Ma Hehua's wet head emerged from the water, water droplets rolling down her hair.

"You're back?" Ma Linghua asked in a deep voice.

"Oh! Mother, I didn't cause any trouble. I dealt with them and came here. Oh, and I also found a plank on the river."

Ma Hehua said with a smug look on her face.

As soon as she finished speaking, she leaped out of the water like a nimble otter and easily reached the shore.

Then, she placed the plank between the boat and the shore, and the distance was perfect. The people on the boat were overjoyed when they saw this.

"Daughter, Mother, come quickly! It's almost dawn, we can't let this bad luck ruin our fortune."

Ma Hehua's mother urged him on, and rolled her eyes at the old man rowing the boat, her eyes full of disdain.

The three members of the Ma family quickly reached the shore. Just then, a gust of wind blew, and the plank fell into the river.

The people on the ship were immediately filled with anxiety.

"Oh no! We haven't made it ashore yet!" someone shouted anxiously.

"Yes! What's going on?" Everyone chimed in, chattering and shouting.

"Uncle, bring the boat to shore! We've arrived!" someone shouted at the old man.

Upon hearing this, Ma Hehua turned around, stood on the shore, and looked at them with a cold expression.

"Stop yelling, you won't make it ashore. Take a good look at him."

Her voice was as cold as an icicle.

Everyone's gaze followed Ma Hehua's direction and looked at the old man. They saw that the old man's originally wooden face instantly changed color, and his face became as gloomy as if shrouded in dark clouds.

A strange light flickered in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, forming a chilling curve.

The old man slowly put down the oar, which fell into the water with a "plop," as if it were some kind of ominous sign.

He slowly stood up, his body hunched in the wind, yet he inexplicably gave off a sense of oppression.

Do you think this river can come and go as it pleases?

The old man's voice became hoarse and low, completely different from his previous honest and simple manner, as if it were a murmur coming from hell.

The people on the boat trembled with fear at the old man's change. They stared at him in horror, their eyes filled with incomprehension and terror.

Some people tried to row the boat to shore themselves, but found that no matter how hard they tried, the boat wouldn't budge, as if it were nailed to the middle of the river.

"You selfish, greedy bastards, you'll do anything for money." A ferocious look appeared on the old man's face. "We can't die in vain, so you chosen ones would better stay and keep us company."

The group looked at each other in bewilderment, realizing that they had found themselves in a terrible predicament.

The three members of the Ma family stood on the shore, coldly watching everything unfold, as if it were all within their expectations.

At this moment, the riverbank was filled with an eerie and oppressive atmosphere, making it hard to breathe.