Setting Out!

Li LiBo took the tea from Fan Xinglai, gulped it down in a few mouthfuls, and gasped for breath.

The entire wharf was placed under martial law, and all the river officials who received the order went out to spread the word. He didn't dare to linger for a moment; he ran over here holding his breath.

Having received prior notice, Liang Qu dared not delay and rushed back to his bedroom to open the wooden box under the bed.

The robes, cloaks, and Waist Token were neatly folded inside, with two tungsten-colored Arm Guard at the top gleaming with dark gold light.

He put on the Fish King Demon Hide Inner Armor, the Heavenly Silk robe, the Mountain Ox Hide belt, the cloud -Cloud Stepping Boots, and finally fastened the Arm Guard, leaving only a cloak unworn.

As for weapons, he was armed with Hundred Refined Black Iron Great Bow, Subduing Waves Spear, and Azure Wolf Dagger.

He then tucked a quiver into his waistband to collect the arrows.

When the Whale Gang was captured, the quiver contained a total of twelve arrows, all over three feet long, completely black, with arrowheads that gleamed coldly—they were no ordinary arrows.

Tap the table.

Awei, who was curled up sleeping on the table, flew to Liang Qu's wrist, and together they became a perfectly fitting blue jade bracelet.

All dressed neatly, Liang Qu followed Li LiBo to Shang Rao Wharf, where soldiers were already waiting in small boats. There were three of them in total, two of whom were holding torches and standing in the darkness.

The leading soldier bowed respectfully.

"Is Lord Liang ready?"

Everything is ready.

"Please board the ship."

"Good!"

The small boat suddenly rose three inches into the water, but the soldiers were not surprised.

Not to mention the weight of the Martial Artist themselves, none of the weapons they used were light.

"Then, gentlemen, I shall take my leave?"

Li LiBo took his leave, and having been escorted here, his mission as a river official was considered complete.

The three soldiers had no objections and watched Li LiBo leave before rowing the boat away from the dock.

Water droplets stirred up by the long oars fell into the Great Marsh.

Not a single fisherman set out on his boat under curfew, the surrounding teahouses were deserted, and the entire Yi Xing Town was unusually quiet, with only the sound of oars striking the water.

Ripples break the moonlight.

The four people on the boat were all silent.

Halfway there, Liang Qu saw soldiers patrolling the riverbank with torches, and familiar faces from the River Conservancy Office passing by, either on horseback or on foot.

"Aren't the others taking the boat?"

The leading soldier clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Reporting to Lord Liang, we are short-handed and can only send a small number of ships. As for the others, they will have to find their own way."

Liang Qu nodded and said nothing more.

Upon reaching Pingyang Wharf, the railings of the ship were covered with torches, their blazing flames illuminating the surrounding area.

The small boat did not dock; instead, it carried Liang Qu directly to the hull of the ship. The long wooden ladder that had been extended down had already been retracted, and only a few rope ladders were thrown down from one side of the ship.

Liang Qu did not jump rashly. Carrying his longbow and spear, he obediently grabbed the rope ladder and boarded the boat.

It was already 7:45 Xu Time, and the sky was pitch black.

Looking down from the deck, the soldiers stood quietly in the shadows of the streets and houses, with a torch every twenty paces, centered around the ship at the dock.

They extended in all directions into several long and thin lines of fire, crisscrossing and cutting through the entire Ping Yang County.

The large flags on the top of the warships fluttered in the air, the firewood crackled, and cavalrymen, banging their clappers, rode along the long street to deliver orders and lead officials to assemble at the dock.

A sudden gust of night wind blew, carrying moisture, and Liang Qu's clothes became slightly damp.

There were so many people.

Liang Qu smoothed his clothes, condensed a few drops of water, wiped them evenly on his fingertips, and quickly let them dry in the wind.

The entire River Conservancy Office arrived with great fanfare, totaling dozens of ships. Among them, two large warships led the way, followed by many other warships, and then merchant ships. Presumably, the warships were all staffed with soldiers.

"Lord Liang, this way please."

The three soldiers pulled up the iron chain and boarded the small boat. The leader led Liang Qu up to the second floor of the ship and used a key to open the door to a small room on his own.

The room was small, but it had everything you needed.

A single bed, a long table with a box fixed on it containing writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, and a toilet bucket in the corner with the lid and body secured by locks. Clearly, this is Liang Qu's room.

"Will it take us a long time?"

The soldier shook his head. "I don't know, I'm just following orders."

Liang Qu pointed to the martial Martial Master who were boarding the ship one after another on the deck. "Where are they going to stay?"

"Their rooms were below deck, and they were large communal sleeping areas."

"Thank you for your help."

"It is my duty, Lord Liang. Do you have any further instructions?"

"No."

"In that case, I hope Lord Liang will refrain from wandering around before setting sail. I will take my leave now."

"Good."

The soldier bowed and retreated.

After everyone left, Liang Qu put down the large bow and long spear he was carrying, scratched his collar, and a stream of water flowed out.

There was no Ice Platform inside, so it was really stuffy and hot. I could only keep my clothes damp and uncomfortable.

He didn't wear the Fish King Skin Inner Armor when he went to the auction that day because it was too hot. As a result, he got cut in many places while fighting with the two members of the Ghost Mother Sect.

It's just that we can't care about comfort now.

Judging from the current situation, this trip will take quite a while; otherwise, if it were a round trip within a day, there wouldn't be a need to specially arrange a room for him.

"What a clearly defined world."

Some people live in single rooms, while others sleep in shared dormitories.

The world has always been this way.

Luckily, I was the one sleeping in a single room.

Liang Qu stood by the railing, overlooking the entire Ping Yang County.

The Martial Master instructors from the River Conservancy Office arrived one after another. After verifying their identities, they boarded the ship and, led by the soldiers, walked down to the deck.

The gray stone brick wharf was illuminated red by the flames, and warhorses neighed as they were led and fed by soldiers.

Now that things have come to this, everyone can guess what's going to happen. They board the warship with trepidation, feeling uneasy about their future.

Entering the River Conservancy Office is no different from enlisting in the army. On ordinary days, it seems to be a relaxed place where people can come and go as they please. All they need to do is accept missions to exchange for various cultivation resources.

But when something really happens that requires a coordinated mobilization, then it becomes a true military operation. No one dares to falter at this time; failing to show up would be considered desertion and certain death.

Liang Qu's advantage of having received advance notice was obvious. Before today, many people were still carefree and undisciplined, perhaps having just gotten out of a prostitute's bed, their belts loose.

That makes the actions of the River Conservancy Office understandable.

This journey is surely for something big, but too many people can lead to trouble. Any leak of information could allow the Ghost Mother Sect to learn of it beforehand and escape.

Around the Human Stillness time, Liang Qu saw the fire line that stretched across Ping Yang County gradually converge towards the wharf, pouring into the remaining warships on the wharf.

The stars twinkled.

Several soldiers on the bow exchanged signals while holding torches, and the entire ship suddenly began to rock violently.

The river tide crashed against the hull, splashing up layers of white spray, while the waning moon stretched endlessly.

With a jolt, Liang Qu keenly sensed that the dock was moving away from him.

We've set sail.

The soldiers on deck remained unmoved and continued to perform their duties.

Each soldier was at least a Martial Artist of the first level, and they moved past each other in an orderly fashion, making the entire ship move without any communication.

They methodically lowered the large sails, adjusted their angle, and under the cover of night, the ship gradually increased its speed, leaving streaks of white water behind it.

As dawn approached, around 9:45 PM, Liang Qu lay in bed, silently admiring the dark, surging Great Marsh through the porthole.

Footsteps approached from afar in the corridor.

A sergeant knocked on his door.

"Lord Liang, Lord Ran requests your presence."