The old boatman took the Spirit Stone Jiang Fan handed him and said with a smile, "Little girl, this Yunmeng Great Swamp isn't as peaceful as Tangqi Town!"
"It's extremely dangerous in there!"
"Without a Boat Valve to open the way, you won't get far before you're sucked into the mire!"
"And without local boatmen like us to guide you, even someone very powerful might get lost in this great swamp!"
The little girl looked unconvinced. She puffed out her cheeks, ready to argue.
Seeing this, Jiang Fan quickly held her back.
"Enough!"
"I know you could pass through very easily!"
"But riding a Boat Valve is also part of the fun!"
"Let's listen to the boatman!"
"Don't worry. I've got plenty of money to buy you food!"
Only then did the little girl answer unwillingly.
"Fine!"
The Boat Valve slowly left the dock.
It broke through the thick mist and advanced toward the depths of Yunmeng Great Swamp.
This Boat Valve was shaped like a flat skiff, about ten feet wide and less than thirty feet long. Its entire body was built from pitch-black spirit wood, and its surface was covered in pale-blue runes.
Now, driven by the old boatman's spiritual power, the runes glowed faintly, forming a layer of light that enveloped the hull and carried it steadily over the swamp.
Jiang Fan stood at the bow, his green robes fluttering in the wind.
The little girl sat by the gunwale, her small legs swinging. From time to time, she reached her little hand into the murky water to stir it around, as if she were interested in everything.
"Little girl, don't!"
The old boatman hurriedly warned her.
"Beneath this great swamp, there are some nameless creatures!"
"If you stick your limbs outside, you may be attacked!"