Chapter 141: The Water Dungeon

Chapter 141: The Water Dungeon

River Bandit King?

Yang Xiaoyun’s ears perked up, feeling as if she had heard something intriguing once again.

But upon closer reflection, she found that Su Mo’s words seemed quite fitting.

The third leader of the Jiaolong Association dared not hide anything at this point, revealing everything he knew. Whether or not it was entirely truthful, however, was open to interpretation.

According to the third leader, these black-clad individuals came from Evernight Valley.

They had only approached Zhuge Changtian a few days ago.

These people were highly skilled in martial arts, sneaking in without anyone in the Jiaolong Association’s water fort noticing.

The third leader was summoned to the main hall, where he learned about the unexpected visitors.

After some conversation, these people claimed they wanted to offer Zhuge Changtian immense wealth and power.

Zhuge Changtian asked for more details and discovered that these people intended to unite all the major bandits along the river, ruling from Three Rivers Bay all the way to the Fenqiong Port on the Ning River.

This sounded like a pipe dream to most people.

Ordinary people might not know, but Zhuge Changtian was well aware that this stretch of water extended almost halfway around East City.

It was home to countless powerful bandits with intricate and intertwined relationships.

Among them, there were at least a dozen highly skilled and influential figures, far surpassing the Jiaolong Association.

Even the three bandit leaders who had come to the Jiaolong Association’s water fort today were mere minnows in comparison.

However, upon further explanation, it became clear that the territory covered by the Jiaolong Association was just one part of their plan—specifically, the stretch from Three Rivers Bay to Jiyang Ferry.

Despite this, Zhuge Changtian did not agree.

Their conversation soon turned into a conflict, and within a few words, a fight broke out.

Zhuge Changtian and the second leader fought together but were no match for the Shadow Envoys, and they were captured and now imprisoned in the water dungeon of the water fort.

The third leader claimed that he was a wise man who knew when to retreat, preserving himself to save his brothers later.

He thus submitted to the greater scheme.

As for whether this was true… Su Mo didn’t believe it for a moment.

The people from Evernight Valley, uncertain whether to trust the third leader, still allowed him to act as the chief of the Jiaolong Association temporarily.

Anyone in the fort who resisted had been locked up in the dungeons.

Those who remained active outside had already pledged allegiance to Evernight Valley.

Having finished his account, the third leader regretted how obedient his subordinates were.

When he told them to leave, they did so without a trace.

If even one person had stayed to raise an alarm, these two would never have escaped the Jiaolong Association’s water fort.

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged a glance, then Su Mo asked:

"Does the third leader have any knowledge of Evernight Valley?"

"This..."

The third leader nodded: "Evernight Valley is one of the demonic sects of East City, renowned alongside the Youquan Cult. This is the main reason why my brother refused to ally with them.

"He said, although we are river bandits and engage in risk-free business, we must still uphold righteousness and humanity. Even in the outlaw world, we cannot disregard human lives.

"We must not collude with these evil cults.

"This statement thoroughly enraged the people from Evernight Valley, leading to the fight...

"If I may say, my brother is too rigid in his principles.

"A little flexibility could have allowed him to pretend to comply while doing whatever he wanted behind the scenes.

"Moreover, a group of mad monks is coming down the river, and this is a time of many troubles.

"With Evernight Valley orchestrating things, these mad monks might not succeed.

"Furthermore, Evernight Valley seems to have reservations, giving only a fifteen-day deadline to block the river with boats.

"Their goal is to lure us into a trap.

"They seem wary of causing too much trouble and attracting unnecessary attention, which could alert the various sects of East City.

"So, if my brother had thought about it, he could have used Evernight Valley to his advantage. Why be so stubborn..."

Su Mo listened without comment, glancing at Yang Xiaoyun: "Sister Xiaoyun, do you have any more questions?"

"No."

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head and turned away, no longer interested.

She knew what Su Mo was about to do...

Although Su Mo always maintained a gentlemanly demeanor before taking action, smiling at everyone he met,

As they descended from Wufangji, whether it was the bandit chief on the mountain or the errand boy running around, Su Mo never put on any airs.

However, once he took action, he never left anyone alive.

The third leader, well-versed in the ways of the world, knew exactly what Su Mo intended. His eyes widened in shock as he tried to shout, but Su Mo's palm struck out, not allowing him another sound.

With a dull thud, his skull shattered.

The body slumped, and Su Mo caught it, casually tearing a strip of cloth from his clothes to bind the corpse's hands behind its back.

Yang Xiaoyun watched curiously, "What are you up to now?"

"The lesson from the Ghost Lord of Yin Mountain taught me that there are too many martial arts in this world, and those who can fake death to escape are countless."

"Although this third leader doesn't seem to have such skills, it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Setting fire here could cause trouble."

"So, why not sink him in the water?"

"With his hands tied behind his back, even if he has some miraculous ability to come back to life, he'll only drown."

Yang Xiaoyun thought for a moment and nodded vigorously, "You really think things through. Turn him over, tie his hands and feet together, that will be more secure. Also, we should sever his tendons, otherwise, he might use his internal energy to break free."

"Brilliant!"

Su Mo looked at Yang Xiaoyun with some surprise, "Xiaoyun, you're truly deep and skilled in finishing off enemies."

"I mainly learned by observation and … thinking."

Yang Xiaoyun was quite modest, "I still need to learn more from Xiao Mo."

Despite their mutual praise, they bound the third leader's body in a reverse position, severed his tendons, and ensured everything was secure.

Poor third leader, encountering these two, he couldn't even rest in peace after death.

Once bound, Su Mo lifted the body as if it were a rag doll.

The two of them leaped out of the Jiaolong Association's main hall.

This Jiaolong Association's water fort was half on land and half in the water, and just a few steps ahead was the water.

Just as they were about to throw the body, they saw flames rising from within the water fort.

At the same time, the sounds of battle echoed, indicating the direction where Chu Qiuyu had gone earlier.

"This must be her rescuing someone and planning to take revenge."

Su Mo smiled and threw the third leader's body into the water, "Come, Xiaoyun, let's find the water prison."

"Though the third leader's words were not entirely truthful, I don't dare to trust his information about the water prison's location."

"But the origin of these black-clothed men seems genuine."

"Evernight Valley… Have you heard of it, Xiaoyun?"

"Never heard of it."

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head, "The Iron Blood Escort Agency operates between East City and the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, but we haven't ventured that far. Especially in East City, where numerous sects and vast territories exist."

"In the eyes of ordinary people, the southwestern region is not considered part of the Eastern Wilderness martial world; only East City is."

"And in this area of conflict between good and evil, no one dares to move around freely."

Su Mo nodded, "Then we won't worry about Evernight Valley. Whatever they plan to do offers us no benefit."

"If they control the waterways in the future, regardless of their true intentions, it will greatly affect our escort business."

"That's true. Let's find the water prison."

"It's not necessary to make it difficult."

Su Mo glanced up and heard hurried footsteps, clearly heading towards the chaos.

He immediately used his agile footwork, and Yang Xiaoyun felt a gust of wind as Su Mo vanished. In the blink of an eye, another gust of wind returned, and he was back.

But he now held a person.

This person, originally wielding a knife to fight, found himself here in the blink of an eye.

Looking around in confusion, he saw Su Mo and then Yang Xiaoyun, feeling utterly bewildered.

When he finally calmed down, his face turned pale with horror.

"Who… who are you?"

Su Mo smiled, "Have you heard of the Pain Scripture?"

...

...

Inside the Jiaolong Association's water fort, there were two types of prisons.

One was the regular prison, mainly for detaining those who caused trouble at the Jiaolong Association.

The other was the water prison.

The water prison was more severe than the regular prison, but it wasn't used against outsiders; it was used against their own people.

The rules of the Green Forest Road can sometimes be even more brutal.

The Jiaolong Association has even stricter internal regulations; those who violate them will be confined in the water dungeon for self-reflection.

For minor offenses, it might be three to five days, but for serious ones, it could last several months.

The experience is almost unimaginable.

After Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun found out where the water dungeon was, they discovered that it was far from where Chu Qiuyu and her group were causing trouble. They followed the trail until they arrived at the location.

At the entrance, there were water bandits of the Jiaolong Association guarding the door.

Just as Xiaoyun was about to charge forward with her spear, Su Mo waved his hand, "We don't want to alert them."

As he spoke, he pressed his palm down, and suddenly a fierce gale arose.

The fire in the brazier before the entrance crackled, and the two water bandits guarding the door instinctively covered their heads and faces.

They felt the wind grow stronger, and after a moment, it finally dissipated.

Lowering their hands to look around, they saw no one.

For a moment, they looked at each other in confusion:

"Where did this evil wind come from?"

But seeing no traces around, they didn't take it too seriously.

The weather on the river was unpredictable, and sudden strong winds were not uncommon, though rare, they weren't considered strange.

Meanwhile, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun had already made their way deep into the water dungeon.

Using his palm strength to create a gale, Su Mo took advantage of the moment when the two men covered their heads and faces. He and Xiaoyun used the Divine Transformation technique, swiftly passing by the two guards.

Once inside the water dungeon corridor, they continued downward.

The path was winding, and the further they went, the more humid it became.

After a while, the scene opened up, revealing a spacious cave.

The cave was half-flooded, with wooden planks laid on the water surface to serve as stepping stones, dividing the space into square areas.

Above, hanging cages were suspended by pulleys.

When someone was imprisoned, the cage would be lowered, half-submerged in the water, forcing the person to stand to breathe.

In a small area not covered by water, a few water bandits of the Jiaolong Association were chatting and joking.

"It's really not peaceful tonight."

"Heh, it's fate. After those big shots arrived, our Jiaolong Association changed dramatically."

"The former leader, who used to bully everyone, is now locked in the water dungeon, so naturally, things have changed."

"Damn, I never thought it would come to this. Back in the day, we intercepted a merchant ship on the river, and I just touched a girl's face. He kicked me so hard I was bedridden for seven days."

"As soon as I could walk again, I was thrown into this water dungeon for another seven days!"

"Alright, alright, now he's a prisoner, you can pee on him every day, which is revenge enough. As long as you follow those big shots well, you'll have a good life in the future, and looking back on today, it won't seem like much."

"That's true, but thinking about it still makes me angry..."

As he spoke, he suddenly stood up and walked inside.

"There he goes again."

"This guy has a small heart, let him be."

"In two days, it'll be our turn to guard. I heard they caught a few female heroes from the Cold Moon Palace tonight..."

"You have ideas too?"

"Hehehe, if I can't get the first taste, I won't miss out."

"What about your wife at home?"

"Hmph, it was Zhuge Changtian who forced me to take responsibility for that woman, and I married her.

"These many years, I've had enough. If she knows her place, I might give her a chance to live. But if she dares to argue... do you think my knife is for show?"

"Right, a man should be like that!"

Just as he finished speaking, he heard a sigh behind him: "A real man doesn't carry such burdens."

"Huh?"

Before he could turn around, he heard a crack, and his head drooped, dead on the spot.

In his dying moments, his eyes captured the scene before him, seeing a glint of cold steel, and his companions lying on the ground almost instantly.

"If the Jiaolong Association loses Zhuge Changtian, it will become a den of devils in an instant."

After killing, Xiaoyun shook the blood off her spear.

Su Mo smiled and pulled her along, following the previous man.

In the water dungeon, everyone was preoccupied with their own survival, and even if they saw Su Mo and Xiaoyun, they couldn't call for help; struggling to breathe was their limit.

This allowed Su Mo and Xiaoyun to follow the man without him noticing at all.

He saw this person approach a cage.

Inside the cage was a middle-aged man with a pale complexion, who now stood on tiptoe, barely able to breathe.

He couldn't float up either, as those imprisoned in the water dungeon had their feet shackled to the cage.

Relying on their swimming skills to rise would be futile.

"Zhuge Changtian."

The man stood before the cage and suddenly reached out to turn the winch beside it, causing the cage to sink completely into the water with a splash.

At this moment, he began to slowly undo his belt, calculating that the time was about right, before he pulled the winch again to lift the cage.

Zhuge Changtian, suddenly freed, instinctively opened his mouth to gasp for air.

This was exactly what the man was waiting for. He immediately loosened his grip and aimed to urinate into Zhuge Changtian's open mouth.

But before he could do so, he felt a violent jolt from behind.

The shock was immense; not only did the urge to urinate vanish instantly, but he also trembled uncontrollably on the spot.

Turning around to curse, he caught a glimpse of a cold glint from the corner of his eye.

The glint pierced his throat, and with a casual flick, the body fell into the water.

Only then did Zhuge Changtian catch his breath, and when he looked up, he was stunned:

"Head Deputy Marshal Yang?"

"I didn't expect you to remember me."

Yang Xiaoyun smiled. "Great Chief Zhuge, how have you been?"

"Head Deputy Marshal Yang is a heroine among women, how could I forget... But our current situation must seem laughable to you."

Zhuge Changtian laughed bitterly.

At this moment, Su Mo pulled the winch to raise the cage, grabbed the door, and yanked it open with a loud bang.

Regardless of whether the cage was made of wood or iron, it could not withstand his strength.

Zhuge Changtian was startled. "Young brother, your strength is formidable."

"You flatter me."

Su Mo entered the cage and started to tear off the chains on Zhuge Changtian's hands and feet.

Zhuge Changtian laughed bitterly. "Young brother, your strength is remarkable, but these shackles are no ordinary ones. They cannot be broken by mere strength. The key should be over there..."

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

Before he could finish speaking, the chains on his hands and feet were already torn apart.

Su Mo looked up. "What did you say, Great Chief?"

"..."

Zhuge Changtian's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Su Mo's ability to open the cage door already demonstrated considerable strength.

Although the cage was made of wood, it had been treated with special techniques, making it far more resilient than ordinary wood.

Thus, Zhuge Changtian couldn't help but marvel.

However, he thought this was the limit.

These shackles on his hands and feet were forged through countless hammerings and infused with special materials. To break them by brute force alone would require an extraordinary level of internal energy and strength.

For a moment, Zhuge Changtian looked at Su Mo as if he were a divine being, unable to speak.

But this was just the beginning.

After a few words, he learned that all those imprisoned in the water dungeon were his loyal followers who refused to follow the third chief in his evil deeds.

Su Mo then proceeded to lift each cage one by one, tearing them apart with sheer force and breaking the chains as easily as snapping a thread.

The Jiaolong Association members present felt numb.

Who was this divine being?

They instinctively looked at Zhuge Changtian, who drew a sharp breath.

"Help!"

They couldn't offer much assistance, but they could raise the cages to save Su Mo the trouble.

With everyone working together and Su Mo's swift actions, it took only a short while to free almost everyone in the cages.

Among them were the three major bandits who had infiltrated the Jiaolong Association that night.

They exchanged puzzled glances, wondering where Su Mo had come from.

Su Mo surveyed the area, then glanced at a large, unconscious fat man on the ground.

"How long does he plan to sleep?"