Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 530: Transporting Grain

Chapter 530: Chapter 530: Transporting Grain

Looking at the flickering lights ahead, the people on the boat finally let out a sigh of relief.

They’re almost there.

"Light all the torches, do not let your guard down even if we have not yet reached the shore!"

"Yes!"

The torches on both sides of the boat were lit, standing out starkly on the dark river surface.

"They’re coming!"

Eagle-eyed individuals on the dock saw the sudden sparks on the river and their faces filled with excitement.

They’re back!

"Get ready, as soon as they dock, get on and get the grain, we need to move everything back to town as quickly as possible!"

"Yes!"

Everyone’s hearts were filled with nervous excitement as the lights on the river drew closer and closer.

The town was on the brink of running out of food.

Fortunately, they made it back in time.

The surface of the river was calm, but turbulent currents lurked beneath.

The sound of flowing water and the froth blossoming at the boat’s stern.

"Almost there."

Watching the figures on the dock gradually become larger, the people on the boat exhaled in relief.

Safe, thankfully.

The journey was far from peaceful. Instead, they encountered many destitute people along the way demanding help.

The more civil ones merely knelt and begged, while larger groups would swarm and attempt to rob them.

As they got to Huaiyang, they even encountered pirates.

If the General stationed there had not come to their aid, they would have sunk to the bottom of the river, boat and all.

After more than a month of perilous travel, they had finally returned safely.

But before they could celebrate for long, the boat suddenly shuddered, followed by a violent tremor.

"What’s happening?"

"No, no idea."

"It seems like, something is under the water..."

"Go check, see what’s underneath."

Taking a torch in hand, under its glow, they could only see a few scratches on the side of the boat that appeared out of nowhere.

The scratches were clean and precise, spreading from the bottom of the boat upward, enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

"What, what is this?"

The boat’s shuddering became more apparent, as if something underneath was trying to overturn the entire vessel.

Shen Wenchen squinted at the cargo ship not far away, its wavering firelight suggesting instability.

But this tributary was supposed to be the safest route.

"Why does their boat seem to wobble?"

Someone muttered this confusing observation.

Approximately a dozen meters from the dock, the previously advancing boat seemed to be held back by something, unable to move an inch.

Shen Wenchen glanced around, then took a running start and dashed towards the cargo ship.

They were wrong. Those creatures weren’t afraid of water!

The people on the boat swallowed nervously as they watched the creature leap from the water onto the boat deck.

They were face to face now.

The Darts Master, who had initially escorted Shen Miaomiao, quickly shielded the others behind him, preparing to defend at any moment.

There were seven "people" in total who came aboard.

Soaked to the bone, icy river water dripped down their foreheads. Under the flickering firelight, their ashen faces were especially noticeable.

Once they saw their eerie faces, a cold shiver ran down the spines of the people on the boat, and their palms began to sweat.

With a swift leap, Shen Wenchen landed on the boat, sword in hand, heading straight for the leader.

Sensing danger, the creature, which was about to pounce, quickly dodged. Wenchen’s sword grazed its forehead, and a viscous black blood oozed from the wound, trailing down its cheek. A pungent smell filled the air, forcing people to cover their noses.

"Be careful not to get bitten by them."

Shen Wenchen warned in a deep voice.

During his last encounter, he was too busy trying to save Liu Jie to observe these creatures closely.

According to Liu Jie, these creatures looked strange and behaved similar to the rats.

Now, seeing them up close, they were truly disgusting.

The creature appeared indifferent to the pain, instead wiping the blood from its wound on its fingers, then licking it off with an indulgent expression.

Their teeth were sharpened into triangular points, their tongues had elongated and become pointy, and their eyeballs were a cloudy grey, only the pupils had a vertical slit.

"None of you will escape!"

Its voice was harsh and drawn out, making everyone’s skin crawl.

"Why don’t you try!"

Shen Wenchen scoffed, one hand holding his sword, the other stealthily passing something behind him.

The Darts Master, although unsure of what it was, silently clutched the object and discreetly distributed it amongst the others.

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, the creatures hesitated.

They knew that the bonfires around the walls and dock were to fend them off.

The torches on the boat were firmly attached to both sides, so they wouldn’t affect their movement too much.

What gave him this confidence?

Spotting their hesitation, a smirk flitted across Shen Wenchen’s face.

"I do not believe that you would burn this vessel." After all, if the ship went down, they’d be helpless in the water.

It looked doubtful, but it gestured to one of its companions.

The creature hesitated before finally making a move.

Wenchen lunged with his sword while the creature tried to dodge to the side. Swiftly, he used the tip of his sword to break off a piece from a nearby torch.

Just as the creature was smugly celebrating evading the sword, Shen Wenchen tossed the little object he had been holding.

The moment it touched the embers, it exploded, a ball of fire surged towards the creature, hitting it square on.

The sudden burst of fire startled the creatures, forcing them back, while the one that was hit wailed in pain, its hands covering its face as it hid.

"You."

The leader’s pupils contracted in fear.

"Do you want another?"

Shen Wenchen made as if to throw again, the leader twitched noticeably, clearly scared.

With one last hateful glance at Shen Wenchen, they all jumped off the ship.

Just when everyone on the boat thought they were safe, Shen Wenchen finally gave the order.

"Row the boat! To the dock!"

"Yes!"

Someone ran out of the boat cabin in a panic when the boat was only ten meters away from the dock.

"Water...water is seeping in from the bottom of the boat!"

He had just gone into the cabin to clean up and found a layer of water already accumulated, and water continued to pour in through holes on both sides of the boat.

Shen Wenchen silently cursed, and seeing the expectant faces on the dock, he felt exhausted.

"Come on up! Load up the grain!"

Knowing something was amiss, people on the dock started running towards the smaller boats on either side of the dock, rolling up their sleeves, regardless of the cold water.

Two teams stayed on the sides of the dock holding torches, while the others headed for the smaller boats.