The Wind's Whisper Misdirects the Sword, Slaying the Serpent

The mouth of the Hoi An River was the port closest to Linyi's royal capital. A few years ago, Wang Shi's merchant ship had been detained at Hoi An Port.

The farther east the river went, the deeper and wider it became. With several hundred troops stationed at the port as well, Qu Jin suddenly felt that his luck was incredible—Lan Yuan had actually run himself into a dead end.

Qu Jin intended to seize Lan Yuan and negotiate with Lan Tian. Shi Xie had been willing to spend lavishly even for a mere merchant; as Governor of Jiao Province, Lan Tian ought to be even more willing to pay for his own son. Whether he demanded troops, money, or provisions, he would have everything he wanted. Then vast wealth would flow into Linyi.

At that thought, Qu Jin felt as though his body were floating, and even the short horse beneath him seemed to become spirited and swift.

Just as he was about to reach the port, several elephants that had gone in pursuit suddenly came charging back. Fan Te, the Serpent General, frantically waved at Qu Jin.

"Did you catch him?" Overjoyed, Qu Jin urged his horse onward.

Who would have thought that the war elephants would flee back as if they had lost control? Several of Qu Jin's guards could not dodge in time and were knocked from their horses by the charging elephants. One of them was trampled directly into a heap of flesh, making Qu Jin's fat body tremble violently.

At this moment, the arriving Fan Xi brought the maddened elephants under control and soothed them, then led his elder brother Fan Te to meet Qu Jin.

"The war elephants were startled and ran wild, accidentally injuring your guards. We beg Your Majesty's punishment." The