Hah! I managed to run for dozens of miles before I finally had to stop. Phew! That was close; thank the heavens I wasn't caught. Thinking back on it now, I was in real danger. But what I truly don’t understand is this: since Shenyin has already reached the palace safely, intercepting me, the decoy, should be pointless by now. Why are these people so stubbornly pursuing me? And judging by their fervor, they seem absolutely determined to the bitter end. It makes no sense; why would they bother with such thankless, difficult work?

After racking my brain, I still couldn't find a logical thread. Ah, it seems the calculations of these great figures are far beyond my meager comprehension. For now, I must focus on how to keep my life. I only just managed to slip away; I certainly don't want to be trapped and encircled again with one careless move.

The situation seems to have reverted to how it was more than ten days ago. Although the ferry crossing isn't openly advertising strict checks, I'm certain they have people watching the area. This is proving quite tricky.

I forced myself to calm down and meticulously analyzed the current predicament.

To reach Cangyue City, crossing the River of Unraveling (Bujie River) is mandatory. To cross the Bujie River, one absolutely needs a boat, and to get a boat, one must show up at the ferry crossing.

If they guard the crossing, I truly can't imagine any other way to traverse the Bujie River. It is certain that the crossing is already swarming with their operatives; I saw the communication magic myself earlier.

Helpless, I had no choice but to dive back into the forest and revert to living like a wild man. In this regard, I am certainly experienced, familiar with every trick. Indeed, this Marfa World is a marvelous place; the creatures of nature seem to possess an extreme tendency toward gigantism, much like the Thunder Eagles I've ridden, or these towering trees in the forest. As long as my body leaves no scent, they cannot track me with hounds. Having learned from the last encounter, I dared not be careless again. I resorted to the old method: using the Liuwei Fruit to mask my scent, then stealthily making my way toward the direction of the Bujie River.

Crossing by ferry is impossible, it seems. My attempts at disguise in Cangyue have all ended in failure; not once did I manage to fool that group. Thinking about it is truly disheartening. But ultimately, it’s due to the lack of the Eye of Illusion (Huanmo Zhi Yan); coupled with the conspicuous nature of my dark eyes, trying to slip past undetected is just wishful thinking. If only I had another Eye of Illusion! Sadly, this artifact is so exceedingly rare that even the royal family possesses only a few sets. It was already incredibly fortunate that Yan Luo could grant me a pair.

It seems I must find another method to cross the Bujie River. I haven't formulated a specific plan yet, so I can only take things one step at a time. The immediate priority is to reach the bank of the Bujie River to assess the situation. If the current isn't too violent, I might just swim across directly.

Hiding and sneaking all the way, I finally arrived at the bank of the Bujie River on the fourth day, crawling through the dense undergrowth. From afar, I could still see quite a few people dressed as wandering knights, pacing incessantly along the shore, seemingly searching for something. Could these people be after me? The more I considered it, the more likely it seemed.

I am currently jumpier than a startled bird, utterly lacking the nerve to show myself and be discovered by them. However, when I saw the Bujie River—over six hundred meters wide, with murky, turbulent waters—my heart instantly sank halfway. The scene reminded me of a line written by Su Dongpo: "Jagged rocks pierce the sky, roaring waves slap the banks, churning up mounds of snow," which perhaps perfectly describes the sight before me. No wonder those men were so confident in trapping me; if they only guard the crossing, I truly have no recourse.

Heavens, this river is so treacherous that not just a person, but even a small boat, couldn't possibly navigate it! One decent wave would capsize it instantly. The only vessels capable of crossing such waters must be the large ships moored at the ferry terminal.

In defeat, I sadly retreated back into the forest. Climbing onto a large tree, I found a comfortable fork in the branches and leaned back, lost in thought.

What now! Am I truly going to be trapped on this side? Is there any remaining method for me to cross the Bujie River?

This Bujie River truly lives up to its name; it's already giving me a terrible headache.

My mind raced at an unprecedented speed, filtering through every experience and method, both from my previous life and this one. Yet, for the moment, there was still no good solution.

It seems I have no choice but to risk approaching the ferry crossing to check the situation firsthand; perhaps I can gain some intelligence there.

Following the map's directions, I moved in complete concealment and finally reached the crossing. Perhaps having learned from the last incident, the opposition this time did not dispatch large search parties. Only a few individuals, disguised as wandering knights, patrolled the riverbank, searching. It seems they also dared not cause too much conspicuous commotion.

A small contingent of soldiers was still examining travelers at the crossing, one of whom was the middle-aged brute I had fought previously. As for what pretext they were using for the checks, I dared not go out to investigate now. Resignedly, I retreated back into the forest once more.

Climbing back into the tree, I carefully analyzed the intelligence I had just gathered.

First, the crossing is blockaded. Though the personnel aren't numerous, sneaking onto a boat amidst the crowd is completely impossible.

Secondly, the ferries are still operating normally. Perhaps they dare not openly forbid boat traffic to avoid causing undue disturbance or suspicion.

But what use are these two meager clues?

For the next few days, I obsessed over how to cross the Bujie River without alerting a soul, but no matter how hard I racked my brains, I couldn't devise any viable plan.

The crisp birdsong in the woods startled me awake from my slumber. The morning sun filtered through the canopy, casting a warm glow upon my body. I don't know what time I fell asleep last night. These past few days, I've been utterly vexed trying to figure out how to cross the Flowing Mist Bujie River, but still, no workable solution appeared. With a touch of frustration, I sighed again and resumed my daily routine of contemplation. Occasionally, I could spot groups of a dozen or so searching knights, accompanied by hounds, wandering through the woods. It seems they haven't given up on trying to find me, but unfortunately for them, I had already skillfully concealed my scent, and with my vantage point high in the trees, their chances of discovering me were minuscule.

Reaching into my spatial pouch, I pulled out two pieces of bread and ate them with some water while closely observing my surroundings. Not far ahead was the nest of a pair of unfamiliar large birds, inside which were several chicks chirping for food. Though they were chicks, each one was the size of a soccer ball. The adult birds were as large as a person. This might be rare on Earth, but in the Marfa World, such birds are nothing special. At that moment, three plump, fluffy chicks stumbled out of the enormous nest—calling it huge is no exaggeration; it was easily the size of two double beds. It was constructed from solid branches, straw, and some animal hides. Only the impossibly gigantic trees in the Marfa forests could support such a massive nest, I mused. The two adult birds circled constantly between the treetops, carefully watching their three restless young. Even when one accidentally tumbled from a branch, the watchful parent would swoop down with astonishing speed to snatch it up and return it to the nest. The startled little birds would then cry out incessantly before once again stumbling through their tentative exploration of the world around them.

What an interesting pair of parents, training their offspring when they are so young.

Beneath the tree was the territory of several small animals resembling squirrels. Their nests, however, were built inside tree hollows, each only about one square meter in size. The family of four would emerge punctually at the opening as soon as the sun rose, basking in the gentle morning light. I don't know what these small creatures were called; they looked like pine squirrels, with large tails, agile bodies, and surprising bursts of speed. What astonished me even more was that they possessed a gliding ability similar to birds. They never descended to the ground by crawling down conventionally. Instead, they would leap out and drift down lightly to the earth, making me envious just watching them.

As I was engrossed in watching the squirrel family of four leisurely enjoy the sun,

Whoosh! A massive shape suddenly descended from the sky. Startled, I looked closely and saw an extraordinarily large bird with a long, sharp beak, resembling a woodpecker from Earth, but far more ferocious. I don't know this bird's actual name, so I'll call it the Super Woodpecker for now. Its blood-red eyes scanned back and forth across the branches, and its long, sharp beak tapped against the wood intermittently, producing a steady thump-thump sound.

Soon, the Super Woodpecker seemed to select a specific spot. Its long, sharp rostrum began drilling into the branch with an astonishing frequency, like an electric drill.

Crack! Thwack! With a sharp sound, the branch was bored clean through. Immediately, something long, fleshy, and as thick as a human arm, writhing furiously like a snake, was dragged out. The bird then delicately flicked it up, opened its great beak, and with a snap, swallowed the object whole.

The entire movement could only be described as fluid grace; it was clear this creature had performed this task many times before. I watched, utterly mesmerized.

Good heavens! How powerful. This woodpecker can detect boring insects deep within the wood! What it just ate must have been a grub. I analyzed internally: if a Super Woodpecker exists in this world, then it’s not unreasonable to assume the existence of a Super-Sized Grub, too.

A grub! Wait a moment! A spark ignited in my mind! Grub! Grubs hide inside wood to evade predators, don’t they? Suddenly, an idea for crossing the river flashed into my consciousness.

Since the ferries crossing the wide river are still in operation, if I can hide inside the ship's deck like a grub hides in wood, I can evade the enemy's surveillance! As for how to board the ship, that would be the easiest part.

Sneaking silently from the river to beneath the vessel—if I use the cover of night, this should be entirely feasible. I was instantly ecstatic; this plan was absolutely viable! I never would have thought that observing that grub would inspire such a brilliant idea. The only difficulty is that getting off the ship might be harder. How to disembark at the crossing unnoticed now presented itself as the next hurdle.

But I quickly solved this problem too. As a person from the modern era, I am certainly not unfamiliar with diving. Although the river is turbulent, once near the bank, climbing ashore should be easy enough. And as long as I can remain submerged without detection, floating downstream along the current and finding a suitable place to land shouldn't be difficult.

Without delay, I eagerly awaited the arrival of nightfall.

As the saying goes, a dark night is perfect for murder, and a windy night for arson. But I happened to catch just such a night—dark and windy—to my advantage. Using the cover of darkness, I stealthily made my way to the ferry crossing. It was around two in the morning, and the crossing seemed deserted. Still, for safety, I observed carefully for a while before quietly making my way to a spot about fifty yards upstream from the crossing and slipping into the river. I was quite the swimmer in my previous life; I could hold my breath for a full minute and twenty seconds, and a single dive could take me over fifty meters underwater. This distance should be perfect for me to swim stealthily beneath the large ferry.

It was October, a little chilly, but the weather on Cangyue Island was quite similar to Hainan in modern times; it wasn't truly cold, so I didn't feel agonizingly chilled submerged in the river. Nevertheless, a shiver or two was inevitable. Although my physique is admittedly slight, my physical conditioning is far superior to my past life—in terms of explosive power, flexibility, and strength alike.

Once I acclimated to the water temperature and the pushing force of the waves hitting the bank, I felt confident. I swiftly swam toward the large ferry docked at the crossing, keeping low. I must have resembled a crocodile in an animal documentary, only exposing half my head above the water to check the surface and the shore. Although the night was pitch black, it wasn't the kind where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, but the bright lights on the large ship were the most distinct targets.

Using the cover of the night, I finally managed to swim under the vessel. Aided by the ship's lights, I could see dozens of people dressed as wandering knights on the deck, chatting about something idly, their laughter occasionally drifting over the water. On the shore stood about a dozen vigilant knights, warily scanning their surroundings. Although they were all dressed as ordinary wandering knights, I could distinctly feel they were very different from typical ones. I couldn't articulate exactly what the difference was, but their killing intent was incredibly heavy. Furthermore, their strength was formidable—this much my intuition confirmed.

Having gathered this intelligence, I immediately proceeded to the next phase of my operation.

I quietly moved toward the stern of the ship, on the side facing away from the river. There was a large wooden panel controlling the rudder, beneath which was an open space large enough for a person, spanned by a horizontal wooden plank in the middle. It was a perfectly natural and excellent hiding spot.

I carefully climbed up and concealed myself within. As long as no one deliberately leaned over to look, discovery was impossible.

All that remained was to wait quietly for the departure time.

Day broke, and the large ship began its brisk transport operations back and forth. The shore grew increasingly noisy with the sounds of footsteps and heavy objects striking the deck, making it clear to me that many passengers had boarded. It would likely depart soon.

I maintained my concealed position. Around nine in the morning, the great ship finally started to move slowly. Hidden beneath the plank in the stern, I was tossed about by violent spray, nearly losing my grip and falling into the river. Fortunately, the crossing only lasted about twenty minutes before docking. I waited a long time until everyone seemed to have disembarked. Of course, this was just a feeling; I had no chance to observe the situation on board. Without further hesitation, I slipped back into the river from the stern. I took one deep dive and swam downstream. Since I was moving with the current, my submerged speed increased considerably. When I next surfaced, I was already a good fifty meters away from the large ship, and no one had noticed my presence. The bank nearby was lined with thick aquatic grasses, so I quickly swam over and quietly pulled myself ashore.

Thus, I had crossed the Bujie River without a soul suspecting. Thinking back, it was a perfectly executed piece of illegal transit. Not far from the riverbank was a dense forest. After all, this was not near a town, just a small crossing point; apart from passing merchants, it was unlikely anyone else would be here.

After resting briefly in the woods and changing my soaked clothes, I resumed my journey toward Cangyue City. Naturally, I did not take the main road but traveled through the forest parallel to it.

However, after less than a day of traveling, the dense forests flanking the main road gave way to open fields. Faint plumes of smoke could be seen rising in the distance, clearly indicating proximity to a settlement. Helplessly, I had to bite the bullet and proceed along the main road in the direction of the town. Of course, necessary disguise was paramount. Now, my hair was long, dark brown, and messily spread across my back, my facial skin looked rougher, and I sported a full growth of coarse, grayish-brown stubble. Overall, I resembled a middle-aged man weathered by hardship. My height was a bit short, but that was an unchangeable feature.

There were still many carriages moving along the road, coming and going. My luck held; I managed to flag down a carriage heading for the Liusu Post Station. I disembarked a couple of miles from the city gate. Then, bypassing the main gate, I scaled the wall under the cover of night to enter the city.

For the next few days, I repeated this pattern: catching a ride on the country roads, getting off a short distance from the city gate, and doing my utmost to avoid military inspections. When I encountered a crossing, I employed the same trick at the Liusu Ferry to cross the Liusu River.

In this manner, always concealed, I traversed the Liusu territory. Half a month later, I finally arrived at Cangyue City. Following the address left for me by Shenyin, I easily located the State Council representative office of the Demon Dragon Empire stationed in the Cangyue Empire.

"Ah! It's Xingchen!" Upon entering the State Council office, I was spotted by a joyous Long Zhan. "Xingchen is back! Xingchen is back!" Long Zhan's loud voice reverberated throughout the entire office. Amidst rapid footsteps, a host of people suddenly poured out from within.

"You rascal, you're finally back." Leading the charge was Boss Long Xin. Her eyes were red, and she looked equally ecstatic. Long Qi and Dong Guan couldn't help but tackle me to the ground, and in an instant, the few of us formed a tangled heap of rolling bodies, drawing boisterous laughter from the surroundings.

After a long moment, Long Xin and the others managed to calm their overwhelming excitement. However, they were now surrounded by many people, all staring at me with wide, curious eyes.

"Is that His Highness Xingchen? He doesn't look much like the Princess..."

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