I really don't want to take shortcuts anymore

It was called a painting studio, but in fact it was a huge boat that was ten meters high and about fifty meters long. Two rows of long oars extended from both sides of the boat, flying up and down neatly, splashing water everywhere. Rows of bare-chested boatmen could be vaguely seen, with towels wrapped around their heads, and strong and powerful muscles on their sturdy arms - there was no intention of turning at all.

As the square bow of the ship approached, Luo Qianhuai and Mr. Mo had already left the cabin. Looking up at the painting studio, they saw a young man surrounded by stars.

The boy was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a pale face and dark circles under his eyes. He was wearing a very conspicuous bright red robe with gold embroidery, and looked quite frail and shabby.

He folded his arms, narrowed his eyes, and had a playful expression of enjoying a show on his face. He didn't seem to think that overturning the small fishing boat in front of him was a big deal.

He didn't care, but the people around him were very sharp-eyed. They noticed that the two people who had just left the cabin were well-dressed, and they couldn't help but sweat: "Sir, look at the clothes these two people are wearing, they should be the wedding clothes of the nobles in Xijing... You'd better give the order to turn around quickly. If there is any trouble, I'm afraid that the old prince will be out of reach!"

The man smiled and waved his hand: "It's okay. This prince finally came to the capital once, but just wanted to have some fun. If you use your father to pressure me again, don't blame me for not remembering the past kindness."

The painting studio was filled with ripples and the sound was rapid. Add to that the incessant sounds of stringed instruments, bamboo, zither and harp, and Luo Qianhuai couldn't hear their conversation clearly at all.

But she recognized the young man in red. He was Yu He, the prince of Changzhou.

I had met him once before when I was Luo Xiao's apprentice in Kangle County. I was deeply impressed by his domineering and rude behavior. I didn't expect to meet him here again today.

Shui Er had been paddling hard, trying to move the boat away, but the studio was so huge that the square bow alone was seven or eight meters wide. It was really difficult to avoid it while going against the current at full speed.

Wei Ying snatched the pole from Shui Er and was about to use his internal energy when he was stopped by Master Mo with a cough.

As a mute servant, he naturally could not speak outside. Master Mo coughed a few times and raised his voice reluctantly: "I am Yu Chu. I don't know how I have offended the prince of Changzhou. Why do you have to force me like this?"

Yu He reached out and scratched his ears, saying nonchalantly, "Today the wind is strong and the waves are rough, I can't hear anything clearly - did you hear any sound?"

The man who had advised him earlier frowned and said, "Yu Chu is also the blood of the late emperor. He was personally appointed as the Marquis of Xiang by His Majesty. If he falls into the water and dies today, you and the prince will surely be impeached by the censor. It is better to stop here..."

"Oh?" Yu He shrugged slightly and said, "Mr. Shen didn't hear anything. What about you?"

"I only hear the sound of wind, water, birds singing and fish leaping. What else is there?" The leader of the guards standing behind him leaned over and said.

Standing on the other side of Yu He, a middle-aged scholar dressed as a Qingke Xianggong stroked his beard and smiled, "In fact, there are also sounds of stringed instruments and orchestras lingering in the air. Speaking of which, all the famous ladies from the Xijing who are being invited by the prince to a banquet here today are both talented and artistic. Any one of them is worthy of the position of the prince's consort..."

When he got here, he suddenly couldn't continue. His triangular eyes widened and the smile froze on his face.

Not only him, but everyone standing on the bow, including Yu He, now opened their eyes wide and moved their lips, but no sound came out.

There were many boats traveling on Yinfeng Lake, and at this moment, they all cast their eyes here, with exclamations coming one after another.

Time goes back to ten seconds ago, when the bow of the painting studio's boat was about to hit the small boat, crushing it into pieces like a mountain.

Mr. Mo held Luo Qianhuai's hand tightly and squeezed her palm slightly. Although there were no words, Luo Qianhuai understood what he meant.

He couldn't show off his martial arts openly, so he could only let her down and fall into the water with him.

Even so, he would definitely protect her, so she didn't feel any fear in her heart.

When it really comes to a life-and-death situation, there is still the system.

Even if the Tongzi was unreliable, it was still somewhat useful. At least it gave her the courage and guts to remain calm in the face of adversity...most of which was due to the various unpleasant experiences it had given her.

But Master Mo quickly turned his head and looked towards the lakeshore. Luo Qianhuai also looked over there with him, and saw a green figure riding the wind and waves. In just a few short leaps, he had already arrived on the fishing boat and stood in front of Luo Qianhuai.

The man came with his back straight, a long sword wrapped tightly in white silk slung behind his shoulder, his hands behind his back with a solemn expression. It was Zhang Qing, Zhang Dajianzong, whom he had not seen for more than a year.

At that time, the bow of the painting studio's boat was crashing towards them with surging waves, and it seemed that in the next moment, the boat and the people on it would be crushed into pieces.

In a flash, Zhang Qing waved his hand lightly, and the bamboo pole that was previously in Wei Ying's hand flew into his palm.

He casually pointed the pole towards the bow of the studio, and without exerting any force, the studio suddenly and strangely stopped. No matter how hard the boatmen tried to push the boat, the boat remained motionless.

In contrast, the small boat under Luo Qianhuai began to go upstream in the opposite direction, gradually getting out of the control of the painting studio and turning to its side.

Zhang Qing retracted the pole and glanced in the direction of Yu He and the others. His eyes were clear and bright, but those who saw him were frightened, their hands and feet were sore, and their bodies were shaking like sieves.

Yu He clung tightly to the railing at the bow of the boat and managed to avoid falling down.

"You, who...are you..." he asked in a trembling voice.

Yu He did not recognize Zhang Qing, but the leader of the guards behind him was very perceptive and immediately whispered in his ear: "Sir, this man can fly hundreds of meters in the air. His skills have reached the highest level. There are very few people in the world who can reach such an accomplishment. In addition, with his age and dress, it is most likely, most likely..."

"Don't keep me in suspense, just tell me!" Yu He held the fence with one hand and raised his foot as if to kick him.

"Maybe it's Zhang Qing, Zhang Dajianzong..." The leader didn't dare to delay any longer and said in a low voice.

"Zhang Jianzong?" Yu He's eyes lit up instantly. "Isn't that one of the five great sword sects in the world? It is said that he is the youngest and most promising sword sect besides the new sword sect whose identity is unknown. This prince has always wanted to meet him and see if there is a chance to become his disciple - and now the opportunity has come!"

He looked at Zhang Qing with shining eyes, throwing all his fear behind him, and waved at him non-stop: "Zhang Jianzong, nice to meet you! I am Yu He, the prince of Changzhou, and I have admired you for a long time. It is fate that we meet today, so how about you come aboard and have a chat?"

However, Zhang Qing had already looked away and was completely ignoring him.

"Mrs. Luo." He still used the old name: "It's been a long time since we last met."

"After many years, the Zhang Jian Sect is even more glorious than before." Luo Qianhuai said with a smile.