The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 360 - 225 Storm in Xiling Gorge_2

Chapter 360: Chapter 225 Storm in Xiling Gorge_2

"To tell the truth, I am very curious as well."

"What’s there to be curious about?"

Sha Lifei, on the side, grumbled, "We inadvertently disrupted their plans, and the opposition must hate us to the bone. Given the nature of those villains, how could they easily let us off!"

The former Hundred Households smiled but did not speak.

Although the Longxiang Army had been hidden for many years and the present Captain Bureau had never dealt with them, he had looked up past records overnight and knew these people were not so impulsive.

Otherwise, they couldn’t have stayed hidden until now.

There must be another reason.

Of course, he would not press them too hard.

The identities of Li Yan and the others were different, and the City God Temple had much to rely on; priorities were paramount, and they could not be treated as ordinary folks from the pugilistic world.

Each party harbored their own thoughts, and for a while, there was nothing to talk about.

The atmosphere on the ship also felt somewhat oppressive.

Not long after leaving the Yichang ferry, Li Yan and his group were captivated by the scenery ahead.

They saw the river ahead suddenly become wide.

In this vast water area, all the ships on the river slowed down, each becoming careful and cautious.

The ship workers on their ship brought out a large bunch of incense, lit it, and inserted it at the bow, kneeling in respect one by one, and scattering Paper Money, as well as throwing some refreshments into the river.

Looking around at other boats, they were doing the same.

Small boats were generally burning incense, while those large cargo ships even started to wrap red cloth around them, and there were Duan Gong beating gongs and drums, chanting spells at the bow.

In the Han River region, connecting Ba Shu in the south and Chu Territory in the east, customs were nearly identical, and the culture was unified, with the practice of witchcraft quite prevalent.

The so-called Duan Gong were similar to the Divine Han of the North.

Such a grandeur signified that the water ahead was extremely dangerous.

As expected, the former Hundred Households spoke up, "Gentlemen, ahead lies the Xiling Gorge. The waterway here is winding, the shoals are many and the currents are swift, please be especially cautious."

Li Yan knew that the reminder to be cautious referred not only to the dangerous waterway but also to being wary of someone launching a stealth attack here.

He gave a signal, and Lv San immediately blew a whistle.

The Sky Eagle Falcon spread its wings and dashed towards the direction of Xiling Gorge.

In the sky, there was not just one hawk falcon – there were also two larger ones, flying up and down, clearly dispatched by the Captain Bureau.

But those trained on such a large scale could hardly compare to Lv San’s Beast Taming Technique, and even appeared somewhat clumsy, merely patrolling overhead.

The former Hundred Households saw this and could hardly hide his envy.

At the same time, Li Yan also became vigilant and examined the surrounding ships.

At the moment, the rain was misty, and the fog around the mountains and river was not heavy.

Although there were many ships, each maintained a certain distance from each other for safe navigation.

Li Yan performed the Yang Jue, took a deep breath, and sensed three boats within a radius of three hundred meters; all were ordinary merchant ships, emitting no unusual odor.

It made sense – the Longxiang general had just failed an attack last night, knowing they would be on guard, he probably wouldn’t choose this moment to strike.

As expected, Lv San’s hawk falcon quickly returned from scouting, descending from the sky, and chirping by his ear.

Lv San pondered and then said in a low voice, "No one is hiding or ambushing on the slopes along both riverbanks."

Pointing to a distant mountain top, he added, "However, there are quite a few people wandering back and forth over there, unsure of their origins."

The former Hundred Households smiled and said, "Those are just sightseers."

"Xiling Gorge is the most critical pass in the Three Gorges, a vital point for military strategists since ancient times, with many historical sites."

"There’s an ancient military camp at the foot of the mountain, first built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, extended into the Six Dynasties, and you can still see the remnants of the walls..."

"Midway up the mountain lies the Three Visitors Cave, which is breathtakingly beautiful. In the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi, Bai Xingjian, and Yuan Zhen three people toured together, hence known as the previous Three Visitors. During the Song Dynasty, the three Su family members toured together, called the latter Three Visitors..."

"As for the mountaintop, it’s said that during the Three Kingdoms period, Zhang Yide guarded the Three Gorges pass and beat the drums at the peak of the Xiling Mountain, drilling troops day and night..."

"After we finish our business, if Young Hero Li has leisure time, I’ll take you up the mountain for a tour."

"Let’s talk about that when the time comes."

Li Yan nodded slightly, noncommittally.

Seeing his reaction, the former Hundred Households fell silent for a moment, then said with a wry smile, "Does Young Hero Li think that we’re eating our rations and doing nothing, disregarding the County Magistrate of Zigui?"

"Constable Liu is right; this matter is indeed tricky."

"The county magistrate of Zigui County is called Wu Dehai, a good-for-nothing, but his older brother is no simple character; he’s the president of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce."

"When the court opened up trade, his brother roped in many major Ezhou businessmen, and they made rich gains exploring the seas, backed by quite a few powerful figures, even the king of Han Port had a share in it."

"This time, as the court pacified the Southwest, the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce was responsible for transporting supplies and also donated a substantial amount of military funds. Not to mention my humble position and minor rank, even Governor Yuan would turn a blind eye."

"The affairs within the court are not so simple..."

"That statement is where you’re wrong," Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head, "It’s easy to conquer the world, but hard to win the hearts of the people. The policies of the previous Great Xing Dynasty were corrupt, and the people were disheartened; that’s why even after defeating the Golden Tent Wolf Country, the Grand Ancestor, upon his high call, immediately seized Jiang Mountain."

"Now, having pacified the Southwest but failing to win over the hearts of the people, I fear problems will arise..."

Bai Xingjian’s face turned awkward, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, "Such matters are for the higher-ups to worry about. I am just a desperate pawn, and you are all just trying to make a living in the pugilistic world, what use is there in complaining?"

Wang Daoxuan sighed and said no more.

Li Yan remained calm, pretending not to hear.

Although the two parties seemed amicable on the surface, they were ultimately not of the same ilk and could not get along, which is why even Guan Wanche from Chang’an kept them at arm’s length.

During their conversation, Xiling Gorge was already close at hand.

Unconsciously, the rain had gotten much heavier.

As they entered the gorge, towering peaks on both sides came at them, the roaring wind scattering the fine rain and turning it into rolling mist. The mountains on both sides were faintly visible, like menacing beasts lurking in wait.

The raging river roared and foamed, splashing against the giant rocks along the shore, the deafening roar made it seem as if the river had turned into a huge dragon, rampaging freely through the gorge.

"Gentlemen, hold on tight!"

The helmsman, who had been silent throughout the journey, now changed his expression, turned his head to call out hastily, and then his face tensed up as he and the ship workers got busy.

Hundred Households Yuan furrowed his brow, "What’s going on?"

The helmsman chattered his teeth, "The ’sea creature’ is turning over!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan and the others looked at each other.

When entering the mountains, there are taboos about naming certain wild animals, and similarly, there are sayings for being on the water.

In shipbuilding, they adhere to "no mulberry wood for the head, no locust board for the feet," meaning the bow of the ship should not use mulberry wood, and the base should not use locust boards.

When sailing, it is also taboo to say words like "flip, break, separate, disperse, fall, fire," and so on.

And the most taboo of all is "sea creature."

"Sea creature" is a euphemism among the pugilistic world for "dragon" in the Spring Festival terminology!

Hundred Households Yuan’s face also looked very ugly, "It’s only spring, not yet the time for summer thunderstorms, how can there be a ’sea creature’ causing trouble?"

The helmsman was already scared pale, "I have no idea either, sir."

Wang Daoxuan quickly took out a compass, and his expression became grave. He passed it to Li Yan for a look.

Li Yan’s brows were also deeply furrowed.

The needle wavered uncertainly and was slightly sinking; this shows "floating needle" and "sinking needle," indicating that the earth’s energy here is unsettled and there are Spiritual Objects causing trouble.

Could there really be a dragon?

Unfortunately, his Divine Skills could only sense beneath the water for about ten meters, completely unable to detect anything else.

Meanwhile, the waves on the river became more ferocious.

The narrow waterway made it difficult for the ship to navigate, and any carelessness could lead it into a whirlpool.

The helmsman himself took the helm, and the ship workers’ faces were taut as they wielded the paddles and bamboo poles in the rain, struggling against the furious river.

The howling winds in the gorge, mixed with the roar of the river water, seemed as if there indeed was a huge dragon surging up and down in the gorge.

Ancient vines entwined around the distant cliff, swaying in the wind and rain.

Crash!

A dense mass of vines suddenly snapped, with rocks tumbling down to smash into the ships ahead.

Crack!

Immediately, a merchant ship was punched with a hole, its passengers covered in blood and screaming as they fell into the river water, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

At the same time, Lv San also stretched his hand into the water, his face suddenly pale, "Be careful, something is coming in the water!"