Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

The river was shrouded in mist in the early morning, and the autumn wind made the clothes of the people standing on the dock flutter.

Lin Ji and his group stood on the dock, followed by several Green Robe Gang members carrying luggage.

Feng Zhonglin also walked over from a short distance away, still dressed the same as before. He stepped forward and handed Lin Ji a folded road pass, pointing to the passenger ship behind the dock and saying:

"This is the 'Shun'an' passenger ship of the Canal Caravan. It will travel north along the East China Sea and arrive at your destination in three days. When you arrive at the disembarkation point, someone will meet you there. Then you can take the land route directly to Mount Hua."

"Thank you for your trouble." Lin Ji accepted the travel permit and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Mr. Lin, you're too kind." Feng Zhonglin chuckled. "I've got my back in Jiangcheng, so there won't be any trouble. Take care on your journey, and remember to come back soon after the Huashan matter is settled."

Shen Jinluan stepped forward and handed a cloth bag to Bai Yu'er: "Yu'er, this contains medicine and silver notes. You should be able to use them on the road. Take this."

Bai Yu'er took it and nodded.

Several ship horns sounded to urge them on, and porters on the dock shouted as they carried the luggage.

Lin Ji led Bai Yu'er and Su Wanning up the gangway, with Gu Xuan following behind, carrying two heavy wooden boxes containing his mechanical gadgets.

The Shun'an was indeed a large passenger ship, with a three-story hull painted in maroon and decorated with intertwined floral patterns on the hull.

The lower deck is for cargo, the upper two decks are passenger cabins, and the top deck even has an observation deck. It also has a restaurant and an opium den. Compared to the rickety ferries in Jiangcheng, it's like night and day.

"Wow... such a big ship!" Bai Yu'er clung to the railing on the side of the ship, staring wide-eyed down at the river water, which was churning up white waves and being cleaved by the ship, leaving long trails of water.

This was the first time in her life she had ever been on such a big ship.

Su Wanning stood beside her, her eyes filled with curiosity, her fingertips gently tracing the cold iron bars:

"I had only ever seen ships in books before, I never imagined they were this big."

The first-class cabin of the Shun'an is located on the top deck of the ship. Inside the cabin are two suites connected together, and outside is a small living room.

On the table in the living room were some celadon tea sets, and in the corner there was even a small copper stove burning charcoal, making the room warm and cozy.

"This ship owner certainly knows how to do business." Su Wanning put down her small leather suitcase and looked around. "It's much more comfortable than I expected."

Bai Yu'er didn't speak. She sat on the chair by the window, gazing at the receding riverbank outside, her eyes slowly drifting into the distance.

The river wind whipped up waves that lapped against the gunwale of the boat with a whooshing sound.

The sound was just like the little wrecked boat she and her brother had been in many years ago.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ji walked over and sat down next to her.

Bai Yu'er snapped out of her reverie, forced a smile, and said, "It's nothing... I was just looking at this river and it reminded me of the past."

She paused, her fingers gently twisting the hem of her dress, her voice soft:

"Back then, my brother and I fled south in a leaky little fishing boat. The planks were cracked, and when it rained, it drizzled inside the boat and poured down inside the boat."

Xiao Nian was only seven years old then, running a high fever, lying on the deck of the boat, too weak even to cry. I held him, shielding him from the rain with my body, afraid... afraid he wouldn't make it."

As she spoke, her voice gradually grew hoarse, and her eyes reddened:

"Back then, I just thought that it would be good to get to the south and survive. But when I got to Jiangcheng, I had no relatives or friends. I was just a little girl with a sick younger brother. I did all kinds of jobs, such as washing clothes and carrying goods at the dock. I was almost sold to a brothel. Back then, I never dared to imagine that one day I would be able to sit on such a big ship and go north again."

Tears finally rolled down my cheeks and landed on the back of my hand, burning hot.

"Life is so unpredictable." She sniffed, looked up at Lin Ji, her eyes misty with tears. "If I hadn't met you, my brother and I might have starved to death on the streets long ago. Everything we have now is thanks to you."

Seeing her nose red from crying, Lin Ji's heart softened, and he reached out to pull her into his arms.

Bai Yu'er leaned against his shoulder, her shoulders trembling slightly as she suppressed her sobs.

She has never told anyone these things in all this time.

Whether they are spoiled or unruly, it's all because they are afraid of being looked down upon or bullied.

Only when she was with Lin Ji did she dare to reveal this bitterness.

Seeing the two of them, Su Wanning, who was standing nearby, tactfully stood up and said softly:

"I'm going out for a walk to see the scenery on the ship and maybe find something to eat."

Lin Ji looked up at her and nodded: "Don't go too far, it's almost noon, come back for lunch in a bit."

"Okay." Su Wanning smiled, closed the door, and left.

There were only two people left in the cabin.

Bai Yu'er buried herself in his arms, remaining silent for a long time before finally raising her head, her eyes red like a rabbit's.

"Have you cried enough?" Lin Ji pinched her cheek.

"You're so annoying." Bai Yu'er slapped his hand away, her cheeks flushed. "I was just thinking about things from the past."

"Alright, it's all in the past." Lin Ji ran his fingertips through her hair, then suddenly a smile played on his lips. "Speaking of which, how's your Heavenly Evolution Technique cultivation going? Shall I check it for you?"

Bai Yu'er was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant, her face turned even redder, and she reached out and punched him: "You're so annoying! Sister Wan Ning just left, and you're already being so indecent."

As she spoke, she snuggled closer to him.

The two snuggled together, whispering to each other for a while, and then played around for a bit. The sun outside the window gradually climbed to its zenith, swaying gently; it was almost noon.

Lin Ji looked up at the shadows cast by the sun outside the window and frowned. "Why hasn't Wan Ning returned yet?"

Bai Yu'er straightened up as well: "Yes, it's been almost an hour. We're just looking at the scenery, why has it taken so long?"

Lin Ji didn't speak, closed his eyes, and his energy spread out slightly in his mind, extending along the cabin.

The movements of the entire ship were gradually brought into perception.

The baggage handlers in the lower deck, the passengers in the middle deck, the clinking of glasses in the top-floor restaurant... Suddenly, his brow furrowed.

The lower deck of the ship was bustling with noise and filled with smoke; it was a casino.

And Su Wanning was there.

She was surrounded by several people, all of whom seemed hostile.

"Oh no!" Lin Ji suddenly opened his eyes and stood up. "Wan Ning is in danger."

"Huh?" Bai Yu'er quickly stood up as well: "What's wrong?"

"Let's go take a look." Lin Ji's face darkened, and he pushed open the door and walked out.

Bai Yu'er quickly followed, her heart clenching with anxiety.

The corridor was bustling with people, vendors hawking their wares, travelers hurrying along, all making a racket.

Lin Ji walked quickly down the stairs. The further down he went, the louder the noise became, a mixture of shouts, dice clatter, and women's laughter and curses.

That was the casino level specially set up on the ship, a melting pot of all sorts of people.

How did Su Wanning, a young lady, end up there?