novelraw Chapter 235: To subdue the river dragon, one must first transform into a dragon.
Chapter 235: To subdue the river dragon, one must first transform into a dragon.
The clamor of Khan el-Khalili market and the distant prayer calls from the mosque minarets intertwined to form the unique soundscape of the Nile River's banks.
However, this vitality belonging to the Surface World did not permeate into the I.A.R.C. Cairo Second Branch.
Since Lin Jie and his group were retrieved from the Hall of Light in Luxor, a heavy aura of death had shrouded this stronghold.
In the branch's medical room, William's final injury diagnosis report was placed before Lin Jie.
The Egyptian native healers from the Royal Court had done their utmost.
Those ancient herbs and secret techniques passed down for millennia had stabilized William's vital signs and were rapidly beginning to repair his shattered bones and torn muscle tissue.
But the core conclusion of the Association's report consisted of only one line written in bright red ink, appearing exceptionally conspicuous.
"Heterogeneous spiritual energy invasion, entrenched in the internal organs, cannot be dispersed, cannot be cured."
That "penetrating force" originating from the 【Nine-Bend Yellow River】 had bypassed all frontal resistance from bones and muscles, directly drilling into the softest and most vulnerable interior of William's body, and had taken root there.
It did not consume life force, nor did it release any form of toxin.It simply flowed.
Day after day, it simulated the relentless, rushing trajectory of the Yellow River's waters over and over again between William's internal organs.
Each flow was a micro-waterboarding at the cellular level.
It was using a cruel and torturous method to gradually dismantle the life foundation of this iron-blooded veteran from the inside out.
All healers from the Cairo Branch and the Royal Court were helpless against this type of damage from a different power system.
William, this I.A.R.C. fourth-level elite Investigator, thus became the Association's first-ever recorded "patient zero" severely wounded by an Eastern UMA's power.
Unlike the heavy atmosphere in the medical room, another room in the branch, temporarily converted into an operations and communications center, presented a scene of anxious yet highly efficient busyness.
Ethan had fulfilled his promise.
He had poured all his energy into constructing that "private intelligence network" spanning the globe.
Three of the most advanced Hermes Ether Communication Arrays urgently dispatched from London Headquarters were operating around the clock in the room, their crisp "click-clack" sounds rising and falling incessantly.
Countless encrypted telegrams written in complex codes converged from all corners of the world, only to be swiftly screened, identified, and categorized by Ethan's eyes, which had once only known how to appreciate fine wine and jewelry.
For the first time, he experienced how difficult it was to transform his family's vast financial resources into precise and effective intelligence.
Ninety percent of the delivered intelligence was useless information.
There was a local ruler from the Indian countryside who claimed to have unearthed an "Osiris statue" that could resurrect the dead, asking for five hundred thousand pounds, only for it to be confirmed as a common gilded burial object.
There was an antique dealer from Constantinople who claimed to possess a page of papyrus supposedly torn from the "Book of Thoth," recording secrets of rebirth, which Julian exposed as a medieval alchemist's forgery.
There were even "adventurers" from the United States of America who sent telegrams saying they had caught a talking "dragon" in the Mississippi swamps, hoping to make a deal with the Redgrave family.
Fraudulent lies, rumors based on hearsay, and worthless gossip formed an ocean of information threatening to drown Ethan.
But he did not give up.
This former playboy displayed astonishing concentration, learning at a rapid pace how to become a qualified "logistics director."
Ethan worked tirelessly, forgetting to eat and sleep, processing that massive amount of information. His judgment grew sharper with each screening and each deception he encountered, and his instructions became concise and efficient.
Although valuable leads were still scarce, an invisible web woven in the name of "Redgrave" had slowly begun to spread over the entire inner world of the globe.
That very afternoon, just as Ethan was fuming over a piece of false intelligence from Sicily about a "holy relic of the Queen of the Underworld," a branch guard entered, looking tense.
"Mr. Redgrave, the High Priest of the Horus Court has come in person."
Ethan's brow furrowed.
He put down the telegram draft in his hand and walked quickly to the branch's reception room.
The old man, his face covered in golden divine tattoos, stood alone before a huge tapestry depicting the Nile's flooding, seemingly lost in thought.
He was not wearing the ornate priestly robes symbolizing power, only a simple white linen garment, yet the majestic aura emanating from his ancient bloodline had not diminished.
"It seems the loss of the divine artifact has caused considerable trouble for both you and the ancient organization behind you," Ethan's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
He still held no goodwill towards this old man who had used them as "pawns" and "pathfinding stones."
The High Priest turned and met Ethan's gaze.
"Heir of the Redgrave family, you are not wrong. For this, the Court has already paid a great price to repair the disturbed spiritual balance."
He paused, then continued:
"But I am not here today to assign blame."
"Because compared to a lost inanimate object, I am more concerned about... the living thing brought by that Easterner."
"Living thing?" Ethan asked, puzzled.
"Yes." The High Priest's expression grew solemn. "A contamination."
He slowly paced to the center of the reception room.
"Egypt's inner world, and indeed the entire power system of the Nile River basin, is built upon the cycle of sun and earth, birth and death. It is like the Nile beneath our feet, with its fixed ebb and flow, its eternal, unchanging laws."
"And that Easterner, the power he brings is a heterogeneous species completely opposite to our entire power system."
"It belongs neither to the sun nor to the earth. It is more like a river from the distant Eastern continent."
"When the power of this 'river' is injected into our 'river' system, what it triggers is a catastrophic spiritual invasion!"
Ethan's heart tightened. He immediately thought of William's incurable internal injuries.
"You mean..."
"Correct." The High Priest saw through his thoughts and gave the answer directly. "Your companion, Sergeant Keen, his body has now become the main battlefield where these two different forces conflict and repel each other."
"The reason our healers are helpless is not because their skills are lacking, but because all the treatment methods they use, whether herbal or divine, essentially belong to the 'Nile River' power system. Using the power of the 'river' to heal wounds caused by the 'river' will only intensify the conflict between the two, making the battlefield within his body even more brutal."
This diagnosis made Ethan's expression turn grim.
At that moment, Lin Jie and Julian, having heard the news, also hurried to the reception room.
Lin Jie had heard the High Priest's entire "river theory" discourse.
He stepped forward and gave a slight nod to the High Priest. "High Priest, since you can see the essence of the problem, do you also know the method to solve it?"
The High Priest's gaze lingered on Lin Jie for a moment, complex emotions flashing in his eyes.
He seemed to harbor a contradictory attitude of both wariness and appreciation towards this young man who also had "heterogeneous divinity" fused within his body.
"A method... may exist." He pondered for a long time before slowly speaking. "In the Court's ancient text, the 'Register of Foreign Threats,' there is a specific record of an Eastern creature capable of inflicting similar damage."
"They call it the 'River Jiao.'"
"According to the text's description, the River Jiao is a powerful creature living in the rivers of the Eastern continent. Its spiritual nature is aggressive and assimilative, opposite to the balanced and cyclical forces of our Nile River basin. Any creature wounded by its power will begin to rot and collapse from the inside, as if injected with heterogeneous blood."
"This is an irreversible spiritual invasion."
This cruel diagnosis shattered the hope Julian had just ignited, and Ethan's expression turned even grimmer.
Lin Jie's mind raced at this moment.
Since this power originated from his homeland, perhaps the solution was also hidden there.
He did not press the High Priest further, inferring that the old man had likely said all he knew.
"I understand." Lin Jie nodded. "Thank you for the information, High Priest."
Having said that, he did not linger, turning and walking straight towards the communications center.
"Lin, what are you doing?" Seeing this, Ethan quickly followed.
"Sending a telegram." Lin Jie said without looking back. "To London. To find the 'businessman' who knows the East best."
Five minutes later.
An urgent telegram was sent via the ether communication array operating at full power to that financial city perpetually shrouded in fog.
"To Mr. Wang Qingnian: Investigate all information on the Eastern UMA River Jiao immediately, especially its nemesis and weaknesses. This intelligence concerns the entire strategic layout of Headquarters in Europe and Africa. Lin Jie."
The content of this letter was a carefully crafted lie by Lin Jie.
He knew that the only way to make that shrewd "financial agent" give his all was to make him believe this matter was closely tied to the Association's plans.
In less than three hours.
A detailed reply telegram, dozens of times longer than Lin Jie's, was printed out accompanied by the "click-clack" sound. Wang Qingnian's efficiency was astonishingly high.
Lin Jie snatched the telegram paper, his eyes quickly scanning the dense text.
The beginning of the telegram still contained Wang Qingnian's signature affable, business-like pleasantries, but the subsequent content became professional and grave.
"Mr. Lin, the matter you inquire about is of extraordinary importance. According to my urgent inquiry with the leader of the Association's contracted organization in Hong Kong, 'Zhengyi,' the conclusion drawn is disquieting."
"The River Jiao is a legendary 'pseudo-dragon' with the ability to summon wind and rain. Its nature is lustful, greedy, evil, and holds grudges over the slightest offense."
"Its spiritual power is called 'Turbid Water.' This water is not ordinary water but the materialization of worldly greed, anger, and filthy energies. Once it enters the body, it adheres and does not leave."
Lin Jie's eyes skipped directly over these descriptions, locking onto the final line of the telegram.
It was an ancient adage, the only one given by that "Zhengyi" leader after consulting numerous ancient texts.
"Regarding its weakness, the leader only left these eight characters."
Lin Jie raised the telegram paper, displaying it to everyone present.
Written there in bold ink were the words:
"To lock the River Jiao, one must first transform into a dragon."
"Transform into a dragon?" Julian looked utterly bewildered.
The moment Lin Jie saw this phrase, a flash of insight struck his mind. He turned to look at the confused Ethan.
"Ethan!" His tone was somewhat urgent. "Have your intelligence network immediately stop searching for all information about Osiris and rebirth!"
Ethan was puzzled by this sudden instruction.
"Why? Isn't that..."
"Change direction!" Lin Jie directly cut him off. "From now on, concentrate all resources on a single target."
He walked to the huge world map and pointed his finger heavily on the vast region representing the Eastern continent.
"Search!"
"Search for all Eastern spiritual materials that share the same origin as that River Jiao, or that can counter it!"
"Fight poison with poison!" Julian's eyes lit up. He instantly understood Lin Jie's intention. "Use the power belonging to the 'river' to neutralize and guide the other 'river' power!"
Although Ethan remained half-skeptical of this set of Eastern mystical theories, looking into Lin Jie's eyes filled with confidence and resolve, he ultimately chose to trust.
He nodded and quickly walked back to the communications room.
Soon, a series of new instructions were sent via ether radio waves to every corner of the world.
The Redgrave family's vast intelligence network, after weeks of probing, finally had its first clear search direction.