The Boatman

Fang Zelin looked at the river before him, feeling hesitant. The penalty for dying even once in here was far too severe, leaving him afraid to take risks lightly.

While Fang Zelin hesitated, he suddenly spotted a black boat drifting toward him from far away. The fisherman rowing at the bow wore a bamboo hat and a straw rain cape, looking as though he was heading home.

Fang Zelin's face immediately lit up at the sight. He hurriedly raised his hand and waved at the fisherman ahead, hoping to catch a ride away.

"Boatman, sorry for the trouble, but could you come over here?"

Fang Zelin waved repeatedly at the boatman. Afraid the man would not hear him, he cupped his hands around his mouth to use as a megaphone.

The boatman heard him too. He lowered his oar and glanced over.

But when he saw Fang Zelin, he seemed to have been frightened by something. He hurriedly began working his oar with all his might, as though desperately trying to escape.

Yet in the very next moment, the boat was swept straight into the rushing current, then slammed into a nearby reef, instantly smashing a large hole in its hull.

Water immediately flooded the boat, and it began to sink.

Fang Zelin froze at the sight. Was the current really that strong?

His sharp eyes caught someone jumping from the boat into the water to escape. But after jumping in, the person began flailing, bobbing up and down as though about to drown. Fang Zelin could not help frowning.

Couldn't this boatman swim?

"Help... help..."

As though the person had choked on several mouthfuls of river water, faint cries for help drifted over from ahead.

Watching the person look as though he might drown before his very eyes at any moment, Fang Zelin gritted his teeth. He found a length of tree trunk and threw it into the river, then flung himself onto it and swam toward the person.

But Fang Zelin had no experience whatsoever. As he clung to the trunk, he discovered that it kept rolling in the water, making it difficult even to hold on with his hands.

Fortunately, the boatman ahead also spotted Fang Zelin entering the water and hurriedly swam toward him.

Fang Zelin carefully adjusted his center of gravity to keep the trunk from rolling, then cautiously swam toward the other man.

A short while later, Fang Zelin finally reached him, only for his head to sink at that very moment, instantly disappearing before Fang Zelin's eyes.

Fang Zelin hurriedly reached down, trying to catch the boatman sinking beneath the water.

Fang Zelin had thought he might not be able to catch him. Never had he expected that his grasp would actually close around a hand.

Realizing this, Fang Zelin hurriedly gave a tug, pulling the person onto his tree trunk.

But once Fang Zelin saw clearly who he had pulled up, he froze.

The person he had pulled up was a child. Hadn't the person he had just seen fall into the water been the boatman? Had he seen wrong, or was this the boatman's child?

While Fang Zelin was puzzling over this, he suddenly felt what seemed to be a sucking force in the water. He looked down but could not see the boatman from before.

Fang Zelin gritted his teeth and could only swim toward shore. His strength was nearly exhausted. If he delayed any longer, he feared he would not make it back himself.

The child beside him seemed to have nearly drowned and still had not opened his eyes.

After an enormous effort, Fang Zelin finally swam back and could not help glancing at the opposite bank.

He had run out of strength without even reaching the middle of the river. From the looks of it, leaving this place really would be difficult in the extreme.

Besides, wasn't this game far too realistic?

Back in the water, Fang Zelin had felt with such realism that if he truly ran out of strength, he really would drown.

Panting, Fang Zelin dragged the child beside him onto the bank and checked around his mouth and nose. He was breathing, and his body still seemed to retain a little warmth.

Upon sensing this, Fang Zelin hurriedly began trying to save him.

After several minutes of resuscitation, the child finally spat out a few mouthfuls of river water, then slowly opened his eyes.

"You're awake?"

Seeing him wake, Fang Zelin's expression immediately relaxed, and he slumped limply to one side.

He had thoroughly exhausted himself just now.

"Thank you for saving me, sir."

After waking, the child looked around, then offered his thanks.

His speech sounded rather bookish, but Fang Zelin did not find it strange. This world probably had a setting similar to ancient Huaxia.

Other players had said they were in a country called the Great Jin Dynasty, which had been founded over two hundred years ago.

Fang Zelin knew a little about the setting here, in broad terms.

As for them speaking the same language, wasn't that obvious?

Of course a game they had developed themselves would be programmed in their own native language!

"I just lent a hand. There's no need to be so polite."

Seeing the child even bowing with his hands clasped, Fang Zelin immediately waved a hand.

He had simply been swept up in a rush of hot blood, thinking he should save someone if he could. Besides, this was a game world and all; perhaps he might even stumble across a quest.

But now, seeing that the other person appeared to be just a child, perhaps his hopes would come to nothing.

"By the way, was the person who fell into the water your father? I'm terribly sorry I wasn't able to save him."

At the mention of this, Fang Zelin could not help asking another question.

"He wasn't my father. I was only catching a ride along the way. I never expected to encounter something like this."

The child shook his head at the question.

Understanding dawned on Fang Zelin. No wonder the boatman had not shown the slightest intention of rescuing the child.

He had simply jumped ship on his own. So that was why.

"Ah, I'd been hoping to catch a boat out of here. Looks like that was wishful thinking. This river's current is far too strong."

Fang Zelin frowned as he looked at the river before him.

The child beside him seemed quite familiar with the river. At his words, he answered, "This is the Yongding River. Its current has always been extremely strong, and this stretch is particularly treacherous."

So this place was called the Yongding River.

Hearing this, Fang Zelin now knew where he was.

Looking at the rushing river before him, he felt that leaving this place had become considerably harder.

Besides, he was feeling a little hungry...

He had heard before that people could starve to death even in here.

Quite a few inexperienced players had starved to death in this game.

At that thought, Fang Zelin immediately began to panic. I'm done for.

He had only just entered the game. Why did there seem to be pitfalls everywhere?

He was trapped here with no way out, and now there was nothing to eat either. What kind of situation was this?

"Now that the boat's sunk, your family or the boatman's family ought to send someone to look for you, right?"

After thinking it over, Fang Zelin could not help asking another question.

People had gone missing, after all. Surely someone ought to come looking?

If someone did, perhaps there was still hope of leaving this place.

"The boatman lived on that little boat. Even if someone comes looking, I'm afraid it won't be so soon."

Hearing this, the child beside him immediately shook his head and answered.