Chapter 73

Chapter 73: Like the Waves of the Yangtze, We Meet and Part (2)

The rain stopped on the third day after the ship docked in Jingzhou. Though the rain had ceased, it was impossible to set sail immediately.

Three days of rain had swollen the Yangtze's waters. The muddy brown water surged like a raging torrent, showing no sign of subsiding.

In the end, the ship remained in Jingzhou for two more days before it could depart. Having been delayed for five full days, the Cloud-Running Yangtze Ferry increased its speed.

"Sigh."

A sigh escaped Bang Jin-bo's lips as he gazed vacantly at the Yangtze.

Ever since that day, he had been this way. He often stared at the river with a sigh, frequently losing himself in a daze.

Dam Ho watched him in silence.

Though indifferent to worldly affairs, Dam Ho could tell that Bang Jin-bo was experiencing the pains of first love.

He did not know how to offer comfort in such situations. But he knew that simply watching might be better than offering premature consolation.

Then suddenly, the sailors began moving with urgency.

The captain's voice rang across the ship.

"Rapids ahead shortly. Make sure the cargo is properly secured!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tension was etched on the captain's face.

The place they would pass through shortly was known as one of the most treacherous stretches of the Yangtze, where rapids claimed over a dozen ships each year.

Moreover, it had rained for three days. The swollen waters made the rapids even more violent.

There was no choice but to remain tense. If they could pass this stretch safely, the rest of the journey would be smooth sailing.

It was not only the sailors who felt the tension.

Kim Jong-gyeong, the chief escort of the Seon-do Escort Agency, was equally tense.

"Check that the cargo is firmly secured. If we lose even a single item, the agency will suffer enormous losses."

"Understood."

The escorts' movements grew more urgent as well.

An anxious look hung on Kim Jong-gyeong's face. He had not anticipated losing five full days on the Yangtze. Had things gone according to schedule, they should have already reached the outskirts of Dongting Lake by now and delivered the cargo to its owner.

"If that had been the case, I wouldn't be so anxious."

Kim Jong-gyeong gritted his teeth.

The cargo had been sent by the Tang Clan, renowned throughout the land. If even one piece were lost, the matter would not end with mere compensation.

The Tang Clan was a family that kept clear accounts of favors and grudges.

They did not forget kindness, and they never forgot enmity. Causing them a loss went without saying.

A momentary thought crossed his mind that he should not have taken the job, but Kim Jong-gyeong quickly shook his head.

"Futile worry. We're already in Hubei Province—what could go wrong?"

Kim Jong-gyeong surveyed the deck.

Dam Ho's figure stood at one side of the deck, catching his eye. Seemingly without a care in the world, arms folded, he watched the Yangtze's rapids—his silhouette strikingly out of place.

As the ship entered the rapids, it pitched violently, yet Dam Ho's stance did not waver in the slightest.

'A master.'

Kim Jong-gyeong was certain upon seeing him.

Only those who had trained in martial arts could maintain their balance in such rapids.

As they entered the rapids in earnest, the boatmen's movements became more frantic.

"Secure that sail properly!"

"Rowers, pull left!"

The boatmen struggled to keep the ship balanced, sweat pouring down their faces. Thick veins bulged on their arms, and their muscles swelled as though ready to burst.

The ship lurched as though it might capsize at any moment, and each time, the boatmen had to fight through another wave of exertion. The captain's tension was beyond words.

Then—

Snap!

A thick rope that had been securing the cargo finally snapped under the tremendous strain. A crate on the deck toppled and its contents spilled.

"Damn it!"

The escorts rushed over in panic, frantically gathering the scattered items.

"Be careful! If we lose even one piece, there will be hell to pay!"

"Yes, sir!"

Dam Ho watched the escorts scramble in silence. A fleeting glint of interest flickered in his eyes before vanishing.

The objects the escorts were frantically gathering were silver cylinders. Each was about the length of a young child's forearm, with a dozen or so small holes drilled into the flat end.

Kim Jong-gyeong issued orders to the escorts.

"Tie it down again. Make sure it doesn't shake."

"Understood."

"Nothing is missing, is there?"

"No! Everything has been accounted for."

Though the escorts answered, Kim Jong-gyeong's expression did not relax in the slightest.

'So the cargo was hidden weapons?'

He had suspected as much.

The Tang Clan, a renowned family of poisons and hidden weapons, would have little reason to send cargo that was not such. But there was a vast difference between speculating and seeing it with one's own eyes.

Kim Jong-gyeong glanced at Dam Ho. But Dam Ho's expression remained unchanged, giving no indication of what he might be thinking.

Boom!

In that instant, the ship lurched violently.

Those on deck were momentarily lifted off their feet and slammed back down by the force of the impact.

It was the rapids' final convulsion—the ship no longer pitched.

"Phew!"

Only then did sighs of relief erupt from all around.

The captain and crew collapsed to the deck, gasping for breath.

They had weathered the terrible rapids, but Dam Ho's appearance remained unchanged. Not a single hair was out of place, and his posture had not shifted in the slightest.

The only difference was that Bang Jin-bo was clutching his leg. Had he not held on, Bang Jin-bo would have been rolling across the deck like the other passengers.

"Are you all right?"

Dam Ho lifted Bang Jin-bo to his feet.

"I—I'm fine."

Though he said so, Bang Jin-bo looked utterly wretched. His clothes and hair were disheveled, and he was soaked and bedraggled. Yet he had stubbornly guarded his bundle containing his cooking implements.

It seemed that not even rapids could halt Bang Jin-bo's passion for cooking.

Then the exhausted captain's voice reached them.

"Now that we've passed the worst, the rest will be smooth. Everyone, please rest a while."

"Haah!"

At the captain's announcement, everyone let out sighs of relief. True to his word, the ship that had weathered the rapids now sailed smoothly along the river. And at last, Dongting Lake lay before them.

"Wow!"

Bang Jin-bo gasped in awe at the vast, seemingly endless lake. To his eyes, Dongting Lake did not look like a mere lake—it looked like the sea.

The distant horizon, enormous pleasure barges and small fishing boats floating on the water, dazzling sunlight, and massive clouds rising above the surface—

All of these sights stirred indescribable emotion in Bang Jin-bo. He trembled at the shoulders as he beheld the scene.

It was Dam Ho's first time seeing a great lake like Dongting Lake as well. He suddenly thought that Master would have liked seeing this sight.

The Cloud-Running Yangtze Ferry cut through the waves, advancing forward. As they neared their destination, the boatmen's movements were filled with renewed energy.

The passengers were no different. Several impatient ones were already packing their belongings, preparing to disembark.

The Seon-do Escort Agency's escorts were likewise ready, having completed preparations to transport the cargo under Kim Jong-gyeong's command, awaiting only the ship's arrival.

The Cloud-Running Yangtze Ferry's final destination was Eakyang City, located at the northeastern tip of Dongting Lake.

Eakyang City was situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Dongting Lake, a hub of commerce and transportation since ancient times. With well-developed waterways and overland routes, it was of tremendous military and commercial importance.

The ferry slowly approached the pier on the outskirts of Eakyang. The sizable pier was crowded with many vessels already docked.

Boom!

The Cloud-Running Yangtze Ferry moored at the pier.

When the gangplank was finally lowered, the waiting passengers disembarked in a line.

"Finally, solid ground."

"Now I can breathe."

Smiles returned to the faces of those who stepped onto the pier.

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo also disembarked with the crowd. What pleased them most about leaving the ship were the horses they had been traveling with.

The black stallion seemed to be in high spirits, whinnying and pawing at the ground. Bang Jin-bo's white horse did the same.

Behind them, Kim Jong-gyeong's voice rang out.

"Everyone, hurry! We must deliver the cargo quickly."

"Yes, sir!"

The Seon-do Escort Agency's escorts responded with vigor and set off.

The escort agency's wagons, loaded with cargo, were the first to leave the pier, followed by the other merchants. In an instant, the crowd had cleared.

Dam Ho and Bang Jin-bo also departed the pier and entered Eakyang.

Eakyang was incomparably more developed than any city they had visited before. Buildings with high, adjoining eaves stretched endlessly, and the streets were as orderly as an enlarged Go board.

People on the streets wore fine silk garments, emanating an air of refinement. While not everyone was truly of noble bearing, to young Bang Jin-bo's eyes, it seemed so.

Vitality returned to Bang Jin-bo's face.

"Brother, let's find an inn first."

"Mm!"

When Dam Ho nodded, Bang Jin-bo eagerly took the lead.

As on their journey thus far, finding an inn was Bang Jin-bo's task. He asked around and learned which inn had the finest cuisine. The one selected was the West Wind Inn.

The West Wind Inn was the largest of Eakyang's many establishments. It was said that the view of Dongting Lake from the inn was exquisite.

When the two entered, a waiter hurried over.

"Welcome."

"Brother, do you have rooms?"

"Of course. As it happens, there's a room with a fine view of Dongting Lake still available. Watching the sunset from there is truly marvelous."

"That's wonderful."

Bang Jin-bo clapped his hands in delight.

After the waiter had put the black stallion and white horse in the stable, he led them to their room.

True to his boast, the view of Dongting Lake from the room was superb. Drinking wine here would be like a feast among immigrants.

The waiter grinned as though he had expected as much.

"Fantastic, isn't it?"

"The best."

Bang Jin-bo gave a thumbs-up.

"Just come down to the second floor at mealtime. Ah! And never go up to the third floor."

"Why?"

"There's an important event today."

"What event?"

"The Yueyang Sword Gate has rented the entire third floor."

"The entire third floor?"

"That's right! The Yueyang Sword Gate is Eakyang's premier sect. For such a mighty sect to hold an event here—it's truly a remarkable occasion."

The waiter's expression was animated.

The Yueyang Sword Gate was not merely Eakyang's premier sect. Within all of Hunan Province, fewer than five sects could rival them.

That meant the Yueyang Sword Gate was counted among Hunan's Five Great Sects, wielding enormous influence.

The waiter himself harbored the ambition of one day joining the Yueyang Sword Gate. For him, the prospect of observing the sect's martial artists up close was a great happiness.

"Well then, rest well and come down later."

The waiter bowed to Dam Ho and rushed out.

Once they were alone, Bang Jin-bo threw himself onto the plush bed.

"Ah, this is lovely. I could sleep like this."

"Take a nap then."

"What about you, brother?"

"I have somewhere to go."

"Where?"

"I'll tell you when I return. Rest here in the meantime."

"Yes, sir!"

Though curious, Bang Jin-bo did not ask further.

If it was something Dam Ho felt he should know, he would have told him already. Bang Jin-bo accepted this with easy confidence.

He quickly fell asleep.

Dam Ho left him and went outside.