Gu Shi Yi was deeply moved upon hearing these words,
"It's so kind of Sixth Master to think of me. After I finish this soup, I must go and thank him!"
Old Lady Gu said,
"You should thank him after you've recovered!"
Gu Shi Yi nodded, picked up the porcelain cup, and was about to drink when she heard the noise outside getting louder. Old Lady Gu said,
"Drink your soup, I'll go have a look!"
Gu Shi Yi nodded, watched her go out, and lowered her head to drink the soup. She found it incredibly fresh and delicious. After another taste of the exquisitely tender fish, which melted in her mouth before she could fully savour the taste, she put down the cup and muttered to herself,
"Once the ship sets sail, I'll go fishing for these Snake Fish when I'm free!"
In the midst of speaking, Old Lady Gu came in with a grim look,
"What's wrong, Auntie?"
Old Lady Gu said,
"Some outsiders have boarded the ship!"
"Outsiders?"
Gu Shi Yi frowned,
"Didn't we pay a hefty price to charter this ship alone? How could there still be outsiders boarding?"
Old Lady Gu was also quite dissatisfied as she said,
"Indeed, this ship was reserved by Sixth Master long in advance, and we offered thirty percent more than the price Bishui Sect asked for. How can these people be so untrustworthy!"
Bishui Sect is the sect that provides ships as Magic Artifacts for mortals by the Five-Color River. Bishui Sect's influence in Dumo State is among the top, thus they monopolize the business along the Five-Color River, which they have run for hundreds and thousands of years. As it's a unique business, the price for using a Magic Artifact for a single trip is extremely high, only wealthy merchants dare to travel using their Magic Artifacts. For someone like Sixth Master Huang to charter an entire ship, the amount he paid would bankrupt small traders and businesses instantly!
It was precisely because they had paid a lot to charter the ship that their dissatisfaction with the outsiders was justified. Old Lady Gu expressed her indignation, and Gu Shi Yi asked,
"Does Sixth Master agree to this?"
Old Lady Gu snorted,
"Those people were personally led on board by the hall master of Bishui Sect's branch here. Even if Sixth Master was reluctant, he had no choice but to agree!"
Such bullying behavior would leave anyone dissatisfied!
Gu Shi Yi frowned upon hearing this,
"How many... what sort of people are they?"
Old Lady Gu said,
"I didn't dare get too close, but according to Liu Er and the others, it's a young lady leading them, with her face covered by a silk scarf, so nobody knows what she looks like. I just heard Sixth Master call her Miss Ruan!"
"Oh..."
Gu Shi Yi seemed thoughtful and nodded,
If even Sixth Master couldn't refuse her, then she must be someone with significant influence, and as an outsider, I naturally have no say in the matter!
She simply told Old Lady Gu,
"Since there are outsiders on the ship, I'll just avoid going out too much!"
Old Lady Gu was very pleased and nodded,
"If you were always this obedient, your injuries would have healed long ago!"
Gu Shi Yi gave her a sheepish smile,
"Auntie, please pamper me a bit more and get me another bowl of soup!"
Old Lady Gu gave her a glance and said mockingly,
"You're just greedy!"
Yet, she took the cup and stepped outside,
"Wait here!"
After Gu Shi Yi had two cups of fish soup, she went to bed. Li Yaner peeked through the door crack and said,
"Shiyi, those people brought a carriage onto the ship. It looks quite nice; they must be from a powerful household..."
"Hmm..."
Gu Shi Yi nodded, resting her hands behind her head and looking at the colorful river outside the window,
"It seems like we're about to set sail!"
Sure enough, it wasn't long before the ship vibrated, the view outside started to move, and the large ship slowly left the dock. After moving out about ten yards, a faint humming noise arose, and the vibrations intensified. Lying in bed, Gu Shi Yi, with Li Yaner leaning at her bedside, both looked out the window, waiting for the vibrations to subside.
"It feels like taking off in an airplane..."
Li Yaner said, turning the tables on Gu Shi Yi's curiosity,
"Is that what it's like to fly on a plane?"
Li Yaner reminisced,
"Pretty much!"
She had only flown once, when she thought her mother was critically ill and was rushing to see her one last time. She bit the bullet to pay for an overnight flight. That was her first and last view of the city where she worked, glowing with a myriad of lights.
Perhaps such scenes could only be seen in dreams from then on?
About ten minutes later, the entire ship's vibrations finally stopped. The window was shrouded in a hazy white glow, making the Five-Color River outside look indistinct as well. Gu Shi Yi and Li Yaner both leaned against the window, watching the ship cut through the waves and head west.
Since the entire ship was enveloped in the glow of the Array, there was no need for lights on deck. The direction of the ship was controlled by the Bishui Sect's Outer Sect Disciples, so everyone from the Escort Team could rest easy within their cabins. Tired from the journey, many were catching up on sleep in the cabins. Only Gu Shi Yi, who had slept a lot already and was now disoriented by the bright light from the Array, could not tell day from night!