The Huamei River wound through mountains and ridges until it reached the foot of Mount Huamei, where it emptied into the Jiuyuan River.
Siming County sat right at the confluence of the river and the waterway. Water transport flourished here, and a good number of small and medium cargo boats were moored at the modest wharf.
The battened sails of the vessels all bore their owners' emblems. Zhou Wuji visited Siming County often and was quite familiar with them.
With a single glance across the crowd of boats, he spotted the Li clan's merchant vessel, its sail bearing the large characters "Wanfeng."
The Wanfeng Firm was the Li clan's trading house. It specialized in exporting mountain pepper oil, a venture that yielded handsome profits.
Mount Huamei was a spur jutting out from the Siming Mountains, plunging straight into the Jiuyuan River and altering the river's course.
The Siming Mountains were rich in natural resources and abounded in medicinal herbs. The most renowned among them was mountain pepper.
The Li clan's ancestors had mastered the technique of extracting mountain pepper oil, making their fortune from it and rising to become a prominent family in Siming County.
A group of Li clan workers were bustling about loading cargo, while Li Xin, the second manager of Wanfeng Firm, stood on the wharf shouting orders.
The middle-aged man wore a coarse linen robe and a wrapped cap, sporting a mustache, looking thoroughly mature and capable.
Zhou Wuji strolled over carrying his small chest and called out with a smile, "Second Manager Li..."
"Oh, Daoist Zhou!" Li Xin looked up, saw Zhou Wuji, and paused in surprise.
Having not seen him for a few months, it felt as though Zhou Wuji had become a different person. His eyes were especially bright and warm, and his whole demeanor appeared exceptionally spirited.
Li Xin quickly recovered, coming over with an accommodating smile to greet him. "What brings you here so early, Daoist? Is there something you need?"
"Yes, I need to make a trip to Yunyang Prefecture."
Zhou Wuji produced a jade medallion and handed it to Li Xin. "I spoke with Ruyi. I must trouble Second Manager to give me a lift."
Taking the jade medallion with both hands, Li Xin recognized it as their young lady's belonging. He nodded repeatedly with an obsequious smile. "If you need passage on our boat, all you have to do is say the word. With you aboard to watch over us, we'll feel all the more secure. We couldn't ask for better!"
"I have an urgent matter, so we need to set off as soon as possible. Is that all right?" If Zhou Wuji were merely hitching a ride on an already departing boat, he naturally would not have needed to speak with Li Ruyi. But he dared not waste time, so he needed the Li clan's cargo boat to adjust its schedule for him.
"No problem at all. The cargo is already loaded. As soon as we take on provisions and fresh water, we'll cast off." Li Xin could tell Zhou Wuji was in a hurry and did not dare dawdle.
Even without the young lady's jade medallion, a personal disciple of Canglong Temple's abbey dean was a person of standing in Siming County. He wouldn't dare offend him.
Leaving a bit early only meant the boatmen and clerks would have to work a little harder; it was nothing significant.
Under Li Xin's arrangements, the vessel soon weighed anchor and set sail.
The cargo vessel was slender, with a tapered bow and stern and a low hull—commonly known as a "bird boat," meaning it was nimble and exceptionally swift.
The boat had only three cabins, and the second manager assigned the largest to Zhou Wuji.
Though called the largest, the interior was barely a zhang across, just enough to fit a wooden bed and a small table.
Yellow talisman papers were pasted across the cabin walls, the wooden table, and the bed, the vermilion runes clearly depicting the Golden Light Incantation.
In a world crawling with countless demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters, everyone carried protective talismans.
Traveling by boat was even more perilous; talismans had to be pasted everywhere throughout the vessel.
Zhou Wuji knew this well. In fact, selling talismans was a crucial source of income for Daoist temples.
He placed the gold beneath the bed, sat down, and gazed out the window at the scenery along the shore. As the refreshing morning breeze blew past, a sense of ease washed over him, making the damp, musty stench inside the cabin seem negligible.
Having stayed awake all night, Zhou Wuji watched for a while, and upon noticing nothing amiss, he shut the window and went to sleep.
Come noon, Second Manager Li Xin brought over a meal tray: a braised fish, a plate of cured meat, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of white rice.
Li Xin smiled with his habitual humble courtesy. "Accommodations on the boat are modest, Daoist. Please don't take offense."
Zhou Wuji waved his hand. "My cultivation has reached a crucial juncture recently, and I am undergoing inedia. Thank you for your kind hospitality, Second Manager, but there's no need for the food."
The martial world was perilous, and one could never be too cautious.
Anything that entered the mouth was most prone to foul play.
Even if Li Xin lacked both the courage and any reason to do evil, Zhou Wuji still could not afford to be careless.
Furthermore, boat food was rarely clean; falling ill from an upset stomach would be trouble in itself.
Li Xin was taken aback, then assumed an expression of deep admiration. "Daoist, your cultivation is truly profound—ingesting qi and dining on clouds like a true immortal..."
"You flatter me." Zhou Wuji exchanged a few pleasantries, then, having nothing else to do, asked Li Xin about the recent situation in Yunyang Prefecture.
Merchants were always well-informed. Li Xin was an intelligent man who traveled frequently in and out of Yunyang Prefecture, possessing far greater insight and experience than ordinary folk.
"Lately, Yunyang Prefecture hasn't been peaceful. A large number of deserters have fled over here. They're crueler than bandits or highwaymen, stirring up all kinds of trouble..."
"It hasn't been resolved yet?" Zhou Wuji knew a little about this; the reason Zhang Xinhu had not been at home was that he had been requisitioned by higher authorities to quell the rogue soldiers.
"The Red Phoenix Army campaigned against a great demon in Yunmeng Marsh but suffered a crushing defeat. The imperial court sent officials to severely punish their commanders, which triggered a mutiny."
Shaking his head, Li Xin sighed with lament. "Several thousand elite troops turned into bands of rogue soldiers, ravaging the region. How could that be settled so easily?
"These times... sigh..."
Li Xin had wanted to speak on the court's corruption and the people's misery, but remembering that Zhou Wuji was a Daoist—and both Buddhism and Daoism received imperial patronage, making him effectively an affiliate of the court—certain things were improper to voice. He had no choice but to swallow his complaints.
After conversing for a bit longer, Li Xin finally left with the tray.
As dusk began to settle, the cargo boat dropped anchor at Baishi Crossing.
At night, the river ran swift and turbulent, making navigation exceedingly dangerous. By routine, the Li clan's cargo boats always moored at Baishi Crossing.
Zhou Wuji felt quite at ease. Traveling downstream, they had covered two hundred li in a single day. Even if the Zhang and Fang clans received word, it would be too late to pursue him.
Taking advantage of the halt, Zhou Wuji stretched his limbs at the bow, but did not disembark.
With a chest of gold kept on the boat, he dared not let his guard down.
From the shore, Li Xin was sizing up Zhou Wuji. Sensing that Zhou Wuji had something going on, he kept a closer eye on him.
Beside him, Li Qiang muttered, "This Daoist Zhou looks decent enough, but he's got no real ability."
Li Xin glanced at his tall, burly nephew and said in a low voice, "Watch your mouth."
Li Qiang protested with an innocent look, "It's not just me saying it! Everyone says that of all the disciples at the temple, Zhou Wuji is the most useless."
He added, "I didn't believe it at first, but seeing him sneak around with a chest of gold, not even daring to touch our food, I knew the guy is just a coward."
Though Zhou Wuji had carried the chest with apparent ease, the crew on board was far too experienced. Just by the sway of the gangplank when he boarded, they could tell how heavy the chest was.
It had to be gold, without a doubt.
Li Xin felt somewhat helpless. This nephew of his had a strong physique and had cultivated overt force, already a Rank Nine martial artist and quite formidable in a brawl. That was why he looked down on Daoists like Zhou Wuji.
He was still too young and couldn't hide his thoughts.
He chided him, "Disaster comes from the mouth. If he overheard you, you would offend him deeply... What's the point?"
Li Qiang's rough, broad face showed total nonchalance as he chuckled. "From this far away, how could he possibly hear..."
The distance between them was a full ten zhang, yet Zhou Wuji heard every word of Li Xin and Li Qiang's conversation.
Having advanced to Rank Eight and elevated his swordplay to the proficient realm, his perception was exceptionally sharp.
Zhou Wuji's expression did not change, but he marked Li Qiang in his mind: 'Blind fool! Sooner or later, I'll teach you what I'm capable of!'
They totaled over a dozen people—boatmen and shop hands—gathered on the shore, lighting fires to cook dinner, laughing and talking in high spirits.
Mooring at Baishi Crossing year in and year out, they were intimately familiar with the area and completely at ease.
"Once we're full, let's pay Widow Li a visit. She's getting on in years, but her skin is pale and tender..."
"Damn it, you'd even go for a woman in her forties? You thirsty dog!"
Talking about women, the men grew lively and excited, their faces glowing.
While they were laughing and joking, a man suddenly burst from the woods, shouting toward Li Xin from a distance, "Help! Help me..."
Though dusk had deepened, a faint glimmer of daylight still remained.
Li Xin peered at him for a moment before recognizing him as Old Xu from Baishi Village, a li away. He was a decent cook, and they occasionally stopped by Old Xu's place for a bite to eat.
"Old Xu, what happened?" Li Xin hurried forward and supported the panic-stricken Old Xu as he asked.
"A band of rogue soldiers showed up—at least a dozen of them! They started slaughtering people the moment they entered! Run..." Remembering the ruthless way they killed, Old Xu trembled, his voice quivering.
Li Xin was struck with terror as well. The rogue soldiers had actually fled all the way here?
He looked toward the woods and saw flickering silhouettes. Four soldiers clad in leather lamellar armor had already rushed out, brandishing sabers and carrying bows, radiating murderous intent.
Instead of being surprised upon seeing Li Xin and his group, the lead soldier was thrilled. He shouted excitedly, "There's a merchant boat here! We've struck it rich! Hahaha..."
He barked at his companion, "Quick, shoot the signal and inform the captain!"
Relying on his burly build, Li Qiang stepped forward two paces and shouted, "Officers, we're from the Wanfeng Firm—"
Before he could finish, the archer had already drawn his bow and loosed an arrow.
The man was a skilled archer. From a distance of under twenty paces, the arrow flew straight at Li Qiang's chest.
Li Qiang was terrified. In his panic, he couldn't even track the arrow's trajectory and could only twist his body desperately to dodge.
The whistling arrow tore straight through Li Qiang's shoulder. The impact jolted his whole body, sending him crashing to the ground.
The rest of the Wanfeng Firm crew were scared out of their wits.
Though they fought on occasion, it was only ever trading blows with wooden clubs. When had they ever witnessed something like this?
The rogue soldiers were fully armored, steeped in bloodlust, and their ruthless brutality shattered the group's courage completely.
No one cared about Li Qiang anymore; everyone scrambled backward in panic.
The archer drew his bow again, but his companion stopped him. "Don't waste arrows."
They were deserters with no way to replenish their ammunition. Having downed the burliest martial artist, the others posed no threat.
Grinning savagely, the soldiers advanced with their sabers drawn. Li Xin and the others backed against the boat, left with nowhere to run, their faces deathly pale and their knees shaking...
Chapter 9