Chapter 28: The front of the Yangtze's waves goes blah blah blah

Zigui is a port. A port city.

You might be thinking, "What port city is on a river?". but the Yangtze's water volume accounts for a third of the entire Central Plains' water flow.  

However, not every city bordering the Yangtze thrived on commerce.  

Zigui was precisely like that.

Zigui's land routes were quite poor, and above all, it was close to Yichang.  

Yichang was connected to a major road leading to Chongqing.

So, with roads and water intersecting, it developed significantly.

However, Zigui, nestled beside the colossal natural barriers of the Wuxia Gorge, was hardly a must-visit for travelers heading upstream.  

This Wuxia Gorge is considered the most beautiful of the three gorges on the Yangtze River.  

Hence, Zigui, situated at the entrance to Wuxia Gorge, was popular with sightseers.  

In other words, if A-Qing were to just camp out at an inn, waiting to see if any courier offices passed by, she'd be shit out of luck.

Actually, if she wanted to join a merchant group, all she had to do was visit the branch of a courier office.

With A-Qing's skills, any courier office would leap to their feet, bowing and scraping to have her join them.

They'd even carry her on their backs throughout the journey, no questions asked (though she might have to put up with nicknames like "Backpack Witch").

Meaning, a strange woman hitching a ride on their back.

But A-Qing didn't know any of this.

She was clueless as hell.

She never even tried to learn.

Even if she knew how to use it well, she didn't seek out what she didn't know.

Anyway, in A-Qing's mind, an inn was like a meeting place.

Utter nonsense, but from a certain perspective, not entirely wrong either.

It was while A-Qing was propped up at the inn, chin in hand, watching the sightseers pass by...

Suddenly, a young man appeared, flashing his pearly white teeth.

Dude had a seriously good set of chompers.

"Oh my, an unclaimed flower blooms here."

A-Qing glanced around.

The inn was pretty deserted, and those present were dressed plainly, if not shabbily.

Sightseers were generally loaded, so they'd eat at restaurants, drink tea at teahouses, and booze at taverns.

In a tourist town like this, an inn that did a bit of everything was only used by drifters like A-Qing or broke-ass travelers.

There didn't seem to be any other noteworthy "flowers" around.

A-Qing, with a "No way, is he talking about me?" look, pointed at herself with her index finger.

The young man grinned.

What the hell? Me? Really? Why?

A-Qing was a bit surprised.

"I am Cha Nam-jung. May I have the honor of knowing your beautiful name, fair maiden?"

A-Qing carefully observed Cha Nam-jung.

Not for any particular reason, other than...

-598, this little shit, what's with his karma...?

Come to think of it, she had been holding back for a long time.

Enduring those humiliating moments without any proper means of retaliation, like a never-ending nuclear bombing you just have to suffer through with tears...

But here? Here was a fucker ripe for the killing?

A murderous intent she hadn't felt in a while bubbled up.

Qing smirked. It was a chilling smile.

"I'm Ximen Qing."  

"Ah! Miss Ximen! By the way, your companions seem quite inconsiderate."

"Why?"

"Well, how else could they leave such a beautiful woman like you alone?"

"I don't have any companions."

"Ah, I see. Actually, I knew it at first glance. There couldn't be any companions who would leave a fairy who descended to the mortal world."

Look at this fucker's smooth talk.

What's your name? Are you here alone?

Wow, this guy must be a regular at the clubs.

Next up is, "Wanna grab a drink outside?", right?

"So?"

"Haha, to be honest, I've been summoned by the Emperor to Beijing. Once I receive the official seal, I'll be busy, so I came out for some fresh air."

"Hmm."

A-Qing was unimpressed.

So, he's saying he became a government official?

Unexpectedly, A-Qing's thoughts aligned with common sentiment.

The martial artists of this era tended to underestimate government officials.

All thanks to the great senior, the Celestial Martial Emperor.

"Actually, my father is the Provincial Commander of the Hubei Province. He pulled some strings for me this time."

What the fuck, this guy.

How can he brag so shamelessly about getting a government job through nepotism?

Is this the legendary spirit of China passed down through the ages?

Amazingly, A-Qing was right!

This is the essence of the Chinese people's history of thousands of years, Guanxi!

The father's connections are the son's connections.

While it might not be something to boast about openly, it was undoubtedly the ultimate bragging right, envied by all.

"So, I was thinking of having a boat party tonight with fireworks. If you're interested, Miss Ximen, how about joining me?"

"A boat party..."

"Ah, not the tiny little boat you're imagining. I'm talking about a huge, palace-like ship where we'll enjoy fine cuisine and wine while taking in the beauty of the Yangtze River. If you could spare a bit of your time, it would be a blessing for three lifetimes, Miss Ximen."

There it was, the "Wanna grab a drink?" finally came out.

But fine cuisine and wine? High chance of blood.

Wouldn't she be missing out on half of life's pleasures if she refused?

A-Qing was completely sold.

"In that case, I'd be the one asking for a favor."

"Oh! Miss Ximen! Thank you!"

"Don't mention it."

"Then, I'll send someone over at the hour of the snake. Is it okay to send them to this inn?"

A-Qing nodded.

"Yes, please do. Well then."

Life was too easy for Cha Nam-jung.

This was because he was the precious only son of Cha Sun-dan, the Provincial Commander of the Hubei Province.

The Provincial Commander was a high-ranking official belonging to the Inspector General's Office, under the direct control of the Emperor.

He had immense power, with the authority to conduct independent inspections of even county-level officials.

Moreover, he was the only son of the Cha family, who rarely had children.

So, from a young age, Cha Nam-jung could get whatever he wanted just by pointing fingers and sweet-talking.

It was the worst possible way to raise a child.

Cha Nam-jung could have anything.

So, he wanted what he couldn't have.

What could that be?

That's it! Let's take a woman who doesn't want it by force!

That was the conclusion Cha Nam-jung reached.

And he carried out his long-awaited first attempt, and was immediately caught.

How well could a young kid plan his first crime?

His father, Cha Sun-dan, only said one thing.

'He's a man, it's part of his nature.'

It was the moment a monstrous rapist was born.

Cha Sun-dan was actually feeling wronged.

Isn't forcing a woman against her will an experience every man has at least once?

So, he let it slide, but the heavens were cruel.

Even for Cha Sun-dan, who loved his child dearly, it reached a point where he thought, "This is a bit much."

The reason he used his connections to get his son a position in the military was partly to put a stop to his nasty hobby and partly because of the fervent belief that roughing it out and suffering might make him a better person.

Anyway, all crimes become bolder over time.

Cha Nam-jung was no exception. At first, he targeted easy prey like prostitutes.

Then it was married women, then ladies, then beautiful ladies.

And now he had reached beautiful female martial artists.

It wasn't that A-Qing was particularly unlucky to be targeted.

Nor was it the influence of the Thousand Slaughter Star or some twisted fate that brought them together.

A-Qing was chosen simply because she fit the bill.

She was dressed neatly but in worn-out clothes, sitting in an inn in a tourist town, practically screaming, "I'm poor!"

And how skilled could a poor swordsman be?

Her face was pretty enough to be considered beautiful.

"Heh, did you see her reaction? She pretended to play hard to get, but the moment I mentioned my father's name, she was all over me. Wanna bet on how she'll react later?"

Cha Nam-jung chuckled with his guards on the ship.

"I'll bet one silver tael on her crying her eyes out and going limp."

"I'll bet on that too."

"Tsk, that's no fun. It's more fun when they scream, curse, and put up a fight."

Their words were truly appalling.

"But she's a martial artist, isn't she? Those women who pretend to be martial artists are usually as tough as men, Young Master."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Cha Nam-jung cackled and his lower body swelled.

It was almost time for the servant sent to fetch her to return.

Cha Nam-jung licked his lips.

Unaware of the calamity he was inviting.

The time was coming when he would be crushed by the disaster he brought upon himself.

"Whoa, a boat."

A-Qing exclaimed.

It wasn't quite the "palace" Cha Nam-jung had described.

But it was still about the size of a 20-person fishing boat.

The kind of unfortunate vessel you were bound to end up on at least once if you lived as a production worker.

It was quite entertaining, considering she was being dragged along.

To be honest, A-Qing considered the Central Plains civilization to be somewhere slightly above primitive.

So even a boat of this size seemed impressive to her.

It was the same principle as a baby who receives praise as a genius for any babbling sound they make.

Wow, there's a boat! Wow, a three-story building! Wow, a carriage!

Ancient China is amazing! And so on.

The playboy of the Central Plains came out to greet A-Qing.

"Miss Ximen, thank you for coming."

"Don't mention it. I'm just here for the free meal."

"Haha. Come this way. Let me show you my pride and joy, the Soyang."

"Oh, are you the owner?"

"Haha, I rarely take her out, so I can hardly call myself an owner. But I am the master, nonetheless."

And as she stepped onto the deck, oh my!

A sight A-Qing had never seen before unfolded before her eyes.

A banquet table laden with all sorts of delicacies stretched out before her in a U-shape.

With this kind of treatment, even the -601 karma would be a bit- [^ it was at -598 ]

What the fuck.

His karma increased in such a short time?