Ding Laoheng and Pan Long were old acquaintances, and their families were now connected by marriage, so there was nothing to keep secret. When Pan Long asked, Ding Laoheng explained.
After Qionghua Pavilion defeated the Turtle Mountain Society, it had seized several large ships. The most important was a multi-deck armored warship, which the Great River League bought back after the battle at a higher price. But the league refused to pay a premium for the others. The money of Greenwood heroes didn't blow in on the wind, either.
"They probably figured we did business on land and couldn't find qualified sailors anyway, so we'd have to let the ships rot or sell them for next to nothing." Ding Laoheng snorted. "You know our leader's temper. She'll yield to kindness, not force. Even if she can't win the bread, she'll fight for her pride. She refused to accept it and kept looking for sailors. By mid-May, she finally found someone suitable!"
"Oh? Who was it?"
"His name's Lei Zhentian. It sounds impressive, but his fighting skills are nothing special. He knows all about steering and handling sails, though, and he can even repair ships. He started out as a sailor and has traveled both rivers and seas. He's practically a water ghost. Our leader had him take us out, fix up the ships, and teach us for a while. Eventually, we learned enough to make our way along the river."
Pan Long finally understood. "Where is he now?"
"Once a few of us learned to handle the ships, he refused to board again. He said a fortune-teller told him he was fated to die aboard a ship. So for the rest of his life, he plans to stay off them whenever he can and put that day off as long