The Tower Ship

Two months later, on the banks of the Hunlong River outside Kaiyang City in Zhao Province, southern Great Qi.

The sky had only just begun to brighten, and a thin white mist was rising all around. At a ferry crossing that should have been deserted, people were gathering in twos and threes. Some came on foot in fine clothes, light and graceful; others had traveled from afar by horse or carriage, clad in coarse, worn garments.

No matter which group they belonged to, each included young men and women who seemed scarcely grown. The older ones were mostly solemn and grave, while the younger ones were brimming with excitement.

In barely a quarter of an hour, more than forty people had gathered at the crossing, including what looked to be fifteen or sixteen young men and women.

Surprisingly, no matter how many arrived, most stood quietly without moving, save for the occasional low conversation between those who had come together.

More strangely, beyond the patch of ground around the crossing, the mist over the water grew ever thicker, until it was so dense that one could not see a hand before one's face.

By now, fewer and fewer people were arriving. At last, no one came.

After another quarter of an hour, anxious expressions began to appear on the faces of the people waiting there.

Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly rolled across the river nearby. The thick mist churned and surged, as though some colossal creature were bursting through it.

The people at the crossing perked up at once, every one of them staring wide-eyed in that direction.

The mist split apart, revealing a massive tower ship, five or six zhang tall and more than thirty zhang long. It sailed slowly toward the crossing.

A stir ran through the crowd, and many faces lit up with excitement.

The tower ship finally stopped in deep water seven or eight zhang from the crossing. Then someone drifted down from the ship, touched the water lightly with the tip of one foot, and shot across it in a few quick bounds, landing at the crossing.

The crowd surged forward, and several people called out loudly:

"May I ask if you are the Black Tortoise Sect's welcoming envoy?"

"May I know your esteemed name, sir? My grandfather was once a disciple of the Black Tortoise Sect."

"Have you brought the token of invitation, sir?"

"Silence, all of you! If you can appear here at this time and place, why would I need to show you a token? The sect's decision to open its gates this time is a stroke of fortune for you. Anyone who doesn't want to board can stay right here." The one who had leaped ashore was a blue-robed man in his thirties. Seeing the disorder, he glared and shouted.

Though quite a few people on the bank still looked disgruntled, they all fell silent at his words.

"That's more like it. Anyone who can appear here has already had their aptitude examined by one of our sect's traveling envoys and is at least qualified to join the lower court. Whether you're qualified to enter the upper court—or even the inner sect—will require further testing once you reach the sect. All right, qualified disciples, bring your tokens and come over here. Don't dawdle. And the rest of you, don't bother trying to curry favor with me. I'm in a hurry to visit other places." The blue-robed man spoke brusquely.

At his words, the people on the bank exchanged glances.

But after a seemingly frail young man was the first to step forward, the other young men and women spoke briefly with their elders, then followed.

The man produced an ancient bronze mirror and held it up to each person who approached. A faint white light flashed somewhere on each of their bodies. The light varied in size and brightness, but the man showed no interest in examining it more closely.

In the blink of an eye, all fifteen or sixteen young men and women had been examined, and they stood behind the blue-robed man.

"It seems this welcoming point only has this many people. In that case..."

The blue-robed man glanced over the others and was about to say more when faint footsteps sounded from the mist nearby. Another figure came down a path and entered the crossing.

Everyone looked over in surprise.

The newcomer was another young man who appeared to be fifteen or sixteen. He wore green robes, had somewhat dark skin, and was exceptionally tall—almost as tall as an adult. A large bow case was strapped to his back, and a single-edged saber hung at his waist.

Seeing so many people gathered at the crossing, the tall youth froze.

Without a word, the blue-robed man swept the bronze mirror over him. A burst of white light flashed from inside the youth's robes.

"Why are you so late? You're the last one." The blue-robed man snorted and beckoned him over.

The green-robed youth still seemed rather confused. He glanced at the others around him and the young people standing behind the blue-robed man, then asked hesitantly:

"Are you a senior of the Black Tortoise Sect?"

"Obviously. If I weren't from the Black Tortoise Sect, what would you be doing here?" The blue-robed man had lost patience. In a flash, he appeared beside the youth and reached out to grab him.

The green-robed youth started in alarm and immediately put one hand on the hilt at his waist. But then he seemed to remember something. After a moment's hesitation, he chose not to draw his saber.

With a thump, the blue-robed man seized the youth by the shoulder, then turned and darted back. After a few bounds, he was back where he had started, where he grabbed a young girl who looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

With a sudden burst of strength from both arms, he hurled the two of them toward the tower ship from such a great distance.

"Ah!"

The green-robed youth was all right, but the younger girl screamed in fright. A moment later, however, they landed with two thumps, their feet touching down firmly on the tower ship's deck.

The young girl was deathly pale, her legs trembling slightly.

The green-robed youth drew a sharp breath.

The blue-robed man had made only a simple throw, but his skill in controlling his strength was breathtaking. It seemed he had made the right decision in coming to the Black Tortoise Sect.

The green-robed youth was, of course, Shi Mu, who had traveled all the way from Quanzhou.

That day, after Ye Hongyao of the Mystic Sound Sect gave him the letter and talisman, she immediately took Zhong Xiu away, not even letting her say much. Before leaving, she had also struck and shattered Fifth Master Jin, who had been frozen into an ice sculpture.

Shi Mu hadn't dared linger either. After leaving the Cloud Glow Mountain Range, he found a place to recover from his injuries for more than half a month, then rushed here through the night. He had finally reached the ferry today.

But before he could even ignite the welcoming talisman, he had seen so many people here—and the blue-robed man claiming to be from the Black Tortoise Sect. He couldn't help feeling that something was amiss.

Before he could figure out what was going on, however, the impatient man had simply tossed him onto the tower ship. Startled, Shi Mu couldn't help feeling speechless.

Just then, the blue-robed man repeatedly tossed the young men and women from the bank to the tower ship's deck, two at a time, as though throwing sandbags. Then he leaped into the air and touched the water lightly with one foot, returning to the ship as well.

"Set sail!"

The blue-robed man gave the order to someone, though it was unclear whom.

The tower ship trembled, then slowly pulled away from the vicinity of the crossing and sped off through the distant mist.

"All right, give me your origins and the names of the people who invited you. I'm going to take attendance and enter you in the register." The blue-robed man took a thick book from his sleeve and addressed the group expressionlessly.