Direct Confrontation!

The Great Marsh stretches endlessly.

The strange fish formed a large group and steadily explored southward, their numbers increasing over time.

A small number of them lagged behind, moving slowly. They were covered in wounds, some from blunt force injuries, some from sharp force injuries, and some even had bits of metal stuck in their plate armor.

In the battle with the Frog Clan patrol, the Iron Head Fish's scout team did not gain much advantage and suffered some casualties.

The Big Frog, equipped with its new weapon, was unexpectedly ferocious.

Among the four pillars, the Iron Head Fish, which has always been the best fighter, was at a disadvantage, resulting in both sides being injured.

Despite his dizzy head, Iron Hero, whose plate armor had shattered into three pieces, struggled to maintain his composure and carefully surveyed the terrain.

"Continue south. I remember there's a Canyon Crevice about eighty miles ahead. Frog Clan patrols often roam around this area. The location of the strange phenomenon is very likely there!"

The strange fish set off in a grand and spectacular manner.

Several high-ranking officials from the River Conservancy Office are currently holding friendly talks with the Frog Clan and the Dragon Man Tribe.

After drawing the Ink Array, Liang Qu, which had gained an advantage, was bathed in the setting sun and faced the Great Marsh.

He rested his arms on the ship's railing, gazing at the soaring seabirds, while happily shoveling Fried Fish Rice.

After a few days, he discovered that the ship's cook was only so-so at making ordinary meals, but surprisingly good at cooking fish.

Fresh Bullhorn Pomfret are cleaned by removing the head and tail, leaving only the thick, fatty middle section.

The fish bones are fried until crispy and fragrant, then put into a pot to make soup. The fish meat is lightly fried until the oil is released, then minced and mixed with rice. It is steamed with little water until it is firm.

Finally, pour on the golden-yellow fish bone soup and top with a layer of crispy fried fish skin. The taste is extremely fresh and sweet!

Rice soaked in soup is hard to digest, but it tastes so good.

Due to limited freezing capabilities, vegetables and meat stored in ice cellars gradually wilt, while only fish, caught fresh daily, remain sufficiently fresh and taste even better.

Bit off half of the fish skin, and let the other half soak in the soup, absorbing all the fish juice. It has a chewy texture, and Liang Qu eats a big mouthful of rice.

Whoosh!

Several splashes of water were heard.

Xu Yuelong, Wei Lin, Zuo Heng emerged from the water one after another, grabbed the ropes thrown from the boat, boarded the boat, and gathered everyone.

Liang Qu cleaned up the food in two or three mouthfuls, put away the empty plates, and went forward to join the fun.

"It's done?"

"It's done!" Xu Yuelong took off his hair bun, wrung out his hair, and tossed it behind his head. "It was easier than I thought. The Dragonfolk people basically obey the Elder and have no objections. It will take them some time to prepare the supplies, which is perfect since our Old Ice hasn't been delivered yet."

"What about the Frog Clan?"

"Same here. The Southern Frog are easier to talk to than I thought. After all, they get their share in full, and it doesn't matter who they work with. The leader is a Yellow-skinned Spotted Great Frog, I estimate he's at the peak of the Great Martial Master level."

He's quite powerful, claiming to be Frog Clan Guerrilla General, perhaps only one step away from becoming Great Demon. However, for some reason, the weapons used by the Frog Clan are rather strange... they're all anchors.

Xu Yuelong paused, his gaze falling on Liang Qu.

Liang Qu scratched his head, feigning surprise. "Anchor?"

"That ' Mountain Character Anchor ' you invented is almost a standard weapon for frogs, just like our Profound Water Trident. It comes in all sorts of materials. Oh well, maybe the Frog Clan just find our anchors novel and interesting."

Xu Yuelong changed the subject, "Zhong Shi, go and call all our people over, give them each a tag, and form a team after they receive their tags. Our mission is to patrol the northeastern part of the valley with the Dragonfolk and block the vanguard of the Iron Head Fish."

"Good!"

Ran Zhongshi turned and left, picking up his Great Hammer hammer and striking the Cloud Plate.

Numerous soldiers and personnel quickly assembled.

"Everyone come and get your Waist Token! One for each person, and you absolutely cannot lose them! If you lose one, you'll need three more guarantors to board the ship. If anything goes wrong, you'll be held jointly liable! Do you understand?"

"Clear!"

"Okay, line up to collect! One yuan per person, no proxy collection allowed! Names must be registered!"

Liang Qu approached his Master.

"Is this Waist Token for protection against the Ghost Mother Sect?"

Yang Dongxiong nodded. "The Spirit Pattern Wood is not expensive, but it is rare and hard to find. It is difficult to imitate in a short time using only the material."

The Demon Subduing Division and the Three Laws Department have a large number of personnel. Although they cooperate regularly, their subordinates rarely meet and have limited mutual acquaintances, making them vulnerable to being taken advantage of. Creating Waist Token would facilitate the identification of friend from foe.

Liang Qu nodded.

Frogs and Dragonfolk do not need similar tokens, and it is difficult to change one's race by disguising oneself.

The men on the ten large ships were different; they were indistinguishable from the Ghost Mother Sect members in appearance.

Liang Qu received a Waist Token with the number 1023 on the front, along with a few patterns, but nothing else.

Other Lineage members receive the same treatment.

Distribution complete.

"Alright!" Ran Zhongshi stepped onto the platform, extended one hand, and made Fist. "Now, according to the first number on your Waist Token, everyone gather on the corresponding large ship! This ship is number one, and the others will be number two, three, four, five..."

The crowd was in a chaotic state, initially like headless flies, but they quickly followed the instructions and boarded the corresponding boats.

Stand still.

Liang Qu looked around to the left and right.

There were only colleagues from the River Conservancy Office on both sides. The team leader was Xu Yuelong. I didn't see my Master or my senior brothers and sisters.

"Patrol in two teams! Odd numbers are the main teams, even numbers are the secondary teams, proceed in formation!"

Two teams per group? Liang Qu turned around.

Waterbirds soar low, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

A layer of somber crimson flowed across the deck, long, slanted shadows swaying and overlapping.

Xu Zishuai on the second boat jumped onto the railing and waved to himself. Lu Gang nodded slightly. Hu Qi looked at the waist Waist Token, chatted with Xiang ChangSong and others, noticed Liang Qu's gaze, and raised his hand along with several senior brothers.

Liang Qu grinned.

Hey! We're together again.

Since the incident with the Mountain Ghost, I haven't really acted together with my fellow disciples much.

Waterbirds darted between the masts, flying towards the Great Marsh, undulating marshland.

"Take it all, these are things that can save your life."

Ran Zhongshi picked up the medicine bucket and walked across the deck to distribute the pills.

"Three bottles per person: Healing Pill, Qi Recovery Pill, and Water Aversion Pill. Make sure you read the names carefully so you don't take the wrong one at a critical moment. If you need more, you can pay for it yourself. If you have any special needs, just let me know."

Every collective operation incurs a huge logistical expense.

Of the 500,000 taels earned from selling ice, I estimate I'll put a little bit into it.

Liang Qu held the medicine bottle in his hand and put the pills into his own dental braces one by one.

A tense and solemn atmosphere permeated the air silently.

Ran Zhongshi jumped onto the mast and shouted loudly.

"Martial Artist of Galloping Horse and below should stay on the boat as much as possible, avoid going into the water, follow orders, and may use the boat crossbow for auxiliary attacks."

If you absolutely must go into the water, first take a Water Aversion Pill. It can help extend your underwater activity time. You will be safe until it completely dissolves.

When we encounter the Northern Fish, our main objective is to injure it. If we can fight, we fight; if we can't, we run away. Call for help, call for frogs. Don't get carried away. If you kill the fish, you won't get any military merit!

So don't try to fight to the death; conserve your energy and strength! Try to control the intensity of the fight. Having a spare breath in a critical moment can save your life!

After Ran Zhongshi finished speaking, Xu Yuelong jumped in to continue.

"I reiterate that our purpose here is to join forces with the Dragonfolk and the Frog Clan to prevent the Northern Fish from competing for the extraordinary spiritual energy! Therefore, we will surround them without breaking through, weakening them rather than eliminating them! With our limited manpower, we cannot eliminate them, and even if we could, we would pay a heavy price, which is not worthwhile! It would also attract the attention of Great Demon! At that point, the situation would become complicated!"

Most people responded reasonably well, but many Lineage members were lazy and their responses were sparse.

Ran Zhongshi and Xu Yuelong ignored them completely. Since they were all mixed together and acting in unison, they gave a few instructions and the ten large ships set off to help the River Dolphin move towards the east side of the valley.

Night fell.

The ship was quiet and dark.

Lighting a fire on the water won't illuminate what's underwater, and it's more likely to attract the enemy's attention.

After a brief exchange with the Dragonfolk they met, they finalized the cooperation plan.

Ran Zhongshi stayed on the boat with some of the River Dolphin.

Xu Yuelong and Yang Dongxiong led the two groups of Wolf Smoke and a group of River Dolphin, boarding a small boat to follow the Dragonfolk and search for traces of the strange fish.

The Dragonfolk are responsible for underwater patrols, while the others are responsible for following them on the surface.

In case of any situation, we are ready to go into the water to provide armed support and make the most of each other's advantages.

The two sides took the initiative to meet.

Liang Qu, who was following behind his Master, soon encountered a group of Iron Head Fish Vanguard.

"This is much bigger than the Iron Head Fish we encountered last time..."

The underwater lighting is dim.

Liang Qu hid behind the rocks and lit his Golden Eye, which allowed him to clearly observe the appearance of the strange fish, each of which was about the same size as the Fat Catfish.

The leader was even more peculiar, its appearance completely different from that of the ordinary Iron Head Fish; instead, it had hands and feet and dragged a large tail!

A demon that can transform into a human!

Liang Qu suddenly remembered the Sturgeon Fish Demon he had encountered.

The one in front of me is clearly much more skilled; he's not some amateur.

"Master, Brother Yue Long, shall we go up?"

Yang Dongxiong looked at Xu Yuelong. He was an even number, so the decision rested with the team leader.

Xu Yuelong did not hesitate for long.

"Go for it. It's just a fish demon, why not go for it? Weaken it as much as possible, and the sooner we fight it, the easier it will be."