Accepting Orders

"Are you saying a raftsman has accepted the job?"

A dark-faced, burly man dressed in brocade robes sat in a grand armchair, listening to his subordinate's report.

"Yes! Over at Guangfalong, they are currently packing the cargo."

"Which one of them is tired of living?"

"I don't recognize him; he seems to be from out of town."

"Good! Let's go take a look!"

Beside the Drum Tower, in a bustling commercial district.

The shop assistants of Guangfalong were packing goods onto a large cart. On the cart lay the components for a large raft made of thirty Hun-tuo, which would be assembled once they reached the banks of the Yellow River. This was the cargo raft prepared for Chen Wu.

Chen Wu suddenly found it amusing. Although Shopkeeper Qin was desperate enough to grasp at straws, he wondered what the man would think if he knew that he, this so-called raftsman, had barely ever steered a boat in his life.

Shopkeeper Qin, unaware of Chen Wu's thoughts, was clutching a man's hand, showering him with thanks.

"Thank you, thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to find this raft."

"No need to thank me." The man, whose left hand was held by Shopkeeper Qin, shook the ledger in his right hand and said, "Our debt collection is actually meant to recover losses; we aren't truly trying to make things difficult for you. We also want you to sell your goods successfully so you can pay back the money."

"It's just that the Prefecture Governor's Son has spoken, and this is all we can do. As for the raftsman, you'll have to rely on yourself."

At that moment, a commotion erupted at the street corner. A group of men, looking aggressive, charged straight toward Guangfalong. The man holding the ledger saw this and hurriedly pulled his hand away from Shopkeeper Qin.

"I'm leaving!"

The crowd that surged forward consisted mostly of men in short tunics, wielding clubs, who aggressively surrounded the cart.

"Which one of you is tired of living? Step out!"

Oh? Is this Prefecture Governor's Son moonlighting as a mobster?

"Are you sent by the Prefecture Governor's Son?" Chen Wu asked immediately.

"Nonsense!" the leader retorted at once. "We are all raftsmen of Yinchuan Prefecture. You, an outsider who hasn't paid respects at the docks, how dare you snatch business directly?"

Damn, I ran into a guild!

But Chen Wu knew these men weren't causing trouble simply because he had taken their livelihood.

He had still underestimated this Prefecture Governor's Son; the man even knew how to incite others to be the spearhead.

"It's clearly you who didn't dare to transport it, so why blame me? If I don't transport it, would you have done it?" Chen Wu said righteously.

"If any of you dare to step forward and agree to take this job, I will withdraw on the spot! I'll apologize immediately!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the aggressive raftsmen fell silent, looking at each other in dismay.

The leader, sensing things were going poorly, roared, "You outsider, have you lost your mind?"

"Rules are rules. You didn't pay respects at the docks and accepted a job in private—that is wrong! If everyone found excuses to ignore the rules, with you grabbing a bite and me grabbing a bite, in the end, no one would have anything to eat."

The man spoke with such high-sounding rhetoric, full of talk about rules and principles, that someone unaware might have truly mistaken him for a man of honor.

Chen Wu laughed in anger. "Fine, then let me teach you about rules!"

Seeing Chen Wu step forward, the man's eyes lit up. "Beat him!"

Across the street in a teahouse, a man watched and shook his head.

He saw Chen Wu move like a tiger into a flock of sheep, knocking a man down with every casual strike. As for the clubs, even when a few landed on Chen Wu, they seemed to cause him no pain at all.

After knocking down three men in a row, the rest were suddenly struck by fear and scattered like birds and beasts.

"He's an expert, no wonder he dared to take this job." The man shaking his head was none other than the dark-faced man in brocade robes.

"In our Yinchuan Prefecture, even a dragon must coil and a tiger must crouch," said another man with a sallow complexion. "Senior Brother, I'll go teach him a lesson in a moment. Daring to interfere with business I've set my sights on—I must make him know the consequences."

It turned out this sallow-faced man was the third son of the Prefecture Governor.

"No rush!" the dark-faced man said. "I received news yesterday that Yang Yuchun and Li Changgeng are dead. They were assassinated in Jincheng Prefecture in broad daylight."

"What?"

"First Qiao Weisheng, then Yang Yuchun and Li Changgeng. With so many big figures dead, the higher-ups are going to be shaken to their core."

"At a time like this, don't you dare cause trouble."

"What's there to fear?"

"Your Senior Brother here is also of the School of Heavenly Principle!" The dark-faced man couldn't help but flick the Prefecture Governor's Son on the forehead. "Your father's position as Prefecture Governor is also backed by the operations of the School of Heavenly Principle."

"The reason you can act recklessly is because there are people shielding you from the wind and rain. If you truly cause a scene at a time like this, they are just looking for an excuse to attack. When the time comes to settle accounts, no one will be able to protect you."

"Senior Brother is right to teach me." The Prefecture Governor's Son, known as the Little Sha Star, covered his head and lowered his gaze, looking submissive.

It was only because that light flick had caused him a splitting headache.

"I am leaving Yinchuan Prefecture. You had best look after yourself."

Chen Wu felt quite puzzled; he had assumed that after driving off those rafters, the mastermind behind it all would emerge in person.

That Third Young Master of the Prefecture Governor did not sound like someone easy to deal with, and Chen Wu did not believe he could restrain himself.

Yet, even until the cargo was loaded onto the rafts, Chen Wu had not caught a glimpse of the puppet master.

How strange!

Despite his misgivings, the rafts were about to depart, so Chen Wu had no choice but to bury his doubts deep within.

Shopkeeper Qin, however, was overjoyed; he had prepared a mountain of incense tables and offerings, holding a lively ceremony to worship the river and pray for a safe journey.

"Cast off—"

Chen Wu pushed off the bank with a wooden oar, and the raft drifted into the Yellow River, moving downstream with the current.

On the raft, besides the cargo, were Chen Wu, Shopkeeper Qin, and two hired hands.

The two hands seemed to have never ridden a raft before; they were trembling with fear, terrified that it might capsize at any moment.

Seeing this, Chen Wu spoke up to reassure them: "Don't be afraid, this raft is very stable."

Just then, a massive wave surged in the Yellow River, shaking the raft violently, and Chen Wu's words instantly lost all credibility.

Shopkeeper Qin, however, was in no mood to look at the two hands; he kept his eyes fixed tightly on his cargo, his expression tense.

Finding it pointless, Chen Wu simply began to project his Concentrated Spirit Realm to scan for hidden reefs while admiring the scenery along the banks.

Several hours later.

A trace of unease welled up in Chen Wu's heart.

Something was wrong!

It wasn't that there was an issue with Shopkeeper Qin on the raft, but rather that there was an issue with the person on the bank.

Along the official road following the Yellow River, there was a dark-faced rider mounted on a Dark Cloud Steed, following the raft at a leisurely pace.

That Dark Cloud Steed was incredibly magnificent, its coat shining with a deep, lustrous black; no matter how fast or slow the sheepskin raft moved, it kept its distance, never falling behind.

Clearly, it was coming for the raft.

Yet the man simply followed without making any other move, and for a moment, Chen Wu could not gauge what the man's intentions were.

As the sky grew dark, Chen Wu found a spot to pull ashore.

Shopkeeper Qin and the others unloaded the cargo and lit a campfire, roasting some dry rations, preparing to eat a few bites before resting.

"Brother, won't you have a bite?" Shopkeeper Qin offered some rations.

Chen Wu stood with his back to the campfire, saying nothing, his gaze fixed intently ahead into the deep night, as if something within the darkness had captured his entire focus.