With the Eldest Brother’s words, the n below were visibly pleased and hurriedly went to make preparations.
They were veterans in this line of work of robbery. During the peak seasons, if they didn’t conduct seven or eight raids a month, they did at least five or six.
There’s no need to give instructions; they knew how to set up and lay traps by themselves.
For a while, this side was bustling with activity.
On the river, the boatn were filled with confusion and anxiety.
Wasn’t it the old rule that as long as they followed the governnt ship, they would be safe? Then why did the word from ahead tell them to be constantly on alert, especially to select two or three elite guards on each ship, prepared with longbows and sabers, always ready?
Could it be that sothing had changed?
Everyone was filled with doubt but dared not complain; they were all like locusts on the sa boat at this mont. If they didn’t follow orders, they feared being abandoned by the ships ahead.
Even if they didn’t want to comply, could they turn back? Most were rchants, bringing goods to sell for money.
If they didn’t go today and waited for the next governnt ship, who knew how long they would have to wait? Would they still do business?
Thus, they honestly followed the orders, selecting the elite guards on board to be on standby.
They had to cross the gorge anyway. If they followed closely, they should be safe, right?
All of them followed behind Song Chongjin’s ship, slowly proceeding towards Tiger Leaping Gorge.
A great many ships, raising anchors and hoisting sails, busied amongst the chaos, while no one noticed a small sampan slipping into a corner and soon disappearing.
Indeed, entering Tiger Leaping Gorge, standing on the deck, one could feel the rapids below.
The boatn were nervously in their places, listening to the steersman’s commands to avoid the undercurrents below.
The speed suddenly slowed down.
Hiding in the dark, the water bandits looked at the slowly passing ships, eyes red with greed, thinking of the piles of silver.
Those with a violent temper couldn’t help but spit and curse: "Damn it! If not for that ddling County Magistrate, not a single of these fat sheep would escape! Now we have to watch these fat sheep get away! I promised to buy Cuicui from The Yihong Brothel a gold bracelet, and she would keep company for two nights! Now it’s all gone to hell!"
Soone next to him laughed at him: "Laoqi, with your sorry appearance, do you think Cuicui would take a fancy to you? Maybe she’s just fooling you?"
"Exactly! Cuicui is the star attraction! Do you think she would take to brutes like us? If you ask , Laoqi, why bother warming up to soone who’s so cold? With that money, we brothers could feast and drink good wine, have a great ti with any girl for a night, that’s far better!"
"Laoqi, you still don’t know those girls in the brothels, slicker than eels. When they coax you to spend silver, their words are sweeter than songs. Once you’ve spent your money, they’ll pretend not to know you! Why bother with such frustration? They are just won; when the lights go out, aren’t they all the sa?"
The water bandits exchanged glances and laughed slyly.
The one called Laoqi looked furious: "Nonsense! Cuicui said she has feelings for ! Besides, can those other won even compare to Cuicui?"
...
With the n below gleefully scolding and joking, above in a mountain cave, the Water Bandits Leader frowned, feeling uneasy.
Looking at the sky outside, it was already past noon.
The sunlight beat down on the river’s surface, dazzlingly bright on one side, while the cliffs on each side shaded most, leaving the deep green waters cool and shadowed.
Tiger Leaping Gorge stretched about fifty or sixty miles, and because one was traveling upstream, in two hours only about seven or eight miles could be covered.
The ships, hurrying and rushing, with the rugged waterway, had only managed to exit two or three light and nimble ones from the gorge by this afternoon.
The rchant ships, heavily laden with goods, drew more water and so were even more cautious, slowing their speed further.
As the cliffs on both sides were steep, even by mid-afternoon, the light in the gorge dimd.
The water bandits lurking on the shore checked the sky, knowing it was about ti, all stood up, craning their heads towards the river.
Currently, only about thirty to forty percent of the ships had entirely exited Tiger Leaping Gorge.
The majority still trudged slowly forward.
The impatient bandits below couldn’t hold back, rushing to the Water Bandits Leader, urging to take action.
Greed ultimately triumphed over the lingering unease in the Water Bandits Leader’s heart; he waved his hand: "Get the equipnt—"
The water bandits, like wild dogs unleashed, whistling, brandished their weapons, climbing aboard the sampans.
In groups of three to five, they paddled swiftly towards the riverbank, relying on their familiarity with the waters.
Those bandits on shore, each pulling their bows taut, with arrows tipped in oil, ignited in fire pits, shot toward the ships on the river.
Even when the bandits called and whistled, there was a change on the river.
The slowly moving ships quickly spun their rudders, dodging, revealing one ship among them.
The sharp-eyed bandits blinked, thinking they were seeing things, wasn’t that the governnt ship? Why hadn’t it left?
The bandits, who were originally roaring to charge the river, hesitated and paused their paddling, uncertain whether to proceed or retreat.
On the mountainside, the Water Bandits Leader’s eyes widened, cursing at the unexpected governnt ship: "What’s going on?"
He yelled at the archers outside: "Stop! Stop!"
But how could the fired arrows be halted?
In a mont, the nearly boiling river quieted mysteriously, as the flaming arrows aid for the governnt ship!
Finished! This was the thought in everyone’s heart at that mont.
The arrows coated in oil would ignite anything wooden; if ten or so of them hit a ship, the fire would be uncontrollable.
Not to ntion, dozens to a hundred arrows aid at the governnt ship, it was likely going to be burned to ashes.
Amidst the crowd’s gaze, a handful of figures suddenly leapt from the governnt ship, blades flashing as they sliced most of the hundred-so arrows into the river.
The few that slipped through and landed on the governnt ship were quickly extinguished.
The Water Bandits Leader first sighed in relief, but soon cursed himself: "Bah! Worthless! He’s an official, I’m a bandit! He’s fine, why am I relieved?"
The cunning-eyed bandit next to him ca to his senses, panicking: "Leader, sothing’s wrong, I fear we’ve been set up! What do we do? We’ve attacked a governnt ship! If word gets out—"
Recalling the late Emperor’s harsh tactics against water bandits, everyone shivered involuntarily.
The Water Bandits Leader soon understood, a fierce glint passing over his grim face, "They’re coming for us!"
The cunning-eyed bandit, anxious, said, "Leader, what do we do? If word leaks, it’s a capital offense!"
The Water Bandits Leader’s eyes flickered with ferocious intent. After a mont, he gritted his teeth and said, "They’re forcing us to act! In for a penny, in for a pound. We’ve acted; if we retreat now, it’s too late! We might as well do a big one and then flee far away."
"With the silver in hand, we’ll eat and drink well elsewhere! Lay low for a few years, wait for the dust to settle before returning!"
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