Dao Cheng Gui Xian

Chapter 90 The Vanished Merchant Ship

Mid-month, North City of Wufang
All the merchant houses were anxiously awaiting the return of the merchant ships.

The ship carried a vast amount of cargo, fulfilling the daily needs of Wufang City.

Beyond the Emerald River lies the 800-li Hengyang River.

The mighty river flows endlessly eastward into the vast sea.

Numerous merchant ships, large and small, adorned with inscriptions and talismans, glided smoothly along the river. Among them were many capable individuals, standing at the bow, vigilantly watching for any signs of danger.

Although the Dragon King was in charge, the evil spirits and demons in the river dared not destroy the ships, but the Dragon King did not care much about the slight autumn wind.

Therefore, there were always people on guard on each merchant ship.

But at that moment, the entire river surface suddenly darkened, and before anyone could react, the mighty river flowed backwards into the sky.

Merchant ships passing by were horrified to discover that the Five Directions City merchant ships, which were originally about to turn into the Emerald River, suddenly disappeared into the river with the current.

Everyone was terrified. It seemed as if a colossal creature in the clouds had swallowed the entire fleet of merchant ships, along with the river water, whole.

No one dared to investigate what had happened; they simply kept urging the boat forward, disappearing into the Hengyang River.

Manager Hu came out of the Three Immortals Pavilion.

Heading west along Zhengcheng West Street, we crossed the Cherry Blossom Bridge and entered the western part of the city.

Early in the morning, the bustling West City turned quiet. Manager Hu and his apprentice did not delay and moved from the West City to the North City.

Unlike the quiet of the western part of the city, the northern part of the city is bustling with noise and chaos.

From the managers of major merchants to the ordinary peddlers making a living in the city, everyone gathered at the port of entry in the north of the city, looking forward to the arrival of the merchant ships once a month.

As the head chef of the City God Temple, Steward Hu was quite famous in the northern part of the city. Upon seeing him arrive, everyone greeted him warmly along the way. The crowd made way for Steward Hu to walk to the front.

Manager Hu was not arrogant and returned the greetings one by one.

At this moment, he was, after all, representing the face of the City God Temple. Others respected the City God, otherwise, as a cook, who would bother with these business managers?
After exchanging pleasantries, everyone turned their attention back to the distant bend in the river, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the merchant fleet.

As the sun rose high in the sky, my long wait began to grow impatient.

"Why haven't you come yet?"

"They should have arrived early this morning, right? That's strange!"

"Oh dear... I hope nothing's happened."

"Pah, pah, pah, you jinx! Merchant ships are on the Dragon King of Hengyang River's list, who dares to be disrespectful?"

"That's right, that's right, I was overthinking it, they should be here soon!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and Steward Hu grew increasingly anxious. With noon fast approaching, Steward Hu began to worry that the food his apprentice had prepared might not suit the High Priest's taste.

After thinking for a moment, he said to his apprentice beside him, "You stay here and keep watch. I'll go back and make lunch for the High Priest!"

After finishing his business, Steward Hu rushed back to the City God Temple. Fortunately, the High Priest had not yet come to take his duty.

Manager Hu plunged into the kitchen and got busy. He had just finished preparing lunch when he glanced towards the dining hall and, unsurprisingly, the High Priest was sitting there.

"High Priest, you've arrived! The meal is just ready, I'll bring it to you right away!"

With his signature smile, Li Wushou waved his hand and said politely, "Thank you for your hard work, Chef Hu. I heard from Manager Li that you went to the North City to pick out ingredients today. How was it? Did you find anything delicious?"

Seeing the high priest's eagerness, Steward Hu was also a bit of a headache. "High priest, I'm sorry to disappoint you. That merchant ship from this morning still hasn't returned. I've had my apprentice keep an eye on it. I'll go over there later and make sure you get some fresh goods."

"They're not here yet?"

Li Wushou nodded, not disappointed. He had just become a bit picky about food lately; normally, he wouldn't care about ingredients.

"It's really strange, because all these merchant ships are registered with the Dragon King of Hengyang River. They should be able to leave and return around the same time every day. I don't know what's wrong with them today?"

Li Wushou didn't care, seeing that his lunch had already been served by Chef Hu's apprentice.

Li Wushou instructed Chef Hu, "Chef Hu, go about your business and don't worry about me!"

Chef Hu didn't stand on ceremony. Having spent a long time with this high priest, he understood his temperament. He bowed and then headed back towards the north of the city.

I just boasted to the High Priest that I was determined to bring back some novelties to treat him to dinner tonight!
However, when Chef Hu arrived in Beicheng with great enthusiasm, he found that the atmosphere on the riverbank was a bit off.

Once inside, looking out over the river, they realized that the merchant ship hadn't arrived yet.

Pulling his apprentice aside, Chef Hu asked softly, "Xiao Wen, where's the boat?"

The apprentice also felt a little aggrieved: "Master, the ship hasn't come yet!"

"Really didn't come?" Chef Hu was speechless.

The managers of the various merchant houses standing in the front row were already showing signs of worry. The goods on this ship were not cheap, and if something unexpected happened, it would be troublesome.

Since the City God registered the merchant ships with the Dragon King, it has been almost a hundred years and there has been no news of any major incidents involving the merchant ships. Surely there won't be any accidents this time.

The group looked at each other in silence, and the atmosphere began to become somber.

Another hour or so passed, and the crowd began to feel anxious. Some merchants even started contacting the city lord and notifying the City God Temple.

Before Manager Hu could bring out the novel ingredients, Li Wushou was greeted by Lin You.

The news that the North City merchant ships had not returned for a long time finally reached the ears of this junior priest. Lin You was very sensitive now and felt uneasy about these unusual events.

During this time, he had been searching for the whereabouts of the Civil Official on Li Wushou's orders, but to no avail. Now that this incident had occurred, he seemed quite worried.

Li Wushou initially didn't take it seriously, but after Lin You explained the situation, he realized what was going on.

"Are you saying that it's very likely someone disregarded the Dragon King's reputation and attacked the merchant ships?"

Li Wushou immediately thought of Zhu Sihai, but then he was a little puzzled: did Zhu Sihai have this ability?

Even if he had the ability, would Zhu Sihai have the guts? That's the Dragon King of the Hengyang River, a powerful figure whom Wu Zhuangyuan described as one step away from becoming a god!

"Isn't there any way to confirm the condition of the merchant ships?"

Lin You's face was somber. Upon hearing the question, he slowly replied:
“There are traces of the City God's seal on the main ship, but I just checked with incense and there was no information. Either it was too far away, or something destroyed the entire main ship in an instant, which is why there was no trace left!”

Li Wushou frowned. Today was supposed to be the day the merchant ships returned, so they shouldn't be going far away.

But what could wipe out an entire flagship in an instant? Or even an entire fleet?
Li Wushou was confused and finally said to Lin You, "We have no way of knowing how things are going. There's no point in thinking about it. Do you have any spare merchant ships?"

"The merchant ships traveling to and from Wufang City are originally configured in two ways; the other fleet will naturally return by the middle of next month."

"In that case, you should gather all the merchants in Wufang City and inform them of this news so that they can be mentally prepared."

Lin You accepted the order and went out, but Li Wushou frowned, lying on the chair in a daze, and he felt a strange sense of urgency.

They shifted the blame back to Zhu Sihai. If he was the one who did it, then why did he target the merchant ships?
(End of this chapter)