Night Journey

"Stabilize the boat, get to shore, get to shore quickly!"

Gaoyou Lake is connected to the Changhe River, and more than fifty large boats travel upstream from the Changhe River.

These large ships were lined up in a row, and the ships were filled with archers carrying powerful bows. At the bow of the ship at the very front was the King of Jiangdu, holding a gilded halberd with goose wings, with Gongsun Hong standing beside him.

Several miles away by waterway from the water palace on the cliff, a torrential downpour began unexpectedly.

Gongsun Hong quickly calculated and realized that this rain was unusual.

If an altar were set up, Gongsun Hong could indeed use magic to stop this level of rain.

But he knew very well that this was just an appetizer.

The fact that he could subdue both him and Dong Zhongshu in one move, and then defeat Dong Zhongshu in a proper battle of magic within a few rounds, shows that the strength of the Dragon King of Gaoyou Water Palace is unfathomable and far beyond his ability to defeat.

Gongsun Hong had no choice but to come.

He and Dong Zhongshu had a friendship, but it wasn't to the point of risking their lives together. Gongsun Hong had more to think about regarding his own future.

Without Dong Zhongshu's recommendation and promotion at court, he would have had to return to his hometown of Zichuan to spend his later years in peace, which was not the life he wanted.

This also forced Gongsun Hong to rescue Dong Zhongshu, rather than running away alone for his own convenience.

Gongsun Hong was now gambling on the Dragon King's behavior, to see if the other party was as arrogant as the Dragon King in history or had truly bowed his head and stopped fighting against the imperial court.

The King of Jiangdu was the power of the imperial court that he borrowed. Regardless of whether the King of Jiangdu won or lost, as long as the Dragon King killed the King of Jiangdu's people, this feud would be established, which would inevitably lead to increasingly violent actions and create various opportunities.

If the Dragon King backs down, everything will be much easier to discuss.

He pondered this, and looking at the heavy rain that hadn't harmed anyone, he became even more certain that the Dragon King was merely refusing to retreat and hadn't gone so far as to kill him.

"Your Majesty, this rain is coming strangely; it's very likely that dragon demon is stirring up trouble!"

Seeing the King of Jiangdu squatting outside the cabin, fuming and wielding his gilded halberd, his eyes constantly scanning the river, Gongsun Hong couldn't help but add fuel to the fire.

"I detest naval battles!" King Jiangdu said angrily. "That dragon demon is a coward too, all he knows is to hide in the water. How are we supposed to find him!"

"Your Majesty, do not worry. As long as he is hiding in the water, we have a way to get him out. We won't let him hide in the water forever," Gongsun Hong said.

"Will sprinkling lime into the water really work?" King Jiangdu asked doubtfully.

"That will definitely work," Gongsun Hong nodded. "Don't underestimate this lime. Once it's scattered, fish and shrimp in that area will have a hard time surviving, and even the dragon will feel uncomfortable and struggle to breathe. It will inevitably surface, or even have to come ashore. When that happens, our opportunity will arrive!"

"Then I will do as you say, sir!"

King Jiangdu was a man who listened to advice, especially from learned men.

He felt helpless, but Gongsun Hong could come up with a solution, so he was willing to listen to it.

"Master Dong was captured by the dragon. I wonder if he was eaten?" King Jiangdu scratched his head and said, "If Master Dong was eaten by the dragon, that would be quite a pity."

"Dragons are different from us humans. Once they've eaten, they can go for six months or even years without needing to eat," Gongsun Hong said. "It didn't eat any of us before, so its stomach should still be full and it won't harm Zhongshu!"

"One dose lasts for six months or even years? That dragon is inhuman! We need to eat every day!"

King Jiangdu started cursing rudely again, and Gongsun Hong had no choice but to shut up and let him curse the dragon.

Spreading lime is not a good solution. This method is useless in the ocean and has a weak effect in rivers. It can only be effective in lakes and other bodies of water.

This was also the fastest and most effective response that Gongsun Hong could come up with, given that he was less capable than Long Xia.

He raised his head and looked towards the direction of Gaoyou Water Mansion. In the dim night, Gongsun Hong felt as if some golden light was falling, and then a colorful figure flashed by. The two fell together towards Gaoyou Water Mansion.

Faintly, a muffled sound could be heard.

Gongsun Hong rubbed his eyes, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart. He felt that things he had planned might not go as he expected.

"Hahaha, this damn rain just comes and goes as it pleases!"

As golden light and colorful figures fell, the rain in their area stopped, much to the delight of King Jiangdu, who was annoyed by the torrential downpour.

"Keep sailing! We're going to that water palace Gongsun Hong mentioned to spread lime. I can't wait a moment longer!" King Jiangdu shouted.

Immediately, many large ships that had just docked began clearing the accumulated water and untying the ropes securing the ships.

Amidst the shouts and oars of the boatmen, large boats carrying lime continued to sail upstream.

As darkness fell, the King of Jiangdu, unable to wait even a moment longer, could not wait for dawn. His mind was filled with only the thought of capturing the dragon and heading to Chang'an City.

Standing once again at the bow of the ship, King Jiangdu's face flushed with excitement.

Holding his gilded halberd with goose wings, he glanced at the blackened river water from time to time, feeling that if any dragon were to emerge from the water, he would plunge his gilded halberd straight down and pierce its heart.

This is not to say that King Jiangdu is arrogant, but rather that as the number one expert in Jiangdu, he has extremely high self-confidence.

The average dragon prince or grandson is not as powerful as the King of Jiangdu. Otherwise, the dragon kings who control the waters would readily accept offerings.

As time passed, the once-powerful dragon race declined, and many people targeted them for hunting, seeking their treasures or even their bodies.

Although only a few succeed and few die peacefully, there are countless legends involving dragons and rumors about their medicinal value.

Emperor Gaozu's slaying of the dragon and establishment of the Great Han Dynasty set an example for many subsequent emperors, princes, and grandsons, inspiring them to slay dragons to prove themselves.

The distance of four or five li by water was not long. With continuous paddling, King Jiangdu also saw the cliff that Gongsun Hong and others had mentioned.

"Where is that man who transformed into a dragon? Where is that handsome and strong man? Will it hail here?"

King Jiangdu craned his neck and rubbed his eyes repeatedly, trying to see a little bit more clearly.

Gongsun Hong was not the only one who witnessed Dong Zhongshu's battle of wits; many soldiers from Jiangdu were involved, and many of them even drew their bows and shot arrows.

The rain was too heavy at the time, and hail followed, so people couldn't see clearly, let alone distinguish one person from another.

To this day, the version narrated by Gongsun Hong remains the primary one.

"Your Majesty," Gongsun Hong suggested, "We must wait for an opportunity. Only when that dragon is resting can we scatter all the lime. This is why we came at night; only at night can we scatter the lime silently and easily, eliminating its advantageous position in the water and forcing it to come ashore to fight us!"

"I'll listen to you, sir," King Jiangdu nodded. "Although I'm anxious, I can wait this night. If that dragon emerges from the water, I'll give it a good whack!"

"That's how it is!"

Gongsun Hong nodded repeatedly, and invited the King of Jiangdu to set foot on the shore of the Great Lake of Gaoyou, and then to circle around to the cliff to wait for a good opportunity.