Chapter 72: This Young Master's First Time Sailing

Chapter 72: This Young Master's First Time Sailing

All of Chen Haorans hard work avoiding damaging the inn was for naught when a drunk Phelps broke a hole through its roof and Chen broke a bigger one going after him. After finishing off the bottle of wine Phelps proved to be the worst case of curious drunk as he decided to make one small leap for sloths, one giant leap for sloth-kind and fly to the moon. It had taken Chen Haoran throwing Xie Jin into the air, the use of his Gu, and a stolen fishing net, to stop Phelps from changing his name to Armstrong.

Suffice to say they stepped onto the boat the next day very tired and with dark rings around their eyes. Xie Jin had a long red scratch mark going up one arm. A happy Phelps squealed at the new scents he was exposed to on the boat. Chen Haoran had an iron grip on the silk cord he had attached to the sloths collar.

The captain took one look at their bedraggled forms and shook his head. That ruckus last night you boys?

Is there a problem? Xie Jin demanded.

The captain shrugged. Not the worst omen to have before setting sail.

He escorted them to a small cabin with two simple beds and left to oversee the crew. Other passengers sorted themselves in nearby cabins and they got more than a few strange looks as they stumbled into their own.

Xie Jin slumped over onto the bed and groaned. Chen Haoran dropped Phelps onto his own bed and had to slap his claws away from tearing up the mattress. After warning Phelps to not break anything Chen Haoran collapsed.

Where in the world did you find that little monster? Xie Jin asked, slurring his words.

The depths of hell apparently.

Chen Haoran felt the heavy hands of sleep pull him. A single thought ringing out before he lost consciousness.

He was never letting Phelps near alcohol again.

When he awoke he was sore all over. The bed wasnt the most comfortable thing hed ever slept on. They hadnt wanted to stay in the town too long so Xie Jin booked the boat that was sailing the soonest, quality hadnt been the biggest concern. Chen Haoran was regretting being so hasty as he massaged the cricks in his neck. He missed his mansion. His bed had been the most pleasant sleep he had in both worlds. He had to pawn off the jewelry hed been rewarded as soon as possible. He wouldnt accept living anywhere but the best.

Phelps had curled up into a ball at the corner of the bed and was sound asleep. Xie Jin was still messily sprawled over his own bed and loudly snored. His Gu beetle sat on top of his bag like an onyx statue. It didnt so much as twitch while Chen Haoran rose and changed his clothes and yet he could swear he felt it staring at him. It was still an amorphous blob of qi to his sense. Proximity to it hadnt helped him figure out its nature either. Unless he had a use for it Xie Jin never exposed the bug in front of others. He and other people treated it with significance, but that just begged the question. What about this bug made people who could casually split rocks and throw fire give it the side-eye?Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

Chen Haoran quietly crept out of the room and closed the door shut behind him. He stood at the door. The feeling of being watched didnt leave. As he walked away from the cabin the feeling finally receded and he let out a breath he didnt know hed been holding.

The crew burst into activity, quickly securing any loose item and dragging out bottles of wine and rice. The captain brought a pig out onto the deck and slaughtered it with a clean swipe of his knife.

What are they doing? Chen Haoran asked.

Sacrifices to the river, a nearby merchant answered. The Ministry of Rites does its best to appease it but its good luck for a ship to offer its own.

The merchant then went on to follow the other passengers to crowd near the prow of the ship. He and Xie Jin joined them and they all watched as the boat approach a larger river.

A much, much larger river.

Chen Haoran stared in stupefied shock as the captain guided the ship onto the Machu. He cycled qi to his eyes and stretched his senses to their limit in search of the opposite shore but all that was visible was golden water stretching on endlessly. The muddy yellow water of the tributary disappeared into the Machu, which flowed with yellow water as clear as his own qi. Right as they crossed onto the river proper the crew opened up the wine and rice sacks and tossed it and the dead pig into the water.

Chen Haoran felt a familiar dragon roar rise from within him.

His qi flared out and the crowd around him stepped back in shock. He could hear Xie Jin whisper a concerned question. He ignored all of that though and sat down to focus on his qi. Almost without prompting his yellow qi began to flow through his meridians like the Machu in miniature. The yellow dragon did not dance while racing around his body like usual. Instead, it hung in his head and twisted and coiled while roaring in triumph as if it were returning home. Chen Haoran could practically feel the roars echo out from him and into the river below. It felt so close it was like he could reach his hand out to grab it.

Brother Chen! Xie Jin roared.

He opened his eyes.

A tendril of gold water hovered in front of the boat. Xie Jin stood in front of him facing the tendril, the Gu beetle hovering above his shoulder and glowing a poisonous purple.

Chen Haoran felt the dragon roar.

He waved.

The tendril waved back.