Danger Lurks Beneath the Calm River

May 21st, the expansion plan officially began.

He Qishun and Ma Tianxing each led a team, setting off from different directions toward Hehe County.

Since the Trade Team led by Ma Tianxing were veterans at pioneering routes to the county seat, the several captains previously observed acting suspiciously had all joined Ma Tianxing's team this time.

Ma Tianxing had already been briefed on the general situation and knew that the suspected individuals were within his ranks, yet he set out with his team as usual.

Upon reaching a location relatively close to where the high-level Beast General monster had previously been spotted, Ma Tianxing's group finally discovered a small path during their continuous search that might be heading in the right direction. It was possible this path could bypass the monster's territory, though the surrounding woods severely obstructed their vision, making it difficult to see where the path ended.

While advancing cautiously, Ma Tianxing suggested, "If this path leads into Ming Township, we must prepare in advance to intercept those monsters. Captain Lai, did you bring the landmines I asked you to carry?"

Captain Lai, who was following Ma Tianxing's team, patted the pack on his back and said, "They're all in our packs; we can take them out at any time."

Ma Tianxing rubbed his chin, his gaze deepening as he said, "If houses appear ahead, your squad will stay behind to plant landmines on the road, mark them, and set up an ambush on both sides."

"Understood." Captain Lai immediately retreated to his own team and began assigning tasks.

Following this, at Ma Tianxing's signal, the other three captains gathered around him. Ma Tianxing instructed, "You three teams will follow me. We will form a cone formation to quickly scout the surroundings of any houses we encounter. We'll determine the extent of the residential area, and if it's clearly not Ming Township, we will disperse to search. Once it is confirmed to be Ming Township, we must retreat immediately—no hesitation."

Upon receiving the orders, the three captains followed closely behind Ma Tianxing and did not stray.

Led by Ma Tianxing, half an hour after finding the small path, the group finally emerged from the woods. What they saw was not a residential area, but a river over three meters wide. This river was the Ning River, one of the two that ran through Hehe County, and this spot was where the Ning River was still relatively narrow.

The name of Hehe County originated from the confluence of two rivers: one was Qing Creek and the other was the Ning River. The county seat was situated exactly at the junction, where the width reached over eighty meters.

This discovery delighted Ma Tianxing and his group, as following this river downstream would inevitably lead them to Hehe County.

However, was the decision to follow the river to Hehe County truly wise?

The truth was, since the beginning of the disaster, Ma Tianxing's group had never been near any large rivers, and thus had not encountered the massive number of monsters lurking within them, as small creeks and streams could not hide many beasts.

As the group traveled along the river, it grew wider and deeper, gradually becoming so deep that the bottom was no longer visible.

Tian Ming, an excellent scout in Ma Tianxing's team, glanced at the water surface from time to time.

Suddenly, her expression changed. She stared fixedly at the water; a ripple had inexplicably appeared just a moment ago. Although it calmed down quickly, it had been spotted by Tian Ming.

Tian Ming immediately moved to intercept the entire team and shouted, "Everyone, stay away from the riverbank! There is danger in the water."

Because of Tian Ming's consistently reliable scouting, all the Trade Team members quickly retreated from the bank, but the members of the other exploration teams who had joined temporarily were a beat slower.

Suddenly, a long tongue shot out from the river, wrapping around the member closest to the bank and dragging him into the water before anyone could react, splashing up a wave.

Within a few minutes, the bubbling sound ceased, and everyone understood that the team member was beyond saving.

The expressions of the group turned grim, especially those of Ma Tianxing and the captain of the squad the victim belonged to.

The group continued to push forward with lingering fear, but this time they were more vigilant, keeping a distance from the riverbank and constantly monitoring the surface.

After walking another hundred meters or so, there was movement in the river again. This time, it wasn't just a few bubbles; the surface seemed to boil as a large volume of bubbles emerged.

Within seconds, a massive toad leaped from the water, followed by a swarm of smaller toads only four or five times larger than the ones they were used to.

A chorus of croaking filled the air, leaving everyone in the team feeling agitated and distressed.

Ma Tianxing immediately judged that this battle was unavoidable. He gripped his twin axes and assumed a combat stance.

Through maneuvering, Ma Tianxing was pleasantly surprised to find that this toad likely only had the strength of a low-level Beast General, which he could handle, while the smaller toads were likely only at the level of mid-level Beast Soldiers, posing no threat to their team.

By overwhelming them with superior strength, the monster group was wiped out in just over ten minutes.

Upon dissecting the largest toad, they recovered the remains of their fallen member. At this point, the body was barely recognizable as human, as the facial features and more had been corroded by potent stomach acid.

The group had no choice but to dig a pit on the spot to bury the member, placing a simple carved stone at the head of the grave.

Ma Tianxing looked at the bottomless river, feeling a growing sense of unease. He did not brush this concern aside; instead, he chose the safest course of action: to abandon the plan of following the river, return to base, and prepare thoroughly before seeking a new route.

This decision caused dissatisfaction among the three captains who hoped to harvest more resources, and they stepped forward, using various arguments to dissuade Ma Tianxing and urging him to continue along the path.

Ma Tianxing had no choice but to agree, though he set two conditions: his own team must remain at the position furthest from the riverbank, and they must retreat immediately if they found themselves unable to break through.

Although the three captains were reluctant, they realized the morale within their teams was not as unified as before. If they didn't secure more resources quickly to stabilize their people, their plans would soon collapse, so they agreed immediately.

The conditions of the river were indeed as Ma Tianxing had predicted; it would no longer remain calm. They encountered an attack every few hundred meters, and the intensity of these attacks grew stronger.

By the time they had traveled three kilometers, the strength of the monsters they encountered had already reached the level of three low-level Beast Generals.

Yet, at this moment, they also saw the silhouette of the county seat far ahead. This made them completely unwilling to abandon the plan to push forward, while only Ma Tianxing remained anxious throughout the journey, glancing back at the path they had come from every now and then.