Chapter 242: Black Water Bay is bustling tonight

The lame one grew angrier the more he looked.

Because the white-eyebrow old monkey said, hoping the master would not seize the treasures of those two good people, nor blame the other monkeys, and just punish it, the monkey troop leader, that would be enough.

It also said that as long as the master punished it to vent its anger, it would bring the monkey troop back to continue serving the master.

"Well... you really are something! You've grown some skills! You even learned to negotiate with me!" The lame one flew into a rage, raised his whip and lashed at the white-eyebrow old monkey.

After two lashes, the white-eyebrow old monkey screamed in anguish.

The lame one, still not satisfied, tied the white-eyebrow old monkey to the beam with a rope and continued whipping it as it swung in circles.

The white-eyebrow old monkey's light brown-gray fur gradually turned red with blood.

"You beast!" the lame one panted, cursing, "If it weren't for me pulling you out of the mud a few years ago, you'd all be feeding crocodiles by now! How dare you defy my orders—I'll whip you to death!"

The white-eyebrow old monkey did not struggle, enduring the pain throughout its body, and closed its eyes.

The lame one caught his breath, then raised his whip again.

Crack!

Suddenly, a faint tearing sound split the air.

The hemp rope suspending the white-eyebrow old monkey suddenly snapped.

The old monkey fell to the ground with a thud.

The lame one's long whip swung at nothing, the tip whipped back and struck his own cheek.

He covered his face, gritting his teeth, and suddenly felt a chill run through his body.

He turned around, startled to see the window open at some point, the damp cold night wind whooshing in.

Just now, in his rage, he hadn't even noticed this anomaly.

Immediately afterward, he seemed to see two figures appear in the corner.

One was extremely tall and burly, the other tall and slender—clearly a man and a woman.

"Who... who's there?!"

The lame one stepped back two paces, pointing his whip at the shadows.

His hut, remodeled from a large ship's cabin, was spacious but cluttered with junk, and with only one oil lamp lit, he couldn't make out the visitors' appearances.

However, he knew all eight hundred or so members of Black Water Stronghold well, and in his memory, none of his own people had such a build.

Swish——

The tall figure in the dark corner raised a hand.

A finger-length chip of hard wood shot instantly at the lame one, cutting a blood line on the back of his hand; pain made him jerk his hand back, and the whip fell as well.

The lame one turned pale with fright, hastily retreating several steps.

Without a doubt, the hemp rope that had just been suspending the white-eyebrow old monkey was also severed by this person flinging something as a concealed weapon.

"You... you are the man and woman who intruded into our Black Water Stronghold's territory!" the lame one finally realized, blurting out in shock.

Exactly, besides these two, it couldn't be anyone else!

No wonder they're carrying a supreme treasure while fleeing—their skills are indeed formidable!

What shocked the lame one even more was that Black Water Stronghold's location was extremely concealed, surrounded by traps and natural barriers, yet these two had managed to get in.

"Haven't you been sending people to watch us for days?" Ning Jinli's teasing voice rang out, "How come you only recognized us now?"

Hearing that, the lame one broke out in a cold sweat all over.

He hadn't expected his own covert surveillance, which he thought was hidden, to have already been discovered by the other side.

This time, the other side had slipped into his residence unbeknownst to gods or ghosts—surely they came with ill intent!

But the brothers of Black Water Stronghold aren't pushovers—can they really let these two come and go as they please?!

The lame one had no time to think further; he decisively yanked down a thick rope hanging from the nearby wooden wall.

Clang!

A string of clear metallic sounds rang out outside his hut.

In an instant, countless figures surged toward this spot.

And the entire Black Water Stronghold, built from assorted wrecked ships, suddenly lit up with torches one after another.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi couldn't help but be amazed at the reaction speed and operational efficiency of these water bandits.

Such a well-trained bandit gang is quite rare.

However, the two hadn't come to deal with Black Water Stronghold; Ning Jinli darted forward, scooped up the white-eyebrow old monkey, turned, and fled the lame one's room together with Xiao Qidi.

The lame one flung himself to the window, bellowed at the top of his lungs: "Brothers, chase after them! Don't let them get away!"

At the same time——

At the edge of Black Water Bay, four people were fleeing in panic through the dense reed beds.

One was a girl about sixteen, another a pregnant woman in her twenties with a big belly, and the other two were males, one old and one sturdy.

The sturdy man was wounded, bleeding as he ran.

The other three supported each other, making their progress especially difficult.

Not far behind them, five black-clad men wielding long swords, brimming with killing intent, were in hot pursuit.

"I... my stomach hurts so much... I can't go on... you... you don't need to worry about me." The pregnant woman staggered, nearly collapsing.

The girl gripped her firmly, encouraging: "We've already reached Black Water Bay; if we keep going a bit farther, they surely won't dare chase us! Hang on!"

But the pregnant woman's strength was exhausted, and the elderly man beside her was also nearing his limit.

The four used the night and reed cover for concealment, constantly dodging in the mud; after an unknown time, they finally shook off their black-clad pursuers somewhat.

Meanwhile, the black-clad men seemed unsure of their whereabouts for a moment, slowing down to search all around.

The four hid in a puddle, curled up, faces upturned to breathe at the water's surface.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; only their breathing and the distant sound of the black-clad men parting the reeds could be heard.

Gradually, the movements of the black-clothed people grew farther away; obviously they had gone the wrong way.

As long as the four of them wait a little longer, they can shake off their pursuers.

But at that moment, the pregnant woman couldn't hold back and let out a muffled groan.

She was already about to give birth, and fleeing all the way plus hiding in the icy, bone-chilling water hole made her stomach pain grow worse.

It was precisely that muffled groan that the black-clothed person, who was about to leave, heard; he immediately turned back and locked onto the approximate location of the four.

"Oh no, we've been exposed…" the sturdy young man gritted his teeth, "I'll go lure them away! You all leave this place as quickly as possible!"

Before the girl could say anything, he rose without hesitation and rushed out of the water hole.

The girl had no choice but to slowly move the pregnant woman and the old man through the mud of the water hole toward another direction.

Soon after, the sturdy young man was engaged with the five black-clothed fighters; he was strong in combat, able to take on five despite serious wounds, but he quickly fell into a disadvantage, relying solely on willpower to hold his ground.

Just at that moment.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi happened to pass by nearby.

The two intended to bring the injured, unconscious white-browed old monkey back to the delta for treatment, when suddenly they heard the sound of fighting.

Following the sound, they vaguely saw a shadow swaying not far off; they could roughly make out five people surrounding one person.

Since the situation was unclear, Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi did not intend to meddle further.

Who knew whether it was the water bandits of Black Water Stronghold fighting among themselves?

Moreover, this time going to rescue the white-browed old monkey had already prompted many people from the Black Water Stronghold's old lair to come out and capture them.

Just as the two were tip-toeing, planning to go around, Ning Jinli's foot suddenly heard a splash; from the muddy water a slender, pale hand reached out and grabbed her ankle.

Ning Jinli was startled badly.

Fortunately she reacted quickly and her mental fortitude was strong; otherwise she would have been frightened into jumping up and crying out.

"Help… help us…" a weak voice sounded.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi crouched down, took a close look, and realized the one calling for help was a girl, with an old woman and a pregnant woman beside her.

After saying that, the girl fainted.

The old man and the pregnant woman had already been unconscious beforehand.

"Could it be that ordinary civilians who wandered into this place were discovered by the water bandits patrolling here, and then they wanted to kill them?" Ning Jinli's first thought was this possibility.

As for other possibilities, she couldn't think of any for the time being.

But no matter what, since they were ordinary civilians, and moreover a girl, an old man, and a pregnant woman, they certainly could not stand by and do nothing.

Thus Ning Jinli tied the white-browed old monkey to her back, then lifted the pregnant woman, while Xiao Qidi slipped one arm under the old man and the other under the girl, and they turned and left.

At the same time, the sturdy young man ultimately proved no match for the assassins; surrounded by the five black-clothed men, they simultaneously stabbed out, piercing his chest.

What the black-clothed men didn't expect was that, in that instant, the sturdy young man twisted his body, trapping their weapons against his chest, and in the blink of an eye delivered a backhanded circular slash.

Before the five black-clotched men could react, the long sword in the sturdy young man's hand had already sealed their throats with a single strike.

Splash—

The five black-clothed men collapsed.

The sturdy young man spat blood, gazing in the direction where his three remaining companions had fled, then swayed and crashed to the ground.

Not long after, a group of Black Water Stronghold members who had been tracking Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi arrived here; they immediately checked the situation and found that all five black-clothed men were dead.

The sturdy young man clung to his last breath and told them, "Second Chief… was… taken away by a pair of strangers…"

He wished he could describe it more clearly, but his life had reached its end.

After conveying that crucial clue, he ceased breathing.

The news quickly returned to Black Water Stronghold, and the bodies of the sturdy young man and the five black-clothed men were also brought back.

Tonight was a sleepless night for Black Water Stronghold.

The Chief, the Lame Strategist, and the various minor officers from the stronghold gathered in the main hall, while the remaining several hundred brothers stood outside the hall.

Whether inside or outside the hall, it was brightly lit by countless torches.

Everyone had solemn expressions and reddened eyes.

Especially the chief, who held the corpse of the sturdy man and sobbed uncontrollably.

Because this person was not only a member of the Black Water stronghold, but also the guard that the second chief always took with him when going out on business.

His martial skill was second only to the chief's, and he was extremely loyal and reliable.

Originally, half a month ago, he had followed the second chief to scout the official grain ship's situation; who would have thought that when he returned, upon reaching their own territory, he had become a corpse—how could the chief not be grieved?

"Before he died, did he say anything else? Did he say who was chasing and killing them?!" the chief roared.

The lame strategist said softly:

"Chief, you've asked several times already; he didn't say anything else, only…… the second chief was taken away by a pair of strangers, a man and a woman. Moreover, the five black-clad men had no items identifying them, so we cannot tell where they came from; everything will only be clear once we find the second chief."

The chief wiped his tears hard, glaring with bloodshot eyes, "Skin and tear apart those five black-clad men, crush their corpses into countless pieces!"

The lame strategist waved his hand, and several sturdy men dragged the black-clad corpse out.

Next, the chief intended to personally lead all the brothers to retrieve the second chief.

The lame strategist hurriedly intervened, "Chief, absolutely not! We still don't know who is chasing and killing the second chief, or whether there are more assassins lurking outside; you must congratulate part of the brothers to stay in the stronghold to hold the fort. Moreover, those who took the second chief must be that mysterious man and woman who intruded our territory; I have long known their hiding place, and I will certainly lead the brothers to bring the second chief back unharmed!"

Before this, the lame one was very cautious, considering all circumstances, thus he sent people to keep watch, but delayed taking action to seize the treasure.

Now it's different.

The second chief had fallen into those two people's hands, and moreover they had sneaked into the stronghold to provoke; he could no longer tolerate it, unable to hesitate any further.

For the sake of the second chief, and to let those two know the consequences of provoking the Black Water stronghold, we must act tonight!

Soon, the lame strategist had a hundred brothers stay with the chief to hold the fort, while he himself led the remaining seven hundred brothers, armed, with murderous aura, mighty and mighty, they rowed out of the stronghold.

——

On the other side.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi brought the rescued old man, pregnant woman, and girl to the vicinity of the delta.

Xiao Qidi couldn't help but complain, "Tonight is truly restless; after rescuing the monkey, I rescued people—this Black Water Bay is livelier than I imagined."

Ning Jinli was also helpless, but what needs to be done must be done; as long as it doesn't affect the collection of Moth Wing Grass, anything goes.

For secrecy, they only brought the white‑eyebrowed old monkey back into the delta, but didn't take the three rescued people back; instead, they found a relatively suitable spot nearby and, using available materials, built a simple wind‑proof shelter from branches and leaves.

Then they lit a fire, which provided both light and warmth.

Ning Jinli examined the three; the old man and the girl both had injuries, but none were fatal, and their unconsciousness was due to severe exhaustion.

As for the pregnant woman, she only had several minor abrasions; she must have been protected all along.

But her water had broken at this moment, and she was also unconscious, making her situation the most dangerous.

Just as Ning Jinli was about to take the pregnant woman to the modern world for hospital care, she discovered that the fetus had already exposed half of its head.

In this situation, trying to deliver the baby on the spot actually offers a better chance of survival than taking the time to send her to a hospital.

"Xiao Qidi, come hold her legs, bend the knees, get ready to help with the delivery!" Ning Jinli commanded while disinfecting her hands with items from the emergency medical kit.

Xiao Qidi's face flushed red, but since a life was at stake, he showed no hesitation and acted immediately.

Ning Jinli practically half‑lay down, placed several layers of clean towels under the pregnant woman, and quickly cleaned and disinfected her lower half of mud and dirty water.

Then, Ning Jinli gently placed one hand on the pregnant woman's prominently raised belly, circulated the Tian Xuan Heart Method, and slowly infused her with strands of internal strength.