Chapter 212: Meeting On The Lake

The incident had happened so suddenly that everyone remained in Xiangyang for another two hours, while Sha Lifei entered the city and managed to purchase a detailed intelligence report.

When he got back, he quickly said, "The mountain people struck without warning, catching the imperial court completely off guard... Remember the gunpowder case in Shangjin City? Men from the Military Surveillance Department infiltrated the mountains again to investigate and actually discovered another two villages manufacturing gunpowder. The Yunyang Prefecture's garrison then dispatched more than two thousand men toward Zhushan County...

"But on the very day they arrived, jianghu experts and heterodox cultivators began setting fires and causing chaos throughout Zhushan County. The garrison troops were ordered into the city to suppress the unrest, only to be ambushed with explosives along the way and suffer heavy casualties.

“At the same time, the barbarians in the mountains came pouring out of the mountains in force, numbering more than ten thousand! The Heavenly Saint Cult has now occupied Zhushan County. They’ve executed all the officials, opened the granaries to distribute food, and begun constructing fortifications.

"Imperial reinforcements arrived, but the rebels have used the mountainous terrain to their advantage, mining the routes with explosives and ambushing the troops. The two sides have now fallen into a standoff.

"As for Yunyang Prefectural City, the earlier arrests of troublesome natives had already provoked resentment among the local tribespeople, leaving the city in chaos to begin with. On top of that, infiltrating jianghu figures have been causing trouble by setting fires and murdering people. The entire prefecture is now under martial law.

"Down in the southwest, the Tangya Native Clan and the Yang Clan have both rebelled one after another and no longer acknowledge Great Xuan as their sovereign. The other native clans haven't openly joined them, but they've expelled Han officials and burned down relay stations... This affair has already spread across the entire southwest of the Divine Continent."

After listening to Sha Lifei's account, everyone exchanged glances. They had known trouble was coming, but none of them had expected it to become this serious.

Of course, these were only the publicly known developments. The specific details remained unclear.

Li Yan suddenly thought of something and frowned. "The area around Yichang is just as filled with native mountain settlements. Has it fallen as well?"

"Not for now." Sha Lifei shook his head. "The native clans there already had plenty of conflicts among themselves, including blood feuds built up over generations. How could they possibly band together?

“Some are still watching from the sidelines; some are taking advantage of the chaos to seize grain and repair their fortified strongholds of other clans; and others remain loyal to the imperial court and haven't mobilized out of the mountains on any large scale. But if the situation continues deteriorating, Yichang is definitely going to be in serious trouble too!"

Since the situation was worsening with every moment, everyone stopped waiting around. After replenishing their supplies at the ferry landing, they immediately set off.

As they traveled downstream along the Han River, they quickly began seeing the effects of the war. There were noticeably more vessels on the river, all moving with great urgency. Some had come from the direction of Yunyang Prefecture. Most were passenger boats packed with terrified civilians, clearly heading elsewhere to escape the fighting...

There were also many ships heading north, most of them merchant vessels transporting supplies. After all, once war broke out, every kind of material would soon become scarce at the frontlines.

At times, even the broad river became congested.

Naturally, wherever crowds gathered, trouble followed. After leaving Xiangyang, passing Yicheng County, and traveling for several more hours, the waterway ahead became blocked once again.

The sun was setting as boats large and small covered the entire river. Thick smoke could even be seen rising in the distance.

Li Yan sensed something was wrong and immediately turned to ask, "Brother Lu, see what's happening."

After several months of training, the hawk had already become highly intelligent and was perched beside the window of the boat cabin. At Lu San's whistle, it immediately spread its wings and soared into the sky.

Watching the hawk circle overhead, Lu San frowned slightly and said, "There are overturned and burning boats ahead on the river. Quite a few people are fighting and killing one another as well."

Old Zhang entered the cabin from the bow just in time to hear Lu San. He said solemnly, "Please wait a moment. I'll send one of my men to find out what's happening."

With that, he shouted outside, "Heizi! Go see what's going on up ahead!"

A young boatman with dark skin responded, "Yes, Master Zhang!"

He took out a triangular red command flag bearing the character "Zhang," fastened it to his back, then picked up a long bamboo pole. After taking several quick steps along the side of the boat, he plunged the pole into the water and used the momentum to vault upward. Using the pole for leverage, the boatman leaped between vessels of all sizes. The red command flag fluttered behind him as his agile figure moved like a flying swallow.

Strangely, the people aboard the other boats paid him no mind. Some even deliberately left space for him to plant his pole and vault onward.

Old Zhang explained, "This old man has some reputation along the Han River. When my boatmen go out to gather information, they'll share what they learn with the others on the way back. Everyone makes things convenient for one another."

Hearing this, Sha Lifei raised his thumb. "Sure enough, the jianghu of north and south each have their own customs. Senior Zhang, that reputation of yours carries some real weight!"

"You flatter me." Old Zhang said politely before his expression grew solemn again. "Now that war has broken out, it's only a matter of time before the government begins regulating traffic on the river. Traveling back and forth will become even more inconvenient. Once we pass this stretch, we should reach a waterway sometime tomorrow afternoon that will take us into Jingmen. But that waterway passes through the mountains, and some strange incidents happened there recently, so no one dares enter it anymore."

Li Yan frowned slightly. "Oh? What sort of strange incidents?"

"No one knows for certain." Old Zhang sighed and shook his head. "That waterway twists and turns through the mountains, and flash floods often cause it to change course. Sometimes it looks different from one year to the next. Only experienced boatmen dare venture inside.

"Just last month, some remains floated out of the mouth of the river. They were all charred limbs and corpses. Rumors spread that something unnatural had appeared in the mountains and was using ghost fire to kill people.

"This old man was doubtful at first. But because I urgently needed to deliver a shipment to Jingzhou, I took the risk and entered the waterway. There was another experienced boatman traveling with us. I watched with my own eyes as phosphorescent flames rose from the river and burned their boat completely to ashes.

"One of my own men also said he saw dead people beneath the water. He was so frightened that he lost his soul that very day. After returning home, he never dared set foot on a boat again!"

"Oh?" Li Yan seemed to think of something. He hurriedly took out the booklet Gu Hanzi had given him and asked, "After passing through that waterway, is there a town called Zhu Clan's Fort?"

Old Zhang nodded. "That's right. Jingzhou has been a land of constant warfare since ancient times, and its waterways are complicated. Every dynasty established military forts at strategic locations, and over time many of those forts became villages and towns. Young Hero Li has never been there. How did you know?"

Li Yan replied easily, "There happens to be a mission from the City God Temple in that area."

As they spoke, the deck suddenly shook as the man who had gone to investigate landed heavily. He hurried into the cabin and cupped his hands. "Master Zhang, it's members of the Raft Sect fighting among themselves!"

Old Zhang’s eyes narrowed. "Which bosses are fighting?"

"Eighth Wei and Black Fish Head."

Old Zhang's expression immediately turned ugly. He couldn't help but sigh. "Hmph. Those two again."

Seeing Li Yan and the others looking at him with raised eyebrows, Old Zhang sighed again. "You gentlemen come from the northern jianghu and have some connection with the Canal Gang. When dealing with the Raft Sect, you'll have to be on guard. I'll naturally tell you everything I know.

"The Canal Gang originated from the imperial grain transport system and has close ties with the court. The Raft Sect, however, arose from the common folk of the jianghu. In western Hunan, there has long been a custom of rafting timber. People cut trees deep in the mountains and traded them for rice, binding the logs together into enormous rafts that they floated downstream before selling the timber throughout the Dongting Lake region.

"These people spent years living on their rafts. Some even made their homes on them, grew vegetables, and raised their children on rafts. Their children became exceptional swimmers from a very young age. To keep outsiders from bullying them, they gradually banded together.

"Back then, they were still known as the Raft Gang. But anyone who makes a living on the water inevitably runs into strange things. During the Tang dynasty, there was a cultivator named Chen Silong. Seeing how hard and precarious the lives of the raft workers were, he made a great vow to tame the waterways around Dongting, clear away reefs, and slay water beasts. The lineage of the Raft Sect gradually took shape from then onward.

"The original teachings of the Raft Sect were to hate evil as one's enemy, spare no effort in helping those in danger, take the Dharma as one's foundation, and never betray one's lineage. But over the years, those teachings have gradually changed.

“The Raft Sect has no sect master. Instead, it is governed by bosses. Those bosses come from all over the land, and some are even expelled disciples of various Dharma lineages. Although they all enshrine the ancestral spirit tablets of the Raft, Drum, and Oar Patriarchs, their techniques vary greatly.

"Every one of these raft bosses is richer than the last. They've long since stopped caring about traditional timber rafting. Instead, they organize fleets for transportation. Some are even extremely overbearing, controlling entire waterways and forcing every other fleet to pay them tribute before they're allowed to pass!"

Li Yan said coldly, "They certainly have some nerve!"

"There's nothing anyone can do." Old Zhang smiled bitterly before he continued, "These raft bosses are cultivators, and quite a few of them even keep water ghosts. If they secretly arrange for something to happen to you, no one will ever find evidence.

"The waterways around Yunyang and Jingzhou are controlled by two bosses, Eighth Wei and Black Fish Head.

"Eighth Wei learned the Huaguang Dharma, while Black Fish Head comes from the Xiangxi Shamanic Sect. Both men are extremely aggressive, and they've clashed plenty of times. There's a tributary of the Han River up ahead called the Man River. It leads directly to Baokang County, with Shennongjia not far beyond. Medicinal herbs and timber can be purchased there and shipped by water to various regions, so there's plenty of profit to be made.

"The two sides have fought for several years to seize control of that waterway. A few times, things got so out of hand that elders of the Raft Sect had to step in and mediate. Looks like they're back at it again."

Wang Daoxuan stroked his beard and shook his head. "Now that war has broken out, they're still behaving recklessly and blocking the waterway. Aren't they afraid the imperial court will punish them?"

A mocking sneer appeared at the corner of Old Zhang's lips. "If they didn't have court officials backing them, how could they have run rampant along the Han River for so many years? Plenty of victims have gone to the courthouse to lodge complaints. The officials will even put on a show of handling things impartially and arrest a few members of the Raft Sect to take the blame.

"But those who make the report always suffer retaliation. At best, their boats are secretly scuttled and they lose everything they invested. At worst, they die under mysterious circumstances without ever knowing why.

"After enough examples, everyone could only swallow their anger and endure it."

After hearing him, everyone could only continue waiting helplessly. Just like that, they waited for an entire night.

They were stuck in the middle of the river, unable to move forward, while more and more boats continued pouring in from behind. The line stretched farther than the eye could see, and everyone grew increasingly irritated.

Just then, the situation finally took a turn as the hawk started circling overhead.

After looking up at it, Lu San immediately said, "A fleet is coming from downstream. They're from the imperial court!"

Sha Lifei immediately grinned. "Those people certainly picked a bad time to cause trouble. If blocking the river delays important military affairs, even the officials backing them won't be able to escape responsibility."

Sure enough, the imperial naval force had come specifically to clear the waterway. In less than half an hour, the congested stretch ahead began to open up, and boats large and small once again raised their sails and set off.

As they reached the area that had previously been blocked, one of the boatmen suddenly pointed toward both banks.

"Look!"

Li Yan and the others looked out. Countless timber rafts floated densely along the waters near the banks, mixed among the charred remains of burned boats. Soldiers were hooking them with iron grapnels and dragging them toward shore. Along the riverbanks, wooden stakes had been driven into the mud, with quite a few people hanging from them. All were stripped to the waist, their backs covered in bloody whip marks.

One glance was enough for everyone to understand what had happened.

Sha Lifei immediately looked delighted at their misfortune. "Hahaha! Serves them right!"

Li Yan, however, frowned slightly and fell into thought, without the slightest hint of a smile on his face.

Realizing something was amiss, Sha Lifei hurriedly asked, "Little Yan, what's wrong?"

Li Yan rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes. "Back at the crossing, the Raft Sect went mad and started causing trouble for the Canal Gang, stirring up quite a mess. Now here, they suddenly started fighting among themselves and blocked the river again.

"They could have fought earlier or later, yet they chose precisely this moment, when the mountain people of Jingchu are rebelling and the native clans have risen in revolt. Who knows... perhaps they're doing it deliberately?"

Sha Lifei's expression changed. "You think those things are related?"

Li Yan nodded. "The Heavenly Saint Cult has some reputation in the jianghu and has connections far and wide. There may well be some secret dealings between them."

Sha Lifei sucked in a cold breath. "The Raft Sect dominates western Hunan and controls many of the waterways throughout the south. Their influence is enormous. If they've secretly joined the rebellion too, then this is going to become a huge problem."

"I hope I'm wrong..." Li Yan hesitated for a moment before getting up and asking Old Zhang to come over. "Senior, if I wanted to send a letter back to Yunyang Prefecture, could you arrange it?"

"Easy enough!" Old Zhang smiled. "We travel back and forth between all sorts of places, so naturally we have ways of communicating. I saw several men just now who were delivering goods back to Yunyang Prefecture. We can have them take the letter. Where do you want it delivered?"

"The Military Surveillance Department."

Old Zhang froze for a moment, his expression turning serious. He replied softly, "Then we'll need someone trustworthy. This old man will go take a look."

With that, he stepped onto the deck and began scanning the surrounding boats. Meanwhile, Li Yan fetched paper and brush, wrote down what had happened, and placed the letter inside a bamboo tube.

Sha Lifei raised his eyebrows curiously. "Brother Yan, haven't you always looked down on government officials? Why help them?"

Li Yan calmly sealed the bamboo tube with wax and replied, "Everyone is contending for supremacy in the ocean, while the Divine Continent is replacing native clan rule with direct administration. These matters concern the fate of the people of the Divine Continent. It's a matter of greater righteousness. We should do whatever little we can."

"Huh?" Sha Lifei was somewhat confused. He could not understand how all those things were connected, but still nodded. "I don't get it. I'll just follow your lead."

Wang Daoxuan, meanwhile, fell into thought.

Not long later, Old Zhang hurried back inside. "Young Hero Li, I found a reliable old acquaintance!"

Li Yan handed over the bamboo tube. "Thank you. Please have it delivered to Commander Huang of the Yunyang Military Surveillance Department."

Old Zhang accepted it solemnly, then personally took a bamboo pole and vaulted over to a boat opposite them. He pulled its boatmaster aside and whispered to him for a while. Eventually, the boatmaster nodded gravely and carefully tucked away the bamboo tube.

Li Yan also stepped out of the cabin onto the deck. Seeing the old man look his way, he solemnly raised his hands in a fist-and-palm salute. The old man froze for a moment before returning the salute just as solemnly.

The two boats passed each other as the Han River rolled endlessly onward, verdant mountains stretching beautifully along both banks.

On the bow of another boat in the distance, an elderly scholar in Confucian robes saw the magnificent scenery and could not help reciting, "The Chu frontier joins the Three Xiang lands; at Jingmen, nine waterways converge. The river flows beyond Heaven and Earth, while mountain colors fade between presence and absence... What magnificent rivers and mountains!"

After another full day of travel, near dusk, Old Zhang ordered the boatmen to leave the main route and enter a tributary.

The river there was narrow, and theirs was the only boat traveling along it. In the distance stood a continuous range of rolling mountains. The river twisted and curved its way directly into them.

Everyone had already come out onto the deck to admire the scenery.

Old Zhang wore a grave expression as he said quietly, "Young Hero Li, this is the waterway I mentioned. Once we pass through the Eighteen Bends in the mountains, we'll reach Zhu Clan's Fort. The mountain waterways are filled with dangerous shoals and hidden reefs.

“Those are no problem for this old man, but the mountain fog inside is extremely thick. Even during the day, you can't see very far ahead, much less at night. And that's without even mentioning those things. It'll be dark soon. Why don't we stop along the bank and rest for the night, then set out tomorrow morning?"

"We'll do as you say, Senior..." Li Yan had barely spoken when he frowned and looked into the distance.

Several riders were galloping toward them along the riverbank. Even from far away, they could be heard shouting angrily. "What idiot came this way? Get the hell out of here!"