Chapter 25: Setting Sail

Wang Liang closed the umbrella frame, which was missing its canopy, and stood up from the rock he had been leaning against.

He looked in the direction pointed out by the plump, fair-skinned man and saw dozens of people pushing a thirty-meter-long large vessel toward them from nearby.

Most of those people were dressed in coarse linen garments, looking much like domestic servants of the plump man.

Only the three leading figures immediately caught the eye.

One of them was an old man with a white beard, whose bulging muscles were more formidable than those of most of the servants. He wore an open-fronted short jacket, with a wood-chopping knife and a black gourd hanging from his waist. His eyes swept across the surroundings as if everything before him was his potential meal.

Another was a young man in a light blue robe, holding a scroll of a book and reading intently, seemingly detached from everything around him by the pages in his hand.

The last one was a man dressed like a general. He stood one meter and ninety centimeters tall, and his waistline was just as broad. He wore a complete set of bright-shining armor and carried a battle-axe in his hand, marking him at a glance as a fierce warrior of formidable might.

Seeing Wang Liang stand up, the plump man led him over to his own entourage.

"Let me make some introductions. My surname is Jiang, you can just call me Brother Jiang. These few here are my personal retainers. This one's surname is Bei, and he is responsible for our food supply along the way. Don't let his white beard fool you; he is exceptionally skilled. Whatever falls into his hands can be turned into a delicious stew. On this journey, we have eaten snakes, scorpions, bats, centipedes, toads, spiders, pangolins, and hornets—virtually anything visible can be consumed, hard to believe, isn't it? This one's surname is Long, and he serves as my military strategist. Every step of our journey has been planned by him. Though he appears as frail as any ordinary mortal, many monsters along our path have perished by his hand. Finally, this is General Ju. He is the direct descendant of Ju Wuba, the peerless warrior of three hundred years ago and a marvelous figure from Penglai. I paid a handsome sum to invite him from the military ranks. Every battle against monsters along this road has been handled by him, and I have never once had to worry."

After clearly introducing his three subordinates, Brother Jiang turned his gaze to Wang Liang.

Wang Liang thought for a moment and said, "I am Wang Jilong, a man of diverse talents."

"Ah, Brother Multi-talented! Come, come, let us board the ship first. By the way, do you find yourself short on travel funds? I notice the umbrella you are holding doesn't even have a canopy. Would you like me to get you a replacement?"

Hearing this, Wang Liang hurriedly pulled the umbrella back: "No need. This umbrella is a precious treasure of mine; I have carried it all the way here, and it has protected me for a very long time."

"I see. But walking around without a canopy doesn't look very nice. As it happens, I have a few pieces of cloth here; you should take them and make a canopy," Brother Jiang said generously.

Wang Liang had no idea how to refuse, but Brother Jiang gave him no chance, directly placing two pieces of linen cloth into Wang Liang's hands.

The servants and retainers were long accustomed to Brother Jiang's demeanor. None of them said a word, merely watching as Wang Liang was compelled to accept the linen.

Only after Wang Liang accepted the fabric did Brother Jiang nod with satisfaction. "Splendid. Let us board quickly. This river is eight hundred miles wide from shore to shore, and we shall sail for at least a day and a night."

As he spoke, Brother Jiang's servants pushed the vessel into the river.

As Wang Liang stepped aboard, he asked, "Brother Jiang, how do you know this river is eight hundred miles wide?"

"There is a stele over yonder, inscribed with these words: *Eight hundred miles of flowing sands, three thousand deep of weak waters. A goose feather fails to float, and reed down sinks to the bottom.* It's not as though I am unread; a moment's thought makes it clear what this is. But you needn't worry—I have crossed rivers eight hundred miles wide before, and this ship will certainly hold."

Even as they spoke, the vessel was pushed fully into the current.

The moment the ship hit the water, Wang Liang felt it sink slightly before General Ju shouted loudly, "Hold your ground, everyone! Do not panic, there is nothing to fear!"

Under his direction, the servants adjusted the sails and steered the ship, successfully getting it underway.

Once the vessel was cruising steadily, everyone returned to their respective occupations.

The old man surnamed Bei stood at the stern, watching the shadows of fish stirred up by the wakes, mentally calculating what edible creatures might inhabit this river.

The young man surnamed Long simply fetched a fishing rod and sat at the side of the deck to fish.

General Ju stood at the bow, gripping his battle-axe and gazing intently at the waters ahead.

Observing General Ju's stance, Brother Jiang remarked, "That is simply his nature, but his intentions are good. It is entirely thanks to him that I have been able to reach this place safely along this journey."

Wang Liang nodded affirmatively upon hearing this. He could tell that this General Ju was the quintessential fierce battlefield warrior; his physical strength must be at least forty points. If one were to make an enemy of such a person head-on, he would likely be sent flying in the next instant.

Against such a foe in battle, direct confrontation was unwise; one had to draw him into traps and execute a slow ambush.

At this thought, Wang Liang couldn't help a wry smile. What was wrong with him? Why did he instinctively calculate how to deal with everyone he met? These people clearly appeared to be upstanding individuals.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Wang Liang suddenly felt a tremor beneath the water.

General Ju stood up straight, staring into the depths, yet he saw nothing.

Instead, the young man surnamed Long turned his head toward the stern: "Uncle Bei, did you see anything?"

"A fish, a massive fish," the old man surnamed Bei replied as he drew his small wood-chopping knife and locked his eyes on the water below.

"A fish? How large?"

"Much larger than a carriage."

Uncle Bei stared into the water with a solemn expression. "Judging by the shape of its mouth, it appears to be carnivorous."

Hearing this, the young man surnamed Long turned grave as well, and promptly retrieved several books to study them intently.

Seeing this, General Ju rumbled in a deep voice, "Uncle Long is good at everything, except for this useless habit. What good is flipping through books? At a time like this, one should simply jump in and fight!"

With that, General Ju, clad in his bright-shining armor and gripping his battle-axe, strode heavily to the bow, took a deep breath, and plunged straight into the water.

Given General Ju's massive build and the heavy armor he wore, the moment he stepped off the bow, he sank directly into the depths.

Yet neither Master Jiang, nor Uncle Bei, nor Uncle Long made any move to stop him. Clearly, they held considerable trust in General Ju's combat prowess.

The very next instant, however, the situation changed drastically. A massive whirlpool churned up beneath the surface, and towering waves pushed the ship backward by a considerable distance.

Uncle Long cried out at once, "Steady the ship! Grab your weapons! Pay attention—it's a monster!"