Chapter 2: Into the Clouds
A steam boat was on the river all the way down at the bank.
It was floating in the air, puffing and purring out gas, almost as if it was a divine fish that was floating in the sky.
"Hey… are you alright, man? What are you doing on the bank all by yourself?"
Jacklin smiled and waved to the man. He had somehow survived, and just got out of the water before this man showed up. Maybe his luck was changing for once, but he couldn't be so sure.
"I-I was just drying off! I had a bad run in with a couple of divine beasts, and I'm lucky I survived!"
Jacklin felt like there was nothing wrong about this man. He seemed like a kind-hearted fisherman taking out his boat for an adventure on the river. However, this wasn't a wuxia novel like the ones he liked to read. Instead, this was a new identity he had just taken, and if he made a mistake, he could end up dead without ever making it back to the kingdom!
"Hmmm, you're indeed very lucky! I'll throw you a line and take you up to one of the Watch Towers… The patrol there should be able to fly you to your destination in one piece…"
Jacklin smiled and then soon accepted a tug from the man. He was pulled up onto the deck of the ship before the man threw him some provisions free of charge.
They then talked for a few minutes as Jacklin watched the ship rise further and further into the air. He was extremely shocked by this even though he kept a stone face. He obviously couldn't let the man know that he had just transmigrated. So, until he sorted all his memories out, he tried to reply with one-word answers, and be very curious about this man's life.
He soon discovered that this man was a fisherman for one of the Low Lands Sea Markets. After making a note of his name, Devlin, he made sure to give him a promotion once he was back. Not only that, he noted the names of his family members at the facility. For such an act of kindness, this man deserved not only a promotion, but to be promoted to that of a knight.
In Xena, there was various ways of increasing longevity, rank, and status. One of the hardest ways was to contemplate the Dao; however, now with the advent of new technologies, there was certain devices in the beta test phase. These technologies would allow you to cultivate with certain natural resources. His team almost finished such a device before he got sick. It was a shame that the previous Jacklin was so trusting… If only he had to deal with a curse his entire life, and with people who regularly backstabbed him, he wouldn't have fallen for his chamberlain's trick.
Regardless, he was soon let off the flying fisherman's boat before he found himself in the watchtower. It was actually directly above them, 2000 feet in the air, and reminded him of a zeppelin, but with a much more solid appearance. He could only guess this was the watch tower.
He waved goodbye to Devlin before the boat floated back down towards the river.
At the next moment, he walked into the office before he noticed a gear wearing secretary pacing back and forth in the hallway. She looked extremely nervous, but at the same time very pretty.
"Hello… excuse me, madam? Do you know if one of the patrolmen is here… I would like to be able to go back to Central City in the Low Lands before Night Fall?"
She stopped pacing, and then dropped a letter she was holding in her hand. "Ah… yes, give me one second sir!"
She scooped up the letter before Jacklin walked up to her and smiled. "That's so great! I'm so glad to meet such a beautiful lady! I can imagine you'll definitely be able to help me get home…" He would normally be able to even flatter a wild goat into giving him milk. Hence, he was hoping that this would propel the lady to actually go find someone to take him home.
After all, he was paying this lady 2 golden notes a day in order to work at this Watch Tower… He had, even in his last life, been in a position of power as a contractor in his demolition agency. Unfortunately, he always loved watching buildings blow up, and didn't send one of his employees to light the fuse.
"Heh, well… I'll be back with one of the patrolmen soon…. "
Jacklin nodded his head, and then he sat down in a small chair that was cozied up next to the Secretaries desk. Normally, she would have to wait here to answer phone calls, and also deal with the requests of the patrol men… Hopefully, she would do what he asked. After all, she looked really nice, and didn't give him the impression of a corrupt official.
He sat down and waited for her as he combed his memories for any clues of his Chamberlains deception. It took him roughly twenty minutes to make it through all his thoughts about the Chamberlain before he remembered seeing a seal on the letter in his mind.
In his previous life, he was never able to recall events so vividly, but in this life he seemed to have an eidetic memory.
"Wait… wasn't the letter in that ladies hand inscribed with the Chamberlain's insignia? This makes absolutely no sense! How the heck would he even realize I was here?"
Jacklin wanted to shake this off, but his experience for his past life kept him from doing so. Also, when he thought about it, the lady seemed incredibly nervous for almost no reason. There was no one around, and he could only imagine the reason she was gone for so long was to wire the Chamberlain. The message would've been received by now, and she most likely did everything in her power to keep the patrolmen from entering the lobby.
"I guess… I guess its time for me to find a ship to commandeer… After all, I did design them myself…"
Jacklin soon walked to the doorway before he noticed the Chamberlain peering into the glass.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone