Chapter 167: You Are Not In Exile You Are Clearly Traveling!
Chapter 167: The River Crossing Crisis
The exiled group quickly arrived at the ferry crossing over the Changhe River. Once they crossed this major river, they would reach the southern region. Everyone was looking forward to it, as the conditions in the south were expected to be less harsh, and there would be more food available in the wild.
Crossing the river required boats, but there were not enough large boats to accommodate everyone at once. Therefore, they had to cross in batches, starting with a group of people and then returning to pick up the rest.
Choosing who would go first was crucial to prevent any potential escape attempts by prisoners. Xu Tian planned to have Chen Xue's family go first, but as soon as this was announced, Zhang Yiquan immediately objected.
"Why should they go first?" he demanded.
"Everyone, let's be fair. Why does the Chen family get to go first? We have elderly and children among us. They are neither old nor young—why should they go first?"
After experiencing various situations, the crowd had ceased to envy the Chen family, knowing that they had a divine disciple and preferred not to offend them. However, Zhang Yiquan's objections were ignored by everyone, leading to his embarrassment.
In reality, while the crowd didn’t voice their concerns, many were somewhat unhappy about Chen's family being prioritized. Chen Yuan thus decided to let the others go first since it didn’t matter whether they left early or late. Additionally, delaying their departure would make it easier to manage the cargo on their carriage, most of which was actually stored in the spatial compartment.
It was morning, the busiest time for travelers, and almost all boats were already full, leaving few available. Some refused to take passengers, as transporting prisoners was considered inauspicious. Xu Tian and the others spent a lot of money to find a few boats and began transporting people gradually.
However, there was one boat on the shore that neither accepted passengers nor prisoners and remained stationary. When the boatman with a bamboo hat saw Chen Xue’s family, he quickly approached.
"Master Chen, this way!"
"I’m sent by Magistrate Tan to take you across the river," the boatman added.
Chen Xue frowned, sensing something was off but couldn't pinpoint it.
Following the boatman to the small boat, they noticed that it was about the same size as other boats. Was this really the boat sent by Magistrate Tan?
Chen Xue and the others exchanged glances, unsure of what to think. Despite Magistrate Tan's seemingly high position, he might not afford a larger boat.
"The boat is small, so we can only take a few people at a time," the boatman explained.
Chen Yuan estimated that the boat could hold six or seven people, and with his family plus Xiao Die, they already made up four. That left room for only two more.
"Let us two brothers come along!" one of the guards said. They were sent by Xie Yunshang to protect Chen Yuan’s family and would not leave their side.
"Fine," Chen Yuan agreed. With two guards accompanying them, their safety was more assured.
The guards checked the boat thoroughly before boarding, while the boatman insisted there was no need for further inspection. Chen Yuan, convinced by the boatman's insistence and the fact that the boatman himself would be at risk if anything went wrong, gave up on additional checks.
The boat departed, heading toward the river’s center. Chen Xue and the others sat in the cramped boat cabin, observing their surroundings. The boat looked better from the outside but was in poor condition inside, with wooden patches and visible water leaks.
Fortunately, the cabin was lined with dry grass, keeping their clothes and shoes dry. Still, the creaking noises made Chen Xue anxious about the boat’s stability.
Shen Dan held his knife tightly, fixating on the boatman. His battlefield instincts told him something was wrong with the boatman, but lacking evidence, he merely kept a close watch.
Soon, the boat reached the river’s center. Shen Dan instinctively placed his hand on the knife handle, ready for any trouble. The boatman, under his hat, continued to row leisurely.
Suddenly, the boat jolted, possibly hitting an object or encountering a current. Shen Dan nearly lost his balance, and then a shout came from inside the cabin, causing him to panic.
"Master Chen, are you alright?"
The boatman hurried into the cabin, appearing concerned about Chen Yuan. Shen Dan steadied himself and followed. Upon entering the cabin, Shen Dan found water flooding the floor.
"Not good!" Shen Dan thought, rushing forward.
Inside the cabin, Shen Dan saw his brother Shen Qing protecting Chen Yuan’s family and confronting the boatman, who clearly had malicious intent.
The boatman sneered and without further ado, tossed a firestarter onto the dry grass in the cabin, then jumped into the river from the stern. Flames immediately erupted in the cabin.
"Damn it!" Shen Dan cursed, shouting to his brother, "Shen Qing, protect master Chen and get out of here."
He removed his clothes, soaked them in the water, and tried to extinguish the fire.
Shen Qing moved Chen Xue and others to the bow of the boat, but the vast river made it impossible for him to swim all of them to safety.
"This is not working; the fire can’t be put out!" Shen Dan emerged from the cabin, grim-faced. "The bastard is also sabotaging the boat’s bottom—it’s sinking."
With a burning cabin behind them and the endless river ahead, their situation was dire.
Suddenly, another object was thrown onto the boat.
"Not good, it’s a sleeping powder—hold your breath!" Shen Dan warned.
Though they tried to hold their breath, they still inhaled some of the powder, quickly feeling their limbs weaken. On a burning boat, losing strength meant either burning alive or drowning.
"You’re all doomed!" the boatman’s cold voice came from beneath the water.
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