The Ambush

"How is it?"

Rain poured from the sky, driven by the cold wind and leaving a chill wherever it touched.

Staring at the collapsed house before him, Shen Changchuan felt a heavy weight in his heart.

When he saw Han Qinhu emerge from the wreckage, he immediately asked.

"Three are dead. From our initial assessment, that beast took advantage of the night to crawl ashore from the river. It launched an attack from outside, much like the Water Arrow it used that day, and brought the house crashing down, killing the villagers resting inside along with it."

"We found only a few mangled remains. The rest were probably swept away by that beast."

"Although we have a patrol team in the village, the continuous rain has made the members much less vigilant and reduced the patrols' effectiveness. On top of that, the downpour obstructed their view, so they didn't notice the beast lying in wait."

Han Qinhu looked grim as he recounted the details of their investigation.

"That beast—it's probably become a monster!"

Han Qinhu couldn't help exclaiming.

Shen Changchuan said nothing.

But deep in his eyes,

a cold killing intent flashed.

The Crocodile Demon in the river had to be dealt with!

Just as people in his previous life said of man-eating beasts: once they had tasted human flesh, there was bound to be a second time, a third, and countless more after that!

This time

would only be the beginning.

He had to wipe it out in one stroke, once and for all!

Shen Changchuan had made up his mind.

"Grandfather, did you find where it came ashore, or the route it took?"

After thinking for a moment,

Shen Changchuan turned to Han Qinhu and asked.

Most wild animals had a habit of sticking to familiar paths.

When traveling through the wilderness, they tended to follow old routes they had already determined were safe.

Shen Changchuan didn't know whether the Demon Beasts in this world had the same habit.

But at the very least,

figuring out the beast's route would help him determine where the Crocodile Demon might appear next.

That would make it easier for him to set a trap or an ambush.

Han Qinhu shook his head, troubled.

"We looked, but the rain was too heavy. Water is streaming across the ground. Even if the beast left tracks, they've been washed away."

"We can't find a trace of it anywhere."

After more than half a month of rain, water had accumulated in layers across the ground, turning into rushing torrents that swept down the steeper slopes.

The grass along the riverbank had been flattened by the surging water.

Even if the Crocodile Demon had left tracks when it crawled ashore,

the torrential rain would have erased them.

Clearly, after searching the area,

Han Qinhu and the others had come up empty-handed.

Shen Changchuan furrowed his brow and fell into thought.

Silence settled over them once more.

"Changchuan, what do you think about moving the village up the mountain?"

"That beast is lurking somewhere in the water, watching us like a tiger eyeing its prey. The village is close to the river, and if it comes ashore to attack again, I'm afraid there'll be more casualties."

Han Qinhu suggested it with deep concern.

He had actually been considering this for a long time.

After their attempt to lure and kill the Crocodile Demon had failed,

Shen Changchuan had told him he couldn't do anything to the beast for now, but if it came ashore, he was certain he could drive it back.

Han Qinhu knew his grandson wasn't the sort to puff himself up and make empty boasts. He was always a practical man, so there was likely not a hint of falsehood in what he said.

But that had only made Han Qinhu more worried at the time.

Because his grandson Shen Changchuan had said that if the Crocodile Demon came ashore, he was certain he could drive it back,

not that he was certain he could kill it!

There was a world of difference

between the two!

If all he could do was drive the beast away, then even if they forced it back, it would come again.

Living on tenterhooks and standing guard every day

was no lasting solution.

He had been thinking of a way to deal with it ever since.

"If we move the village up the mountain, farther from Dawan River, then cut down all the vegetation nearby and post people at the village entrance, we'll be able to spot it in advance if it climbs ashore."

Han Qinhu put forward the solution he had spent so long considering.

But after thinking for a moment,

Shen Changchuan shook his head.

"With the rain pouring down and water covering the ground, it's incredibly difficult to move around. And the woods are full of Mountain Leeches. Building a new home for over two thousand people in such terrible conditions would probably cost dozens of lives."

"Let's not do that."

They could certainly force a relocation through.

But the cost would be too high,

and he wouldn't accept it.

"Grandfather, first gather the people and pick out the strongest and most physically fit. Have them prepare for battle. Also, find some hunters and have them set a few traps."

"I'll go look for the route that beast took after coming ashore."

Shen Changchuan spoke after a moment's thought. He had formed a rough plan and began giving his instructions.

Behind him, Han Qinhu opened his mouth,

as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing and quietly left.

Fine, they would do it this way for now.

If Changchuan had decided on it, he must have his reasons.

Still worried,

Han Qinhu went off to prepare as Shen Changchuan had instructed.

Meanwhile,

Shen Changchuan focused his mind. His eyes opened and closed, and a faint white glow bloomed in his pupils.

He activated his Spirit Eye Technique at the perfected level.

His vision shifted,

and Shen Changchuan seemed to enter another layer of the world.

He looked toward the collapsed house and the wisps of gray demonic aura lingering over the ground.

The slight furrow in his brow relaxed a little.

"As expected, a perfected Spirit Eye Technique can see the demonic aura that fellow left behind as it moved!"

"That's enough!"

Following the wisps of lingering demonic aura,

Shen Changchuan quickly found where the Crocodile Demon had come ashore, as well as the route it had taken along the way.

After committing the route to memory,

he looked out from the river embankment at the river, muddied and surging after so many days of rain,

then turned and left without lingering.

Time flew by,

and soon,

Han Qinhu had personally picked out the ten strongest among the more than two thousand villagers.

He equipped them all with heavy armor and a shield as tall as a man.

Together, they formed a force ready to fight at a moment's notice.

He also chose people with exceptionally keen eyesight and had them hide in elevated spots to watch the steep riverbank between Dawan Village and Dawan River.

At the same time,

ropes were laid across the Crocodile Demon's path, disguised as though they had been scattered by the rushing water,

but with a light pull on a mechanism hidden elsewhere, a large net would spring up at once.

Huge rocks, logs, and the like were placed in suitable positions.

If the Crocodile Demon attacked, they would at least be able to hinder it.

And in addition to setting traps,

Shen Changchuan had scattered some seeds beside the Crocodile Demon's route beforehand.

Everything was ready; all they needed was the right moment.

They would wait for the Crocodile Demon to walk right into their trap!

And yet,

three days and nights passed,

and nothing happened.

It was as if the Crocodile Demon had eaten its fill and gone quiet.

But Shen Changchuan wasn't in a hurry.

He sat cross-legged in the village hall,

meditating to restore his energy and keep himself in peak condition. He had thought through every possible contingency in his mind and quietly waited for news to arrive.