Chapter 271: The Ship Arrives at Parrot Island

Sunlight spilled onto the river surface, creating shimmering ripples.

Sails dotted the river, and green trees shaded the banks of Parrot Island.

Under a thick, old willow tree, a white-haired old man sat cross-legged, his clothes tattered, his fishing drum old, tapping and beating slowly, singing leisurely:

"By the Miluo River, the loyal soul does not scatter, Qu Yuan's name and integrity are praised for a thousand autumns. Composing poems, intentions are earnest, worrying about the country suffering from chaos. Walking the difficult path in the world, alone and awake. Living, also dignified; dying, also dignified..."

The old man used the Mianyang dialect, and his "Sighing for Qu Yuan" was desolate and tragic; unfortunately, passersby were in a hurry, only occasionally dropping a copper coin.

This place was already the Hanyang wharf.

Fishing boats drifted on the river, accompanied by ancient fishing songs; fishermen cast large nets, and boatmen on passenger ships also shouted river chants as they slowly docked.

The wharf was crowded with people.

Porters were bare-chested, carrying large bags and busy non-stop.

Around them, there were tea sheds for resting, fish stalls selling fish, and quite a few wandering artists performing hard to earn a meal.

In the crowd, there was a man with a dragon and tiger tattooed, a dog-skin plaster on his neck, a face full of flesh, and an open collar revealing chest hair, walking in a square step, as if he were walking sideways.

The common people along the way gave way one after another.

This man was too lazy to pay attention, walked to a tea shed, sat down, poured tea for himself, and took out the long pipe from behind him, filling it with dry tobacco.

Before he could move, several thin young men gathered around, looking flattering, blowing on a fire-starter to light his pipe.

This man didn't even lift his eyes, puffing out clouds of smoke, and after finishing a bag of tobacco and drinking a few mouthfuls of tea, he said faintly:

"Let's hear it."

Several young men hurriedly gathered to report:

"Reporting to the White Tangzhu, subordinates just saw Boat Head Lu of the Pai Sect come, accompanied by an old man who looked unremarkable, but Boat Head Lu was very respectful to him..."

"The Commandant Office set an ambush this morning and caught a merchant at the wharf; I heard people say it was County Lieutenant Xu in disguise..."

"Just now, several new faces came, speaking with a Yuzhou accent, their eyes very fierce, and they flashed blades at us; I fear they are figures from the green forest..."

"Several big monks were also seen this morning..."

Several young men meticulously recounted everything from morning to noon at the wharf.

The man was named Yue Xing, a White Tangzhu of the Bai Jiaobang in Hanyang City.

This Bai Jiaobang belonged to a local gang, with considerable influence; from government yamen to peddlers and porters, no one didn't know them.

In terms of status, they were not inferior to the Fire Bear Gang in Chang'an City.

But unlike the Fire Bear Gang, the Bai Jiaobang acted relatively more properly; they neither made the common people miserable nor walked freely between various forces, having existed for several decades.

After all, Hanyang was a place where fish and dragons were mixed, connecting north and south, with people from all walks of life gathering; fierce dragons crossing the river were everywhere.

If you didn't have eyes, you might be wiped out at any time.

The Bai Jiaobang could exist in Hanyang for several decades because they had their own capabilities; not to mention anything else, just this eye for detail could not be underestimated.

Several Hall Masters in the gang patrolled their territory every day, collecting information from the mouths of the scouts and then passing it on to each other.

This was a rule set by the old gang leader, which hadn't changed for decades.

Sometimes their information was even more well-informed than those wandering martial arts inns that specifically bought and sold intelligence.

They didn't know how many times they had helped the Bai Jiaobang survive disasters.

As for this Yue Xing, although he looked like a scoundrel with tattoos, he was a man who had killed his way through blood and rain, having already stepped into the dark force.

After listening to the subordinates' report, Yue Xing said faintly, "Once the war in the southwest starts, the martial arts world will not be peaceful either."

"Some people in the Xiangxi martial arts world have many dealings with the Tusi cities in the Miao border, and they have recently been causing trouble in various places, attempting to disrupt the situation."

"The Gang Leader said that although we don't eat the imperial court's food, we are also subjects of the Great Xuan Dynasty. If those people cause trouble, it will inevitably implicate us."

"Keep a close watch, and report immediately if something is wrong!"

"Yes, White Tangzhu!"

Several subordinates hurriedly bowed and agreed.

This movement of theirs was also seen by people in the distance.

The wharf had always been a place of right and wrong. There was more than one force probing for information here.

This style of the Bai Jiaobang was also a means.

Everything was done in the open, letting all the fierce dragons crossing the river know that Hanyang City was a place that followed martial arts rules and couldn't be messed with.

The second was to shirk responsibility; after all, all kinds of secret methods in the martial arts world were endless, and if something happened, when the imperial court asked, they could say they had done their best.

Seeing his subordinates doing their best, Yue Xing nodded with satisfaction.

He was just about to stand up when he inadvertently glanced at the river surface, his pupils constricted, and he slowly sat back down, lit a bag of tobacco, and instructed in a low voice, "A fire point has come; check their roots."

The Bai Jiaobang disciples hurriedly looked up.

Only to see that among the many ships coming and going on the river, one ship was very conspicuous; the ship body was huge, the upper cabin had several floors, and it was a "tower ship."

Although the Bai Jiaobang were local tigers and didn't make a living on the water, they were in a wharf city, so they could see the general idea of any ship at a glance.

On the Yangtze River, the most common were "sand ships," with flat bottoms that could sit on the beach and weren't afraid of running aground, making them safer in wind and waves.

Because of their many advantages, they were widely circulated, varying in size and shape, from transporting people to carrying goods, with different functions.

Besides these, there were "canal boats" often used by the Grain Transport Gang, "rowing boats" used by the Pai Sect, and "tax ships" used by the government to transport tax silver.

As for "tower ships," they were relatively rare.

Their manufacturing cost was high, and they were even requisitioned during wartime to be used as warships, which showed they were extraordinary.

This kind of large ship was usually only affordable by large merchant associations and large forces; if it were only used to transport grain and goods, it would be too extravagant, so in peacetime, it transformed into something only wealthy gentry and rich households could afford to sit in.

To put it plainly, it was a luxury merchant ship.

And the one before their eyes was exceptionally exquisite; not only was the ship body painted red, but even the pavilions on the ship were in the wealthy style of red buildings and yellow tiles.

Huge sails billowed, with a nine-headed bird painted on them.

This kind of pomp was not something ordinary people could afford to play with.

The Bai Jiaobang disciples saw it and knew it was a treasure ship of the Ezhou Merchant Association.

The Ezhou Merchant Association was a behemoth, gathering wealthy merchants from all states and places to trade together, and even the Prince of Wuchang had a share.

They naturally had to pay attention to what kind of people were on it...

…………

On the deck of the tower ship, Li Yan stood with his hands behind his back.

He looked up and saw the river wide, a hundred boats competing, distant mountains undulating, lush and green, clear sky and blue water—what a scene.

Compared to Yichang, this place was clearly much more prosperous.

Beside him, besides Sha Lifei, stood a man with a big belly and round face, wearing brocade clothes and a goat-beard, who smiled and introduced, "Little Hero Li, we will arrive soon."

"The wharf ahead is Parrot Island; since the Han River changed course during the Great Xing years, Hanyang and Hankou have become increasingly prosperous."

"To the north are Hanyang and Hankou, and on the south bank is Wuchang City; because the Wuchang Prince's Palace is in the city, plus the yamen and the Commandant Office, many places are forbidden to enter, so Hanyang and Hankou are more prosperous in trade."

"By the way, on the south bank is the Huang Helou; since ancient times, famous scholars have gathered there, leaving behind quite a few ink treasures. Several decades ago, when the imperial court was repairing the Yu King Temple, they built the Qingchuan Tower on Turtle Mountain, facing the Huang Helou across the river; it can be called a pair of jades."

"If Little Hero Li has time, this one will accompany you to stroll around."

"Many thanks for the kindness of Squire Tian."

Li Yan smiled and bowed. "We have other important matters; once Daoist Wang helps you arrange the Feng Shui of the Yang residence, we will leave."

It was a coincidence; when they left Dangyang, Guan Peide insisted on keeping them, holding a farewell banquet and inviting quite a few guests.

This Squire Tian Fengchang was a Hanyang merchant and also a member of the Ezhou Merchant Association; hearing about their deeds at the banquet, he immediately requested to travel together.

First, because of the war, he was afraid it wouldn't be peaceful on the road.

After all, they started from Dangyang, but had to pass through a section of land, climbing mountains and crossing ridges, then taking a boat from the Han River to Wuchang.

It was inevitable to encounter some dangers on the road.

With masters accompanying them, it was naturally much safer.

Second, this Squire Tian had made a fortune by investing in maritime trade and had built a large mansion in Hanyang City, but because people in the mansion kept getting sick one after another, he suspected that the Feng Shui of the Yang residence had a problem. Hanyang City gathered people from all walks of life, so there were naturally quite a few Mystic Sect sorcerers.

But rich people are always like this; they would rather spend more money to invite reliable people. Seeing that the True Martial Palace disciples were respectful to Li Yan and the others, he naturally thought they were masters.

Therefore, he spent a large sum of money to invite them to arrange the Feng Shui.

The destination of Li Yan and the others this time was the Western Zhou ancient mine pit in the south of Wuchang, where quite a few metal heavenly spirit and earthly treasures had been discovered, attracting Mystic Sect craftsmen from all over to gather.

They wanted to find reliable craftsmen to forge firearms and Dharma artifacts, so they packed up all their harvests along the way, including the Earth Dragon Bone and leather armor from Qinglong Mountain.

Fortunately, they boarded this ship with Squire Tian, otherwise they would have had to wait a few more days and find another reliable boatman.

After all, the treasures were precious and very heavy; if something happened on the road and they sank into the river, they would be in bad luck.

"Oh?"

Hearing Li Yan's refusal, Squire Tian looked full of regret. "Little Hero Li is a bit too hurried; in a few days, it will be the Dragon Boat Festival, which is very lively—you won't see it anywhere else."

Sha Lifei heard this and became interested. "This Dragon Boat Festival is everywhere in the Divine Land; how is it different here?"

Squire Tian stroked his beard, his eyes full of pride. "Ezhou is the land of Jingchu, commemorating the Three-Lü Grandee, so it is naturally more grand."

!.

"On our side, the fifth day of the fifth month is called the 'First Dragon Boat Festival,' the fifteenth day is the 'Great Dragon Boat Festival,' and the twenty-fifth day is the 'Last Dragon Boat Festival'; counting it up, it's a full twenty days!"

"At that time, there will be dragon boat races; wealthy merchants from all over, martial arts sects, and even scholars from the Wenjin Academy will participate."

"Not only that, at that time, famous troupes from all over will gather here, north and south of the river, through the night, with music playing non-stop."

"Even the brothels will hold a Flower Queen Contest; it's much livelier than the New Year!"

"More than twenty days?"

Sha Lifei was surprised, then somewhat tempted, and said, "Little Brother Yan, why don't we stay in Hanyang? It will probably take some time to find people at the ancient mine pit anyway."

"Are you all going to the Western Zhou ancient mine pit?"

Before Li Yan could answer, Squire Tian was surprised, shaking his head and smiling bitterly. "You all kept it tight; why didn't you say so earlier on the road?"

Li Yan frowned. "Did something happen?"

Squire Tian shook his head. "I heard that treasures appeared there, and many strange things happened; there were also martial arts people fighting secretly, and quite a few people died."

"The Prince of Wuchang was enraged and has already ordered people to seal the ancient mine pit, and there are heavy troops guarding the periphery; the martial arts people who were entrenched there have also been driven away."

Li Yan was also somewhat surprised. They had rushed all the way after finishing the Dangyang City matter, fearing they would miss the opportunity, but didn't expect something to have happened.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly asked, "The Prince of Wuchang sent troops to guard it; is there any way to enter?"

Squire Tian laughed upon hearing this, saying meaningfully, "Little Hero Li, we are not outsiders; don't talk nonsense."

"This Prince of Wuchang of ours loves luxury and loves collecting all kinds of treasures; the construction of the Prince's Palace didn't exceed the rules, but he played tricks, turning the side into a temporary palace, occupying a small half of Wuchang City."

"Once it's in his mouth, how could he spit it out?"

Li Yan understood immediately.

Fine, it seems this Prince of Wuchang is a completely different character from the Prince of Chang'an, not low-key at all.

Thinking of this, he was also somewhat helpless, bowing, "In that case, we will have to bother Squire Tian for a while."

He came here not just for one purpose of finding Mystic Sect craftsmen.

He had a bountiful harvest during this period and needed time to settle; first, Wuchang had the Prince's Palace and heavy troops guarding it, which could avoid the disturbance of war.

Second, the area around Wuchang Prefecture had been a critical town since ancient times, with many imperial mausoleums of past dynasties, including ancient battlefields and mass graves.

He practiced the "Northern Emperor Yin Mountain Method" and couldn't do without such places.

Also, forging new-style firearms was a taboo matter; to find a reliable craftsman, he definitely had to observe and interact for a period of time.

Since that was the case, he would simply rest and reorganize in Hanyang.

"That would be great!"

Squire Tian was overjoyed upon hearing this. "Rest assured, my Tian Mansion has some connections in Hanyang City, and I will definitely help you introduce some big jobs."

He was a businessman; such powerful Mystic Sect sorcerers, once they stayed in the mansion, were a precious resource.

Not to mention anything else, just introducing masters to solve troubles for some wealthy families was a favor.

While the three were talking, the ship had slowly docked.

Li Yan hurriedly walked into the cabin to notify Lu San and Wang Daoxuan.

Lu San didn't like to join in the fun, staying in the cabin and playing with a group of pets, which was happy enough.

As for Wang Daoxuan, he had been flipping through those ancient books all the way, not stopping during the day and continuing to read by the lamp at night, even having his meals sent to his room.

Receiving Li Yan's notification, the two packed their things.

The luggage they carried was quite a lot; they specifically got a carriage on the road and carefully packed it after boarding the ship, totaling seven or eight boxes.

Accompanied by the boatmen's shouts, the tower ship approached the Parrot Island wharf.

Before they even got close, all kinds of clamor rushed toward them.

This was a distribution center for north-south goods, with merchant ships gathering, and silk, tea, porcelain, and other rare goods piled up like mountains.

Porters shouted chants, carrying goods.

Merchants bowed and scraped, discussing transactions.

And there were the hawking sounds from various tea houses and wine shops, mixed into a group, with prosperity and liveliness in sight.

The tower ship of the Ezhou Merchant Association was naturally a big deal.

Before they even got close, the porter gangs at the wharf were looking forward to it.

"Slow down, be careful!"

After some polite exchanges, they immediately began to load and unload goods.

The Ezhou Merchant Association's tower ship was quite large; there were not only them on the ship, but also merchants heading to Xiangyang and Jingzhou.

Just unloading the goods took half an hour.

The Ezhou Merchant Association had great influence, and plus there were porter gangs working, so whether it was the beggars heading west at the wharf or the old pickpockets weaving through the crowd, they all had eyes and didn't come to disturb them.

Most of the people on the ship were merchants, and there were also officials who were on official business and hitching a ride; the porters were working, and quite a few people were already waiting with carriages nearby.

"Master, you've worked hard on the road."

The steward of the Tian Mansion, an old man, personally led people to greet them at the wharf.

"No need for formalities."

Squire Tian smiled. "This time we have distinguished guests coming to stay; you go and call for more carriages, and send the things to the warehouse. Have people go back in advance and prepare a table of wine and food."

"Yes, Master."

The Tian Mansion steward hurriedly agreed.

On the Parrot Island wharf, there were also large warehouses built for traveling merchants to rent and store goods.

The Tian Mansion steward was very efficient; in no time, he had arranged the handover of the goods and called for a carriage, loading the goods of Li Yan and the others.

Afterward, the group rode horses and headed toward Hanyang City.

In the distant wharf tea shed, Yue Xing of the Bai Jiaobang watched the people coming off the tower ship without changing his expression.

Li Yan and his group were naturally very conspicuous.

Yue Xing frowned, seemingly remembering something, and hurriedly took a booklet from his bosom; the ink on it was fresh, and it was precisely the intelligence from various parts of Ezhou recently.

One page clearly recorded the deeds of Li Yan and his group in Yichang.

"Good fellow, a fierce dragon crossing the river..."

Yue Xing clicked his tongue and shook his head, putting the booklet away again.

There was indeed one thing Li Yan hadn't expected.

He was now,

No longer an unknown person...

The second update will be a bit late.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 272 =====