Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

Zhao Peng then summoned another surviving captain of the grain transport ship and recounted the events in detail.

"We arrived here at noon, and the water demon appeared without warning, immediately capsizing a boat..."

The captain was still in shock. "That demon was enormous, as tall as a multi-story ship. It was impervious to swords and blades. The cultivators at the Breaking Illusion Realm on board were whipped away by its tail..."

After listening to his account, Li Yuan asked several more questions in detail: "Were there any other boats traveling on the river at that time?"

"There were several passenger ships, but the monster ignored them."

Li Yuan and Han Kuo quickly exchanged a glance, especially Han Kuo, who was experienced in handling cases and immediately and keenly perceived the key point.

"You mean it only applies to grain transport ships?"

"That should be it. There was another ship that escaped, and it chased them for several miles."

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Li Yuan felt a chill in his heart. If it was merely a random disturbance by a water demon, that would be one thing, but if it was specifically targeting grain transport ships, then it was no longer a simple case of a demon attack.

Could it be that someone is manipulating these monsters behind the scenes with the aim of cutting off the supply lines to the northwest front?

Han Kuo had obviously thought of this as well, and his expression immediately became serious.

If it's just a common water monster causing trouble, it's easy to deal with; just wipe it out. But if someone is manipulating things behind the scenes, then things become complicated.

Who can control the Demon King? And why sabotage the military supply transport? Is it an inside agent of the demon race, or... is someone in the court unwilling to let the Northwest win this war?

These problems are chilling to even think about.

Seeing that the two were both lost in thought, Wu Yu couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't we start searching for the demon now?"

Li Yuan thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "This beast is extremely slippery, and the terrain here is complicated, making it too difficult to track him down."

"What should we do then? Are we just going to wait here?" Wu Yu frowned.

"Of course not. Since its target is military rations, we'll lure it out."

Li Yuan turned to Zhao Peng and asked, "Captain Zhao, are there any more military supply ships heading to Yichang recently?"

Zhao Peng nodded: "A batch of military rations will arrive from Jingzhou in three days."

"Very good," Li Yuan said. "Let's spread the news first, then set up a fake fleet to lure those monsters out."

Zhao Peng's eyes lit up: "Excellent plan, I'll arrange it right away."

"Wait," Li Yuan called out to him. "Keep the ambush a secret as much as possible, and don't let too many people know about it."

Zhao Peng was slightly taken aback, then understood Li Yuan's meaning. If this demon king was indeed controlled by someone, then there must be a traitor within the Demon Suppression Division.

"Understood."

Over the next two days, Zhao Peng had his confidants find several abandoned old ships, which were then disguised as grain transport vessels and filled with sandbags.

Dozens of skilled swimmers have been deployed along the waterways upstream and downstream of Yichang to hunt down demons, ready to be caught at any time.

Li Yuan personally oversaw the operation from the bow of the boat, setting off from the dock and slowly sailing upstream along the river.

Ji Fanghua stood beside him and whispered, "Senior Brother Li, do you think it will come?"

"Yes." Li Yuan's gaze remained fixed on the river. "If its target is truly military rations, it will never let this opportunity pass."

As darkness fell and the moon was obscured by clouds, the fleet slowly sailed on the dark river.

The journey was smooth and unobstructed, and an hour passed without incident.

As they were about to leave Yichang, the demon-hunting guards on the ship began to relax a little. Zhao Peng looked at Li Yuan several times, hesitant to speak.

Even he began to doubt that Li Yuan's judgment was wrong.

Only Li Yuan remained standing at the bow of the boat, motionless.

He sensed it.

In the deep waters of the whirlpool, a massive black shadow lurks, slowly approaching.

The aura moved very cautiously, almost blending into the water flow. After lingering under the boat for a moment, it slowly receded and disappeared into the deep water.

It's testing the waters.

Li Yuan was shocked; this beast was indeed cunning.

Zhao Peng walked to Li Yuan's side and whispered, "Lord Li, it's been almost two hours, isn't it...?"

"Wouldn't it be better if they didn't come?" Li Yuan laughed. "That way, our batch of military rations will be safe."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Peng was stunned. Before he could react, he heard Li Yuan secretly transmit his voice: "It came and left just now. It must have been testing us."

Zhao Peng was startled. He hadn't noticed at all. He felt ashamed, nodded, stepped aside, and quietly made a wary gesture to his subordinate.

Half an hour later, the boat had already entered the canyon, and that aura reappeared.

This time, it wasn't as cautious as before; it immediately and provocatively bumped the bottom of the ship.

"Thump!"

A dull thud came from the bottom of the ship, and the ship rocked slightly. The demon-hunting guards on board immediately tensed up and gripped their weapons tightly.

Li Yuan still didn't move.

This beast is still testing the waters. If an attack is ordered now, it will alert the snake and it will immediately flee.

"Don't panic, everyone," Li Yuan shouted. "It must have hit some underwater rocks."

The fleet continued on its way.

The water demon lingered under the boat for a moment before retreating again.

Li Yuan raised an eyebrow. This repeated probing showed that the monster's patience was much better than he had expected, indicating that it possessed extremely high intelligence and was not acting rashly.

It seems his earlier suspicions were true; its purpose was indeed to seize military rations.

When the boat reached a narrow section of the river, it could no longer contain itself and burst straight out of the water at an astonishing speed, creating a huge whirlpool that violently rocked the hull.

"They're here!"

A glint of light flashed in Li Yuan's eyes, and his sword was instantly drawn. "Attack!"

At his command, the tarpaulins on all five ships were simultaneously lifted, revealing the magical bows and crossbows inside.

At the same time, a signal flare was launched, illuminating the dark night sky as if it were daytime.

On the river, the enormous creature finally revealed its true form: a black monster resembling a giant water lizard, raising its long neck and revealing a mouthful of fine, sharp teeth.

Behind it, a group of water demons of various shapes and sizes launched an attack on the cargo ship at the same time.

"Release the arrows!"

Zhao Peng waved his hand and gave the order.

Dozens of magically imbued crossbow bolts rained down on the river. The water demons dove into the water to escape, but seven or eight were still unable to dodge in time and were hit by the bolts, letting out mournful howls as their blood quickly stained the river black.

"Hiss!"

The demon king in charge turned and dived into the deep water, completely ignoring his lesser demons.

Li Yuan kept his gaze fixed on the aura, realizing it hadn't gone far and was still hiding in the shadows, watching the battlefield. He couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"kill!"

At Li Yuan's command, he leaped into the river. As soon as he entered the water, two water demons rushed towards him. Li Yuan slashed out with his sword, cutting both water demons in half at the waist.

Blood spread in the water, attracting more water demons, who roared and charged towards him.

Han Kuo and the others followed closely behind into the water and engaged in a fierce battle with the water monsters. Zhao Peng directed the use of crossbows for long-range support from the boat, specifically targeting the fleeing water monsters.

The battle lasted only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and most of the dozens of water demons were killed, while the rest fled in panic.

In his spiritual sense, the powerful demonic energy suddenly accelerated and rapidly approached Li Yuan.

It was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye it was right in front of him. With its huge mouth open, a black water arrow shot towards Li Yuan like a cannonball.