The path along the shore grew narrower and narrower.
Li Zhiyao and the other five held their breath, using the heavy fog as cover as they crept along the narrow path by the bank toward the old man's figure.
They were afraid that making too much noise would scare off the water demon.
"If we complete this mission, I'll be able to join Brother Yuan Xu's squad."
As Li Zhiyao watched the old man draw closer and closer, a faint excitement stirred in her heart, and her grip around the sword in her hand tightened.
Water-Scab Old Man was a peak first-rank monster, equivalent to a second-layer Skin-and-Flesh Realm martial artist. Against a first-layer Sinews-and-Bones Realm martial artist like her, it should have been no challenge at all.
"Captain, I have this uneasy feeling. Did we overlook something?"
Remembering how he had accidentally stepped into the water earlier, Yin An's right eyelid twitched wildly. He could not shake the feeling of unease.
"You're overthinking it. It's just a water demon..."
The six continued onward. The water demon was clearly right before them, yet for some reason, no matter how they walked, they could not close the distance.
They walked for nearly half an hour.
Gurgle... gurgle...
At almost the same moment, all six clearly heard the sound of flowing water by their ears.
Then came an icy, bone-piercing chill from beneath their feet.
"We... we..." Li Zhiyao looked dazed.
Yin An, behind her, suddenly cried out, "C-Captain! Why are we in the water?!"
"W-Water... weren't we chasing the water demon along the shore?" Li Zhiyao lowered her head.
The next second, her face went deathly pale.
The current, mixed with mud, had somehow already risen past the waists of all six. Its heavy, frigid sensation rapidly crawled up their bodies.