Mutated Tao

“Not just god Yu’er?” Li Huowang felt a chill run down his spine. He had been in Great Liang all this time and hadn’t paid much attention to what was happening here.

Now, thinking back, Xuan Pin was right. When the Dharma Sect first appeared, the various Chiefs of the Surveillance Bureaus pursued and blocked them, and even the military was employed to deal with them.

Yet, despite such circumstances, they managed to destroy Si Qi and Nanping and then advance into Hou Shu.

Even if these countries were not in good condition, plagued by constant war and corrupt governments, the expansion of the Dharma Sect was unusually rapid.

“Does this mean there’s another Siming opposing us along with god Yu’er?” Li Huowang asked Xuan Pin, his expression extremely grave.

Regardless of which power was responsible, the root problem seemed to lie with the Dharma Sect.

Xuan Pin shook his head slightly, “Opposing us? Why do you think all Simings would be on our side? Can you guess what a Siming thinks? Do you truly believe them even if they say they will help you?”

These words left Li Huowang feeling unsettled. A terrifying thought crossed his mind, “Are you suggesting that all the Simings in the Baiyu Capital are actually allied with god Yu’er?”

“The Surveillance Bureaus are meant to observe the heavens. No matter what, don’t rely on others, and don’t place your lifeline in someone else’s hands,” Xuan Pin said, then his enormous red robe gradually began to turn transparent.

“No matter what is helping the Dharma Sect behind the scenes, be careful when you reach Hou Shu. There are still many things in this world that can kill you.”

“Though I can’t trust you, we are allies in dealing with god Yu’er. I’ve informed the Chief, and they will assist you with anything you need.”

Xuan Pin’s body completely disappeared and left Li Huowang alone.

In the dim underground room, Li Huowang stood in deep contemplation for a long time. Finally, he turned and strode out of the dark chamber.

Li Sui and Bai Lingmiao had been waiting for him, and they immediately approached him. “Senior Li, how did it go? Did they give you a hard time?”

Li Huowang shook his head slightly and replied, “No, it’s fine. Have your people resupply quickly. We’re leaving this city.”

“We’re leaving already? Where are we heading?”

“Hou Shu.”

“Hou Shu? Really? That place is currently at war. In recent times, people have only been fleeing from there, not going in,” the boatman with a missing incisor said.

He was barefoot and squatted on the deck as he eyed the two young people before him. One was a teenager, and the other a young woman in her twenties or thirties. Their age gap didn’t seem like they were mother and child. They looked like they could be siblings, but their interactions suggested otherwise.

“It’s fine. We’re not going deep into Hou Shu. We just need a boat to the edge of Zhenhai Cape. Boatman, please accommodate us.”

As the boatman hesitated, Yang Xiaohai handed him a letter written by Sun Baolu’s clan members. “I don’t want to travel aimlessly in these chaotic times, but I’m part of the boat people. My parents are still there, and I need to save them. I have no choice.”

“Boat people? You don’t look like one,” the boatman said, quickly glancing through the letter.

After reading it, the boatman lowered his guard slightly. “It’s good to be filial, but using such a big boat just to fetch you is...”

The boatman saw that Yang Xiaohai was about to hand him some silver. He accepted it and stuffed the letter and silver into his pocket.

“Alright, since I’m a filial son myself, we’ll take this trip for your parents’ sake.”

Yang Xiaohai expressed his gratitude repeatedly. He was finally going to see his family!

The sails unfurled while Yang Xiaohai’s group boarded the sizable, old, flat-bottomed boat with their carriage.

As the boat moved away from the harbor, Yang Xiaohai was excited, but he remained cautious of the boatman. He had prepared enough fresh water and provisions to avoid being drugged.

He had not forgotten how he and Senior Li were previously forced by river bandits to choose between sliced noodles and dumpling soup.

The boatman noticed Yang Xiaohai’s wariness but was equally cautious of him. In these chaotic times, a young man and a woman traveling alone must have some means to protect themselves.

As the days passed and they neared their destination, the initial wariness between them had lessened.

When Yang Xiaohai learned they were close to their destination, he approached the boatman, who was fishing, and asked, “Boatman, how many years have you been sailing?”

“Heh, twenty or thirty years. It’s been even longer if you count my dad and grandpa. This is our old trade. Some things and some people are hard to transport by land, so we go by sea.”

“That long? Have you dealt with boat people before?”

“Of course. Anyone that makes a living at sea has interacted with them.” The boatman suddenly sat up straight and reeled in his line.

“How are they? Are they easy to get along with?” Yang Xiaohai asked nervously.

He knew his family were boat people and lived at sea, but he knew nothing else about them.

The boatman was occasionally reeling and releasing the line. Then, he glanced at Yang Xiaohai. “Aren’t you of the boat people? Don’t you know what your own family is like?”

“I... I was taken ashore right after I was born, so I don’t know what it’s like.”

The boatman didn’t prod him on his poor excuse, and he said, “Boat people? They’re just like those living on land. The men fish while the women dive for pearls. If they have a good harvest, things are fine. If not, times are tough.”

Yang Xiaohai’s expression dimmed slightly. He had been sold during hard times.

“The poorer they are, the more rules they have. I generally avoid dealing with them,” the boatman said as he continued to reel in his line.