My wife is the stand-in.

They moved freely on bamboo poles swaying on the river, like startled swans, occasionally coordinating with each other without ever colliding.

"Crossing the river on a single reed?!"

Amanosaki exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this scene.

In the Yangtze River basin, there is also a popular legend of crossing the river on a single reed, and CCTV-10 has even produced a science video about this.

This skill originated from the loggers of the Yangtze River. They would cut down trees upstream and, in order to save time and transportation costs, throw the timber into the river, using the hundreds of millions of cubic meters of water to transport the timber downstream.

To ensure that the timber would not run aground, someone would accompany the group and hold a long bamboo pole to control it. Later, this evolved into a special cultural activity in which the operator stood on the bamboo pole and held it to maintain balance.

The great rivers of this world are somewhat similar to the Yangtze River on Earth, so it's not surprising that they gave rise to similar cultures.

It seems that the Wudang branch has actively adopted this technique of crossing the river on a reed, making it a common skill.

Seeing this, Amanosaki finally understood the confidence behind the Wudang branch's audacity in locking down the river.

Humans are land animals, and apart from innate water-related abilities, normal people can hardly exert their full strength underwater.

Even if the martial arts practitioners trained by Wudang Mountain follow the path of acquired skills, their boxing and sword techniques are still ground-based. If a competition is to be held, the martial arts practitioners must be allowed to compete in the water.

However, if they go into the water, they are easily attacked by swarms of strange fish. Even a 300-ton patrol boat like the Suobianyu struggles to deal with the strange fish that fill the river, let alone those sampans.

However, if everyone knew the skill of crossing a river on a reed, that would be a different story.

Piles of bamboo poles, both fresh and old, lined both banks. Several docks regularly dumped these "foundation stones" into the river. The white-clad swordsmen of Wudang Mountain moved freely on these "reeds." Because of the constant replenishment, they had no worries about damage from the four-clawed scale fish.

Moreover, there are chivalrous heroes guarding the heavens; if any contestant slips or falls into the water, someone will naturally come to their rescue.

Hundreds of people floated around, their swords flashing with power, cleaving through the waves – what a magnificent sight it was to see a sword immortal on the river!

Amanosaki was overjoyed.

"Hey, can you do those moves?"

Shi Yu was clearly also drawn to this scene. Today, she was a writer who loved romance the most, and this fantasy scene unfolding before her eyes hit her sweet spot.

Amanosaki scratched his chin: "I can directly strengthen bamboo with magic and stomp on it, sending it flying hundreds of meters, but I can't do this..."

He pointed to a scene where a sparrow, as nimble as a bird, touched the middle of a bamboo stalk with its toes, leaped up lightly, and the bamboo, after sinking into the water, pushed aside the scarlet river water and floated up again, its leaves a vibrant green.

"So effortless."

He exhaled and admitted his inferiority.

"Why don't you go and learn from him?" Shi Yu immediately urged. "If you learn this, your fighting will look much better, and you won't have to resort to haphazard punches anymore."

"You think a novice can kill a master with a flurry of punches? Youth has the upper hand!" Amanosaki flexed his biceps and rolled his eyes. "I'm a member of the Yushan branch now, so I don't have a chance to learn these things. Unless you become Hinata Hyuga and gouge out your Byakugan and give it to me, then I might have a chance to learn it."

“Hmm…” Shi Yu lowered her head and pondered.

Upon seeing this, Amanosaki immediately waved his hand: "Just kidding! Don't take it seriously! This isn't an anime, there's no such thing as gouging out an eyeball and stuffing it in to make it work!"

Chapter 115: I Want to Go Out and Play Too

It's hard to describe the feelings of Amanosaki and the others in words.

The Wudang branch's office is not located on Wudang Mountain, but in a huge city built along Dongting Lake.

This is why Wudang Mountain has been able to escape the awkward situation of being overwhelmed by crowds and obscured by dense modern buildings, thus preserving its ancient charm.

So to be precise, the branch in Dongting Province is called Wudang, and the area around Wudang Mountain is actually a branch of a group called the Wudang Alliance.

This complex structure is a phenomenon created by time and compromise in real society.

Amanosaki and the others were at the foot of Wudang Mountain, by Taiji Lake, observing as special guests.

This large, man-made lake will now serve as a trophy display point, storing all the Queen Fish captured by the heroes.

Most of the knights on the five ships had no interest in sitting idly by and watching others show off. After obtaining permission, they went up the mountain to visit the Taoist temple.

Amanosaki could only watch with envy as these people, carrying large and small bags, headed towards the mountain path that stretched like a string of pearls and dotted with Taoist temples, guided by a pretty tour guide waving a red flag.

"Now I understand the saying 'people are afraid of becoming famous, just as pigs are afraid of getting fat.'"

Amanosaki muttered to himself, stuffing a mung bean cake into his mouth.

He, Lin Shuyu, Li Junzi, and Xiao Banxiake from Suobianyuhao were all "voluntarily" left here.

After all, Zhang Yiyi had said from the beginning that she wanted his "guidance," so Amanosaki really couldn't refuse the invitation.

However, he and Lin Shuyu, who had activated the "Celestial Man Form" ability, still managed to learn the real reason for their restricted movement from the whispers of the nearby swordsmen, thanks to their keen hearing.

Amanosaki, the jinx, brings trouble wherever he goes; a walking bomb, a jinx to the branch.

To avoid bad luck, the Wudang Alliance was determined not to allow him to enter the mountain.

The exact words of those chivalrous heroes were:

"Offer incense? We should be the ones offering incense to him! Please, abbots, hurry up and send him away!"

This one sentence even prompted Amanosaki, who doesn't read much leisure reading on Earth, to ask Lin Shuyu why "abbot" had become the title for the head of a Taoist temple.

Listening to Lin Shuyu's explanation, and looking at the sea of ​​people around them, with colorful flags and red sails hanging around the high platform, dragon and lion dances, swordplay, acrobatics, fire and water manipulation, it was quite a lively scene.

Even though Taiji Lake is no longer emerald green, but instead presents a jewel-like red color.

There are also many martial arts enthusiasts who were eliminated in the preliminary rounds and unable to participate in the competition, so they started outdoor live streaming on the spot, sparring with each other and playing offline PK, while introducing the magnificent scenery to the audience.

Amanosaki had lost count of how many times he had waved and smiled at the approaching swordsmen; he felt his cheekbones were almost numb.

The squares and corridors around Taiji Lake are filled with small troupes of acrobats, all hired by Wudang to liven up the atmosphere. These martial arts performers, who livestream to gain popularity, have themselves become small attractions for tourists. Therefore, Wudang is very tolerant of these performers.

After all, it's a long way to go.

As for the heroes who were not selected, Wudang ruthlessly kicked them back to the back mountain for training.

Amanosaki personally witnessed a Taoist priest grabbing a student's ear, pointing at a knight-errant manipulating puppets to play tabletop basketball, and angrily reprimanding him:

"If others don't get selected, they can go home, grow flowers and grass, run greenhouses, and earn a few hundred thousand a year. If all else fails, they can become forest rangers or even make money by performing. You don't have any special abilities, and you don't even study. All the money your parents paid for your youth and talent has been wasted! How can you sleep and have fun at your age?!"

This scene seemed strangely familiar to Amanosaki, as if he were seeing a college entrance exam motivational tutor from another world.

Without the burden of gathering and dispersing heroes from all over the province, Wudang Mountain in this world follows the model of teaching from the top down. The mountaintop and back mountain are places for heroes to practice their acquired skills, while the Taoist temples along the main road that appear to have been renovated and newly built are opened as tourist attractions.

The Wudang Mountain Alliance has amassed a fortune thanks to the endless stream of pilgrims and the "tribute" from those who try to impress the Taoist priests and beg for entry into the sect.

The Wudang Alliance has become one of the few sects in the country that can live a very comfortable life on its own without government subsidies.

They even reciprocate by providing substantial subsidies to the branch headquarters each year in order to maintain their superior status within the branch.

This is also why nearly a thousand heroes on the river have now joined Wudang.

In other branch headquarters, dozens of heroes would be the norm.

Not only in terms of population, the jurisdiction of the Wudang Alliance is also enormous, encompassing the entire Wudang Mountain and four or five surrounding towns.

This scene, unlike anything ever seen in Yushan, left even Lin Shuyu and Li Junzi dazzled. Meanwhile, Kasumigaoka Utaha sat to the side, typing on her laptop as if playing the piano.

These fresh landscapes and atmospheres gave her a lot of inspiration.

"Now I understand another reason why the Wudang branch held this competition."

Seemingly infected by the lively crowd, Lin Shuyu, whose face was much brighter with a smile, said to Amano Saki.

"The extermination order has had a profound impact not only on politics and the economy of the river basin, but also on the people living there. People are only now realizing that there is a group of monsters on the banks of the river that deserves the country's serious attention. Anyone would be nervous looking at the corpses floating down from upstream every day and the river water that has turned red and smelly."

“Look how happy these tourists are.” Lin Shuyu pointed to the joyful crowd. Children rode on their fathers’ backs and laughed, wives snuggled in their husbands’ arms, and the elderly were helped by their children and grandchildren as they shakily tasted snacks. “This competition by the Wudang branch is not only an excuse to hold activities and have fun with the people, but also a way to demonstrate our strength and rebuild everyone’s confidence.”

"Anyone who has the courage to implement this policy must be a remarkable hero," Lin Shuyu exclaimed sincerely.

"Yes, yes," Amanosaki mumbled sleepily, almost falling asleep from sheer boredom.

First, he must acknowledge that large gatherings of people in this world pose certain risks.

For evil spirits and heretics, big cities are a rich and huge cake, and when the crowds gather further, reaching the level that Amanosaki is in front of, then even gourmet food cannot compare to it.

It must be said that drugs are to addicts.

Therefore, Amanosaki is confident that, apart from the Queen Fish that is currently only half-exposed and riddled with holes, there must be wars of all sizes breaking out near this Wudang Alliance area.

That's exactly what happened.

The competition was attended by outstanding young and middle-aged martial arts heroes from across Dongting Province, which means that the task of protecting the safety of the people fell on the older generation and those who were not selected.

The battles were particularly fierce at Taiji Lake, a place that attracted tens of thousands of people and drew crowds from four or five towns within the Wudang Alliance, as well as countless tourists and streamers.

In the unseen mountains and forests, along the roadsides, and in abandoned villages, heroes from all walks of life are shedding their blood, fighting desperately so that everyone can fully enjoy this rare and grand event.

Amanosaki felt he shouldn't be here watching all sorts of shows. He wished he could go to the river to kill fish, or join those chivalrous heroes behind the scenes in vanquishing evil and protecting the righteous.

Although it will only be a few days, Amanosaki swears.

He really wanted to fight against evil forces.

Just like some people enjoy extreme sports, even though it only lasted a few days, the high-intensity life-or-death struggle, the smell of gunpowder and blood, had already made Amanosaki accustomed to those thrills.

Snapped.

Shi Yu silently put her hands back on the keyboard, looking at the exaggerated hand-waving that seemed to have been hurt, and pointed around angrily.

'In public! Don't act like a pervert!'

Amanosaki could only watch his girlfriend type with a wry smile, sighing inwardly.

The last entertainment activity was also canceled.

Chapter 116: The Wine Drinker in the Mortal World

Amanosaki's boredom was impossible to hide.

He was still young, and his skills in managing his expressions and putting on an act were not up to par, so the abbots of the various Taoist temples sitting on the high platform easily saw through his true nature.

Seeing the young man who had killed a province's guard first scratching his head, then looking dazed, and finally dejected, everyone was overjoyed.

It has a similar feel to the Buddha watching Sun Wukong somersault in the palm of his hand.

"Young Nozaki, are you finding this place boring?"

An old man with white hair and a youthful face, a white beard that reached his waist, and hair that was neatly combed, was leaning on a cane, his head hanging down to the height of the table, his two cloudy eyes staring unblinkingly at Amanosaki.

Amanosaki, who was almost asleep, jolted awake. His whole body trembled slightly, and he put on a brave face, but his eyes were vacant beneath his drooping eyelids.

Without a doubt, he almost fell asleep.