True to his word, Yu Chen spoke to the others.

  It didn’t take much for him to convince the others to accompany the merchants the rest of the way to their destination. Serbo’s eyes had lit up at the mention of a reward, while Sun Yuan was simply intrigued to hear about the Auction Ship. They couldn’t leave right away though. The merchant’s vessel was no longer river worthy, its sails having been ruined by the pirate’s flames, and its mast shattered to pieces. The ship hadn’t been left immobile however, despite the damage it’d sustained, although it would take a long time before Yan Ziqi could get the ship back in working condition.

  The broken mast would make travel difficult, but spirit vessels weren’t driven by the wind that filled their sails. They utilized spiritual energy, and the sigils inscribed upon their hull, to propel them along the river. It was one of the reasons they were so power hungry in the first place. After all, the river was truly massive in size, and sails weren’t enough to get anyone anywhere fast.

  Yan Ziqi rallied the handful of merchants that remained, and they leapt to work as the young man began shouting out orders. They moved with alacrity as they prepared the ship to get back under way.

  One of the pirate’s ships had escaped after all, and there was no telling when it might happen to return.

  Yu Chen listened in as they spoke amongst themselves. According to the merchants it wasn’t uncommon for a ship controlled by a Foundation Establishment realm expert to be part of a larger armada. It was likely they answered to a Golden Core cultivator lurking somewhere nearby.

  Yan Ziqi also made sure the pirate vessel was in order, although it hadn’t sustained as much damage. It was mostly intact and reasonably charged, already more or less river worthy. They’d earned it after all, having slain the pirates and driven them off, and there was no way they’d leave it behind.

  The sun had already begun to sink by the time they finished repairing the two vessels, but they decided to get underway as everyone wanted to be as far from the scene of the battle as possible. Sun Yuan took the lead, and their two ships flanked the broken merchant vessel as it limped along, ensuring that it was safe from danger.

  Unfortunately, the pirate’s vessel didn’t possess a shrinking function like the Lady did, which meant Yan Ziqi had to helm the other ship, shadowing them on their passage back up the river.

  It was a long week, an uneasy time during which Yu Chen was a ball of nervous energy, just waiting for the pirates to return. The ships stuck close together as they traveled, close enough that he could use his movement technique to move between them, delivering messages and communicating with the others.

  He didn’t enjoy the beauty of the river much during this time, worried as he was, but he did get to speak with Liang Hu and the other merchants, learning more about the Auction Ship, and what exactly it was.

  “Eh? No, it doesn’t travel.” Liang Hu said, twisting a finger in his ear as he cast a bemused smile towards Yu Chen. “Although I suppose it could. It is a ship after all.”

  “What exactly is the Auction Ship?” Yu Chen asked. “I’ve heard the name once or twice, but no one has ever mentioned what it does.”

  “It hosts auctions of course.” Liang Hu said as he rubbed his fingers together, examining something before flicking it away. “Cultivators always have items they can’t use and ones they are looking for. They need a safe place to trade them, and that’s where the ship comes in.”

  “Ah.” Yu Chen said, slowly nodding his head. The idea had some merit. He’d bought and traded information before, but he’d never really considered how he might sell his things. He’d always been worried about being robbed after all.

  “It’s completely anonymous as well,” Liang Hu added. “Although the ship does charge a small fee for the service. You’ll even be able to sell that ship you’ve captured.” The merchant said, nodding towards the pirate vessel Yan Ziqi was controlling.

  “Sounds like we would’ve wound up heading there anyways.” Yu Chen mused, looking at the river ahead with anticipation in his eyes.

  “Most eventually do.” Liang Hu said with a laugh. “The Auction Ship hosts one of the largest gathering places for cultivators along the river, and not everyone is there for the auctions.” Now it was the merchant whose eyes held a hint of anticipation as a lascivious grin had spread across his face.

  The pirates never did return, and they made it to the Auction Ship unmolested.

  It was nighttime when it appeared in their vision as a faint light in the distance. It wasn’t a single light, Yu Chen realized as they approached, but a vast series of ones spread across the river like the stars blanketing the sky above. There were so many that he began to doubt his eyes.

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  This was a ship? If so, the auction ship was massive beyond belief, a titanic vessel that dwarfed their little convoy. The vessel was easily large enough to hold hundreds, no, thousands, of cultivators, and it looked less like a ship and more like a moving mountain that floated upon the river as they approached.

  Yu Chen was dazzled by the sight, bathed in the splendor of ten thousand lights glowing with an intensity that lit up the river for thousands of feet all around. At least a hundred ships were docked or floating in the nearby waters around it, and he could see more in the distance, arriving and departing at any given time.

  It was also the first time Yu Chen received a proper glimpse at the sheer number and variety of spiritual vessels that sailed the river. Not everyone traveled in large ships like the Sleeping Lady, capable of holding a dozen cultivators with ease. Some vessels were even larger, the size and shape of frigates, but many were smaller, more personal craft.

  It seemed that a number of cultivators preferred low sloops, traveling in boats that were barely large enough to carry one or two cultivators at a time, designed more for speed than anything else.

  Liang Hu used a method they’d devised to signal them, and they slowed down, letting him take the lead now that they’d drawn close to the ship. It continued to grow as they approached, yawning above him, so large that it had its own docks stretching from a hole that had been cut in the bowels of the ship.

  That was where Liang Hu brought them. They followed suit as he docked his ship, throwing ropes overboard to the people waiting down below, and the dockhands began lashing the damaged merchant vessel to the Auction Ship with practiced ease. Yan Ziqi did the same with the pirated vessel, but Yu Chen and the rest simply leapt to the docks as Sun Yuan activated the strange shrinking formation, pocketing the lady.

  Yu Chen walked up behind Liang Hu after landing, overhearing the animated conversation he was having with the dockmaster.

  “Seven hells Xiao Hu, what have you done with the ship?” The dockmaster said, staring up in consternation.

  “Pirates, Wei Zhi.” Liang Hu said, his voice turning gloomy. “They were waiting for us. They somehow knew what route we’d take.”

  “You can’t mean-” The dockmaster began before cutting off as he saw Yu Chen and the others walk up.

  “I’m afraid so,” Liang Hu said, ignoring them. “I need to speak with my father as soon as possible. Can you take care of things around here for me?”

  “Of course, Xiao Hu. I’ll have it shipshape in no time at all. What about that one?” The dockmaster said, nodding towards the pirated ship.

  Liang Hu turned around, casting them a quick glance before looking back towards Wei Zhi. “I imagine they’ll want to sell it. Just keep an eye on it for now, ok?”

  “Apologies.” And for his part, Wei Zhi truly did look apologetic. “Words come down from the top. No one docks for free.”

  Liang Hu gave a soft snort, rolling his eyes.

  “The old man wants his cut. Fine, charge it to my father’s account. It’s the least I can do after they saved my life.”

  He said his goodbyes to the dockmaster before heading further into the ship, and the dozens of cultivators milling about on the docks parted to let him through. Yu Chen exchanged glances with the others before following behind, looking around in wonder as they entered the large spirit vessel.

  He didn’t know exactly what he’d expected when he’d first heard about the ship so long ago, but he could definitely say that this wasn’t it. It was so much more than he could have ever expected, and he had to tear his eyes away from wonder after wonder as Liang Hu led them on a twisting path that led up the ship.

  The lowest level was filled with establishments in which countless cultivators cavorted around like mortals. There were bars stocked with rare and expensive brews, and rooms that contained games of chance, and fortune tellers as well. Even among cultivators there were those willing to spend their coin foolishly, believing in blind luck and random advice.

  It was a madhouse of debauchery.

  Soon enough they passed through the area, climbing up the ship. A pleasant aroma filled the air of the second level, and his senses tingled at the smell. Most of the cultivators they passed now were in Foundation Establishment, with Qi Condensation cultivators few and far between.

  The rooms were different on this level, gone was the chaotic mess on the lower levels, replaced by what seemed to be nearly identical box rooms, overlooking something down below. Some were empty and austere, but plenty were occupied, and whoever was within was blocked from sight by thick panes of fuzzy glass.

  Yu Chen cast a glance into one of the empty rooms as they walked by, curious about what was going on down below. To his surprise he saw a stage in the middle of the floor, and he could faintly make out the sight of figures moving about below it, and through that window he could see it was surrounded by glass boxes on all sides.

  This was the true Auction Ship.

  Those boxes were filled with cultivators, bidding on the items that were being presented on stage. There seemed to be some sort of hierarchy involved. The boxes towards the top were larger but more scarce, doubtless reserved for the more powerful experts.

  He had to tear his eyes away as Liang Hu led them up once more, bringing them to the third level of the ship.

  Yu Chen couldn’t help but notice how their surroundings changed the higher they climbed. The rooms had grown more opulent and the hallways less crowded, and the level of cultivation had increased once more.

  He felt well and truly out of place now, as the occasional Golden Core cultivator appeared in the halls they traveled. He was secretly shocked at their number.

  Ever since leaving the sect he’d never seen more than a few together, no, even before leaving the sect. But on the auction ship some of their mystique was lost. They were almost regular people, softly chatting with each other in the hallways or sitting in one of the affluent boxes.

  It seemed anonymity wasn’t a concern this high on the ship. Many of the rooms the cultivators sat in didn’t feature the fuzzy glass the rooms below had.

  They went up one last flight of stairs, climbing even higher up the ship. Liang Hu took several sharp turns before coming to a sudden stop. A massive box, its glass walls opaque lay a short distance away, guarded by a couple of cultivators emitting a deadly aura.

  Liang Hu turned, giving them a serious look.

  “This is my father’s room. I want to bring you in to meet him.” Liang Hu began, before hesitating. “I’ll warn you in advance, he can be a bit harsh.” He finished without meeting their eyes.

  Yu Chen cocked his head. Well, that certainly sounded ominous.