296: Chapter 296 Ships, Distinguished Guests

Early the next morning, before the thin mountain mist had fully dissipated, Liu Qing had already awakened all the Disciples.

After a night of rest, everyone's complexion looked much better, and the few Junior Sisters who had previously been tortured by the bumpy ride until their faces turned pale had also recovered some of their spirits.

"Pack your things and prepare to set off."

Liu Qing stood at the edge of the mountain peak, gazing far into the southeast, her gaze calm and steady.

A morning breeze swept past, scattering a few stray strands of hair from her temples.

The Disciples neatly packed their luggage, rolled up the tents, filled their water skins, and distributed the dry rations.

In less than half the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the team was fully equipped and ready to go.

"Heading southeast from here, we will reach the ferry crossing in about half a day." Liu Qing swung herself onto her horse, her voice carrying into everyone's ears.

"After reaching the ferry crossing, we will switch to the waterways, and it will be much easier then. Everyone, hold on a little longer."

The procession wound its way down the mountain trails, passing through patches of bamboo forests and streams, occasionally hearing the murmuring sound of water in the distance.

The further they walked southeast, the heavier the moisture in the air became, and the wind gradually carried a fishy, salty scent unique to river water.

Bai Nianci rode on horseback, looking outward.

At the distant skyline, a silver-white ribbon of light could be faintly seen spanning across the green mountains.

It was the river.

...

Until afternoon, when the sun cast a dim, yellowish glow over the line of sight.

After walking for about another hour, the path gradually widened, turning from a mountain trail into a road paved with bluestone slabs, and scattered residences and shops began to appear on both sides.

The ferry crossing was near.

When the procession turned the final bend, Bai Nianci could not help widening her eyes.

That was not an ordinary ferry crossing as she had imagined.

There were no crowded docks, no hawkers shouting their wares, and certainly no massive crowds of travelers lining up to wait for boats.

Before her eyes was an extremely secluded cove, surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the river on one, with the water surface calm as a mirror.

And on that calm river surface, a boat quietly moored.

No, that could not be called a boat.

That was a pavilion floating on the water.

The three-story hull was entirely framed in ebony, as pitch-black as ink, with both sides of the gunwales carved with intricate cloud patterns and Auspicious Beast motifs, emitting a faint gloss in the sunlight.

The bow rose high like a crane's head, cast from refined iron and embedded with a fist-sized luminous pearl, faintly shimmering with flowing brilliance even in broad daylight.

Hanging on both sides of the hull were six lanterns each, their frames wrapped in gold threads and covered externally with silk gauze as thin as cicada wings, gently swaying whenever a breeze blew past.

The railings of the second and third floors were all carved from white jade, with pearl curtains faintly seen hanging down, concealing the interior completely.

The entire ship quietly moored there, resembling a slumbering behemoth.

Bai Nianci watched in a daze.

"Th-This... What kind of ship is this?"

She instinctively lowered her voice, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Liu Qing reined in her horse, sweeping her gaze across that ship.

"That is a secret ship."

"A secret ship?" Bai Nianci was momentarily stunned.

"It is a vessel specifically used to transport designated people." Liu Qing dismounted, signaling the other Disciples to follow suit, "Those who can board this ship are either wealthy or noble; ordinary people cannot even find this ferry crossing."

Bai Nianci looked around, only then noticing that the path leading here was extremely covert. Had it not been for Liu Qing leading the way, they would have never been able to find it.

"Can we... also go up?"

"Naturally." Liu Qing took out a token from her bosom and waved it in her hand.

"The imperial court has long since arranged everything. This ship is heading south exclusively, making no stops along the way until it reaches the destination."

Bai Nianci nodded, yet couldn't help glancing at the ship once more.

At this moment, several people were already lining up by the ferry crossing to wait for boarding.

There were not many people, counting up to a dozen at most.

Ranking right at the front was a family.

A round and chubby middle-aged man wearing a brocade robe embroidered with gold edges, tied with a jade belt around his waist, looked flushed and quite wealthy.

Beside him, he held a child of six or seven years old, who was dressed in a brand-new small silk robe and curiously looking around.

Following behind the man was a woman with a high bun, pinned with swaying ornaments, dressed in luxurious attire.

Behind the woman were two burly guards with sabers at their waists, expressionless, scanning their surroundings with vigilant eyes.

Further back were a few other households dressed equally luxuriously. Although their origins were unknown, judging by their attire and demeanor, they must not have been from ordinary families.

Bai Nianci's gaze shifted further back.

Wedged in the middle of the queue was a middle-aged man, alone, with a lean figure, wearing a gray cloth long gown and a bamboo hat pressed extremely low, concealing most of his face in shadows.

He had a blade of grass clenched in his mouth, his arms crossed over his chest, his back slightly hunched, making his whole person appear casual and unconcerned.

Yet it was precisely this casualness that made Bai Nianci feel some indescribable discordance.

That person's Qi... could not be seen through; most likely an expert.

Further back were several others, also dressed similarly to a Martial Artist, carrying swords or bearing sabers, their internal Qi restrained, making it hard to tell whether they were guards from some family or lone Jianghu wanderers.

She somehow felt they looked a bit familiar.

This thought merely flashed through Bai Nianci's mind before she frowned and shook her head.

It was probably just an illusion.

Having traveled hard these days and being somewhat trance-like, finding everyone looking familiar was entirely possible.

She didn't think much more about it, withdrew her gaze, and followed Liu Qing and the others toward the end of the queue.

...

The queue moved forward slowly.

A wide gangplank was set against the ship's side, with two people standing at the end of it.

One was a robust fellow dressed in black short attire, with a short saber tucked at his waist, holding a stern expression as if responsible for security.

The other was a fair and gentle-looking young man wearing an indigo-blue long gown, holding a thick booklet in his hands and lowering his head to flip through something.

Every person boarding the ship had to undergo inspection by these two.

The fair young man would first lift his eyes to look at the newcomer's face, then lower his head to cross-reference with the records in the booklet. After confirming identity, he also had to inspect a token.

That token was not large, about the size of a palm, pitch-black all over, with an indistinct pattern carved upon it.

The inspection process was extremely meticulous, even somewhat tedious.

Everyone had to wait for quite a while before being allowed to pass.

But when it was the turn of that fat wealthy merchant's family ranked right at the front, the situation was rather different.

With just one lift of his eyes, the fair young man caught sight of a jade pendant hanging at the wealthy merchant's waist.

His expression changed instantly; smiles piled up on his originally official and indifferent face, and even his waist bent slightly downward.

"Oh my, a distinguished guest, a distinguished guest."

He closed the booklet with both hands and cupped his fists toward the wealthy merchant, "Please come inside, please come inside. The private room has already been prepared, and tea and pastries are readily available."

The wealthy merchant merely nodded slightly, without much expression on his face, and led the child straight onto the gangplank.

The woman and guards behind him followed closely, and the young man respectfully stepped aside to make way, his attitude worlds apart from when he inspected others just moments ago.

Bai Nianci watched from behind and slightly raised an eyebrow.

It seemed that family's identity was truly extraordinary.

The queue continued to move forward.

When it was the turn of the man wearing the bamboo hat, the man recording the booklet glanced at him a couple of times, seemingly wanting to see the other person's face from beneath the hat.

But that man merely unhurriedly fished out a token from his bosom and flashed it in front of the young man.

The young man's pupils constricted slightly, then he nodded, stepped aside to make way, and didn't ask any more questions.

The man still had a blade of grass clenched in his mouth, stepping onto the gangplank with a casual gait, his back lazy yet composed.

Very soon, it was their turn.

Liu Qing handed over the token, and the young man flipped through the booklet and nodded.

The man recording the booklet looked up to size up the newcomers, and upon seeing that they were a group of women, a warm smile appeared on his face.

"Ciyin Medical Valley, Lord Liu, a party of sixteen."

"Correct." Liu Qing nodded.

"Please." The young man stepped aside to make way, "Rooms 1 to 5 in the second-floor cabin have already been prepared for your esteemed sect."

Liu Qing nodded slightly and led the Disciples onto the gangplank one by one.

Bai Nianci followed in the middle of the queue, and the instant her foot stepped onto the gangplank, she couldn't help turning back to glance behind her.

There were still a few people waiting behind.

She withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath, and quickly caught up with the people in front.