Chapter 110: The Great Tide of Yue Tang River—What Is This All About!

Above the great river, waves surged violently, the water churning fiercely, a terrifying sight.

On both banks, barriers had been erected; the current raced swiftly, roaring like thunder, making speech inaudible if one drew near.

Today, both banks!

The people of Yue Tang River all flooded here—tens of thousands of them. From above, heads swarmed densely, a sea of faces.

What a lively scene!

At the river crossing, a massive floating bridge slowly rose, eighty to ninety zhang long, thousands of laborers straining to pull it, gritting their teeth, sweat soaking their clothes, chanting powerful work songs.

“One—”

“Two—”

“Lift—”

Seeing the rising bridge, the crowd gasped in awe.

Some men regretted signing up late—today’s pay for pulling the bridge was astronomical: ten taels of silver per day.

Children excitedly rode on their parents’ shoulders, peering over the crowd; through gaps between heads, they saw row upon row of gilded, silver-inlaid mo dao blades, radiating cold steel.

Entrance to the bridge.

Three thousand armored soldiers stood on either side, leaving a clear path to the floating bridge.

A few foolish men had tried to squeeze into the side lane to show off their authority—but the moment they stepped in, the soldiers’ gleaming great blades pinned them down, faces pale with terror, shoved into the prisoner carts on either side.

Some clapped and cheered!

The passing crowd buzzed with speculation about today’s extraordinary spectacle.

What could it be?

Even the brothels and taverns along Yue Tang River were closed today!

Dozens of taverns nearby had set up feasts stretching over ten li, offering free food and drink to all.

Most brothels and taverns along Yue Tang River belonged to Master Qin Wu.

Dozens of women draped in light gauze danced and sang on stages erected along one side of the bridge, like celestial maidens.

The famed courtesans, rarely seen in public, made rare appearances, drawing every eye.

Behind the stage.

A beautiful young woman asked:

“Sister, who’s coming today? Why all this commotion?”

A beautiful woman with a jeweled forehead and a jade hairpin shook her head gently.

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t!”

“But our righteous father ordered no mistakes.”

The courtesans hurriedly agreed—they knew perfectly well who their “righteous father” was.

Behind the stage.

Only the beautiful woman remained, standing alone in the corner, gazing far off toward the bridge entrance.

There, a sedan chair sat quietly, flanked by over a dozen men standing respectfully, not daring to stir.

The occupant of the sedan was the “righteous father.”

The supreme boss of both the legal and illegal worlds of Guangdong and Guangxi—Qin Xiaowu, Master Qin Wu.

To outsiders, this name might be mere Jianghu flattery—but to her, she knew the weight of those characters.

In this region of Yue Tang River, you may ignore the Prefect—but you dare not ignore Master Wu.

Otherwise, you won’t get anything done here.

The true local tyrant!

Whether Jianghu heroes or imperial officials, all must grant him some respect.

Even the current General of Yue Tang River bows and calls him “Master Wu.”

Even when the Provincial Military Commander himself came to pay respects, their righteous father remained reclining in bed.

She had risen so high in Yue Tang River, protected over a hundred sisters, and held her ground in this glittering, chaotic place, unharmed by others—

All because of that one word: “righteous father.”

Yesterday, her righteous father returned in haste from Guangling, his joy impossible to hide.

In ten years, she had never seen him so happy.

Following his orders:

All taverns offered free food and drink for three days.

All gambling dens closed for three days.

Every courtesan and singer in the city was summoned to perform today.

And her righteous father himself!

He had bathed and changed his clothes at dawn, waiting at the bridge entrance the moment the rain stopped.

Though curious about who could command such reverence from him, she knew his authority and rules—she dared not ask.

She remembered when the Imperial Chancellor visited, her righteous father didn’t even show his face.

Who could possibly be so important?

She stopped wondering.

She would follow her righteous father’s orders—ensure nothing went wrong.

…

…

On Yue Tang River’s Viewing Platform.

A twelve-story structure, tiered upward, its peak reaching over twenty zhang.

From here, one could observe the rise and fall of the river’s tide.

The view was magnificent.

But common folk had no right to enter—it was guarded by soldiers year-round.

At the very top of the platform, four men stood leaning on the railing.

The leader was an old man with white hair, his spirit bright, vigorous despite his age.

To his left stood a pale-skinned man in a python robe, holding a slip of paper inscribed with:

“Lord Lu Chen, One Under Heaven.”

To his right stood a middle-aged Daoist holding a fly whisk, exuding an ethereal aura.

The last man, a dark-skinned fellow in a short tunic, looked like an ordinary farmer.

The Daoist smiled at the dark-skinned man, A Mang:

“A Mang, you really went home to farm?”

A Mang waved his hand.

The Daoist nodded.

“You’re the one among us with the heaviest killing intent—how could I believe you’d go back to farming?”

A Mang scratched his head, grinning with a mouth full of large teeth:

“The Young Protector said to marry and have children—I didn’t just farm, I had several kids.”

The Daoist fell silent.

The man in the python robe stepped forward.

His red python robe gave him an air of grandeur.

He chuckled: “A Mang, even if the Young Protector ordered you to die, you wouldn’t hesitate.”

“When the Young Protector retired and told our twenty-six to go home, enjoy life, settle down—only A Mang truly listened.”

The vigorous old man turned and laughed: “My son has sons already—yet you three still haven’t found wives.”

The old man glanced at the paper in the python-robed man’s hand.

“This matter has nothing to do with me—don’t you dare blame me if the Young Protector finds out.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

The Daoist smiled and turned to A Mang:

“A Mang, if you’re a brother, share the blame!”

A Mang spat.

“I don’t know either of you—don’t try to act close. If the Young Protector flies into a rage, I won’t be able to bear it.”

The Daoist’s face darkened with worry.

He wasn’t afraid of rebellion against the court—but he feared only the Young Protector’s anger.

The Young Protector’s orders were ironclad; when he lost his temper—

Just recalling it sent chills through his heart.

The python-robed man clapped the Daoist on the shoulder, teasing:

“Don’t worry—if trouble comes, you take the blame alone. We’ll just show our support.”

The Daoist couldn’t hold back anymore—he cursed:

“You sneaky Yu Xu, this plan was yours from the start—and now you’re denying it?”

“Your fish-belly note is nothing, but the stone tablet I carved with ‘The Purple Emperor Descends to Rule’—that’s pure exaggeration!”

“I’m terrified the Young Protector will chop me—don’t blame me if I name you first.”

Yu Xu smiled and shook his head, ignoring the Daoist’s complaints.

Leaning on the railing, he gazed at the mighty river rolling by.

The Yuetangjiang originates in the Western Regions, surging eastward to the sea, full of vigor.

He whispered:

“The Young Protector has no interest in this ten-thousand-li landscape; it falls to his servant to work harder.”

When Yu Xu was a child, his family was poor; to survive, he was sent to the palace to become a eunuch.

The Emperor was hunted by northern winds, and Yu Xu fled from the imperial palace.

The journey was too hard—he was only eleven at the time.

This world was even crueler than he had imagined.

He begged along the way, enduring endless humiliation.

He had thought his life would be one of suffering, until Lu Chen picked him out from a crowd of refugees.

Back then, the Young Protector had taken his hand among a group of pale, starving beggars and said:

“Though young, you are patient and resilient; you will surely hold the rear securely.”

“Come with me!”

Even now, Yu Xu remembered the Young Protector’s piercingly bright eyes.

A scholar dies for one who understands him!

How could a man ever forget kindness?

Yu Xu muttered to himself:

“Is it an exaggeration to say the Purple Emperor descended to rule the world? In my heart, I have always believed the Young Protector is the Purple Star fallen to earth.”

The dark-skinned man asked strangely:

“Xiaowu, why did you go there alone to wait for the Young Protector?”

The old man looked toward the bridge entrance and said:

“Let him be. Xiaowu is just like that—he stayed with the Young Protector the longest, and their bond runs deepest.”

The dark-skinned man countered:

“Xiaowu stayed the longest, I won’t argue that—but as for deep feelings, I can’t agree.”

The old man only smiled.

All of us here would die for the Young Protector.

……

……

The Guanjiang Terrace has another platform below it.

Nine men stood atop it, mostly local officials of the Yuetangjiang region.

Aware of their status, they dared not ascend further.

The lowest-ranked among them was Su Lie, father of Su Ziyin.

At this moment, his face was tense with worry.

Only when the guards brought news did his expression ease.

His daughter, Su Ziyin, was unharmed!

The message said:

His daughter, accompanied by several martial artists, had requested to cross the floating bridge to enter the capital.

Martial artists?

Crossing the river to enter the capital.

Su Lie could not help but feel puzzled.

(End of Chapter)