They were just about to head upstream when the old man added, "Unfortunately, torrential rains fell late last month. Flash floods swept down from the mountains and washed the bridge away. If you really want to cross, you'll have to follow the Tongji River downstream for seventy li. There's another bridge there, the Eternal Relief Bridge."
The smile froze on Hu Xiaotian's face. Was this some kind of joke? Was the old fellow deliberately toying with me? If the bridge was gone, what was the damned point of mentioning it? Seventy li to the bridge downstream-that would cost us another whole day!
Murong Feiyan smiled beside him. "Sir, could you ferry us across? We can negotiate the price."
The fisherman shook his head. "I make my living catching fish, not ferrying people."
Liang Dazhuang said, "Sir, do you know who our Young Master is..." Before he could finish, a sharp look from Hu Xiaotian silenced him.
The fisherman smiled. "What difference does it make who he is? Emperor or errand runner, to me they're all passing travelers. We've met today, and perhaps we'll never see one another again in this lifetime. I'm saving my strength to enjoy what little time I have left. Why should I meddle in your affairs?"
Hearing the fisherman's refined speech, Hu Xiaotian suspected he was no ordinary villager. He smiled. "Sir, what would persuade you to make an exception and ferry us across?"
The fisherman stroked his beard and regarded Hu Xiaotian with a smile. "You dress like a scholar. I wonder how much ink you actually have in your belly?"
"Are you going to test me, old sir?" Hu Xiaotian asked. His form of address had shifted from casual familiarity to scholarly respect, and inwardly he grew more cautious and deferential. He had a