Chapter 324: Vortex

By the time Second Locust reached the riverbank, panicked shouts filled the air everywhere. The great banner had fallen to the ground; the Flag Bearer and a Horse Soldier lay face-down on the earth, blood streaming ceaselessly from beneath them. On the river water, chaotic ripples crisscrossed in circles. Several figures wearing red headscarves flickered in and out of sight among the waves. Wang Baodao floated face-up on the surface, apparently already unconscious. One of the figures had hooked an arm around Wang Baodao's neck and was swimming toward the opposite bank.

The surrounding Horse Soldiers converged here in droves. Many held bows and arrows, but none dared shoot into the river, afraid of hitting Wang Baodao. A Post Commander who had arrived first howled, ordering the two Team Leaders who could swim to give chase. They had only just entered the water, while the other side had already passed the river's center.

"Ride around by the bridge and pursue!" That Post Commander, panicked and flustered, then pointed at several men. "Keep eyes on Wang Baodao. See where they come ashore."

Second Locust glanced briefly at the enemy's swimming speed, turned back to his mount to retrieve his bow, then lifted the Arrow quiver. He turned back to the riverbank, drew into a full stance, and loosed an Arrow straight at Wang Baodao on the water's surface.

"What are you doing!" That Post Commander roared in fury, rushing over and reaching out to grab the bow.

Second Locust shoved him aside with one push and stared at the man coldly. "I, your father, am also a Post Commander. It's not your place to order me."

"If your arrow kills Wang Baodao, I'll drag you before the Grand Master to answer for it!"

"Wang Baodao is already dead," Second Locust bellowed in rage. "These men are definitely government troops' Night-Not-Returning scouts, capturing him for interrogation. By the time you ride around the bridge, they'll have killed him long ago. I'm helping him take the quick way out."

That Post Commander froze. Having said his piece, Second Locust ignored him, drew his bow on his own, and released the Arrow. The Light Arrow traced an arc through the air, flying toward Wang Baodao in the river. Seeing this, several Horse Soldiers under Second Locust's command also took up their bows and fired.

A continuous stream of arrows flew toward the river. Plop, plop — they splashed up blossoms of water around those figures. At last, one struck Wang Baodao squarely. The unconscious Wang Baodao convulsed, spat out two mouthfuls of water, then began struggling.

The Horse Soldiers' bowfire did not cease. In the blink of an eye, Wang Baodao was struck by three Arrows. He cried out in panic, his hands and feet thrashing ceaselessly on the water. A red trail was left behind him in the river water, but his struggles had no effect. He still drifted downstream with the current, drawing closer and closer to the opposite bank.

Second Locust pursued downstream. He heard shouting from the river. When he stopped, he saw that the two enemies in the river had actually turned around and were heading back this way, intending to engage the two Team Leaders swimming in Pursuit. Second Locust drew his bow, preparing to shoot these two targets first. But the two enemies merely exchanged a single breath above the water — their heads barely surfaced before they dove under again. At first, the red headscarves on their heads could be seen flickering in and out of sight beneath the water, but moments later, they vanished completely. Second Locust could not even get a chance to aim. Frustrated rage welling in his heart, he forgot to shoot at Wang Baodao and simply held his bow drawn, waiting for those two to surface for air again.

By Second Locust's understanding, a person could not stay underwater for long. Who could have guessed that those two enemies would never surface again. Second Locust naturally knew the enemy had not drowned; it was simply that he had never even imagined anyone could possess such aquatic skill.

On the river, only the two Team Leaders churned up sheets of spray on the water's surface. They quickly neared the river's center. The two Team Leaders were not on good terms with Second Locust, but this stretch of river filled him with an inexplicable, mounting tension. Just as he was at a loss, a miserable scream rang out from the river, making Second Locust's whole body shudder.

A surge of blood welled up beneath one Team Leader. He strained to lift his head high, one hand raised aloft, as if trying to grasp something in the air to pull himself free of the water's surface. Immediately after, he seemed to be dragged violently downward by something. His head suddenly sank beneath the water. With a gurgle, the scream stopped abruptly. The surrounding blood water churned unceasingly, swirling into several crimson vortices.

After a moment, a hand suddenly thrust out of the water again, fist clenched tight. It lingered briefly, then slowly sank back beneath the surface. The blood water roiled twice more before settling into stillness, as if that Team Leader had never existed.

Second Locust forgot to shoot his bow. He felt his mouth go dry and his throat constrict until he could barely breathe. He stared blankly at the water's surface. Only after a long while, when he had somewhat recovered his senses, did he realize that the other Team Leader had also vanished without a trace. The Erlang River lay utterly calm, leaving behind only an increasingly faint trace of blood.

"Second Chief."

Xiao Wazi's voice sounded beside his ear. Second Locust jolted as if waking from a dream and hurriedly retreated several steps from the riverbank. He swept his bow and arrow in a circle around him and saw that the other Horse Soldiers had long since withdrawn far from the riverbank. On the river, the figures of the enemy and Wang Baodao were already nowhere to be seen.

"Second Chief, what's wrong with you?" Xiao Wazi looked at him with some confusion. The Post Commander before him was drenched in sweat, yet his face was deathly pale — not the look of someone exhausted from drawing a bow.

"There's a Water Demon." Second Locust panted several breaths. A sudden urge to flee this place seized him. He looked left and right, only to discover that his horse had been left by the riverbank, grazing there. He immediately said to Xiao Wazi, "Go fetch the horse."

Xiao Wazi did not understand, but the surrounding Horse Soldiers all remained silent, and the atmosphere was rather eerie. Yet the Chief had spoken, and his words could not be disobeyed. He walked over cautiously, each step exceedingly light. As he nervously approached the riverbank, Xiao Wazi could not help but glance at the river's surface. He could still see faint remnants of red. Assuming Wang Baodao was dead, he slowly reached out, took hold of the horse's Reins, and led it back.

Second Locust grabbed the Reins, swung himself onto the horse in one motion, and turned his head, about to give Xiao Wazi some Advice. When he saw Wang Dashan being dragged over, he remembered the earlier matter. "Did you kill him?"

Xiao Wazi nodded. "Killed him."

"Good that he's killed. You raise it." Second Locust spurred his horse another two steps back inland. Wiping his forehead, he said, "Get back to town, quick. Stay far from the riverbank. There's a Water Demon."

……

At the mouth of a small Stream half a li downstream, Tang Ershuan, dripping wet all over, pushed aside the weeds on the bank. After coming ashore, he checked a wound on his left arm; blood water was still seeping out.

This was from when he killed a Team Leader and the opponent's Waist Saber had slashed wildly, cutting him. The wound was not long. Tang Ershuan was soaked from head to toe and could not bandage it now. He hurried toward the rally point — the place where they had lain in ambush early that morning, which also served as the operation's rally point.

When he reached that thicket, the other three were already there. Wang Baodao lay on the ground, his line of sight blocked by the blacksmith. Tang Ershuan could not tell whether he was dead or alive. The other Point Scout, seeing that Tang Ershuan was injured, took a clean piece of Cotton Cloth from a sheepskin pouch nearby and came over to bandage him.

The blacksmith cursed in a low voice, incessantly asking questions. Wang Baodao on the ground had faint breath and only spoke a sentence every long while.

By the time the Point Scout finished bandaging, Tang Ershuan was about to go over and check the situation, but the blacksmith had already stood up. Turning his head and seeing Tang Ershuan, he said, "Dead."

"Dead, just like that?" Tang Ershuan glanced over in surprise. Wang Baodao's eyes were wide open. He was indeed dead.

"Hit by four Arrows — how could he not be dead? But I've already gotten the information out of him. Cao Cao, Old Huihui, and Sweeping King have also come." The blacksmith grinned smugly. "The Eight Bandits have already passed Erlang Town. The one left behind there is called Liu Wenxiu, leading the Eight Bandits' Old Camp Upper Second Sentry, to receive those bandit chieftains for the Combined Camp."

Tang Ershuan chuckled. "So many Bandit Spawn have come. Drag them all into the river and drown them."

"Still, killing with a blade is less trouble." The blacksmith waved a hand as he spoke. "Tang Ershuan, go get the Boat. This intelligence was gathered clearly — you'll certainly be credited for merit. In the future, promotion and extra pay will come much faster. Lord Pang has long wanted to strike down and kill the Eight Bandits and Sweeping King. Report this news, and he's sure to be pleased."