31. View of this New World [Modern Warship in a Cultivation World]

Thump!

With a grunt of effort, Pax threw the last of the gathered logs onto the small, secluded beach. The sound seemed immense in the early morning quiet. “Man, making a boat sucks,” he declared, wiping sweat from his brow. He looked at Officer Nolan and Lu Mingfe, both of whom were wearing plain, dark-colored martial arts uniforms the ship’s crew had quickly stitched together. The trio was now focused on lashing the final planks to their makeshift wooden raft.

“On another note,” Pax continued, picking up another log and positioning it for Nolan. “These martial arts uniforms that the ship’s crew made look authentic, right?” Pax struck a theatrical pose, admiring the simple cotton tunic and trousers. “I feel like I’m in a movie.”

Officer Nolan, expertly tying a complicated knot, translated the comment. Lu Mingfe, finishing up his own knot, offered a professional critique. “These are passable as the uniform of a no-name martial arts sect or some small merchant house’s private guard. Authentic enough to keep us from attracting immediate attention.”

“I see,” Pax replied once the translation was done, losing his theatrical flourish and picking up his wooden oar.

With their small craft finally complete, all three men put their shoulders to the wood and pushed the makeshift boat into the ocean. They climbed aboard, settled onto the narrow seats, and picked up their oars.

“Rowing to the west for a few hours will get us to Haolin Port,” Lu Mingfe instructed, already setting a steady, measured pace.

What felt like an eternity of continuous, silent labor under the weight of the enormous task finally ended. The small boat scraped ashore in an inconspicuous corner of the port as the crimson-tinged sun crested the horizon.

Lu Mingfe, Officer Nolan, and Pax climbed the rough wooden steps of the deck. Once they reached the top, Pax subtly touched the bandage on his cheek, the lingering sting a physical reminder of the world they were now entering.

“So, this is Haolin Port,” Pax murmured, his voice low with professional curiosity.

The sight that greeted them was a chaotic, vibrant tableau of a different civilization. The port was alive, not with the roar of internal combustion engines, but with the din of human labor and traditional commerce. The air, heavy with the sharp scent of sea salt, was also thick with the perfume of exotic spices, burning charcoal, and distant, cooking street food.

The docks were massive, made of rough-hewn, dark timber, teeming with activity. Merchants in colorful robes shouted prices, while burly laborers, many of whom exhibited the subtle, enhanced musculature of low-level cultivators, moved enormous crates with seemingly unnatural ease.

Docked along the quay were dozens of wooden vessels. These were not the primitive boiler ships the Event Horizon had encountered, but elegantly carved, multi-masted junks with intricately painted eyes on their prows, designed for deep-sea trade. The sheer volume of goods: piles of exotic silks, stacked barrels of spirits, and cages filled with chirping, unknown species of birds, spoke to Haolin’s status as a powerful neutral trade hub in the Sovereignties.

Towering over the chaotic docks, the city itself was built of grey stone and dark wood. Massive, multi-story buildings with sweeping, tiled roofs clustered together. Farther inland, they could see the beginnings of a high, stone wall, indicating the fortifications of the inner city. Torches still burned along the upper ramparts, their flickering light mixing with the rising sun to cast long, dancing shadows.

A continuous procession of foot traffic moved toward the city gates: uniformed soldiers in light armor, rich merchants carried on litters, and solitary figures in plain robes that whispered of hidden strength. Haolin Port was not a fortress preparing for war; it was a flourishing nexus of civilization, where the Great War felt like a distant, terrible thunder.

“We need to blend in quickly,” Pax noted, pulling his camera bag closer to his chest and instinctively adopting the cynical, observing posture of an experienced reporter. “A crowd like this is the safest place to be, but also the most dangerous to be noticed in.”

Officer Nolan gave a curt nod of agreement. As all three men dissolved into the flow of the throng, Lu Mingfe lightly tapped Nolan's shoulder, signaling for the two Earthlings to follow. Lu Mingfe deftly led them away from the main thoroughfare and toward a large, semi-circular wooden dome tucked into a quiet corner of the port. A diverse mix of people, from heavily-guarded merchants to solitary travelers wearing the robes of minor martial arts sects were already standing there, patiently waiting.

“What sort of place is this?” Officer Nolan asked Lu Mingfe in a hushed tone, his eyes scanning the crowd for any potential threats.

Lu Mingfe offered a slight, knowing smile. “You will see.”

Pax, ever the professional, subtly moved his hand-held camera, already recording discreetly beneath his martial arts tunic. His attention was fixed on the dome's entrance when a sudden, growing rumble filled the air, a sound deeper than the chatter of the port. The crowd under the dome began to stir, straightening up in anticipation.

Then, the sight of the approaching vehicle silenced Pax's internal commentary.

A massive, tiger-like creature with striped, emerald green fur and eyes that glowed with a faint, contained energy, was pulling a colossal, segmented carriage. The carriage, constructed of rich, polished wood and reinforced with iron, was truly immense, easily the length of several Earth train cars linked end-to-end. The creature pulled the entire assembly at a brisk trot, its powerful limbs seemingly unburdened by the tremendous weight.

“What in the world?” Pax muttered, forcing himself to appear nonchalant while his reporter’s mind spun to catalog the impossible sight: a spirit beast harnessed like a locomotive.

The giant creature, which looked as much a product of magic as of nature, came to a smooth, efficient stop directly beneath the dome. Before the momentum had fully dissipated, several attendants in crisp black and green uniforms ran forward to open the many sliding doors along the sides of the segmented carriages. Passengers began to disembark: richly dressed nobles, minor officials, and cultivators heading inland.

Lu Mingfe watched the stream of travelers leave, then turned back to his companions, a triumphant grin on his face.

“That,” he explained, gesturing toward the vast, empty carriages, “is one of the Sovereignties Merchant Express lines. It is the safest, fastest way to travel across the Sovereignties, carrying both goods and high-status passengers inland to the other major ports.”

He then motioned toward the freshly vacated carriages. “Let’s get onboard. We can travel the rest of the way to Jade Gate Port quickly and discreetly.”