Chapter 60

Not long after Sun Ran came ashore, he saw the direction of River County, where Magistrate Yang Tingyong hurriedly rushed over, less than half a li away from the Wenxu River.

Since the magistrate had come, Sun Ran waited by the riverbank, with the body of the great white shark, the destroyer, lying beside him.

The surrounding villagers hid a hundred meters away, watching curiously and fearfully, showing immense reverence for Sun Ran, all thinking he was the Dragon King.

The magistrate soon arrived, thanks to Bai Tingxuan using a divine travel talisman.

Previously, the distance was too far, and he only saw the water level of the Wenxu River recede, so he hurried over to check. Upon getting closer, he saw Sun Ran standing calmly by the riverbank, with a strange fish larger than an ox lying at his feet.

The great white shark lives in the sea, and River County is an inland county, at least a thousand kilometers from the sea. No one had ever seen such a thing, so they naturally thought it was a water monster. Everyone believed this thing was undoubtedly a water monster.

Magistrate Yang Tingyong carefully examined Sun Ran, seeing that his clothes were not the least bit disheveled, dry and fresh as ever, his face still radiant and without any sign of fatigue. He felt both admiration and fear.

He admired Sun Ran for subduing the haunted house and eliminating the water monster, doing a great deed for River County. He feared Sun Ran's abilities, for if he were to act maliciously, no one could stop him.

Seeing the hesitant look on Yang Tingyong's face, Sun Ran read his thoughts and understood his concerns. Regardless of the era, officials never liked uncontrolled power.

However, now he was a maintainer of order, and the magistrate's safety was part of his mission. It was important to gain the magistrate's cooperation, so he needed to remove the magistrate's suspicions.

Thinking this, Sun Ran kicked the great white shark beside him, bowed to Yang Tingyong, and said loudly, "Sir, I have not failed my mission. The water monster has been eliminated."

Yang Tingyong cautiously approached, looking at the great white shark from a distance of five meters, and couldn't help but ask, "Brother Changqing, are you really not a dragon god?"

Sun Ran smiled and shook his head, "There are no dragons in the world, just some transformation techniques."

Hearing the same answer from Sun Ran, Yang Tingyong almost believed it and couldn't help but sigh, "Brother Changqing is truly a remarkable person. Among the cultivators I have seen, you are the leader. If someone like you travels the world, upholding justice, who could stand against you?"

This revealed his hidden concerns. If one could uphold justice, one could also act maliciously, and the key was in the phrase "who could stand against you."

Sun Ran, however, smiled wryly, "Sir, you don't know. Cultivators are also bound by many restrictions."

Yang Tingyong's curiosity was piqued, and he asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Sun Ran didn't answer directly but pointed to the great white shark beside him, "Now that the water monster has been eliminated, this corpse is still an evil thing. Sir, please have it burned."

This was a serious matter, and the magistrate immediately ordered the constables to take care of it.

Sun Ran then said, "Let's head back to the county. We can talk on the way."

Yang Tingyong had no objections and gestured, "Please, go ahead, Brother."

Sun Ran didn't hesitate and began to talk.

"Brother Wenchang, as an official, you possess the fortune of the county and are protected by the land. As long as you do not stray from the path, evil spirits will not come near."

Hearing this, Yang Tingyong reflected on his tenure, during which he had worked hard, promoting agriculture and education, and felt he had not strayed from the path. His mind was somewhat at ease.

Sun Ran continued, "Cultivators like my junior sister and me, though we are outside the mundane world, have acquired skills that cannot be used recklessly."

This resonated with Yang Tingyong, who asked urgently, "Why is that?"

Sun Ran pointed to the sky, "Dao power comes from heaven and earth, and is bound by them. There are also strict rules from our sect. Therefore, we dare not use our Daoist arts on ordinary people, for fear of offending heaven and being struck by lightning, resulting in death."

Hearing this, Yang Tingyong felt relieved. As long as there were constraints, they wouldn't act recklessly.

His worries gone, his smile became more genuine, "Brother Changqing, your words have broadened my horizons."

The two resumed their previous friendly and intimate state, discussing poetry and elegant matters as they slowly walked back to River County.

As they talked, the topic turned to the wild boar demon in the mountains.

Sun Ran assured him, "Brother Wenchang, rest assured. Once my powers are fully restored, I will enter the mountains to slay the demon. It won't take long to pacify the situation."

In fact, it wasn't a matter of power, but rather that he hadn't yet figured out the specifics of the wild boar demon. Additionally, the central AI had reported that the Scorpion Mercenary Group was active. Without a proper protection plan for Yang Tingyong, he couldn't act rashly.

Having eliminated two demons, his words carried great weight. Yang Tingyong had no doubt about the truth of his words and believed that the wild boar demon would be no match for Sun Ran. With this burden lifted, he felt much lighter, and his steps became quicker.

Sun Ran subtly gauged the magistrate's psychological state and took the opportunity to say, "Brother Wenchang, now that I have eliminated the water monster, the wild boar demon in the mountains will surely be terrified. I heard that the three demons called each other brothers. With the water monster dead, the wild boar demon will likely seek revenge. Sir, you should prepare in advance."

"What can we do?" Yang Tingyong was somewhat panicked. Even as a magistrate, he was still a mortal, and hearing that a demon would target River County for revenge naturally made him uneasy.

Sun Ran smiled, "Sir, don't panic. Last night, I sent a message to my sect, and they have already sent reinforcements. They should be here soon. For safety, I hope Brother Wenchang can cooperate and reduce your outdoor inspections for the time being."

He planned to have Lan Xin and Ke'er enter the world to protect Yang Tingyong's safety so he could focus on eliminating the wild boar demon in Daxing Mountain.

"Of course, of course. I will follow Brother Changqing's arrangements." Yang Tingyong was already in awe of Sun Ran and, hearing that more experts were coming to help, naturally agreed to ensure his own safety.

While Sun Ran and the magistrate were having a pleasant conversation, on the other side of the Wenxu River, two people were secretly watching them.

One was dressed in black, the destroyer known as Greenhead Ghost from yesterday. Beside him was a rugged-looking man, clearly the wild boar demon.

"This maintainer of order is powerful. The boss was actually killed," the rugged man said, frowning as he watched the constables burning the corpse below.

He saw clearly that the boss, possessing a third-grade magical weapon, was still no match for the opponent. From start to finish, he was completely overpowered. The maintainer of order protecting the magistrate made it impossible for them to complete their mission. If they failed, the mercenary group wouldn't pay them, and they would be left with nothing.

Greenhead Ghost whispered, "Brother, should we report to the higher-ups and ask for experts to be sent over?"

The wild boar demon fell into deep thought and nodded, "That's the only way. You go and contact them, and I'll stay here to observe the situation."

"I will. Brother, I'll go then," Greenhead Ghost replied.

"Be careful," the rugged man warned.

As soon as he finished speaking, Greenhead Ghost, who had been lying on the ground, lowered his head, hit the grass, and his body lost its vitality, having exited the game to seek help from the higher-ups.

The rugged man looked up and saw that the maintainer of order and the magistrate were already far away. He quietly got up, picked up Greenhead Ghost's body, and, enveloped in a black wind, rushed toward Daxing Mountain.