Proud Goddess Falls in Love with Me
Chapter 1381: 1340: Lingying River

Chapter 1381: Chapter 1340: Lingying River

“That may be true, but according to my guess, that thing’s strength shouldn’t be too formidable. If the Yin Ghost Sect had such methods, why would they bother hiding it? They could easily use it as an excuse to promote their agenda and attract more followers.

Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Even so, Suzumiya Setsuna still felt uneasy. After all, the nature of that thing remained unclear, and taking action without fully understanding it seemed reckless. After contemplating for a moment, Suzumiya Setsuna let out a soft sigh and said gravely, “Lu Chuan, I’ll have some of my family’s people accompany you to Lingying River and do everything we can to assist you. Please, don’t refuse this time.”

“Hmm… very well then. Let’s prepare briefly and set out today.”

The photograph clearly capturing the ‘Kappa’ had become the only piece of evidence. Although Lu Chuan was still reluctant to believe it, he had to see it with his own eyes to confirm the truth.

Meanwhile, the Miyamoto Family had been thrown into disarray over the incident.

The camera had already been returned to the Miyamoto Family by people Suzumiya Setsuna had dispatched. They confirmed that the camera indeed belonged to Miyamoto Yuta. But after seeing the photograph, the Miyamoto Family was split into two opposing camps.

Led by the head of the Miyamoto Family, one faction believed the matter must be thoroughly investigated. No matter what entity harmed the Young Master—be it some legendary demonic monster—it must be destroyed completely.

The other faction, however, argued that the Young Master had angered the River God of Lingying River and was thus punished. They warned against committing any further blasphemous acts that could provoke the River God.

The two sides argued incessantly, and under the immense pressure applied by the Family Elders, the Head of the Miyamoto Family could not make a unilateral decision and had to secretly send a team to investigate the matter.

When Lu Chuan and his group arrived near Lingying River, a team sent by the Head of the Miyamoto Family was also present nearby.

In their eagerness to uncover the truth as quickly as possible, they even deployed individuals to dive deep into Lingying River, attempting to verify whether the so-called ‘Kappa’ truly existed.

“Mr. Lu Chuan, you’ve come.”

The Suzumiya family’s people stationed there approached, bowing respectfully.

“Hmm, what’s the situation here?”

“The Miyamoto Family is attempting to locate their Young Master’s body. They’ve already sent a team to dive into Lingying River, but so far, there’s been no progress. We haven’t found any trace of the ‘Kappa’ either. It seems as though it vanished into thin air.”

“Either this entity has some sort of spirit wisdom and sensed danger, avoiding detection, or it doesn’t exist at all. I lean toward the latter—what about you?”

The captain was visibly stunned by Lu Chuan’s comment.

“I… I’m unsure, Mr. Lu Chuan, and I fear that my answer might influence your judgment.”

“No worries—weighing everyone’s opinions often leads to clarity. My judgment isn’t infallible, and your perspective isn’t necessarily wrong. Let’s hear it.”

“Well… since you insist, Mr. Lu Chuan, I won’t hold back. In my view, it seems more likely that this was orchestrated deliberately. Although the photograph depicts the so-called ‘Kappa,’ there are numerous ways to fabricate such an image.

I align with your perspective, Mr. Lu Chuan—I don’t think the Kappa exists.”

“What about the others? Do your team members share the same opinion?”

“Yes, most of them do. The more experienced cultivators among us find it even less plausible.”

At this, Lu Chuan nodded thoughtfully.

“The truth often lies in the hands of the minority. If the majority of us think it’s fake, then maybe it’s real.”

“Do you mean…”

“Without concrete evidence, all speculation is suspect. Have the Miyamoto Family withdraw their people. Lingying River is so vast—searching aimlessly will be pointless.”

“Understood—I’ll go negotiate at once.”

“Hold on—there’s one more thing.”

Saying this, Lu Chuan moved closer to Lingying River, pondering aloud, “If we were to build a dam upstream, how long would it take to drain the entire river?”

“It would be extremely difficult, Mr. Lu Chuan. We’ve considered this option, but it would take at least ten days, possibly longer. There’s also a constant risk of the dam breaking.”

“Got it. Proceed with the negotiations.”

Lu Chuan waved them off, gesturing for the group to leave. Left alone, he crouched by the riverbank, staring at the water in quiet contemplation.

“Tower Spirit, can you sense anything?”

“Apart from humans, there’s no other presence.”

“Not even you can detect it… Just what kind of existence are we dealing with?”

“Is it possible that it isn’t a Kappa at all but a human? Sacrificing humans to summon a legendary demonic monster—I’ve never heard of such methods, but if someone temporarily wielded extraordinary power, that item you’re seeking might be capable of achieving it.”

“The Earth Amulet? It has such capabilities?”

Hearing Lu Chuan’s astonished tone, the Tower Spirit retorted, “You know very little about the Heaven, Earth, and Human Jade Pendants. But in my view, combined with certain secret techniques, replicating such feats is entirely plausible. Lu Chuan, you must proceed with caution.”

If it were merely summoning a demonic monster, the Tower Spirit wouldn’t be so concerned. After all, as the Demon Suppression Pagoda, there was no demonic monster on Earth it couldn’t subdue.

But if the situation aligned with the Tower Spirit’s hypothesis, things could be far more complicated than anticipated.

“I understand…”

If this matter was indeed connected to the Earth Amulet, Lu Chuan had no option but to involve himself. Perhaps he could follow the trail and uncover leads regarding the artifact.

Given the current circumstances, though, it seemed the situation was shaping into the exact scenario Lu Chuan least wanted to confront—the Earth Amulet appeared to be in the hands of Grand Elder Huang Quan.

If it was that man, orchestrating such events would certainly not be surprising.

Before long, the Suzumiya family’s people negotiated with the Miyamoto Family’s team, persuading them to leave the vicinity of Lingying River. Lu Chuan then retrieved a paper doll body, attaching a wisp of his Divine Sense to it. After clearing the riverbank, he tossed the paper doll into Lingying River.

Controlling the paper doll, Lu Chuan maneuvered it toward the center of the river. Just as he assumed the entity wouldn’t reappear, a shadow flashed behind him.

“It’s here!”

The Tower Spirit spoke, and in an instant, a claw latched onto the paper doll’s shoulder, piercing it effortlessly. A tremendous force pulled the doll downward at great speed!

At last, Lu Chuan saw the ‘Kappa’ for what it truly was—a human with a grotesquely mutated arm, deliberately hiding in Lingying River to fabricate tales of a Kappa and sow fear.

Reclaiming his Divine Sense from the paper doll, Lu Chuan exhaled deeply.

“Finally, I’ve caught you!”