Chapter 7

Under the moon at the imposing pass, Bao Aluan sets off alone.

By the bridge over the River Ba, Li Fengjie battles a multitude.

Time travels like an arrow as the seasons turned amid the swinging of sabers and the thrusting of fists, and several years passed one after another. The old master Bao’s body was as robust as it had ever been, but his ashy beard had already turned white as snow, as he was now a man of seventy-six. Most of his disciples had grown beards and their disciples were all already men grown. In the ten years since, the changes in the affairs of Jianghu had come extraordinarily quickly, but never at any hour of any day did the old master forget about Jiang Xiaohe. Whenever a disciple came from afar to call on him, he necessarily asked in earnest, “Have you heard of Jiang Xiaohe’s whereabouts? Have any young men of exceptional martial arts appeared anew in the Jianghu of other provinces?” But their answers always disappointed him. This was because he thought, Jiang Xiaohe will come to Zhenba after he has completed his martial arts training and kill all of my disciples and their disciples. Wouldn’t it be better if I were alive then to meet him when he comes? I could defeat him, that would naturally be good, but if I can’t, it would be all right. I could ask him to take just my old life. I was the one who killed his father, so if I was killed by him, it would be no injustice.

Currently, his eldest Bao Zhilin was still managing the Kunlun Security Office in Hanzhong and had accepted many disciples of his own, becoming ever wealthier. Ever since the mysterious xia hit his vital points on the Qin mountain road, his second son Bao Zhilin had become crippled. Though they had invited many doctors to treat him and he could now move, his lower back was still bent like a hunchback. Whenever he saw people, he would forever appear to be bowing to them. The old master’s first daughter-in-law Fang-shi had passed away three years prior to illness, while his second daughter-in-law lived without incident. His granddaughter Aluan was now of twenty-two years already, and she had blossomed simply into a flower. No, better yet, she was like an exquisitely carved, as lovely as clear jade, prominently straight and tall mountain peak. Her hair was like a dark cloud, her eyes twinkled like stars, and her face was delicate like a flower. She had the elegance of a spring willow, and her bone structure was like a winter pine. She was neither tall nor short, and neither skinny nor fat. Her feet weren’t small, and her temperament and speech were neither common nor wild. She had long since learned the martial arts. She could jump high and leap far, roll, parry, pull and block. She was especially skilled in the secret saber arts of the Kunlun School and could maneuver without rival, exceeding Lu Zhizhong, Ge Zhiqiang and all the good Jianghu men of Guanzhong or Hanzhong.

The old master Bao had once said that his granddaughter’s martial arts had surpassed his own, and that if Northern Sichuan’s Xia of Langzhong returned, there was no way she could lose. Though he didn’t say it aloud, he often thought such things of Jiang Xiaohe. I wonder how powerful Jiang Xiaohe’s martial arts are now. Can he defeat my granddaughter? Aluan hoped every day for Jiang Xiaohe’s return, saying to the old master, “Grandpa, I wish Jiang Xiaohe would come to us for revenge right now. The sooner he comes, the sooner I’ll kill him, and the sooner I can make you feel more at ease!” When the old master heard this, he just smiled, but in his heart he knew it wouldn’t be as easy as that.

In the customs of Southern Shaanxi, any maidens who hadn’t married into another family by fifteen or sixteen beckoned others to laugh. The girl Aluan’s feet were a little big and she spent her entire day riding horses and doing bladework like a man, but those who were hardworking and prudent naturally dared say nothing about her. However, many noted masters and escorts competed to bring their sons before old master Bao to ask for Aluan’s betrothal. Old master Bao refused them all without exception, and sometimes when he thought it annoying, he said, “My granddaughter will not get married in this lifetime!” Bao Aluan immersed herself in martial arts the day long. In the early morning she practiced her fists, in the afternoon she rode her horse, and she went inside late at night. Spring and autumn hurried past thusly. The flowers bloomed and the leaves fell with nary a thought of hers given to emotion. But there was one thing she couldn’t forget, and it was that one time in her childhood when she agreed to be someone’s wife.

Jiang Xiaohe climbed a tree to fetch her kite on the condition that he call her wife. She still remembered what it was like then. When she thought about it her face flushed red and she hated Jiang Xiaohe for it. She didn’t hate him just because Xiaohe was an enemy of her house. There seemed to be some other reason she couldn’t speak aloud that often made her clench her teeth in irritation. She thought she couldn’t be happy until Jiang Xiaohe came now for a great battle of three or four hundred exchanges with her, whereupon she would kill him and his body would rot, and then she might cry over him, or perhaps she would slit her throat in front of the corpse that she’d killed! This morning after she’d finished her martial arts training, she galloped her pomegranate red steed outside of the village straight through to the Southern Mountains before retracing her steps back. She came upon a willow at the side of the road, pulled her saber out and hacked at it. When a large piece of bark dropped off with a crack, she felt a bit of her anger subside and a bit of her hatred dissipate. It was because this willow had tangled her kite ten years ago that she chopped at it every day until it was covered in notches and cuts. It hadn’t fallen over yet, but its branches had slowly disappeared and the willow leaves were no longer lush. It likely wouldn’t survive the next few years.

Bao Aluan returned home, tied up her horse, set down her saber, and ate lunch. She always ate lunch with her grandpa, and the two, grandfather and granddaughter, talked about everything. Today, however, old master Bao stopped their conversation and after a while said, “Aluan, would you be willing to venture out?” Aluan’s chopsticks stopped and she smiled, saying, “Where do you want me to go? Grandpa.” The old master said, “To make your way upon Jianghu! To travel high mountains and great rivers as you please, to see things you can’t see at home, to meet heroes outside of our Kunlun School.” Aluan joyously said, “Yes, I want to! Grandpa, let’s go together! How long it’s been since you’ve traveled Jianghu!” Old master Bao waved his hand and said, “I can’t leave home.” Aluan smirked, saying, “You can’t leave home? Well, I can’t leave you.” After she said this, she continued pinching food with her chopsticks and eating.

The old master Bao furrowed his brow for a while and then said, “Don’t think that you’ve learned all the martial arts you’re going to. Far from it, actually! You definitely won’t learn any special skills within the circle of our Kunlun School. You need to go out there to make your way and train. Go to Hanzhong from here, from Hanzhong across the Qin Mountains to Xi’an, and then exit through the Hangu Pass and follow the Yellow River to Kaifeng. When you get there, find Gao Qinggui the old xia, ask him to be your master and learn dianxue.” Aluan scoffed, “I’m not learning any dianxue! Real heroes speak with sabers and spears. If they’ve used dianxue to win, they’re no champion!” The old master shook his head and said, “You can’t say it that way. Dianxue must be learned. In addition, I’m telling you to venture out and train for other reasons as well. First, you can go out and inquire about Xiaohe’d whereabouts...”

Upon hearing this, Aluan immediately raised her eyebrows and said, “If I go out and am able to ferret out where Jiang Xiaohe is, there’ll be no way I won’t kill him when I encounter him!” The old master said, “If he doesn’t pick a fight with you, or if he hasn’t learned much in the way of skills, we can leave him alone. As for the second matter, it’s that you’re already twenty and then some this year. Just as a man grown must take a wife, and a woman grown must be betrothed, you must also go and find a good husband. None of the men among those we know will do, so you have to go outside and seek one out. In these last dozen years, there have appeared not a few heroes of your generation on Jianghu, so there must certainly be one suitable for you. But you need always remember that he must one handsome in appearance, upright in conduct and stronger than me in his martial arts. If you find him, come back and tell me, and I’ll send someone to make the match.”

When the old master finished speaking, he saw that his granddaughter was red in the face. She said nothing and had stayed her chopsticks and stopped eating. The old master sighed to himself with regret and thought, In the end, one can’t keep a girl around once she’s grown! Then he said to his granddaughter, “You must remember! I’m sending you out to Jianghu to choose a husband, but if you find him, all you need do is remember his name and his background. I still need to test him to make sure his martial skill is greater than mine. And then I’ll let you marry him, but it wouldn’t do if he were lacking even a little bit. You’ll be traveling upon Jianghu, but you still need to peaceably and graciously follow the rules of courtesy. You’ll not act excessively and damage my good name!” The girl Aluan rested her chin in her hands and kept deeply silent. It was as if she had become another person that day, for after lunch she neither touched a saber nor swung a sword.

The old master chose a date of departure for his granddaughter; she was to set off the day after next. The following day, he ordered traveling clothes prepared for her and assigned his fourth disciple Jiang Zhiyao to accompany her on her journey for protection and guidance. Jiang Zhiyao was once a disciple the old master had been very proud of, but because he flirted with a married woman from a good family while watching a festival play in his youth, he had broken one of the Kunlun School’s rules. The circumstances were not as serious so his life was spared, but his left eye had still been scooped out. He lived a hermit’s life for seven or eight years to keep his right eye, and trained in the martial arts with great progress. He traveled upon Jianghu these past few years and increased his reputation daily so that most called him “the One-eyed Vanguard.” He was now a man of forty-some years and very upright and honest, so the old master had sent for him to accompany his granddaughter and repeatedly asked of him very many things about it.

The day they were to set off arrived. It was a clear and tranquil day early in the fourth month, and Ma Zhixian, Chen Zhijun, Yuan Zhiyi, Zhang Zhicai and others had come to the Bao Village, all to send off the girl Aluan. Zhang Zhicai was originally the eighteenth disciple of the Kunlun School, but because his martial arts saw daily progress in recent years, the old master Bao had summoned him this time to look after the household. He asked, “Where does Young Aluan plan on going?” Old master Bao replied, “I told her to go to Hanzhong first to see her father, and then to cross the Qin Mountains to visit Ge Zhiqiang in Xi’an. I’m having Zhiqiang take her to meet some of the famous figures in the security firms of Xi’an. From Xi’an, they’ll head east to see Li Zhenxia of Huazhou and Zhang Debao of Tongzhou, and then exit through the Hangu Pass to call upon Liang Gao the Iron-armed Monkey of Luoning county, the Chan master Taiwu the Golden-faced Bodhisattva of Mount Song, and Gao Qinggui of Kaifeng. Afterwards, she’s to head south to visit Lu Boxiong the Divine Whip in Shangcai, Liu Kuang the Peer to Huang Zhong in Xinyang subprefecture, and Second Pang the Flower Spear in Xiangyang city. Thereafter, she’ll enter Sichuan Province to meet Southern Sichuan’s Tiger of Fuzhou and Northern Sichuan’s Xia of Langzhong!”

When the group of disciples heard the girl Aluan’s ambitions this time, they were all extremely envious. However, Jiang Zhiyao couldn’t help turning his single eye about, thinking, This journey is nothing more than a punishment. If the young lady runs into a little trouble on the road, this right eye of mine will be scooped out too. But since the old master had assigned this to him, he didn’t dare turn it down. Hence, everyone drank wine together and had a farewell feast for the girl Aluan and Jiang Zhiyao, all wishing them a peaceful voyage. Aluan again felt a little reluctant to leave, holding back her tears as she said goodbye to her grandfather, her uncle and her aunt. She left the village and mounted her horse, and then set off with Jiang Zhiyao, heading north.

Riding a white horse, Jiang Zhiyao was dressed in a green coat and pants, and inside the travel roll behind his saddle was enclosed a saber. He rode ahead, neither fast nor slow. The young lady Aluan’s horse was pomegranate-red, and short and strong, a true small river horse. It had a new saddle and shiny stirrups, and its bridle and reins were very finely made. The young lady, however, wore clothes that were not brightly colored, a blue silk jacket and pants and green shoes, on the toes of which were fastened only a few small crab flowers. Her head was covered with a piece of blue silk and her braid was hidden inside her jacket. A blanket roll was behind her saddle and a white saber hilt poked out of it. The young lady shook her whip and spurred her horse to follow as she lifted her two sprightly eyes up and took in the landscapes, wheat fields, rice paddies and cottages at the side of the road. It was considered departing Zhenba county after they crossed the mountains to the north, at which point they would ride west.

Jiang Zhiyao twisted his body while atop his horse and smiled at the young lady, saying, “Miss Luan, we’re leaving your home now. This journey of ours is not to places near. We’re to go two-to-three thousand miles at the very least, and who knows whom we’ll encounter on the road and what will happen. Miss Luan, your martial arts are powerful, but you haven’t gone to places far away. I’ve traveled upon Jianghu for many years, but even I haven’t left the province. When we go out there, we must always be cautious and be careful in everything. No matter who it is, we must be modest and respectful. We need start with words of praise and even make way for mountain bandits. We’re both carrying weapons, but we can’t just use them whenever we like, nor can we reveal our martial ability lightly. Otherwise...”

Aluan listened to here, she widened her eyes and said, “I get it! Stop the nonsense!” Jiang Zhiyao crinkled with his unmatched eyes and smiled, saying, “It’s not nonsense. It’s the truth. No matter how skilled a person is, no one runs wild, fighting every person they meet.” Aluan’s temper flared as she said, “Uncle Jiang, if you keep talking this nonsense, I’m going to travel by myself. If you don’t want to come with me, then go back home!” Jiang Zhiyao said, “All right! All right! I’ll stop! I’m just urging you to remember this word: caution!” Aluan replied bluntly, “I know!” Jiang Zhiyao flapped his whip and smiled, “As long as you know.” Thus, the two horses trotted their way strictly west and reached Hanzhong that very day.

At the Kunlun Security Office, Aluan saw her father Bao Zhiyun and several of her disciple-uncles. When Bao Zhiyun heard that his daughter was to travel far upon Jianghu, he felt very anxious, but because it was his own father who had told her to come out, he had no way of sending her back home. He was originally thinking to assign two or three men to go with her, but first, there weren’t enough men at this security office to spare, and no one would be willing to take a journey so far. And second, his daughter had a proud character and would definitely not want any more people to come with her. Thus, Bao Zhiyun wrote a letter and gave it to Jiang Zhiyao to pass on to Ge Zhiqiang when they arrived at the Xi’an office, telling Ge Zhiqiang to find a way to send men to protect Aluan from the wayside.

Aluan spent one night here, and in the early morning of the next day, she bid her father farewell and set off once again with Jiang Zhiyao. From Hanzhong they traveled a day and arrived in Liuba county where they lodged at the security office of her disciple-uncle Zheng Zhibiao. They continued on the following day and by noon they were crossing the green and majestic Qin Mountains. Fortunately, the weather was clear and bright. There were a good many traveling merchants and visitors in the mountains, and they didn’t come upon any bandits. In the evening, they came to the Dasan Pass where there was a Kunlun Security Office. It had been opened only three years past and its escort captain was Lu Zhizhong.

Upon seeing the young lady Aluan approaching, Lu Zhizhong couldn’t help but be taken aback. Jiang Zhiyao related to Lu Zhizhong the course of the journey as spoken by the old master. Lu Zhizhong’s expression changed completely and said, “You must not continue on, young lady, by any means. You can go and amuse yourself in Xi’an, but you mustn’t go any further. It’s extraordinary right now. A few young heroes of great martial skill have appeared in Henan Province. The best known is the grandson of Ji Junyi the Xia of Longmen. His name is Ji Guangjie and his years have not exceeded twenty, yet his martial arts are very strong! Even Gao Qinggui of Kaifeng suffered defeat by his hand. It’s said he’s making his way west to meet with Li Zhenxia of Huazhou, and by chance he wants to go to Zhenba to test his strength with our old master. This man’s skills are above those of our Kunlun School. Young lady, if you run into him and he finds out you’re Bao Kunlun’s granddaughter, he will certainly maltreat you!”

Upon hearing mention of the Xia of Longmen who that year was called one of the Two Pinnacles of North and South, and of his grandson now entering the world, Jiang Zhiyao widened his single eye in alarm and changed his expression, saying, “We mustn’t provoke them. The Longmen School is far superior to our Kunlun School! Our old master had warned us earlier never to be complacent in learning martial arts. He spoke often of the examples of the Xia of Longmen and the Dragon of Shu. They didn’t take disciples, but if they had turned one out, even one of them could stand against a hundred of ours.” Lu Zhizhong said, “There is one more thing I have yet to report to our master, and it’s that people who come from the east say that a young xia has newly come from Jiangnan. His sword skill is very strong and his movements are secret. Some suspect that he’s Jiang Xiaohe reentering the world having learned his martial arts!” Jiang Zhiyao was taken aback and looked gravely at Aluan. He was about to say that it really was time to reconsider things and to abandon thoughts of roaming Jianghu and think of some way to look after the household, or else what good could come of Jiang Xiaohe finding his way to Zhenba? However, to his surprise Bao Aluan’s pretty eyes lit up as she said, “Uncle Lu and Uncle Jiang, just leave it to me. I must meet face-to-face with the Xia of Longmen’s grandson. If Jiang Xiaohe really had come back out, then even better! If he’s in Jiangnan, I’ll look for him in Jiangnan, and if he’s in the Far North, I’ll look for him in the Far North. My only worry is that I can’t find him, but I’m not afraid of him coming to find me!” She said this with one hand on her hip and her eyebrows lifted, looking not at all like a maiden in a lady’s chamber, but instead like a hegemon harshly fighting his way upon Jianghu. Jiang Zhiyao was about to speak further, but Lu Zhizhong shot him a glance, stopping him. In a short while, after they had finished dinner, Lu Zhizhong prepared a clean room especially for the young lady Aluan and invited her to go rest. He and Jiang Zhiyao together discussed ways to dissuade Aluan from going on tomorrow. The two knew well of her proud nature, but they figured she was a woman in the end. Tomorrow, they would insist a bit and then exaggerate the advantages and disadvantages. She would behind and think of nothing else. Little did they know that Bao Aluan would leave Jiang Zhiyao behind that night and set off to the north alone on her horse.

The Dasan Pass was a strategic pass in the shadow of the Qin Mountains. There was a town with about ten shops there. During the day, merchants went back and forth while horses and carts came continuously. During the night, however, it was deserted, with just the bright moon above the mountain peaks shining down upon an empty town with one courier road. Lu Zhizhong’s security office had been set up outside the town walls, which was very convenient for Bao Aluan. She took advantage of when the people in the office were sound asleep to secretly take up her belongings and her horse. She departed through the gate, got on her horse and rode north. She was afraid Lu Zhizhong would find out and chase after her, and then urge her further to turn back, so she urgently swung her whip and galloped north under the moonlight and in the mountain winds. This courier road stretched straight through to Xi’an, and after Bao Aluan rode sixty or seventy miles of it, the day gradually broke. After riding a bit more, the road became sparsely populated by travelers. The travelers all took notice of this lone woman, but she pretended not to see anyone and continued spurring her horse onward. Around midday, she found a shop and ate lunch. Afterwards, she inquired about the way out and continued on. She rode straight until dusk and arrived outside a county seat. Because she was exhausted, she stopped at an inn and stayed there. It wasn’t until she asked the innkeeper that she came to know this was Xingping county. Xi’an was only two way stations away.

There were many people staying at this inn and its yard was completely filled with horses and carts. All the rooms in the inn were lit with lamps and people with various accents were conversing loudly. No one paid much attention to Bao Aluan when she arrived here. A server at the inn brought her food and when he saw her remove her head cloth, revealing a crimson braid base, he asked, “Miss, are you by yourself? Where are you coming from? Are you going to Xi’an?” Bao Aluan nodded, but kept silent. When she finished eating, she called the server to brew a pot of tea. She closed up her own door and laid on the kang to rest. She thought about what she should do when she arrived in Xi’an the next day, whether or not she should go see her disciple-uncle Ge Zhiqiang. She considered this for a while before deciding against seeing him. Not only would she not go find them, but she thought it unnecessary to enter Xi’an at all. She would go around the city and head east straight through the Hangu Pass. Once she left Guanzhong, there wouldn’t any people of the Kunlun School there, and likewise no one to stand in her way any longer.

She thought, I wonder how powerful the Xia of Longmen’s grandson’s martial arts are, the one surnamed Ji. Could it really be stronger than mine? I don’t believe it. Then she thought, Lu Zhizhong said he heard people say that Jiang Xiaohe had now entered the world again and that he had quite a name in Jiangnan. I have to find him and see who has learned better martial arts in these ten years. Though my grandpa said that his master’s martial arts were very strong, practically like those of a god, so the martial arts that he’s learned must be pretty good, I don’t believe that either. I have to compare mine with his. Whether his martial arts are stronger than mine or weaker, I must think of a way to kill him no matter what. I simply can’t allow him to live in this world. When she thought this, she felt a little sad though she didn’t know why. She grit her teeth, pulled the covers over her head and fell asleep.

She rose early the following day and after washing up, she called for the innkeep to prepare her horse. She settled her debts and led her horse out of the gate. When she left the busy streets, she mounted her horse and galloped east. She had ridden thirty of forty miles before the sun had risen high up by which time she had arrived outside of Xianyang city. An expansive river crossed in front of her with a very lively ferry crossing. A dozen or so large boats were carrying people back and forth. Aluan climbed off her horse and asked a nearby person, “Excuse me. Might I ask, need I cross this river to get to Xi’an?” The person appeared to be a merchant with a donkey wagon at his side. He was gazing straight on at the boats on the river’s surface before turning to look at Aluan. He simply nodded, saying, “It’s not a matter of the boats coming. When there are too many people, if you don’t squeeze yourself onto one, you won’t be going.”

Aluan was taken aback, for she saw that this was her disciple-uncle Liu Zhiyuan. Liu Zhiyuan was currently an escort working under Ge Zhiqiang at the Lishun Security Office in Xi’an, and hadn’t been back to Zhenba county in two years. When someone had hastily called to him now, he hadn’t thought the one speaking to him would be Aluan. He led his horse over and said, “Miss Luan, what are you doing out here?” He appeared astonished as he said this. Seeing yet another familiar face, Bao Aluan couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. She greeted her disciple-uncle and gave her courtesies, and then she said, “It was my grandpa’s idea. He told me to go out to make my way and train, and sent my uncle Jiang to come with me. My dad had been very agreeable. But when I got to Dasan Pass and saw Uncle Lu Zhizhong, they abruptly urged me to turn back. I’d already come out, so wouldn’t going back make people laugh? So I left alone in the middle of the night, and now I plan to go to Xi’an first before continuing east, out through the Hangu Pass and off into Henan. My grandpa even told me to go to Xiangyang, and Langzhong too!”

Hearing this, Liu Zhiyuan was so shocked sweat started dripping from his head, but he had watched young Aluan grow up in Zhenba, so he knew very well the young lady’s pride and temper. Thus he smiled insincerely and said, “Lu Zhizhong is so very like our old master. His martial arts grow stronger as his years grow older, but on the contrary his courage diminishes! With your martial arts, never mind about Henan, Xiangyang or Langzhong, even if you traveled to Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan or Guizhou, only those who no longer want to live would dare bully you. Don’t hurry, young miss. Come with me to Xi’an first and rest at the security office. Enjoy yourself for a day and then I can tell Brother Ge I’m taking leave and take you across the pass. I had always wanted to leave the province and see the world.” Upon hearing this, Aluan burst with happiness and nodded, asking, “When I go see Uncle Ge, will he try to stand in my way?” Liu Zhiyuan smiled and said, “Who can stand in your way? It was the old master that told you to come out here, so how could anyone stop you and send you back? Unless it was Lu Zhizhong. That man is just like an old mother. He’s afraid of every little thing and is always careful and timid!”

A boat arrived shortly and the people on the boat came down off of it at the same time that the people, wagons and horses on shore crowded themselves on board. Liu Zhiyuan led his own black horse as well as Aluan’s red one as they squeezed themselves onto the boat. The deck of the boat was fairly big. It could hold three wagons, four or five horses, and had additional standing room for a dozen or more people. There were a total of five ferrymen, all of them with bare arms and each holding a ten-foot-long punting pole capped with iron. They dipped them into the water and gave a shout as they exerted their strength. This boat drifted forward across the vast and turgid water’s surface, though it approached extremely slowly. After a long while, it still seemed as if they had not moved at all.

By this time, the sun had already risen very high as it shone on the surface of the water yellow amid a field of purple, sending off a glitter of golden stars. Xianyang city behind them grew slowly ever more distant. On the boat, Bao Aluan asked Liu Zhiyuan, “My Uncle Lu said something about Jiang Xiaohe reentering the world?” Liu Zhiyuan furtively waved his hand at Aluan, but didn’t reply. Aluan was a little confused, but didn’t seem to want to give up, so she spoke aloud to herself, “Jiang Xiaohe has studied the martial arts, so I want to see how well he’s learned. Though my grandpa sent someone to kill his dad, in those days that my grandpa took him in, he never mistreated him. But he had no conscience, bringing back the Xia of Langzhong and making my grandpa angry. Now that he’s found himself a master to teach him martial arts, I’d like to meet this master of his. And then there’s this Xia of Longmen’s grandson. I must meet him as well!”

Liu Zhiyuan stood beside her, anxious to the point that sweat trickled from his head as he said, “Young miss, look how muddy the Wei River is, and then look how clear the Jing River is. Strange, isn’t it? And look, young miss, owls in the sky!” He spoke at random about this and that in an attempt to use his words to change the subject away from what Aluan was saying, but not a single person in the boat was not paying attention to Aluan. When they crossed the river, Liu Zhiyuan mounted his horse and headed south with Aluan. He let out an exasperated sigh and said, “Young miss, don’t you have the least bit of experience traveling upon Jianghu? How could you say such things so casually out there? The Xia of Longmen’s grandson Ji Guangjie himself might have been on that ferry!” When he finished, he looked back again as if he was afraid someone might have come after them.