Boarding the Ship for the Open Sea

Although the pay was meager, the laborers still lined up in long rows, eagerly treading across the sturdy, specially made planks as they carried cargo back and forth between the ship and the open space at the dock.

The ship was only about thirty meters from the open space on the dock—not far at all.

Once the cargo reached the dock, merchants led other laborers in loading their own goods onto handcarts.

That cost money too, though the distance was shorter than carrying cargo from the ship to the dock.

The crew and Martial Artists simply stood to the side, arms folded, watching.

Some who had only just entered the Skin Refining Realm were glad they had chosen to practice martial arts; otherwise, they would be struggling in the same wretched conditions as these laborers.

The short-haired, blue-clad female Martial Artist did not disembark. She brought a lounge chair onto the deck, then lay in it to sunbathe.

Only some of the other crew members had gone ashore to buy supplies and fresh water.

Zhao Si spotted several others waiting like him and paced over to the steward, who was barking orders and directing the laborers.

He followed them over as well.

As expected, all he had to do was speak with the steward to board the ship the next day.

The ship made the round trip between Xiqing County in Yongzhou, Great Zhou, and Huanglong County in Huangzhou, Great Qi. The steward told everyone boarding this, so no one would accidentally get on the wrong ship.

As long as you paid, the steward would remember your face and tell you to come to the dock at one in the afternoon the next day. The ship would not wait for latecomers.

After everyone else had paid their fare—at least thirty