Chapter 302: Setting Sail, Making Plans

Returning to the game, Kai Xin sent all the over forty pieces of equipment and precious items he had obtained from the royal tomb to Feng Wu Cai Yi. Then, riding on “Tie Ying,” he arrived at a small town dock outside Gusu City.

Shanhe Town.

As a waterway transit point for Gusu City, many merchants shipped their goods here to join the Yangtze River, from where they were transported to nearby cities or directly overseas to the north and south, or even abroad. The convenient water transportation attracted many merchants, turning it into a small, bustling city.

Standing on the dock against the wind, Kai Xin saw a large fleet of cargo shipsanchored not far away. At the top of the masts at the front of the ships, the flag of the Murong family was very eye-catching.

He led his horse over to the fleet. Soon, someone came down from one of the ships. A middle-aged man in a brocade robe walked over with confident steps, followed by two men who seemed to be escorts.

“I am Xu Hong. It’s an honor to meet Executive Kai Xin.”

Xu Hong had a strong sense of being a martial artist and was highly vigilant. As he approached Kai Xin and bowed, his two subordinates kept a watchful eye around.

“Thank you for waiting, Executive Xu.”

Kai Xin politely bowed in return.

Xu Hong smiled broadly. “Executive Kai Xin, please don’t be polite. It’s windy outside. How about we go aboard to discuss this in detail?”

“Sure, please!” “Please!”

The group boarded one of the larger cargo ships.

Kai Xin noticed that each ship seemed identical—having one deck filled with bags of salt. Around it stood thirty to forty strong men armed with swords and bows, providing solid protection.

Led by Xu Hong, Kai Xin went up to the second deck, which was quiet, elegant, and offered a great view. A few maids brought tea and water before standing aside.

“Please!”

This time, Kai Xin didn’t hesitate and sat down at the head.

After sitting down, they exchanged a few polite remarks, after which Xu Hong brought up the escort mission.

“Executive Kai Xin, to be honest, I’ve been using this route for years. I’ve been involved in hundreds of battles, big and small. Although we’ve suffered losses, we’ve managed to keep a peaceful relationship with the pirates along the Yangtze River. Out of respect for the Murong family’s reputation, things have remained calm for many years now.”

“…”

Kai Xin nodded silently.

Xu Hong’s tone changed. “The salt ship convoy being escorted this time is quite large, but I am confident it will reach its destination safely… However, the salt ships were ready to set sail a few days ago, but were delayed due to an urgent message from our clan. It’s a pointless delay of several days. I really don’t understand what the young lady is worried about. If it delays any longer, the cargo might become obsolete, and our Murong family would be in breach of contract.”
“The young lady said when I arrived that the convoy could set sail as soon as I did!”
Kai Xin replied calmly.
Xu Hong’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Absolutely!”
Xu Hong stood up quickly. “Then I’m relieved. If we set sail right away and go at full speed, we can still deliver the cargo on time.” With that, he gave an order to someone nearby, who promptly went outside.
“Lord Xu gives the order! The convoy, set… sail!”
His loud voice spread across the river.
The large convoy was quickly mobilized.
Soon…
Kai Xin felt the ship begin to move. The river breeze blew in, feeling pleasant on his face. He stopped paying attention to Xu Hong, got up, and stepped out through the curtain.
“Since Executive Kai Xin was sent by the young lady to escort the convoy, if there’s anything Xu Hong can do, just give the order.” After Kai Xin bowed, Xu Hong left to direct the convoy.
Kai Xin watched Xu Hong’s back for a while before his gaze returned to the rippling river surface…
This escort mission was very strange. The Murong family had only received intelligence that someone might attack the salt ships, but the source of the information was unknown, and Xu Hong hadn’t gotten any clues either. The mission wasn’t simply about escorting them but rather accompanying the ships to investigate further, which puzzled Kai Xin and made him pay extra attention in case he could find something else.
After watching from the second floor for a while, seeing the convoy move steadily through the waves with everyone doing their duties, everything seemed calm.
“Go check around.”
Bored anyway, Kai Xin watched for a while before going down to the bow.
Xu Hong was on the bow deck. Hearing the noise, he glanced at Kai Xin but said nothing. Holding a map, he and a few crew members stared ahead…
Kai Xin didn’t mind. NPCs usually ignore you unless something goes wrong.
After checking the first deck, Kai Xin turned and went into the ship’s hold where the salt bags were stored. After all, the salt was the main item to be protected in this mission, and maybe he could find some clues there.
Result: After searching the hold, he found nothing.

Disheartened, he returned to the second floor. After a long while, the fleet remained calm, with no signs of anything unusual. “What exactly is this mission supposed to entail?” Being on the transport ship, he had very limited space to move around. Feeling bored and a bit regretful, he thought, “Is it just an ordinary escort mission? Fighting pirates?” If so, this mission was a waste of time. So, he opened his treasure bag and began organizing the loot remaining from the royal tomb expedition… Apart from equipment and precious artifacts, the greatest gains were the National Guardian Sword and the Golden Armor. Although the former was unfinished and the latter was too damaged to be worn, the National Guardian Sword still had the potential to become a magical weapon once the right time came. As for the Golden Armor! Once they reached Baokang in Hubei and found a crystal mine, obtaining water-absorbing stones and explosive crystal stones would no longer be a dream. Once repaired, the Golden Armor would be completely renewed—and incredibly powerful! He was very eager for that. There were also other loot items, such as the healing potion “Xiao Huan Dan” rewarded by Miss Murong, and a “Thousand-Year Red Ginseng Pill” taken from the royal tomb, which could boost a player’s internal energy level and combat strength by 10% in a short time. Additionally… there were several secret manuals. One was an advanced flying knife technique called “Shadow Knife.” After checking the requirements for mastering it, he realized he far exceeded the necessary internal energy level and innate attributes, so he immediately started practicing it without hesitation. The lethality of “Willow Leaf Flying Knife” no longer matched the current situation, so this flying knife manual came in very handy, with decent damage effects—splitting damage, almost equivalent to triple damage—though accuracy and the wear and tear on the knives (when throwing three knives at once) were issues. Another manual was “Shadow Swordsmanship,” but he definitely wouldn’t practice that. Together with the Black Demon Sword he deliberately kept, he planned to leave these items for someone else. At present, the Three Lonely Wolves were considered mid-to-low tier in the Colorful Robes Sect. Due to time constraints, many others had caught up with them. But he knew they all loved this game, and being overtaken by others would be bad for them. So, long ago, he had thought about finding a special set of skills for them. Shadow Swordsmanship happened to be one of them! But he was still hesitating about whom to give it to.