Chapter 1384: The Assassin Who Works Seriously

## Chapter 1369: Diligent Assassins

Fan Shuang easily obtained priority boarding at Longkou Ferry by presenting the special permit from King Yao. He Lingchuan and his group boarded as VIPs, so they didn't have to carry heavy luggage or eat coarse fare. However, their cabins weren't spacious enough; due to the extremely tight capacity at Longkou Ferry, everyone had to squeeze in.

When it came to upscale amenities, Yao State was far more sophisticated than other parts of the Golden Plain. Large riverboats like these were designed as pleasure crafts, offering food, drink, prostitution, and gambling—provided one had enough money.

He Lingchuan and Dong Rui's dinner consisted of something resembling both *momo* and *mantou*, made from refined white flour, then lightly roasted over a fire until the crust was slightly browned; scraping it with a knife produced a crisp sound. Inside, it was filled with honey, ham, shredded fish, and pickled small olives, offering a complex blend of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and spicy flavors.

Even the wine on board had a faint woody aroma, which was quite novel.

After dinner, He Lingchuan went to the bow to enjoy the breeze.

This was a habit he had developed in Yangshan.

The Baiquan River was not as vast as the sea, with gentle ripples and shallow waves; cruising on calm waters offered a different experience.

Dong Rui moved closer and whispered, "I took a look around the cargo hold; everything is normal."

"Are the boxes alright?"

"They're all fine and quiet," Dong Rui chuckled. "I'll bring a jar of wine down tomorrow night."

"Don't get caught."

"Don't worry. The cargo hold is stuffy and damp; no one goes there normally," Dong Rui sighed. "That place is really not fit for people."

He Lingchuan smiled. "Before boarding, I received intel from A Feng. They've observed for a few days and found that the most capable strategist, Tong Huan, and a few elites are missing from that team. I reckon he left them behind in Shuangxi as a precaution."

Xue Zongwu left his sharp minds in Shuangxi to counter Qingyang's tactics.

"His subordinates are quite skilled and strong in combat. It seems he's worried they might resort to force."

If Qingyang tried soft tactics, Tong Huan would handle them; if they resorted to force, Xue Zongwu's subordinates could meet them head-on.

"Quite thorough in his planning."

"Excellent news," Dong Rui said, giving a thumbs-up. He Lingchuan had merely stolen a few ledgers and set a fire in the official building, yet he had successfully tricked Xue Zongwu into reducing his escort force for the return to the capital.

Their chances of success had increased slightly.

Dong Rui jutted his chin forward. "Hey, three days on the boat, any ideas?"

A bright moon hung high in the sky; they could vaguely see many other boats ahead.

With many people on board, Dong Rui could only speak in code.

He Lingchuan shook his head. "Just enjoy the journey."

"Why?"

"Ships are confined spaces, and the personnel are relatively fixed. Unless we encounter strong winds and waves, it's difficult to create a disruptive incident. It's easier to fish in troubled waters. If the water is too clear, the fish will see you first. Look at the weather; it's likely to be calm for the next few days."

Dong Rui, who had some knowledge of weather patterns, looked up and sighed.

Indeed, the Baiquan River was too calm, making for a smooth journey.

"Our 'friend' chose Longkou Ferry precisely because of the safety of the river journey," He Lingchuan said softly. "He bypassed Yanmu Cliff, which indicates he's already on high alert. Do you think he wouldn't be heavily guarded on the ship?"

Acting on the ship was definitely not a good idea.

Dong Rui chuckled mischievously. "Maybe those black-clad men are here too; they might stir things up."

"That wouldn't be stirring things up; that would be suicide," He Lingchuan said, pointing at the water. "There's something in the river."

Dong Rui was slightly startled. "What?"

"There's a school of large fish, all over ten feet long. The biggest are more than twenty feet, with whiskers around their mouths." Under the moonlight, the great river was like an inkwell, pitch black, and no one could see what was beneath the surface, except with the Soul-Capturing Mirror. "Full of sharp teeth. Hmm, probably cat-demons."

"Passing monsters?"

"No, they've been following us the whole way," He Lingchuan said, looking at the dark river water, knowing something was swimming back and forth beneath. "To be precise, they've been sticking close to this fleet since Longkou Ferry."

Dong Rui instantly realized. "Well, well, our 'good friend' has arranged for water spirits as escorts?"

Yao State was a proper, powerful Golden Plain nation, with primal energy and officially sanctioned mountain and water spirits. Beyond official channels, Xue Zongwu could still mobilize such a force.

If anyone tried to assassinate him on board, they would surely jump into the water to escape afterward. At that point, the water spirits would deliver a truly unforgettable lesson.

With these cat-demons patrolling, the waterway was no longer safe.

Dong Rui understood. "No wonder you're holding your hand. You already saw the cat-demons patrolling."

He Lingchuan sighed. He had indeed been tempted before boarding, wanting to eliminate Xue Zongwu en route. But as soon as the Soul-Capturing Mirror detected the cat-demons underwater, He Lingchuan understood: it was a trap!

A trap set by Xue Zongwu for assassins.

So, besides the cat-demons, Xue Zongwu must have prepared other "gifts" for any ill-intentioned assassins, which He Lingchuan politely declined.

"I wonder if those black-clad men will make a move," He Lingchuan yawned. "If they don't die even with all this, it means they have good fortune, and I might even help them out later."

"Luck is also a part of strength."

Early the next morning, Weng Xing was woken by the loud voice of the boatman foreman: "Everyone up, you lazy pigs! Get up here and work!"

He rubbed his eyes and slowly got up.

Normally, he would wake before cockcrow to meditate and practice, but the past few days had been so exhausting that he had actually slept soundly and sweetly in the lower hold, filled with the stench of sweat and athlete's foot.

He looked around but didn't see his elder brother.

"Where did he go?"

The surrounding laborers were grumbling as they got up. Weng Xing shoved some *momo* into his mouth while putting on his boots.

As he climbed onto the deck, Weng Su approached, helped him carry a box, and whispered, "This isn't good."

Perhaps because he had received too much bad news recently, Weng Xing's heart didn't even skip a beat; he just asked, "What's wrong?"

"That dog... that man doesn't seem to be on this boat."

"...Brother!" Weng Xing's grip loosened, and the box nearly dropped to the ground; fortunately, his brother quickly lifted it. "You're my own brother, don't mess with me!"

"Before dawn, I went to the stern to relieve myself," Weng Su explained, "I drank too much water last night. I happened to overhear two guards on duty on the deck above talking about having a big meal last night."

"Is that even news?" Weng Xing immediately found the *momo* he was secretly chewing tasteless. Seeing those delicacies being served last night had made his mouth water.

"They then said that because the General wasn't on board and no one else would eat the food, it was given to them as a reward."

Weng Xing was stunned for a long time. "Then where is the General?"

"If he's not on this boat, then he's on another one!" Weng Su gritted his teeth, making a cracking sound. "That dog, cunning as a ghost!"

Xue Zongwu not taking the Yanmu Cliff route showed his heightened vigilance. Upon reaching Longkou Ferry, he employed a trick: he sent over a hundred guards to this ship, while he secretly boarded another.

The two brothers stood on deck, looking out at the numerous sails like banners. Who knew which ship Xue Zongwu was hiding on!

They could only sigh at the sight of the sails and temporarily give up hope.

Weng Xing's shoulders slumped. They had painstakingly pursued their enemy for a hundred miles, enduring wind and rain guarding the mountain rocks, and toiling away through wind and waves, only to be made fools of by their foe?

"So what do we do now?"

"Let me ask you, Ah Xing—" Weng Su said solemnly, "Do you want to give up?"

Weng Xing was startled and shook his head vigorously. "No! Brother Tu was incredibly kind to us; I must avenge him!"

With no one around, he dared to speak so openly.

A mere setback, neither breaking bones nor tearing tendons, would hardly bother him.

"Good, that's my brother!" Weng Su said with satisfaction. "Let that dog enjoy himself for a few more days. We'll eat when we should, sleep when we should, and then settle the score with him once we're ashore!"

Weng Xing secretly gritted his teeth, steeling himself. "Yes!"

"Hey, what are you two dawdling about?" The boatman foreman called out to the brothers from nearby. "Two burly men moving one box, taking ages to advance just ten feet—is that reasonable? I'm talking about you two, yes, you two. We don't keep useless people on this ship! Hurry up and move!"

The Baiquan River was calm and peaceful; nothing unexpected happened.

The Weng brothers diligently inquired, wanting to find out which ship Xue Zongwu was hiding on, but how easy could that be?

Two days later, the journey ended, and passengers disembarked.

Only then did the Weng brothers see Xue Zongwu disembarking from an unremarkable small boat, which could carry no more than seventy or eighty people.

Immediately, a cluster of guards surged forward, shielding him in their midst, escorting him away like stars surrounding the moon.

"That dog!" the brothers muttered under their breath, squeezed within the crowd preparing to disembark. "He even looks radiant!"

"Of course he does, he's been eating and sleeping well these past two days, with people serving him!" Unlike them, who had been doing manual labor for two and a half days on the ship!

At that moment, the guards on their ship called the boatman foreman aside and whispered to him.

The foreman gesticulated towards their location, and the guards' gazes were distinctly unfriendly.

Weng Su noticed it instantly and felt a premonition of trouble. He told his brother, "Things are getting tense."

Weng Xing was startled and glanced at the river surface.

As long as his brother gave the signal, he would jump!

Sure enough, after hearing the foreman's words, the guards gestured to four or five companions, and they quickly walked towards them.

It was indeed for them! Weng Su acted nonchalant but secretly channeled his true power.

"These two—" the guard captain pointed and barked, "Take them away!"

He pointed directly to... next to Weng Su.

Several guards pounced like wolves, dragging away two laborers standing beside Weng Su.

"Ah, this is unjust! We didn't do anything!" the two laborers shouted, but no one paid attention.

"..." The Weng brothers exchanged glances. A false alarm?

The guards then successively took away three or four more people, all manual laborers, before finally allowing everyone else to disembark.

After all the guards on the ship had left, Weng Xing sidled up to the boatman foreman and whispered, "Why were those people arrested?"

"The adults near General Xue said that assassins had infiltrated this ship, and they asked me to help find suspicious individuals!"

Both brothers were startled. "Ah, what kind of people are suspicious?"

"People who came to work but didn't put in effort, who constantly looked around suspiciously, or who always huddled together whispering." The foreman pointed to the backs of the laborers taken by the guards. "See, those were all of them. I reported them to the adults."

Weng Su could only exclaim insincerely, "Oh, I see, General Xue is truly formidable."

"If they had worked as diligently as you two, they wouldn't have been mistaken for assassins."