Chapter 141: 136 The Great River Flows East

The passenger cabin was deathly silent. After a while, Tang Zhao spoke up: "How about eating wontons? Or how about eating 'board-knife noodles'?"

Someone had to ask this question, right?

A voice outside laughed strangely: "If you want wontons, strip yourselves clean and jump into the water. If you want board-knife noodles, this master will chop you down one by one."

Tang Zhao suddenly realized—no wonder the floating corpses in the water weren't wearing any clothes.

This gang of water bandits didn't know how many people they had harmed.

The four young Talisman Sword Masters exchanged glances, and Jiang Shenyi sneered.

Then someone said: "Good... good man—we are willing to spend money to buy our lives. As long as we live, we will spend as much money as it takes. This humble one can write a letter immediately to have my family send money..."

The water bandit outside said: "Less chatter. We masters are in the water business; we don't do the work of mountain bandits kidnapping and extorting. If you break the rules, it won't look good when we meet the other brothers at the Cock-Crow Banquet on Baixiong Mountain. You, come out first!"

That person said: "Ah, no... no..." By the end, there was a sobbing tone in his voice.

Tang Zhao's lips moved slightly, using Sound Transmission to enter the ears of the others.

This was not a Rune Formula, but a proper application of Internal Energy.

Rune Formulas are miraculous, but they also have their limitations. Take Sound Transmission for example: a Knight-Errant who has practiced for decades can mostly learn it, but for a Talisman Sword Master to achieve it using Rune Formula methods, it would require at least several Rune Formula sets, over ten thousand taels of silver in materials, and the other party would need a specific receiving Art Tool, and the effect would still not be as good as Internal Energy.

Sound transmission is like this, and there are many other limitations in every aspect.

Therefore, almost all Talisman Sword Master sects must balance martial arts; at least becoming a Knight-Errant makes it convenient to travel.

But practicing martial arts requires both talent and time. Talisman Sword Masters have first-class Spirit Talent, but it is not tied to martial arts aptitude; many are born with deficiencies and lack power later on. Actually, Tang Zhao could also be classified in this category, but that's another story since he has a cheat. Furthermore, Talisman Sword Masters have limited time, and learning Rune Formulas is arduous and tedious; even the intelligent ones take several years to be able to handle things on their own, so how can they balance martial arts? Even if they learn later, the best time for learning has already passed. Thus, most Talisman Sword Masters know martial arts, but it is only just enough; after becoming a Knight-Errant, they often struggle to make progress for years.

Among the four Talisman Sword Masters present, only Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi could perform Internal Energy sound transmission. The two from Liangzhou were elites of their sect, and with the flourishing martial arts culture in Liangzhou, each possessed impressive martial arts, but they followed the path of external training, so their Internal Energy was likely not refined enough for this. Therefore, they lost their say and could only listen to Tang Zhao's plan.

As they were plotting, the water bandits outside the cabin grew impatient and shouted: "Is no one coming out? Hehe, do you think dragging your feet will save your dog lives? In the middle of the Great River, heaven won't answer and the earth won't respond; who can save you?"

Tang Zhao suddenly shouted: "The Heavenly King covers the earth tiger!"

There was a moment of silence.

Tang Zhao sighed. As expected, there was no response. He knew that kind of secret code was just from stories, but he just wanted to shout it out.

He continued to shout random codes: "Speaking at high noon, no one has a home—"

As the last word left his mouth, two streaks of white energy flashed by.

Wind Cut—

Jiang Shenyi made his move!

The two streaks of white energy were Wind Blades split from Jiang Shenyi's Thunder Wings, which slashed across the top of the cabin, forcibly opening a skylight.

At the same time, Tang Zhao jumped onto the cabin roof first, drew his Lihuo Sword, and shouted: "Sun Explosion—"

A large flashbang rose above the cabin roof, as if a sun had appeared on the spot. The water bandits on the deck had never seen this before; caught off guard, they were all blinded by the snowy white light. The people inside the cabin were unaffected, separated by the cabin boards.

Tang Zhao succeeded in his first move, and as agreed, he signaled the others. The other three rushed out from the entrance, hacking at anyone nearby. Since everyone on the boat was a water bandit, it didn't matter who they hit. Jiang Shenyi used Wind Cut in one hand and Thunder Light in the other, creating an explosion with every press. The two from Liangzhou both used curved blades, slightly shorter than a cavalry saber, drawing them and killing one with each strike. Their blade techniques were fierce and their strikes ruthless, quite like the wolves of the frontier.

Tang Zhao did not join the battlefield. He stayed on the cabin roof, occupying the highest point, just in case there was an expert among the water bandits who could drag the three into a hard fight, so he could provide support at any time.

Facts proved he had overthought it. Even though Lingzhou was full of fierce bandits, this pirate ship had at most a leader at the Knight-Errant level, and he happened to run right into Jiang Shenyi's trap; his Internal Energy could not withstand the lightning explosion and he was charred on the spot.

However, two water bandits by the side of the boat instinctively flipped into the water with a splash. Although the river was wide and the waves were rough, they lived on the boat, so their swimming skills were extraordinary. Without wearing a Water Suit, they were like living fish, diving under the water and disappearing without a trace.

Tang Zhao came down from the cabin roof. There were no water bandits left standing on the deck. He didn't even have time to say to the fallen bandits: "Why is your face so yellow?"

At this time, Wusun Tong had tied his clothes and looked like he was about to go into the water. Tang Zhao stopped him and asked: "What is it?"

Wusun Tong said: "They went into the water; they will definitely try to sink the boat. I'll go down and stop them."

Che Sha said: "I'll go too. We played in the Liangzhou lakes; our swimming skills are very good."

Tang Zhao said: "No need, watch my senior brother."

Jiang Shenyi grinned, showing his teeth: "Going into the water in front of me? I have never seen such an operation." After saying this, he spread his wings, and the blue-green Thunder Wings connected directly into the water.

Crackle—

Countless lightning snakes drilled into the water, as if the Great River had been electrified.

One could see the water sizzling with electricity, and countless currents rolled along the waves. Although the people on the boat were separated by the wooden hull, they still felt a tingling sensation, though they didn't know if it was psychological.

After electrifying for a while, two corpses floated up from the water, their eyes rolled back, just like two dead fish. Of course, the surrounding fish and shrimp were also electrocuted quite a bit; it was a case of the innocent being caught in the crossfire.

Tang Zhao and the others pushed the water bandits who had been hacked down on the boat into the river, out of sight and out of mind. Such evil people had no luck of being buried in the earth.

These water bandits didn't know how many people they had harmed in the river, and finally, they themselves were buried in the river, becoming food for fish and shrimp.

In a short while, the boat was quiet and peaceful; the arrogant bullies from just a moment ago had been cleared away.

The only thing was...

"Does anyone know how to steer the boat?" Tang Zhao asked the passengers.

At this moment, the passengers had escaped death and were overjoyed, but the few people in front of them were also very fierce, and they were all afraid that they had just escaped the tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair, so they couldn't help but feel uneasy. It was just that Tang Zhao looked the most kind-hearted and hadn't shown a fierce side just now, so he could still soothe people's hearts.

Immediately, two people came out trembling and tried to row the boat. It was clear that neither of them was a professional; they barely managed to keep it from going sideways, and the speed was sluggish. Tang Zhao felt it would be better to let Jiang Shenyi fly up and drag the boat from the front with a rope, but he was too embarrassed to say it.

They dawdled until they reached the opposite bank, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, the whole boatload of people thanked Tang Zhao and the others for saving their lives. Although these people were all grateful, their attitudes were different. Some were truly grateful, some were in awe, and some were wary.

Tang Zhao and the others did not seek gratitude; they were just passing acquaintances, and they would likely never meet again. Some people wanted to offer money and goods as thanks, but Tang Zhao and the others refused one by one.

Finally, the crowd dispersed. Wan Laoban, who had chatted well with Tang Zhao, stayed behind and whispered a reminder: "Benefactors, actually, you should have kept them and screened them again. Usually, these kinds of river bandits might plant secret agents among the passengers; perhaps among those who just dispersed, there were their accomplices."

Tang Zhao recalled carefully. Indeed, there were three or five people whose eyes were wrong, and their figures were strong and powerful, looking like martial artists. He said: "There are several secret agents?"

These insiders were almost more numerous than the guests.

Wan Laoban said: "They aren't all secret agents. There are many martial artists in Lingzhou; they could be bodyguards, or they could be other thieves, mountain bandits, or road robbers. Anyway, there are many thieves in Lingzhou; if you throw a brick, you might hit two or three thieves."

Tang Zhao frowned upon hearing this and said: "Is this still the Human World?"

Wan Laoban said: "This is Lingzhou."

But at this point, it was unlikely they could catch them even if they chased; the people had all dispersed. Wan Laoban's reminder came late because he didn't dare to signal in front of the thieves, fearing that there were inconspicuous thieves hiding in the crowd who would target him and ruin his own life.

Tang Zhao asked, "What will happen if those bandits run away?"

Wan Laoban said, "Probably nothing much. You benefactors possess great Supernatural Powers, and your methods are incomparable to ordinary martial artists... That trick of conducting electricity in the water... it was simply like the methods of an immortal. I reckon even if they had an Inner accomplice, they would have been scared out of their wits and wouldn't dare to come back to settle the score easily. However, since this water bandit could go to Baixiong Mountain to attend the Cock-Crow Banquet, he is a person of some standing; he might have a water stronghold behind him, or a backer, so it is inevitable that he might return. Furthermore, while the various strongholds generally aren't of one mind, it is not impossible for them to form alliances. Who knows, he might have a few good friends who want revenge and will strike ahead. You all should set off quickly and be careful on the road."

Che Sha sneered, "They come looking for us? That would be perfect. The fine blade I had newly forged when I came here is just waiting to drink blood and be sharpened; I was worried no one would deliver themselves to me."

Tang Zhao also said, "We are not afraid of ordinary bandits. Since you say Lingzhou is full of bandits everywhere, doesn't that mean we have to be careful everywhere? A few more won't make a difference."

Wan Laoban sighed, "That is true." He then cautiously asked about their destination. Upon hearing they were heading south to Yan Prefecture, which was not on the way, he could not help but feel very disappointed, but he still thanked them repeatedly, gave them the name of his trading firm, and hoped to meet again in the future before leaving with a thousand thanks.

Tang Zhao and the others continued on their way. Whether it was a psychological illusion or not, Tang Zhao only felt that the sky in Lingzhou was a few shades grayer than in Yunzhou, and there was a faint scent of blood in the air.

But thinking about it, it was not entirely an illusion; without needing to look specifically, one could discover the desolation of Lingzhou just by glancing around. The official roads in Yunzhou were built neatly and planted with large trees on both sides, but the roads in Lingzhou were pitted and bumpy, and the roadbeds had been destroyed; it looked like they hadn't been repaired for years.

After walking for a while, white Bone appeared by the roadside, collapsed in the grass, and there were dried, blackened bloodstains in the grass.

Both Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi felt uncomfortable, but the two from Liangzhou remained composed. Che Sha said, "It's just white Bone; we see it often in Liangzhou. After a snow disaster on the vast grasslands, there are corpses everywhere—some are beasts, some are human. There are also horse bandits on the grasslands, hundreds of them in a swarm, burning, killing, and looting, stopping at nothing. You all have lived too well."

Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi were both silent. After a while, Tang Zhao said, "The natural conditions there are harsh, and everyone works hard. But Lingzhou was originally even more prosperous than Yunzhou; although there are mountains, there is fertile soil among them, so it shouldn't be like this."

As they were speaking, a shop appeared by the roadside, hanging a wine banner, selling wine and food.

It was now lunchtime, and the group was hungry, so they entered the shop, ordered a few bowls of noodles, and had some meat sliced.

They saw a proprietress dressed in red and green, with a flamboyant style, come out. She smiled before speaking, enthusiastically poured tea for them first, and laughed, "Guests, drink some tea first; the fine spiced meat will be here immediately."

The group picked up their tea bowls. Tang Zhao took a sniff, then put it down and said, "Can Lingzhou ever get any better?"