After much effort, Bai Jianglan finally managed to coax Chun Tao back, and then ordered someone to help Qin Sang to his feet.

"Brother Qin, Ms. Chun Tao was only concerned for her lady's safety and acted out of necessity. Please don't take it to heart. I must trouble you to rest in the aft cabin for the night. I'll have someone bring you some food shortly. Once we reach the dock of the City of Three Witches, we'll see you off. The City of Three Witches is a major thoroughfare for merchants from both the north and south; perhaps you'll find someone from your hometown there..."

Qin Sang was overwhelmed with gratitude. He remembered the two money pouches he had on him and quickly took them out, saying, "Brother Bai, I have nothing to repay your life-saving grace. These gold and silver coins were taken from the bandits I killed. I hope you won't mind accepting them..."

"Hey!"

Bai Jianglan frowned and pushed Qin Sang's hand back.

"Back when I was weak in martial arts, I traveled the world and often received help from chivalrous people. That's how I've survived until now. Today, I'm merely following the example of those who came before me, doing a small righteous deed. There's no need to mention money again, or I'll throw you off this ship!"

Qin Sang felt embarrassed and awkwardly retracted his hand.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The man who was supporting him chuckled. "Boss Bai earns over a thousand taels of silver a year. Why would he be greedy for your little bit of money? Keep it for yourself to find a wife when you return home."

The aft cabin had a few small rooms, originally meant for the boatmen to rest. Now they were filled with miscellaneous items. They found a relatively clean one, piled with straw, and later brought down a quilt. Though simple, it was something Qin Sang hadn't even dared to dream of for the past few months.

After settling Qin Sang in, Bai Jianglan and his men returned to the upper deck. Not long after, someone came down with a set of old clothes and a hot meal. Qin Sang devoured the food, barely tasting it.

He changed into the clothes, wrapped himself tightly in the quilt, and after a long while of random thoughts, he finally drifted into a deep sleep.

Before falling asleep, he felt for the ebony sword and a few other items on his chest but resisted the urge to take them out and look at them.

…

He slept like a log through the night.

When Qin Sang opened his eyes, he felt more refreshed than ever, despite the gentle rocking of the cabin.

His stomach growled again, and he had no idea what time it was.

Qin Sang sat up, found a stick, and slowly stood. Leaning on the stick, he discovered that he could now walk slowly, once again marveling at the wonders of internal force.

Step by step, he moved to the ladder at the bottom of the aft cabin. He heard loud shouts coming from above, and soon after, the man who had helped him the day before popped his head down.

"Brother Qin is awake!"

The man jumped down in one leap, scolding, "Your leg isn't healed yet, why are you up on your own? I've been keeping watch above; you just needed to call, and I'd have come down. Come on, it's stuffy down here. Let me help you up. It's still early, not yet time for breakfast. Boss Bai is teaching the brothers some martial arts. We've already passed Ninefold Canyon, and we're not far from the City of Three Witches. After breakfast, we'll see you off..."

Qin Sang discreetly observed the man, who seemed to be about his age, lively, and couldn't stop talking.

"What's your name, Brother?"

"My name's Zhou Ning. I'm a good swimmer, so everyone calls me Water Monkey. The river calms down after passing the City of Three Witches. It's a pity you have to get off soon; you'll miss out on the river fish I catch. Let me tell you, the Nine-Whiskered Fish in the Wuling River are the freshest you'll ever taste. But they don't take bait, and the nets can't catch them. There aren't many who can manage to catch them besides me..."

"So it's Brother Zhou," Qin Sang quickly interrupted as Zhou Ning's eyes began to light up with excitement while talking about fishing. "I wonder how much you know about the City of Three Witches? This is my first time here, could you give me some advice?"

"No problem!"

As they spoke, the two of them climbed up to the deck.

It was just before dawn, and a thick fog had risen over the river, obscuring the green mountains on the shore. All that could be seen was a vast expanse of white mist, and the river wind was quite cold.

On the deck, the sturdy men Qin Sang had seen the day before were all dressed in uniform short jackets. The character "Dong"[1] was painted in white on their backs. Despite the cold, they were lined up, practicing boxing, with the steam from their sweat blending into the fog.

"The ninth move, Angry Dragon Topples the Mountain!"

Bai Jianglan, holding a short stick, looked stern. If anyone made even the slightest mistake, they'd receive a blow on the back, but no one cried out in pain or showed any resistance.

"The City of Three Witches controls the Wuling River water system. Due to its location, people from several southwestern countries must pass through the City of Three Witches to reach the Great Sui, and the number of traveling merchants is countless. You’ll find people from all walks of life there, especially at the first dock, which is the most chaotic. Brother Qin, since you don’t have any martial skills, you must be careful

Zhou Ning grew more enthusiastic and kept talking non-stop, while Qin Sang listened intently.

It was only then that Qin Sang realized they were no longer in his homeland of Ning Kingdom.

The Great Sui bordered Ning Kingdom to the northeast, separated by several treacherous mountain ranges and the natural barrier of the Wuling River. Despite these obstacles, peace had been maintained between the two kingdoms.

It was unclear why the mountain bandits had traversed the dangerous mountains and headed north.

At the location of the City of Three Witches, the Wuling River split into several tributaries, all of which were mighty in their flow. The entire Wuling River system flowed through multiple countries, making the City of Three Witches unique.

Additionally, the city housed a royal palace, where one of the eight kings of the Great Sui, the Zhenshui King, was stationed.

With the Zhenshui King's army maintaining order, the city was stable, and merchants from various countries preferred to conduct business there.

The first dock was the largest in the City of Three Witches. If Qin Sang wished to return home, it would be the easiest place to find merchants from his homeland.

While listening to Zhou Ning's rambling, Qin Sang’s gaze remained fixed on Bai Jianglan and his men, gradually noticing certain details. Such strict discipline was something Qin Sang had only seen in soldiers before. Coupled with Chun Tao's unintentional mention last night that they were sent by a king to protect the young lady, Qin Sang began to wonder.

Can these men be guards of a king?

Qin Sang glanced at the flower hall, recalling that Zhou Ning had mentioned there were thirteen commanderies in the Great Sui, with eight kings of esteemed rank, second only to the emperor.

Who can this young lady be, to warrant a king sending soldiers to escort her?

"Zhou Ning!"

Zhou Ning instantly snapped to attention, his demeanor turning sharp. "Yes!"

"Fall in line!"

"Yes!"

Zhou Ning ran back to join the formation, while Bai Jianglan approached. Qin Sang struggled to his feet to greet him, "Brother Bai..."

Bai Jianglan waved off the formalities. "No need for that, how did you sleep last night? The brothers’ skills are crude, I hope Brother Qin doesn’t find it laughable."

"You’re all heroes and warriors, I admire you greatly! Brother Bai, if I start learning martial arts now, can I become as skilled as you?"

Qin Sang asked earnestly. He genuinely envied them and wanted to learn.

Bai Jianglan chuckled and replied, "I’m nothing. The true experts in the world can release their true qi externally, use internal force to create sword lights, and there are even legends of a true expert killing an immortal master. That’s what I call real skill."

"An immortal master can be killed by someone who practices martial arts?" Qin Sang was shocked and eagerly asked, "Brother Bai, have you ever seen an immortal master?"

Bai Jianglan shook his head, seeing through Qin Sang's intentions, and advised, "Immortal masters are as elusive as dragons—how many have actually seen one? Countless people seek immortality, but most end up wasting their lives in the deep mountains and rivers, achieving nothing. Don’t let yourself become obsessed and waste your best years."

1. "Dong" here translates to "East" in Chinese ☜