Water Bandits

The torrential rain poured down relentlessly, lashing the ground like a whip and driving the entire Black Water River forward.

Water droplets were splashing from the roof of the boat.

Liang Qu stood under the eaves of the boat, watching the raindrops fall into the low hills on both sides, washing down to form waterfalls.

Occasionally, trees collapse, uprooting rocks and yellow mud, which fall into the Black Water River, staining large areas with yellow mud, which is then diluted by the rapid current.

"The water level is dropping."

Liang Qu bowed its head, and several meters above the junction of the river and the mountain were bare rock walls, without any vegetation cover. This was not caused by a landslide in any one place; the boat had been in this state the whole way.

Despite the torrential rain, the water level of the Black Water River did not rise; instead, it dropped!

Such a large amount of rainfall could not simply disappear; there must have been another place to receive all Black Water River excess water, becoming the dumping ground.

The branching lightning disappeared.

Scout Awei flapped its wings, flashed in the sky, and flew down to the bow of the ship. It trembled its wings, shook off water droplets, and its two antennae on its forehead swayed gently.

Liang Qu's eyes flashed. "Is someone nearby?"

Awei shook his head.

Liang Qu took out a map and looked at it.

There were no villages or settlements marked nearby.

Who would run to the banks of the Black Water River during the flood? "Let's go see."

Awei rushed into the rain.

Areas with abundant water often have lush vegetation.

A small village nestled between two low hills.

The heavy rain and dense forest made it exceptionally secluded.

Using the poles to propel the raft through the water, the Sheepskin Raft crashed against the shore with the turbulent current.

Two men wearing straw raincoats jumped off the raft Shang An. One tied the rope tightly, while the other rushed into the small village and shouted.

Someone on the sentry post took off their straw hat and shouted, "What's all the noise about? Can't a person get some sleep?"

"Fish are coming! Fish are coming!"

"Fish?" The lookout pointed to the sky. "You're not mistaken, fish in this weather? With this heavy rain, are they using trees as boats?"

"Bullshit!" the man in the straw raincoat cursed. "My eyes are as bright as a candle; how could I have misjudged you all these years?"

The lookout sat up abruptly. "Big Fish or small fish?"

"Big Fish! I saw it clearly, there was a chestnut horse on the boat! It's worth at least that much!" The man in the straw raincoat held up two fingers.

There are quite a few.

The lookout quickly opened the door, let two men in straw raincoats in, and after a few shouts, the entire village quickly came to life.

"Master, master! A big Big Fish has come in!"

"Big Fish?" Lu Xinqing opened his eyes, puzzled by the sound of rain outside. "Has the rain stopped?"

"It didn't stop; we came despite the rain."

"Didn't it stop?" Lu Xinqing sat up in bed, grabbed a single garment and draped it over himself. "Explain yourself clearly."

"Zhang Shun and Guan Xian caught him; the two of them are waiting in the hall!"

The Black Water River flows swiftly, and the fish swim fast.

Lu Xinqing dared not be negligent.

"Walk!"

A dozen or so bandits swarmed into the hall.

Lu Xinqing slipped his arms into his sleeves and came out through a small door on the side to inquire about the details.

"Master, the rain was too heavy, and my brother and I couldn't see clearly. We only saw a chestnut horse kneeling in the middle of the small boat. I could tell from a distance that it was a fine horse, worth at least two hundred taels!"

Two hundred or so! The bandits were in an uproar.

"Are you sure it's a small boat?"

"I'm sure of it. You can't mistake the size of the boat. Who would carry such a fine horse on a small boat, especially a barge? It must be a horse trader in a hurry! He's just unlucky enough to run into a flood. Let's rob him, and we'll be done with it! Nobody will be able to find him!"

Guan Xian chimed in, "That's right, that's right, it must be horse traders! We need to get ready quickly, the current is too strong today, if we let him get through, we definitely won't be able to catch him!"

Lu Xinqing's mind was racing.

Being a river pirate isn't easy. If you're not strong enough, you can't attack big ships, so you can only rob small boats. And how much are small boats worth?

It's full of old fishermen, their bones aren't worth much even if they were sold.

Zhang Shun and Guan Xian, who knew nothing about horses, couldn't possibly tell whether a horse was good or bad.

Saying it was two hundred taels was definitely an exaggeration, as he was afraid of letting Big Fish slip away. In reality, Lu Xinqing was also so bored that he developed sores.

A horse can easily fetch at least several tens of taels of silver.

The knife in my hand is full of nicks and chips; I've been wanting to replace it for a long time.

Lu Xinqing did not hesitate.

"Calamity!"

"Alright!" The burly man next to Lu Xinqing waved his hand. "Brothers, cover yourselves and grab your weapons! Our boss recently mastered his martial arts, so let's test this guy's skills!"

"Good!"

"Rob his mother's!"

The bandits tied their face paint masks to their faces and rushed out of the small village.

They untied the Sheepskin Raft, clung to the ropes hanging from the trees, and waited in the bay.

Little did they know, Awei had seen everything from the dense forest and transmitted the words without changing a single syllable through their Mental Link.

A boat emerges from the heavy rain.

The pirates, who had been watching intently, were overjoyed when they spotted the red figure on the boat.

"It's a horse, it's a horse!"

"Boss, boss, what a horse! A fine horse!"

"I saw it!"

Lu Xinqing was also taken aback when he saw the red figure. The horse's aura was indeed different from other horses. No wonder Zhang Shun and Guan Xian said it was worth two hundred taels.

Two ignorant bumpkins.

Too little, at least three hundred taels!

Lu Xinqing's heart was burning with excitement.

As the boat drew closer, a figure suddenly appeared at the bow, his indigo-blue robe standing out conspicuously.

Some people questioned, "Why... does it look like an official's uniform?"

Zhang Shun was the first to report the news, was in no position to deny it. Upon hearing this, he stammered, "Official... official uniform? That's an official uniform?"

Lu Xinqing, the most capable and with the best eyesight, said, "The style is wrong. Black, uh, navy blue? There seems to be only a white stripe on the chest? Have you ever seen this kind of official robe before?"

Everyone was taken aback.

Yes, what kind of official robes are these?

The bandit, who had described the robes as resembling official attire, fell into deep thought, wondering to himself, "Could it be that I've remembered it wrong?"

Zhang Shun cursed, "Damn it, you scared me, kid! What kind of official robes are these? They're just a bunch of gaudy brocade clothes!"

Guan Xian added fuel to the fire, "Even a seventh-rank official like the County Magistrate has a large boat when he travels. He's really just a lowly official. He can only hold out for Second Barrier, what's there to be afraid of?"

"That's right, look at him, sitting on a small boat, a stranger from out of town!"

The bandits wholeheartedly agreed.

The Black Water River is swift, and the Black Awning Boat and sampans used in other counties are prone to capsizing. Locals mostly use Sheepskin Raft, which are both fast and stable.

The other party didn't use Sheepskin Raft; he was a complete outsider! He had no connections! Everyone chimed in, trying to persuade each other to stay.

"Guan Xian is right, everyone, don't be afraid!"

Lu Xinqing gave a low shout and pressed his palm against the rock wall.

"Claws are the surplus of tendons, teeth are the surplus of bones, hair is the surplus of blood, and tongue is the surplus of flesh. These are the four extremities of the human body! The Four Extremities Body Refining Art that I have learned is the unique Dharma Gate of the Pan Mountain Martial Hall in Hua Zhu County! Now I have mastered the tendons and extremities! My nails are as strong and sharp as swords, capable of piercing the chest and digging out the heart with ease. Below the four gates, there is hardly a match for me!"

After speaking, Lu Xinqing grabbed the stone with his fingers and crushed it into small pieces in front of everyone. The pale yellow lime powder floated out, but was enveloped by the damp steam and disappeared without a trace.

The bandits' morale soared upon seeing this!

The little horse trader is easily caught by the boss!

Once the boat had moved thirty feet, several Sheepskin Raft burst forth from the bay like dumplings, surging forward.

Before they could reach the boat, the bowstring snapped, and an arrow pierced the rain, burst through the Water Mist, and struck the Sheepskin Raft.

Boom! The arrow flashed with lightning, and all the dozen or so sheepskins under the raft exploded.

The three bandits screamed and fell into the water, disappearing into the torrent.

The remaining twelve bandits stood frozen in place.

I was at a loss.