The morning fog was thick.
The fog rose from the valleys, engulfing the continuous green peaks.
Only a few blurry dark silhouettes remained, like ink blots spreading on Xuan paper.
The rain from the past few days had long since washed away the official Dao, leaving it unrecognizable.
A group of three, riding horses, trod slowly on the official Dao.
Hooves stepped in the mud, splashing water, the sound muffled.
All three were dressed in dark black clothes, draped in wolf fur cloaks, with sabers and swords at their waists. Clearly, they were no ordinary folk.
After silently walking a bit further, a three-way intersection appeared on the official Dao ahead.
Just then.
A crisp sound of horse hooves came unhurriedly from the fork in the road to the right.
The young man leading the group frowned, and the two behind him also stopped instantly, their previously relaxed expressions turning solemn in an instant.
Clang.
All three, without prior agreement, had their hands on the hilts of their sabers at their waists.
The fog surged.
A figure slowly emerged from the mist.
As the figure drew closer and the person was clearly seen, the tense nerves of the three did not relax at all.
The newcomer was also riding a black horse, but the horse looked ordinary, without any hint of majesty.
Sitting on the horse was a young woman.
Dressed in the most ordinary black clothes, her long hair was casually tied back with a cloth band. Although she wore no makeup, her face was exceptionally beautiful.
For such a stunning young woman to suddenly appear on an official Dao in the middle of nowhere was somewhat eerie.
"..."
The three had no intention of speaking, and the young woman likewise said nothing.
She merely glanced sideways at the three, then gently nudged the horse's belly, and the black horse began to trot, passing by the three unhurriedly.
Jiang Yuechu silently continued her journey.
The sun gradually rose, and the morning fog began to dissipate.
First, the mountain peaks, like brush tips just pulled from water, carried a damp inkiness.
Immediately after, the entire continuous mountain range unexpectedly crashed into her view.
It must be said, the Jiannan Circuit Dao and the Region were truly two completely different worlds.
The sky in the Region was grayish-yellow, the ground was scorched brown, and even if there were mountains, most were bare, like shaved monks.
But the mountains here were so green they seemed to drip water, layer upon layer, stretching endlessly.
She observed everything around her with interest.
In her previous life, she had wanted to travel to Chuan Shu, but unfortunately, she was always busy with work and had no opportunity.
This journey, then, could be considered fulfilling a long-held wish.
Mountains like sharp swords, piercing the clouds.
Waters like long snakes, lurking in the wilderness.
In such a place, surely there would be no shortage of Demons?
How I envy the Jiannan Provincial Command... As she thought this, the official Dao ahead reached its end.
A great river lay across the path.
The river was wide, and the current was swift; even from afar, the booming sound of the water could be heard.
By the river, there was a simple ferry crossing.
A few rotten logs formed a dock, and a rather large boat was moored nearby.
An Old Boatman, wearing a bamboo hat and a coir raincoat, was squatting at the ferry crossing.
Seeing her approach with her horse, the Old Boatman merely raised his eyelids.
"Crossing the river?"
Jiang Yuechu nodded, "Can the horse cross?"
The Old Boatman chuckled, "It can, why couldn't it?"
He stood up, patted the grass clippings from his backside, and pointed towards the boat.
"My boat is the largest at this ferry crossing, with a deep draft, specially for ferrying carriages and horses, very stable."
Jiang Yuechu said no more, only asking, "How much?"
"Five copper coins per person, ten per horse."
Jiang Yuechu pulled out fifteen copper coins from her bosom and tossed them over.
The Old Boatman caught the coins, weighed them in his hand, then turned around, untying the mooring rope while speaking without looking up.
"Just you, young lady?"
"Yes."
"The river has been restless these past few days; it's better to be careful when traveling alone."
Jiang Yuechu led her horse onto the swaying gangplank. The black horse was a bit restless, but she patted its neck, and it gradually calmed down.
"Restless?"
"Indeed."
The Old Boatman grunted, "I don't know which immortals were fighting, but a few nights ago, the river water almost rose to the sky, scaring people into not daring to go out."
He paused, then added, "...Perhaps... the Qiang River Dragon King was angry."
Jiang Yuechu's heart stirred.
"Qiang River Dragon King? Is it a Demon?"
The Old Boatman shook his head, "This Qiang River Dragon King is very wicked; who can say whether it's a Demon or a god?"
Jiang Yuechu stood at the bow, looking at the muddy river water, silent.
The Old Boatman untied the mooring rope, just about to push the boat away from the ferry crossing.
"Boatman, wait!"
The sound of horse hooves grew closer from afar, and a voice came from the distance.
The Old Boatman paused, looked in the direction of the sound, and chuckled, "It's strange today; why is everyone rushing to cross the river?"
Jiang Yuechu narrowed her eyes.
In the mist, three figures rode their horses, arriving at the ferry crossing.
It was the same three people she had met earlier at the fork in the road.
The young man leading the group glanced at Jiang Yuechu on the boat, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.
Then he pulled out a handful of copper coins from his bosom and tossed them over.
"Three people, three horses, crossing the river."
The Old Boatman deftly caught them, "No problem, no problem."
The three led their horses onto the boat one by one.
The rather large ferry boat instantly felt a bit crowded with the addition of three people and three horses.
With a light push of the bamboo pole, the boat slowly left the shore and sailed into the wide river.
The three men had been silent since boarding the boat, standing seemingly casually, but in reality, they subtly surrounded the young woman at the bow.
Jiang Yuechu, however, remained composed, her gaze fixed on the wide river, lost in thought.
The river wind blew a few wisps of hair across her forehead; she merely raised a hand to tuck them behind her ear.
After a long silence.
The young man leading the group suddenly spoke, "Boatman, I want to ask you something."
The Old Boatman glanced at him upon hearing this.
"What would the guest like to ask?"
The young man pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is it peaceful along the Qiang River?"
The Old Boatman shook his head and sighed, "You must be outsiders too, guest? A few nights ago, the river water rose very high, flooding several ferry crossings along the river. Fortunately, no one was hurt, otherwise, it would have been another trouble."
"What about the Demon Suppression Division? Are there any Demon Suppression Division personnel stationed nearby?"
One of the men behind the young man couldn't help but interject.
"Demon Suppression Division?"
The Old Boatman thought for a moment, "There are, indeed, some stationed at Qingshi Ferry, dozens of li downstream..."
"Who is in charge of the Demon Suppression Division here?"
"What's his name again..." The Old Boatman scratched his head, "How would us common folk know such things? We only know that the Official Sirs don't often come to the riverside."
The three exchanged glances, all falling silent.
Seeing their expressions, the Old Boatman assumed they were scared, so he chuckled and comforted them, "But guests, you needn't worry too much. The river only acted up that one night. These past two days, it's been very calm..."
No sooner had he spoken.
"Boom—"
The entire ferry boat suddenly shook violently without warning!