Chapter 1383: Boarded the wrong ship

Chapter 1368: On the Right Boat

Traveling downstream along the Baiquan River would save three days of travel time.

"That son of a bitch Xue isn't taking the Cliff of Mother Rock or Taoshui. Is he getting suspicious?" The brothers didn't know about the Grand Councilor's incident, but instinctively felt something was wrong.

They had endured a day and a night of heavy rain at the Cliff of Mother Rock, eating dry rations and braving the cold wind, only for Xue Zongwu to bypass it entirely. He preferred a longer detour over venturing into the gorge.

That cunning rogue was truly as sly as a fox.

When the Weng brothers finally tracked Xue Zongwu's entourage again, they assumed the group would stop at Taoshui. After all, Taoshui was the most prosperous place within a fifty-li radius, offering food, entertainment, and accommodation. How could it not be better than spending the night in a rural town?

The Weng brothers had also been to Taoshui before and guessed that Xue Zongwu would likely stay there overnight. So, they pushed their horses to their limits, their legs almost giving out, and finally reached Taoshui ahead of Xue Zongwu to begin their preparations.

For three whole days, they had been traveling non-stop, changing several horses, without a moment of sleep!

Fortunately, their cultivation was advanced, and their bodies were strong; otherwise, few would have been able to endure it.

Weng Su knew several farmers in Taoshui who regularly delivered poultry and fruit to the Feng family's kitchen. He planned to use this connection to infiltrate the Feng residence and seize the opportunity to strike at Xue Zongwu.

Little did they know... even after making all the arrangements, Xue Zongwu passed Taoshui without stopping!

And again, they only found out the next day!

Weng Su was so furious he almost coughed up blood.

Weng Xing asked, "Brother, should we still make our move on the boat?"

"Yes. Many people are trying to cross, and there aren't enough boats or boatmen. We'll openly join his crew as boatmen," Weng Su sneered. "Does that dog-thief Xue think a mere chasm can stop us? Naive! I've wrestled with storms at sea and caught fish; I can navigate both land and water!"

The brothers had previously sailed the seas and worked independently, knowing that with good swimming skills, rivers, lakes, and oceans were the best escape routes. If they killed someone, they could simply leap into the water and vanish without a trace.

Acting on their idea, the Weng brothers adapted quickly, changed into half-worn bamboo cloth clothes, and hurried to the Longkou Ferry Transport Office.

Just as Weng Su expected, the Transport Office hadn't anticipated so many powerful figures suddenly converging at Longkou Ferry, and each family was one they couldn't afford to offend. At that moment, short on both boats and skilled laborers, the two burly newcomers claimed to be experienced old boatmen, capable of rowing and carrying heavy loads. The hiring manager at the Transport Office didn't think twice and took them on, pointing to the nearest large ship:

"You two get on this one!"

This ship was also loading cargo. Weng Xing saw a large pile of crates with seals attached, each marked with the character "Tribute."

Several crates were exceptionally large and heavy, requiring four or five porters to lift them precariously onto the ship. Two supervisors stood nearby, shouting, "Be careful, be careful! If the tribute falls into the water, even ten of your lives won't be enough to compensate!"

Weng Xing inwardly scoffed, wondering where this wealth squeezed from the common people had been scraped from to be offered to Tianshui City.

It was truly a case of some perishing from drought while others drowned in abundance.

The supervisor added, "We've been instructed that those three crates contain fragile items. Handle them gently, and don't place them at the very bottom."

As Weng Xing's mind wandered, Weng Su pulled the hiring manager aside a couple of steps and, before the man could get annoyed, handed him a few copper coins. "Which family here has the highest official rank?"

The hiring manager pointed towards the ferry crossing. "It seems to be General Xue's, the one with the indigo sea beast carved on its prow."

With the ferry's capacity stretched thin, it was a time for prioritizing based on status, and given Xue Zongwu's influence, he naturally had priority.

"Also, the ship next to it is reportedly for a royal envoy." This was the one with the unusually large and heavy crates.

Weng Su took out some silver fragments and flashed them before the hiring manager. "I hear that important people give generous rewards. Would you mind arranging for us two to work on General Xue's ship?"

"What's difficult about that? It's no trouble at all." The hiring manager, accustomed to simple-minded strongmen having their own little schemes, accepted the silver, waved his hand, and instructed someone to take them to carry heavy items.

The two, one in front and one behind, carried a fat pig onto the ship. Along the way, they indeed saw only lightly armored guards. Any unauthorized personnel who approached were immediately driven away.

An unknown servant carelessly dropped two copper coins into a crack in the wooden gangway. He quickly bent down to pick them up, ignoring the guard's shout.

One of Xue's guards delivered a flying kick, sending him into the water.

However, when the Weng brothers boarded the ship via the gangway, the guards only questioned and checked them briefly before waving them through.

Xue Zongwu's large ship, in addition to the two hundred elite soldiers he brought, also had fifty to sixty general laborers—people needed for steering the ship, cooking, carrying cargo, and serving the distinguished guests.

The Weng brothers had applied for precisely these general laborer positions.

The two easily bluffed their way through. After placing the fat pig in the cargo hold, Weng Xing gave his elder brother a thumbs-up.

"It's truly his ship. We got on the right one, Brother, you're amazing."

Weng Su looked up, smiling confidently. "Come on, let's quickly go move the other cargo."

They couldn't let the guards get suspicious.

The two went on and off the ship, moving cargo four or five times in a row, outperforming even the ordinary porters.

Their last trip involved moving several large wine jars onto the ship. Weng Xing caught the fragrant aroma of wine seeping from the lids and couldn't help but swallow. "Brother, have you seen 'that person' yet?"

"That person" referred to Xue Zongwu.

"Not yet, but he's most likely already boarded and gone into his cabin. I just saw his personal guards."

Once all the supplies were loaded, the large ship set sail.

The brothers climbed onto the deck and looked back. The massive Longkou Ferry grew smaller and smaller in their view, soon disappearing into the mist.

"The ship will travel for three days, no rush," Weng Su said, patting his brother's shoulder. "Let's conserve our energy first and act tomorrow night."

By their count, they hadn't had proper sleep or meals for five days and five nights. Assassinating Xue Zongwu would be a highly challenging and technical task; they needed to fully restore their vitality to approach it with the utmost enthusiasm and ample energy.

To avoid arousing suspicion, they followed the boat foreman's instructions and completed seven or eight more strenuous tasks, even earning considerable praise.

Darkness had fallen, and the river surface was pitch black.

The two were half-dead with exhaustion and ravenously hungry, yet delicious dishes kept emerging from the kitchen. These were for the dignitaries and guards, not for the boatmen. They could only watch and smell, constantly swallowing their saliva.

"Should we sneak off and get some food tonight?" Weng Xing, at this point, could no longer recall how he had fallen from upholding justice on behalf of Heaven to stealing food on an enemy's ship just to fill his stomach.

But those dishes truly smelled delicious; even just a few scraps of rendered pork fat would be wonderful!

Weng Su stopped him. "Be resolute! Remember our objective, and don't create unnecessary complications."

Once their shift finally ended, the two hurriedly ate a few salted steamed buns with hot water and lay down with the other laborers in the lower cabin, falling asleep immediately.

Meanwhile, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui were on a ship behind them, approximately two hundred *zhang* away from the Weng brothers.