Becoming a saint begins with the infinite accumulation of destiny.

Inside the Lin family mansion

"Miss, Mr. Chen from the Wen family has arrived."

A maidservant whispered the news.

"Yes, please come in."

Lin Wan'er nodded softly, a strange light flashing in her eyes.

She was dressed in a pink fringed gauze palace gown, her delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, her pretty face full of worry, staring at the account book in her hand, looking somewhat troubled.

This is the third incident this month; another boat belonging to our family has been damaged.

If this continues, within three months, the Lin family's entire fleet will be ruined, and they can forget about doing business.

"Miss, if it's not possible, I'll still go with you this time. At least we must finish this business deal with the Wang family safely."

Aunt Liu, who was standing nearby, offered a word of comfort.

The Wang family was a prominent family in the inner city, engaged in the herbal medicine business, and their business was very large.

They have branches in several surrounding counties, and the Lin family is mainly responsible for supplying goods to one of the branches in Wuhe City.

The two parties signed a three-year contract, and it was a hard-won deal.

But who would have thought that the cargo ship would be attacked repeatedly, causing them to lose a large amount of medicinal materials.

Although it was agreed beforehand that there would be losses during the freight transport, it's unacceptable that everything was lost.

With the Wang family already expressing their dissatisfaction, this shipment has encountered further problems.

It seems that the reputation of the Lin family's shipping business will be...

"Aunt Liu, no need. Your qi and blood are damaged, and your injuries have not yet recovered. You need to rest more. Besides, I have already arranged with Brother Chen to have him accompany you on the ship. I don't think there will be any problems."

Lin Wan'er spoke softly, her voice gentle, yet her tone lacked complete certainty.

"Miss, Master Chen has arrived."

At this moment, a maidservant whispered a reminder.

"Brother Chen."

Lin Wan'er quickly stood up to greet her, a faint smile on her face, and gave a slight bow.

She had just gotten up and reached the door when...

A towering figure stood at the front door, like a small mountain blocking the entrance to the living room. His body blocked most of the light from outside, making people feel intimidated and uneasy.

The visitor was Chen Shisheng.

"Miss Lin."

Chen Shisheng strode over and sat down, clasping his hands in greeting.

"What is the mission this time?"

"This is the route map. The main purpose is to ensure the safe and smooth passage of cargo ships and the safety of the goods."

Lin Wan'er smiled and presented a map of the waterway, giving a brief explanation.

Chen Shisheng took it and looked at it; it was written very clearly.

It's as simple as transporting the medicinal herbs from one of the Wang family's branch halls to Wuhe City.

But what seems simple is actually not simple at all.

Chen Shisheng knew the situation in the Wuhe River better than anyone.

He had encountered the water monkey in Pingyang Town before. That thing was far more powerful than an ordinary Bone Forging Martial Artist; at least a Dirty Refining Martial Artist would be able to deal with it.

Not to mention, that beast is underwater and an excellent swimmer; once it enters the water, it's truly impossible for even a god to catch it.

However, water monkeys enjoy eating people and are not interested in medicinal herbs.

His concern was that other aquatic creatures might be attracted and attack the fleet.

"Is there any meat on the cargo ship?"

Chen Shisheng raised his head, put down the route map, and asked in a deep voice.

"Yes. My father once spent a great deal of money to buy one piece from the Liu family, and later divided it into several pieces, which were placed on the ship for protection."

Lin Wan'er explained patiently.

"Okay, that's settled then. When do we leave?"

"tomorrow."

"OK."

Chen Shisheng nodded in agreement, then asked for some more details before taking his leave.

"Aunt Liu, what do you think of this person?"

After Chen Shisheng left, Lin Wan'er turned to look at Aunt Liu and couldn't help but ask.

Unbeknownst to her, Aunt Liu's originally cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light the moment Chen Shisheng entered the door, as if she had seen some treasure, and she kept staring at Chen Shisheng's back as he disappeared through the gate.

"Miss, forgive my bluntness, but if you were to marry this man, your child would undoubtedly possess exceptional martial arts talent!"

Turning her gaze away, Aunt Liu's face revealed a kind smile.

"Huh? What is it? Aunt Liu, I'm talking to you about something important!"

Lin Wan'er's cheeks quickly flushed slightly, and a hint of embarrassment and annoyance appeared in her eyes as she scolded him playfully.

"This man's vital energy is as robust as that of a tiger or leopard in the mountains. When you mentioned taking in a martial arts practitioner, I didn't take it seriously. I thought he was just some scoundrel trying to scam me out of food."

"Upon closer inspection, this person exudes ferocity, walks with a steady gait, possesses large, powerful arms, and a solid lower body, demonstrating a strong foundation in martial arts. He is no ordinary person."

Aunt Liu is a wise and experienced woman. Although she suffered an injury in her early years and her health was severely depleted, she still retains her wisdom and experience.

In particular, he had traveled around with Lin Wan'er's father and had come into contact with many martial artists.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to observe so meticulously; it's almost an instinct ingrained in her body.

"So, is this trip safe and secure?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wan'er immediately felt a little relieved.

"It's hard to say. The route of the Wang family's shipment mainly goes close to the territory of the Water Floating Village. The previous times, it was probably those water bandits who caused trouble and demanded tolls from us."

"But things don't happen more than three times, that's the rule on the water. The fourth time, they'll take all the cargo, only letting the people go. This man is strong, but he's no match for those water rats. It's safe to say this trip is fraught with danger."

Aunt Liu poured cold water on him without any mercy.

"Aunt Liu, didn't you just say this person was very strong?"

Lin Wan'er asked in surprise.

"I'm saying he's very stable, a good candidate for a relationship with a prostitute."

Aunt Liu retorted.

"..."

Lin Wan'er was speechless.

"Should we inform Brother Chen? Or perhaps we could take a different route? It's farther, but it's safer, though it might take longer..."

She hesitated.

"No need for that. It's good to send this person to scout the way. If he can get through smoothly, things will be much easier for us later. If not, then it's his bad luck, and we can't blame him."

A shrewd and decisive glint flashed in Aunt Liu's eyes.

That's what she said, but she already had a clear idea of ​​what to do.

"That's the only way."

Watching the departing figure at the door, Lin Wan'er sighed.

Thinking of the terrible situation at home, especially if this shipment couldn't open up a new shipping route, the Lin family's shipping business would be completely ruined.

With the fleet destroyed, the Wang family's goods became irrelevant.

It's simply a matter of the magnitude of the loss.

Most importantly, establishing the reputation of the Lin family shipping company is of paramount importance.

.......

The next morning.

Wuhe Wharf.

On the rippling river, the river breeze created waves that resembled fish scales. The dark-skinned laborers worked tirelessly on and off cargo ships and docks, carrying various goods one by one to the temporary sheds on the shore.

On a wooden plank road built along the riverbank, a broad figure is slowly approaching.

This man was tall and had arms that were thicker than the average person's, clearly a martial artist who specialized in training his upper body.

Some of the laborers passing by couldn't help but glance at him, then kept their distance, not daring to get close, for fear of accidentally displeasing him and getting a beating.

Chen Shisheng's steps were heavy, and with each step, the wooden planks under his feet creaked under the weight.

"Master Chen, I am the owner of this ship. You can call me Xiaoshan. We will need your help on this voyage."

A man wearing a faded white short-sleeved jacket and tattered cloth shoes squeezed through the crowd behind him, jogged up to Chen Shisheng, and said respectfully in a low voice.

"Okay. Let's get on the boat first."

Chen Shisheng glanced back at the man, then looked at the cargo ship in front of him.

He leaped into the air, and a plank beneath his feet exploded instantly, sending him flying as if propelled by a tremendous force, allowing him to easily jump onto the cargo ship.

"Alright!"

Xiao Shan hurriedly followed and ordered his men to start the boat.

The cargo ship was not large, with two decks. The lower deck was the crew's rest area, while the middle deck contained the warehouse and rooms for several bowmen.

The entire boat was made of wood, with a huge white canvas hanging from the mast, which was tightly tied together with ropes, and about a dozen oars extending from below.

They're heading downstream this time, with the river wind blowing, so they don't need to paddle, but they'll probably need it on the way back.

Xiaoshan called to the men on the boat, and they quickly started the boat moving.

Chen Shisheng stood at the front of the boat, his hands behind his back, looking out at the river, thinking about the water monkey he had encountered earlier.

The Wuhe River basin is vast, and it is unknown how many monsters and evil spirits lurk beneath its waters, dwelling and gathering there.