Chapter 319

Gongs and drums were deafening on the wharf, and the river was also very lively.

Dragon boat racing is something that looks like anyone can participate in, but to win the championship, from the boat building to the personnel, everything must be carefully selected, costing quite a bit.

Ordinary people are busy all year round, and only practice together for a few days before the Dragon Boat Festival; they have no chance at all, just joining in the fun.

Therefore, the twelve dragon boats on the river all came from the major forces of Ezhou. Of course, imperial forces like the Prince's Mansion and the Garrison would not participate.

As for the Buddhist and Daoist sects, they were represented by the dart agencies and merchant caravans of their lay disciples. As for the Confucian sect, it was a coalition of energetic students.

The rest were forces like the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Mule and Horse Gang, the Five Elements, the Row Sect, and the Craftsman Guild.

In short, each one was richer than the last.

All the dragon boats were lined up neatly on the river. The men participating in the race were dressed in uniform, each team with a different color, but none departed from the five elements of blue, red, yellow, white, and black, at most changing the combinations.

At this moment, everyone held three sticks of incense and bowed respectfully.

Led by Master Chengjue himself, the monks of the Law Enforcement Hall arrived by boat and placed a statue of the Sage Emperor Captain Guan on the base at the front of each dragon boat to secure it.

Of course, the monks would also use various supernatural powers to inspect each dragon boat.

To be honest, this was the first time seeing this form; after all, the dragon boat race is to sacrifice to the Three Lords, and the Sage Emperor Captain Guan sacrifices in previous years, while lively, were basically each doing their own thing.

Although the men were curious, they didn't dare to ask more.

This matter had been personally ordered by the superiors; even if they fell behind in the race, they could not let the Sage Emperor Captain Guan statue meet with any mishap, just reach the Parrot Island wharf safely.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Boom!

Everything was ready. Following the roar of the sky-piercing thunder, the commoners on the wharf instantly erupted into thunderous cheers.

And the men on each dragon boat, following the command of the drums, inserted their oars into the water, exerted force with their muscles, and paddled backward in unison.

At the beginning, it was the energy-saving stage; the dragon boats had not yet picked up speed, and the twelve teams were almost in a neat line.

As the sound of gongs and drums accelerated, the men also exerted force to swing their oars, water splashed everywhere, and the dragon heads broke through the waves, moving faster and faster.

Not long after, the twelve teams became uneven, and when they all turned around at the halfway point, the gap became larger and larger.

Although each team was selected in the past few days, the gap between them was also very obvious.

For example, the students of the Wenjin Academy were just joining in the fun; after all, they studied on weekdays and only practiced together occasionally, so they were only slightly stronger than ordinary teams.

Regarding the dragon boat race, there were originally old scholars who opposed it, feeling it was improper, but in order to commemorate the Three Lords, they stubbornly retained this tradition.

So at the beginning, they fell to the last place.

The same situation applied to the Mule and Horse Gang; these men were rough and tough, walking in the mountains all year round. The title of champion on the river was of no use to them, they just didn't want to be too embarrassed.

The competition was most intense among only three forces.

The Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, the Mount Wudang Dart Agency, and the Row Sect.

They all had to eat from the water, especially the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce and the Row Sect; although there was no lack of cooperation on weekdays, no one would give way at such a time.

However, what was strange was that the Row Sect team, which had the most hope, was lagging behind at this moment, only ranking in the middle.

The men of the Row Sect were also furious.

"Put in some effort, put in some effort!"

"What the hell is going on?!"

"You guys, do you know how to row a boat!"

Someone cursed directly, pointing the finger at the few people at the stern of the boat.

Those few men were arranged on the boat temporarily.

Just the day before the race, a few people had upset stomachs, vomiting and having diarrhea. There were originally reserve personnel, but the Row Sect leader Shi Chen arranged these people on the boat.

They looked strong and sturdy, and he thought they were experts invited, but who knew they would only drag them down along the way.

The Heavenly Saint Sect people still miscalculated.

The people they inserted were all experts in the Some Jianghu, but rowing a dragon boat is not just about strength; it requires everyone to be of one mind and not disrupt the rhythm.

These people could barely keep up with the drum beats, but the rhythm was a mess, and it was this difference that caused the whole team to fall behind.

If it weren't for the others being capable, they would have already fallen to the end.

These men of the Row Sect originally held their breath, wanting to win the title of champion on the river, but now that it had turned out like this, they were naturally furious and cursed.

"What are you all shouting about!"

Just then, the "steersman" in charge of command on the boat roared: "The matter arranged by the Row Sect leader, who dares to fart?"

"Everyone keep your spirits up. If we have infighting at this time, we will definitely fall to the last place. Put in some effort!"

There are rules for rowing dragon boats; the words of the "steersman" cannot be questioned.

These men could only close their mouths, hold their breath, and row hard, barely occupying the middle position.

In fact, this "steersman" was also muttering in his heart.

He was responsible for steering and knew the boat like the back of his hand. Now, this boat had clearly been tampered with; the outside was covered with a layer of skin, and the center of gravity of the hull was also a bit wrong...

The so-called "layman sees the excitement, the expert sees the doorway." Although the Heavenly Saint Sect people had invited their own skilled craftsmen to do it, there were problems after all.

The "steersman" secretly looked at those few men again, and seeing their gloomy expressions, even when they were insulted by everyone, they didn't talk back, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

But remembering the instructions of the Row Sect leader Shi Chen, saying that as long as they reached the shore safely this time, he would promote him to "Row Master," he immediately stopped thinking about it.

A Row Master could be responsible for a fleet, not to mention the silver allocated by the gang, even the tea money given by merchants during transportation could make him get rich immediately.

He didn't want to create extra trouble.

However, this matter was eventually noticed by someone.

The Parrot Island wharf had already been placed under martial law, and all commoners had been driven away, so the prominent figures of the Near Wuchang three cities were all watching the battle on the Near Wuchang City wharf.

"Yo, what's wrong today?"

The president of the Mule and Horse Gang turned his head to look at Shi Chen and teased: "Row Master Shi, weren't you swearing that you would win the championship? Why are you lagging so far behind?"

Shi Chen's heart trembled, but his face was expressionless, and he cursed: "A few people upset their stomachs. It must be that one of you tampered with it, fearing that I would win the championship on the river."

He was cunning and knew very well how to change the subject.

Sure enough, someone immediately said with dissatisfaction: "Row Master Shi, you must be careful with your words. The title of champion on the river is not enough to make us play dirty."

"Exactly, this method is only something you can use!"

"Alright, alright, we are all Some Jianghu fellows, don't quarrel..."

Although everyone was talking at once, changing the subject, Shi Chen looked at the gloomy-looking Garrison personnel in the rain in the distance, especially the divine fire guns on their backs, and his heart beat like a drum for no reason.

He remained calm, turned his head to look at the crowd below, and when he saw the old beggar with a broken gong there, his heart trembled even more.

That night, he brought the Fu siblings into the room. Although it was a night of romance, he also fell into their trap and was cursed by them with a Gu curse.

This kind of Gu curse was extremely terrifying. Just by slightly urging it, strange insects would crawl out from the seven orifices, and it was extremely secretive.

He came from Changsha Prefecture. Although he practiced martial arts, he had also come into contact with Xiangxi Gu arts and knew the power of this Gu.

As long as the other party urged it, they could make him wish for death, and there was someone watching him at all times, so he had no chance to ask anyone to break the Gu.

Forced by circumstances, he joined the Heavenly Saint Sect. The Fu siblings promised that after the matter was done, they would not only break the Gu poison but also let him join the rebel army and get the position of a leader.

Of course, Shi Chen didn't believe this at all.

All his confidence came from the Row Sect; leaving these boats, he was no different from those Some Jianghu guests with cheap lives.

Thinking of this, Shi Chen looked carefully again, and after seeing that the Fu siblings in the crowd had disappeared, he panicked completely.

The other party didn't intend to let him live at all! Once something happened, he would become the scapegoat.

I'm afraid that by then, the old man would also urge the Gu insects to silence him, leaving his family to be pursued by the imperial court and thrown into prison.

Thinking of this, Shi Chen became even more flustered, a fierce light rose in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and gripped the firearm at his waist.

"Row Master Shi, what's wrong with you?"

The person next to him immediately noticed his abnormality.

Shi Chen didn't talk nonsense. Dark energy exploded under his feet, and he left the high platform in two steps, suddenly jumping up and leaping over the heads of the commoners below.

At the same time, he took out his firearm and aimed it at the old beggar.

He had already tested the power of the firearm.

Even if it wasn't a new type of firearm, it could still kill the old man.

The Fu siblings had already left. As long as he killed this person, no one would urge the Gu insects, and then he would intercept the dragon boat, and he would have a chance to turn the tide.

If operated properly, he could dump all the blame.

!.

At worst, he would give up his foundation in exchange for the lives of his whole family.

Thinking of this, Shi Chen didn't hesitate anymore and pulled the trigger at the old man's head.

Click!

However, the hammer fell, but the firearm didn't fire.

Shi Chen's heart instantly went cold.

It was because the gunpowder chamber had been soaked by the rain and didn't ignite.

Clang, clang, clang!

The old beggar was also startled and beat the broken gong desperately.

"Ah——!"

Shi Chen in mid-air screamed and fell into the crowd.

He was in extreme pain, desperately tearing at his skin, but dense, centipede-like strange insects had already crawled out from his five senses and seven orifices, and more burrowed into his internal organs, biting frantically.

This kind of pain had exceeded the limit of human endurance, but he wouldn't die for a while. Shi Chen's miserable screams almost resounded through the wharf.

Such a terrifying scene made the surrounding commoners retreat one after another.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Immediately, several experts from the Garrison jumped over, pushed through the crowd, and drew their sabers with a clang.

The old beggar saw that the situation was bad and wanted to run away, but after taking only two steps, arrows and crossbow bolts flew over, pinning his legs to the ground.

"It's Gu insects!"

The leaders of all forces also looked up one after another.

Someone also understood this kind of technique, but after one look, they shook their heads.

"No saving him!"

Shi Chen on the ground had his eardrums and eyes bitten off by the Gu insects, blood sprayed from his mouth, and even his vocal cords had been torn apart; he could no longer scream, just twisted frantically.

This scene made everyone feel a chill.

Someone couldn't bear it and wanted to give Shi Chen a quick death, but now that something had clearly happened, they were afraid that doing so would make people suspect they were trying to silence him.

Plus, Shi Chen hadn't offended few people on weekdays, so they turned their heads back one by one.

Master Chengjue was also on the shore, and seeing that he couldn't be bothered to care, he immediately stood up and shouted: "Send a message, intercept the Row Sect's boat!"

On the high platform on the shore, Garrison soldiers immediately waved colorful flags.

At this moment on the river, there were not only dragon boats racing but also Garrison warships, and there were martial monks from the Law Enforcement Hall stationed on them.

Although the dragon boat race was about to decide the winner, it was still some distance from the Parrot Island wharf, enough to intercept the Row Sect's dragon boat.

Boom, boom, boom!

The war drums sounded, and the naval warships immediately moved forward, blocking the path of the many dragon boats, and several experts had already jumped up, like flying birds, borrowing force between the dragon boats and rushing toward the Row Sect's dragon boat.

On the Parrot Island wharf, several figures also suddenly appeared, wearing official uniforms, and there were even two old eunuchs, each with a fierce aura.

They were all experts sent by the Prince's Mansion to guard the place.

"What are you doing!"

On the Row Sect's boat, the men also discovered something was wrong.

However, several fierce thugs of the Heavenly Saint Sect immediately stood up, kicking and punching, directly knocking the surrounding people into the water.

"We've been discovered, do it!"

Several people were fanatical dead soldiers. Looking at the experts jumping over, they immediately tore open the wooden boards under their feet and lit the fuse with a fire starter.

The fuse was extremely short and burned instantly.

Boom!

On the river, fire splashed everywhere in an instant, like thunder.

Among the gunpowder on the boat, "coal essence" and "red saltpeter" were mixed in, all dedicated to the new firearm formula.

Not only that, but a large amount of phosphorus and grease was also placed around.

For a time, fire soared into the sky on the river, and even the commoners on the shore could see it clearly.

Those experts who jumped over were like ants, directly hit by the shockwave of the explosion, spraying blood from their mouths and flying backward.

Those Heavenly Saint Sect demons were naturally smashed to pieces in the first instance, but the remaining dragon boats didn't have it easy either.

The violent explosion stirred up huge water waves, and several dragon boats capsized immediately, throwing the men on them into the river.

Moreover, phosphorus and grease splashed everywhere. Although the dragon boats didn't sink, they were ignited, and quite a few men were stained with phosphorus fire, screaming and splashing in the water, but it seemed to be stuck to them and couldn't be shaken off.

The statues of the Sage Emperor Captain Guan on the dragon boats also fell into the river one after another, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The scene before him made Master Chengjue's heart go cold.

And on the Parrot Island wharf, a huge altar had been built. Yu Lanshan was disheveled, fiddling with five huge Yin-Yang Bagua mirrors on the altar, just to deal with the Four Symbols Feng Shui formation.

As the Sage Emperor Captain Guan statue fell into the water, the Bagua mirror in the center actually began to rotate slowly, also driving the other few mirrors.

Yu Lanshan's face changed greatly. He bit the tip of his tongue directly, sprayed a mouthful of blood on the mirror, then pressed both hands on the mirror and roared: "What's going on? Hurry, salvage the Sage Emperor Captain Guan statue, continue the race, at least half must reach Parrot Island!"

The Prince of Near Wuchang was also there, his face gloomy. Hearing this, he said: "Let them move quickly!"

He had many arrangements here, but he didn't expect something to go wrong in the middle.

The news was immediately passed out. At this moment, Master Chengjue couldn't be bothered to think about where things had gone wrong and immediately gathered experts in the water to salvage them.

However, the Yangtze River was deep, full of silt at the bottom, and undercurrents surged. Even if the people were good at swimming, they couldn't find them for a while.

The commoners on the shore were in a mess, all kinds of rumors spread, and soon reached the city.

Inside the small courtyard of the Ezhou Chamber of Commerce, everyone naturally already knew.

"Something went wrong?"

Wang Wang Daoxuan frowned slightly and immediately said: "Brother Lv, you go to the wharf immediately to find Master Master Chengjue..."

"Remember, you must let the Prince of Near Wuchang say one sentence himself."

"What sentence?"

"A Chinese alligator is also a dragon..."

(End of chapter)