Guarding the River, Acting Without Orders!

The short, stout man who had been standing some distance away was now smiling and approaching.

"My name is Sun Ran. You can call me Fatty Sun. I Captain in the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division. I have been with the division for three years and Late Liquid Condensation."

He introduced himself familiarly, then lowered his voice.

"Brother, which prefecture are you from? Judging by your bearing, you don't seem to be from an ordinary background."

Yang Xiao glanced at him and said calmly, "Xiangyun County, Yang Xiao."

"Xiangyun County?"

Sun Mao was taken aback. Even though he knew Qingzhou very well, it took him some time to find this small county in the cracks.

"Hehe, what a great place! I've been wanting to go there for a long time!"

At this moment, a gaze also fell upon the group on the left; it was Li Mao, the leader of the aristocratic scions.

He approached and looked Yang Xiao up and down, a hint of scrutiny flashing in his eyes.

"Li Mao, from the Li Lineage of Blackwood Commandery."

He spoke, his tone indifferent, carrying a hint of the reserve typical of scions of prominent families.

"Which Lineage do you belong to, sir?"

Yang Xiao glanced at him and calmly said, "No Lineage."

"Ah, I understand."

Li Mao raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly somewhat surprised, and without saying anything more, turned and returned to his own group.

In their brief conversation, they both understood each other implicitly.

"Quiet down!"

Ye Jinkai's voice rang out, interrupting everyone's conversation.

"The tasks have been assigned."

He looked around at everyone, his tone solemn.

"The Guanlan River has a complex waterway with numerous tributaries. Jiang Chen and Flood Dragon Lord are hiding in the river and being watched by the Deputy General, but it is hard to guarantee that no Water Demon will escape through the tributaries."

"You twenty men will be responsible for guarding the mouth of the Green Creek River where it flows into the Yangtze River."

"Your mission is to block the river. Report Demon Traces immediately. Do not act without authorization."

Ye Jinkai paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Did you understand?"

"Clear!"

The crowd responded in unison.

Half an hour later, the twenty people arrived at the mouth of the Qingxi River where it flows into the Yangtze River.

This is a remote rural area with a river about thirty feet wide, and reeds growing on both banks for several miles.

At the mouth of the river, there is an abandoned dock with a few dilapidated thatched huts scattered among it.

"We'll stay here."

"The thatched huts can be used for living or for setting up camp nearby. You can assign people to take turns on guard duty."

Ye Jinkai pointed to the dock, then exchanged glances with several Captain at the Liquid Condensation Realm, "Report any abnormalities immediately."

"Squad Leader."

As the person with the highest cultivation level and the deepest seniority here, Fatty Sun immediately responded with a cupped-hand salute.

Ye Jinkai nodded and turned to leave.

Although he was the Squad Leader, he also arranged for about ten people to guard the area, so he couldn't stay here forever.

Night fell.

The twenty people were scattered throughout the thatched huts and the dock, gathering in twos and threes.

Yang Xiao found a relatively intact thatched hut, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.

In the courtyard, Li Mao and several scions of prominent families gathered together, talking in hushed tones, occasionally glancing in Yang Xiao's direction.

"Brother Mao, who is this Yang Xiao?"

A Captain asked in a low voice.

"No connections," Li Mao said casually. "I haven't been with the company long, and I come from a small county town."

"No connections?"

The Captain chuckled, "To have cultivated to the Liquid Condensation Mid Stage, you're quite lucky."

Li Mao didn't reply, but merely glanced at the thatched hut where Yang Xiao was, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Two days have passed.

The Green Creek River was calm and still, with no Demon Traces appearing.

Twenty men guarded the river mouth, taking turns each day. Besides patrolling the river, they mostly sat idly in a daze.

Merit?

Not a single one.

"If we keep guarding like this, when will it ever end?"

Inside the thatched hut, a Captain couldn't help but complain.

"Everywhere else is at war, but we're stuck here starving!"

"Exactly, if this continues, we won't even be able to get soup."

Li Mao remained silent, but his brows were slightly furrowed.

He came here to make a name for himself, not to just sit around doing nothing.

If he stays here and waits until Jiang Chen and the Black Flood Dragon are wiped out, he won't get any credit at all.

How can one establish oneself within the Lineage then?

The afternoon of the third day.

Li Mao walked out of the thatched hut and came to the courtyard where Yang Xiao was.

"Brother Yang," he said, his tone becoming more polite.

Yang Xiao opened his eyes and looked at him.

"What is it?"

Li Mao smiled and said, "Brother Yang, don't you think that continuing to defend like this is too passive?"

Yang Xiao didn't reply, but just looked at him quietly.

Li Mao continued, "Instead of waiting here idly, we should take the initiative."

"The banks of the Green Creek River are overgrown with reeds, and the waterways are complex. If Water Demon were hiding there, we wouldn't be able to find it even if we were guarding the river mouth."

"Why don't we all go together and search upstream along the river to find the Demon Traces?"

He looked at Yang Xiao with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"Brother Yang is quite strong. If we act together, we will surely gain something."

Yang Xiao glanced at him and said calmly, "The Squad Leader said that no one is allowed to act without authorization."

Li Mao raised an eyebrow slightly. "The Squad Leader worried about us, but with Brother Yang's strength, plus the few of us, we can handle even Water Demon at the Liquid Condensation Realm."

"Besides, if we discover Demon Traces that we can't handle, we can simply report it."

Yang Xiao shook his head. "No."

Li Mao's expression darkened slightly.

"Brother Yang, do you not believe in my abilities?"

Yang Xiao calmly replied, "I'm just following orders."

Li Mao stared at Yang Xiao for a moment, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

"Fine." He sneered, "Since you're so cautious, then you can continue guarding."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Night falls.

Inside the thatched hut, several scions of prominent families gathered together, conversing in hushed tones.

"Brother Mao, why won't Yang Xiao go?"

"Hmph." Li Mao sneered, "A Rogue Cultivator, relying on a bit of luck to break through to the Liquid Condensation, thinks he's something special."

"Ignore him, let's take care of it ourselves."

"But the Squad Leader said we mustn't act without authorization..."

What are you afraid of?

A sharp glint flashed in Li Mao's eyes.

"We're just patrolling along the river, not venturing deep into the riverbed. What danger could we possibly face?"

"If we discover Demon Traces, that would be a great achievement."

"If they hadn't found it, it would have just been a walk along the riverbank; the Squad Leader wouldn't have known."

He stood up and looked at the dark river outside the door.

"Pack your things, let's go."

The seven or eight Captain exchanged glances and then stood up.

Yang Xiao stood at the door of the thatched hut, watching Li Mao and his group leave under the cover of night.

He neither stopped them nor followed them.

He had considered taking the initiative to investigate these past two days, but ultimately decided against it.

Firstly, this was his first time fighting Water Demon on the river, and he didn't know the strength of the enemy, so he was afraid of alerting them and affecting the Demon Suppression Division's plans.

Secondly, that kind-looking Fatty Sun, would talk to him whenever he had a spare moment, and his eyes were always subtly watching him out of the corner of his eye, making it impossible for him to find a chance to escape.

If Xu Qingshan were here right now, he could not only explain the habits and traits of the Waterfolk to me, but also help me deal with Fatty Sun.

Yang Xiao turned around and went back to the thatched hut, sat down cross-legged, and continued his cultivation.

The wind from the Green Creek River, carrying a slightly damp scent, blew in through the crack in the door.

The night was deep, and the only sound on the river was the rustling of the reeds.

Yang Xiao was in no hurry. What he needed to do was to conserve his energy and prepare for the fleeting opportunity.