The sea wind swept through the boat. The waves moved the boat up and down. Although the lamp chained to the wall of the boat would not fall to the ground, the flame in the lantern was at times larger and other times smaller. The illumination left the two people's faces shadowed and unclear.
From outside, faint sounds of messages being delivered could be heard. A trusted soldier knocked and entered. He reported something to Xu Maocai and then hurried out of the cabin. Everyone within a 20 li radius of Dong Mountain had sunk into a tense and terrified atmosphere. Regardless of whether they knew the truth of the matter or not, they all felt fearful and uneasy.
