The water of the Hei River isn't actually black.
Not only is it not black, but in the Longyou Circuit, a land perpetually shrouded in yellow sand, having such a clear river is already a blessing from the heavens.
The river flows from west to east, winding its way and nourishing the fertile fields and people along its banks.
But now, this river has changed its appearance.
Half a mile from the riverbank, an indescribable stench assaults the senses.
Even the seasoned members of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, accustomed to all sorts of scenes, can't help but wrinkle their noses at the smell.
Yet, despite this.
The investigation must go on.
Everyone dismounts, leading their horses, and steps toward the riverbed.
The closer they get, the stronger the stench becomes, making them dizzy and lightheaded.
The once-clear river water now has a strange color, with a dense layer of white fish bellies of various sizes floating on the surface, stretching as far as the eye can see.
"Damn..."
Zhao Hu is the first to lose his composure, retching and raising his sleeve to cover his nose and mouth tightly.
Liu Chen's face doesn't look good either. He waves his hand, "Hold it in, everyone. Investigate carefully and see if there are any clues."
The group acknowledges and spreads out, meticulously searching along the riverbank.
Soon enough.
They find nothing.
Not to mention any demonic aura, even the traces of the Yellow Division are nowhere to be seen.
Logically, if demons were at work, there should be residual demonic aura.
But here, apart from the stench, there's nothing else.
Either the demon is highly skilled, able to completely conceal its presence.
Or...
There's another reason for the river's current state.
As they ponder, out of the corner of their eyes, they notice smoke rising not far away.
There's a small village by the riverbank.
The village isn't large, appearing to have only twenty or thirty households, with mud walls and thatched roofs, looking quite dilapidated.
"These people... haven't they fled?"
The river stinks this much, how can people live here?
Just as the words are spoken, they see an old man with a hunched back, carrying two wooden buckets, shakily walking out from the village and heading straight for the river.
Everyone watches as the old man reaches the river, submerging the buckets into the oily, fish-filled water.
"......"
Zhao Hu's eyes nearly pop out.
"Damn it, are these people crazy?!"
Without thinking, he strides over, snatches the rope from the old man's hands, and pours the half-filled dirty water back into the river.
"Old man! Are you trying to kill yourself?!"
"This water is like this, drinking it will kill you!"
The old man is startled by the sudden change, but upon seeing it's a strong man in the attire of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, his cloudy eyes show not gratitude, but resentment.
This time, not only Zhao Hu, but even Liu Chen and the others who followed are dumbfounded.
"Hey! Old man!"
Zhao Hu jumps in frustration, blocking him again, "I'm talking to you, are you deaf? This water is undrinkable!"
The old man finally grows impatient, "If not this, then what?"
"Drinking this river water might mean a slow death."
"But if we don't drink..."
"In a few days, we'll die of thirst. You choose?"
"......"
Everyone exchanges glances, momentarily at a loss for words.
In Longyou Circuit, with endless yellow sands and frequent droughts, people have only two hopes for survival.
Either they hope for the heavens.
Or they hope for the river.
In most places, digging a hundred feet deep might not yield a drop of water.
Liu Chen remains silent, simply handing his water pouch to the old man.
The old man hesitates, takes the pouch, unscrews it, and takes a long gulp, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
"Old man, we are from the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, here to investigate the anomaly of the Hei River. Please cooperate with us."
At the mention of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, a slight change appears in the old man's cloudy eyes.
He raises his head, carefully scrutinizing the group, finally resting his gaze on the horizontal blades at their waists.
"Officials..."
The old man sighs, placing the bucket on the ground and sitting on a stone by the river.
"It's not that I'm uncooperative, there's just nothing to say."
"Our Longyou has always been short of water, and the villages along the Hei River rely entirely on this river for water."
"Half a month ago, for some unknown reason, the river flowed backward for three days."
"After three days, the water flowed normally again, but it turned into this ghostly state, with all the fish dead and the water becoming foul and stinky."
"Earthquakes are common in Longyou, but for the water source to be cut off... it's likely the Dragon King is angry."
Dragon King?
Jiang Yuechu raises an eyebrow.
Everyone is taken aback.
Liu Chen frowns, "What do you mean by that?"
The old man points to the yellow earth beneath his feet, "In Longyou Circuit, we rely on the heavens for sustenance. If the heavens don't rain, we rely on the earth. The water in the earth is a gift from the Dragon King."
"Nearby villages and towns all worship the Dragon King, offering incense and sacrifices yearly, never daring to slack off. Over the years, while we haven't had perfect weather, we've never faced such a complete cut-off of the water source."
"If not for some days ago..."
Halfway through his sentence, the old man suddenly falls silent, as if afraid to say more.
Liu Chen frowns.
This situation isn't uncommon in the Great Tang.
The local people, in their ignorance, worship it as a deity, hoping for favorable weather.
Many deep mountains and great lakes have such "Mountain Gods" or "River Lords," receiving incense from one area and protecting its water and soil.
As long as they don't harm people, the Demon-Suppressing Bureau often turns a blind eye.
But in this current situation...
"Before this, did a group dressed like us come here?"
Liu Chen changes the question.
"It seems... there were a few people, dressed like officials, who asked a few questions and then went upstream along the river."
Went upstream?
Liu Chen exchanges a glance with the others, already having a plan in mind.
The people from the Yellow Division must have discovered something, prompting them to investigate upstream.
"Thank you, old man."
The old man waves his hand, ignoring the group.
He fills the two buckets, slings the rope over his shoulder, and without looking back, slowly heads toward the village.
Zhao Hu watches the retreating figure, opens his mouth, seemingly wanting to say more.
But the words get stuck in his throat, and he swallows them back.
He instinctively touches the water pouch at his waist.
The eight of them had traveled day and night from Liangzhou Prefecture, and the water they carried was only enough to last until the mission's end.
How could they have extra to share with an entire village?
Liu Chen watches the old man's distant figure in silence for a long time before speaking slowly.
"Let's hear it, what do you think?"
Old Wang sighs, "What else is there to think?"
"The Dragon King the old man mentioned is most likely a demon residing here."
"Previously, the weather was favorable, likely because the people offered enough incense. Now, with the current situation, something must have happened to the demon."
Zhao Hu spits.
"What Dragon King, just a beast occupying the water source."
"In my opinion, we should just go and chop off its head!"
"Chop off its head?"
Old Wang glances at him, annoyed, "Do you know where the demon is? Do you know its level?"
"The people from the Yellow Division are all skilled in investigation, yet they're nowhere to be found. Do you think this is a joke?"
"You..."
"Alright, enough."
Liu Chen's low voice halts their argument.
Instead of guessing here, it's better to follow the traces of those before them and investigate upstream.
Liu Chen takes a deep breath, determination flashing in his eyes.
"Everyone, mount up!"
Eight Chitong Steeds turn their heads and gallop upstream along the riverbed.