My wife is the stand-in.

Amanosaki Joji was completely baffled.

Li Junzi spread his hands, indicating that he was also completely confused.

"Is everyone ready? We're about to set off."

Having changed into a spacious and functional style that allowed for easy movement, Lin Shuyu, with tactical pockets all over her body, slowly walked out in sneakers.

Lin Shuyu, who was previously dressed as a capable and professional woman, has transformed into an active outdoor sports enthusiast in the blink of an eye.

The loose-fitting, functional jacket swayed gently in the breeze, making Lin Shuyu's slightly protruding belly appear even more slender, reminiscent of willow branches sprouting in early spring.

She noticed the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, then extended her hand, clad in a fingerless glove, her fingers emerging from the brown fabric sewn from deerskin, like the roots of a scallion in the soil. Pointing to the long, slender, flat-bottomed marine police patrol boat moored on the shore, she explained:

"The extermination order issued by the central government was carried out by the Sanjiang Hall. However, the Sanjiang Hall itself did not have any registered heroes. Instead, it recruited people from various branches and conglomerates in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Therefore, this mission was essentially a joint plan by the government, the Qunxia Mountain branch, and conglomerates that covered hundreds of millions of people in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River."

"We are just the starting point. As we move downstream along the Yangtze River, each branch and security company will send heroes and employees to participate. The plan for coordination in various places is very simple: we will push forward, slay demons and monsters, force the Four-Clawed Scaled Fish to the estuary, and use warships and the heroes guarding the Demon City to annihilate the trapped beast in one fell swoop."

Amanosaki nodded: "I see."

His doubts were resolved, so he waited patiently for the arrangements. He believed that the government would coordinate things well once the plan became clear.

Someone in the crowd raised their hand: "I have a question."

Amanosaki turned his head and saw a thin man with a head of bright yellow, messy hair raising his hand and winking at him.

It was the blond guy who had led him there earlier.

He cleared his throat and asked a question that surprised Amanosaki: "Most of us can use our abilities in water, so I understand why we were chosen. But Shanghai is the financial center of the Far East, with countless companies and securities and stock exchanges. Isn't it risky to choose where the final battlefield is?"

'Is this something that lazy guy who wants to retire to his hometown and kill fish would care about?' Amanosaki stared wide-eyed, thinking that he thought the blond guy would ask about post-war rewards and possible promotions.

After all, this is what his previous image suggested he cared about most.

Lin Shuyu greeted everyone as they boarded the boat while answering questions:

"Because Shanghai is the financial center of the Far East, the quality and quantity of the heroes in the Shanghai branch far exceed those of other provincial capitals. The fifth brother of the 'Calabash Brothers,' a hero of the headquarters level, has been in charge for the past six months."

"The fifth Calabash Brother..." Amanosaki chewed on the name of this animated character, which seemed to have crawled out of the Shanghai Animation Film Studio on Earth, and had a bellyful of complaints but didn't know where to start.

Is it the influence of the will of the universe, or is it just a complaint that the name is both corny and silly?

Unlike Amanosaki's astonished reaction, Huang Mao, Li Junzi, and the others breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news, as if the situation was now under control.

"Hey, what's the background of that hero called Lao Wu?" Amanosaki nudged Li Junzi's waist with his elbow—his height only allowed him to reach Li Junzi's waist when he raised his arm—and asked.

Now that Li Junzi knows the details of Amano Saki's background, and knows that his older brother didn't pay much attention to live streams and martial arts movies before, and only associated with the low-key apprentice martial arts heroes, he directly explained to him: "【Calabash Brothers】are the names of seven great heroes, five of whom are at the branch level and two at the headquarters level. The fifth great hero is the headquarters level hero among them."

"He has the ability to swallow and expel large amounts of water. His stomach has a special space that can hold eight great rivers. Whether it is acid or a raging flood, he can swallow it all with a simple open mouth."

"You mean if the strange fish and the queen fish try to escape, this hero called Lao Wu will just drink the river dry so they can't get away?"

Li Junzi nodded: "Not only that, the Fifth Master can also control the amount of water sprayed. Just think, what is that thin stream of turbid river water that is sprayed out under the water pressure of eight great rivers?"

Amanosaki was slightly distracted.

“Water blade.” The strategic angel Icarus beside him immediately pointed out the meaning behind Li Junzi’s words.

"Yes! Water Blade!" Li Junzi nodded excitedly. "The Fifth Master's water blade can cut through tanks from over a thousand meters away! Even the Sword Saint, Jie Laobin, admitted that he couldn't guarantee defeating him from fifty meters away!"

"One thousand meters!" Amanosaki exclaimed. This is more than just a water blade! It's practically an otherworldly version of the Bankai Zanpakuto, Shinso!

Lin Shuyu clapped her hands, signaling the heroes in the discussion to keep quiet: "Besides Shanghai, the Songshan Branch, Nandu Branch, Fengdu Branch, and Wudang Branch will all send their main forces. In addition, many other branches such as Chaohu, Poyang, Tianzhushan, Taibailou, Peach Blossom Island, Jiujiang, and West Lake will also send reinforcements while clearing out the fish monsters in their tributaries. Furthermore, large domestic enterprises such as Yanlong Consortium, Tianwen Group, Jiuxingshan Real Estate, Zhuge Bagua Village, Ant Group Financial, and Dajiang Water Affairs Bureau will send their employed security companies to provide support."

As the names of Amanosaki branch offices and organizations, some seemingly plausible and others completely unheard of, appeared one after another, the morale of the entire ship soared.

"The final battleground has been chosen in Shanghai to show the people of the whole country and the world the determination and strength of China. We have the capability to completely eradicate the Four-Clawed Monster within our borders while ensuring the safety of the Far East Financial Center! Therefore, all the nominal branch leaders have been given a death order: no matter what, we must fight with the spirit of the Sanjiang Hall! We are at the very top of the extermination order's range! And we will be the first to set off!"

"We will fight on land, we will fight on the river, we will fight underwater, we will sweep through every tributary and every body of water of the great river! We will not stop until the last four-clawed fish has bled dry!"

"This is an order to exterminate them!"

The main stream and its tributaries are engaged in a full-scale war, with iron and blood spreading across the land and water, and blood flowing in every body of water.

Amanosaki could already smell the bloodshed in this series of parallel sentences.

Lin Shuyu started the patrol boat, and amidst the roar of the engine, she loudly announced, "Gentlemen! All eyes are on us! Today is the day we will make our name and fame!"

"Just today!"

The heroes raised their fists and shouted triumphantly.

Amanosaki blinked, his eyes brimming with excitement, but he suppressed his emotions and observed cautiously. Icarus, on the other hand, raised his hand and expressionlessly joined everyone in saying "Oh."

"set off!"

Lin Shuyu pulled down the thrust handle, and the roar of the engine running at full power propelled the patrol boat with the powerful sound of the Dajiang Reservoir. Amidst the engine's furious roar, the patrol boat traced a smooth arc and propelled itself downstream with all its might.

In the distant, cold, silent, and star-studded expanse of space, several positioning and communication satellites belonging to China adjusted their lenses to faithfully record the ship's journey.

Chapter 71: The Authority of Angels

Even though it was morning, the weather turned visibly gloomy shortly after we left the Sanjiang Reservoir area.

The clouds gradually piled up, transforming from light and airy to thick, heavy, and deep leaden clouds.

The heroes who had been keeping watch around the patrol boat keenly noticed the change in the weather, and their previous relaxation due to standing guard for a long time tightened up again.

Amanosaki, Icarus, and Li Junzi stood on the top deck of the patrol boat. As the three strongest men on the ship, their mission was to provide immediate reinforcements after the heroes on the deck had intercepted the attacking monster fish.

Yes, Amanosaki discovered his own magical potential through his battle with Kyusui In, and after a series of medicinal baths, his own strength also grew to the level of a gang leader.

If there's anything Amanosaki could learn from the trainees on deck, it's probably their familiarity with the four-clawed scale fish's body structure and their cold-blooded indifference during the killing.

At this very moment, he, one of the hopes of the group, was gripping the stainless steel railing of the top deck, squinting his eyes, which were covered with magic circuits, as he scanned the waters around the patrol boat.

Li Junzi, who had been relieved to rest his eyes, carefully studied the patrol boat's operation manual and loudly recited the patrol boat's parameters:

"The 'Suobianyu' naval patrol boat weighs 300 tons, has a top speed of 38 knots, and has three decks including the bridge... Wow, are all naval patrol boats this powerful these days?"

“Take a look for yourself. Aren’t all the other heroes we met along the way traveling in patrol boats of this size?”

Amanosaki leaned on the railing, pointed behind him, and saw several patrol boats sparsely following behind, cutting through the blue waves. Swordsmen dressed in modern or classical clothing stood on the deck with weapons in hand. Looking around, there were about three boats.

This means that the three branch brigades, despite their busy schedules, spared their resources to support the extinction of the main river.

Amanosaki blinked his dry eyes against the wind, glanced worriedly at the overcast sky, and said to Li Junzi, "Hey! Stop playing around, get up and help check the underwater area, I feel something's wrong."

Lin Shuyu, who was piloting the patrol boat, munched on a bag full of chocolates from her functional windbreaker pockets and joined the conversation:

"Of course, they can't all be this kind of large patrol boat. It's just that this tonnage is the basic configuration for the punitive expedition team. In fact, these patrol boats have almost emptied the coffers of the Dajiang Water Affairs Bureau, the Yanlong Consortium, and various local governments."

"why?"

“Of course, we’re preparing for war,” Lin Shuyu said.

By this time, the patrol boat had penetrated deep into the center of the dark cloud. She turned off the engine, zipped up her clothes, and began to tie herself to the railing, saying, "The four-clawed scale fish are not large in size, but there are many of them, and they are the best at water combat. Especially the king fish, which is a demon and is huge in size. Moreover, when the king fish is with the school of fish, it has the ability to change the local climate."

"Therefore, we need ships that are large and flexible enough to allow the knights to move around using the ships."

Amanosaki's eyes narrowed, and his grip on the railing tightened silently.

The yacht, Suobianyu, lost power and glided across the water for a distance like ice skaters before slowly coming to a stop.

The other ships from the other branch fleets behind them also stopped, and their voices came through the communication channels asking questions.

"I smell blood." Lin Shuyu relayed the information to the other patrol boats, "I smell blood."

【Celestial Man Form】 can enhance the user's thinking and five senses. As the only person on the ship who had been using her special ability for a long time, she was the first to notice the abnormality.

Li Junzi stood up, his nose distorted, and he took a few deep breaths before adding, "The smell of lots of fish and a little human blood."

The sky seemed to be about to bring a mountain rain, all the birds had returned to their nests, and the cicadas' chirping was rarely heard on the banks. Although the weather in this section of the Yangtze River was not a natural phenomenon, all living things followed their instincts to avoid the rain that would not fall.

Gulu.

Crimson bubbles rose a dozen meters away from the Suobianyu, making a muffled sound on the river surface. The knights on the boat shifted their gazes and took in that red sight.

As if it were some kind of signal, dozens of bubbles rose to the surface one after another, staining the river surface with red spots.

As time went on, more and more red blood clots surged onto the river surface, leaving mottled marks on the emerald-green water.

Amanosaki smelled the metallic scent in the air, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. The river now resembled the Xiang River, which in legend was dyed red with the blood and tears of Xiangfei, and looked like it was crying silently from hundreds of meters above.

He nodded to Icarus, and the girl spread her wings without flapping them, rising vertically into the sky.

"Turn on the sonar, everyone. Our guests have been waiting for us underwater for quite some time."

Lin Shuyu adjusted the instrument covered in buttons, her eyes gleaming faintly; she had activated her supernatural ability.

All the patrol boats activated their sonar, and the dense clusters of dots formed a huge shadow that occupied all the underwater areas of the river.

The four patrol boats on the river looked like four desserts held up by the "plate" formed by this shadow.

The dense sonar scan feedback was continuous, which meant that there were huge "things" big enough to be detected in all directions, including front, back, left and right.

The feedback was like a relentless drumbeat, keeping everyone on edge.

The sound of rushing water echoed around the patrol boat. The blond-haired man on the first deck looked down and met the gazes of a dozen pairs of dead fish eyes, round like discs.

"Damn it," he muttered.

They were surrounded.

Lin Shuyu, with a chocolate in her mouth, pulled the waterproof hood up over her head and said to Tennozaki, "It's up to you guys now."

"Acridine——!"

The four-clawed fish, half-submerged in the water, let out a sharp, shrill scream like a baby crying. Then, a steel ball smashed its eyes, shattered its brain, and it collapsed. Dark red blood gushed from its eyes as its heart forced it out, adding a new crimson hue to the great river.

The calm river was instantly stirred up into countless eddies, and one after another, four-clawed fish rose to the surface, filling this section of the river to the brim!

The four-clawed scale fish climbs directly onto the body of its own kind, and with the push of its underwater companion, it leaps high into the air without pouncing, just like a trainer being carried by a dolphin in an aquarium!

This was a tactic never seen before in the Sanjiang Reservoir or even in previous encirclements! All the heroes standing on the outer deck retreated. Fortunately, the Shuttlefish was big enough that the heroes retreated directly into the interior of the first floor. Using the sturdy metal walls of the patrol boat, they cut through the monster's tidal wave of attacks. At the door and windows, they slaughtered the monster fish that tried to crawl into the cabin in groups of two or three.

Taking advantage of the terrain, they created a situation where they had a numerical advantage over one opponent.

"coming!"

Li Junzi was covered in a chitinous exoskeleton, his hands transforming into a pair of enormous scythes, standing imposingly. He cleaved the head of the strange fish that had leaped the highest, attempting to attack Lin Shuyu, its corpse crashing onto the deck, still twitching.

"The Fengdu branch has received our coordinates! Hold on for ten minutes, and reinforcements will arrive! The rocket vehicle in Fengdu Province is calibrating its coordinates! It will be able to launch rain-inducing missiles in two minutes! If we can weather the storm, the sun will shine, and we'll have our chance!"

"The four-clawed scale fish is nocturnal and prefers dark environments. Once reinforcements arrive, if there's a chance, find the queen fish and kill it on a sunny day!"

Amidst the raging waves stirred up by the strange fish, Lin Shuyu, anchored to the boat, shouted with all her might.