The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 557 - 318: Sudden Change in the Big Competition

Chapter 557: Chapter 318: Sudden Change in the Big Competition

The dock was resounding with gongs and drums, and Jiang Mountain was bustling with activity.

Dragon Boat racing, seemingly a sport in which everyone could participate, required careful selection of both shipbuilding and personnel if one aimed to claim victory in the competition. It was not a small expense.

Ordinary people, busy all year round, could only practice together temporarily a few days before the Dragon Boat Festival, never really standing a chance; they participated just for the excitement.

Therefore, the twelve Dragon Boats on the river all came from various major powers in Ezhou. Of course, forces from the court like the garrison would not join in.

As for Buddhist Tao, it was represented by disciples from secular escort agencies and merchant teams. Confucianism, on the other hand, was represented by a group of energetic scholars joining forces.

The rest were from the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, North’s mule and horse gangs, Five Elements, Pai Sect, Craftsmen Guild, and other forces.

In short, one was wealthier than the next.

All the Dragon Boats were neatly lined up on the river. The men participating in the race wore uniform clothing, each team featuring different colors but all conforming to the Five Elements of green, red, yellow, white, and black, with only slight variations in their combination.

At this moment, everyone respectfully held three sticks of incense, bowing deeply.

Led by Cheng Jue himself, the monks from the Law Enforcement Hall came by boat, placing a Divine Statue of Emperor Guan at the front base of each Dragon Boat to secure it.

Of course, the monks also used various Divine Skills to inspect each Dragon Boat.

To tell the truth, this was the first time such procedures were adopted, as the Dragon Boat race was a ritual to worship the Three Lus Doctor. Previous festivals had been lively, too, but everyone had been preoccupied with their own matters.

The men were curious, but dared not ask too many questions.

This matter had been personally instructed by those above: even if they fell behind in the race, the Divine Statue of Emperor Guan must not be compromised; ensuring its safe arrival at Parrot Island Pier was what mattered.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh! Boom!

With everything in place, as the Sky-drilling Bomb thundered, the citizens on the dock suddenly erupted into earth-shaking cheers.

And the men on each Dragon Boat, following the command of the drumbeats, plunged their paddles into the water, muscles straining, scooping the water backward in unison.

At the start, it was the build-up phase; the Dragon Boats had not yet picked up speed, and the twelve teams were almost in a neat row.

As the sounds of gongs and drums quickened, the men strained at the oars even more, water splashed all around them, the dragons’ heads cutting through the waves swiftly, picking up speed.

Before long, the twelve teams became staggered; by the middle point of the course, when they had to turn back, this disparity grew even larger.

Although each team had been selected a few days ago, the difference between them was stark.

For example, the scholars from Wenjin Academy were just joining in the fun; after all, they usually studied and only occasionally came together for practice, making them slightly stronger than the average team.

Even within the Dragon Boat race, there had been opposite views among the old masters, who felt it was undignified; however, in order to commemorate the Three Lus Doctor, this tradition was forcefully preserved.

Thus, from the beginning, they fell behind.

The mule and horse gangs were in a similar situation; these burly men walked the mountains all year round. The title of champion of the river meant little to them, they just didn’t want to lose too much face.

The most intense competition was only among three forces.

Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, Wudang escort agency, Pai Sect.

They all earned their living on the water, especially the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce and Pai Sect, who, although often cooperating on normal days, would not yield to each other at this time.

However, what was surprising was that the Pai Sect team, originally the most hopeful, was somewhat behind, only able to maintain a middle ranking.

The men from Pai Sect were also extremely frustrated.

"Put more effort in, put more effort in!"

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Can any of you actually row?!"

Some people cursed directly, pointing the finger at a few individuals at the rear of the boat.

These men had been arranged to board at the last moment.

Just the day before the race, several had fallen ill with a bad stomach, vomiting and suffering diarrhea. Though there were reserves, Shi Chen, the leader, arranged for these few to be on the boat.

They looked strong and capable, presumably expertly recruited, but ended up only holding the team back.

The Heavenly Saint Sect’s calculations had failed.

The people they had inserted were skilled hands from the pugilistic world, yet Dragon Boat racing wasn’t about strength alone; it required unity and sticking to the beat.

These men managed to keep up with the rhythm, but their strokes were a mess. It was this slight difference that caused the entire team to fall behind.

Had it not been for the strength of the others, they would have already been last.

These men from Pai Sect, having originally held their breath to win the title of river champion, were now naturally furious, cursing loudly.

"What’s all the commotion about!"

Just then, the "steersman" in charge of commanding the boat shouted angrily, "Who dares to question the arrangement made by the leader? Focus! Quarreling now is sure to put us in last place, put in more effort!"

There was a rule in Dragon Boat racing: the steersman’s word was not to be questioned.

The men had to shut their mouths, took a deep breath, rowed fiercely, and managed to maintain a middle position.

In fact, the "steersman" was also wondering quietly.

He was in charge of steering and knew this boat like the back of his hand. The boat was clearly tampered with now; something was off about its weight distribution...

As the saying goes, every trade has its master. Although the Heavenly Saint Sect had hired their own skilled craftsmen, there were still issues.

The "steersman" surreptitiously observed those few men. Seeing their gloomy faces, even as they were cursed by everyone without talking back, he suddenly had a bad feeling.

But remembering Shi Chen’s reminder that if the boat arrived safely ashore this time, he would be promoted to "helmsman," he immediately dismissed his concerns.

Being a "helmsman," in charge of a boat team, not only meant a larger share of silver from the Sect, but also the tips from businesses during transportation could make him instantly wealthy.