That Scared People

Yang Shan could not help glancing at the cat that spoke human words. With difficulty, he shifted his gaze from it to Pan Yun's face. "Dawn is almost here."

Once dawn came, they would be docking.

Pan Yun glanced at Quanzhou Harbor, which was drawing ever closer, smiled in acknowledgment, and sheathed her sword.

The lively fish were sent to the kitchen, their fishy lives coming to an end.

Stewed chicken, pan-fried fish, grilled fish, steamed fish, stir-fried bean sprouts, cabbage fish soup...

The aroma filled the ship and even drifted to the other vessels.

Miao He woke from a nap with her stomach rumbling.

She immediately got out of bed, nose tipped upward as she sniffed her way along to the ship's side. Staring at the flagship ahead, she looked utterly bewildered. "Why is the good food over there?"

Miao Zhen looked at her speechlessly. "It's so far away, and there's a sea breeze. You can actually smell it?"

"You can't?"

"I can't." Miao Zhen grabbed her and headed for the kitchen. "We're about to dock. Let's just grab something to eat."

The fleet slowly docked. Though there were clearly many berths, Yang Shan had the other ships dock first, leaving their few vessels at the back of the line.

The cabin door, which had been shut all night, opened. The cook brought in the prepared dishes and set them out one by one on the table. After wiping his hands, he placed down a jug of wine. "Eat up."

The four people stared at the spread, dumbfounded. "I-Is this our last meal?"

The cook neither confirmed nor denied it. He merely said, "We've docked, so don't even think about running. Everyone here is one of ours. You can't escape. If you behave, you'll suffer less, and we'll save