At the sound, Qing Dai's hands paused briefly, and she looked up toward the river.
Nothing seemed amiss on the water beyond the glitter of sunlight.
But at that moment, Lu Changfeng slowly opened his eyes. "There are indeed people here, and they mean us no good."
He turned to Qing Dai. "Step back a little."
Qing Dai understood at once. All tenderness vanished from her face, replaced by calm vigilance. She swiftly withdrew her hands and retreated three paces behind Lu Changfeng, one hand already settling quietly on the hilt of the Flexible Sword at her waist. Snow Robe fluttered up onto the mast above the cabin, watching from on high and eagerly waiting for the spectacle.
Just then-
Splash! Splash! Splash!
More than a dozen enormous plumes of water erupted from the river ahead and on either side!
Over a dozen lean, tough figures burst from the water like phantoms, reeds clenched between their teeth for breathing. Gleaming water-piercing daggers, fishing spears, and demon-head sabers filled their hands. Their diving suits clung to their bodies, and their eyes were vicious.
They moved with extraordinary agility, clearly superb swimmers. The instant they broke the surface, they used the momentum of their leaps to fling grappling claws and hooks with unerring precision. A series of clacks rang out as the hooks bit firmly into the gunwales and edges of the deck.
The entire passenger boat jolted violently, its speed dropping sharply.
The boatman and sailors cried out in terror, "River bandits! The Demon Dragon Gang's water ghosts!"
Before their cries had faded, the bandits were scrambling up the grappling ropes like apes. In an instant, seven or eight had landed on the deck, forming a semicircle around the bow.
Their leader was a burly, one-eyed man with a brutish face