Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Like the Waves of the Yangtze: Meeting and Parting (2)
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The rain finally stopped on the third day after the boat docked in Xiangyang.
Even though the rain had ceased, it was impossible to set sail right away.
The Yangtze's waters had swelled from three straight days of downpour. The muddy torrent raged like a flood, showing no signs of calming anytime soon.
In the end, the boat had to linger in Xiangyang for two more days before departing. Having been delayed an unwanted five days, the Yunma River Line pushed ahead at full speed.
“Whew!”
A sigh escaped Bang Jinbo’s lips as he stared blankly at the Yangtze.
Ever since that day, Bang Jinbo had been like this. He often gazed at the river and sighed, lost in a daze more frequently than not.
Dam Ho watched him silently.
Though indifferent to worldly affairs, even Dam Ho could tell that Bang Jinbo was nursing his first heartbreak.
He had no idea how to comfort him in a situation like this. But he knew enough to realize that sometimes, just watching quietly was better than rash words.
Suddenly, the boat hands sprang into frantic motion.
The captain’s voice boomed across the deck.
“We’ll hit the rapids soon. Double-check that all the cargo is secured tight.”
“Yes, sir!”
Tension etched the captain’s face.
The stretch they’d pass through shortly was notorious as one of the Yangtze’s most treacherous rapids. Every year, more than a dozen ships sank there.
And with three days of rain behind them, the waters had surged, making the rapids even fiercer.
It was impossible not to feel the strain. Still, once they cleared this hazard, the rest of the journey would be smooth sailing.
The tension wasn’t limited to the crew.
Jin Kyung, the lead escort from the Seondo Escort Agency, was on edge too.
“Make sure every piece of cargo is locked down. Lose even one, and the agency takes a massive hit.”
“Understood.”
The escorts buzzed with activity in response.
Anxiety clouded Jin Kyung’s features. They’d wasted five unexpected days on the Yangtze. By the original schedule, they should’ve reached the mouth of Dongting Lake by now and delivered the cargo to its owner.
“If that’d happened, I wouldn’t be this jittery.”
Jin Kyung gritted his teeth.
This was cargo from the Tang Clan of the world. Losing a single item wouldn’t end with mere compensation.
The Tang Clan made a point of remembering both favors and grudges.
They never forgot kindness, but they held onto resentment even tighter. Inflicting a loss on them went without saying.
For a fleeting moment, Jin Kyung wondered if taking the job had been a mistake, but he quickly shook his head.
“Unnecessary worry. We’re already in Hubei— what could go wrong now?”
Jin Kyung scanned the deck.
His eyes landed on Dam Ho, standing casually at one side with arms crossed, staring down the rapids. The sight felt utterly out of place amid the fear.
The boat rocked violently as it plunged into the rapids, but Dam Ho’s stance didn’t waver in the slightest.
‘An expert.’
Jin Kyung was convinced, watching him.
Only those trained in martial arts could maintain balance through rapids like these.
As they fully entered the rapids, the crew scrambled even more urgently.
“Secure that sail properly!”
“Oarsmen, row to the left!”
The crew sweated bullets, fighting to keep the boat steady. Veins bulged on their faces, muscles straining to burst.
The vessel bucked as if it might capsize any second, forcing the crew to pour out every ounce of effort. The captain’s tension, in particular, defied words.
Then it happened.
Snap!
One of the thick ropes securing the cargo finally gave way under the immense force. A crate on deck tumbled over in the chaos.
“Damn it!”
The escorts rushed over in panic, scrambling to scoop up the spilled contents.
“Careful! Lose even one piece, and we’re in deep trouble.”
“Yes, sir!”
Dam Ho watched them silently. A glint flickered in his eyes for a moment before fading.
The objects they hastily gathered were silver cylinders, about the length of a child’s forearm. The flat end of each had a dozen tiny holes drilled into it.
Jin Kyung barked orders at the escorts.
“Tie that rope back. Make it rock-solid.”
“Got it.”
“Nothing missing?”
“No, sir! All accounted for.”
Despite their assurance, Jin Kyung’s expression remained grim.
‘Hidden weapons for the cargo?’
He’d suspected as much.
The Tang Clan, masters of poison and concealed arms, wouldn’t send anything else. But suspecting and seeing it firsthand were worlds apart.
Jin Kyung glanced at Dam Ho. But Dam Ho’s face betrayed no hint of his thoughts.
Thud!
In that instant, the boat lurched violently.
The shock was so severe that everyone on deck momentarily floated into the air before slamming back down.
It seemed like the rapids’ final throes—the boat steadied after that.
“Phew!”
Relieved sighs erupted everywhere.
The captain and crew collapsed to the deck, gasping raggedly as the adrenaline drained away.
They’d conquered the brutal rapids, yet Dam Ho looked unchanged. Not a hair out of place, posture perfect.
The only difference was Bang Jinbo clutching his leg. Without that grip, Bang Jinbo would’ve rolled across the deck like the other passengers, in undignified fashion.
“You alright?”
Dam Ho helped Bang Jinbo to his feet.
“F-Fine.”
He said it, but Bang Jinbo looked thoroughly disheveled. Clothes and hair in tangles, soaked through. Yet he’d clung fiercely to his precious bundle of ingredients.
Bang Jinbo’s passion for cooking apparently couldn’t be quenched by mere rapids.
Just then, the exhausted captain’s voice rang out.
“We’ve passed the worst. Smooth waters ahead. Everyone, take a breather.”
“Haa!”
At his words, sighs of relief swept through the passengers. True to his promise, the Yunma River Line glided effortlessly downriver after the ordeal, Dongting Lake now in sight.
“Whoa!”
Bang Jinbo gaped at the vast, endless lake, crying out in awe. To him, Dongting wasn’t just a lake—it looked like the sea.
The distant horizon, massive pleasure barges and tiny fishing boats dotting the surface. Blinding sunlight, towering clouds rising from the water.
The scene filled Bang Jinbo with indescribable wonder. His shoulders trembled as he took it in.
It was Dam Ho’s first time seeing a lake as grand as Dongting too. He couldn’t help thinking his master would’ve loved this view.
The Yunma River Line cut through the waves toward its destination. With arrival so near, the crew brimmed with energy.
The passengers felt it too. Impatient ones already packed their belongings, ready to disembark.
The Seondo escorts were no different, finishing preparations under Jin Kyung’s command, awaiting the dock.
The Yunma River Line’s final stop was Yiyang Prefecture, at the northeastern entrance to Dongting Lake.
Yiyang sat at the confluence of the Yangtze and Dongting, a hub of logistics and transport since ancient times. With well-developed waterways and roads, it held immense military and commercial importance.
The boat eased toward the docks outside Yiyang. The spacious wharf teemed with moored vessels.
Thump!
The Yunma River Line docked.
As the gangplank dropped, waiting passengers filed down in line.
“Land at last.”
“Now I can breathe.”
Smiles returned to the faces of those stepping onto the wharf.
Dam Ho and Bang Jinbo followed the crowd off the boat. The happiest to disembark were the horses they’d ridden—the black steed and white mare.
Black Ghost neighed joyfully, pawing the ground with its front hooves. Bang Jinbo’s white horse mirrored the behavior.
Jin Kyung’s voice came from behind.
“Move it, everyone. We need to deliver this cargo fast.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Seondo escorts sprang into action with crisp replies.
Carts loaded with their cargo rolled out first, followed by other merchants. In moments, the wharf cleared.
Dam Ho and Bang Jinbo left for Yiyang proper.
Yiyang dwarfed every city they’d visited so far. Towering buildings with interlocking eaves stretched endlessly; streets laid out like a giant chessboard, impeccably neat.
Pedestrians wore fine silk garments, exuding an air of refinement. Not everyone did, of course, but that’s how it seemed to young Bang Jinbo’s eyes.
Life returned to Bang Jinbo’s face.
“Brother, let’s grab an inn first.”
“Mm.”
Dam Ho nodded, and Bang Jinbo eagerly took the lead.
As always on this trip, finding lodging fell to Bang Jinbo. He’d asked around for the best food and settled on the West Wind Inn.
Among Yiyang’s many inns, the West Wind was the grandest. They said the view of Dongting Lake from there was unmatched.
As the pair entered, a quick-footed waiter hurried over.
“Welcome!”
“Brother, got any rooms?”
“Of course. Got one with a prime lake view left. Watching the sunset from there is pure bliss.”
“Perfect.”
Bang Jinbo clapped in delight.
The waiter stabled Black Ghost and the white horse, then showed them to the room.
True to his word, the lake view from the room was spectacular. Sipping wine here would feel like playing among immortals.
The waiter grinned knowingly.
“Something else, right?”
“The best.”
Bang Jinbo gave a thumbs-up.
“Come down to the second floor at mealtime. Oh, and stay off the third floor, no matter what.”
“Why?”
“Big event tonight.”
“Event?”
“The Yiyang Sword Sect rented out the whole third floor.”
“The entire third?”
“Yeah! They’re Yiyang’s top sect. A powerhouse like that holding an event here? Huge deal.”
Excitement lit the waiter’s face.
The Yiyang Sword Sect wasn’t just Yiyang’s best. Across all Hunan Province, fewer than five sects could rival them.
That meant they ranked among Hunan’s Five Great Sects, wielding tremendous influence.
The waiter dreamed of one day joining them. Getting to glimpse their warriors up close was a thrill.
“Rest up, then come down later.”
The waiter bowed to Dam Ho and dashed out.
Alone at last, Bang Jinbo flopped onto the plush bed.
“Ahh, heaven. I could sleep like this forever.”
“Nap a bit.”
“What about you, brother?”
“Got somewhere to go.”
“Where?”
“I’ll tell you when I’m back. Rest till then.”
“Yes, sir!”
Questions lingered, but Bang Jinbo didn’t press.
If it was something to share, he’d have said so already. Bang Jinbo thought no more of it.
He drifted off to sleep in moments.
Dam Ho left him there and stepped outside.