My wife is the stand-in.

Amanosaki gently tapped Icarus on the head, telling the fish thief to behave himself. "I still can't do without the support of my friends from the Fishing Crew. This time I lost almost two million and even risked my life, so I have to get some compensation for my emotional distress."

Lin Shuyu snatched the first skewer of grilled fish that Li Junzi had just finished grilling, glared at the aggrieved Li Junzi, and teased Icarus like a cat. She raised her hand, coaxing Icarus to spread its wings and fly up, taking the opportunity to stroke Icarus's soft, smooth wings, a blissful expression of petting a cat on her face:

“I asked my great-uncle. He said my grandfather was furious and was making a scene. The country had taken a firm stance, issuing the second extermination order since the founding of the nation, but things went wrong on the very first day, and he’ll be on the pillar of historical shame in the future, blah blah blah.”

Icarus was eating fish slices with her head down when Lin Shuyu fiercely snatched all the grilled skewers that Li Junzi had cooked and handed them to Icarus one by one. She hugged the angel, who was a head shorter than her, and rubbed her chin against the girl's head. Her free hand kept rubbing the girl's soft wings. She squinted her eyes, looking as if her spirit had been sucked away.

"Actually, I don't really care about historical evaluation, it's just that being used as a pawn really doesn't feel good. It's only been a few branches and they're already getting selfish..."

Icarus had already finished eating the fish slices, while Li Junzi's hands were empty. Amanosaki was handing over the fish slice knife, insisting on finishing the slices before handing them to Li Junzi.

Therefore, Lin Shuyu lost her tool to attract Icarus, and could only watch helplessly as the quiet Icarus, like a cat, silently and lightly ran to Amanosaki's side.

Icarus spread its wings and covered Amanosaki. Cold air flowed continuously from between its feathers, and Amanosaki, who was sweating profusely from killing fish, couldn't help but shudder and become more alert.

Amanosaki quickly sliced ​​the fish and discarded the bones. "The branch headquarters doesn't have any objections to my plan, right?"

"No."

Lin Shuyu shook her head listlessly, "In fact, most of the organizations behind these ships are related to the branch and group that signed the contract with you last night. The Yushan branch is representing you in negotiations with them."

"I have that much power?" Amanosaki looked up in astonishment, holding a plate full of fish slices and a knife in one hand.

Lin Shuyu looked at Icarus, who was clinging to Amanosaki's waist, rubbing against him while greedily eyeing the fish slices, and helplessly shrugged:

"Of course, the Yushan branch entrusted you with the role of leader not only because you are the strongest, but also because the contracts worth a fortune on your hands are enough to control everyone. After all, you have several movie contracts alone, and you can't afford to lose a hero or become famous."

Amanosaki stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Does that mean I can learn from the lottery and hold a selection ceremony for concubines?"

Chapter 79: Two Hearts

With their black boots treading on the river water that reached above their ankles, the swordsmen, dressed in pure black and pure white ancient-style clothes, silently traversed the blood-soaked battlefield of the great river, their blades flashing as they quietly carried out their slaughter.

These chivalrous figures, who concealed their faces under their bamboo hats, were just like the elegant and taciturn heroes in Gu Long's novels—quiet, shrewd, and highly skilled.

With just a glance, anyone could tell that these teams, composed of formal martial arts masters, were far superior to the Suckerfish, whose members were mostly trainees.

At the same time, their well-trained teamwork made them superior to the lone warriors on other ships.

Xie Bi'an, the White Impermanence, emerged from the water. Nine chains, emerging from his sleeves, were firmly embedded in the fins of the Queen Fish, which had emerged dozens of meters underwater. His bluish lips trembled slightly, indicating that he was lacking oxygen.

Black Impermanence Fan Wujiu arrived wading through the water, quickly taking on several chains and distributing them to his black-robed subordinates. A group of people grabbed the chains, like surfers being pulled by a yacht, being dragged up and down on the great river by the Queen Fish.

It's a pity there were no joyful screams and laughter.

The only onlookers watched the spectacle with glee, carrying drinks and various steaming dishes, without offering any help whatsoever.

Xie Bi'an turned his head and glanced at the Suobianyuhao with resentment. His tongue licked his teeth, creating a loose bump under his lips, just like his turbulent thoughts.

"Xiao Xie, calm down." Fan Wujiu, wearing a black bamboo hat, grabbed Xie Bi'an's shoulder with one hand. The cool fragrance penetrated the strong smell of blood and entered Xie Bi'an's nostrils, calming his turbulent mind slightly.

“The satellites are watching. These people were chosen after all; we can’t kill them.”

"Humph!"

Xie Bi'an turned his head, glanced at his elite troops, gripped the chains, and said in a tone full of resentment:

"The teacher said from the beginning that these scoundrels were picked out because the headquarters deliberately put on a show to create stars! I had doubts before, but now it seems that it's not just a show, it's clearly an intentional effort to promote them!"

He pointed to the shuttle-shaped fish-shaped sign, his voice muffled, as if he had a piece of iron stuck in his throat:

"I've looked into that guy named Amanosaki. He debuted out of nowhere, was inexplicably taken in as a disciple by the sword immortal Jielabin, and then inexplicably refused. He was heavily promoted under the guise of painting, but before he even finished one lesson in martial arts, he was assigned to the extermination team. Fine, today his special ability killed a queen fish on his own, I accept it."

"But what about the rest of them? Bring them out, and my team can wipe them out in less than five minutes! Five minutes!"

Xie Bi'an stretched out five pale, bone-white fingers, veins bulging.

"What right do these people have to be broadcast live nationwide? Every team dispatched by the various branch headquarters to the tributaries is far more professional than them! Why is it that the fleet sent by the Fengdu branch is also made up of these low-class people who used to be unworthy of being shown up in public! We two have been quietly killing so many evil spirits and heretics all these years, why don't we even have a ticket?"

Fan Wujiu adjusted his tall black hat, noticing his subordinates bowing their heads in silence, their displeasure evident. He could only awkwardly tug at Xie Bi'an's sleeve.

"Let's keep quiet. We've already made a name for ourselves, haven't we? Once we've dealt with this Queen Fish, the news that the Fengdu Branch's Wuchang Guard killed the second Queen Fish after the extermination order was issued will also spread. We won't have to worry about losing our reputation."

"That's what I hate!" Xie Bi'an's face was contorted with rage, an unnatural flush flashing across his cheeks. "It's the higher-ups' orders to send us reinforcements, it's their orders to let us observe, and it's their orders to kill the Queen Fish..."

"But look what they're doing now! They're resting! Do you believe that once the Queen Fish comes out of the water, that Amanosaki guy will definitely bring people to steal the credit!"

"They dare!" Fan Wujiu glared. "If they dare to steal credit, our duty corps will help us get justice!"

Xie Bi'an chuckled: "But the fact that we're holding back is something others can do."

Fan Wujiu immediately fell silent. After a few seconds, she stammered, "It shouldn't be that bad, right? That's just too unfair."

"If we're talking about what's not fair, it's that we were in the wrong first, and then someone filmed us and used us against us... I have an idea."

The two spoke in hushed tones, until it became a whisper that could not be heard by others.

Xie Bi'an's guess was correct.

Amanosaki has already caught more than a dozen fish weighing several kilograms each.

The explosion and flames certainly scared away many fish, but the stench of blood throughout the river undoubtedly attracted all sorts of fish from all around. At this moment, although there were countless four-clawed fish under the surface of the river, other fish were also feasting in the water.

Amanosaki uses Icarus to fish for edible fish, but if he catches a man-eating fish like the Four-clawed Scaled Fish, he kills it and throws the body away.

He was determined to get the second Queen Fish. There were few and far between these kinds of evil fish, like the Four-clawed Queen Fish, which were not very capable on their own but relied entirely on their offspring for support. They had plagued the Yangtze River for thousands of years and ravaged thousands of kilometers of waterways.

Controlling the weather?

Without the vast number of offspring, the power of a single Queen Fish would probably only be enough to create a light drizzle over a radius of a few kilometers.

Rough skin and thick flesh?

If it weren't for the countless people who rely on the fishing and transportation industries of the Yangtze River for their livelihood, and the countless people who drink the water from the Yangtze River basin, the government probably wouldn't mind dumping large quantities of poisons into the river or directly using bombs, missiles, or even more drastic means to clean up the mess, right?

Even the level of these queen fish themselves is only rated as above the hall level in the records of the heretical sects of [Heroes Mountain].

Amanosaki believed that the national publicity generated by publicly eliminating the Queen Fish in the previous few raids would be the greatest in this campaign.

It's still early today. The extinction order issued at the cost of the nation's honor will not be widely publicized because of a battle that is not yet over. He believes that official news will not start reporting until at least the vast majority of the four-clawed scale fish and all the queen fish in this basin have been cleared.

So Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujiu's Wuchang Guards spent half an hour searching for the Queen Fish on the river.

The four patrol boats only took half an hour to repair. Amanosaki and Icarus had recovered. One was picking his teeth, and the other was wiping a watermelon. They were lying on sun loungers drinking fish soup, waiting patiently for their target to appear.

It wasn't until the fish soup was ready that the blond-haired guy lying to the side finally got his meal—poor guy, he had painstakingly given instructions for so long, but most of the grilled fish had ended up in Icarus's bottomless pit.

Li Junzi was nowhere to be seen. Lin Shuyu said that because of his supernatural abilities, he was not worried about alcohol causing trouble, and that he was probably secretly drinking with a group of drunkards in some cabin.

As for Lin Shuyu herself, she was using a tablet to send and receive emails, summarizing information from the outside world while discussing follow-up matters with Amanosaki.

"Fengdu Province promised that the team dispatched this time would be the main force of the branch, and that Wuchangwei would be appropriately punished."

Amanosaki sipped the steaming hot crucian carp soup. The delicious, milky-white broth made every pore on his body relax. Icarus, standing beside him, also squinted his eyes, taking small sips of the delicious soup to aid digestion, and making soft, blissful slurping sounds.

Amanosaki affectionately ruffled Icarus's hair, as if giving a cat a massage, and asked, "What is the Impermanent Guardian? What is 'appropriate punishment'?"

Chapter 80: Escape

Faced with Amanosaki's humble request for advice, Lin Shuyu sighed and muttered, "I already said to finish the class before letting them go."

Then he began to educate Amanosaki about the Fengdu branch.

Just as Amanosaki and [Ideal Type] speculated, all the superpowers in this world originate from the emotions of living beings. Among them, humans, as the most intelligent of all beings, have the strongest emotions and desires, so they have the most superpowers born from human emotions.

However, because myths, legends, and strange tales vary from place to place, supernatural abilities exhibit regional differences around the world.

Fengdu Province and its branch are a relatively small but special province and branch organization, due to a legend that is famous throughout the country.

“Fengdu, the Ghost City.” Lin Shuyu rubbed her dry eyes from overusing her superpowers. “Since the establishment of Qunxia Mountain, China has begun its first nationwide, organized, and planned exploration of the birth and use of superpowers. Small provinces like Fengdu and Songshan were divided based on legends and stories.”

Icarus continued to sip his soup, making happy slurping sounds, which made Lin Shuyu's heart itch. She reached out to pinch Icarus's pouting cheeks as he drank the soup.

The girl raised her head alertly, her emerald green eyes staring at Lin Shuyu's hand like a cat's, her head swaying unconsciously from side to side as her hand moved.

Lin Shuyu could only awkwardly withdraw her hand and continue speaking dejectedly:

"For example, the heroes of the Songshan branch mostly rely on the path of acquired knowledge through the practice of Buddhism. Fengdu, with its legends of ghosts and gods and its cultural and architectural heritage of the underworld, produces heroes who, although mostly born with innate knowledge, are also largely inseparable from the legends of this land."

"The ability to see corpses, zombies, vampires, and even the 'traces' left by zombie activities that ordinary people cannot see; the ability to create items that can restrain vampires and other zombie-like evil spirits; and even the ability to reproduce some of the abilities of the underworld messengers in mythology, such as stealing people's life force and attacking their spirit."

"The Impermanent Guard on the river is actually the action department within the Fengdu branch responsible for capturing evil spirits and heretics within its jurisdiction, and interrogating and torturing criminals with superpowers. It's roughly similar to the Special Operations Section of our Yushan branch."

"I see."

Amanosaki nodded. "Are the chains they hold also some kind of supernatural ability?"

"Yes."

Amanosaki pointed curiously into the distance: "What kind of superpower is it that the chains are broken?"

"What broke?" Lin Shuyu tilted her head and asked in confusion.

Amano Saki tilted his head and looked at the girl in front of him with bloodshot eyes: "Literally, I saw the chains on their hands break, just like that."

The tablet suddenly refreshed with several red messages. Lin Shuyu frantically clicked on them, then took a deep breath.

"According to internal intelligence from the Fengdu branch, the Wuchang Guard has failed. The Queen Fish has escaped by diving into the Fengdu City sewer system."

"What kind of sewer is so amazing that it can fit a fish as big as a boat? Please tell me the construction company," Amanosaki earnestly asked. "I will definitely introduce it to the construction teams in my hometown. The sewers in front of my house are renovated every year because the capacity is not big enough."

“My great-uncle said it’s possible they deliberately let them escape.” Lin Shuyu tilted her head, her tone calm. “Do you still want me to recommend a construction company?”

"Definitely next time."

Amanosaki stood up, pulled up his pants which were bulging from his belly, and took Icarus's hand. "Come on, let's go digest our food."

“But the watermelon… is wilted.” Icarus held the watermelon in her arms, her eyes noticing that it was no longer as round as it had been.

The girl looked so wronged, just like a pitiful little cat. Lin Shuyu shamefully covered her forehead, repeatedly telling herself "she is the enemy" to restrain her urge to hug the girl and bury her head in the cat.

Amanosaki took the watermelon and placed it on the sun chair. He then took the sunglasses off the table and put them on the watermelon: "Mr. Watermelon's life is short. It can only accompany Icarus this far. There are still freshly made Mr. Watermelons in Fengdu City. We'll go there and find you a new one. How about letting this Mr. Watermelon bask in the sun?"

Icarus thought for a moment, nodded, and then reached his hands under Amanosaki's armpits, lifted him up, and launched him into the air.

"Tell Lao Li! We'll meet in Fengdu City—take it easy!" Amano Saki opened his mouth only to have a mouthful of cold wind rush in.

He was held between Icarus's legs like a watermelon that had been hugged earlier. Before his eyes, the boundaries of green, red, yellow, and black blocks of color melted and mixed into a paste. The world spun around him, and his head throbbed.

Icarus flapped its wings against the strong wind, its speed approaching the speed of sound, so much so that Amanosaki had to use enhancement magic to prevent himself from becoming the first unlucky one to be crushed by his own speed exceeding the speed of sound.

"I can't slow down, Watermelon-san is waiting for me."