The cloaking cape made of water-bound silkworm silk was truly excellent.
Its function far exceeded my initial estimations.
Before this, I had assumed it was merely a garment designed to conceal one's aura, possibly embedded with special runes.
I had not anticipated that this cloaking cape could not only hide one's presence but also ward off water.
Now, equipped with the cloaking cape, my movements in the water were effortless.
I followed the river downstream, beginning to approach the water dock.
According to the clues I had obtained earlier, the stone Buddha and stone ox were located at the riverbed edge beneath the water dock.
It was at that spot where the villagers had smashed the stone Buddha and stone ox, releasing the malevolent entities that were suppressed within.
After entering the water, I discovered a heavy concentration of corpse-fiend aura.
Undertows swirled, and occasionally corpse-fish and specters would swim by.
However, as I moved along the riverbed, as long as I remained still and made no significant disturbances,
I likely appeared to these specters and corpse-fish as nothing more than a dark stone or a rotten log.
They would not detect me at all.
With my current cultivation, I could hold my breath underwater for about forty minutes.
If engaged in combat, this duration would likely be reduced to twenty minutes.
Managing my time, I continued to swim forward.
Before long, I had neared the dock area.
In the river, I saw from afar.
At the river's heart beneath the dock, there was a black vortex.
Beneath the vortex, dense schools of corpse-fish and specters swirled and moved.
Within the vortex, something seemed to reside.
With every inhale and exhale, it caused the river water to churn, forming the vortex.
The source of the surrounding corpse-fiend aura emanated from there.
I crouched behind a stone on the riverbed, observing the scene intently.
Even with my Heavenly Eye open, my vision was severely obstructed by the river water.
As I intended to move closer, I suddenly felt a surge of corpse energy from behind me.
Daring not to move rashly, I quickly flattened myself.
A moment later, a fish-headed monster swam towards me from downstream.
Its appearance was similar to the fish-headed spirit I encountered in the reservoir.
It also had the head of a catfish and the body of a human.
Clad in scales like armor.
Behind it, a group of specters and corpse-fish followed.
More importantly, in addition to these.
I also noticed that the fish-headed monster was dragging a soul-hooking iron chain.
Attached to the chain were the souls of several people.
Ranging in height, build, and gender, there were about seven or eight individuals.
Each wore an expression of terror and wailed.
I scanned them and realized that some of these seven or eight people looked familiar.
Upon closer inspection.
I discovered they were the same public officials from the environmental department whom I had encountered at the water dock earlier that day.
Raising my eyebrows slightly, I wondered what their predicament was.
Now, all neatly presented, their souls were all here, dragged to the riverbed…
Although the specific reason was unclear.
It was highly probable that these individuals had ventured into the river to investigate the water quality.
Allowing these water spirits and malevolent fiends to seize their souls.
They swam past me from my front left, not noticing me.
However, those public officials from the environmental department were sobbing at this moment.
"Boss, where is he taking us? Wuwuwu!"
"Boss, didn't you say there are no demons or ghosts in this world?"
"Mom, Dad, I'm dead, I'm dead, wuwuwu…"
"…"
They wept in the water, deeply sorrowful.
I remained still, merely watching them being dragged away.
I wanted to get a clearer picture of the arrangement down here.
After the fish-headed monster departed with the souls of these individuals.
I continued to move forward along the riverbed.
But my speed was slow, gliding just above the river bottom.
Using the cloaking cape, my aura was completely concealed.
Before long, I was only about fifty meters away from the black vortex.
At this moment, I concealed myself within the silt.
I wanted to observe what these water demons and evil spirits were doing in the water.
However, just as I had hidden myself.
I saw one or two more fish-headed monsters swimming from upstream and downstream.
They were also accompanied by numerous specters and corpse-fish.
But these corpse-fish were no longer limited to those large silver carp.
There were also some larger river fish.
However, all these fish were already dead, having become corpse-fiend entities.
In addition to these, they also had a group of human souls trailing behind them.
The numbers ranged from one or two to five or six.
Upon arriving here, they all stopped near the black vortex.
Lined up in rows and columns.
The human souls brought here were, without exception, commanded to kneel around the vortex.
As for the fish-headed monsters, they stood around the vortex.
With an appearance of deep reverence, gazing towards the center of the vortex.
It seemed as though they were performing some kind of ritual, or perhaps praying?
It could be confirmed that within the vortex.
Was likely the leader of this group of fiends.
I narrowed my eyes, carefully observing my surroundings.
I did not act immediately. Since these water spirits were gathering at this particular time.
It was a good opportunity for me to wait a bit longer.
To wait for them all to arrive before capturing them in one fell swoop.
I watched intently, waiting.
Subsequently, three more fish-headed monster water spirits arrived.
The number of human souls also increased from the initial dozen to over thirty.
In other words, more than thirty people had met their demise at the hands of these fiends.
I paid attention to these human souls.
Aside from the few environmental officials I had seen before, I was surprised to spot my ill-tempered second aunt.
At this moment, like the other souls.
She was also kneeling on the ground, crying, "wuwuwu…"