116: Chapter 115: On Board with Thieves?
(Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets) 116: Chapter 115: On Board with Thieves?
(Please Subscribe and Vote for Monthly Tickets) For the next two days, Bai Ziyue ignored any external gossip and stayed at ho, focusing on training the Inner Cultivation Technique, the Vajra Glazed Body.
After two days, aided by the doubled cultivation speed effect of the Dharma Incense and Soul Calming Incense, Bai Ziyue made significant progress.
He could clearly feel that his heart had been strengthened.
When it beat, it was surging and powerful, making his power grow faster and fiercer.
Even his physique and strength showed improvent, increasing slightly.
However, at this mont, he still hadn’t trained the Inner Cultivation Technique, the Vajra Glazed Body, to the entry level.
Therefore, in terms of actual strength, his improvent wasn’t as substantial as he had imagined.
After two days, Bai Ziyue was not entirely ignorant of the outside world.
Apart from occasionally hearing people chat while dining out, the day before, Qin Shaoping had specifically visited, discussing various matters while seeking advice on martial arts.
Thus, Bai Ziyue learned that, despite the current calm appearance outside, as if nothing had happened, the tension in Qinghe Town was mounting.
In recent days, Chief Clerk Li had frequently appeared, visiting the key figures of various local forces, either intimidating or enticing them.
Leveraging his official status, he had launched a grand campaign to exterminate bandits.
Soon, it would spread and reach the ordinary people.
And the opportunity was about to co.
“Knock!
Knock!
Knock!”
Suddenly, an urgent knocking sound ca from outside Bai Ziyue’s courtyard gate.
“It seems I will have to take this trip after all,”
Thinking this, Bai Ziyue didn’t hesitate and imdiately opened the gate.
As expected, right outside was Steward Xu, a close associate of Hou Linkun.
Previously, Hou Linkun had asked Bai Ziyue to repay a favor, originally intending for him to deliberately lose in a contest and surrender the outstanding disciple to Li Yingru.
This self-destructive request was sothing Bai Ziyue naturally refused to do.
Consequently, Hou Linkun presented another demand.
Bai Ziyue, being soone who valued integrity and repaynt of favors, plus finding the task seemingly not too difficult, agreed.
Now, it was ti for him to fulfill his promise.
“Young Hero Bai, I entrust the master’s task to you,”
Steward Xu said to Bai Ziyue.
“Lead the way,” Bai Ziyue replied calmly, “Furthermore, once this task is completed, consider my debt to Mr.
Hou repaid.
I hope you’ll convey this to Mr.
Hou.”
“Naturally, as long as the goods are delivered smoothly, Young Hero Bai will surely have repaid the favor from back then.
The master would certainly not require any more from you.”
Steward Xu nodded repeatedly and began to walk outside.
Bai Ziyue followed him with a composed expression.
Hurrying along, Bai Ziyue soon accompanied Steward Xu to the bank of a large river.
Steward Xu whistled lightly, and a small boat erged from under a willow tree not far away.
On the boat, several strong and robust n, their faces tanned by the sun, rowed the boat right over.
“Master Xu, thank you for your efforts,”
The leading man greeted Steward Xu before turning his gaze to Bai Ziyue and hesitantly asked, “Can this young hero really ensure our safe passage across the river patrols?”
“Currently, the patrols on the river are mostly mbers of our Sunburst Gang, and by my side is our sect leader’s disciple.
With him vouching, any cargo can be easily transported to the other side.”
Steward Xu spoke confidently.
“In that case, I feel at ease,”
The leading man finally relaxed and said.
“Wait, I want to ask, are you sure the cargo is only cotton?”
Suddenly, Bai Ziyue frowned slightly and asked.
Upon hearing this, the n’s hearts tightened, exchanging glances before looking at Steward Xu.
“Haha, of course it’s cotton, although mixed with so contraband salt.
Young Hero Bai, I’m sure you understand, if it were just cotton, the master wouldn’t need to ask you for help with the escort.
Though contraband salt is regulated by the governnt, it is highly profitable.
Because of the urgency this ti, the master thought of you, knowing your influence ans the river patrol disciples wouldn’t dare inspect your cargo…”
Steward Xu explained lightly without changing his expression.
“I hope it’s not any governnt-prohibited items; otherwise, we will be in serious trouble.”
Bai Ziyue nodded, seeming to accept the explanation, as he knew Hou Linkun must have invited him because the cargo included regulated items.
Contraband salt was indeed one of the regulated goods.
There might be other items mixed in as well, but as long as they weren’t explicitly banned by the governnt, he didn’t mind too much.
“Of course, we wouldn’t dare touch those items, even if we were bold enough.
Getting caught with them would be certain death.”
Steward Xu hurriedly spoke.
“Then let’s go.”
With that, Bai Ziyue lightly jumped and crossed a distance of four to five ters, landing on the small boat.
The crew exchanged glances, greeted Steward Xu, and quickly began to row.
In an instant, the small boat sped across the river like a sharp sword.
After half an hour, the small boat appeared on the wide river.
From a distance, they could still see the bustling scene at Qinghe Pier, full of people coming and going.
On the river, now and then, various sizes of boats could be seen passing by.
“Young Hero Bai, on this Qinghe River, besides the Water Bandits, it’s your Sunburst Gang’s Water Hall mbers that are the most troubleso.
If we encounter them, we’ll have to be extorted, handing over so silver taels to pass.
Although being extorted by them is better than running into Water Bandits, we earn hard-earned money.
After being extorted, our profit decreases significantly.
Now, with Young Hero Bai here, we can finally expect a better gain.”
The leader of the crew said with a face full of emotions.
“The governnt?
I rember that the governnt also has patrol boats that occasionally patrol this river.
If we run into them, my face won’t be enough to get by.
Things will be just as they are supposed to be.”
Bai Ziyue said calmly.
This trip carried a certain amount of risk for him as well.
If they were caught by the governnt, his fate wouldn’t be any better.
As for the crew’s complaints, Bai Ziyue didn’t pay much attention to them.
Those who rely on boat transport for living, were they really the good people they claid to be?
Bai Ziyue had spent so ti as a hotel worker at the Ming Pearl Restaurant and had heard a lot of talks.
The Qinghe River was filled with Water Bandits, and so rchant ships went missing or were robbed.
Was it really all done by those notorious Water Bandits?
Not necessarily.
Black-on-black killings between rchant ships were not unheard of.
One could say, anyone who spent long periods on this river, whether they claid innocence or not, were likely to be bandits in disguise.
This boatman who called himself Chang the Second, along with his crew, claid honesty, but from the various scars on their bodies, Bai Ziyue could tell a thing or two.
“Governnt?
The officials usually patrol around in the morning hours.
Now, it’s already afternoon; there wouldn’t be a single patrol boat from the governnt on the river.”
Chang the Second said confidently.
Nodding silently, Bai Ziyue refrained from saying more.
Indeed, they hadn’t spotted a single governnt patrol boat along the way.
However, mbers of the Sunburst Gang’s Water Hall showed up patrolling now and then.
Since Bai Ziyue and his group were on a small boat, the Water Hall disciples didn’t pay much attention even if they noticed them.
Another half hour passed, and their group finally rowed their small boat into a dense area of reeds, capable of hiding three to five dium or small rchant ships without being discovered.
Under the control of the boatn, the small boat weaved through the reeds skillfully, taking so ti before Bai Ziyue saw the view open up ahead.
Soon, he spotted a moderately sized rchant ship, capable of carrying dozens of tons of heavy cargo, docked by the riverbank.
The mont Bai Ziyue and his party appeared, voices started calling out to them.
“Old Chang, you’re back.”
“Chang the Second, how is it, can we pass through?”
…
“Don’t worry.
This ti, I brought a powerful figure with .
This will ensure we get through the patrol and deliver the goods smoothly.”
Chang the Second quickly responded, signaling his crew to moor the small boat beside the rchant ship.
Soone threw down a rope, and the people on the small boat nimbly climbed up.
Refusing any assistance, Bai Ziyue leaped towards the bow, lightly touched down on the rchant ship, and landed smoothly.
Glancing around the rchant ship, including the new arrivals, there were a total of thirty people.
All had faces tanned by the sun, so dressed in martial outfits, others bare-chested, but without exception, they all bore various old and new scars, giving them a tough appearance.
At that mont, most of them were discreetly observing Bai Ziyue, with eyes filled with suspicion, hope, and a touch of indifference.
Bai Ziyue also took a good look at them, and in an instant, he felt a chill.
These people didn’t look like ordinary boatn.
Instead, they looked like…
Water Bandits.
Real Water Bandits!
Looking again at the rchandise on the ship, layers of cotton were placed on the outer layer.
From his perspective, Bai Ziyue could see that underneath the cotton were large wooden crates.
It was obvious that the real cargo they were transporting was inside those crates.
Moreover, it was clear that the crates couldn’t be holding illicit salt.
The weight of illicit salt would be too much for these light wooden crates to bear.
“Have I boarded a pirate ship?”
Bai Ziyue couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
…
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