Starting with the divine power of the Great Vajra, he traversed the heavens.

Chapter 101 Encountering Enemies on the River
Plain noodles.

It uses fine noodles that are hand-rolled.

Sprinkle with finely chopped scallions.

Half a bowl of broth, a spoonful of lard, a spoonful of soy sauce from Old Wang's shop at the bridgehead, and two small bok choy.

Oh, and to be extravagant, let's add a silly egg to the nest.

That would be wonderful.

The three of them ate to their hearts' content, sighed, and put down their large bowls, leaving not a drop of soup.

So pretty!
The chef at the tavern is truly skilled at making a bowl of plain noodles so delicious.

After breakfast, the three of them didn't rush to continue their journey.

It was early spring, March, and the days of rain had finally stopped, leaving the sky bright and clear. So I accompanied the little beggar to the cloth shop and bought a few bolts of cloth.

Hongxiu's skills were average, but she was willing to sew, so Ren Shaoyang and Ding'an let her do it.

The little beggar said that Shao Yang's new white robe, Ding An's new black short jacket, and his own moon-white short jacket would definitely be made for him when they arrived in Yichang.

Ding'an asked her why she stopped sewing floral-patterned jackets.

Hongxiu sighed that she was no longer young and the floral cotton jacket was no longer suitable for her. Besides, after hearing the story from last night, she thought that Xue and Hua Xiaoshuang looked very dashing in white clothes, and she wanted to try it herself.

Ren Shaoyang always sensed that she was a little jealous, and secretly laughed at her high aspirations.

When the donkey cart was traveling on the official road again, Ren Shaoyang looked at the Yangtze River not far away and suddenly said, "How about we try taking a boat?"

Hongxiu poked her head out, looked at the rolling river, and said excitedly, "Hey, I've never been on a boat before!"

Ding'an shaded his eyes with his hand, gazing at the distant sight of thousands of sails racing and hundreds of boats vying for position, and couldn't help but nod: "Looks pretty good."

The three hit it off immediately, and just as they arrived at the ferry, a brand-new cedar wood passenger and cargo ship sailed by.

Although these square-bowed, high-sterned boats are not large, they can carry both passengers and cargo, and can accommodate 200 shi of goods and seven or eight passengers. The cabins are also stocked with fine wine and seasonal dishes, and they were known as "landing boats".

The boatman, dressed in a straw raincoat and hat, waved and called out, "Are the three of you going to cross the river?"

The three looked over and saw that the boatman had graying temples, a thin figure, and was holding a large bamboo pole. His hands were also very large and rough. He looked like a lean tiger, but his imposing presence was undiminished.

Ren Shaoyang said loudly, "Old man, that's right!"

The boatman was overjoyed and invited them to board the boat.

The three men and their donkey cart boarded the boat. Once inside the cabin, they found it bright and clean, with a lovely, lively girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old smiling and greeting them.

Then four or five more customers arrived, but the white-haired boatman still felt it wasn't enough. He stood at the bow of the boat, constantly calling out to customers.

The little beggar sat there looking on with curiosity. When he learned that he could order food and drinks, he asked the little girl for some wine and fish.

During this time, I also learned that the little girl's name was Shi Shuyun, and her grandfather, the old boatman, was called Old Man Shi by everyone.

Hongxiu returned with a smile, carrying wine and dishes. They drank together while gazing at the river view, which was quite a unique experience.

Once the boat set sail, the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill, so they rested their chins on the windowsill, gazing at the mountains on both sides and listening to the cries of monkeys.

A few strands of hair were blown by the wind. Hongxiu raised her hand and tucked them behind her ear, then straightened the copper-flower hairpin in her hair bun. She turned to Ren Shaoyang and said, "The scenery is really beautiful, and I'm not tired at all."

Ren Shaoyang smiled and said, "Going downstream with the flow of the river is much faster than walking."

Hongxiu watched for a while, then found it a bit boring, so she turned back and said, "Old Man Shi and Shi Shuyun both have excellent martial arts skills."

Ren Shaoyang asked, "How high do you think it is?"

Hongxiu thought for a moment and said, "Shi Shuyun uses hidden weapons, which are fine for dealing with ordinary martial arts practitioners, but they are not enough against experts."

"As for Old Man Shi, he uses a long weapon and is quite skilled; he must be a big shot."

Ren Shaoyang said, "This old man Shi is clearly a wandering eccentric, living a carefree life on the great rivers and lakes."

Hongxiu said, "Yes, it's really not easy to retire when you're old."

Ding An, with a fishbone stuck in his mouth and picking his teeth, said, "So, they're not bad people, and we don't have to worry about turning into flatbread and falling into the water?"

The little beggar laughed and said, "We're all kind people. Besides, if you fall in, I'll just fish you out, won't I?"

Ding'an looked at the river, with clouds and mist swirling in the distance, and shivered: "The water is too cold, I can't go down."

Just then, Old Man Shi called out, "Sir, please have a seat!"

Suddenly, a boat came towards them, and just as they were about to collide, a long bamboo pole extended out and pointed at the bow of the opposite boat.

Suddenly the boat tilted slightly, and the two boats passed each other.

Ding'an exclaimed, "What strength! What superb marksmanship!"

Hongxiu nodded and said, "Truly extraordinary."

As the boat sails on the Yangtze River, one sees a clear blue sky, golden water, and picturesque scenery on both banks.

On the other side, the little girl named Shi Shuyun finished her work on the boat and sat at the bow, occasionally looking back at Ren Shaoyang, seemingly very curious.

After a while, Shi Shuyun carried a handful of lotus seeds into the warehouse and gave them to everyone.

Hongxiu gave her a sweet smile.

Ding'an also thanked him with a simple and honest smile.

Ren Shaoyang nodded and said, "Thank you, young lady."

Shi Shuyun blushed and said, "Young master, no need to thank me." She turned and ran out of the cabin, sitting at the bow of the boat and humming a song again.

Ren Shaoyang picked up a lotus seed, didn't remove the core, and just put it in his mouth. It tasted sweet and refreshing, without a trace of bitterness.

Hongxiu nudged him: "Little Boat Girl is lovesick."

Ren Shaoyang shook his head: "Nonsense."

Ding An asked with a bitter face, "I thanked her, why is she ignoring me?"

The little beggar rolled his eyes at him: "If you understand this, Xiang Ling'er won't marry Tie Tou."

Ding An fell silent instantly, only shrinking his head back.

The boat was moving slowly, and after two more days, it had entered the Wu Gorge.

During this time, Hongxiu and Shi Shuyun got along very well, and Hongxiu even learned many songs from her, which she sang to Ding'an and Shaoyang every day.

And she didn't stop sewing; she had already finished sewing all three pieces of clothing.

When Hongxiu changed into a moon-white short jacket, she looked like a grown-up young woman, but she was no longer the skinny girl she used to be.

On this day, they came to a turbulent canyon where the torrents were surging and the water was rushing.

But suddenly there were more boats on the river.

Old Shi, with his white beard flowing, was focused on steering the ship, seemingly oblivious to everything else.

Suddenly, someone on the shore blew a conch shell, the sound echoing throughout the surrounding mountains.

The echoes reverberate through the mountains, and the rushing waters lap against the shore.

Ren Shaoyang looked up and saw more than a dozen speedboats suddenly emerge.

But then they saw six or seven burly men with yellow turbans on each speedboat, wielding knives and guns, rushing straight towards them with a whoosh.

Seeing Shi Shuyun sitting at the bow of the boat, looking pretty and adorable, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Here she comes! This little wench is really beautiful, I want her."

Before she could finish speaking, Shi Shuyun chuckled and said, "So fierce, here's some lotus seeds for you." With a flick of her hand, two burly men threw down their weapons, covered their eyes, roared, and fell off the boat.

The remaining bandits immediately shouted, "Everyone be careful, that bitch's hidden weapons are powerful!"

Then, bandits jumped out of the small boats. Those with good agility jumped aboard, while those with poor agility bit their knives and jumped into the water, either chiseling at the boat or climbing onto the gunwale.

Upon seeing this, Shi Shuyun shouted, "How dare you mess with my boat?" She waved her small hand repeatedly, scattering lotus seeds like raindrops, but they were not dried lotus seeds, but iron lotus seeds.

The burly men boarding the ship cried out in alarm; some had iron nails embedded in their faces, some had been struck in the chest, and some had their weapons knocked from their hands.

In an instant, several people screamed as they were swept into the river.

But most of the people still rushed forward.

Just then, a clear whistling sound came, and Old Man Shi swung his long pole, sweeping it horizontally like thunder.

With a snap, the three men in the lead were instantly swept away, skipping dozens of times before disappearing into the water.

Just as the other man climbed onto the gunwale, Old Man Shi struck him with his long pole, smashing his brains out like he was playing whack-a-mole, and he fell into the water.

However, he and his granddaughter Shi Shuyun were only two people, and the other sailors were just ordinary people. Seeing this fierce battle, they had already huddled together, and the guests were also scurrying about, unable to help.

As the number of pirates increased, the sound of hammering and chiseling could be heard from under the boat.

Old Man Shi finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Young man in white robes, please help me!"

Ren Shaoyang smiled and was about to speak when Hongxiu shouted first, "Grandpa Shi, I, Hongxiu, will help you first!"

As he spoke, he waved his hands repeatedly, and the sound of "whoosh whoosh whoosh" could be heard continuously.

As Shi Shuyun stared in disbelief, dozens of flying knives whistled out, like two cavalry squads on the left and right, surrounding and tearing apart the bandits who had boarded the boat.

With a whooshing sound, wooden throwing knives were seen either slicing the throats of the bandits, smearing their eyes, or gouging out their ears.

More than ten burly men clutched their heads and flew out backwards, splashing up huge sprays of water.

But the most amazing thing is that the flying knives did not fall; instead, they swirled and intertwined in pairs, generating new power and flying faster and faster!

Above the ship's side, the flying knife spun in mid-air, forming a top-like vortex with a diameter of twelve feet.

Wherever this swirling light drifted, screams of agony followed. As the light departed, the bandits were seen spraying blood and falling off the boat.

Old Shi killed a river bandit with a single stroke of his pole. Seeing the incredible spectacle of the Red Sleeve Flying Knife, he exclaimed in astonishment, "A Tang Clan hidden weapon?"

Hongxiu said sweetly, "It's 'Red Sleeve Flying Knife'! It's called 'Time is money'!"

"Damn it, that little slut with the throwing knife is in the cabin, go in and kill her!"

Several burly men were enraged upon hearing this and were about to charge in.

"Crash!"

A silver-white iron chain suddenly emerged from the cabin, and the burly men were cut in half at the waist and fell into the river.

"Huh? There are more experts?" The remaining people were shocked.

Ding'an suddenly leaped out of the cabin, and with a whoosh, used his claws to grab at the target, as if falling from the sky.

The screams of agony were incessant; those struck all suffered broken bones and died instantly.

Just then, Ren Shaoyang, who was in the cabin, said, "To eradicate evil completely, I'll finish this off (steal the kill)."

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeves three times, and with three sharp, hissing sounds, three strands of shimmering blue sword threads shot out.

It flew more than twenty feet, with two strands sticking to the small boat and one strand falling into the water.

Ren Shaoyang smiled at Hongxiu and said, "I'll come back as soon as the cup falls."

Hongxiu asked curiously, "What kind of game is it this time?"

Ren Shaoyang laughed and said, "Just you wait and see." He then tossed his wine cup into the air.

The figure vanished suddenly.

Suddenly, the river surface turned red, and several bodies of river bandits were revealed.

Then a white figure suddenly appeared on a small boat, and in the blink of an eye, it moved like smoke and mist among more than twenty small boats.

brush!
Ren Shaoyang sat back down, took the wine glass, handed it to Hongxiu, and raised an eyebrow: "Fill it up!"

Hongxiu smiled and poured wine, saying, "Crippled man, you're getting better and better at it." She tapped her forehead, "Yes, just like you said, I'm showing off!"

Ren Shaoyang laughed heartily: "What swordsman doesn't show off?"

Crackle!

The sound of breaking came from afar, followed by splashes of water.

Hongxiu glanced out the window and saw that more than twenty small boats had broken in two, and the bodies of the bandits kept sliding into the water, staining the river surface red.

He shook his head and sighed, "What's the difference between you and the legendary sword immortal?"

Ren Shaoyang took a sip of his drink: "It's alright, it was just a trick."

Hongxiu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then chuckled: "When you have a martial arts competition with Uncle Yan at the end of the year, he'll probably be so scared when he sees this move that his hair will stand on end."

Ren Shaoyang shook his head and said, "No one has ever seen the 'Wedding Dress Divine Skill' at its peak, so the outcome is hard to say."

Outside the cabin, Ding'an and Old Man Shi worked together to wipe out the pirates on the deck.

"You're still alive?" Suddenly, Old Man Shi shouted, and like a soaring eagle, he grabbed a burly man in yellow clothes and a yellow turban with a thick beard on the water in the blink of an eye.

The burly man was dragged back to the boat by Old Man Shi, his body already limp as mud.

His eyes were fixed on the silent boat in the distance, his face contorted with blood as he screamed, "Ghost, ghost, ghost!"

"Shut up!" Old Shi roared like thunder, his face stern. "You dare to insult me?"

The man in yellow ignored him and instead chuckled foolishly, saying, "White shadow, white, killed everyone in a flash, killed them all!"

Old Shi sneered, "'A nest of yellow bees across the river,' what a great reputation! How dare you act foolish? How shameful!" By this point, his voice was stern.

But the man in yellow continued to laugh maniacally, "Ghost, ghost, ghost!" His laughter grew increasingly eerie, and his voice became increasingly shrill.

Suddenly, his face turned deathly green, he spat out green liquid, made a few hoarse noises, convulsed a few times, his head lolled to the side, and he stopped breathing.

"Eh? Grandpa?"

Shi Shuyun walked up in surprise, looked at him, and then said to Old Man Shi, "This person seems to be somewhat dead."

Old Shi was stunned. He looked at the big man carefully and exclaimed, "My God! He's not pretending to be stupid. He's scared to death!"

The two men surrounded the corpse, shouting and discussing the cause.

Ding An shrugged and went back into the cabin.

The beggar offered a glass of wine: "Broken hand, you've suffered!"

Ding'an chuckled and took the drink, finishing it in one gulp.

Just then, a thumping sound was heard.

Then they saw Old Man Shi leading Shi Shuyun, walking over with smiles on their faces.

He bowed to Ren Shaoyang and the other two.

"Thank you all, gentlemen!"

(End of this chapter)