Chapter 178: Chapter 157: Breaking the Waters

In the following days, Du Chengfeng even felt somewhat grateful to those assassins.

In the past, he wouldn’t have cared about this. After all, when he went to assassinate the emperor before, he was just an ordinary passenger on the boat, and no one would deliberately target a passenger, especially one who looked physically strong.

But this time, it was different.

Perhaps this is the price of fame. Bearing a bounty worth a thousand gold, he was no longer just an ordinary person. Consequently, even taking a boat to cross a river, something routine for ordinary people, became an extremely perilous death trap for him.

If there were a group of people constantly watching you, ready to kill you, many routine behaviors in daily life would also become dangerous.

But danger often also means opportunity.

Just like now, although the river crossing was extremely dangerous, and he almost got caught in it, the method of using the environment as a weapon gave him considerable inspiration—although most of the time, killing requires swords and blades, bloodless slaughter is often more terrifying.

Thinking this way, no wonder the Southern Chen court doesn’t seem too anxious about the nomads going south; with rivers as natural barriers, those horse-riding nomads from the north might not have an easy time crossing.

"It’s a pity that river water can’t be sharpened, otherwise, if we could use that big river as a blade..."

Though he said this, Du Chengfeng was merely thinking aloud. If they could sharpen the river water to use as a blade, who knows how long such a massive amount of work would take.

"So, if someone is drowned by the river, how should we account for it?"

Thus, as he contemplated more, more questions arose—for instance, if after cutting someone with a blade, the person drowns, should the Evil Qi be attributed to the blade or the water? Or if one bypasses the blade altogether and simply drags the person into the water to drown them, should the Evil Qi be attributed to the water, or considered an unarmed attack?

If it’s considered an unarmed attack, would the Evil Qi be attributed to the person?

"I haven’t tried that yet."

Du Chengfeng slapped his forehead; he had forgotten this too.

The quest for knowledge is always a bit bumpy; on one hand, things may not go smoothly, on the other, he might not remember everything—luckily, the old eunuch hadn’t disturbed him these past few days, as he was busy rethreading the silk into an official robe, allowing Du Chengfeng a few quiet days to think.

But this time for thinking was only a few days.

Facing assassination when crossing a river meant there would certainly be more assassins when crossing the Yangtze. Even though this time, the old eunuch had hired soldiers from Yangzhou’s garrison to escort them on a warship, assassins lurking in the river still rowed over in small boats.

The thousand-gold bounty had driven these assassins completely mad; they didn’t even care if they got swept away by the river.

"They can’t get across."

Beside Du Chengfeng, the old eunuch squinted.

"These small boats could never approach us; the soldiers’ warships can crush them..."

Before he finished speaking, the old eunuch choked on his words.

Because, from the small boat in the distance, dozens of sharp sword lights flew out.

The old eunuch instinctively drew out silk threads to block, but those blades weren’t aimed at the people on the boat—the sharp blades cut into the water, tearing dozens of holes in the bottom of the boats. At that moment, not only were the soldiers’ warships shaking and about to collapse, but even the ferry Du Chengfeng was on was about to fall apart.

"Wave-Breaking Saber Wang Wenyuan! Have those assassins actually hired him too!"

The old eunuch’s face turned pale instantly.

Wang Wenyuan the Wave-Breaking Saber was already a famous expert near Jiankang City; at just over thirty, he had solidified his nature, reaching a level of externalized Evil Qi. The military had summoned him several times, but he courteously refused each time, saying he was just a countryside villager, more suited to a leisurely life among the people.

But now, this self-proclaimed countryside villager, Wang Wenyuan, stood before them.

He even raised his saber towards them.

Of course, if they were on land, the old eunuch wouldn’t be afraid of Wang Wenyuan. The opponent was indeed an expert, but so was he; in a life-or-death struggle, silk against saber, it wasn’t certain who would die.

But now, the old eunuch realized that this so-called Wave-Breaking Blade Technique wasn’t any sort of land-based saber technique at all.

It was clearly a water combat technique!

"Wang Wenyuan actually dares to attack the government forces... could it be that the scoundrels in Jiankang City have already torn off their masks?"

Cursing with his mouth, the old eunuch’s hands didn’t stop; just a moment later, the eunuch was once again bare.

And that official robe comprised of silk threads turned once again into a small boat.

"Hero! Board the boat first!"

The old eunuch called out to Du Chengfeng, though he knew that this small boat made of silk threads probably wouldn’t withstand Wang Wenyuan’s Wave-Breaking Saber for long.

But just as the old eunuch was anxiously worried, he saw Du Chengfeng shaking his head.

"Hero, you..."

The old eunuch wanted to say something more, but he was already stunned.

Because, in his line of sight, Du Chengfeng’s eyes were glinting with a strange light.

"Shh."

Du Chengfeng raised his hand with a gesture for silence.

"I’m thinking."

"You..."

The old eunuch was just about to say something when he saw Du Chengfeng pick up the long cloth-wrapped package next to him.

The cloth on the spear scattered.

"Yes, why didn’t I think of that..."

Saying this, Du Chengfeng swung the spear.

"If you can do it, then so can I."

Buzz—

The noisy battlefield fell silent.

All assassins, all Wave-Breaking Sabers, at this moment, vanished.

Together with the river in front of them.

Once, the old eunuch had considered, while crossing the river, whether building a bridge here would make it more convenient for people to cross—but evidently, it was an extremely difficult task. Considering the span of some large rivers, building a bridge was already not easy, let alone on this natural barrier of a grand river in front of him, how could a bridge be built here?

But now, the old eunuch saw the bridge clearly.

Or rather, the smooth path exposed on the riverbed.

"It’s still not enough..."

While the old eunuch was too stunned to speak, the spear swung down again.

This time, under the blow of the vast Evil Qi, the soft and loose silt on the riverbed was compacted.

"Let’s go."

With the flow of the water, Du Chengfeng landed at the bottom of the river.

He mounted his warhorse.

Indeed, he still felt more at ease with his feet on solid ground.