"How is it?"
The rain poured from the sky, carrying a cold wind that left a biting chill on the skin.
Shen Changchuan's heart was heavy as he gazed at the collapsed house before him.
Seeing Han Qinhu walk out from the collapsed house, he immediately asked.
"Three dead. The initial assessment is that the beast crawled ashore from the river under the cover of darkness and attacked from the outside with something like the Water Arrows from the other day. It destroyed the house in one blow, killing the villagers resting inside along with it."
"We only found some mutilated remains. The beast probably dragged the rest away."
"The village has a patrol, but because of the continuous rain, the members' vigilance has dropped, and the patrol's efficiency has suffered. On top of that, the heavy rain obstructed their vision, so they didn't spot the beast lying in wait."
Han Qinhu's expression was grim as he relayed the details he had gathered from the investigation.
"That beast… I'm afraid it's already become a spirit!"
Han Qinhu couldn't help but exclaim.
Hearing this, Shen Changchuan said nothing.
But deep in his eyes,
a cold, murderous intent flickered.
'The Crocodile Demon in the river has to be dealt with!'
'It's just like the definition of a man-eater from my past life. Once a beast tastes human flesh, a first time will inevitably lead to a second, a third… and countless more after that!'
'This time…'
'…is only the beginning.'
'I have to end this in one fell swoop, once and for all!'
Shen Changchuan had already made up his mind.
"Grandfather, did you find where it came ashore, or the path it took?"
After a moment of thought,
Shen Changchuan asked Han Qinhu, who was beside him.
'Wild animals are generally creatures of habit. When moving through the wild, they tend to stick to old routes they know are safe. I don't know if the Demon Beasts of this world share that habit, but at the very least, determining its path will help me predict where the Crocodile Demon might appear next. That will make it easier for me to set a trap or an ambush.'
But Han Qinhu just shook his head, looking troubled.
"We looked, but the rain is too heavy. The ground is covered in flowing water. Even if the beast left a trail, it's all been washed away."
"We can't find any tracks at all."
More than half a month of continuous rain had left layers of standing water on the ground, which turned into rushing torrents on steep slopes.
The grass on the riverbank had been flattened by these currents.
Even if there were traces of the Crocodile Demon crawling ashore,
they would have been erased by the torrential rain.
Clearly, after a thorough search,
Han Qinhu and his men had found nothing.
Shen Changchuan frowned in thought,
and the air fell silent once more.
"Changchuan, what do you say we move the village up the mountain?"
"Right now, that beast's movements in the water are unpredictable, and it's watching us like a tiger. The village isn't far from the river. If it crawls ashore to attack again, I'm afraid there will be more casualties."
Han Qinhu said worriedly, offering his suggestion.
In fact, he had been thinking about this for a while.
After the initial attempt to lure and kill the Crocodile Demon failed,
Shen Changchuan had told him that he couldn't handle the Crocodile Demon for the time being, but if it came ashore, he was fully confident he could force it to retreat.
Han Qinhu knew his grandson wasn't the type to boast or pretend to be stronger than he was. He always spoke matter-of-factly, so there was likely not a shred of falsehood in his words.
But that, in turn, had worried Han Qinhu at the time.
Because his grandson, Shen Changchuan, had said he was fully confident he could force the Crocodile Demon to retreat if it came ashore,
not that he was fully confident he could kill it!
The difference between the two,
was enormous!
If he could only force it to retreat, then even if it was driven back, the beast would eventually return.
Being on edge and defending day after day,
was ultimately not a sustainable solution.
From that moment on, he had been thinking of a solution.
"If we move the village up the mountain, far from the Dawan River, and clear-cut all the surrounding grass and trees, we can post guards at the entrance. That way, even if it crawls up, we'll be able to spot it in advance."
Han Qinhu laid out the solution he had been contemplating for a long time.
However, upon hearing this, Shen Changchuan thought for a moment,
and shook his head.
"The rain is torrential right now, and the ground is flooded, making travel extremely difficult. Plus, the mountain forests are teeming with leeches. Trying to establish a living space for over two thousand people in such harsh conditions… I'm afraid it would cost dozens of lives to succeed."
"Let's not."
'Of course, we could succeed if we forced the move. But the cost is too great, a price I'm not willing to pay.'
"Grandfather, first, go gather some men. Pick out the strongest and fittest, and have them prepare for battle. Also, find some hunters and have them prepare some traps."
"I'm going to find the path that creature took after it came ashore."
A rough plan had formed in Shen Changchuan's mind, and he gave his instructions after a moment's thought.
Behind him, Han Qinhu opened his mouth,
as if to say something, but ultimately kept silent and could only retreat quietly.
'Forget it. We'll do it this way for now.'
'Since Changchuan has decided, he must have his reasons.'
With worry in his heart,
Han Qinhu retreated to carry out Shen Changchuan's orders.
And at the same time,
with a thought, Shen Changchuan blinked, and a faint white light bloomed in his pupils.
The Perfection Level Spiritual Eye Technique was activated at this moment.
The view before his eyes changed instantly,
and Shen Changchuan seemed to enter another layer of the world's perception.
His gaze fell upon the collapsed house, and upon the wisps of gray Demon Qi lingering on the ground.
Shen Changchuan's slightly furrowed brow relaxed at the sight.
"Just as I thought. The Perfection Level Spiritual Eye Technique is enough to see the Demon Qi left behind by that creature as it moved!"
"With this, it's enough!"
Following the lingering wisps of Demon Qi,
Shen Changchuan quickly found the spot where the Crocodile Demon came ashore, as well as the path it took.
After memorizing the various routes,
he stood on the riverbank and cast a deep look at the river, which had become turbid and turbulent from days of rain.
Without lingering, he turned and left.
...
「Time flew by.」
Soon, Han Qinhu had personally selected the ten strongest individuals from among the more than two thousand villagers.
He outfitted these ten with heavy armor and a man-high Shield each.
They formed a team ready for battle at a moment's notice.
He also selected people with excellent Eye Power to hide in high places and observe the steep riverbank between Dawan Village and the Dawan River.
Meanwhile,
some ropes were casually placed along the Crocodile Demon's path, disguised to look as if they had been scattered by the floodwaters,
but a light pull on a hidden mechanism would instantly raise a large net.
Huge stones, rolling logs, and so on were all placed in strategic positions.
Should the Crocodile Demon attack, these would at least serve to hinder it somewhat.
And besides the traps they set,
Shen Changchuan had also, just before, sown some seeds along the side of the Crocodile Demon's path...
All the preparations had been made; the only thing missing was the final trigger.
They just had to wait for the Crocodile Demon to walk right into their trap!
However,
for three days and three nights,
nothing happened.
It was as if the Crocodile Demon had eaten its fill and gone dormant.
But Shen Changchuan wasn't worried.
He sat cross-legged in the village's main hall,
meditating to cultivate his spirit, keeping himself in peak condition. He ran through various scenarios in his mind, quietly waiting for news to arrive.