Nine Desolate Records

The dark passageway seemed to have no end.

Lu Li held up the luminous pearl and carried the brocade on his back, while Shi Yong supported Lin Qingyuan. The black lines on Lin Qingyuan's left arm had reached below his collarbone, and the Heart-Locking Pill was tug-of-war with the erosion at the edge of his heart meridian.

Emerging from the cave, they found themselves in the middle of an unfamiliar cliff, with a canyon below. They were situated on the waist of an unfamiliar mountain peak.

Lu Li looked at the map and notes.

"This is 'Dumb Wolf Ridge,' about eighty li southeast of Guilin Manor. We were thrown a distance by the disturbance of the earth's veins." His voice was weary. "From Dumb Wolf Ridge to Apricot Grove Valley, it's still more than five hundred li."

Lin Qingyuan, with his eyes closed, said, "The road is even more dangerous now."

The mute wolf ridge is marked as "a land of miasma, teeming with ferocious beasts".

The four found a crevice in the rocks to spend the night. Lu Li stood guard on the outermost edge. The night was filled with the howling of wolves, the sounds of crawling, and the drifting of pink mist.

As dawn broke, a thick fog enveloped the area.

We must leave. One hundred and fifty li from Dumb Wolf Ridge lies Bitter Spring Town, the only place where supplies and vehicles might be available.

The sounds of bells and wheels could be heard through the fog.

A caravan of mules passed by. Lu Li called out for help, saying that he had encountered a pack of wolves while collecting herbs, and that one of his companions was seriously injured.

The caravan leader was a burly man with a thick beard. After scrutinizing them, he agreed to give them a ride, but on harsh conditions: twenty copper coins per person, plus ten for Lin Qingyuan, and they would bear all the risks themselves.

The four men squeezed onto the last mule cart piled high with animal hides and ore.

The caravan moved through the fog. At midday, a pack of wolves followed, but after a standoff, they left. In the afternoon, they passed through a foul-smelling swamp and quickened their pace.

Before dusk, the fog dissipated. The outline of Bitter Spring Town appeared in the valley. The town was small, surrounded by earthen walls, with smoke rising from its chimneys.

The mule caravan entered the town and stopped in front of the simple carriage shop. The leader settled the bill, and Lu Li used Shi Yong's last remaining silver coins and an inconspicuous silver button he had found in a brocade sachet to pay the debt.

The manager of the carriage company was a lean old man who sized them up: "Need a carriage? Where to?"

"Apricot Grove Valley," Lu Li said.

The old man's eyes flashed: "That's a good place, but the road is long and difficult. Horse-drawn carriages can't get there. Only the cargo ship 'Feiyun Ferry' can go south along the 'Chensha River' to 'Qixia Lake,' which is 200 li outside Xinglin Valley. From there, you can travel by land, which would take two days if you're fast. The ship departs tomorrow, but the fare isn't cheap."

"How many?"

"Five taels of silver per person, including food and lodging. Double the amount for seriously injured."

Lu Li remained silent. They were penniless.

The old man saw their predicament: "No money? There are ways. 'Feiyun Ferry' is currently recruiting temporary guards to escort a batch of medicinal herbs to Qixia Marsh. If you're skilled, you can pay the fare and get wages. Looking at you..." He shook his head, "Probably not."

"We accepted it," Lu Li said calmly.

The old man raised an eyebrow: "You accepted? The guard job is dangerous. Chensha River isn't safe; there are river bandits and other things in the river. And you guys are like this?"

"We can fight." Lu Li lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal the hilt of a short knife (concealing a dagger), then pointed at Shi Yong, "He's strong."

The old man then looked at the unconscious Yun Jin and the weak Lin Qingyuan.

"These two can't board. It's the ship's rule: we don't take the dead, or the dying—it's bad luck." He waved his hand. "Unless you can prove they can make it to the destination."

Lu Li took out a small porcelain bottle from his robes, poured out a Heart-Locking Pill, and put it into Lin Qingyuan's mouth. Upon taking the pill, Lin Qingyuan's rapid breathing eased slightly.

He then took out a small bottle of Cleansing Dew and dripped it onto Yun Jin's brow. A faint, clear light flashed, and the girl's complexion seemed to improve slightly.

The old man's eyes shifted, and he leaned closer to smell the medicinal aroma: "...Good stuff. You're not ordinary hunters."

"We are apprentice pharmacists, and we encountered difficulties while gathering herbs," Lu Li said without changing his expression.

The old man stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly weighing his options, before finally nodding: "Alright. I'll give Old Liu face. Take them to the back room to rest, and I'll go talk to the ferry manager. Let me make this clear beforehand: if they don't pass the test, or if something goes wrong on the way, don't blame me."

Lu Li cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Steward Liu."

Manager Liu waved his hand, called over a shop assistant, and led them to a simple but clean empty room in the backyard of the carriage shop.

As soon as the door closed, Shi Yong collapsed to the ground. Lin Qingyuan sat down against the wall, his face deathly pale.

"Flying Cloud Ferry... Sinking Sand River..." Lin Qingyuan gasped for breath. "I know this road. There are 'Jiaowei Gang' bandits on the river, quite powerful. It's said there are also 'Sinking Sand Crocodiles' and even more troublesome creatures in the river. This escort job is a life-or-death situation."

"We have no choice." Lu Li checked Yun Jin's condition and dripped another drop of Cleansing Dew onto her. "We'll board the ship in three days and sail downstream, which is much faster than traveling by land. This is the only way to reach Xinglin Valley before the Cleansing Dew and Heart-Locking Pill run out."

He looked at the two of them: "In these three days, we must recover some of our strength. Shi Yong, you need to expel the poison from your body as soon as possible. Brother Lin, you must do your best to stabilize the erosion."

Shi Yong nodded, sat down cross-legged, and tried to expel the poison by circulating his internal energy. The bronze-colored lines under his skin glowed slightly.

Lin Qingyuan smiled wryly: "I'll do my best."

Lu Li walked to a corner and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing. He needed to stabilize 37% of his humanity while recovering his physical strength and meager spiritual power as much as possible. The three daggers in his arms lay dormant, as if they too were resting.

A day passes in the blink of an eye.

That day, Lu Li traded the last of his valuables (including Yun Jin's silver button) for some common medicine and clean bandages to treat the most superficial wounds on the four men. With Lu Li's help, Shi Yong managed to expel most of the remaining toxins from his body, and his complexion improved considerably, but he was severely weakened. Lin Qingyuan, relying on the Heart-Locking Pill and his willpower, managed to block the erosion an inch below his collarbone, but that was his limit. Yun Jin remained unconscious, and only half a bottle of Cleansing Dew remained.

On the morning of the third day, Manager Liu came to knock on the door.

"The assessment is at the ferry crossing, follow me."

Feiyun Ferry is a simple river port outside Kuquan Town, with several cargo ships of different sizes moored at the dock. The largest one is a two-masted flat-bottomed cargo ship with a dark red hull painted with the words "Feiyun".

On the open ground at the ferry crossing, about twenty men who had applied to be guards had gathered. Each of them was burly and carried weapons. A middle-aged man in a short jacket, who looked like a manager, was giving instructions.

"...The rules are clear! Protect the goods, obey orders! Follow the lead of Chief Wang on the road! Anyone who tries to cheat, shirks responsibility, or deserts will be thrown into the Shahe River to feed the fish! Those who do a good job will receive double the reward when they reach Qixia Lake!"

Manager Liu led Lu Li and the other two (Yun Jin was temporarily placed in the carriage shop and looked after by the shop assistants) through the crowd, whispered a few words to the middle-aged manager, and pointed to Lu Li and Shi Yong.

The middle-aged manager sized them up, paying particular attention to the pale-faced Lin Qingyuan, and frowned: "That's it? Old Liu, you're not joking, are you?"

"Give them a try, Manager Wang," Manager Liu said with a fawning smile. "These two lads have some real skills."

Manager Wang snorted and pointed to a large blue stone the size of a millstone next to him: "Strength test. Lift it and walk ten steps."

Shi Yong stepped forward, took a deep breath, and embraced the blue stone with both arms, the bronze patterns on his waist becoming faintly visible. He let out a low roar, and the blue stone lifted off the ground, taking ten steady steps before being set down, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

A few soft gasps were heard around them.

Manager Wang's expression softened slightly: "Not bad. Next one."

Lu Li stepped forward. He didn't move the stones, but looked at Steward Wang: "I'm skilled in close combat. May I spar with one of you brothers for a few rounds, just enough to make you pay?"

Steward Wang raised an eyebrow and pointed to a man among the guards who wielded a short sword: "Zhao Wu, you go. Be careful."

Zhao Wu grinned and drew his short knife: "Kid, watch out!"

Before the words were even finished, the blade was already upon him. Lu Li sidestepped, his right hand flashing at his waist (as if drawing a sword), a blurry shadow flashing past. No one could see whether he had actually drawn his weapon; only a soft "clang" was heard, Zhao Wu's sword was deflected, and Lu Li's hand (or whatever was in his hand) stopped three inches from Zhao Wu's throat.

Zhao Wu froze, sweat beading on his forehead.

Manager Wang's eyes narrowed. He hadn't seen Lu Li's movements clearly, but he felt that the move was quick and accurate, with an indescribable crispness and efficiency.

"Passed." Manager Wang nodded, then looked at Lin Qingyuan, "And him?"

"He is my companion. He is injured, but he knows about medicine and can work as a medical assistant on the ship," Lu Li said. "He won't take up a guard's quota. He only asks to board the ship. We three guards can have our wages halved."

Manager Wang pondered for a moment. The ship did indeed lack someone with some medical knowledge, even though this young man looked half-dead.

"Alright. But it's agreed that this is a bonus. The three of you will be paid as part of the wages for two guards. If anything happens on the way, he'll be the first to feed the fish." Steward Wang made the decision. "Go over there to sign the papers and get your number tags. Board the ship at noon!"

Lu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

At noon, the Feiyun slowly departed from the port.

Lu Li, Shi Yong, and Lin Qingyuan stood on the crowded deck, watching the town of Kuquan shrink in their field of vision. Yun Jin was placed in a relatively quiet corner of the lower deck, and was looked after by Shi Yong from time to time.

The cargo ship sailed south along the Chensha River. The current was rapid, and the ship was quite fast.

Lu Li leaned against the gunwale, gazing at the murky river. A faint sensation emanated from the tortoise-suppressing dagger in his robes; something seemed to be at the bottom of the river. Not river bandits, but something far more ancient and sinister.

He gripped the dagger tightly.

Five hundred miles of waterway, a three-day voyage.

Hope lies ahead.

But the crisis also lurks beneath the surface.