Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

"Master Lin, I've found out everything." Hou Qi rushed back, his face showing excitement mixed with a hint of seriousness.

"The gang at Black Stone Beach weren't local river bandits. Their banner was new, but their methods were shrewd. The people who received the goods... looked like soldiers; their gait was different from ordinary people."

"In the military?"

Lin Feng sat behind the square table in the main room, toying with a copper coin in his hand, his eyes slightly narrowed.

This aligns somewhat with his previous guesses.

Impersonating river bandits, colluding with or impersonating government soldiers, plundering grain ships of large merchant guilds... what lies behind this is probably not just simple robbery.

"Master Zhao of 'Fu Rui Xiang' was so anxious that he got blisters on his lips. He said that as long as the people and the ship could be rescued, he would pay the ransom and give Master Lin an extra amount!" Hou Qi held up two fingers.

Twenty thousand taels. Adding the ransom, that makes seventy thousand taels.

The owner of "Fu Rui Xiang" really went to great lengths for this batch of rice and the lives of his men. Of course, it's also possible that the value of this batch of rice far exceeds the stated figures.

Lin Feng turned around, his gaze sweeping over Liu Sandao and Hou Qi: "Brother Liu, pick ten brothers who are the best swimmers, the bravest, and have seen blood on their hands. They must be absolutely reliable. Hou Qi, you go and prepare immediately. Get five of the best fast boats. In inconspicuous places on the boats, stock up on plenty of tung oil, saltpeter, sulfur, as well as fishing nets and grappling hooks. Weapons should be short swords, water-splitting spears, and crossbows. Don't use long weapons; they'll make too much noise."

Liu Sandao and Hou Qi's eyes lit up, and they replied in unison, "Yes!"

"Remember," Lin Feng's voice turned cold, "this trip isn't just about rescuing people. I need to know who's behind this charade, and what's hidden in that batch of rice. Black Stone Beach isn't an insurmountable barrier; it's a pit dug by people. The best way to fill the pit is to bury the people who dug it in with them."

The next day, at dusk, the river was dyed a poignant blood red by the setting sun. Five inconspicuous speedboats, like five silent river fish, quietly departed from a secluded bay at the West Wharf, heading upstream towards Black Stone Beach.

Several hours later, the sound of the flowing water ahead suddenly became violent and chaotic, and the outlines of two black cliffs that looked like giant axes splitting the river surface could be vaguely seen—the Black Stone Beach had arrived!

"We're here. The entrance to the bay is just ahead." Liu Sandao gestured for everyone to stop, then hid behind a protruding rock and whispered, "The bay isn't very big, but the terrain is complicated, like a gourd. If the enemy has an ambush, they're likely hiding on the cliffs on either side, or behind the reefs in the bay."

"Hou Qi, take two men and sneak up the left cliff to see if anyone's up there. 'Mudskipper,' you come up from the right. Be careful, don't make a sound." Lin Feng quickly assigned the tasks. "Brother Liu, Tie Tou, you two come with me and sneak underwater to check the situation in the bay. The rest of you, stay here and provide backup until we give you a signal."

The group accepted the order and immediately split up to carry out their tasks. Hou Qi and "Mudfish" were like two geckos, silently beginning to climb the slippery and steep cliff face.

Lin Feng, Liu Sandao, and "Iron Head" took a deep breath and plunged into the icy river water, heading towards the dark bay that resembled the mouth of a giant beast.

The water flow in the bay was even more turbulent, with undercurrents pulling at the body.

Lin Feng held his breath, opened his eyes wide, and tried to adjust to the darkness underwater.

He could vaguely see the dark silhouettes of several boats moored in the bay, larger than ordinary fishing boats, but the details were not clear. He gestured for Liu Sandao and "Iron Head" to split up and approach from different angles to observe.

Just as they were about to approach the ships, something unexpected happened!

"Splash!" The water splashed, and torches were lit on several boats at the same time, illuminating the small bay as bright as day! At the same time, dozens of torches appeared on the cliffs on both sides, illuminating figures holding bows and arrows, crossbows, and even a few military-grade crossbows! The cold glint of the arrows, under the firelight, was aimed at the water and the entrance to the bay!

We've fallen for their trap!

The other party was prepared!

Moreover, judging from their demeanor, they are definitely not ordinary river bandits! Those standard crossbows are not something that ordinary people could have!

"Friends underwater, now that you're here, come out and get some fresh air!" A hoarse, gloomy voice rang out from the largest boat.

Standing at the bow of the boat was a tall, thin man wearing a simple wooden mask, his face obscured, but his sharp, eagle-like eyes coldly scanned the water.

Beneath the surface, Lin Feng felt a chill run down his spine, but he remained calm. His opponent had clearly discovered them by setting up underwater bells or thin lines.

If it surfaces now, it's a sitting duck.

He made a quick decision, gesturing to Liu Sandao and "Iron Head" who were not far away to "dive, disperse, and create chaos," while he himself suddenly dived into the hull of a ship underwater! The hull was a blind spot and an angle from which crossbows could not be fired.

Liu Sandao and "Iron Head" understood each other and immediately dived in different directions, stirring up the water and slapping the hull of the boat with muffled "bang" sounds.

"Underwater! Shoot!" the masked man on the boat shouted.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Arrows shot into the water like locusts, but underwater visibility was extremely poor at night and the current was turbulent, so the effect was minimal.

Just then, loud shouts and bright flames suddenly erupted at the entrance to the bay! It was the men who had stayed behind on the boats. As agreed, they had heard the faint, unusual sound of water (a sound created by Liu Sandao and his men), lit the prepared tung oil-soaked firewood, set fire to the five empty boats, and pushed them downstream towards the bay entrance! At the same time, they banged gongs and drums, shouting loudly, "The government troops are here! The bandits are being suppressed!"

The roaring fire and the sudden commotion caused a stir among the soldiers lying in ambush in the bay, their attention instantly drawn to the entrance.

"Oh no! An ambush! It's a diversionary tactic!" The masked man was both shocked and furious, but he remained relatively calm.

"Don't panic! Hold the bay entrance! Crossbowmen, aim at the flames at the entrance! The people underwater can't escape!"

However, in that instant when he was distracted, a dark shadow burst out of the water like a ghost from the bottom of the large ship he was on, bringing with it a spray of water everywhere!

It was Lin Feng!

Lin Feng gripped the ship's gunwale with one hand, using his waist and abdomen to propel himself onto the deck like a bird. His Water-Splitting Dagger, like a venomous snake's tongue, aimed straight for the masked man's throat! Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

The masked man was horrified, never expecting his opponent to be so fierce, daring to launch a direct underwater attack on the main ship! He hurriedly dodged to the side and drew his sword to parry.

"Clang!" The water-splitting dagger collided with the waist knife, sparks flying everywhere.

The masked man felt a tremendous force surge through him, his arm went numb, and he was filled with horror:

This person is incredibly strong!

Lin Feng pressed his advantage relentlessly, his Water-Splitting Daggers flashing like a ball of cold light, each move aimed at the masked man's vital points!

The masked man was no weakling in martial arts, but under Lin Feng's fierce and relentless close-range attacks, he was forced to retreat repeatedly, facing constant danger.

Seeing this, the other bandits on deck rushed forward with their knives. But Liu Sandao and "Iron Head" had already taken advantage of the chaos to climb onto the ship from other positions and were fighting with the bandits. Hou Qi and "Mudfish" saw this from the cliff and immediately fired crossbow bolts downwards to disrupt the enemy formation.

"This is a tough one! The wind is getting strong, get out of here!" Seeing that his men couldn't hold on, the masked man feinted a slash, forcing Lin Feng back, and shouted sharply.

"Trying to leave?" A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes, and the Water-Splitting Dagger flew out of his hand, shooting towards the masked man's back as he was about to jump into the water!

Hearing the ominous wind behind him, the masked man desperately dodged to the side.

"Pfft!" The water-splitting dagger grazed his shoulder, spraying blood as it embedded itself deeply into the ship's side.

The masked man groaned in pain, but dared not linger. He plunged into the dark water and disappeared.

The remaining bandits also jumped into the water and fled, and some who were slow to escape became prisoners.

The battle is over.

"Take a headcount and search the ships!" Lin Feng wiped the water droplets and bloodstains from his face and gave the order in a deep voice.

Aside from some weapons and food, there was no "Fu Rui Xiang" rice on the captured bandit ship. However, Liu Sandao found some things in a locked box—several sets of worn-out uniforms for officers and soldiers, several wooden plaques with special markings, and... a small bag of gold dust.

"The soldiers' uniforms...and the gold dust..." Lin Feng picked up a wooden plaque with a twisted snake pattern carved on it, which was somewhat similar to the "snake-head flag" described by "Fu Ruixiang," but even more exquisite and bizarre.

"They're definitely not ordinary river bandits. Impersonating government soldiers, plundering grain ships, and even hoarding gold... Is someone trying to use the guise of river bandits to commit nefarious acts, or even... line their own pockets or raise funds for the army?"

His mind raced, and he vaguely sensed that he was on the verge of some huge conspiracy.

"Master Lin! We've found the 'Fu Rui Xiang' people!" Hou Qi excitedly ran over to report. "They're in a water cave down the cliff over there, with over twenty people tied up, plus a few boatmen, all still alive! The rice boat was also found in a hidden tributary downstream, and all the rice is there!"

Lin Feng nodded and walked up to the prisoners. They were soaking wet, their faces ashen, and their eyes filled with terror.

"Speak, who are you? Who ordered you?" Lin Feng's voice was icy.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" he cried. "We're...we're from 'Over the Mountain Wind'! We're...we're from Boss Song...Song the Pockmarked! He said there was a big deal: rob 'Fu Rui Xiang's' rice, get the ransom, and split it equally! He also gave us the soldiers' uniforms and badges, saying they were to scare people, just in case..."

"Where is Song Mazi now?" Lin Feng pressed.

"No... I don't know! After you beat Boss Song at the dock last time, he went into hiding. He sent someone to deliver a message... By the way, the person who delivered the message seemed to say that Boss Song has gotten close to a big shot in the city and is going to do even bigger business in the future..." the underling said, spilling beans from a bamboo tube.

A big shot in the city? Lin Feng sneered inwardly.

It seems that crippling Song Mazi was merely removing a layer of floating duckweed from the surface of this murky water. Beneath the surface, there are even deeper lurks, perhaps... man-eating crocodiles.

"Master Lin, what should we do with these people?" Liu Sandao asked.

"Take all the prisoners and spoils, along with the people and rice boats of 'Fu Rui Xiang,' back to the dock. Send someone to 'Fu Rui Xiang' to inform them to come and collect the people and goods..."

He looked up at the eastern horizon. After a night of fighting and chaos, a faint glimmer of dawn was breaking there.

After this battle, the name "Third Master Lin" will no longer be limited to "muddy land" and the dock.

The bigger shadow hidden behind this robbery will become his key bargaining chip for his next move, influencing a higher level of the game!

It's almost bright.