Uncle Nine: Scattering beans to create soldiers? I'm using plants and trees to create soldiers.

Chapter 054 A Deformed Water Monster? Hurry! Hurry up!!!

It is dozens of miles outside Renjia Town.

Night fell over the official road, and the surrounding area was pitch black, with only two lanterns hanging in front of the carriage swaying in the night wind.

The dim yellow light, flickering in the wind, shone on the muddy road like two will-o'-the-wisps that could be extinguished at any moment.

The wheels creaked and groaned as they rolled over the mud.

Chen Bingwen sat in the carriage, with the Lushan Horn resting across his lap.

Although he survived the battle of Beiqinghe, he also truly realized his shortcomings in Taoist magic.

Especially after seeing Lin Xuan's water armor soldiers, he felt even worse.

The two water-mansion soldiers entered the river to capture the ghost, advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, their orders as disciplined as a military force, making them even more elite than the soldiers invited by many legitimate altars.

And what about yourself?

Combat, stepping on the protective barrier, exorcising evil spirits, crossing the fiery plow...

Each of their methods was something they were quite capable of using on a regular basis.

But when it came to the situation in Beiqinghe, they were stretched thin everywhere.

They are both cultivating the Tao, but the difference between them is as vast as a mountain!

Chen Bingwen lowered his eyes to look at the Lushan horn in his palm, his fingertips gently stroking the worn lines on it, and he couldn't help but laugh at himself.

Back in his sect, although he wouldn't dare say he was exceptionally talented, he had traveled all over the country and seen quite a few things.

It wasn't until he met Lin Xuan that he realized what it meant to be outmatched.

This time, he left Renjia Town to stay with his senior sister for a while and learn some Taoist arts from her.

At least next time something like this happens, I can't just stand by and watch helplessly.

Outside the carriage, the driver whipped the horse to urge it on.

"drive!"

The sound of horses' hooves was particularly clear at night.

A cold wind slipped in through the gaps in the carriage curtains, carrying a hint of dampness.

Chen Bingwen's nostrils twitched slightly, and his brows furrowed unconsciously.

Although this area isn't far from the river, the fishy smell seems unusually strong.

Just then, a convoy slowly approached from the official road ahead.

The torches stretched out in a continuous line, casting a long, serpentine shadow in the darkness.

The caravan was quite large, consisting of more than a dozen horse-drawn carriages.

The trucks were loaded with boxes of goods, and several other trucks were completely covered with thick cloth.

Some of the carriages had fish baskets, hemp ropes, and wet straw curtains hanging outside, with water still dripping from the curtains.

Beside the lead vehicle, a flag stood tall, fluttering in the wind.

On the flag, a large "Li" character is embroidered in gold thread.

Chen Bingwen lifted the carriage curtain and glanced inside, his eyes flickering slightly.

The coachman outside lowered his voice and said with a hint of awe, "Master, it looks like the Li family who run a fish business. I heard their business is huge, with connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles. Fish from many nearby towns all have to go through them."

Chen Bingwen nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

Two caravans passed each other on the official road.

A night breeze blew, and the rough, casual conversation of several men from the caravan across the street drifted in through the half-open car window.

"Old Wang, what exactly is in this water tank?"

"They were tied up in layers, and covered with a black cloth, as if they were afraid people would see them."

"Could it be... that it contains a sentient pig cage witch?"

"Bullshit!" another gruff voice quickly retorted. "How fierce is the 'Pig Cage Woman'? If it were really that thing, it would have already crashed the car and killed everyone. Listen to this, there wasn't even a splash of water from the radiator the whole way; it was as quiet as a coffin."

At that moment, another voice chuckled lewdly.

"Hey, none of this is interesting." Then the other person leaned closer, "Do you know what I saw in those carriages behind?"

"What did you see?" someone nearby immediately chimed in.

"Of course—" the man chuckled, his voice brimming with undisguised lust, "A beauty! A stunningly beautiful woman!"

"In the carriages behind, there were quite a few stunningly beautiful women. Each one of them was incredibly gorgeous!"

"Why do you think the Li family is bringing so many beauties here?"

Someone casually remarked with envy, "What else could she do? Maybe she'd be taken as a concubine by a wealthy man."

The other person's tone was full of sourness.

"The Li family truly lives up to its reputation as a major fishmonger; their business is large and their population is thriving."

"Marrying so many concubines at once, tsk tsk, he's really enjoying the best of life. I wish I had been born into the Li family, even just as a concubine's son would have been fine."

"I wish I had been born into the Li family."

The sounds behind him gradually faded away, and Chen Bingwen could only make out the first few sentences.

A water tank covered with a cloth?!

Chen Bingwen's gaze shifted and landed on one of the carriages.

There was a huge water tank on the vehicle.

The water tank was wrapped with thick ropes, which were soaked in water and stretched very taut.

A thick black cloth covered the top, with several black stones resembling paperweights pressed down along the edges of the cloth.

Chen Bingwen frowned.

That water tank... seems a bit off.

But... he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Carriages passed by one another. After a while, Chen Bingwen lowered the curtain and pulled his head back, but he still felt uneasy.

"Am I overthinking it?"

The carriage continued forward.

Not long after, a loud explosion suddenly came from the darkness behind them.

boom!

Immediately afterwards, horses neighed, wheels overturned, and heavy objects crashed to the ground.

"Ah! What is that! My hand!!"

"The water tank! The water tank is broken! Something is spilling out!"

"Monster! It's a monster! Help!!"

"Don't bite me, no, ah—!!!"

A piercing scream instantly tore through the night.

Chen Bingwen's expression changed drastically.

"Stop the car!!! Now!!!"

The driver was so frightened that his hand trembled, and he hurriedly tightened his grip on the reins.

Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Chen Bingwen lifted the curtain and jumped down.

He looked back and saw that the Li family caravan in the distance was in complete chaos.

The torches flickered, and flames fell onto the carriage, igniting the curtains.

The horse, startled, neighed wildly, broke free of its reins, and fled, causing the driver and his companions to run away in panic.

In the dim firelight, several small, agile black figures were darting quickly between the convoy.

Those dark figures were incredibly fast!

Each time it flashed by, someone screamed and fell to the ground.

One of the men had only taken two steps when a dark shadow pounced on his back, and his screams abruptly stopped as if he had been torn apart by some sharp claws.

Chen Bingwen's pupils contracted, and without hesitation, he sprinted towards the convoy.

The closer you get, the stronger the smell of blood becomes!

As he rushed closer, he caught a glimpse of the outlines of those things by the scattered firelight.

It looked like a monster the size of several children.

It has long, slender limbs, moves nimbly, and is covered with a layer of wet scales.

As the firelight swept across, the scales reflected a cold, gleaming light.

When they crawl, their hands and feet are almost touching the ground, but their backs are arched high. Their movements are not like those of humans, but more like those of several strange fish that have just crawled out of the water.

The large water tank had been cracked into several pieces, and black water had spilled all over the ground.

On the broken wooden planks, there were still pieces of something that looked like a membrane.

Chen Bingwen's heart skipped a beat.

What the hell is this thing?

A deformed water monster?!

Or is it a freak born from evil cultivation?!

As he approached the convoy, he also sensed the sinister aura emanating from the dark figures!

Cold, brutal, and murky!

Each one of them is better than him!

Judging from their appearance, they are at least at the early stage of Taoist cultivation!

Chen Bingwen gritted his teeth and reached into his waist to take out the Lushan horn.

Now that things have come to this, there's no turning back!

If he turned and left, none of the remaining caravan members would survive.

Chen Bingwen held the horn to his lips, and the Dao Qi within his body surged in, causing the characters on the horn to light up one by one!

Waaah—!

A deep horn sound boomed along the official road, carrying a powerful, soul-stirring aura that spread outwards.

The several dark figures who were slaughtering the caravan all stopped at the same time.

The next moment, they all turned their heads around.

A pair of murky eyes stared at Chen Bingwen, their gazes filled with brutal and murderous intent.

Brush brush!

Several dark figures landed and instantly surrounded Chen Bingwen.

At close range, Chen Bingwen finally saw their appearance clearly.

Those were four babies with scales on their bodies!

Its head was much larger than that of a normal baby, and its face showed no trace of childishness, only a twisted ferocity.

His mouth split open, revealing fine, sharp teeth.

Its hands and feet were on the ground, with thin webbed membranes still connecting its fingers.

They emitted low, strange cries from their throats, and their bodies smelled of a strong, pungent, fishy odor.

Not far away, a fellow named Li sat on the ground, trembling with fear, staring blankly at them.

Chen Bingwen stared intently at the four strange infants, shouting fiercely.

"Run!!"

"Don't just stand there!!"

The man was startled awake by the noise, scrambled to his feet, and staggered away into the distance.

Instead of chasing the fleeing man, the four strange infants slowly lowered their bodies and gradually approached Chen Bingwen.

Chen Bingwen's palms were covered in cold sweat. He gripped the horn tightly, but his fingertips still trembled uncontrollably.

He forced himself to calm down.

But none of the four strange, inhuman creatures in front of him could be dealt with by him alone.

Now that we're surrounded by four, I'm afraid I'll lose my life here tonight...

Chen Bingwen took a deep breath, a ruthless glint appearing in his eyes.

Damn it!

Let's give it our all!!!

Even if it costs me my life, I can't let these evil things continue to harm people.

He gripped the horn tightly, channeling his inner energy into it frantically, preparing for a desperate fight—

But just then!

The four strange infants seemed to have received a message at the same time, and their movements suddenly stopped.

They all raised their heads and looked in a certain direction in the distance.

The next instant, the four strange infants turned around at the same time and darted toward the bushes where the caravan had scattered.

When Chen Bingwen saw the strange baby leave, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Just a moment ago, his back was soaked with cold sweat.

He almost went down to meet the patriarch...

However, when Chen Bingwen looked at the bushes ahead and saw the men who had not yet escaped, his heart skipped a beat.

"Don't run away!!!"

Chen Bingwen roared and immediately gave chase.

But his speed was far inferior to that of those strange infants.

Four dark figures darted swiftly through the bushes and weeds, quickly creating distance between them.

Hearing the commotion, the few Li fellows who were fleeing for their lives turned around and saw the monsters chasing after them. They were so frightened that their legs went weak and they immediately squatted down on the ground, covering their heads.

When Chen Bingwen saw this scene, his heart sank.

Finished!

To his surprise, the four strange infants did not attack the workers.

They passed right past the group, their speed undiminished, heading straight for the riverbank not far away.

thump!

Water splashed everywhere!

The four strange babies plunged headfirst into the river.

Once they entered the water, they moved even faster, breaking through the surface like several large fish, and in the blink of an eye, they swam away into the distance.

Under the cover of night, only a few trails of water remained on the river surface, disappearing rapidly into the distance.

Chen Bingwen chased after the water to the riverbank, his brows furrowed as he watched the receding water.

The four strange babies went into the water, and he couldn't catch up with them at all.

Besides, given his strength, even if he were to catch up, it would only be suicide.

Chen Bingwen stood by the river, his chest heaving violently, his pupils trembling slightly.

If those strange infants hadn't suddenly left, he reckoned they would be gone.

But... why did those things suddenly leave?

As Chen Bingwen recalled their simultaneous raising of their heads, he felt an increasing chill run down his spine.

These strange babies seem to be controlled by someone!

Someone is calling them to go somewhere!

"no."

"I need to go find my senior sister right away."

Chen Bingwen didn't dare to delay and turned back to the scene of the incident.

At this moment, the Li family caravan was in complete disarray!

Several horse-drawn carriages overturned on the ground, their goods scattered everywhere, and torches lay fallen in the mud, their flames flickering.

Several corpses lay on the ground; the rest had long since vanished.

Chen Bingwen glanced around, his face immediately darkening. The carriage he had been riding in also escaped in the chaos.

On the official road, only a few undamaged carriages of the Li family caravan remained parked in place.

Without hesitation, Chen Bingwen quickly walked to one of the carriages.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bag of silver coins, and threw it directly into the carriage.

"I'll lend you the horse, and I'll compensate you with money."

After saying that, he untied the horse's reins and mounted it.

A night breeze brushed against my face.

Chen Bingwen spurred the horse hard on its belly.

"drive!"

The horse neighed and galloped away along the official road.

In the darkness, the sound of horses' hooves grew increasingly urgent.