Ship to Blackwater?
In the messy wine shop, when Ji Pingping said these words, the boatmen around him were stunned for a moment.
Then, many eyes subconsciously turned to the table at the door - Blackwater Lake has a notorious reputation and deviates from the normal merchant ship channel, so not many people go there.
Ji Ping'an followed his gaze and looked at "Boss Zhao" and the other three, and walked over with a smile: "You three have a boat to go?"
The middle-aged ship boss’s eyes flashed and he asked:
"This young master, may I ask what kind of business you want to entrust?"
Ji Ping'an said calmly: "A few of us want to take a boat to Qianjiao Island to find immortals."
Xunxian... Hearing this word, many curious eyes turned away and lost interest.
Mortals don't understand the world of cultivation, but since the "Daze Sect" is stationed in the mortal world, it is inevitable that they will have contact with the mortal world.
Some well-connected and knowledgeable people know that there are "immortal masters" practicing on Qianjiao Island, so a group of people try to go there to seek immortality.
In rumors:
If you can land on the island and pass the test, you will be qualified to become a disciple of the immortal master.
Many years ago, when this rumor first appeared, many mortals went to have a try, but most of them were buried in the river, and the few who escaped never mentioned landing on the island again.
Later, fewer and fewer people tried it. But it never stopped, and from time to time, some people still try.
As boatmen who travel by boat all year round, they are not surprised to see too many people who don't know the heights of the world and dream of stepping into the immortal family.
"You want to land on the island?" The middle-aged ship boss glanced at the five people and shook his head slightly.
Based on his experience, he immediately saw that these five people were not martial arts practitioners. Their hands were smooth and delicate. Except for the man carrying the box, there were not many traces of martial arts training.
Immediately, he mentally labeled Ji Ping'an and his group as "stupid children of a wealthy family".
This kind of children come from relatively good families, are young, don't know how high the world is, and like to have delusions. They have read a few fairy tales in their family and become obsessed with them, thinking that they are different and can win immortality... They are really naive.
Yu Yu saw the boatman shaking his head, raised his chin, and said calmly:
"We can give you silver for the cost of the ship."
The middle-aged boatman was a little moved, knowing that this kind of young man was generous, but in the end he shook his head:
"My boat is full, but Boss Zhao, your boat may still have room."
Although the money was tempting, he did get definite news that the Blackwater was not peaceful.
I only plan to send a small boat over and try it out on the outside, and don't plan to get closer.
If it is carrying five people, it would be inappropriate to always send one of them inside.
Ji Ping'an looked at the swarthy old man: "The boatman is going to Blackwater Lake?"
Old man Zhao examined the people for a moment and nodded:
"Go. But it can only be sent to Daze. After that, I can give you a small boat to land on the island by yourself. The price is this amount."
He gestured.
Ji Ping'an readily agreed and said, "When can we set off?"
Old man Zhao stood up and said, "If you don't mind, you can stay on the boat and set sail later."
Ji Ping'an and the five others agreed at once. After a brief discussion, the two parties left the wine shop together and rushed towards the dock.
When they left, a group of ship bosses in the restaurant were talking a lot. They all felt that Old Man Zhao was too stubborn and was desperate to make money, so he might be killed in the swamp.
As for the few young men and women who took the boat to seek immortality, no one thought they could succeed from the beginning to the end.
No one even knows.
Earlier, Song Xuezheng, a well-known literary figure in Yuhang City, visited the Hutong courtyard again as a "hidden official" after covering up his appearance.
"The sword holder has an order, ordering you not to appear in the eyes of outsiders for the next period of time. You can practice in seclusion here for a period of time, and someone will send you whatever you need in life." Song Qinglian warned sternly.
The scholar was stunned for a moment:
"Sir, are you ready to take action against the Four Holy Sects? Just like what happened in the Martial Temple before."
Song Qinglian said calmly:
"This is not something you are qualified to know. Do your part and wait for the results."
…
Just when the ship is about to sail away.
On Laoliu Street, outside Yi Jingzhai’s shop, an uninvited guest arrived.
Ye Hongling, who was leading a pure black and flawless horse, wearing a black gauze on her head and a cape fixed with copper rings on her shoulders, looked at the closed door and frowned.
"Your Excellency, are you here to see Mr. Li?" Next door, the owner of a calligraphy and painting shop from Lai Shu greeted him with a smile.
Ye Hongling nodded gently: "The store is not open today."
The owner of the calligraphy and painting shop replied:
"Not really. Mr. Li and his family went on a long trip. He said that there was a wealthy man living abroad. He asked him to go over and check the feng shui of his house. He would come back in a few days."
Ye Hongling was stunned for a moment. Ji Ping'an and others were out? Could it be that we got information about the reborn person again?
She asked, "Do you know where they went?"
The latter shook his head like a rattle:
"How could this commoner know? But before he left, Mr. Li told me that if anyone comes looking for me, just give me a word of reply."
"What word?" Ye Hongling was confused.
The latter put his hands in his sleeves, raised his head and exhaled, and said in a straight tone: "Go and come back."
…
At this time, Ji Ping'an, who had sneaked away, was walking along the rough and crude ramp onto the Zhao family's fishing boat.
Unlike ordinary fishermen who use small boats for fishing, Old Man Zhao owns a medium-sized boat.
It is said that they were retired from the government navy and flowed into the private sector through some connections, where they were repainted with tung oil.
The lower part of the ship is black and the upper part is brown. The bow is raised and the tail is slightly curved.
The ships can hold up to three masts, and there are nearly ten boatmen in the entire fleet, headed by Old Man Zhao.
There were ready-made rooms in the cabin. Ji Pingan spent a large sum of money and successfully obtained the right to live in the two best houses. The men and women in the team each had one room.
"Young Master, we set out from Yuhang to Heishui Lake. If the wind direction is right, we will arrive in two or three days. The environment on the boat is not as good as the inn in the city, so we can only feel sorry for everyone, especially when it comes to bathing, convenience, etc. There are many rough men on the boat. I can only endure it."
Old Man Zhao's son, the young man with a slender figure and proficient in water skills, said.
Ji Ping'an smiled and nodded.
The young man hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't bear it anymore and said:
"Blackwater Lake is not something that ordinary people can enter. Logically speaking, we have collected the money and just sent you there. But again, think about it carefully. Don't lose your life for a slim fairy fate. If you want to When it comes to cultivating immortals, no major sect in Zhou Dynasty is safer than this one. At least even if they don't accept you, you won't lose your life."
"big cow……"
At this time, the old man on the deck called him to help sail the boat. The man named "Zhao Daniu" stopped talking and turned to work.
Only five people were left standing in the corridor on the second floor of the cabin, looking at each other and smiling.
It's quite strange to feel that he is a monk from a large sect and an "immortal master" in the eyes of ordinary people, but he gives instructions to this boatman.
Ji Ping'an smiled and said:
"Okay, don't stand here to blow off the wind. Put your luggage away first and then have a meeting."
Everyone responded and walked into the cabin separately. At this time, the large wooden mast ship weighed anchor amidst the sound of trumpets. A famous boatman tightened his grip on the hemp rope, roared with all his strength, and raised the sail.
And adjusted the direction, the autumn wind immediately blew the sails, the bow broke the water, and gradually drove away from the dock amidst the sound of "swishing" water, leaving Yuhang City behind and heading towards the southwest.
While Zhao Daniu struggled to fix the sail, he turned his head and looked towards the cabin, just in time to see Ji Ping'an and the other five talking and preparing to walk back to the cabin.
Generally speaking, when a large boat enters the water, there will be strong vibrations. Except for those who have lived on the boat for many years, everyone else will be more or less unstable, staggering and dizzy.
But what surprised him was that the five people seemed not to be affected at all. They stood on the bumpy ship, their feet as motionless as nails.
He blinked and wanted to take a closer look, but found that the five people were "staggering" into the cabin again.
"Did you see it wrong..."
…
As the ship turned and officially embarked on the voyage under the power of the sail, the bumps on the ship's hull gradually subsided.
The boatmen were busy themselves.
In a room on the second floor of the cabin that no one noticed, a different face appeared. Ji Ping'an, dressed as a scholar, flicked his fingers and pasted a talisman on the cabin door.
Immediately, the pale golden ripples spread, forming a temporary sound-barring barrier.
"alright."
Ji Pingan turned around and looked at the other four people sitting cross-legged in the room.
Yu Yu and Mu Yaoyao both changed into simpler clothes, and their faces were disguised to cover up their outstanding looks, reducing their appearance level to the level of "comely".
Each holds a sword.
Huang He, who also changed his appearance, resumed his "study boy" appearance when he was in Qintian Prison.
As for the puppet, who looked about thirty years old, he was dressed as a guard. He was sitting cross-legged in meditation with his head lowered and motionless as if he had lost his life.
But the huge bookbox he was carrying was placed on the ground, with the lid pushed open. Fang Shijie, a chubby little boy, was struggling to crawl out of the box while sucking his belly.
That's right.
This is the "suit" designed by the God-Emperor for himself. He usually just curls up in the box to sleep, and then controls the puppet's actions through the link.
This is equivalent to having a new body, and he can play the mecha mode clearly.
As for Ji Ping'an, the appearance on his face has also been adjusted at this moment, and he is exactly the same as the "scholar" who tipped off the dark web!
"Next, we will go to Qianjiao Island with a new identity. According to the boatman, we can arrive in three or four days. This time is different from the past. The last time we went to Qixia Town, it was a gathering of the Wulin Alliance. The enemy is hiding in the dark, we are in the light.
But this time it is completely the opposite. The enemy is in the light and we are in the dark. When you go to the island, you will be surrounded by enemies. Once your identity is exposed, it will be very dangerous. Even I may not be able to protect you. "
Ji Ping'an's tone was serious.
Huang He and Mu Yaoyao were sitting at attention, excited and nervous.
The old Youtiao God Emperor looked unconcerned. He had already passed by the Dragon Pond and the Tiger's Den, and now this little scene was just a mess.
Yu Yu said "ha" and raised his chin:
"I have already remembered that this time, your identity is the heir of the 'Book Master'. Yaoyao and I are your maids, Huang He is the book boy, and Senior Adou is the guard. We were all planted with silver Gu insects by you and became Lower level cultists.”
Ji Ping'an glared at her:
"It's you I'm talking about. Look at you like this. How do you look like a maid?"
Yu Yu pouted, turned his head and muttered:
"Isn't this the one who hasn't arrived on the island yet?"
Mu Yaoyao blinked and eased the atmosphere:
"Senior brother, if we sneak in like this, we really won't reveal our secrets?"
Ji Ping'an smiled and said:
"It's not a big problem. At least it's okay to hide it for a while. The Four Holy Religions identify people's identities without looking at their appearance. After all, they can all disguise themselves. They only look at whether there are poisonous insects. And now, you all have the poisonous poisons planted by me in your body. It's not a big problem. As for his identity, I've also confirmed that the scholar I'm disguising now is a poisonous insect that was planted in Yuezhou next door, that is to say, the 'superior' who brought him into the religion, and I will not participate in the rally in Lanzhou, even if I want to verify it, it will take time."
After a pause, he continued:
"As for the identity itself, the 'Book Master' inheritance happens to be the easiest and most difficult to disguise."
Mu Yaoyao's eyes widened: "Zun Du is fake... who is a calligrapher?"
Foodies with little knowledge were confused by this.
Dr. Huang He heard this and went online to popularize science:
"'Shujia'... should be a branch of hundreds of schools of thought hundreds of years ago. It is said that thousands of years ago, before the war between human and demon clans started, there were a large number of demon clans living together with humans in the Central Plains. At that time The imperial court in the Central Plains once tried to create a spiritual practice system unique to the imperial court to enhance officials' ability to guard the place and avoid evil spirits.
In order to create a practice system, people at that time collected the practice methods of various Qi practitioners in Kyushu, improved them, and created them. At that time, various factions within the imperial court were competing, which was the so-called "Hundred Schools of Thought", in which many new and imperfect spiritual traditions competed with each other for the right to speak. "
"Well, one of the largest branches of 'Confucianism' has been spread to this day. It is actually the Haoran Qi and Junzi Sword mastered by Yunhuai Academy. Mo Lin's painting and music skills are actually the same as those of the past if we trace them back. The relationship between hundreds of schools of thought can be roughly understood as the 'painters' and 'musicians' of the past together formed the Molin of today. Of course, after thousands of years of evolution, it is also very different from the original."
Mu Yaoyao: "Ah. That's it."
Ji Ping'an nodded gently and said:
"Unfortunately, although Confucianism won the battle of hundreds of schools of thought at that time, the practice system it created also had the defect of lack of universality. If you want to be successful in practice, you must cultivate a noble spirit, and this noble spirit is naturally related to the temple and officialdom. It is contrary to the rules... This is also the reason why there are now a group of scholars in Yunhuai Academy who are dissatisfied with the imperial examination and the imperial court..."
"Back then, after Confucianism won the battle among hundreds of schools of thought, in order to consolidate its achievements, it vigorously suppressed other lineages, which led to a series of disasters. Many sects were born not long ago and were not prosperous. After being suppressed, they gradually began to decline. Disconnected.
Others survived, but they were not enough to establish a sect. Now, thousands of years later, they have become the inheritance of the strange sects in the world. And this 'calligrapher' was one of the hundreds of families who lost that year. "
His tone was slightly complicated:
"I didn't expect that I would meet a descendant of the calligraphy family again."
Speaking of this, he couldn't help but think of a friend buried in time.
Yu Yuqi said:
"Since it is such an unpopular inheritance, why do you still agree to disguise it?"
Ji Ping'an withdrew his thoughts from the brief memories, smiled, and explained:
"Because the calligrapher's practice is very interesting. It is somewhat similar to Mo Lin's painting method. It relies on books to cast spells. According to legend, the founder of the calligrapher was a bookworm. He didn't eat or drink, but he still wanted to read. Being rejected by his family, he was driven away to the empty old house, but he still refused to change his obsession. Later, his fantasy came true, and he actually 'saw' a beautiful maid from the book, with a wealth of gold and silver...
When talking about Xuanxu, in fact, the practitioner imagines some scenes in his mind, and then records them on paper through words. Just tear off the paper, and you can turn your fantasy into reality... This is called magic. "
As he spoke, he took out a book from his arms and said with a smile:
"And it just so happened that among the magical artifacts left by the Imperial Master in the Qianyuan Treasure House, there was a scroll that recorded the spells of the 'Shu Jia'."
The first-generation God Emperor sat next to him with his arms crossed and a sneer on his face, watching him make up nonsense.
Yu Yu and others were curious and stared at the book:
"So, you only need to consume spiritual essence, tear out these pages and cast spells, and you can pretend to be a 'book scholar' scholar?"
At this point, everyone finally had a basic understanding of the identities of their group and Ji Ping'an's plans.
With the Gu insect to verify his identity and his identity as a descendant of the calligraphy family as a cover, sneaking into a demon sect meeting place would not be a big problem in a short period of time.
But even so, it is still a dragon's pond and a tiger's den.
Everyone discussed the details again, including how to react if they encountered various temptations, etc., and then they went back to rest.
As for more specifics, we can only play it by ear.
…
In the next two days, the ship sailed as usual and the journey was quite smooth.
During this period, the five-person team practiced in the cabin most of the time, only occasionally coming out for air.
Old Man Zhao focused on steering and kept a distance from this group of guests, as did the other boatmen.
Only Zhao Daniu often came over to chat. At first, he was just regarded as enthusiastic. Later, Ji Ping'an found out that this man could hear the "Shendu" Mandarin accents of several people and knew that they were not Yuhang locals.
After learning that they were originally from Zhongzhou, Zhao Daniu asked curiously:
"Then have you ever been to the Gods? Have you seen this year's God City Grand Prize? Tell me about it. For example, what is the rumored genius star officer Ji Sichen of the Qintian Prison like? Is he really as good as the storytellers say? God? There is also a Taoist Saint. Compared with the girl on the Qinhuai River, which one is more beautiful? What about the Holy Son? Is it really that weird? "
Ji Ping'an grabbed Yu Yu who was about to go berserk and spoke softly to him about what he had learned about the Grand Prize in the City of Gods, which made the young man yearn for it.
Little did he know that the legendary figure he mentioned was right beside him.
The third day the ship sets sail.
In the early morning, when Ji Ping'an woke up from his meditation, he clearly felt that the ship was beginning to slow down, but the wind outside the cabin was getting stronger.
"Sir, it seems that we are about to enter the Blackwater Lake. It is indeed a bit strange. Come out and have a look."
Huang He got up early and returned to the cabin to say.
Fang Shijie, who was lying on the bed, rubbed his eyes and got up, pushing open the "window" of the cabin.
call--
A gust of cold, wet wind blew in, and the God Emperor woke up instantly, almost turning over due to the wind:
"Oh my god, why is it so dark? Isn't it dawn yet?"
Ji Ping'an also looked outside through the window.
All I saw was a large, endless lake, gray in color, the sky was dim, and the water seemed to be covered with a layer of mist.
The brisk autumn wind is extremely cold, blowing away the heat in the house.
He waved his hand and the window closed by itself, stood up and said:
"I'll go out and take a look."
Putting on his green shirt jacket, Ji Ping'an opened the hatch and came to the second-floor corridor with a wider view. He climbed up and looked far away, and his vision became clearer.
The boat beneath me was sailing on a wide lake. The sky was covered with gray clouds and heavy with moisture, and there were vaguely glimpses of birds lingering in the clouds.
The clouds in front are obviously darker, and there is a faint flash of lightning and mist.
In the direction of the thick clouds, there is a vague outline of an island, which should be "Qianjiao Island".
At this moment, the cold wind blew, and the gray-black mud-like lake surface rolled up ripple-like water waves, washing the side of the ship layer by layer.
The main sail has been lowered, leaving only a small sail that is half raised. It adjusts its direction and uses the wind to move forward.
Ji Ping'an lowered his gaze and found that the boatmen on the deck, led by the Zhao family and his son, were performing some kind of ceremony.
He burned the gold foils one by one with a pious expression, and sprinkled brown sugar water all over the boat, even the boatman. He also grabbed salt and sprinkled it on the curtain foil woven with bamboo strips, on the crab traps, and on the water surface. superior……
The atmosphere is oppressive and mysterious.
"Daniu, what are you doing?" Ji Pingan walked down from the cabin and asked knowingly.
Zhao Daniu was holding the brown sugar water, and symbolically dusted Ji Ping'an's body before saying:
"The black water swamp is ahead. Once inside, the water will be much more dangerous, and the celestial phenomena are not good either. Before we catch crabs, we must prepare to pray for blessings from the river god, and we will also sacrifice to the Dragon King later."
"Dragon King?" Ji Ping'an smiled:
"Where are the dragons today?"
Zhao Daniu said in a low voice:
"The 'Dragon King' we are talking about refers to the dragon in the black water. Legend has it that it was raised by the immortal master on the island to protect the island from outsiders. If you want to land on the island, you have to look at the dragon in the water. Give or not.
We crabbers won’t go too deep for fear of offending the Dragon King, but something is not right this year, and the Dragon King is restless. You guys in the cabin don’t know that there are obviously much fewer crab fishing boats along the way than in previous years. We met two before, and they all said that the black water is not peaceful... If you want to find immortals, I’m afraid this year is really not a good one. If the time is right, you can change it and come back next year. "
Ji Ping'an smiled:
"I don't think it's a dragon. I guess it's just a loach with a trace of dragon blood."
Zhao Daniu was shocked when he heard this and said hurriedly:
"I don't dare to say that, it will be over if the Dragon Prince hears it."
Ji Ping'an saw that he looked frightened, so he said no more.
Although he knew very well that what the Daze Sect raised was indeed just a group of inferior loaches. It was ridiculous to call them "hidden dragons", but it was terrifying enough for these mortals.
"Sacrifice to the Dragon King!"
At this time, in front of the deck, Old Man Zhao, who had dark skin, thin body, gray hair, but firm eyes, shouted loudly.
The boatmen behind them roared and pushed a "big fish" made of glutinous rice and sugar into the lake.
At the same time, deep in the Blackwater swamp, a low, long, mysterious beast's roar, like a monster's roar, struck the soul.
In an instant, the whole boat became quiet, and the faces of the boatmen changed slightly, as if there was only this lonely boat left in the world.
No one noticed that Ji Ping'an raised his eyebrows slightly, a little surprised.
…
Change the typesetting first and then change it
(End of chapter)
