NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62: The Long Waterway
Chapter 62: The Long Waterway
“Young Master Lin, please wait.”
As Lin Chengyu returned Xu Lian’s salute and was about to close the door to return to the cabin, Xu Lian called out to him.
Lin Chengyu asked, “Manager Xu, do you need anything?”
Xu Lian took out some dried meat from his bundle. “There are just the two of us in this hut, and the journey is long. Since we have nothing to do, why not sit down and have a drink together?”
Lin Chengyu hesitated for a moment, then said, “Alright.”
Xu Lian walked over, entered his cabin, and laid a cloth from his bundle on the moldy wooden table, placing the dried meat on top.
Lin Chengyu glanced at it, and couldn’t help but smile. “It seems that Manager Xu only brought dried meat and no wine.”
“That’s simple enough. The ship hasn’t left yet, so I’ll go to the dock and get some wine.”
Xu Lian hurried out and waved to the old dock manager.
The old man quickly came over. “What can I do for you, sir?”
Xu Lian asked, “Do you have any wine at the dock?”
The old manager paused for a moment, then quickly replied, “Yes, yes, we do.” He rushed off to get some.
Not only did the old man bring several jars of wine, but he also brought some snacks to go with it. It seemed that like Han Du, he was someone who drank out of sheer idleness and always had these things on hand.
Xu Lian didn’t hold back. He took the items and returned to the hut, placing the wine and snacks in front of Lin Chengyu.
There were no bowls, so Xu Lian broke the seal on one of the jars and handed it to Lin Chengyu. He opened another jar for himself, clinked it with Lin Chengyu’s jar, and took a drink directly from it.
Xu Lian didn’t want to beat around the bush and seem insincere, so he went straight to the point. “Young Master Lin, I come from a humble background. I grew up in Green Bamboo Town. The outside world is like a fog to me, and I have a few questions. Would you mind answering them?”
Lin Chengyu thought for a moment. “What does Manager Xu want to know? Even though I’m from Pingyang County, I don’t know everything. I’ll tell you what I can, but if it’s something too secret, I won’t be able to say anything.”
Xu Lian smiled. “That’s okay. My questions shouldn’t touch on any secrets.”
Lin Chengyu nodded. “Ask away.”
Xu Lian’s first question was about the ferry. “How can the ship sail without a helmsman or sailors?”
Lin Chengyu replied, “This question touches on a secret.”
“…”
Xu Lian was somewhat speechless. The Yi Sect treated everything like a secret, not letting people know anything about it.
Lin Chengyu continued, “But this secret isn’t really a big deal. Many people in Pingyang County know about it, so telling you won’t hurt anything.”
Xu Lian cupped his hands in thanks.
Lin Chengyu explained, “For small tributary rivers like Green Bamboo Town’s, there are water spirits and water demons. They’ve been tamed by the higher-ups to take care of the navigation and pull the ships along the riverbed. For the larger main rivers, there are river gods who manage the transportation.”
Xu Lian was enlightened; it was about what he had suspected.
The Yi Sect was certainly a heartless “capitalist” group. Not only did they treat humans like beasts of burden, but they also made the water spirits and demons work to survive.
“What is Pingyang County like?” Xu Lian asked his second question.
Lin Chengyu replied, “Most of the people in Green Bamboo Town are ordinary folk, with only a few cultivators. In Pingyang County, there are many ordinary people, but there are also many cultivators. The various sects are deeply intertwined, and there are even some demons and strange creatures mixed in. The environment is very complicated.”
Xu Lian’s heart sank. He needed to be cautious on this journey; he didn’t want to stumble right after leaving the “Beginner Village”.
As the two of them continued to chat, the ship began to move.
Xu Lian walked over to the window and looked out. He saw that both riverbanks were covered with forests. The two-masted ship was leading the way, followed by eleven cargo ships, with not a single person in sight. It looked a bit eerie.
He looked down at the water, but saw nothing.
“There will be something interesting later.”
Lin Chengyu stood up and went to the window.
Xu Lian was curious. “What?”
Lin Chengyu asked, “Apart from Green Bamboo Town, have you been to any other towns? Do you know what other cities are like?”
Xu Lian shook his head. “I’ve never left Green Bamboo Town. The only other place I’ve been is Stone Town.”
Lin Chengyu teased him. “Wait, you’ll be amazed soon.”
Xu Lian found it a bit funny but helpless, so he waited patiently.
After about two hours of sailing, they arrived at a town by the river at dusk.
The town square was filled with people, from the elderly to the young, all lined up in neat rows.
There was a sign tube in front of them, and one by one the people stepped up to draw lots, though it was unclear what they were doing.
Xu Lian observed that after each person drew their lot, they seemed disappointed, their heads hanging low in frustration.
Suddenly, a young woman let out a scream of joy after drawing something from the tube. She jumped to her feet, visibly excited.
Her family rushed over to hug her, their eyes filled with tears of happiness.
People around them looked at the lot in the young woman’s hand with envious eyes, even a little teary-eyed.
An elder with a dignified air offered words of congratulations and then took the young woman away, giving her family a large sack of grain, some meat, and a bit of silver.
Xu Lian was confused. “What kind of city is this? What are they doing?”
Lin Chengyu feigned mystery. “Why don’t you take a guess?”
Xu Lian frowned, deep in thought.
This town was only two hours away from Green Bamboo Town by water, meaning it was right next door.
In Green Bamboo Town, the women bled every night to appease the night patrol guards. In Stone Town, the women had to sacrifice their life force to the Black Box every day.
This city probably had some strange customs as well. Based on Lin Chengyu’s mysterious demeanor, it seemed like the lottery had something to do with him.
Xu Lian said thoughtfully, “If I’m not mistaken, this lottery must be a bad omen. The people here don’t realize the consequences of drawing a bad lot and think it’s something good, right?”
Lin Chengyu was surprised. “Exactly. You guessed it right.”
Xu Lian asked, “Tell me more.”
Lin Chengyu explained, “This town is called Rice Flower Town. They hold a lottery every day. Those who draw the winning lot are sent to a wonderful place, and their families receive aid, including grain, meat, and silver.”
Xu Lian was silent for a moment. “But actually, those who draw the winning lot… die?”
Lin Chengyu nodded. “Yes.”
Xu Lian felt a deep sense of bitterness. “This is truly dark.”
He couldn’t help but think that the people of Rice Flower City would probably never know the truth. They would probably believe that the lottery winners had really gone to a beautiful place.
Xu Lian then said, “The Yi Sect has leased several towns to the Ghost Soul Sect as places to raise souls. The Black Box in Stone Town is used to feed the infant souls of the Ghost Soul Sect. The Night Patrol in Green Bamboo Town are the souls in their youth. Rice Flower Town, I believe, is used for adult souls. Adult souls have to consume people, don’t they?”
Lin Chengyu’s expression changed, and he looked at Xu Lian with deep suspicion. “How do you know that?”
Xu Lian nodded silently. “I know a little about it.”