With the rise of my family, I can summon the Daoist Soldiers' Nest.

Blood Lake Bay is about 60 kilometers from the county seat. It was originally a bend in the lower reaches of the Qingshui River, where a tributary meanders and connects closely with a small lake.

Beside the river bend lies a quiet little town, affectionately known as Lake Bay Town.

However, six years ago, Gongchang Prefecture was captured by the Northern Xiongnu, and the stronghold in Qinghe County was also wiped out in one fell swoop.

Since then, the number of monsters in Qinghe County has increased dramatically, especially the monsters in the river, which run rampant.

Huwan Town gradually lost contact with the county seat.

Once upon a time, a caravan braved the great danger of being attacked by monsters at any moment to do business in the town.

However, when they finally arrived near the town, the scene before them horrified them. The once clear lake beside the town was now stained crimson with a shocking amount of blood.

Entering the town, it was completely deserted, with not a single person in sight.

This place has been occupied by a gang of river bandits, who have turned the town into a living hell by burning, killing, and looting.

From then on, this once peaceful place became known as Blood Lake Bay, and the band of water bandits that were there are now the same bandits who occupy Blood Lake Bay, led by Han Feng.

Although the county and prefecture governments had repeatedly dispatched troops to try to wipe out this gang of wicked river bandits.

However, each time a raid began, the bandits would quickly hide, causing the officers and soldiers to return empty-handed time and time again.

Lin Ye and Chen Cheng were sitting in the cabin, staring at the map in front of them, discussing matters related to the battle.

Outside the ship's cabin, however, the fighting continued.

Although most monsters would wisely hide in the water and stay far away from the fleet when they saw it.

However, there were always some monsters with an extremely strong sense of territory. They were not afraid of the fleet and launched a fierce attack on it.

Along the way, the fleet successfully killed four or five third-rate monsters, thanks to the ballistae mounted on them and the dozen or so crocodile-armored guards that patrolled around the fleet.

However, these monsters continued to swarm in from all directions, posing a great threat to the fleet.

The fleet slowly sailed into the river bend, and in the distance, the small lake could already be seen.

As expected, they found no trace of any outposts along the way. When the fleet approached the town, they discovered that it was completely deserted.

Clearly, the bandits had received the news long ago and had fled and gone into hiding.

Such a scene was all too familiar to the officers and soldiers who were clearing out the river bandits.

Lin Chen's army was helpless and had no choice but to order their troops to go ashore. The soldiers lit a raging fire, burning the entire town down once again.

Back on the ship, the soldiers were all dejected, their faces filled with frustration and disappointment. Even the recruited crew members who had accompanied them were listless, their eyes filled with dejection.

They had been eagerly anticipating revenge in this operation. However, reality proved cruel; they didn't even catch a glimpse of the enemy.

Looking at the demoralized crowd, Lin Ye felt helpless. They were powerless against the cunning river bandits and the harsh environment.

Left with no other option, Lin Ye could only have the fleet continue searching the Qingshui River.

However, the Qingshui River is wide and has many tributaries.

Lin Ye knew in his heart that such a search was nothing more than doing his best and leaving the rest to fate.

Moreover, the river is teeming with monsters, posing a constant threat to the fleet's safety.

Along the way, the fleet was constantly attacked by monsters, and many soldiers were injured or even killed.

Even the relatively strong Crocodile Armored Submarine Guards encountered numerous difficulties during the search.

Just as Lin Ye and Chen Cheng were at their wits' end and discussing returning home, Lin Jing suddenly came to report.

"There was a boatman who claimed to be the eldest son of the Bai family in Qinghe County. He also said that he might know the hiding place of the bandits in Blood Lake Bay."

"Oh? Call him over, and also call the county magistrate," Lin Ye said, his tone tinged with surprise and interest.

The reason for sending the county magistrate's assistant was that Magistrate Sun had to stay in the county town to oversee the overall situation and could not leave, so the county magistrate's assistant had to accompany him.

On the one hand, these boatmen were from Qinghe County, and according to the rules, they should still be managed by the county officials;

On the other hand, the county magistrate had lived in Qinghe County for many years and was very familiar with the local people and affairs. If asked for any clues, he could quickly give a useful response.

The county magistrate arrived at the cabin quickly, and Lin Ye and Chen Cheng first talked to him about the Bai family and learned about their background.

Not long after, a middle-aged man in his forties walked in.

He was dressed in a boatman's rough, worn-out clothes, which showed signs of wear and tear, and he looked thin and tired. His back was slightly hunched, and his face was deeply wrinkled, giving him the air of someone who had toiled for many years.

Lin Ye and Chen Cheng both frowned upon seeing this.

The county magistrate had just told them that the Bai family was one of the three major families in the county, with a good family background and status. How could the eldest son of the Bai family have fallen to such a state and become a boatman, and no one had ever discovered his true identity?

The county magistrate standing to the side stared at him for a few moments, then reached out and touched his beard, a look of surprise on his face.

"Young Master Bai, it really is you! How did you change like this? If you hadn't said it yourself that you were Young Master Bai, I almost wouldn't have recognized you."

Upon hearing this, the boatman immediately straightened his hunched back, and his entire demeanor changed.

Although the facial contours are still the same, the feeling they give off is completely different, as if a different person is standing there.

"This humble commoner, Bai Xuan, greets the two noble lords." He clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed respectfully to Lin Ye and Chen Cheng.

"Are you really Bai Xuan? But how did your face become like this?" The county magistrate asked in bewilderment, his tone full of disbelief.

"Please give me a basin of clean water, Your Excellency," Bai Xuan replied calmly.

Lin Ye immediately ordered a guard to fetch a basin of water.

Bai Xuan took the water and carefully washed his face, water droplets sliding down his cheeks.

As the grime was washed away, his complexion gradually became fairer, and the deep wrinkles he had worn faded considerably. He looked much younger, appearing to be around thirty years old.

It turns out that he had been disguising himself all along, making himself look old and ordinary.

"Why did you disguise yourself as a boatman and infiltrate our fleet to wipe out the river pirates?" Chen Cheng stared at him.

"Because I want to avenge the Bai family and kill all these river bandits. More than a hundred members of my Bai family died at their hands." Bai Xuan's voice lowered.

"I can see that you also possess martial arts skills and are quite capable. Why don't you simply appear as a martial artist instead of taking on the role of an inconspicuous boatman?" Chen Cheng continued to press.

"Because I'm afraid of being recognized." Bai Xuan's answer was brief. "Once my identity is exposed, I might lose my life and won't be able to take revenge."

After listening, Lin Ye and Chen Cheng looked at each other and nodded.

Since the county magistrate has already verified his identity in person, and his reaction and explanation are reasonable, then the person in front of him is indeed Bai Xuan, the eldest young master of the Bai family.