The Dan-min

Chapter 673: The Dan-min

“More than just the Child-God?” Li Huowang felt a chill run through him at those words. He had been focused on the Great Liang for so long that he had completely neglected this side of things.

Now that he thought back, Xuanpin was right. When the Fa Sect first appeared, they were hunted down by the Supervisory Heavenly Offices everywhere. They had even deployed the military against them.

Yet under those very conditions, the Fa Sect had somehow managed to destroy both the Siqi and Nanping kingdoms and push all the way into Later Shu.

Even if those states were in poor shape—worn down by years of war and feeble courts—the speed of the Fa Sect’s expansion in just a few years seemed far too abnormal.

“So it’s not just the Child-God. There are other Siming working against us?” Li Huowang asked Xuanpin, his expression grim.

No matter which faction was involved, when you traced it back to the source, the problem always ended up with the Fa Sect.

Xuanpin shook his head slightly. “Working against us? Why do you assume that all Siming would be on our side? Can you guess what a Siming thinks? Just because they say they’ll help you, do you truly believe them?”

Li Huowang’s heart could not find peace. A terrible suspicion emerged in his mind. “Are you trying to say that all the Siming in the White Jade Capital are actually on the Child-God’s side?”

“The Supervisory Heavenly Office… it’s called an Office, but in the end, the heavens must be supervised. Whether they are or not, don’t rely on others, and don’t hand over your life’s thread to anyone else.” With these words, Xuanpin’s enormous red Daoist robe slowly began to turn transparent.

“And no matter what is secretly helping the Fa Sect, once you reach Later Shu, act with caution. There are still many things under heaven that can kill you.”

“I don’t trust you, but at least when it comes to dealing with the Child-God, you and I are allies. I’ve already informed the Sitian Jian. No matter what you request, they will assist you.”

After speaking his final words, Xuanpin’s body vanished completely, leaving Li Huowang alone in that spot.

In the dim underground, his face heavy with thought, Li Huowang pondered for a long time. Finally, he turned and strode out of the dark chamber.

Once he emerged, Li Sui and Bai Lingmiao, who had been waiting, immediately gathered around him. “Li-shixiong, how did it go? Did they give you any trouble?”

Li Huowang shook his head slightly. “It’s fine. Tell your people to restock on supplies as quickly as possible. We’re leaving this city.”

“We just got here and we’re already leaving? Where are we going next?”

“Later Shu.”

“Later Shu? Are we really going there? That place is at war! These days, all I ever see are refugees fleeing out, never anyone running in.” A boat captain, missing a front tooth, squatted barefoot on the deck, sizing up the two young people before him.

One was a boy of about ten, the other a handsome woman in her twenties. Were they mother and son? The ages didn’t quite match. Were they siblings? The way they interacted didn’t seem right for that either.

“It’s fine. We don’t need to go deep into Later Shu. We just need a boat to take us to Zhenhai Point. Captain, I’m begging you, please make an exception.”

Just as the captain hesitated, Yang Xiaohai passed him the envelope that Sun Baolu’s clansmen had written. “I know it’s dangerous times, and I’m not eager to run around. But I’m a Dan-min. My parents are still over there. I’m going to save them. I have no other choice.”

“You’re a Dan-min? You sure don’t dress like one.” The captain opened the envelope and scanned its contents quickly.

After reading the letter, the wariness in the captain’s eyes softened slightly. “Having that filial piety is a good thing. But… my boat is this big, and I’m only taking one passenger on this trip…”

Just as he said this, the captain noticed the silver ingots Yang Xiaohai was holding out to him with both hands. He took them and stuffed them into his chest along with the letter.

“Ah, what the hell. I’m a filial son myself. For the sake of your parents, I’ll make this voyage.”

Hearing this, Yang Xiaohai bowed and thanked him profusely. Finally, he could see his family again!

As the sails were quickly unfurled, Yang Xiaohai led the horse-drawn cart onto the old, flat-bottomed boat. It wasn’t large, but it wasn’t exactly small either.

The sails swelled with the sea breeze. The flat-bottomed boat slowly left the harbor. As the dock shrank behind them, Yang Xiaohai’s excitement was tempered by a constant wariness of the boatmen.

He had bought enough fresh water and dry rations to last the entire trip, all to avoid being drugged.

He hadn’t forgotten being forced by river bandits to choose between “boiled knife-cut noodles” and “wonton soup” back when he was with Li-shixiong on the river.

The captain clearly noticed Yang Xiaohai’s vigilance, but the truth was, they were just as wary of him.

In these lawless times, a half-grown boy and a woman daring to travel around had to have some skills.

And so, the days passed, both sides on guard. But as their destination drew closer and they lived under the same roof day and night, the walls between them gradually softened.

When he learned they were almost there, Yang Xiaohai went over to the captain, who was fishing, to try and get friendly. “Captain, how many years have you been sailing these seas?”

“Heh, about twenty or thirty years. If you count my father and grandfather, even longer. This is an old trade. Some things and some people can’t take the land routes, so they take the sea.”

Hearing this, Yang Xiaohai asked with curiosity, “That long? Then, Captain, have you ever dealt with the Dan-min?”

“Of course I have. Anyone who makes a living on the sea has to deal with them.” As he spoke, the captain, sitting on his stool, suddenly sat up straight and began to pull his rod back and forth.

“So… so what are they like? Are they easy to get along with?” Yang Xiaohai asked nervously.

Even though he knew his family were Dan-min and lived on the sea, that was the sum total of his knowledge.

The captain, who was alternately reeling in and letting out line, glanced at him with some surprise. “Aren’t you a Dan-min? Don’t you know what your own people are like?”

“I… I was sent to the shore right after I was born, so I don’t know what it’s like at home.”

Although the excuse was flimsy, the captain didn’t bother to expose it. “Dan-min… what else can I say? The men fish, the women dive for pearls. Same as the mud-foots on shore. When the harvest is good, it’s fine. When the harvest is bad, life is hard.”

At these words, Yang Xiaohai’s expression darkened slightly. He himself had been sold by his family during a bad harvest.

“Don’t let their poverty fool you. The poorer they are, the more rules they have. I generally can’t be bothered dealing with them.” Even as he spoke, the captain didn’t stop working, rhythmically letting out two lengths of line and pulling in three.