Chapter 259

Not to mention Ming Youlian and Fu Chaojun, even Yi Lianxing, Qin Caihe, and Chu Xingmeng were utterly astonished. Jiang Fan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, escorting a contemporary expert at the late Core Formation stage? Was he joking?

Yi Lianxing whispered, "Junior Brother Jiang, isn't that a bit inappropriate to say?" As a teammate, she found his words utterly preposterous. Jiang Fan calmly replied, "No matter how strong a martial artist is, their offensive power against underwater creatures is greatly diminished. On the other hand, the Red-Scaled Flood Dragons, during their mating season, briefly awaken a terrifying sonic talent. Even late Core Formation experts would find them extremely troublesome to deal with."

Yi Lianxing fully agreed with the first part. Human experts could only display their full strength against land-based demonic beasts. Against those in the sky or underwater, it was difficult to unleash their true destructive power, as airborne creatures could fly away and aquatic ones could dive deep, rendering many cultivation techniques ineffective. However, she was skeptical about the second part. The Red-Scaled Flood Dragon was a very rare demonic beast; she had only come across scattered mentions of it while browsing ancient texts by chance. But she couldn't recall any mention of it possessing sonic abilities. Surely an outsider like Jiang Fan couldn't know more than she, an expert? If she didn't believe it, how could Fu Chaojun?

"Hahahaha! You protect us?" Fu Chaojun felt as if he had just heard the biggest joke imaginable: "Jiang Fan, Jiang Fan, what on earth gives you such confidence to utter such utterly absurd words!" Ming Youlian's aged face darkened, and he squinted at Jiang Fan, "Youngster, I've seen people insult others, but never like this! Protect me? What a joke! Then this old man will wait and see how you cross the river! Chaojun, let's go!"

Their convoy had already been loaded onto boats and was ready. Fu Chaojun cast a contemptuous glance at Jiang Fan and said, "It's a pity, you've missed your only chance to cross the river! Go take the long way around, hmph!" As the sails were raised, their boat slowly set off across the vast river.

Yi Lianxing sighed softly. How she wished the two sides hadn't fallen out. Now, they would have to take a detour that would add half a month to their journey. But Jiang Fan said, "Let's borrow a boat and depart too." "Huh?" Yi Lianxing was startled. "Won't that be very dangerous?" She couldn't imagine proceeding without powerful martial artists present. What if an adult Red-Scaled Flood Dragon attacked? That creature could bite a boat in half with a single snap.

Jiang Fan took out a large bottle of red pills, distributing twenty pills to each of the three women. "This substance is called 'Three-Step Intoxication,' and it has a huge allure for demonic beasts," he explained. "After consuming it, demonic beasts will fall unconscious within a few breaths. Later, if any demonic beasts appear, throw these pills into the water, and they will naturally fight over them." Jiang Fan was quite confident about 'Three-Step Intoxication.' After all, even a celestial beast like the little qilin had fallen victim to it, so how could ordinary demonic beasts resist its temptation? The three women accepted the pills, half-believing and half-doubting.

Soon after, they borrowed a large boat. After ten horse-drawn carriages were loaded one after another, they also set sail. Chu Xingmeng took charge of the helm. Qin Caihe, holding the red pills, nervously patrolled around the ship's railing, observing the surroundings. Yi Lianxing was also busy. As if by magic, she produced two palm-sized black eagles with bright, piercing eyes from her sleeve. They were highly intelligent and, after exchanging a few words with Yi Lianxing, flew high into the sky, circling above the boat. "If there's anything unusual underwater, my spirit beasts will notify me in time," Yi Lianxing said, clasping her hands behind her back, though her face showed little sign of ease.

Jiang Fan sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat. A black sword lay across his knees, and his spiritual energy circulated continuously, making him seem like a poised, sharp weapon. Everyone's nerves were taut; they hardly dared to breathe. Only the gurgling sound of the boat gliding through the river and the splashing of waves against the hull could be heard. Before they knew it, they had already passed the center of the river and were slowly approaching the bank. From the bow, the dock on the riverbank was clearly visible. On closer inspection, faint figures could even be seen moving about on it. Yi Lianxing's tense nerves relaxed slightly. "It seems we're very lucky; we haven't encountered any Red-Scaled Flood Dragons," she said. "These dragons prefer to stir up trouble in deeper waters, and we've already crossed the deepest part. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be safe." Qin Caihe and Chu Xingmeng, whose faces had been tight with tension, finally relaxed. Qin Caihe chuckled, "The Red-Scaled Flood Dragons didn't come, but we scared ourselves silly first." Chu Xingmeng also took a few deep breaths, her mood easing. Standing on the deck, she could see farther than the others. Suddenly, she asked with some doubt, "Is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like we're catching up to Fu Chaojun's boat?"

Yi Lianxing and Qin Caihe looked up. Indeed, they saw Fu Chaojun's boat becoming clearer. The river was so wide that their view was unobstructed. They had seen Fu Chaojun's boat when they first set off, but at that time, it looked as tiny as an ant, and the two boats were a great distance apart. But now, Fu Chaojun's boat was only about a li away. Both were sailboats, propelled by the wind, so their speeds should have been identical. How could they be getting closer?

"Go around!" At that moment, Jiang Fan sprang to his feet at the bow and said urgently. Chu Xingmeng, momentarily stunned, fumbled with the helm, turning the boat while asking confusedly, "But the dock is right ahead, isn't it?" Yi Lianxing and Qin Caihe also looked puzzled. They were almost at the bank; why suddenly change direction? Jiang Fan said in a low voice, "It's not that we're fast; it's that something has happened to them, and they can't move forward!" Something happened? The three women's recently relaxed nerves suddenly tightened. A thought simultaneously flashed through their minds: Red-Scaled Flood Dragons! Fu Chaojun and his group were attacked by Red-Scaled Flood Dragons! Chu Xingmeng trembled and quickly turned the helm, steering the boat off its direct course.

Before long, they had rounded to the left side of Fu Chaojun's boat, several hundred zhang away. At this point, they could clearly see the situation on the boat! The mast was damaged, and the cabin was smashed. Horses were torn into pieces by an unknown fierce creature, their remains scattered, intestines spilling everywhere. The demonic beasts being transported had been brutally slaughtered. Countless streams of blood flowed from the deck into the water, dyeing the area around the boat a bloody red!

The horrifying scene made the three women's pupils contract sharply. What made their hearts pound even faster was a horse leg floating in the bloody water, which was suddenly dragged down by something unknown, creating a huge ripple. Immediately after, the water surged and waves broke. Clearly, something was fighting over the horse leg! Yi Lianxing gasped, "Red-Scaled... hmmph..." Jiang Fan quickly covered her mouth, then made a silencing gesture to the startled Qin Caihe and Chu Xingmeng. In a very low voice, he said, "Red-Scaled Flood Dragons rely mainly on their hearing. Don't make any noise. Let's go quickly before they notice us!"

Chu Xingmeng suppressed her fear, tightly gripping the helm, and kept the boat moving steadily forward. They watched as they gradually moved away from Fu Chaojun's boat, while the group of Red-Scaled Flood Dragons still swam in the bloody water around it. Everyone gradually breathed a sigh of relief. If things continued like this, they could escape disaster.

However, just as they were about to be safe, a head cautiously poked out from the damaged cabin. It was none other than the hidden Fu Chaojun! He spotted Jiang Fan and the others' boat, overjoyed, and frantically waved! Qin Caihe noticed him and exclaimed softly, "Fu Chaojun is still alive! Should we save them?"

Before Jiang Fan could speak, Yi Lianxing adamantly said, "Are you out of your mind? The boat is so heavily damaged, proving that even Elder Ming Youlian's presence was useless. We don't even know if he's alive or dead! If we go over there, wouldn't it be pointless?" Jiang Fan said indifferently, "Keep going. Don't stop." If they had been more friendly before, he might have tried to rescue them, seeing as they were all there to resist the beast tide. But they had only shown malice towards Jiang Fan. So why should Jiang Fan risk his life to save them?

From the damaged cabin, Fu Chaojun watched Jiang Fan's boat continue to move away without any sign of stopping, and he became enraged: "You dare to watch us die and do nothing?! Fine! If I die, you won't have an easy time either!"