Chapter 059: Go All Out

Su Jingxing did not care if he was the one to kill the beast lurking in the river. He only wished that, when the creature died, he could be near its corpse. Whether it was the people from the Martial Suppression Bureau or the Security Team who struck the final blow mattered little to him. For this reason, he had kept a vigilant eye on the news from both banks of the Tianshui River in recent days. Of course, if time allowed, it was best for him to go to the riverbank himself.

Many thoughts raced through Su Jingxing’s mind, and at last, he made up his mind.

…

The night was as cool and clear as water.

Gentle moonlight poured down from the sky, casting a serene glow over the surface of the Tianshui River, where a soft breeze stirred the ripples.

It was one o’clock in the morning.

Beside the southern embankment of the Tianshui River, Su Jingxing cradled his treasured blade, moving soundlessly beneath the shadowy trees.

The darkness around him was no different from daylight in his eyes.

Night vision!

After surging his internal energy, Su Jingxing had finally activated this secret technique. Now, it proved invaluable.

Paired with his “Keen Ear” skill, he listened intently to his surroundings while keeping his gaze fixed on the river.

The water flowed, splashing softly.

Su Jingxing had been walking along the embankment for over half an hour, and the Tianshui River continued its tranquil flow as always.

The aquatic beast seemed not to exist at all—was it merely a rumor, twisted and spread from mouth to mouth?

Suddenly, a large fish leapt from the water and splashed back down, sending broad ripples across the surface.

Watching this, a flash of inspiration struck Su Jingxing as he pondered.

Indeed, waiting passively for the river monster to appear was unwise.

Why not take the initiative and lure it out?

According to rumors, the beast devoured people, which meant it was likely bloodthirsty.

Using fresh blood as bait was surely better than waiting aimlessly.

After all, the river stretched for more than ten kilometers just within the city limits. Who could say where the creature would surface in such a vast span?

With this in mind, Su Jingxing halted, surveyed his surroundings to ensure he was alone, then stepped out of the shadows and walked slowly along the embankment, eyes ever watchful of the water.

Suddenly—

Like a phantom, Su Jingxing vanished from his spot and darted toward the river.

At almost the same instant, a large fish surfaced for air, leapt into the air, and fell back toward the water.

But as it was about to plunge into the river, Su Jingxing’s blade tore through the air, its tip piercing the fish’s body.

Light as a swallow, he glided over the water, the fish impaled on his sword. With a gentle tap of his foot on the surface, Su Jingxing spun in mid-air and landed gracefully back on the embankment.

At the pinnacle of mastery, his “Eight-Step Soaring Dragon” allowed him, even without true qi, to skim across the river as effortlessly as a bird in flight.

With his agile form and astonishing speed, he caught the fish with ease.

But to lure the river monster, the blood from a half-meter fish was far from sufficient. Even a dozen or two would not provide enough blood.

Trying to force the monster out with fish blood was too troublesome.

He would need other blood—pig’s blood, for instance.

But where could he possibly find a large tub of pig’s blood in the middle of the night?

As he pondered, Su Jingxing pulled the fish from his blade and threw it back into the river.

Without the scent of blood, the beast would not be drawn out.

He would have to return tomorrow night, better prepared. Next time, he would bring enough pig’s—

A sudden, pungent scent of blood wafted to his nose on the night wind. Su Jingxing’s expression shifted as he sniffed the air.

Such a strong smell of blood—how many had died here?

Puzzled, he melted back into the shadows and, following the trail of blood on the breeze, sped swiftly forward.

With the “Eight-Step Soaring Dragon” unleashed, he flashed through the darkness.

Within a few minutes, Su Jingxing arrived at the edge of a viewing platform, looking down at the steps by the river. There, a group of more than ten people stood, two of them each holding a large plastic barrel, pouring crimson liquid into the water.

Blood?

Indeed, it was blood—but not human, pig’s blood!

Drawing closer, Su Jingxing could distinguish that the blood being poured was not of humans.

He also recognized the group standing on the steps.

The Martial Suppression Bureau!

The man in the lead was an acquaintance he’d once crossed blades with—Qi Zhaocheng!

Qi Zhaocheng, the West District Commander of the Martial Suppression Bureau, a seventh-rank expert, was here at the river with his men, pouring pig’s blood in the dead of night. The intention was obvious.

They had come to the same conclusion as Su Jingxing: lure the river monster out!

But compared to himself, Qi Zhaocheng’s preparation was far superior. Besides their specially made weapons, they were equipped with nets, javelins, bows, and crossbows.

Without doubt, Qi Zhaocheng had come only with confidence in his plan.

His actions confirmed that there truly was a monster in the Tianshui River.

“Well, that saves me quite a bit of effort,” Su Jingxing mused as he hid in the shadows, watching Qi Zhaocheng and his men, and quietly waited.

With two large barrels of pig’s blood emptied into the river, the water before the steps turned a deep red, alarmingly vivid even beneath the moonlight.

After pouring out the blood, Qi Zhaocheng’s group tossed a live pig into the river.

To the sound of the pig’s frantic squeals, the team withdrew from the water’s edge, spreading out to lie in ambush at various points.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes…

Soon, ten minutes passed. The pig had stopped squealing and was swimming back to the shore, but the river monster still did not appear.

“Did it fail?” Su Jingxing wondered.

“Is the beast simply uninterested in pigs, or has it seen through the plan?”

If the monster had developed intelligence, it would be no surprise if it recognized Qi Zhaocheng’s bait for what it was.

…

“Boss, what now?” whispered a few of Qi Zhaocheng’s subordinates, hidden nearby.

“You don’t think it saw through our ploy, do you?”

“Or maybe it just doesn’t like pig’s blood?”

“Or perhaps… the creature only eats people!”

“A wild fiend, perhaps?”

The Martial Suppression Bureau members speculated in hushed voices as to why their plan had failed.

Qi Zhaocheng’s eyes flickered in silence. Suddenly, his expression darkened and he said quietly, “Stay here and watch the water carefully!”

“Yes, boss,” his men replied instinctively.

Qi Zhaocheng stepped from hiding and approached the riverbank. Drawing his battle blade with his right hand, he extended his left.

“He can’t possibly be thinking…” Watching Qi Zhaocheng, Su Jingxing’s eyelid twitched involuntarily.

As he suspected, Qi Zhaocheng slashed open his left palm with the blade. Blood welled and dripped into the river.

“Boss!”

“Damn it!”

“Curse that monster!”

The Martial Suppression Bureau members, seeing Qi Zhaocheng’s action, all looked furious, cursing the man-eating beast.

With pig’s blood proving useless, Qi Zhaocheng now used his own blood as bait.

If they failed to kill the monster tonight, how could they ever live down the shame?

…

“Ruthless,” Su Jingxing thought, admiring Qi Zhaocheng’s resolve.

To lure out the river monster, the commander of the Martial Suppression Bureau was willing to risk it all.

And the effect was immediate.

Less than half a minute after Qi Zhaocheng’s blood hit the river, a long, dark shadow suddenly broke the surface of the tranquil Tianshui River in the distance, rushing rapidly toward Qi Zhaocheng’s position…