Chapter 210 Book 5 Border Situation
The wind carried a light chill over the Rinxian docks, laced with the scent of wet wood, distant markets, and the ever-present whisper of the river. The Blue Flame, gleaming with deep cobalt-painted steel and hissing softly as its boilers cooled, glided gracefully into port like a dragon emerging from the mist. A few dozen fishermen and dockhands froze mid-motion, gawking at the strange vessel that had no sails, oars, or visible means of propulsion.
Even the town elders, leaning on their canes or squinting from the terraces of tea houses, were struck dumb at the sight of it.
"A ship… without sails?" one muttered.
"It breathes," whispered another, staring at the rhythmic puffs of steam that sighed from the side valves.
"It's a bit massive for a river boat, right? How could it not hit the river sand below?" someone commented.
