An Oriental Odyssey

    Yuan An spoke out to them in a loud voice: "Where are you going?"

　　"Dingyang City."

　　"Help me take these two of you along the way, they'll get off the boat at Dingyang." Yuan An said.

　　"Okay... Two silver taels for one. For two people it's four taels."

　　Yuan'an rolled her eyes: "You really know how to do business! - Then, I'll give you six taels. You make the boat move faster. Serve tea and a meal and diligently wait on them!" 

    The helmsman happily said: "Okay! Please come in."

　　Yuan'an tossed the silver taels to the helmsman, then turned around and put a bag of money in Shi Tou's hand: "This money is for you Shi Tou, don't lose it. Returning to your hometown like this, you won't be able to come back for a few years. Find a place where no one knows you two, and buy a plot of land to farm, understand?"

　　"I understand, Little Master."

　　"Don't worry about your mother, I'll have Uncle Xia send money back to her."

　　Shi Tou had tears in his eyes, "Little Master, you are so kind to me."

　　Yuan'an patted Shi Tou on the shoulder: "You fed our horses well! To tell you the truth, I am reluctant to part with you. It won't be easy to find a stable boy as good as you, but this is a good thing! You love this girl, and you trust that she is kind and goodhearted. This is a blessing for both of you! Cherish it!"

　　Xiao Yu and Shi Tou immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Yuan'an: " We won't forget Little Master's words until we die!" 

    The helmsman was in a hurry and urged them to get on the boat: "Are you going or not?!"

　　Yuan'an quickly helped Xiao Yu and Shi Tou up: "Let's go, let's go, don't delay, it's time."

　　Shi Tou and Xiao Yu got on the boat, Shi Tou and Xiao Yu knelt down inside the boat to thank Yuan'an again.

　　Yuan'an waved goodbye, feeling a little reluctant in his heart, but she was also a little relaxed that it was over. She turned around and was about to go home to go to sleep when she suddenly felt that something was not right. The wind was not right, the water was not right, um, even the moonlight was not right, the boat, the two helmsmen were even more wrong - their boat handling skill was not very good...

　　Yuan'an was rooted to the spot, then she saw that the boots under the feet of the helmsmen were a pair of thick and clean official boots! Yuan'an's heart skipped a beat, and then he shouted: "Shi Tou! Xiao Yu! Come back!"

　　The sound of the water was deafening, Shi Tou and Xiao Yu on the boat saw Yuan'an gesturing but could not hear her.

　　Xiao Yu said: "What is the little master saying?"

　　Shi Tou scratched his head: "It seems...she's telling us not to go back."

　　Xiao Yu said: "It doesn't seem to be..."

　　The helmsman behind him spoke: "Of course not, he's telling you to go back quickly!"

　　Xiao Yu and Shi Tou were horrified, and when they turned around, the two helmsmen took off their hats, revealing their true appearance, it was Zhao Lanzhi and Xiao Hu, Luoyang County's police officers!

　　Zhao Lanzhi coldly said: "It really took no effort to get here. Xiao Hu, tie them up! Let's go and arrest their Little Master! Let's see how the law will handle this pampered young master who dared to rob the prison!"  

　　Xiao Hu said nothing and immediately captured Shi Tou and Xiao Yu.

　　Yuan'an on the shore saw this scene and jumped in a hurry. She gritted her teeth and took out the silver-white skeleton hand from her sleeve and threw it to the edge of the ship. The skeleton hand was easy to use, the mechanism latched on and she used the rope and in a blink of an eye, she was on the boat. 

　　Zhao Lanzhi looked Yuan'an up and down: "So it was you who robbed the prison. I recognize your skeleton rope, who made it for you?"

    "Keep your nonsense words, you already knew from earlier that Xiao Yu was rescued by me, didn't you?"

    Zhao Lanzhi adjusted his sleeve as he looked at Yuan'an with great interest: "We watched you all day and as expected, you ran out at night! Little thief, you were not secure enough, look, I can't search your manor, but you came out on your own, you, your experience in the Jianghu is not sufficient..."

*( Jianghu refers to the martial world/out in the world - in more modern terms, "the streets")**

　　Yuan'an was furious when she heard those words, she took off her belt and shook it into a soft sword: "Then let's check if my swordsmanship is not sufficient!" After saying that, she vigorously rushed forward to attack Zhao Lanzhi.

　　Yuan'an and Zhao Lanzhi had already exchanged more than 20 moves, and she has already been divided. She was bouncing up and using all sorts of extravagant moves, while Zhao Lanzhi was a professionally trained constable, their swords had swept passed each other's eyebrows several times. Zhao Lanzhi was deliberately being lenient, while Yuan'an on the sly was even more proud of her own skill and vigorously forged ahead. 

    No one realized when the wind picked up and waves began to swell, the boat swayed a lot more and was pushed to the center of the river. 

    Zhao Lanzhu did not want to continue fighting anymore, he turned his wrist and pushed his blade straight, Yuan'an swung her sword but she was too late to block it and could only stare at Zhao Lanzhi's sword at her neck, she stood still and did not dare to jump about. 

　　Zhao Lanzhi looked at her face, he was feeling quite helpless: "...Why are you so difficult?... You've fought with me twice, yesterday and today, and I could have truly killed you several times..."

　　Yuan'an pouted: "Don't brag, I didn't get a chance to properly display last night!" 

　　Zhao Lanzhi smiled: "That's true, your hidden weapons are quite useful. Okay, let's end it here, we'll tie your hand and you'll go back to the police bureau with me. Look... I'm already tired of you..."

　　Yuan'an was furious: "You're tired of me?!... You're more tiring than me!"

　　"You dared to rob a prison, that crime is unforgivable!"

　　"It is you all who cannot discriminate between right and wrong, arbitrability deciding cases and wronging good people!" 

　　The two fought again. Although Yuan'an was wearing men's clothes, she was a girl with thin skin. Zhao Lanzhi's words were "annoying" and she was so angry that she was really going for Zhao Lanzhi's life every time she swung her sword. Zhao Lanzhi wanted to capture her alive, but the space on the boat was small, and it was looking like it would not end well.  

    Xiao Hu wanted to come forward to help, but Yuan'an took out time to send out the iron skeleton hand and used to mechanism to tie him up. The skeleton hand grabbed Xiao Hu's throat and began choking him. Xiao Hu shouted, Zhao Lanzhu rushed forward to rescue him, the boat suddenly violently shook, next thing, Yuan'an's sword was at his throat. This time, it was Zhao Lanzhi who stopped moving.