knife

Chapter 534 The Person Who Arranged a Way Out
The Danjiang River is a tributary of the Yangtze River. Compared to the roaring, turbulent, and dangerous rapids of the Yangtze, the Danjiang River, which divides Danyang City in two, is much gentler. Even now, during the high-water season, the water above the Danjiang River is only yellowish-brown in the part connected to the Yangtze River. A little further upstream, it turns into a clear blue. Standing on the bank, you can clearly see the pebbles in the shimmering shallow water.

The Danjiang River is dozens of feet wide at its widest point and only a dozen feet wide at its narrowest. Willows line both banks, their long branches swaying in the wind, creating ripples on the water's surface, and every now and then, strings of bubbles rise from the bottom.

Such a beautiful river naturally became the livelihood of many people. Countless exquisitely decorated pleasure boats floated on the Danjiang River, adding another scenic element to the river.

However, besides these pleasure boats, there were many more small boats drifting about, each carrying only one or two passengers. These passengers were mostly from out of town, visiting Danyang and hiring one of these boats to tour the Danjiang River—a very affordable and cost-effective option. For just one string of cash, you could have a boat serving you for a whole day, including meals. The pleasure boats, on the other hand, were never intended for those with limited funds.

Most of these small boat owners were elderly men who could no longer make a living on the great river. So they sailed their own boats to the Danjiang River to solicit customers. Although they didn't have customers every day, as long as they were open for business for a few days a month, they could earn a few coins, which was enough to feed their families. If they were lucky and had many customers, their income over the course of a year could be quite considerable.

Although they still had to pay protection money and other fees to certain people, and the government collected taxes, they could generally live a peaceful and comfortable life.
Li Dachui is currently sitting on such a ship.

An old man stands barefoot at the stern rowing the boat, while a slightly younger boatwoman prepares food at the bow. This setup is standard on the Danjiang River.

The old man was no ordinary person; he was Ke Wuji.

The boatwoman busy at the bow was Chen Wan, Ke Wuji's subordinate.

"Your boatmanship is quite good!" Li Dachui laughed as he watched Ke Wuji skillfully steer the boat upwards. "And your disguise is also quite impressive."

"The old man was just born when his own father held him upside down in the river by his legs to wash him!" Ke Wuji chuckled. "His boat-handling skills were learned from a young age. As for his disguise skills, they're hardly elegant. Compared to you, young master, they're like a firefly trying to outshine the moon."

Li Dachui watched Ke Wuji steer the boat with great interest. To be honest, the old man was quite adept at pretending to be something he was not. With Ke Wuji's martial arts skills, he could row such a small boat very fast. If he really put his full effort into it, Li Dachui felt that this guy could make the bow of the boat lift up and fly forward.

But right now, this guy looks like he's struggling. He shakes it a few times and then slows down, looking exactly like an old, weak, and powerless person.

"Someone's been watching me!"

"It's alright, this ship and these people have a history!" Ke Wuji laughed. "Wan'er and I look about seven or eight parts like the original owner of this ship! No matter how much they investigate, they won't find anything."

"Is that one of your people too?" Li Dachui asked.

Ke Wuji nodded: "The five banners of the Divine Sect, Ruijin and Liehuo, are dedicated to rebellion. Their followers are all over the world, and they have also planted spies everywhere. In places like Danyang, we still have quite a few people, but in recent years, that bastard Lin Yunqi has taken away a lot of them."

“You need to tell your men to keep a deeper hide from now on,” Li Dachui said. “After Xiang Ying and his men start their uprising, they will definitely carry out a large-scale purge of Danyang. Don’t let pulling up one radish bring out the mud, and then your people will be implicated too!”

"Young Master, this time, you're completely playing with fire!" Ke Wuji felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about Li Dachui's current predicament. On one hand, he was feigning friendship with Jiang Qian, this fierce tiger, while on the other hand, he was flirting with Xiang Ying and his group. It was like walking a tightrope; one wrong step and he would capsize.

If things really go wrong, even if Li Dachui is a master of innate cultivation, it won't be easy for him to escape. You have to know that Jiang Qian and Xiang Ying are also masters of innate cultivation.

This is their home turf!
"We weren't entirely confident about making this move, but we had no choice but to give it a try!" Li Dachui said. "If Jiang Qian really gains complete control of the situation, our path will become many times more difficult. Now it seems that everything was worthwhile. Those cunning old foxes, Xiang Ying and Xiong Yi, do indeed have some trump cards up their sleeves!"

Ke Wuji snorted: "Their so-called trump card still depends on us helping to transfer the Tiger Legion from Danyang. Only then will they have room to maneuver. Otherwise, they can only stretch their necks and wait for Jiang Qian to chop them down!"

"Helping others is helping yourself!" Li Dachui chuckled.

"We received news today that the inland river naval forces stationed in various locations are converging on Danyang. They will first transport the Tiger Legion and its corresponding logistical supplies from Danyang to Yong'an, and then proceed upstream to deal with our navy. Jiang Qian has gone all out this time, transferring a full 50,000 Tiger Legion troops to Yong'an County. It seems she wants to teach He Zudao a lesson, probably to show him the strength of Chu and force him to side with Chu!"

"The plan itself isn't bad!" Li Dachui said, "It's just that Jiang Qian didn't expect Xiang Ying and his group to make their move at this time!"

"Of the 80,000 elite troops, 50,000 have left, leaving only 30,000, which is a serious shortage. Danyang is already scattered around the area, and there's a shortage everywhere. Moreover, it's hard to say how many of them are Xiang Ying's men," Ke Wuji said. "But we're sure to suffer heavy losses in Yong'an this time too!"

Li Dachui nodded. There was no other way. If Ke Wuji and his men didn't put in a lot of effort this time, Feng Kuan wouldn't have the confidence to advance on Yong'an. Once the Tiger Legion arrived, both sides would have to work together to fight desperately. If they withdrew halfway, it would not only harm others but also themselves. Such a thing was naturally unacceptable.

Moreover, if they can hold out for a while, once the situation in Danyang explodes, the Tiger Legion in Yong'an will immediately fall into chaos. Even if victory is not guaranteed, at least the situation can be stabilized. At that time, Zhan Zhao, Su Qi, Ke Wuji, and the others will gain more trust from He Zudao and have more say.

"Next, I'll arrange the retreat route for you, young master. You'll need to tell me the general outline of the plan before I can proceed!" Ke Wuji said with a smile. "I bet Xiang Ying and the others don't want you to get home safely either!"

“If possible, Xiang Ying would certainly like to take me down with him!” Li Dachui laughed.

"Now that Jiang Qian's main force has been successfully transferred away, I wonder how Xiang Ying and the others are doing with their arrangements?"

"When Xiang Ying arranged to meet with me, it meant that they had everything prepared and were just waiting to launch their attack!"

When will it be launched?

"Of course, it's when Jiang Qian and I went to Cloud Mist Mountain!" Li Dachui looked into the distance and laughed, "Cloud Mist Mountain is surrounded by water. Once the waterways are sealed off, all news will be cut off immediately!"

(End of this chapter)