bullyxtreme Chapter 181 The Changes While Crossing the River: A Water Dragon Blocks the Way!
Chapter 181 The Changes While Crossing the River: A Water Dragon Blocks the Way!
The ferry crossing is getting closer.
The roar of the Nu River grew clearer and clearer.
The sound was like the panting of a million giant beasts.
It has flowed from time immemorial to the present day, and will continue to flow into the unpredictable future.
And amidst this roar.
Zhao Qingxue suddenly felt a strange, indescribable unease.
That feeling did not come from a premonition of danger.
It does not stem from fear of the unknown.
It is lighter and paler.
Like a thin mist quietly rising from the river.
At first, it was just a wisp, barely visible.
Then it spreads rapidly.
It was as if an invisible hand had gently plucked a string that had never been played before in the deepest part of her heart.
The voice was very soft and faint.
But it made her heart skip a beat.
Zhao Qingxue frowned slightly.
She never trusted her intuition.
She only believes in intelligence, analysis, and planning.
But at this moment.
This inexplicable unease seeped in quietly, like river mist, and wouldn't go away.
What is it?
Was it Li Chunfeng's unfinished words?
Is it this overly quiet ferry crossing?
still is……
She thought of Xu Longxiang's eyes again.
No.
wrong.
She had already left the capital, far away from that lingering gaze.
That unease shouldn't come from there.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes, trying to dispel this pointless emotion.
The roar of the Nu River became even clearer.
one more time.
Like a heartbeat.
She took a deep breath.
When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to my usual calm.
The unease disappeared.
It came suddenly and left even faster.
It seemed like just an illusion born of exhaustion.
"His Majesty."
Zhou Wenzheng's voice rang out again outside the carriage.
With a sense of relief after completing the task.
"The Nujiang Gang members are already waiting at the ferry."
"The ship is ready, and you can board at any time."
Zhao Qingxue nodded slightly.
"Then let's go."
The imperial carriage came to a stop.
She got up.
The ties of the black cloak fluttered gently in the night breeze.
Zhao Qingxue stepped out of the imperial carriage and onto the cold stone slabs of the ferry.
The moonlight had broken through the clouds sometime earlier.
The moonlight, rather stingy, dappled down, illuminating a corner of the ferry crossing.
Sure enough, a multi-story ship was moored on the riverbank.
The hull was painted a dark brown, and it gleamed with a warm, oily sheen under the moonlight.
It was much larger than a regular ferry.
The bow of the ship is raised high and carved with the head of a mythical beast.
The cabin is divided into two levels. The upper level has carved windows that can be vaguely seen, with plain gauze lanterns hanging there, emitting a warm yellow light.
On the deck, several skilled shipwrights stood with their hands at their sides.
Their attitude was respectful and submissive.
At the bow of the boat, a lean middle-aged man dressed in a brown short-sleeved shirt strode forward and bowed deeply.
His voice carried the roughness and eagerness characteristic of someone who had been working on ships for many years.
"This humble citizen, Hu Er, manager of the Nujiang Gang's fleet, respectfully welcomes your distinguished guest!"
"Upon hearing that the Li Yang delegation requires a ship, the guild leader has specially ordered me to prepare the 'Zhentao,' the best and most reliable ship in the guild, for your inspection!"
Zhou Wenzheng stepped forward and whispered a few words to Hu Er.
The details of the vessels and routes have been confirmed.
He then turned and reported to Zhao Qingxue.
"Your Majesty, the ships are ready."
"The boatmen are all skilled, so there is no need to worry about the journey on the water."
Zhao Qingxue nodded slightly.
His gaze lingered on Hu Er for a moment.
This person was excessively respectful and almost obsequious.
However, it's normal for a faction to be more attentive when they learn that a "big client" like the Li Yang delegation is crossing the river.
She didn't say much.
Step onto the pedal.
The hem of the moon-white casual dress brushed against the slightly damp wooden board, leaving a faint mark.
Li Chunfeng followed closely behind.
Those insightful eyes lingered for a moment as they swept over Hu Er's lowered head.
Hu Er kept his head down, so his expression was not visible.
Only his slightly trembling Adam's apple betrayed his nervousness.
Li Chunfeng said nothing and withdrew his gaze.
Boarding the ship.
The Liyang Imperial Guards quickly occupied key positions on the warship.
The silver armor gleamed with a cold, hard light under the moonlight.
The rest of the mission members and their baggage boarded the ship one after another.
Hu Er personally directed the crew at the bow, instructing them to untie the mooring lines, raise the anchor, and hoist the sails.
His movements were swift, his voice steady, and he was attentive and considerate.
There are no flaws to be found.
A moment later, the ship shuddered slightly and slowly left the dock.
The roar of the Nu River rushed towards us.
The river water churned beneath the boat, producing a dull, crashing sound.
Like the low growl of a giant beast.
Zhao Qingxue did not enter the cabin.
She stood alone on the upper deck of the ship, holding onto the slightly cool railing, gazing at the river in the night.
The moonlight shattered into countless silver scales on the water, drifting with the current, its brightness flickering uncertainly.
Liyang is just across the river.
Beyond this river lies her territory, her people, and her throne.
But at this moment, gazing at this surging river that seems capable of swallowing everything.
She suddenly felt an indescribable loneliness.
That kind of loneliness has nothing to do with power, nor with winning or losing.
It simply exists.
Like the river breeze, it comes from nowhere and goes nowhere.
Zhao Qingxue gently gathered her wind-blown hair.
She recalled five years ago.
She stood on the observatory, looking down at the myriad lights below, and made her vow.
She was young then and thought that as long as she was strong and ruthless enough, she could control everything.
Five years have passed.
She has indeed accomplished a great deal.
He executed eight princes, seized military power, and established control over the court and the countryside.
The power of Liyang is growing stronger every day, and its position as the hegemon of the Eastern Continent is as stable as Mount Tai.
But at this moment.
On this lone boat, amidst the roar of the Nu River.
She suddenly became uncertain.
I'm unsure if I really have everything under control.
They are even unsure whether they truly have control over themselves.
The thought only flashed through my mind.
She immediately suppressed it with her usual calmness and decisiveness.
Zhao Qingxue closed her eyes.
When I opened my eyes again, they were clear.
She turned around, ready to enter the cabin.
Just then—
The river wind suddenly changed direction.
The slightly cool night breeze that had been blowing from the northwest suddenly turned to the northeast.
And it suddenly became several times more intense!
The wind was so strong it almost knocked a person over!
The plain gauze lanterns hanging from the side of the boat swayed violently.
Light and shadow danced wildly on the deck!
"Your Majesty, be careful!"
Fang Hecheng, the commander of the Liyang Imperial Guards, stepped forward and stood beside Zhao Qingxue.
His hand was already on the hilt of the knife.
at the same time--
The fog began to rise.
At first, it was just wisps of white smoke rising from the bottom of the river.
Then it spreads and permeates rapidly.
In just a dozen breaths, thick white fog had completely surrounded the entire ship!
Visibility plummeted to less than three zhang!
The lanterns on the deck turned into blurry halos of light in the thick fog.
The river surface disappeared.
The night sky disappeared.
Even the lights that were faintly visible on the opposite bank were completely hidden in the white fog.
Only the roar of the Nu River remains.
It appeared even more oppressive and imminent in the thick fog.
It was as if the roar did not come from the bottom of the ship, but from all directions.
From every unseen corner.
"The Imperial Advisor!"
Fang Hecheng said in a deep, low voice.
There was a barely perceptible tension in his tone.
Li Chunfeng slowly emerged from the shadows of the cabin.
He still held the white jade whisk in his hand.
His beard and hair fluttered slightly in the night breeze.
His expression remained calm and normal.
But his eyes were fully open.
Those eyes, always half-closed, as if detached from the world.
At this moment, the light was contained, like two ancient pools of unfathomable depth.
He gazed into the depths of the thick fog, toward the direction from which the roar came.
Jiang Wu's arrival was completely illogical.
One moment it was a clear, moonlit night, and the Nu River was rushing as usual; the next moment, a white mist surged up from the depths of the river, like a giant beast that had been dormant for thousands of years finally opening its eyes.
That fog was no ordinary river fog.
It's too strong, too heavy, and too purposeful.
Like a giant net tightening from all directions, it completely enveloped the "Zhentao" ship.
Zhao Qingxue's fingers, which were resting on the side of the boat, tightened slightly.
Her moon-white wide sleeves fluttered in the suddenly shifting river wind, but she didn't try to close them. She simply watched quietly as the white chaos swallowed everything in an instant.
The edges of the mist churned and writhed in the glow of the lanterns, like the breath of some living thing.
"His Majesty."
Li Chunfeng's voice came from behind her, old and ethereal, yet carrying a faint, almost imperceptible pause.
He stepped forward slowly, the hem of his gray-white Taoist robe brushing against the deck, his white jade whisk remaining perfectly still in his hand.
Those eyes, which were always half-open and seemed to be forever detached from the world, were now fully open.
Its brilliance was restrained, like two ancient pools illuminated by moonlight, so deep that their bottoms could not be seen.
He gazed into the depths of the thick fog, towards the direction from which the roar of the Nu River came, and slowly spoke:
"Something's wrong with this fog."
He paused.
"Your Majesty, please be careful."
Before the words were finished—
wind.
It wasn't an ordinary river breeze, nor was it a gust of wind that suddenly turned.
Instead, it was a raging wind that suddenly erupted from the depths of the riverbed, carrying a devastating force!
The wind wasn't blowing from one direction; it was pressing in from all directions at the same time!
The ship tilted violently, its masts groaning under the strain. The Li Yang Imperial Guards on deck barely managed to steady themselves by inserting their weapons into the planks. The white gauze lanterns fluttered wildly like mad butterflies, their light and shadow torn into countless fragments in the thick fog, only to be swallowed up in an instant.
Then, the river water moved.
It's not a joke.
It's not Tao.
The entire Nu River seemed to be seized by the throat from its slumber by an invisible hand at that moment, and then—
Take off!
"boom--!!!"
The sound was no longer the roar of the river, but the thunder of heaven and earth.
The jet-black river water burst open from the center of the river a hundred feet away from the bow of the boat, like hundreds of fountains gushing out at the same time, or like an ancient black dragon that had been imprisoned for hundreds of millions of years finally breaking its chains!
The river water rose higher and higher.
Ten zhang (approximately 33 meters).
Thirty zhang (approximately 33 meters).
Fifty feet.
It is coalescing, shaping, transforming from a chaotic, disordered flow of water into something possessing its own will.
First, there was a head.
The dragon's head, formed from the solidified river water, roared to the sky. The roar was not the sound of water, but a sharp whistling sound like countless blades cutting through the air at the same time, piercing one's eardrums painfully.
Then comes the body.
The hundred-zhang-long dragon's body coiled and stretched in the night sky, each scale representing the surging waters of the Nujiang River, reflecting a dark and eerie light under the moonlight.
Finally, there are four claws.
Each claw is the size of a millstone, with sharp, hook-like tips. When it grabs in mid-air, it seems to tear five dark cracks in the air.
Dragon.
A giant dragon formed from the waters of the entire Nu River.
At this moment, it is perched above the ship, looking down at these ant-like mortals on the deck.
Its eyes were fixed straight and emotionless on Zhao Qingxue.