and deliberate.

“That’s right. You can’t handle it. Is there a problem? If you really could, would your superiors have called me in? If you were capable enough, why would they need my help?” Jiang Chen retorted bluntly.

He had no intention of being polite to such people. From the moment he walked in, they’d been targeting him and Li Jingshou. He couldn’t understand why, when they were asking for help, they still acted so high and mighty.

“Wang Tianfang, Zhao Ping, both of you, get out,” Kong Shan ordered. He knew he had to take control before things got out of hand. If Jiang Chen left, they’d be without backup.

“Kong, the three of us together can handle this Spirit Tribe business. Why do we have to ask him for help?” one complained.

“Exactly! We’re not only beholden to him, but he’s not even giving us any respect!”

The two of them grumbled openly and without reserve.

“Well, since you’re so confident you can handle the Spirit Tribe, I won’t waste your time. I wish you every success,” Jiang Chen said, and with Li Jingshou, he walked out without hesitation.

Outside, Li Jingshou wondered, “Those people are strange. We’re here to help and they not only aren’t grateful, they mock us. Are they all crazy?”

Jiang Chen chuckled, “We’ve seen our share of madmen. Ignore them. Let’s go eat. I hear the barbecue in Harbin is excellent; let’s give it a try.”

“Great!” Li Jingshou started the car, and the two drove away from the Hongmen Bridge.

Back in the tent, Kong Shan’s face was dark. “You two have really done a great job. If we could handle this Spirit Tribe situation, would the higher-ups have sent the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain?”

“Kong, he’s just the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Why’s he so arrogant?” Zhao Ping grumbled.

Kong Shan looked at them as if they were fools. “Do you know what it means to be the Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain? That position is on par with our own director at Division 509. Anyone who meets him has to show respect. I’m talking about the current director!”

Even Kong Shan regretted his earlier attitude. He’d only meant to give Jiang Chen a little nudge for being so young, but hadn’t expected his subordinates to go head to head with the Celestial Master.

Most baffling was that the Celestial Master hadn’t gotten angry. That didn’t seem in character. On reflection, perhaps Jiang Chen simply didn’t want to waste words on them.

“Fine, leave it for now. The higher-ups brought in the Celestial Master to keep things under control, just in case. But as long as the three of us are here, I don’t think things will get out of hand.” Kong Shan was confident—the Spirit Tribe entering the sea was, for them, neither a major nor a minor issue. It had happened before; more often than not, it sounded dramatic but amounted to little. This time would probably be the same. At worst, the three of them would act together.

Outside, the wind and rain grew stronger, the storm approaching with a vengeance. Rain began to pour.

...

“Brother, do you think they’ll be able to handle it?” Li Jingshou asked, holding a bundle of skewers, all stripped clean.

One had to admit, Harbin’s barbecue was truly top-notch. They’d only had a few skewers before their appetites were whetted, and the ice-cold beer made it all the more enjoyable.

Jiang Chen replied, “I can’t say for sure. In previous records, nothing much happened when the Spirit Tribe entered the sea—it passed without incident. But this time, I’m not so sure.”

Troubled times were coming, and anything was possible. The Spirit Tribe entering the sea could change in unpredictable ways. What those changes might be, and how significant, warranted study. But since they didn’t want Jiang Chen, he wouldn’t impose himself on them.

The rain in Harbin grew heavier, almost at a torrential level. Many people indoors expressed their surprise.

“It’s been years since Harbin’s seen rain like this.”

“That’s true. The last time it rained this hard was back in ‘98. That was a real deluge.”

“This one’s about as heavy. Probably the second-largest I can remember.”

Watching the rain, Jiang Chen said softly, “Call your sister-in-law and tell her to bring in the laundry.”

After a moment, Li Jingshou asked, “Which sister-in-law do you mean?”

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. “All of them. Why do you ask so many questions?”

“Oh, right,” Li Jingshou replied, and went outside to make his calls. His sisters-in-law were generally good-natured, except for Chong Li, who hung up on him as soon as he called.

When Li Jingshou returned, Jiang Chen asked, “What took you so long? How many sisters-in-law do you have?”

Counting on his fingers, Li Jingshou answered, “Sister-in-law Ning Rou, my sister Su Yike, Tong Yan, Jiang Ning—though Jiang Ning doesn’t really count, but I think she’s into you.”

Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. So all these rich kids knew each other.

“All right, next time don’t call Jiang Ning,” Jiang Chen instructed.

Meanwhile, in Qingcheng, Jiang Ning was sheltering from the rain. Receiving a call from Jiang Chen’s younger brother, she felt a surge of warmth.

“I never thought Jiang Chen would remember to tell me to bring in the laundry. What a good man.”

Far away in Harbin, Jiang Chen yawned, his face puzzled.

Thunder rumbled, and tremors came from the direction of the Hongmen Bridge.

Jiang Chen sensed something was wrong. “This isn’t right. That vibration isn’t an earthquake. The Spirit Tribe must be passing through the Hongmen Bridge.”

“Come on, let’s go to the rooftop.” Jiang Chen pulled Li Jingshou up to the rooftop, where the rain was already coming down in sheets. The downpour was so intense it was hard to keep one’s eyes open. Jiang Chen touched Li Jingshou lightly, and a golden light enveloped his body.

Shielded by the golden light, Li Jingshou was barely spared from the rain’s onslaught. The two stood side by side on the rooftop, gazing into the distance. Even from afar, the Hongmen Bridge was visibly shaking, as if seen through a wavering mirage.

It must be said—the Hongmen Bridge, both in weight and foundation, was among the finest in the world. For it to be visibly swaying showed just how dangerous this was.

Li Jingshou, nervous, asked, “Brother, this much shaking won’t bring the bridge down, will it? Imagine the losses if it did.”

Even Jiang Chen couldn’t be sure—he wasn’t a bridge engineer, after all. What he saw was no different from what Li Jingshou saw.

“It seems this time won’t be as calm as before. This is coming with real force.”

Jiang Chen had seen recordings of the Spirit Tribe’s previous entries into the sea. While impressive, none compared to what was unfolding now. This time, it was on a scale never before seen, far beyond what three Vajra-level cultivators could manage. If any of the Spirit Tribe were unruly, they might actually break the bridge.

“Let’s go take a look, though we might not intervene.” Despite his words, Jiang Chen would act if necessary. The three men may have offended him, but if innocent civilians were endangered by the Spirit Tribe, he couldn’t ignore it. He could settle accounts with the three later, or report them to Division 509, but he would never gamble with the lives of the people.

He would not let the fate of innocent lives hinge upon whether those three could withstand the Spirit Tribe’s arrival.