I have just been promoted to Qianhu, and I was shocked to hear that this is a Liaozhai!

Chapter 137 Dragon Lord Ceremony (Updated update please order)
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the breeze was blowing.

Zuo Dao and others rode fast all the way, and finally arrived at a body of water a hundred miles away from Kyoto.

The waters here are vast, and fishermen often use boats to catch fish and transport pedestrians.

But precisely because of this, water bandits often robbed passing merchant ships and passenger ships transporting pedestrians.

The local government also requested the garrison's assistance to exterminate the water bandits.

However, most of those water bandits were good at water and boating experts. They came and went without a trace. After many efforts and a lot of manpower and material resources, not many of the water bandits were wiped out.

As time went by, the extermination of the water bandits was put on hold.

Due to the incident of water bandits, there have been fewer passenger ships coming and going, leaving only some nearby fishermen and merchant ships that must pass through this place.

Not far from the nearby dock, there is an inn owned by local powerful people.

I heard that the owner of the inn is an innately strong man. He opened the inn here in order to use this water to enlighten himself and enter the realm of a little master.

The inn has been open for more than ten years, and no one has ever dared to cause trouble in the inn, whether it is the water bandits or the businessmen coming and going.

Princess Taiping looked at the water in the distance. With the help of the moonlight, she could barely see some fishing boats floating on the water, using the faint candlelight of kerosene lamps to lure the fish closer.

Above the water, many similar fishing boats can be seen sporadically.

Zuo Dao whispered: "Your Highness, there are only some fishermen making a living in the waters at night. The water bandits generally will not attack them. Why not go to the inn to rest for a night."

"Wait until tomorrow to find out more, and then follow the traces of those water bandits."

Princess Taiping nodded slightly, and then ordered to go to the waterside inn.

A group of people arrived in front of the inn.

The inn was brightly lit at the moment, and many guests could be seen drinking and chatting in the lobby, which seemed very lively.

Zhang Long and Zhao Hu went in first and asked the waiter to take the horses into the stables and feed them with good fodder.

Then he booked a few upper rooms and welcomed Zuodao and others inside.

Zuo Dao and the others had just entered the lobby, and the guests who were still drinking, talking and laughing turned their heads to look.

After seeing the figures of several people clearly, they returned to their previous state.

Zuo Dao arranged for Princess Taiping and others to enter the upper room, and then served several tables of wine and food, all of which he had brought from Kyoto.

Then he took Zhang Long, Zhao Hu and others to the lobby, ordered a table of wine and food, and listened to the conversations of the guests.

The guests in the lobby are all businessmen coming and going, preparing to leave by boat tomorrow.

Across the river is a city as prosperous as Kyoto, and merchants are very prosperous with the help of water transportation.

Anyone who crosses the river here is bound for that city.

"I haven't heard of water bandits here recently. It seems we can safely cross the river tomorrow."

"No, if you want me to see it, the water bandits will have to wait until tomorrow."

"Why?"

"You don't know? In a while, Tianhe City's annual Dragon Lord Ceremony will be held. At that time, guests from all over the world will gather in Tianhe City."

"Dragon Lord Ceremony? Are you talking about the one in this big river?"

"if not?"

"That group of water bandits aren't that courageous, are they? They dare to cause trouble at the Dragon Lord Festival. Some of their heads are enough to chop off."

"The people who come to the Dragon Lord Ceremony are either rich or noble. When the time comes, they will be robbed and run away. Who can catch them?"

"That's true."

……

Listening to the diners speaking, Zhang Long said in a low voice: "Sir, this Dragon Lord Ceremony is an annual event in Tianhe City. It was originally held before the imperial examination. At that time, those scholars who are rushing to take the exam will come here to worship."

"But this year there is an extra martial arts test, which attracts a lot of people. I'm afraid there will be a lot less people at the Dragon Lord Ceremony."

Zuo Dao looked at the big river in the distance through the door of the lobby and said, "Is there really a dragon king in this river?"

Zhao Hu scratched his head and said, "I don't know, but I heard my mother say that someone did see Mr. Long decades ago."

Hearing this, Zuo Dao showed a thoughtful look on his face.

Early the next morning.

Princess Taiping came to the lobby, and Zuo Dao and others hurriedly greeted her.

Supervisor Wang said: "Master Zuo, have you ever found out about this water bandit?"

Zuo Dao whispered: "I spent a lot of time in the lobby last night and heard someone mention that there might be water bandits hijacking the ship today."

Supervisor Wang was stunned and said, "Are there really water bandits?"

He originally thought that Zuo Dao was just joking before, but he didn't expect that there were actually water bandits in this ghost place.

Zuo Dao said: "Of course, the geographical location here is better. Most of the water bandits just made a vote and fled, and they will come back after the news has passed."

"It's been a while since their last robbery."

"And it's Tianhe City's annual Dragon Lord Ceremony. Everyone coming and going is either rich or noble, and there are also many people who take the water route. This is very tempting for the group of robbers."

Hearing Zuo Dao speak, Supervisor Wang showed a look of contemplation on his face.

He was thinking about whether he should think of some way to trick Princess Taiping away.

After all, this water bandit is no joke.

Moreover, Princess Taiping has only taken a boat trip once in the past ten years, and she still traveled with His Majesty's Tianlong Boat.

The hull is extremely stable, making people feel as if they are walking on flat ground, and no one dares to take action blindly.

If you take a small boat that ferry people back and forth, you will probably get seasick and vomit if you get to the middle of the river. Then you will encounter robbers, tsk tsk...

That picture, I dare not even think about it.

Just as Supervisor Wang was about to speak, he heard Princess Taiping say: "In that case, what are you waiting for? Leave the horses in this inn and give them more money so that they can take good care of them."

"We will board the ship directly now. I want to see what those bandits are capable of."

As soon as Princess Taiping finished speaking, she walked out of the lobby with a long sword in hand.

Upon seeing this, Supervisor Wang quickly followed him with his men.

Zhang Long went to find the shopkeeper, gave them some money and asked them to take good care of his group's horses, and then chased after him.

Arriving at the pier, the pier that was empty last night was now full of passenger ships.

There are a dozen or so passenger ships, big or small.

Small boats account for most of them, and even small boats can accommodate dozens of people.

The big ship is enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

It takes a day and a night to cross the river. It's better during the day and the sight is better. If you really encounter water bandits, you can avoid them in advance.

But if we meet at night, we will be in big trouble.

Therefore, many small boats set off immediately after they are full of people. If they can reach the other side earlier, they will feel at ease earlier.

As for those big ships, most of them have martial artists hired by their masters, and they are much more courageous than those on small ships.

Princess Taiping looked at the rather secretive crowd on the pier and said with surprise: "When did these people come?"

Obviously when they came here yesterday, they had not seen so many people.

Even that inn only had a few hundred people when it was full. How could so many people suddenly appear here?

On the roadside, a passerby who heard Princess Taiping's doubts heard this and immediately smiled and said: "Little boy, many people here travel at night. They just arrive at the dock early in the morning, get on the boat and rest for the night. At night, hehe..."

Just when Superintendent Wang was about to scold him, he heard Princess Taiping say curiously: "Old man, how about at night?"

The old man said with a smile: "At night, naturally I will guard with the boatman to prevent water bandits from plundering."

After saying that, the old man left directly and headed towards one of the boats on the pier.

Princess Taiping said with shocked eyes: "The ships on this pier can carry thousands of people. What kind of water bandits dare to rob them?"

Zuo Dao whispered: "Your Highness, the water bandits here cannot be judged by common sense. They are mostly gangs. Their numbers and ships are not weaker than these passenger ships. Even if they face the navy of the Wei Dynasty, they are still capable of fighting."

"Normally it's better. But if we meet this kind of Dragon King ceremony, we might have joined together early."

Princess Taiping frowned and said, "Then there will be no naval escort?"

Zuo Dao nodded and said: "Of course there are, but not many can be dispatched, so there are always fish that slip through the net."

Princess Taiping murmured to herself: "It's interesting, let's go and board the ship."

With that said, he took the lead and walked towards the dock.

Director Wang pointed to the largest ship on the pier and said, "Your Highness, let's go to that one. The bigger the ship, the more stable it will be."

Princess Taiping frowned and said, "No, what if those water bandits don't dare to rob the ship?"

Supervisor Wang looked to his side anxiously.Zuo Dao whispered: "Your Highness, water bandits usually choose large ships to rob. Only those who are not into the mainstream will hijack small boats or fishing boats."

"The people on the big ship are either rich or noble, and have a lot of money. If it were you, you wouldn't give up a mountain of gold and silver for a pile of copper coins!"

Princess Taiping's eyes lit up and she said: "Master Zuo is right. If that's the case, let's go take that big ship."

Superintendent Wang whispered to the guards beside him: "After getting on the boat, I took good care of His Highness. Your Highness is missing a hair, and your heads are not enough to lose it."

Hearing this, several people responded in low voices.

Zuo Dao and others arrived on the big ship one step ahead, paid the fee to board the ship and cross the river, and chose a few good rooms.

Then they welcomed Princess Taiping on board.

Princess Taiping came to the ship with a sense of freshness. Looking at the guests on the deck, it turned out that as Zuo Dao said, they were all either rich or noble.

She said confidently: "It seems that the bandits will definitely hijack this ship tonight."

As soon as this was said, the nearby guests turned their heads and looked at Princess Taiping with unkind expressions.

Upon seeing this, Zuo Dao and others directly held their hands on the handle of the knife and glanced at everyone coldly.

When those people saw the appearance of Zuo Dao and others, they turned their heads one by one.

Princess Taiping shrank her neck and said, "Master Zuo, am I speaking too loudly?"

Zuo Dao whispered: "Your Highness, there are some things you shouldn't say out loud, just keep them in your heart, otherwise they will think that we are in the same group as those water bandits."

Hearing Zuo Dao speak, Princess Taiping nodded immediately.

Princess Taiping whispered: "Then I'll go back to the room to rest first. I'm afraid there will be a big battle tonight, so I need to be energetic."

Hearing this, Zuo Dao nodded slightly.

Then he sent Princess Taiping to the room.

When several people came to the deck, they saw a sturdy middle-aged man coming with several servants.

When he came to Zuo Dao and others, he immediately bowed.

He said: "My lords, Mr. Cai is the owner of this ship, and I have come here specifically to pay homage to you."

Zuo Dao heard this and said with a smile: "Zuo has met Captain Cai."

Beside him, Zhao Hu said angrily: "How do you know that we are officials?"

Cai Kun said with a smile: "Although these adults are dressed in casual clothes, most of them are holding Jinyiwei's unique embroidered spring knives, and they are also wearing official boots. Cai has traveled all over the country, so he still has a good eye."

When Zhao Hu heard this, he immediately looked around.

Indeed, as Cai Kun said, they changed into official uniforms, but did not change into official boots. What they held in their hands was Jin Yiwei's unique embroidered spring knife.

If you meet someone who is well-informed, you can really be recognized at a glance.

Zuo Dao smiled and said, "Captain Cai really has a good eye. I wonder why Captain Cai came to see us?"

Cai Kun said in a low voice: "I think you have heard about the water bandits here."

"Now is the Dragon Lord's Ceremony again. These days, I'm afraid water bandits will continue to invade. If we encounter water bandits at night, I hope you can help me."

Zuo Dao smiled and said: "This is as it should be."

When Cai Kun heard this, a smile suddenly appeared on his face, then he took out a heavy money bag, handed it over and said: "This is the shipping fee for several adults, please take it back."

Zuo Dao took the money bag. It was heavy, far more than the shipping fee they paid.

He smiled and said: "In that case, I won't be polite."

Cai Kun said with a smile: "You are welcome, sir. I will ask the servants to serve you wine and food to reward you."

Zuo Dao smiled and nodded.

After the two chatted on the deck for a while, Cai Kun said goodbye and left.

Zuo Dao weighed the money bag in his hand, threw it to Zhang Long beside him, and said: "You guys should divide it up!"

Hearing this, Zhang Long immediately smiled and said, "Thank you so much, sir."

As the ship was full of guests, the sailor in charge shouted, and then the rope was cut off on the dock.

The sails of the ship were raised and headed towards the other side of the river.

Zhang Long and others stood on the edge of the deck, looking at the many ships setting sail on the water, with excited expressions on their faces.

Speaking of which, it was their first time to ride on such a large ship, so the experience was quite novel.

Zuo Dao stood on the deck, looking towards the horizon in the distance, frowning slightly.

Immediately, he released the kite in the corner and asked it to explore the surroundings to see if any traces of water bandits could be discovered in advance.

This kite is a special breed bred by the Hermitage. It has excellent eyesight, can fly extremely fast, and is so small that it is difficult for ordinary people to detect it.

It is very convenient for exploring the surroundings or sending letters.

He asked the kite to explore a radius of dozens of miles three times in the morning, noon and evening, and once in the middle of the night.

Not for anything else, just so that if there are really water bandits, we can know about it in advance.

After all, this is not land, but water. Once something goes wrong, it will be difficult to deal with.

At noon, Zhang Long, Zhao Hu and others all returned to their rooms to rest after having lunch.

After all, they still need to keep vigil at night.

It's not that I can't trust the martial arts hired on the ship, and Princess Taiping is still on the ship, so I can't be careless under any circumstances.

It doesn't matter if they were killed, but if they were the wives and children in Kyoto who were implicated, that would be the biggest sin.

During the whole day, not only was the water calm and calm, but even the kite didn't notice anything unusual.

By evening, the fastest boat had already traveled more than half the distance, and it was estimated that it would arrive before dawn.

As for their big boat, it would have to be slower, and it might not be able to reach the upper part of the river until nightfall.

In the evening, after Zhang Long, Zhao Hu and others had dinner, they took turns patrolling the deck.

According to their calculations, if they really can meet the water bandits tonight.

It should be in the dead of night, when all the guests on the boat are asleep, that the water bandits will come out.

Zuo Dao rested in his room for a while, and when he was full of energy, he walked to the deck.

It is getting late and night is about to fall.

Cai Kun led some martial artists to patrol along the line, looking around with a long tube in his hand.

After seeing Zuo Dao, he immediately came up to him.

"Master Zuo, did you rest well during the day?"

Zuo Dao smiled and nodded: "Captain Cai's boat is running very steadily and he has a good rest."

As he said that, he looked at the long tube in Cai Kun's hand. This thing was somewhat similar to the clairvoyance invented by the Hermit Mansion, but he had never thought that such a small boat owner also had one in his hand.

As if aware of Zuo Dao's gaze, Captain Cai handed over the long tube.

Said: "Master Zuo, give it a try. This is Cai's clairvoyance obtained through his connections. It can see extremely far. It is most suitable for people like me who are making a living on the water."

Zuo Dao took the thing and took a look. It was indeed the clairvoyance developed by the Hermit Mansion.

He smiled and said: "It seems that Captain Cai has some abilities behind his back, and he was able to get such a treasure."

Captain Cai took over the clairvoyance and said, "If I didn't have some skills, how could I dare to make a living on the water?"

As he said that, he looked around with some worry and said, "But tonight, I don't bother you to worry about it."

Cai Kun had a premonition that water bandits would attack tonight.

After all, there are still a few people left before the Dragon Lord Ceremony, and the navy troops deployed above will not be in place until at least tomorrow.

Tonight, the group of water bandits will definitely seize the opportunity and attack the ship at night.

Especially if they happened to be able to drive to the middle of the river at night, they would not be able to escape wherever they wanted.

Hearing this, Zuo Dao said, "Since I promised Captain Cai, I will definitely do it."

When Cai Kun heard this, he immediately cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, sir."

In the dead of night.

Except for the martial artist on duty on the ship and some sailors, most of the guests were already asleep.

Zuo Dao came to the deck, raised his hand and made a gentle move.

Then he saw a kite flying rapidly in the night in the distance and landing on Zuo Dao's index finger.

Zuo Dao raised his hand and touched the kite's head, listening to the kite's cry.

A solemn look appeared on his face immediately, and he murmured to himself: "I didn't expect that there would be water bandits tonight."

(End of this chapter)