Chapter 496: Intercepting the Waves

However, after Seeing Pei Ye finished speaking, he did not reach for the riding crop, instead turning to walk back.

"Eh?" Xie Chuantang was bewildered.

"I'm going to call Yan Feiqing," Seeing Pei Ye said earnestly.

"..."

Xie Chuantang shoved the riding crop into his hand. "The higher-ups said that wasn't necessary; they only told me to call for you."

She then started walking forward.

Seeing Pei Ye widened his eyes, following behind her. "Which 'higher-ups'?"

Xie Chuantang paused, turning her head. "I was just about to ask you... do you recognize someone called 'Tongjun'?"

"Hm?"

The two arrived at the stables, where Xie Chuantang led out an exceptionally magnificent horse. "Yesterday, when I received news of this ship, I reported it to Magistrate Di. At the time, the ship had already left the capital's jurisdiction, so Magistrate Di contacted this 'Tongjun'—and by that very night, these two horses were delivered."

"Purebred Qilin-blood. A horse like this can run four hundred *li* in a single hour."

Seeing Pei Ye looked at it. He was not entirely unfamiliar with such horses; he had ridden similar carriages back in Shaolong Prefecture. He knew they were called "Immortal Hunting Colts." But those two white horses he had seen before possessed the diluted blood of a *Bixie*, possessing a majestic and heavy air, whereas these two were much more elegant, with scales growing at the corners of their eyes and square, sturdy hooves, carrying a distinct sense of riding the wind.

"Manpower is a bit tight, and it seems this 'Tongjun' said you could be called upon." Xie Chuantang mounted her horse and handed him a thick envelope. "I was told to pass this to you."

Seeing Pei Ye took it. Xie Chuantang continued, "I don't know what other arrangements have been made, and we don't have time to plan in detail right now. That ship clearly received news two days ago; it's been sailing at full sail, fast as can be, and hasn't stopped at a single pier along the way. Regardless of what's true or false, our top priority is to catch up to it first."

"Oh, I see." Seeing Pei Ye glanced at the horse before him. It was indeed a treasure. He tucked the note away, leaped onto the saddle, and said, "I trust Tongjun's word. Since that's the case, let's just rely on my one left arm for now."

They galloped out through the West Gate of Changan. With the high willows lining the grand avenue and the vast, pale clouds in the sky, once they left the bustling city, the sparse openness of early winter unfolded before them.

The endless stream of travelers could not fill the void of the post-autumn earth; from high above, they looked like ants gathering toward an anthill. The two riders galloped out from the side gate, racing along the main road for a while before a vast, slow-moving river appeared in their field of vision.

Xie Chuantang slowed her horse slightly, and the two riders carved a wide arc to run parallel to the river, their cheeks brushed by the cold, chilly wind blowing off the water.

"This is the main trunk of the Feng River. The canal flows west and merges into this river," Xie Chuantang said, raising her voice. "Further ahead, this river will merge into the Wei River, and if you follow the Wei River to its end, you reach the Yellow River. And beyond that lies the Son of Heaven's city, which we've left completely behind us."

Seeing Pei Ye looked up. This was his first time reaching this so-called "Capital Region." With villages along the river and boats upon the water, the morning sun was driving away the mist, making the river surface shine brightly.

"There has been rain but no wind for the past two days, so the ship is moving slowly. It passed Fengling Ferry the day before yesterday. If we ride hard for a day, we should be able to catch up to it by tonight or tomorrow morning."

Seeing Pei Ye nodded. The wind whistled past his ears. He leaned forward and urged his horse on again. The horse was quite proud and fierce; if not for the black cat on his shoulder, riding it might have been quite exhausting.

After galloping along the Feng River for half an hour, a larger river with a calmer flow and a wider surface came into view—the Wei River, which had been tied to Changan's life for thousands of years. Once they raced past the entire Wei River, the ten-thousand-mile Yellow River would unfold before them.

In the afternoon, the two stopped at a small ferry crossing to eat a bowl of noodles. While drinking the noodle broth, Seeing Pei Ye opened the envelope, which clearly came from Xu Chuo.

Inside was a sheet of letter paper and another, smaller envelope.

"I shouldn't have disturbed your rest, but things in this world are unpredictable. Don't be afraid to know that I am not always infallible.

The matter of the secret cargo at the bottom of the ship was unexpected, but it seems to have connected to some other threads I hadn't anticipated... In short, this matter is quite critical. I think it's best to ask you to make another trip, intercept this ship, uncover the truth, and bring the clues back. Di Jiu says Xie Chuantang is highly skilled and adaptable in a crisis, so she is worth relying upon. You and she can work as a team.

As for those within the Life Realm, handle them yourselves. Don't worry about the Mystic Gates; there shouldn't be much danger on this trip, but having you there gives me peace of mind.

I have already requested some urgent information from the Immortal Hunting Terrace, which is attached to this page.

Xu."

Seeing Pei Ye finished the noodle broth while reading the letter, then folded it up and wiped his mouth with a cloth.

Opposite him, Xie Chuantang had already buckled on her saber, looking over.

"This ship isn't an official vessel, nor does it belong to the Taiping Canal Gang," Seeing Pei Ye said, placing a few copper coins on the table.

Xie Chuantang frowned, but Seeing Pei Ye closed the file, lost in thought.

If the target hadn't been the "Prince Yan's Mansion" from the start, the three words would have almost vanished from the entire affair, from the prison to the Carp Pavilion to the Taiping Canal Gang. They were the ones who had been hiding in the shadows all along. The Taiping Canal Gang, the Phantom Tower, and Yu Sicheng were merely the enemies currently placed in the open.

Even now, this ship wasn't directly controlled by the Taiping Canal Gang. The Prince Yan's Mansion had handed over all interests and power, thereby concealing its own tracks. Under the cover of this massive web of interests, they were pushing forward some unknown agenda.

But fortunately, he was now tracing the thread hidden beneath it all.

"And that is?" Xie Chuantang looked at him.

"The owner operating this ship is called the 'Feng River Dock'."

"The Feng River Dock is passing! Please give way!"

In the faint morning light, a shout startled the dogs, donkeys, horses, and cattle at the ferry crossing. A traveler waiting for the morning ferry looked up and saw a tall ship shadow emerging from the mist in the middle of the river.

"Starting the ship so early... even those doing big business don't seem to earn enough," the boatman muttered in a raspy voice. He spun his oar, and the flat-bottomed boat turned in a half-circle, yielding the center of the river.

The traveler turned back, anxious. "Hey, if we put in a little effort, couldn't we have passed?"

"If that big thing hits us, we'll be sucked back even if we pass," the boatman said unhurriedly, continuing to push his oar. "A person lives for decades; why be in such a rush?"

Yangjia Ferry was a medium-sized crossing on the Yellow River, supporting thousands of lives through fishing, farming, and hosting travelers. There were early-rising travelers in the morning, and naturally, early-rising boatmen. A large ship always took time to get moving, and since there were no towns nearby, it was rare to see such a vessel at this hour.

The boatman rowed back, noticing the noodle stall on the bank had just brought its first pot of water to a boil, with white steam rushing into the cold, dark air.

"It's not that I'm in a rush... but getting a little closer wouldn't hurt!"

The traveler turned out to be quite young. He had taken off his bamboo hat, revealing a face with faint pockmarks. Although he was crossing the river, his eyes weren't looking at the opposite bank, but were fixed on the large ship emerging from the mist, his expression a mix of anxiety and apprehension.

"A graze and it breaks, a bump and it sinks," the boatman said leisurely. "Those are all big gangs. Seventeen shipyards along three hundred *li* of the Feng River, all under their control. If there's a misunderstanding, it'll cost you your life—do you know about the affairs of the *jianghu*?"

"There are affairs in the *jianghu* every single day."

"True. Nine out of ten of these affairs are just big fish eating small fish, and small fish eating shrimp. I heard the Feng River Dock has been on high alert lately. In times like these, it's best to stay as far away as possible..." The old boatman seemed not to hear, muttering as he pushed his oar, and the boat drifted another stretch toward the bank.

The traveler was startled. He looked suspiciously at the traveler's anxious expression, then glanced at the approaching large ship. "Young hero, what are you trying to do?"

"... Nothing." The traveler quickly let go, pressing down on his bamboo hat. "That... I'll give you two taels of silver; just lend me this boat to steer for a bit."

The old boatman was even more startled. "Young hero, get off quickly. I'll refund you double for this trip."

The ship was getting closer and closer, as tall as a building built upon the river. Niu Shaoyi looked up, finally understanding why they had to stay so far away. Even when the massive shadow fell over them, he instinctively wanted to urge the boatman back toward the bank.

As it drew near, he saw a tall figure standing at the bow of the ship in the dim light, clothes fluttering in the wind, holding a broad saber by his side.

Niu Shaoyi's heart clenched, his body stiffening uncontrollably.

"Black Cloud on the River," Chen Renzhong.

He had actually heard of the Feng River Dock's reputation. It was indeed a large *jianghu* gang, but it wasn't that simple. It was half water-escort agency, half north-south merchant association. Such a large gang at the feet of the Son of Heaven's city always had connections to those above, and was even controlled by someone. Outsiders could never know the depth of it.

And Chen Renzhong was a figure standing in the foreground, a name that carried weight throughout this five-hundred-*li* river system. Anyone making a living on the Feng River had to recognize this figure standing with his saber. He spent more than ten months of the year on the water, following the route of the "South Golden Wind," and was a true confidant of the Dock Master.

For two youths wandering the streets of Changan, this was an absolutely dangerous, colossal monster.

They should never have brought their frail bodies and a broken dagger to approach such a true *jianghu* green-forest figure... but he and Little Zhang were brothers.

Niu Shaoyi watched the approaching large ship, his palms sweating, his gaze constantly scanning the water surface it passed, hoping for a head to suddenly pop up.

However, the old boatman kept driving them away, the large ship in the middle of the river drew closer, and the agreed-upon time had already passed by half a quarter-hour.

It was at this moment that two crisp hoofbeats broke the silence of the stone road.

Two magnificent, beautiful horses galloped out of the mist. A female officer in a black uniform with cold, sharp eyes, and a younger youth carrying a single sword wrapped in cloth, with a black cat steadily lying on his shoulder.

On the river, the massive hull of the giant ship was slowly passing by.

The woman glanced at it, her gaze stopping on the small boat. "Old man, please row us toward the center of the river."

The youth leaped off his horse, tying the two horses casually to a tree by the lake. Before the old boatman could respond, he had already looked toward the center of the river. Then, in Niu Shaoyi's astonished gaze, this youth pressed his hand to his sword and leaped up like a wild goose. His body turned lightly in the air, crossing dozens of *zhang* of water surface like a paper kite in the wind, landing straight onto the deck of the "South Golden Wind."

Niu Shaoyi saw Chen Renzhong at the bow suddenly twist his head, his broad saber tilting toward the youth. At the same time, the small boat gave a light sound; the woman had already landed on the boat's canopy, raising a token and calling out in a clear voice that spread across the river: "Capital Prefecture police officer Xie Chuantang, now ordered to inspect your ship. Lower your sails and submit to questioning immediately!"

She then signaled the boatman, and the old man's mouth seemed to have been glued shut; he didn't say a single witty remark, but pushed his oar with all his might, and the boat drifted toward the center of the river.

A moment later, when the distance was right, the woman also leaped up, landing lightly on the deck of the large ship.

And as these two figures, no larger than grains of rice, landed on it, the large ship actually began to lower its sails, and its speed began to slow.

At this moment on the bank, a gray-clad figure walked out from the sparsely populated street toward the steaming noodle stall.

He stood tall, carrying a long sword on his back, his boots covered in mud, his hem damp with morning dew. He wore a bamboo hat, revealing only a clearly defined chin. He looked like an ordinary traveler by the river on a winter day.

"Auntie, a bowl of meat soup noodles, please." The white breath he exhaled dissipated as soon as it hit the air. He unbuckled his long sword, threw it onto the table with a *clang*, and sat on the cold stool, becoming its first customer of the day.

On the river behind him, the tall figure standing with a saber at the bow of the ship had also disappeared. In the dim light, the large ship was eerily silent, with no lights to be seen, and no one knew what was happening inside.

On the river surface behind them, the tall figure standing with a knife on the bow also disappeared. In the dim color, this huge ship was somewhat heart-palpitatingly quiet, not knowing what was happening inside.