Pandemonium erupted on the boat. The boatman was a cultivator of considerable skill, but he was busy steering the towered boat and had no time to attend to the others.
Sanqi Castle was known for three marvels: first the insects, second the medicine, and third the beautiful women. The daughters of Sanqi Castle were renowned for their beauty—Consort Che of the Imperial Palace being the finest among them. Sanqi Castle's medicinal arts were extraordinary, home to many renowned physicians skilled in using gu to treat illnesses.
And the first of the three marvels was the insects.
Sanqi Castle's insect army was terrifying. Those skilled in medicine were equally skilled in poison, and Sanqi Castle's venomous insects were legendary. After being absorbed by the imperial court, the Emperor ordered Sanqi Castle to form an insect army, staffed by experts who could command insects.
Now that Sanqi Castle had rebelled, it was clear the insect army had turned as well. This battlefield was none other than the imperial army clashing against Sanqi Castle's insect forces.
They had stumbled into the battlefield and were attacked by Sanqi Castle's insect army. There would be no easy escape.
"These insects are impossible to guard against! The Shao Bao Sword can't handle this many insects!"
Qin Mu's scalp went numb as countless golden insects swarmed toward him. He immediately split his focus—his Shao Bao Sword thrust toward one soldier while his qi exploded outward. Countless threads of qi, fine as strands of hair, surged from his hands like a blazing red sun.
His qi threads were composed of countless slender qi swords. Now they formed a setting sun that hummed as it hovered in midair.
Yuyuan Imperial Academy—Sunset Sword Technique.
The fireball spun rapidly, and countless sword beams burst from the setting sun. Every blade pierced a golden insect, and in an instant, a carpet of insect corpses lay around Qin Mu.
At the same time, his Shao Bao Sword shot like lightning through a soldier's chest and withdrew, killing the man instantly.
"Excellent swordwork!"
The boatman shouted in praise. He had his deputy take over the helm and immediately freed his hands, producing a fire gourd. He flipped it open, and a cloud of flame shot out, transforming into a nine-headed fire phoenix. It opened all nine mouths and spewed roaring flames, incinerating countless insects.
The nine-headed fire phoenix spread its wings, enveloping the towered boat as it unleashed torrents of flame. Several Sanqi Castle soldiers were reduced to charred husks before they could even approach.
"This boatman's cultivation is formidable—no less impressive than General Qin Feiyue!"
Qin Mu was quietly impressed. The boatman was a burly middle-aged man, but his flame technique was truly remarkable. He was likely a Seven Star realm powerhouse.
At that moment, a terrifying tide of golden insects surged forward like a wave. A female general stood amid the insect swarm, pointing a finger. The tide surged toward the towered boat.
"The second marvel of Sanqi Castle—the girl is indeed beautiful."
The boatman grinned. The nine-headed fire phoenix swooshed back into the fire gourd, which grew larger and larger until it became a massive object three to five men tall. The gourd's mouth pointed downward, unleashing a terrifying suction force that drew the incoming insect tide into its belly.
The boatman formed hand seals with both hands, slapping dozens of seals onto the fire gourd in rapid succession. Extraordinary runes materialized in the air around the enormous gourd, lighting up one after another before fading away.
The insect tide inside the gourd was instantly refined into ash.
Qin Mu's eyes lit up. Cultivation was a form of scholarship, and this boatman's knowledge of runes and seals ran deep.
The Sanqi Castle female general was startled. The insect tide beneath her feet halted, and she hovered in midair, blinking her beautiful eyes. "You are... the bandit Fan Yunxiao? When did you mend your ways and become a boatman?"
The merchants on the boat turned pale. Even the officials' faces changed dramatically. They all drew their swords with qi and aimed them at the boatman.
The boatman spat twice. "What do you mean, 'mend my ways'?"
The Sanqi Castle female general sneered. "I heard you were an expelled disciple of the Dao Sect. The Dao Sect deemed your heart crooked and cast you out, so you became a bandit, plundering merchant caravans. The imperial court has had a warrant out for you for quite some time. And now you've become a boatman—isn't that mending your ways?"
The boatman, Fan Yunxiao, laughed. "I was a bandit during times of peace, robbing people for money. But in times of chaos, how could I still be a bandit? I'm a boatman now—in times of chaos, this pays better than robbery. General, how about you let this slide?"
The Sanqi Castle female general snorted coldly. She glanced around. Sanqi Castle's insect army was still locked in battle with the imperial forces, and picking a fight with this bandit now would be more trouble than it was worth.
Moreover, despite being an expelled disciple of the Dao Sect, Fan Yunxiao's abilities were exceptionally high. The imperial court had failed to capture him for years—she might not be his match either. The insect cloud rolled, and she drifted backward.
Fan Yunxiao let out a sigh of relief and ordered his deputy to steer the towered boat away.
The merchants on board stared at the burly man in terror, their eyes filled with fear. Fan Yunxiao hastily said, "Everyone can rest assured—I've mended my ways! I don't rob anyone during times of chaos. Gentlemen of the court, rest assured as well—I've mended my ways! This boat is even registered with the capital!"
One official sneered. "Could it be that Boss Fan's boat is the infamous Chasing Cloud Bandit Ship, once feared among the bandit ranks?"
"A jest, a jest. The Chasing Cloud Bandit Ship has been renamed now—the Chasing Cloud Passenger Vessel. When the world is at peace again, we'll go back to robbery."
Fan Yunxiao walked over to the merchant who had been eaten by insects until only his skin remained, frowned, and said, "You were a passenger on my boat. I should have protected you, but you met your end here. I cannot accept your fare." He then produced a coin purse and handed it to the merchant's attendant.
The people on board trembled, feeling as though they had escaped a wolf's den only to enter a tiger's lair. This Fan Yunxiao had terrorized merchant caravans for years, plundering at will. Now that they were on his ship, their chances looked grim.
"I've mended my ways!" Fan Yunxiao bowed all around. "Truly mended my ways! Rest assured, I will deliver you all safely to the capital."
The crowd still looked horrified.
Fan Yunxiao sighed helplessly and turned to Qin Mu with a smile. "Young man, your swordwork is quite good. Are you from Yuyuan?"
Qin Mu shook his head. "I'm Qin Mu from the Imperial Academy. Senior Brother Fan's knowledge is truly impressive—I'm in admiration."
Fan Yunxiao's eyes lit up. "That's the first time anyone's praised my knowledge. Your eye for talent isn't bad. It's laughable how so many people just grind away at cultivation without studying. They don't realize that cultivation itself is scholarship. The Dao Sect's finest techniques are all built upon scholarship. Without knowledge, you can't learn a damn thing."
Qin Mu strongly agreed. Learning the teleportation technique required great knowledge, as did the Dao Sect's Dao Sword. The hand seals Fan Yunxiao had just used, with their intricate rune variations, would be impossible without deep scholarship.
"If you weren't at the Imperial Academy but at the Dao Sect instead, the Dao Master would surely have taken a liking to you."
Fan Yunxiao's expression darkened as he recalled the past. "I have no idea which eye of the old man's saw that my heart was crooked. I was perfectly well-behaved at the Dao Sect."
Qin Mu coughed lightly. "Senior Brother Fan, did you become a bandit right after being expelled?"
Fan Yunxiao slapped his palm emphatically. "The old man was brilliant, wasn't he! He foresaw that I would become a bandit and threw me out so I'd go do just that! But I really was well-behaved at the Dao Sect... how could he tell..."
Qin Mu was speechless, then suddenly remembered something. "Senior Brother Fan, how are your mathematical skills?"
Fan Yunxiao looked dejected. "They used to be excellent. But after years of being a bandit, I've returned most of it to the Dao Master. The Dao Sect's Mystic Maiden Calculus and Grand Mystery Calculus are both profoundly deep—not easy to learn. If one could master them all, one could learn the Fourteen Chapters of the Dao Sword. I had originally refined to..."
Suddenly, a head popped up from below deck. "Chief! Our furnace has a problem. That woman from Sanqi Castle slipped a few insects into our alchemy furnace while we weren't looking. They've gnawed right through it!"
"How many times have I told you—don't call me Chief! I've mended my ways!"
Fan Yunxiao scratched his head and looked around. "Everyone, does anyone know how to craft artifacts? Can anyone repair the furnace?"
Just then, a muffled boom came from below deck. Several alchemists crawled out, their faces blackened. "The furnace exploded!"
Fan Yunxiao's face changed drastically. He cursed, "That damn woman—stabbing us in the back while we're not looking. Abandon ship! Everyone jump!"
Qin Mu stepped forward. "I know artifact crafting, and I've studied the way of alchemy. Let me take a look first."
Fan Yunxiao was skeptical but followed him below deck. The cabin was already on fire. Several burly bandits were putting out the flames, extinguishing most of the blaze. But without the alchemy furnace providing power, the towered boat had begun to slow, and could fall from the sky at any moment.
Qin Mu stepped forward and examined the shattered furnace. It was a standard-issue alchemy furnace, different from ordinary cauldrons. The State of Yankang had shipyards where countless blacksmiths worked day and night, forging furnaces for towered boats to provide their motive power.
This kind of furnace burned spirit stones and dozens of medicinal herbs, converting the medicinal energy within into surging power that was piped to the bronze beasts at the stern. From the bronze beasts' mouths, it erupted as roaring flames, lifting the boat into the air.
The furnace's construction was extremely complex—an extraordinary artifact designed by the skilled craftsmen of the Imperial Academy. Beyond its alchemy function, the furnace contained a complex digestive system resembling the human body, which refined and converted medicinal energy into power.
When such a furnace broke down in normal times, one could only summon blacksmiths from the State of Yankang's shipyards to repair it, or replace it entirely.
"Can it still be repaired?" Fan Yunxiao asked anxiously.
Qin Mu inspected the furnace's structure and felt confident. "I learned blacksmithing for a few years. I can forge a new one in the time it takes to burn an incense stick. How long can this boat hold on?"
"If we use our own mana to support it, we can hold for about one incense stick's time."
Qin Mu immediately began reforging the furnace. In one hand he channeled Vermilion Bird qi, in the other Black Tortoise qi. He swept up countless furnace fragments in midair, using the Vermilion Bird qi to melt them into molten iron while his other hand used the Black Tortoise qi to cool them, rapidly forging each furnace component.
The onlookers were dazzled by the spectacle. Suddenly, the towered boat dipped and began to descend. Fan Yunxiao could no longer watch Qin Mu forge the furnace—he rushed out of the cabin and activated his fire gourd, transforming it into a nine-headed phoenix that caught the boat.
Though he was a Seven Star realm powerhouse with vast mana, carrying the towered boat through the air was incredibly taxing.
Time ticked by second by second. Fan Yunxiao's face reddened as the pressure grew greater and greater, harder and harder to bear. The people on board were terrified—if Fan Yunxiao couldn't hold on, the towered boat would plummet from a thousand zhang overhead, shattering them to pieces!
Fan Yunxiao had reached his limit. He could hold on no longer. Suddenly, the two bronze beasts at the stern erupted with fire. The flames surged, the towered boat shuddered violently, its speed increased, and it shot forward.
Fan Yunxiao exhaled in relief and withdrew the nine-headed phoenix—only to see the towered boat accelerating faster and faster, flashing past like a blur. Its speed was three to five times greater than before!
Bewildered, he caught sight of Qin Mu emerging from the cabin and quickly asked, "Brother Qin, what kind of furnace did you forge?"
Qin Mu replied, "I've never seen a furnace's blueprint, so I forged it according to my own understanding. It may differ from the original design. I only learned blacksmithing for a few years..."
Before Fan Yunxiao could respond, a thunderous boom erupted as the towered boat tore through the sky, faster than sound!
"Brother Qin, who did you learn blacksmithing from?"
Fan Yunxiao was both shocked and delighted. "From now on, when I go robbing, who can ever catch me?"
Now Qin Mu understood why the Dao Master of the Dao Sect had said his heart was crooked.