The Black-Awning Boat

"It's alright, let's take it one step at a time. It's not a big deal."

Fang Zelin thought for a moment, then spoke.

Upon hearing this, Tianxi did not refute it. She simply replied with a "yes" and then followed behind Fang Zelin.

The human and the demon passed through the palace and arrived directly outside.

There was nothing good to stay in Youjing City now, so Fang Zelin and Tianxi went directly to the riverbank outside the city.

The ferry crossing on the river outside Youjing City was much larger than other places, and the boats coming and going were much bigger.

Even if we can't bring the technology from Earth over, we've still made progress on the technology tree.

In shipbuilding, Great Qian has not lagged behind in the slightest.

The ferry crossing is divided into several sections.

Several of these areas are for escorting cargo ships.

The boats at the ferry crossing over there appeared even larger, their black flags, tinged with red, fluttering in the wind.

The flag of the Great Qian is predominantly black, a designation established at the founding of the dynasty and unchanged to this day.

"Young master, I just inquired, and the best ships over there are as tall as five or six stories, costing one hundred taels of silver per person."

Tianxi ran off to inquire for a moment, then hurriedly ran back, a hint of helplessness on her face.

One hundred taels of silver—she hadn't even brought that much silver with her when she left home.

I really don't know what's on that ship, that makes it so expensive.

Even a fairy like her can't afford to ride on this boat!

As Tianxi pondered the price she had just inquired about, she couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Fang Zelin, unaware of Tianxi's thoughts, couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

"The ships themselves are expensive to build, and when you add the services, displays, and the guests they cater to, the price is naturally very high."

Upon hearing this, Tianxi tilted her head slightly and muttered, "But young master, you are a cultivator, how can even you not be able to ascend?"

Clearly, she was still somewhat resentful.

"You need to work on your temperament more. Although your cultivation is quite high, your temperament still needs some tempering."

Seeing Tianxi like this, Fang Zelin couldn't help but smile. After comforting her, he walked towards the ferry.

He wanted to see if there were any cheaper boats at the ferry crossing.

However, after Fang Zelin and Tianxi inspected the area, they still couldn't find any boats that were cheap.

When I asked around, the prices were all quite high.

With the money Tianxi had left, it was far from enough.

"Young master, what should we do? We don't have enough money."

Tianxi had a bitter face at this moment, feeling that she was useless and should not have been troubled by money.

They couldn't even share their benefactor's burdens; how could they possibly repay the young master's kindness from back then?

"If all else fails, just walk. It's not a big deal, so why are you making such a face?"

Seeing Tianxi like this, Fang Zelin found it somewhat amusing.

Prices in Youjing City are significantly higher than in other places.

Seeing that he didn't have enough money on him, Fang Zelin took a step to leave.

Just then, they suddenly saw a small, covered boat in front of them.

Although it looked somewhat worn, Fang Zelin was still moved when he saw it.

"Old man, are you selling your awning boat?"

The old man who was working with the fishing net turned around when he heard this and saw that Fang Zelin was dressed neatly, although he was not dressed very luxuriously.

But his demeanor was extraordinary.

"Young man, you want to buy this small boat?"

The old man glanced at Fang Zelin with his cloudy eyes, then asked with a hint of doubt.

Young people these days all prefer traveling on big ships; they wouldn't like a small boat like his.

"Yes, if we want to go down the river, it's a bit too expensive to take a large boat."

Fang Zelin smiled nonchalantly upon hearing this.

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately shook his head repeatedly, "That won't work. Rowing this awning boat isn't that easy. You should go downstream."

"Going down this river, there are several places where the current is very strong; if you're not careful, you could get swept away and drown."

"Young people, if you really want to travel by boat, you should look at those big ships. Although they cost more, they are more stable and safer."

When the old man heard Fang Zelin say that he wanted to go down the river, he immediately felt that the matter was too dangerous.

Although this great river has been dredged several times in the past, the current is still very rapid in some places.

"Don't worry about that, old man. I used to practice martial arts, and with these skills, crossing the river alone won't be a difficult task."

At this point, Fang Zelin stepped out and stood directly on the riverbank.

The shoes touched the water but didn't sink an inch.

This scene surprised even the old man standing nearby.

"Young man, you actually possess such impressive martial arts skills; then I was worrying unnecessarily!"

Among young people, this is the best they've ever achieved in martial arts.

To be honest, that's really rare.

Looking back at his own awning boat, he said, "This boat is quite old. Since you want it so much, young man, I'll sell it to you for three taels of silver."

Three taels of silver.

Upon hearing this, Fang Zelin turned around and looked at Tianxi behind him.

Tianxi quickly took out three taels of silver from her sleeve and handed it over.

"Sir, if there are no other issues, we'll sail away."

Upon seeing this, Fang Zelin cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the other party and said something.

The old man accepted the silver, but said with some concern, "Young man, although your martial arts are impressive, you still need to be careful. The currents in this river are treacherous; if you get swept away, you might not have a chance to use your skills."

"If the boat sinks, get off the river immediately. Martial arts practitioners have drowned in the river over the years."

"Understood, sir. I'll be careful."

Fang Zelin listened to the other party's instructions, chuckled in response, and then boarded the boat. He and Tianxi rowed slowly away from the shore.

In no time at all, it disappeared from the old man's sight.

"Strange, was the other party drawing lots just now? It looks like the ship is moving by itself."

As the old man watched the boat disappear from sight, he suddenly recalled how it had just left, and a sense of confusion arose in his heart.

The way the ship left seemed a little strange.

"I guess I'm just getting old and my eyes are failing me; I must have seen it wrong."

After thinking about it, how could this ship possibly move and leave on its own?

Having thought this through, he stopped pondering it and turned back to working on his fishing net.

He has to go out fishing again tomorrow, so he needs to get the fishing nets ready.