Gou Zai Wu Dao Chao Shi Xing Nian Da Gong

Pfft pfft~~

Not far into the thick fog, Zhou Fugan killed the remaining two bandits with a single stroke, then opened the wooden box and took out two packages to examine them.

Both packages contained a stack of silver notes, which, after a rough count, amounted to five or six thousand taels.

There was also a thin book in the bag on Tian Wenchang's body.

Zhou Fugan opened it and found it was a martial arts manual called "Hundred Skills Hands." Tian Wenchang was carrying the manual and so many silver notes, wrapped in waterproof cloth—clearly, he was trying to flee. Moreover, he seemed to have some shady dealings with the second master of the Wang family. It was just a pity he ran into him.

He didn't have time to examine it closely before carefully wrapping up the martial arts book and the silver notes and tucking them into his bosom.

Besides the silver notes, the other bundle contained a palm-sized porcelain bottle filled with a mostly greenish liquid that emitted a strange, sweet-smelling odor. It was unclear what it was.

Zhou Fugan sealed it tightly and kept it close to his body.

He then took off his black clothes, stuffed them into a wooden box, closed the box, and threw it into the water. The box, containing a heavy load of weapons, quickly sank to the bottom of the river, along with the bodies of Tian Wenchang and his companion.

Having done all this, Zhou Fugan raised his thigh high, mustered all his strength, and stomped his foot hard. The powerful force instantly penetrated the deck, and the seven- or eight-meter-long speedboat broke in two, with river water rushing into the cabin along the crack.

Such power is the ultimate technique of the Mountain-Stopping Leg, capable of shaking and shattering mountains!

Zhou Fugan leaped into the river.

The swift currents of the river surged beneath the surface, dragging him towards the bottom. But he was no ordinary man; already a skilled swimmer, and now possessing formidable martial arts skills, he was undaunted by the currents. Like a fish, he swam towards the Wang family's cargo ship.

...

Boom~~

On the deck, a figure was suddenly knocked away, crashing heavily onto the deck. He bounced up and rolled several times before collapsing to the ground, spitting out blood.

This man was none other than Li Chong, the chief of Flying Dragon Stronghold. A deep footprint was visible between his chest and abdomen, one arm hung limply at his sides, and his face was contorted as he stared at the ship's deck.

Two tall figures stood side by side on the viewing platform. One of them was Hong Tianhua. The other was a man with disheveled hair.

This man was dressed in coarse cloth short clothes, like a boatman, yet he exuded an incredibly powerful aura.

"Lin Zhenyuan!"

Li Chong's eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth and called out a name!

This man was none other than Lin Zhenyuan, the chief镖头 (bodyguard) of Weiyuan Escort Agency. He was a peak expert in the Tendon and Bone Technique, and he launched a surprise attack while Li Chong and Hong Tianhua were locked in fierce combat, severely injuring Li Chong in one fell swoop.

Not far away, the masked man who was fiercely fighting with Wang Jin was shocked to see this. He frantically swung his purple-gold hammer, trying to force Wang Jin back and seize the opportunity to escape.

But Wang Jin would not let him have his way. The long sword in his hand transformed into streaks of cold light, as soft as silk, tightly binding the masked man.

"Hahaha, Li Chong, aren't you afraid of the Grand Master?" Hong Tianhua laughed loudly.

puff~~

Li Chong coughed up blood and slumped down.

"Enough with the nonsense. Go kill Li Chong and wipe out those river bandits. I'll go help Young Master Wang."

Lin Zhenyuan gave the order, and in a flash, he went straight for the masked man.

"yes!"

Hong Tianhua immediately jumped off the ship's deck and charged towards Li Chong.

"Chief, let's go!"

Several bandits charged towards Hong Tianhua fearlessly, while two others grabbed Li Chong on the left and right and rushed towards the ship's side.

"court death!"

A fierce glint flashed in Hong Tianhua's eyes. He wielded two short axes with lightning speed, instantly killing the water bandits blocking his way, and charged towards Li Chong.

去~

Seeing that he could not escape, Li Chong pushed the two bandits who were supporting him towards Hong Tianhua, and he himself took the fall and tumbled into the water.

After killing two river bandits, Hong Tianhua arrived at the boat, only to see ripples in the water; Li Chong was nowhere to be seen.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a figure secretly watching from a nearby pirate ship quietly slipped into the water.

...

"asshole!"

Hong Tianhua was furious, and with nowhere to vent his anger, he could only turn on the other river bandits, wielding his short axe and slaughtering them in all directions.

The bandits, already terrified by their leader's defeat and escape into the water, were further emboldened by this killing god's attack, and their courage vanished, causing them to scatter completely. The bodyguards, who had been suppressed, seized the opportunity to pursue and kill the slower bandits from behind.

Suddenly, shouts arose from the surrounding fog, and a fleet of fast boats sped out, surrounding the pirate ships. The people on board were dressed in imperial uniforms; it was clear that government troops had arrived.

At this point, everyone could see that this was a trap, and the Wang family's cargo ship was simply bait.

The pirates completely lost their will to fight. After a fierce attack by the government troops, most of them were killed or wounded, with only a few managing to escape in their boats. However, the government troops' warships followed closely behind, and soon they disappeared into the thick fog together.

"Ah~~"

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream rang out. The masked man, caught between the two, finally revealed a weakness and was stabbed in the heart by Wang Jin, dying instantly.

Wang Jin stepped forward and ripped off his face mask, revealing a familiar face.

He exclaimed in surprise, "It's Zuo Hu! The Black Snake Gang really is going to rebel!"

"Fortunately, our master noticed this early on, otherwise the precious blade that the Prince Juan's mansion wanted might have really been stolen by them. If the Prince Juan's mansion had blamed us then, we wouldn't have been able to bear the consequences," Lin Zhenyuan said with a sigh of relief.

...

Soon, the battle ended, and the bodies of the bandits covered the water's surface. The people on the boat began to clean up the battlefield.

The surviving bodyguards and guards, in low spirits, collected the bodies of the bandits, threw them into the river, and gathered the remains of their companions onto a bandit boat. They would arrange for someone to take them back to the county later.

Although they won the battle, their colleagues and friends suffered heavy casualties, so no one could be happy.

"Grandpa, Grandpa, where are you?"

Inside the ship's superstructure, Zhou Sheng stood in the dilapidated cabin, his face filled with terror and sorrow as he shouted and searched everywhere, asking everyone he met. However, there was no trace of Zhou Fugan, and no one had seen him.

"Grandpa! I was wrong, I shouldn't have taken you with me."

Zhou Sheng looked around and couldn't help but burst into tears.

Liu Cheng, who had also emerged unscathed from the battle, couldn't bear to see the old man like this and comforted him, saying, "Junior brother, the old man is just missing. Perhaps he'll be lucky and make it safely ashore. You must cheer up!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Sheng's spirits lifted, and he immediately stopped crying. He wiped away his tears and looked at Liu Cheng with anticipation.

"Brother Liu, you're right. My grandfather was probably forced into the water by the bandits. He was a very good swimmer; I learned from him when I was a child. Grandpa is definitely alright; he's probably already gone downstream and made it safely to shore."

"..."

Liu Cheng was speechless. "I just gave you a piece of advice, how could you believe me?" But, well, it's good that way; it shows Junior Brother Zhou has a strong mentality.

"That's the right way to think, Junior Brother. Once we get to the prefectural city, I will definitely help you find your father and bring him back safely." Liu Cheng smoothly changed the subject.

Zhou Sheng indeed shifted his attention. "Thank you, senior brother. Once I find my father, we'll go home together. Grandpa should be back home waiting for us by then."