Nine Desolate Records

The cabins of the "Flying Cloud" were low and cramped, filled with a mixture of tung oil, sweat, and cheap tobacco odors. Lu Li and his two companions huddled in a corner near the cargo hold door, their bodies resting on rough straw mats. Lin Qingyuan leaned against a bundle of medicinal herbs, panting with his eyes closed. Shi Yong hugged his knees, his face still bluish in the dim oil lamp light.

Yun Jin was placed in a more intimate corner, with an old canvas used to create a small private space. She remained unconscious, the clear light of the Pure Dew between her brows steady, like an inextinguishable little lamp.

The ship rocked gently with the current, and the stuffy heat in the lower deck made him drowsy. But Lu Li dared not sleep. He leaned against the bulkhead, the dark gold of his left eye flickering slightly in the shadows, alert to everything around him.

The ship carried nearly forty people, including sailors and guards. The guards were divided into two shifts, and they were assigned to the second shift, keeping watch during the latter half of the night. This meant they could rest during the day, but they also lost the opportunity to observe the waterway and the movements of some crew members.

The "Head of the Guards" that Manager Wang mentioned was the ship's head guard, a one-eyed man with a scar on his cheek named Wang Han. When boarding the ship, he gave Lu Li and the other two a cursory glance, his gaze lingering on Lin Qingyuan for a moment longer. He didn't say anything, only leaving out the words: "Keep your eyes open and your ears perked up when on night watch. Nights at Chensha River are not peaceful."

On the first night, the boat reached a gorge where the river narrowed and the cliffs on both sides were steep. The moonlight was blocked by the high cliffs, and the river was pitch black.

Lu Li and Shi Yong's shift was at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM). They went to the foredeck to relieve the two yawning men. The night wind carried the fishy smell of the river and was icy cold.

Wang Han walked over, knife in hand, and whispered, "This section is called 'Ghost Cry Gorge.' The current is swift, and there are many hidden reefs. But what we need to be even more careful about is..." He pointed to the dark cliffs and the river surface, "things in the water, and people who might come down from the cliffs."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a huge spray of water erupted on the right side of the boat without warning!

A dark shadow, accompanied by a foul wind and river water, suddenly leaped out of the water and crashed into the side of the boat!

The creature resembled a giant crocodile, but its head was flatter, and its mouth was filled with interlocking sharp teeth. Instead of scales, its body was covered with a slippery, dark green skin covered with wart-like protrusions. Most bizarrely, it had only one eye, located in the center of its forehead, with a murky yellow pupil, which was now staring intently at the people on the deck.

"Sand crocodile!" an old sailor cried out. "Watch out! It's trying to board!"

The giant crocodile's forelegs had already gripped the gunwale, and the timber groaned under its strain. Its massive tail slapped the water's surface, sending up a spray several feet high, and its entire forebody was about to climb up!

"Stop it!" Wang Han shouted, and took the lead in slashing at the crocodile's mouth with his sword.

The other guards reacted quickly, attacking with swords and spears. But the crocodile's skin was slippery and tough; ordinary swords and blades only left shallow white marks, which only enraged the beast. Its single eye gleamed even more fiercely, and it opened its massive jaws to bite the nearest guard!

The guard was so frightened that he stood frozen in place.

Just then, a figure crashed in from the side, shoving him aside violently. It was Shi Yong. Without time to draw his weapon, he threw a punch at the side of the crocodile's jaw, bare-handed!

"Thump!"

The dull thud was like the beating of a drum. Veins bulged on Shi Yong's arm, and the bronze lines beneath his skin suddenly gleamed. The giant crocodile's head snapped to the side, a flicker of anthropomorphic pain and rage flashing in its single eye.

But it reacted extremely quickly, its thick tail like a steel whip, sweeping towards Shi Yong's waist!

Lu Li moved.

He didn't draw his dagger (he couldn't easily expose it), but instead grabbed a short iron bar used to secure cargo on the deck. He ducked low and cut into the blind spot where the crocodile's tail swept across. A barely perceptible dark golden glint condensed at the tip of the iron bar as he precisely stabbed at the crocodile's single eye!

Fast, accurate, and ruthless.

"Pfft!"

The iron rod plunged deep into the murky yellow pupil! A dark green, viscous liquid mixed with blood burst open.

The giant crocodile let out a deafening roar. It suddenly released the gunwale, its massive body crashing back into the river, splashing water high into the sky, twisting and thrashing wildly.

The ship rocked violently. Several sailors were nearly thrown into the river.

"Crossbow! Shoot it!" Wang Han steadied himself and roared.

Two or three crossbow bolts were fired into the churning water, but it was unclear whether they hit their mark. The giant crocodile struggled for a moment before finally sinking to the bottom.

A moment of deathly silence fell on the deck, followed by heavy breathing and lingering fearful discussions.

Wang Han walked to the gunwale, looking at the river surface, which had returned to calm but was still pitch black, his face grim. He turned around, his gaze falling on Shi Yong and Lu Li.

Shi Yong was shaking his aching, numb fist; the recoil from the previous blow had nearly cracked his knuckles. Lu Li silently tossed the blood-stained iron rod back into the corner, his hands, covered in a little sticky substance, wiping them with a cloth.

"Quite strong." Wang Han stared at Shi Yong, then looked at Lu Li. "His attack was ruthless. You... are you really just apprentice pharmacists?"

"To make a living in the mountains, you have to know a few tricks," Lu Li replied calmly, "otherwise you'd be wolf food long ago."

Wang Han stared at him for a few seconds, his single eye revealing no emotion, before finally nodding. "Thanks for earlier. You saved a life." He pointed to the guard who had been pushed away by Shi Yong and was now slumped on the ground. "Keep a close watch. This thing holds grudges; it might come back."

He turned and walked away, instructing people to clean up the blood and slime on the deck.

Shi Yong leaned closer to Lu Li and lowered his voice: "That crocodile skin was ridiculously tough; my fist is still numb. That attack you just made..."

"Take a shortcut," Lu Li interrupted him. "Its eyes are its weak point. Remember, next time you encounter it, don't fight head-on."

Shi Yong nodded, looking at the river with lingering fear.

Nothing major happened in the latter half of the night, only the sounds of wind and water. But everyone knew that there was more than one sand crocodile beneath this sandy river. The atmosphere on the boat became noticeably heavier.

The next day, Lu Li tried to get more information about the Sunken Sand River and the "Jiaowei Gang" from the old sailors. Most of the old sailors were tight-lipped, only vaguely saying that the river bandits were elusive and more ferocious than crocodiles, robbing not only of money but also of lives. Occasionally, when the topic of "other things" in the river was mentioned, they would show fear and refuse to say more.

Lu Li noticed that the boat's route seemed to deliberately avoid certain waters, preferring to take a longer route. The old helmsman at the helm always kept a watchful eye on the water and the banks.

In the afternoon, the boat passed through a relatively calm river bend. The banks were covered with dense reeds, and low hills could be seen in the distance. Wang Han ordered heightened security, and all the guards drew their swords and nocked their crossbows.

However, the expected river bandits did not appear. Only after the boat sailed out of the river bend did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

But Lu Li's brows furrowed even more. It was too quiet. The terrain of this river bend was an excellent ambush location. Given the cunning of the river bandits and their familiarity with the waterways, they couldn't possibly overlook it.

He recalled the "Jiaowei Gang" that Manager Wang and Old Liu had mentioned. A bandit gang that could establish itself on this treacherous river for so many years could not have relied on brute force alone.

In the evening, the boat made a temporary stop on a desolate pebble beach to replenish its fresh water supply. Wang Han strictly forbade anyone from straying too far from the boat.

Lu Li stood on the gunwale, watching the setting sun dye the river blood-red.

"How are you feeling?" Lin Qingyuan's voice came from behind him. He barely managed to walk to the deck for some fresh air, his face still pale, but his eyes were still relatively clear.

"Something's not right with this river," Lu Li said in a low voice. "What's underwater might be more troublesome than the river bandits."

Lin Qingyuan followed his gaze to the murky river: "Senior Yun Potian mentioned in his notes that the ancient name of Chensha River was 'Dragon Burial Ravine.' Legend has it that the remains of an ancient beast sank to the bottom of the river, and its resentment lingered, breeding filth. The Jiaowei Gang has been entrenched here for many years, perhaps... it's more than just a coincidence."

"You mean, they might also be using things from the river?"

"Possibly." Lin Qingyuan coughed twice. "River bandits might collude with the filth at the bottom of the river. In any case, be careful."

Lu Li nodded.

After replenishing its freshwater supply, the ship set sail again. Night was falling.

Tonight is Lu Li and Shi Yong's first half of the night shift. The moon is hidden and the stars are few, so visibility is very low. The lantern at the bow of the boat has limited light, illuminating only a small area of ​​the river ahead.

As night fell, the river narrowed again, with towering black rock walls on both sides, like giants looking down.

Suddenly, the boat jolted violently, as if it had struck something hard, but it didn't feel like a reef. Then, the entire boat began to sway uncontrollably sideways, and a sickeningly sharp sound of warping wood echoed from the stern!

"What's going on?!" Wang Han rushed onto the deck.

"The rudder... the rudder seems to be tangled in something! I can't turn it!" The helmsman's panicked voice came from the stern.

Almost simultaneously, a dozen or so lights lit up on the cliff faces on both sides! They weren't lanterns, but torches. In the firelight, one could vaguely see figures moving about, and hear the creaking sound of bowstrings being pulled taut.

A rough, arrogant voice came from above the left cliff face, echoing:

"Brothers of the Flying Cloud, you've worked hard! The Jiao Tail Gang has been waiting for you! Stop the ship obediently, leave the cargo behind, and if you jump into the river, we'll leave you with a whole corpse! If you dare to resist..."

Before he finished speaking, several rockets were fired from the cliffs on both sides, embedding themselves in the ship's gunwales and sails, and flames erupted!

"Enemy attack! River bandits!" Wang Han's eyes widened in fury. "Cut the ropes! Put out the fire! Crossbowmen, shoot those lighting torches!"

Chaos erupted on the ship. The guards beat out the flames while firing arrows at the cliff face. But the cliff was steep, the bandits were positioned high above, and they were hidden in the shadows, so the arrows had little effect. On the contrary, the ship was an easy target, and people kept being hit by arrows and screaming in pain.

Worse still, a loud "crack" came from the stern, followed by the helmsman's piercing scream.

Something dragged him, along with part of the rudder, into the water! Blood instantly stained a section of the river red.

The boat completely lost control and spun around in the turbulent river.

"Hold on! Don't panic!" Wang Han roared, slashing a rocket aimed at him with his sword. "Second team, check the stern! First team, continue suppressing the cliff face!"

Lu Li and Shi Yong belonged to the second team. The two crouched low, dodging the sporadic arrows and burning debris, and rushed towards the stern of the ship.

The stern was a mess. The broken rudder leaned precariously, wrapped in several thick, wet, dark brown tendrils, like... some kind of giant seaweed vine, but thicker, covered in suckers, and still slowly wriggling. The other end of the tendrils disappeared into the dark river water.

The helmsman was dragged down by these vines.

"What...what the hell is this?" one of the guards who had followed asked, his voice trembling.

"Cut it off!" Wang Han followed and was also shocked to see this, but immediately gave the order.

Several guards, mustering their courage, swung their swords at the vines. The blades sliced ​​through with dull "plop" sounds, releasing a dark green sap, but the vines were extremely tough and difficult to cut. Instead, in pain, more vines shot out from underwater, writhing like snakes, coiling towards the people on deck!

One of the guards was unable to dodge in time and his ankle was entangled in vines. He screamed as he was dragged toward the ship's side.

Shi Yong roared and lunged forward, grabbing the guard's waist and bracing his feet firmly against the deck. The vines were incredibly strong, dragging both of them along.

Lu Li's eyes turned cold. He could no longer hide it.

He reached into his robes with his right hand and grasped the hilt of the Tortoise-Suppressing Dagger. He didn't draw it, but a heavy, bronze-colored force already spread along his arm. He stepped to the side of the ship, at the gap created by the stone warriors and vines, his left hand, fingers together like a knife, its tips surrounded by a very thin layer of earthy-yellow light, slashed fiercely at the thickest main vine root that connected to the underwater area!

The moment the earthy yellow halo touched the vine, the main vine convulsed violently, loosening its entanglement with the guard and Shi Yong, and together with the other extended vines, quickly retreated back into the water.

The stern was temporarily safe. But the boat was still spinning, and the attacks from the cliff face had not stopped.

Wang Han stared in shock at Lu Li withdrawing his hand, then at the rapidly retreating vines, a glint in his single eye. But he had no time to ask further questions, shouting urgently, "Quick! Repair the rudder! Stabilize the ship!"

Just then, another mutation occurred.

The river, which had calmed down slightly after the vines receded, suddenly surged into a huge whirlpool! The river water was stirred up as if by an invisible hand, forming a dark eddy several meters in diameter.

At the center of the vortex, a massive shadow slowly rose.

It was an indescribable monster. It largely retained the outline of a giant crocodile, but its size was several times larger, like a fusion of several sand crocodiles. Its body was covered with the same dark brown vines as before, like external nerves and blood vessels, deeply embedded in its skin.

This is no longer a simple sand crocodile, but a monster deeply polluted by the filth at the bottom of the river!

"River...River Lord?!" An old sailor, pale as a ghost, collapsed to the ground.

The monster locked onto the "Flying Cloud" with its three eyes, especially Lu Li at the stern.

Its massive body, creating a whirlpool, slowly pressed down on the out-of-control cargo ship like a mountain!

The bandits on the cliff seemed stunned, and their attack temporarily ceased.

Wang Han's face was deathly pale, and his hand gripping the knife trembled. Faced with such an incomprehensible monster, the bravery of ordinary people seemed so insignificant.

Lu Li took a deep breath. The Turtle-Suppressing Dagger trembled violently in his arms. He could feel that the core of this monster was connected to the ancient and heavy power at the bottom of the river.

We mustn't let it collide with the boat. Otherwise, the boat will be destroyed and everyone, including Yun Jin and Lin Qingyuan, will perish at the bottom of the river.

He looked at Shi Yong and whispered, "Protect Brother Lin and Yun Jin."

He then looked at Wang Han and said rapidly, "Boss, have your men gather all the kerosene and liquor at the bow of the ship! Quickly!"

Wang Han was taken aback, but in this life-or-death situation, he didn't hesitate and immediately roared, "Do as he says!"

Lu Li turned and ran towards the bow of the ship. He needed space, he needed time.

The crocodile demon drew ever closer, its enormous shadow engulfing almost half the ship. Despair filled the faces of everyone on board.

Lu Li stood at the bow of the ship, his back to everyone. He finally reached into his robes with his right hand and slowly drew out the Dragon-Suppressing Dagger.

The dark gold dragon-patterned dagger was not conspicuous in the night and firelight, but a vast, ancient, and majestic aura, carrying the meaning of suppressing all evil spirits, had already quietly permeated the air.

He pressed his left hand lightly against his chest, forcibly calming the source of his agitation. Then, he gripped the Dragon-Suppressing Dagger with both hands, tip pointing downwards, aiming it at the bow deck.

It's not about attacking, but rather... "communication" and "guidance".

The Dragon-Suppressing Dagger is primarily for "suppressing," but it can also "attract." It draws upon an equally ancient power belonging to the realm of "order."

Lu Li closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking deep into the dagger, to the faint dragon soul imprint. He poured his will, along with his desire to survive, his protection of his companions, and his chilling killing intent towards the twisted monster before him, into it without reservation.

"Buzz—!"

The Dragon-Suppressing Dagger emitted a deep, ancient dragon's roar.

The next moment, a ring of dark golden, complex rune phantoms lit up on the deck, centered on the point where the dagger was inserted, and rapidly expanded, covering the entire bow of the ship.

The crocodile demon, which had already approached within tens of feet, seemed to sense something, and its three eyes simultaneously revealed surprise and even deeper rage.

Lu Li sensed that the extremely faint traces of "earth vein energy" in the medicinal herbs, ores, and even the wood of the ship itself, which were carried by the cargo ship beneath his feet from Bitter Spring Town, were being forcibly extracted and gathered by the runes of the Dragon Suppressing Dagger.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his left eye glowing a dark gold while his right eye shone brightly, and looked at the surging monster in front of him, letting out a low growl:

"town!"

The golden runes shone brightly, and a golden beam of light, as condensed as a solid object and as thick as a bowl, shot into the sky from the center of the runes at the bow of the ship. It did not shoot towards the Crocodile Demon, but instead plunged straight into the river water in front of the bow of the ship!

Immediately afterwards—

About twenty feet directly in front of the bow, the river surface suddenly exploded! It wasn't attacked by an external force, but rather the rocks and silt deep in the riverbed were stirred by the gathering "earth vein energy" and the guiding force of the Dragon Suppressing Dagger, causing a small-scale, violent change in the earth veins!

Several sharp rock pillars, laden with mud and gravel, pierced the water like giant fangs, thrusting out with a sudden burst of energy! They were positioned precisely in the path of the charging crocodile demon!

The crocodile demon was caught off guard, or rather, it never expected to encounter such an attack from "the riverbed itself." Its massive body slammed violently into the suddenly emerging rock pillars!

The rock pillar pierced its relatively soft abdomen and flanks, and the crocodile demon let out an extremely painful scream. Its momentum was forcibly stopped, and its huge body rolled and twisted wildly in the water due to the pain and loss of balance.

Everyone on the ship was stunned, including Wang Han.

Is this...is this something a human could do?!

After Lu Li's attack, his face turned deathly pale, and he swayed, almost collapsing.

"Now! Oil! Rockets! Shoot it in the wound!" Wang Han was the first to react, roaring hoarsely.

The guards and sailors, as if waking from a dream, hurled the collected oil canisters at the still-struggling crocodile demon, especially at the wounds pierced by the rock pillars. Then, burning rockets rained down.

The kerosene ignited instantly upon contact with fire. The crocodile demon instantly transformed into a giant torch! Flames spread wildly along the wounds and vines, sizzling as they burned the flesh.

The crocodile demon struggled even more frantically, but its strength was clearly waning due to its severe injuries and the flames engulfing it.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the sailors on board, under the command of the helmsman (who had been replaced) and Wang Han, desperately maneuvered the damaged vessel, struggling to adjust its direction in an attempt to avoid the deadly waters and the shooting range of the cliffs on both sides, and rush towards the relatively open section of the river downstream.

The bandits on the cliff seemed stunned by the sudden turn of events and the crocodile demon's tragic state, and their attacks became sporadic.

Trailing black smoke and scars, the "Flying Cloud" staggered out of this narrow gate of hell, like a lone boat escaping from hell, amidst the dying struggles of the Crocodile Demon and the blazing firelight.

When the burning river and steep cliffs were finally left behind, everyone collapsed onto the deck, exhausted, only able to breathe heavily as if they had survived the ordeal.

Wang Han, leaning on his knife, walked to the bow of the ship and looked at Lu Li's back, who was still standing but swaying slightly. His single eye was filled with indescribable complex emotions.

He opened his mouth, but in the end only managed to utter a hoarse sentence:

"Thanks...brother."

Lu Li did not turn around, but slowly put the Dragon Suppressing Dagger back into his pocket.

He looked ahead at the still dark riverbed.

Xinglin Valley is still two hundred li away.

Only three drops of the Cleansing Dew remained on the ship.

Lin Qingyuan only has one Heart-Locking Pill left.

Time is really running out.

Not to mention, there might be the Jiaowei Gang, or something else, lurking in the shadows, watching this ship.

He closed his eyes and tried to regulate his erratic breathing.

We have to hold on.

For those who are still alive.