The summer holidays were in full swing, and with the college entrance exams having just concluded, tourism was at its seasonal peak.
Since the spiritual recovery, the world's landmass had expanded a hundredfold, but the dangers within the Yangtze River had increased even more.
For safety, the vast city of Tianhai maintained only a single functional wharf. Consequently, the area was teeming with people—a sea of humanity more congested than a train station during the Spring Festival rush of centuries past.
Some were waiting for ferries to distant provinces, while others were part of tour groups heading into the river to witness the "oceanic" vistas of the expanded waterway.
While the Yangtze was perilous, traveling with major tour agencies was generally safe; these organizations were backed by powerful factions, boasting reinforced hulls and heavy artillery that deterred both aquatic beasts and pirates. Some, it was rumored, even had clandestine ties to the pirates themselves.
