The Stinky Fishmonger!

Jiang Che still hadn't fully investigated who within the Cao Gang wanted to harm him, but he had a general idea of his target.

After all, according to the memories of his original body, his social circle was very narrow.

There was only one person he had interacted with who held some power in the Cao Gang.

It was Wang Chengen, the younger brother-in-law of the Blackwater Hall master.

This guy had previously used his connections to buy low and sell high, making life very difficult for the many fishermen who relied on the Qinglin River. He had also beaten Jiang Che severely.

Besides that, Jiang Che truly couldn't understand who else would target him.

Therefore, Jiang Che's chosen target this time was also Wang Chengen.

Because Jiang Che had previously established absolute authority, and with Liu Zhi allowing him to act freely, no one in the entire West City Martial Camp dared to disobey his orders.

With a single command, more than half of the West City's manpower was mobilized, and over fifty people surged towards the West City pier.

He wanted to make a big scene.

The opportunity he had secured from Zhu Sheng was precisely to sow chaos throughout Yanggu County, allowing him to profit from the disorder. After accumulating strength for several days and undergoing two sacrifices, there should have been some significant commotion by now.

As the pier closest to the Qinglin River, the West City of Yanggu County was the most prosperous area in the entire county. The Cao Gang had also risen rapidly in just over a decade, starting from its involvement in river transport.

They had become the undisputed overlords of Yanggu County's martial world.

At this moment.

The pier was still bustling with activity. Many laborers were carrying sacks from ships to the ground. Amidst the crowd, Wang Chengen was semi-reclined in a chair.

Someone was massaging his legs, while he himself occasionally took a piece of tofu from a plate and placed it in the boiling water.

He was humming a folk tune, looking utterly at ease.

"Protector Wang, Protector Wang..."

A middle-aged man in coarse linen clothes, with a fawning smile on his face, quickly approached Wang Chengen, calling out to him.

"What's the rush? Is your dad dead?"

"Heh heh, my dad died a long time ago. It's just that I found out about the matter you asked me to look into earlier." The middle-aged man wasn't angered and wore a smile full of flattery.

"Speak."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen's gaze changed rapidly, and he sat up straight.

"Guess what? Heh, the new Deputy Commander of the West City, it's actually that old fisherman Jiang Che. Damn it, he actually became an official after a complete transformation. The heavens are truly unfair."

The man grumbled, but Wang Chengen's expression suddenly changed. He grabbed the man and questioned him fiercely, "Did you see it with your own eyes?"

When Jiang Che first took office, Wang Chengen hadn't paid much attention. But later, when he heard that the person was named Jiang Che, had a background as an auxiliary soldier, and was once a fisherman in Yanggu County, he had begun to feel a vague sense of unease.

He had specifically sent people to investigate.

Unexpectedly, what he feared most had come to pass.

"No, but I have a distant relative in the West City Martial Camp. They described his appearance, and it's exactly the same as that guy surnamed Jiang. There's absolutely no mistake."

The man replied nervously.

Wang Chengen's expression was uncertain. He let go of the man and, after thinking for a moment, immediately stood up, intending to seek help from his brother-in-law.

The Deputy Commander of the West City held much more weight than his position as a mere protector. Fortunately, he wasn't without backing; he had the Cao Gang supporting him.

Jiang Che might not dare to make a move against him.

Moreover, Jiang Che might not even know that it was he who had arranged for someone to take his place in the military service.

"You... forget it. You stay here and keep watch, I'm going out."

Wang Chengen waved his hand. His sister was merely the second wife of Yu Zongping, the master of Blackwater Hall, so he couldn't really order her around. Shaking his head, he felt his mind was a bit fuzzy.

Jiang Che, a mere fishmonger, shouldn't he have died at the border?

How did he suddenly become an official?

If he had known this would happen, he either shouldn't have accepted favors from others and offended Jiang Che in the first place, or he should have offended him completely and sunk the Qinglin River.

But it was too late to think about it now.

No one could have predicted such a sudden change.

"You go ahead, I'll take care of things here..."

The fawning man was about to agree when suddenly the surrounding noise quickly faded. Suspiciously, he and Wang Chengen looked back and saw dozens of soldiers in padded armor swarming towards them.

Each of them held a saber, surrounding the area.

Wang Chengen's heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

But he still suppressed his inner thoughts, instructing someone to immediately inform his brother-in-law about the situation. Meanwhile, he put on a smiling face, feigning ignorance, and walked forward, cupping his hands in greeting.

"Old Jin, what's all this today..."

He recognized Jin Dayya and Hu An, as well as many soldiers from the West City Martial Camp he had dealt with before. He immediately stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

Jin Dayya grinned, revealing a bright yellow tooth, but didn't answer Wang Chengen. Instead, he shifted his body, clearing the path. The familiar face that appeared behind him made Wang Chengen's heart sink.

Indeed, behind Jin Dayya, surrounded by several people, was Jiang Che.

After receiving the order, he immediately made preparations and headed straight for the West City pier.

According to his investigation, today was the Cao Gang's unloading day.

"Protector Wang, I trust you are well."

Jiang Che looked at him with a smile.

"Jiang... Jiang Che?"

Wang Chengen feigned ignorance, attempting to brush it off.

After all, very few people knew about Jiang Che helping someone else serve their conscription.

"Yes, it's me."

"Oh, isn't this a case of the Dragon King's temple being flooded by the Dragon King himself, and family members not recognizing each other? We brothers even did business before, and almost shared a drink." Wang Chengen quickly stepped forward.

If someone didn't know them, they might truly believe they had a good relationship.

"Yes, forced buying and forced selling, exchanging my fish for your wine."

Jiang Che smiled faintly, then cut to the chase. With a wave of his hand, he directly issued an order:

"Seal all goods on the ship and take them away."

"Yes!"

Geng Dabiao was the first to nod and immediately stepped forward to search the cargo ship.

Besides grain, the Cao Gang's ship also carried other valuable goods, such as medicinal herbs, silk, and porcelain.

"Wait."

Wang Chengen blocked Geng Dabiao, his expression changing slightly, and stared directly at Jiang Che.

"Commander Jiang, what are you doing?"

"Can't you see? Of course, I'm sealing them on orders."

"On what grounds are you sealing them, and whose orders are you following?"

"My orders. Do you have a problem with that?"

Jiang Che walked forward, picked up his scabbard, and tapped Wang Chengen's left cheek.

"Deputy Commander Jiang... this is Cao Gang's cargo. Aren't you afraid of causing trouble for yourself by doing this?" Wang Chengen narrowed his eyes, emphasizing the word 'Deputy,' and began to threaten him directly.