Ryan Ling watched as the young master flashed a smug grin, patted his chest, and said, "Relax, Vice Magistrate Wang. Leave this little problem to me. With Brandon Feng from the Azure Dragon Society on the job, there’s no way this little monster in Clearwater Lake escapes my grasp."
"Absolutely, absolutely! I’ll thank you on behalf of all the locals in advance!" Vice Magistrate Wang quickly cupped his hands in thanks.
"Master, what now?" Warren Yuan immediately sidled up. He’d already tried probing the area—cops everywhere, no way to get close. Sure, with their skills, busting in wouldn’t be a problem, but the police represent state authority. Who’d be dumb enough to cross that line?
"Let’s just watch for now!" Ryan Ling gritted his teeth. He could tell at a glance that this booze-soaked playboy was all show and no substance, but the second he dropped the Azure Dragon Society name—and with Vice Magistrate Wang present—Ryan hesitated. Not out of fear, but because he didn’t want pointless trouble.
"Alright, everyone play it by ear!" Warren Yuan said, and the whole group calmed down. Harvey 'Million' Jin had been itching to jump in—he was used to doing things his own way and hated giving way to others. But the moment he heard the guy was from the Azure Dragon Society, even he held back a bit.
"Alright, it’s about time. Everyone, step back!" Brandon Feng gave a cold snort, clearly about to start his demon-slaying act. Vice Magistrate Wang and all the government people instantly backed away—they’d mostly come out of curiosity anyway. The whole haunted Clearwater Lake thing, now turning into a monster crisis, had been gossip fodder in the government offices for days. Now that they’d brought in an 'expert,' of course everyone wanted to watch the show.
So even though they were nervous, everyone scrambled for a good spot, eyes wide, staring at the lake like it was a blockbuster.
"Alright, bring them over!" Brandon Feng didn’t set up any altar or pull out a weapon—he just waved his hand, and two sealed trucks parked nearby rolled up.
Ryan Ling froze for a second, suddenly hit with a strong waft of booze.
What kind of dumb stunt is this Azure Dragon Society young master about to pull?
Ryan Ling was still baffled when suddenly, two huge pipes started gushing out thick, fragrant yellow wine. In no time, everyone nearby was half-drunk just from the fumes.
"Young Master Feng, what’s all this?" Vice Magistrate Wang was totally confused and hurried over to ask.
"Heh, haven’t you seen 'Legend of the White Snake'? There’s a snake demon hiding in this lake. What do snakes fear most?" Brandon Feng asked, acting all knowledgeable.
"Realgar wine?" Vice Magistrate Wang replied instantly.
"Smart! To subdue this monster, I specially ordered two truckloads of realgar wine. Dump it all in Clearwater Lake, and as soon as the snake demon drinks, it'll get totally wasted and float right up—no need for us to lift a finger. You guys just drive your boats out and scoop it up!" Brandon Feng boasted, and Vice Magistrate Wang just nodded along.
Ryan Ling was honestly dizzy—never mind the pollution from dumping all that realgar wine into a perfectly good lake, the real issue was that this clueless clown had no idea how dangerous things actually were. If two trucks of booze could handle the white snake, Ryan wouldn’t have bothered scheming for a magic artifact.
"Stay sharp. If he keeps clowning around, forget the formalities—just take him down and get it over with!" Ryan had already decided Brandon Feng was just here to show off. When it counted, it’d be up to them to save the day.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Soon, both truckloads of wine were dumped straight into Clearwater Lake. The air was thick with booze; people’s faces turned red, and a few female county clerks even squatted down, dizzy.
Meanwhile, Brandon Feng didn’t sense any danger at all. He just sprawled out on a beach chair, sipping juice with three pretty girls. They cracked dirty jokes and laughed it up—like they were here for a lakeside vacation.
After waiting about half an hour with no action, Vice Magistrate Wang started getting anxious and stepped up again: "Young Master Feng, maybe you should try something else to catch that snake demon early? I’ve got to get back and file my report!"
"No rush, just wait a little longer. I guarantee, once those two truckloads of realgar wine go in, the snake demon will float up in no time—give it fifteen minutes, tops!" Brandon Feng said, munching grapes fed to him by a pretty girl, his eyes glued to her chest. Clearly, he’d come to scenic Clearwater Lake to have a blast tonight.
"Alright, I’ll get everything ready. I’ve already called in the whole police force—just say the word and they’re yours to command!" Vice Magistrate Wang said quickly.
"What, you think I need backup? With me here, who else could possibly be needed? Even if that snake demon still has some fight left, I could flick it to death with one finger!" Brandon Feng snorted, getting looser with every drink. The girls cheered him on, acting like all he had to do was shout and the snake would die of fright on the spot.
Even Vice Magistrate Wang was getting tired of the bragging—this guy’s boasting was off the charts.
But just then, the lake’s calm surface suddenly started to churn. The crowd was stunned; Vice Magistrate Wang and his staff immediately backed away.
Brandon Feng just laughed and mocked, "It’s just a little mudfish—look at you all freak out! Watch me catch it, and make sure you get my good side for the photos!"
"Got it, Young Master Feng!" the girls replied, whipping out cameras on cue.
But at that moment, the churning water exploded with a deafening roar—a white snake, easily ten meters long and thick as a car, burst from the lake. After days of lurking, it had doubled in size.
Now, the white snake’s glowing green eyes, razor-sharp fangs, and massive forked tongue were all aimed straight at Brandon Feng.
Brandon Feng was totally stunned, frozen on the shore like a statue. His clothes were soaked through in seconds—he’d never imagined a snake demon from some small county could be this huge and terrifying. Honestly, he’d never even seen a monster like this before.
Everyone around was scared stiff. The girls had already screamed and scattered, and even the government security staff panicked and ran. Only Vice Magistrate Wang, bold as ever, kept yelling at Brandon Feng: "Young Master Feng, now’s your chance—take down that snake demon!"
Brandon Feng was nearly in tears; any Daoist spells he’d memorized were long gone from his mind. All he could do was scream, "Help!"
...Vice Magistrate Wang’s brain just short-circuited.
Anyone left with a shred of courage heard the so-called expert begging for help and bolted. The white snake, now fully sentient, saw the chaos and actually smirked—a creepy, twisted smile. Its massive body slithered toward shore, clearly planning to snack on a few humans tonight.
"Go!" Ryan Ling didn’t hesitate—when the white snake came ashore, it was the perfect chance. He hurled the Demon-Snaring Bowl straight at it; usually it looked plain, but as soon as it sensed demonic energy, especially snake stench, it sprang to life, whirling wildly and shooting a golden beam that exploded against the white snake.
The white snake never expected Ryan and his crew to show up, let alone hit it with a magic artifact. All it could think was to dive back into Clearwater Lake.
But Jason Lin, the Red-Fur Corpse King, and the rest had already taken up prime positions. Bullets soaked in special talisman water tore through the air, spirit stones flared, flying swords whirled—everyone threw everything they had at the white snake.
The white snake was totally overwhelmed, especially with the Demon-Snaring Bowl’s beam blasting it—it felt like being tossed into boiling oil. Even worse, a huge suction was trying to drag it right into the bowl.
Ryan Ling could finally breathe easy—victory was in sight.
But just then, the white snake suddenly twisted with all its strength and whipped its tail around Brandon Feng—clearly trying to use a hostage to escape...