There are bandits in the mountains and pirates on the rivers, but these days, traveling by water is still way less hassle than taking the road. Master Yideng, Divine Eagle Hero, and Lydia Drake all have lightning-fast legs and superhuman martial arts, so when they're on the move, it's all about speed—no rules, no worries. But for us? Not so much. When you’re rolling out with a whole crew, you’ve got a lot more to think about.
Thankfully, everyone here knows a thing or two about martial arts. That fancy pleasure boat might look flimsy—like it’d flip over with one good wave, or only be good for lazy paddling on West Lake, or maybe some dockside shenanigans. But in reality, this boat was secretly commissioned by the Shadow Division, and its specs are top-notch. It’s sturdy as heck. With a tailwind, you hoist the sails and it cuts through the waves. No wind? Just grab some oars—human power’s no slouch either.
Anyone who gets to tag along with the big boss is no slouch—everyone’s Dragon Force level is at least at the All-Human Realm. One person, one oar, and even rowing against the current, we’re flying. The truly hardcore inner energy guys are basically electric motors, especially after a dose of Yang Qi’s secret diluted elixir—they’re unstoppable, never hungry, and full of pep.
Back in the day, Emperor Yang Guang had his whole “Brother sits at the bow, sister walks the shore” moment, and the Grand Canal was lined with willows, with cute girls pulling dragon boats south. What a scene, right? Today, Yang Qi didn’t make the girls pull the boat, but she did make them row. The revolution’s not won, she’s not crowned empress yet, but whether you’re a girl, a guy, a tomboy, a trap, or just plain clueless, nobody gets a pass—everyone’s stuck doing grunt work. Guess that’s what we call honoring tradition.
Howard Hopeless, a young prodigy with nearly sixty years’ worth of power, Jimmy Chang—the future grandmaster—and even the little brat who used to be a top-tier master, nobody’s getting off easy. Everybody’s got a job, everybody gets fed. Sure, rowing’s a low-rank gig, but even Simone’s working the rudder. Howard grits his teeth, but there’s nothing he can do.
Every time he rows, Howard’s fuming, like he’d rather use all his power to punch someone. Each stroke sends water flying, and this shallow-draft pleasure boat suddenly feels like a battleship, slicing through the waves upstream.
Of course, everyone gets a turn to rest—there’s a shift system.
Rowing is exhausting, especially with a big boat. This one’s not huge, but it’s no dinghy, either. Plus, don’t forget, we’ve got a whole herd of Akhal-Teke Stallions onboard—so the load’s no joke. If it weren’t for martial artists, regular folks couldn’t even budge this thing. Grace Kwok rowed for an hour, and when Hannah Frost saw her panting, she swapped her out for Little Lotus.
Staring at the blisters popping up on her hands, then at Jimmy Chang still pushing through, drenched in sweat, and Phoebe Phoenix looking like she’s just warming up, Grace Kwok finally got it—she’s way behind. Jimmy and Phoebe have similar inner energy to her, but she’s always the first to tap out. Clearly, her foundation’s not solid.
“Little Peach,” Hannah Frost handed her a cup of water, switching to big-sister mode. “Take a break and have some water. You gotta balance work and rest, that’s the way of the warrior.” The boss calls her Little Peach, so now all the crew does too—her real name’s long gone.
“Sister Hannah,” Grace Kwok took the cup and glanced around the engine room, sounding a little down. “It’s all because of me that everyone’s stuck doing this hard work… I really feel bad about it…”
“No need for that—we were heading out to find Master Yideng anyway. Besides, you’re one of us now, so don’t be so distant.” Hannah pointed at Lily. “See, the boss put us on rowing duty, but it’s actually a kind of training. Working your energy like this really builds endurance. Do it long enough, your qi channels get strong, your stamina deepens—it’s a great method. Little Peach, the boss said your foundation’s solid, but your mind’s a bit restless lately. If you’re agitated, your whole body gets tired. What you need now is to settle your mind.”
“Yeah… you’re right, sis…” Grace hung her head—admitting her mistakes instead of stubbornly arguing is one of her best traits. With her inner energy and talent, two hours of rowing shouldn’t tire her out like this. She looked gloomy. “It’s just… every time I think about big brother’s fate, I…”
“You really don’t need to be like this.” Hannah smiled gently. “Most things in life don’t go our way. But knowing what you want and where you’re headed is better than being lost. Life’s a long, tough road—when it’s time to work, give it your all; when it’s time to fight, grit your teeth. But as long as hope’s not lost, you should laugh freely and push forward. That’s how you go the distance.”
“Sister Hannah—” Grace stared wide-eyed at her. “Wow, that’s deep. Makes a lot of sense.”
“That’s not me talking, that’s the boss.” Hannah chuckled and pointed at the others. “Look, we’ve got abandoned kids, orphans, lonely wanderers, and someone like me—a woman of the night. Everyone’s got their own heartbreak, everyone’s lost at something. But with the boss, we’ve found peace, happiness, courage, purpose, and hope. She’s something special, able to do what nobody else can. So you don’t need to worry so much.”
“Mm!” Grace nodded hard. With Hannah’s pep talk, she felt a lot calmer. Once her mind settled, her qi flowed smoothly. A cup of tea—spiked with that special diluted elixir—turned into a warm rush, refilling her strength and making her want to jump back into the fray for another hour.
Just as they were chatting, a figure appeared—Jill Young herself strolled into the engine room. But today, she was decked out in a young lord’s outfit. She hadn’t disguised herself as Jade Hawk Johnson; she was in her own form, twirling a paper fan and looking every bit the idle rich kid. This look was familiar—the same getup from their boat ride out of Chengdu. In short: total show-off.
“Ahem!” Jill cleared her throat. “Folks, rowing’s tough work, so I’m here to give you some moral support. And to really pump you up, I’ve written a special song!”
“A song?” “Wow, boss can write lyrics too, that’s awesome!” “If girls were allowed to study, boss would totally ace the imperial exams!” The rowers instantly started hyping her up, making Jill beam with pride—her nose practically pointed to the sky.
That’s right, I’m just that talented! If you’re in ancient times and don’t show off with some poetry, isn’t that a huge waste? Last time, the whole boat was basically illiterate—such great poems, and nobody could appreciate them. That’s just not okay. Luckily, this time we’ve got a few cultured folks aboard, so I’m seizing the chance to tick off this time-traveler’s daily quest.
“Listen up,” Jill sneaked a glance at the Triple Saint of Kunlun—aren’t you supposed to be the cultured one? Time to worship your big sis: “Tune: Prelude to Water Melody—Swimming.” Ancient poets loved to fit the scene, so forget everything else. We’re on the Yangtze now, so that’s fitting enough.
“Just drank from the waters of Changsha, then ate Wuchang fish. Crossed the mighty Yangtze, gazed far at the open Chu sky. No matter the wind or waves, it’s like strolling through a garden—today, I’ve got room to breathe. Confucius said, ‘Time flows like a river.’” Jill snapped her fan shut, striking a heroic pose—sword brows, starry eyes, all majesty—then recited: “Sails flutter, turtles and snakes rest, grand plans arise. A bridge spans north and south, turning a chasm into a thoroughfare! Stone walls on the western river, blocking the Wushan clouds and rain, high gorges become calm lakes. The goddess is surely well, the world will be amazed!”
See? Beyond Tang and Song poetry, we’ve got our very own Grand Founder! Thanks to him—and the official language textbook—I know another poetry master besides Li Bai, Du Fu, and Su Dongpo. In the late Southern Song, dropping our founder’s verses just hits different~ Admit it, you’re blown away by my epic spirit and shameless plagiarism, right?
Looking around, I saw the girls exchanging confused, impressed glances. Jimmy Chang and the little brat were still rowing, totally uninterested. Lady Simone watched with a mysterious smile and a glint in her eye—kinda creepy, honestly. She’s been giving me that look a lot lately, and it’s starting to get on my nerves.
Grace Kwok, on the other hand, was clapping like crazy, eyes practically shooting stars, hands nearly red from excitement.
Hmph! See, at least someone gets it!
“Lyrics but no melody? Nope. Doesn’t scan? Nope. References unclear? Nope. And what’s with ‘Stone walls on the western river, blocking the Wushan clouds and rain, high gorges become calm lakes’? I have no idea what that means, so that’s a big nope!” Howard Hopeless, looking like he totally gets it, rattled off his critique: “Basically, it sounds grand, but it’s just empty bluster. My review in four words—Not. Worth. Mentioning.”
Jill nearly blew a gasket—seriously? You dare diss the Grand Founder’s own poem? You trying to defy the heavens? Not even afraid of lightning striking you down! And you’ve got the nerve to disrespect me like that? Damn, looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson!
Jill rolled up her sleeves and glared. “Howard Hopeless, you sure talk a big game about poetry. Fine, I’ve got another one!” If it’s a poetry battle, then let’s duel! Here comes my secret weapon: “This one’s called Ode to the Spring Garden—”
“Hiding out here, are you?” A voice cut off Jill the Poet’s rant—it was Maggie Monroe. She entered the engine room, quickly figured out what was up, and shot Jill a look of sympathy. “Hey, nobody’s perfect. Don’t force it. Besides, we don’t get any of this stuff, so we can’t appreciate it. Whether your lyrics are good or bad, we honestly have no clue.”
“I…” Jill was dumbstruck. Seriously? Got a masterpiece on my lips and I can’t even pull it off? Jeez… forget it, you just can’t win against a boat full of illiterates. Jill’s whole posture slumped—“Alright, let’s just pretend this never happened…”
“If you really want to cheer everyone up, try something else.” Maggie was a true confidante, instantly finding the perfect solution. “Why don’t you just sing for us?”
“Sing?” Jill perked right up, like someone flipped a switch. “You guys actually want to hear me?”
“Love it! Best idea ever!” “Boss sings so well—we’ve always loved it!” Maggie’s suggestion got a massive cheer from the whole crew, and the engine room’s vibe instantly turned electric.
Jill looked at everyone in surprise, totally caught off guard. “Huh? Really? I always thought you guys just humored me. My songs are so out of place in this era, I never thought anyone actually liked them—I was just singing for myself.”
“No way! I love hearing you sing and watching you dance—except for that weird ‘Shaolin Kung Fu Rocks’ song.” Maggie grinned, totally genuine. “That ‘I Stand in the Fierce Wind’ is my favorite. Sing it for me?”
“Bwahahaha!” Nothing beats an enthusiastic audience! With all these diehard fans, the King of Song and Dance was ready to light up the stage. Jill waved her hand. “Maggie, you’ve got great taste! But I’ll save ‘Farewell My Concubine’ for when I’ve got the right backing track. This time, I’ll sing something new, perfect for the moment—it’s called ‘Roaming the World’! Three, two, one—let’s go!”
[Roaming the world, the road is long and the rivers run far]
[Wandering and lost, village after village, town after town]
[See the setting sun, falling then rising again]
[The earth endures, the sky remains, and the years go on and on!]
With Jill’s powerful, ringing voice, the whole No One Under Heaven crew was bursting with energy, surging upstream against the current. Days later, they left the Yangtze for the Jinsha River. The rapids couldn’t stop their speeding pleasure boat. Before long, they crossed from Sichuan into Yunnan, finally reaching the beautiful land south of the rainbow clouds.