The scenery of the people here was very different from that of Jiangchun and Lu River. It was far inferior to the prosperity and wealth of those two places. Refugees who were not clothed could be seen everywhere. The villagers were even more emaciated and sallow, and their living conditions were even worse.
As far as the eye could see, it was a desolate scene.
“Brother, where are we going now? Are we going to the county city to get rid of evil, meet the experts, or visit our fellow compatriots in the Green Forest?”
Everyone looked at Zhou Jing, waiting for his decision.
Zhou Jing touched his chin and pondered for a moment before saying, “There’s no hurry to meet experts. Let’s meet the people of the Green Forest in Huyang, before proceeding to Yueshan Lake. As for getting rid of evil, I’ll do it on the way.”
“We’ll listen to your instructions!”
No one had any objections.
The network of water bodies in Huyang was dense. In just two days, the group was blocked by a large lake.
There was a fishing village dock by the lake with rows of small boats parked there. There were many fishermen and boatmen who lived here.
Fang Zhen went to ask about the situation and quickly returned to report.
“Second Brother, the villager here said that this lake is called the Small Wind Lake. If you cross it by dry road, you have to circle very far. It’s best to cross it by boat.”
Zhou Jing sized up the lake. The lake was dotted with sandy islands, and there were reeds everywhere. There were many port branches, and the waterway was complicated, making it a dangerous place.
He thought for a moment and asked, “The situation of this lake is complicated. Are there any experts around?”
“I asked, and the villagers said that there’s no such thing. I don’t know if it’s true. However, according to my observation, there might be something fishy about this fishing village.”
Fang Zhen was also someone who had traveled extensively, so he naturally would not take the words of the locals at face value.
Guo Haishen interrupted, “The water bandits of Huyang are rampant, so there will naturally be water bandits occupying the slightly more dangerous lakes. They are also usually associated with the surrounding fishing villages. I think this place is not simple.”
Zhou Jing narrowed his eyes, “I see… It’s a good opportunity to test the quality of these people. Find some boatmen to bring us across the lake. Let’s act according to the situation.”
When everyone heard this, they nodded and went to rent a ship. Soon, they hired dozens of boatmen.
Not long after, dozens of small boats carried Zhou Jing and the others out, slowly sailing on the lake.
Many of those from the Green Forest separated and each guarded a ship to protect the poor people following them.
As the fleet drove, the reeds around them became denser and denser, blocking their vision.
The water surface also turned into a turbid green.
At this moment, the boatman on the ship suddenly threw away the oars and jumped into the water like fish. He was very agile.
Pitter patter ——
Waves appeared on the surface of the water.
In the next moment, the small boat that Zhou Jing and the others were sitting on swayed violently. It was as if someone was shaking the small boat underwater, scaring the many of them on top of it.
“Heh, there’s indeed a problem.”
Zhou Jing did not move, instead suddenly reaching out and grabbing the boatman from the water like he was fishing. He threw him onto the deck and stepped on his chest, preventing him from moving.
Most of the other companions on the ship reacted in time. For example, Guo Haishen, Duan Yunfeng, Hong Dingxian, Fang Zhen, Zhang Lei, and the others had also fished out the boatman from the water and easily subdued them.
Only a small number of people with average martial arts skills were given the slip by the boatman. Some were even pulled into the water, choking on the water and embarrassing themselves.
Gululu—
At this moment, water suddenly seeped out from the decks of the small boats.
The bottom of the boat had long been tampered with. The moment the boatman jumped into the water, he activated the trap and chiseled the bottom of these small boats.
At the same time, small boats appeared from the reeds and surrounded this place.
These ambushers were all pirates. At a glance, there were about 300 to 400 of them.
“Little ones, a big fish has come!”
“Hahaha, we’re finally open for business!”
The water bandits shouted excitedly. Many of them were naked and jumped into the water with a sharp knife in their mouths. They eagerly moved towards Zhou Jing and the others’ small boat, displaying their extraordinary swimming abilities.
Zhou Jing’s expression did not change. Instead, he smiled.
“Even the water bandits in other places would at least ask people what sort of noodles they would like to eat. I didn’t expect the local water bandits to be so rude. They don’t even let us choose.”
(TL Note: Check Ch368 where Bill got asked this question from the boatman who tried to mug him.)
When the water bandits present heard this, they looked over and sized up this burly man who appeared to be fearless.
Under everyone’s gaze, Zhou Jing suddenly pulled off his clothes and jumped into the water.
In the next moment, the water surface immediately surged violently, as if there was a tsunami.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Suddenly, water bloomed as water bandits were thrown out of the water one after another. The scene was like a fish being thrown into a wok of oil!
With a bang, the huge wave shot upwards into the air, as if a bomb had exploded underwater. It directly washed away all the small boats in the area, causing chaos.
The water splashed like a downpour, drenching everyone present.
At this moment, Zhou Jing suddenly jumped out of the water and landed on a pirate ship, causing the small boat to shake. The pirates on the ship were so frightened that they fell to the ground.
“How is it?”
Zhou Jing shook his wet hair and laughed.
His swimming skills were average, but his physique and body control were high enough, so he was naturally proficient in this kind of thing after familiarizing with it for a while. Moreover, with the enhancement of the Martial Path Aura, his speed underwater far exceeded that of ordinary people.
“W-Who are you? You can actually overturn rivers and seas. Could it be that you’re actually a thousand-year-old flood dragon that has transformed into a human!”
The pirate leader stuttered in disbelief.
He had thought that a big fish had come, but he did not expect it to be a shark instead.
Zhou Jing smiled and shook his chest muscles. He said heroically, “Grandpa will never change his name. My name is Chen Feng.”
“You’re that Chaotic World Demon, Chen Feng?!”
The expression of the pirate leader suddenly changed. He turned around and shouted at his subordinates,
“Stop! Everyone, stop!”
The lackeys stopped in their tracks, at a loss.
Immediately after, the pirate leader bowed to Zhou Jing with an expression bordering on fanaticism.