The Bad Girl's Quick Transmigration System: Traveling Back and Forth

Chapter 769 Swamp Dragon Shadow: Lin Shu's Bloodshed in the Reed Marsh - A Sudden Encounter in

At the edge of the miasma-shrouded Yunmeng Marsh, the air is thick with moisture, carrying a strange, fishy stench of rotting plants and damp mud. This is a notorious wilderness on the map of the Dayin Dynasty. The vast swamp is like the gaping maw of a giant beast, devouring sunlight and life, while also concealing countless unknown secrets and dangers.

Lin Shu reined in her magnificent steed, "Ta Xue." This battle-hardened horse seemed uneasy about its surroundings, pawing nervously and snorting heavily. She wore a gleaming silver fish-scale armor, over which draped a plain cloak, its edges damp from the swamp's moisture, clinging tightly to her shapely yet sturdy frame. A pretty face was partially obscured by the misty fog; her long, narrow phoenix eyes, sharp as a hawk's, warily scanned the endless, swaying reeds ahead.

"General, this swamp is even larger than marked on the map, and the fog is eerily thick. Some of the brothers are falling behind, and... quite a few seem to be suffering from acclimatization issues." Lieutenant Zhou Ting rode up to Lin Shu's side and reported in a low voice. He was a trusted confidant whom Lin Shu had personally promoted; his face bore the marks of hardship, and his tone carried a hint of worry.

Lin Shu nodded slightly, her cool gaze sweeping over the troops following behind her. The two thousand elite government soldiers were all survivors of countless battles, having crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Their armor was excellent, their expressions grim, and even in this harsh environment, they maintained basic formation and vigilance. However, most of them came from the northern plains; they had never seen such muddy, slippery swamps teeming with poisonous insects. Many had their trousers and boots soaked through with mud, their faces showing exhaustion, and a few even had bluish complexions, clearly having inhaled miasma or ingested contaminated water.

Besides these two thousand elite troops, there were also over a thousand temporarily transferred naval soldiers. They were used to making a living on rivers, lakes, and seas, and were no strangers to water. However, this swamp was completely different from rivers; boats could hardly navigate it, and the ground was deep and shallow, with no foothold. At this moment, many naval soldiers were struggling to wade through the mud, their faces filled with bewilderment and fear.

Lin Shu was ordered to travel south to investigate a major case involving a treasure from the previous dynasty. The clues ultimately pointed to a bandit organization called the "Water Snake Gang" deep within the Yunmeng Marsh. Intelligence indicated that the Water Snake Gang was numerous, exceptionally fierce, and possessed an intimate knowledge of the Yunmeng Marsh's terrain, making them a formidable opponent. Lin Shu dared not be negligent, specifically selecting two thousand of her most elite soldiers, supplemented by a naval force familiar with the water. She believed she had everything under control, but she hadn't anticipated that the swamp itself would be the first major obstacle.

"Pass down the order," Lin Shu's voice was clear and firm, piercing through the thin mist, "The entire army slows down and remains vigilant. Send out scouts to carefully scout the route, and immediately raise the alarm if there is any suspicious activity! Have the medics distribute medicine to the unwell soldiers; they must hold on!"

"Yes!" Zhou Ting replied in a deep voice, then turned to convey the order.

The group continued their arduous journey, the reeds rustling against their armor, the sound particularly clear in the silent swamp. The fog seemed to be thickening, visibility less than ten feet, the sunlight completely blocked out, and the surroundings were eerie, as if monsters might pounce out from the water or the reeds at any moment.

Suddenly, an unusual sound of water came from the reeds not far away, "splash...splash..." It didn't sound like the wind rippled the water's surface, but rather like something was moving rapidly.

"Who goes there?!" a scout in the front line shouted sharply, holding his rifle level and looking warily toward the source of the voice.

His only response was deathly silence. Only the mournful sound of the wind rustling through the reeds and the occasional strange cry of an unknown waterbird in the distance.

The scout frowned, about to step forward to investigate, when Lin Shu's voice suddenly rang out: "Halt! Do not make any rash moves!"

A sudden sense of unease crept into her heart. The swamp was too quiet, unnaturally quiet. Since the Water Serpent Gang was entrenched here, they couldn't possibly be unaware of their large-scale incursion. Beneath this calm surface, there must be lurking danger!

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!

"Shhhhhh!"

Countless short arrows and blowguns coated with dark green venom shot out from the reeds in all directions like a torrential rain, accompanied by a shrill whistling sound, heading straight for the government troops!

"Enemy attack!!" Zhou Ting roared, swinging his sword to parry.

"Form the formation!!" Lin Shu's voice was calm and powerful, like a pillar of strength.

The two thousand elite government troops she brought were indeed battle-hardened veterans. Despite some unfamiliarity with the swampy terrain, under Lin Shu's command, they reacted swiftly almost instantly to the attack. The soldiers huddled together, back to back, forming tight small circles. Shield bearers quickly crouched down, raising their heavy shields to create a makeshift ironclad defense; spearmen peered out from between the shields, forming a deadly thicket of thorns; swordsmen and axemen stood ready within the ranks, prepared to hack down any enemies who breached the defenses. With swords and spears combined, they effectively repelled the Water Serpent Gang's first wave of ranged attacks.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" Arrows and blowguns struck the shields with dull thuds, and the few that managed to escape were parried away by the quick-reacting soldiers with their weapons.

The naval soldiers, though initially somewhat panicked, with many scattering in fear and being struck by arrows, their screams echoing throughout the air, found solace in the calm demeanor of the main government army and the steady commands of Lin Shu. They felt a surge of courage, especially when they saw the young and beautiful female general standing at the forefront, wielding a silver spear and calmly deflecting the arrows aimed at her.

"Damn it! Let's fight!" a naval corporal roared, drawing his scimitar. "If the general isn't afraid, what are we afraid of? Form ranks and fight them!"

"Yes! Let's fight them!"

"Avenge our fallen brothers!"

The naval soldiers followed the example of the government troops. Although their formations were not as orderly as the government troops', they began to gather in groups of three or five, draw their weapons, and join the battle.

This was a chaotic and brutal encounter. Fog obscured visibility, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe. The muddy and slippery swamp severely restricted movement; soldiers would easily slip and fall, and once they fell, it was almost impossible for them to get up again, leaving them vulnerable to slaughter. Soldiers on both sides often had to get so close that they could almost see the pores on each other's faces in order to launch an effective attack.

The Water Serpent Gang members clearly knew this swamp like the back of their hand. They slid and weaved through the mud like eels, using reeds and mist as cover, constantly changing positions and launching attacks from all angles. Their agility was astonishing, as if they were born to move swiftly through the swamp. Moreover, they were fearless, their faces contorted with rage, their eyes gleaming with madness; even wounded, as long as they had a breath left, they would pounce and tear at the enemy.

"kill!!"

A group of Water Snake Gang members, armed with short knives, painted with greasepaint, and wearing only simple leather armor or even bare-chested, roared as they pounced out of the reeds like demons crawling out of hell. The short knives in their hands gleamed with a cold light as they thrust straight at the gaps in the small circular formation.

"Those who block my way shall die!" roared a burly leader of the Water Snake Gang with snake-shaped tattoos on his face. He wielded two Emei daggers with incredible skill, managing to squeeze through the gaps in the shields of a small circular formation and slash at the neck of a government soldier.

The soldier reacted extremely quickly, suddenly ducking down while simultaneously thrusting his spear upwards.

"Clang!" Sparks flew. The soldier avoided a fatal wound, but his shoulder was still slashed open with a deep gash that exposed the bone. The wound quickly turned a dark purple, clearly indicating poisoning.

"You're courting death!" Zhou Ting was enraged at the sight. He spurred his horse, Ta Xue, forward with explosive power, even though Ta Xue was hampered by the swamp. Zhou Ting's broadsword, carrying immense force, slashed down at the leader.

The leader was a ruthless character; he neither dodged nor evaded, but instead crossed his two daggers and took Zhou Ting's blow head-on.

"Oh!"

The force of the impact caused the leader to grunt and stagger backward, leaving two long tracks in the mud. Zhou Ting's arms also went numb from the shock, and he was secretly surprised by the strength of this Water Snake Gang leader.

"Hahaha! You sons of government troops, this Yunmengze will be your burial ground!" The leader laughed wildly and pounced again.

In the swamp, shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, screams, and angry roars mingled together, composing a desperate and bloody war song. The Water Serpent Gang members, familiar with the terrain and fearless in the face of death, used their knowledge of the swamp to constantly harass and launch surprise attacks, inflicting heavy casualties on the government troops!

A small circular formation of government troops was broken through from the side by several Water Snake Gang experts. The soldiers in the formation were instantly surrounded, screams rang out, and they were soon swallowed by the swamp.

Lin Shu frowned, her pretty face icy cold. She could sense that the Water Serpent Gang's numbers far exceeded her expectations, and every single one of them was a desperate thug. Even more troublesome was the fact that this swampy terrain was extremely disadvantageous to the government troops, severely limiting their mobility and formation advantages. If they couldn't break this passive, defensive posture, it wouldn't be long before her elite force was worn down and annihilated here!

"Zhou Ting!" Lin Shu shouted sternly.

"Your subordinate is here!" Zhou Ting replied while fiercely fighting the leader.

"You lead 500 elite soldiers on the left flank, hold the line, and cover the navy!" Lin Shu quickly ordered. "I will lead 1,000 elite soldiers in the center to break through from the front! Locate their main force and disrupt their deployment!"

"General, no! The enemy is too strong; a frontal breakthrough is too dangerous!" Zhou Ting said urgently.

"There is no other choice!" Lin Shu's eyes were sharp as knives. "Instead of passively defending, we should take the initiative! They are using the terrain, so we will destroy their advantage! Pass on my order: all soldiers carrying rockets, listen up! Target: the reeds ahead, set them on fire!"

"Yes!"

The order was quickly relayed. Although setting fires in the damp swampy area was extremely difficult, the rocket arrows carried by the government troops were coated with flammable grease and waterproofed beforehand.

"put!"

With a command given, dozens of burning rockets, trailing orange flames, pierced through the fog and shot towards the densest reed bed in front of the government troops.

"boom!"

The dry reeds caught fire and quickly ignited. Despite the heavy moisture, the fire spread at an alarming rate thanks to the wind. Thick smoke billowed and flames soared into the sky, not only dispelling some of the fog but also forcing the Water Snake Gang members hiding in the reeds to reveal themselves and take cover.

"Hahaha! Burn! Burn these sons of bitches to death!" The naval soldiers cheered loudly upon seeing this.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Shu's eyes. Seizing the opportunity, she shouted sharply, "Central Army, follow me, kill!!"

"Kill!! Kill!! Kill!!"

A thousand elite soldiers roared deafeningly and followed Lin Shu, charging fiercely towards the area where the fire was spreading and the enemy was forced to expose themselves, like a red-hot dagger!

Lin Shu took the lead, her silver spear dancing like a dragon, its tip flashing with a cold light. Wherever she went, none could stand in her way. A member of the Water Snake Gang who tried to stop her had just gotten close when she pierced his throat with her spear, blood spurting out and staining the muddy water in front of her red.

"Capture that female general! The gang leader has ordered that whoever captures her alive will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver and appointed as a hall master!" A Water Snake Gang leader, his eyes gleaming with greed, roared as he led a group of gang members to surround Lin Shu.

Lin Shu snorted coldly, neither dodging nor avoiding. Although Ta Xue struggled to run through the mud, each step was precise and powerful, avoiding deep water and hidden currents. Her marksmanship was agile and swift, sometimes like a serpent's tongue, cunning and ruthless; sometimes like a crashing wave, powerful and heavy. The silver spear seemed to come alive in her hands, its shadows overlapping, completely enveloping the several Water Serpent Gang members who surrounded her.