Chapter 319 A sudden change in the competition
There were loud gongs and drums on the pier, and the country was also very lively.
Dragon boating seems to be something that everyone can participate in, but if you want to win the competition, everything from shipbuilding to personnel must be carefully selected, which costs a lot of money.
Ordinary people are busy all year round, so they only have a few days of temporary training in front of Dragon Boat Festival. They have no chance at all and they just join in the fun.
Therefore, the twelve dragon boats on the river are all from the major forces in Ezhou. Of course, the royal palace, the guards and other court forces will not participate.
As for the Buddhism and Taoism two religions, they are participated by escort agencies, caravans, etc. of lay disciples. The Confucianism is a group of energetic students.
The rest are E Prefecture Merchant Guild, Northern Mule and Horse Gang, Five Elements, Raft Sect, Craftsmen's Guild and other forces.
In short, one is richer than the other.
All the dragon boats are arranged neatly on the river. The men participating in the competition are uniformly dressed. Each team has a different color, but they are still the same as the five elements of green, red, yellow, white and black. At most, there are some changes in the matching.
At this moment, everyone is holding Three Incense Sticks and bending down respectfully.
Led by Cheng Jue himself, monks from the Enforcement Hall came by boat and placed a statue of Emperor Guan Saintly Monarch on the front base of each dragon boat.
Of course, the monks will also use various Divine Ability to investigate each dragon boat.
To be honest, this is the first time I have seen this format. After all, Dragon Boat Race is worshiping Sanlü Grand Master. Although the Lord Guan sacrifices in previous years were lively, everyone was basically busy with their own activities.
Although the men were also curious, they did not dare to ask more questions.
The superiors have personally given instructions on this matter. Even if they fall behind in the game, nothing will happen to the statue of Lord Guan. They just need to reach the Parrot Isle dock safely.
Boom! Boom!
Everything was in order, and with the roar of Sky Piercing Thunder, the people on the dock suddenly burst into loud cheers.
The men on each dragon boat also followed the instructions of the drums, inserted the paddles in their hands into the water, exerted their muscles, and moved the water backwards.
At the beginning, it was the charging stage, the dragon boat had not yet picked up speed, and the twelve teams were almost in a neat row.
As the sound of gongs and drums accelerated, the men also exerted their strength to swing the oars. Water splashed all around, and the dragon's head cut through the waves faster and faster.
It didn't take long for the twelve teams to become uneven. When they reached the midpoint of the journey and turned back together, the gap became wider and wider.
Although each team was selected a few days ago, the differences between them are also obvious.
For example, the students of the Wenjin Academy are just joining in the fun. After all, they study on weekdays and only occasionally gather for training, so they are slightly stronger than ordinary teams.
Regarding the dragon boat race, some old masters originally opposed it and thought it was inappropriate. However, in order to commemorate Sanlü Grand Master, this tradition was still preserved.
So from the beginning, they fell to the end.
The same situation applies to the mule and horse gangs. These men are big and thick, and have been walking in the mountains all year round. The title River Chief is of little use to them, they just don't want to be too embarrassed.
There are only three forces competing most fiercely.
E Prefecture Merchant Guild, Wudang Escort Agency, Raft Sect.
They all have to live on water, especially E Prefecture Merchant Guild and Raft Sect. Although cooperation is indispensable on weekdays, no one will let them do it at this time.
However, what is strange is that the Raft Sect team, which was originally the most promising team, is lagging behind now and can only be ranked in the middle.
The men at the Raft Sect were also furious.
"Work harder, work harder!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
"Can you guys know how to row a boat?"
Someone yelled and cursed directly, pointing the finger at a few people at the back of the boat.
Those men were temporarily arranged to board the ship.
Just the day before the competition, several people suffered from stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea. There were originally prepared personnel, but the leader Shi Chen arranged for these people to board the boat.
He looked strong and strong. I thought he was a master invited, but who knew that he would only be held back along the way.
Heavenly Saint Sect people still made a mistake.
The people they put in are all good people in the world, but dragon boat rowing is not about strength. What is important is that everyone is united and the rhythm cannot be messed up.
These people could barely keep up with the drumbeats, but the rhythm was messy. It was this difference that made the entire team fall behind.
If it weren't for the efforts of others, we would have fallen to the end.
These Raft Sect guys originally held their breath and wanted to win the title of River Chief, but now they have ended up like this, and they naturally yelled and cursed.
"What are you yelling about!"
At this moment, the "steward" who was in charge of the ship's command shouted angrily, "Who dares to fart on something arranged by the leader?"
"Everyone, please be energetic. If there is internal strife at this time, you will definitely fall into the bottom position. Work harder!"
There are rules in dragon boat rowing, and you can't question "turning the boat".
These men could only close their mouths, hold their breath, row hard, and barely occupy the middle position.
In fact, this "Waller" was also murmuring in his heart.
He is responsible for steering the helm, and he knows the direction of the ship very well. Now the ship has obviously been tampered with, the outside is covered with skin, and the center of gravity of the ship is a little wrong...
It is said that every line is like a mountain. Although the people at the Heavenly Saint Sect hired their own powerful craftsmen to do it, there is still a problem after all.
"Walai" secretly looked at the men again, and saw that they looked gloomy and did not talk back even if they were insulted by everyone, and immediately felt that something was wrong.
But I remembered the warning from the platoon leader Shi Chen, saying that as long as he reached the shore safely this time, he would be promoted to the "platoon leader", and I immediately stopped thinking about it.
Pai Bao Shi can take charge of a fleet. Not to mention the money allocated by the gang, even the tea fees given by merchants during transportation can make him rich immediately.
He didn't want to add unnecessary complications.
However, the matter was eventually noticed.
Parrot Isle Martial law has been imposed over the pier, and all the people have been driven away. Therefore, the prominent figures in the three cities of Wuchang are all watching the battle on the Wu Prefecture City pier.
"Hey, what happened today?"
The president of the Mule Horse Gang turned to look at Shi Chen and joked, "Pai Head Shi, didn't you vow to take Chief? Why are you so far behind?"
Shi Chen's heart trembled, but his face was expressionless. He cursed and said, "A few people have eaten their stomachs. It must be one of you who has done something to prevent me from winning River Chief."
He is cunning and knows how to change the subject.
Sure enough, someone immediately expressed dissatisfaction and said, "Pai Head Shi, you have to be careful what you say. This name of River Chief won't make me wait for the evil hand."
"Even so, only you can use this method!"
"Okay, okay, we are all in the same camp, don't argue..."
Although everyone was chatting and changing the topic, Shi Chen looked at the gloomy-looking Commandery Commandant Office personnel in the rain in the distance, especially Divine Firearm behind him, and still felt inexplicably in his heart.
He remained calm and turned to look at the crowd below. When he saw the broken gong Old Beggar over there, his heart trembled even more.
That night, he brought Fu Family Siblings into the room. Although it was a one-night affair, he fell into the trap and was raped by the two of them Gu Curse.
This kind of Gu Curse is extremely scary. With just a slight push, weird bugs will emerge from the seven orifices, and they are extremely secretive.
He comes from Changsha Prefecture. Although he practices martial arts, he has been exposed to Xiangxi Gu Arts and knows how powerful this Gu is.
As long as the other party activates it, it can make him unable to live or die. Besides, there are people watching all the time, so there is no chance to ask someone to remove the poison.
As a last resort, he joined Heavenly Saint Sect. Fu Family Siblings agreed that not only would the poison be released, but he would also be allowed to join the rebels and become a leader.
Of course, Shi Chen doesn't believe this at all.
All his confidence came from the Raft Sect. Without these ships in his hands, he would be no different from those dead Jianghu travelers.
Thinking of this, Shi Chen looked carefully again, and when he saw that Fu Family Siblings had disappeared in the crowd, he was completely panicked.
The other party had no intention of letting him live!
Once something happens, he will become the scapegoat.
I'm afraid that by then, the old man will also urge Gu worms to silence him, leaving his family to be traced by the court and imprisoned.
Thinking of this, Shi Chen became even more panicked, a fierce light rose in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth and held the musket at his waist.
"Pai Head Shi, what's wrong with you?"
The people around him immediately noticed something was wrong with him.
Shi Chen didn't talk nonsense, Hidden Strength exploded under his feet, left the high platform in two slow steps, suddenly jumped up, and jumped over the heads of the people below.
At the same time, he took out his musket and pointed it at Old Beggar.
He had already tested the power of muskets.
Even if it wasn't New Style Firearm, he could beat this old man to death.
Fu Family Siblings has left. As long as this person is killed, no one urges Gu worms, and the dragon boat is stopped, there will be a chance to turn the tide.
If done properly, all the black pot can be thrown out.
The worst case scenario is giving away the foundation in exchange for the lives of the whole family.
Thinking of this, Shi Chen didn't hesitate anymore, pointed at the old man's head, and suddenly pulled the trigger.
Snap!
However, the ram fell, but the musket did not fire.
Shi Chen felt a sudden chill in his heart.
However, the gunpowder cabin was wet with rain and did not ignite.
Clang clang clang!
Old Beggar was also startled and beat the gong desperately.
"Ah--!"
Shi Chen screamed in mid-air and fell into the crowd.
He was in excruciating pain, tearing at the skin of his body desperately, but densely packed strange insects resembling centipedes had emerged from his five senses and seven orifices, and more had penetrated into his internal organs, biting crazily.
This kind of pain has exceeded the limit of human endurance, but he will not die for a while. Shi Chen's miserable screams almost echoed through the pier.
Such a terrifying scene made the surrounding people retreat in fear.
Whoosh whoosh!
When there were several Commandery Commandant Office masters, they jumped over in a few steps, pushed aside the crowd, and Canglanglang drew out his saber.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Old Beggar wanted to run away, but as soon as he took two steps, arrows and crossbows flew towards him, pinning his legs to the ground.
"It's Gu worms!"
The leaders of various forces also raised their heads to wait and see.
Some people also know this kind of technique, but they just shake their heads after taking one look at it.
"It's hopeless!"
Shi Chen's eardrums and eyes had been bitten by Gu worms on the ground. Blood spurted out of his mouth. Even his vocal cords had been torn to pieces. He could no longer scream and was just twisting wildly.
Seeing this scene made everyone feel frightened.
Some people can't bear it and want to give Shi Chen a good time, but something has obviously happened now, and if they do it, they will probably be suspected and silenced.
In addition, Shi Chen usually offended many people, so he turned around one by one.
Cheng Jue was also on the shore. Seeing that he ignored it at all, he immediately stood up and shouted, "Send the message and stop Raft Sect's ship!"
On the high platform on the shore, there were soldiers from the guard station waving colorful flags.
On the river at this moment, there are not only dragon boats competing, but also guard warships, and Enforcement Hall Martial Monk is stationed on them.
Although the race will soon be decided, there is still some distance from the Parrot Isle pier, enough to stop the Raft Sect dragon boat.
Boom, boom, boom!
As the war drums sounded, the naval warships immediately moved forward, blocking the path of many dragon boats. Several masters had already jumped up, like flying birds, borrowing power between the dragon boats and rushing towards the Raft Sect dragon boat.
Parrot Isle On the pier, several figures suddenly appeared, dressed in official uniforms, and even two old eunuchs, each with a fierce aura.
They are all masters sent by the palace to guard.
"What are you doing!"
On board Raft Sect, the man also noticed something was wrong.
However, several Heavenly Saint Sect thugs immediately stood up, punched and kicked people around them and directly knocked them into the water.
"I've been discovered, take action!"
Several of them were fanatical warriors. Seeing the masters jumping over, they immediately tore off the wooden planks under their feet and lit the fuses with fire sticks.
The lead is extremely short and will burn instantly.
Boom!
On the surface of the river, fire splashed all of a sudden, like thunder.
The gunpowder on the ship was mixed with "Coal Essence" and "Red Niter", both of which were specially formulated for New-Style Gunpowder.
Not only that, but a lot of phospholipid was also placed around it.
For a moment, the river surface was filled with flames, and even the people on the shore could see it clearly.
The masters who leapt forward were like ants, directly hit by the blast wave, spitting blood from their mouths, and flew out upside down.
Those Heavenly Saint Sect monsters were naturally shattered to pieces immediately, but the remaining dragon boats were not in trouble either.
The violent explosion caused huge waves, and immediately several dragon boats capsized, throwing the men on them into the river.
Moreover, the phosphorus fire grease was splashing everywhere. Although the dragon boat did not sink, it was ignited. There were also many men who were stained with phosphorus fire. They screamed and fluttered in the water, but it seemed to be stuck to their bodies and could not be shaken off.
The statues of Lord Guan on the dragon boat also fell into the river and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The scene in front of him made Cheng Jue feel chilled.
On the Parrot Isle pier, a huge altar has been erected. Yu LanShan has disheveled hair and is playing with five huge Yin Yang Bagua mirrors on the altar, just in line with the Four Symbols Feng Shui situation.
As the Emperor Guan Saintly Monarch statue fell into the water, the Bagua Mirror in the center began to rotate slowly, and also moved several other mirrors.
Yu LanShan's complexion changed drastically. He bit the tip of his tongue and sprayed a mouthful of blood on the mirror. Then he pressed the mirror with both hands and shouted angrily, "What's going on? Quickly, pick up the Lord Guan statue and continue the competition. At least half of it must come to Parrot Isle!"
Prince of Wu Prefecture was also there, with a gloomy look on his face. Hearing this, he said, "Let them take action quickly!"
He had many arrangements here, but he didn't expect something happened in the middle.
The news came out immediately. At this moment, Cheng Jue didn't want to think too much about what went wrong, and immediately gathered experts in the water to salvage it in the river.
However, the Yangtze River is deep, full of silt and undercurrents, so no matter how good the water is, people will not be able to find it for a while.
The people on the shore were even more confused, and various rumors spread quickly into the city.
E Prefecture Merchant Guild In the small courtyard, everyone has naturally learned about it.
"Something went wrong?"
Wang Dao Xuan frowned slightly and immediately said, "Brother Brother Lu, go to the pier immediately to find Master Cheng Jue..."
"Remember, let Prince of Wu Prefecture say a word from his own mouth."
"What words?"
"Alligator Dragon, also a dragon..."