"Elder Lu, do we really need to be this cautious?"
Lan Yue and the others huddled on the battered little boat, nearly coming undone in the wind.
They had thought they would hop aboard Elder Whitebrow's spirit boat and reach their destination in a flash. Instead, they were traveling by water, and on such a decrepit Spirit Artifact at that.
"How could we not be cautious? My public identity is an orphan girl with a tragic past. Of course I have to travel this way!" Elder Whitebrow looked as though this were perfectly reasonable.
"If I used a spirit boat, wouldn't that expose my wealth?"
"When you travel the world, never flaunt your riches. You youngsters should learn a thing or two!"
Elder Whitebrow's expression was solemn.
Lan Yue looked at the boat, which kept taking on water, and worried they would sink before reaching their destination.
If it had been the dead of night, this would have been the perfect setting for a horror movie.
With Elder Whitebrow checking his reflection every so often, she felt they could start filming already.
"Don't worry about the water seeping into this wooden boat. It'll never sink. Rest assured, I'll get you safely to the sect, then bring you back!" Elder Whitebrow promised.
In truth, he was also worried that if they took the usual route, the other elders of the Southern Spirit Sect would stop him again. Then he would lose his position as an elder for good.
After all, he was a blood relative of the Grand Elder. He couldn't lose face like that!
"If you still don't believe me, I'll demonstrate." As Elder Whitebrow spoke, he stomped down hard.
With a crack, the little wooden boat broke apart completely, and everyone splashed into the water.
"Impossible! This boat was