As for who within the Cao Gang wanted to harm him, Jiang Che still had not fully investigated it. However, he had roughly narrowed down the likely target.
After all, from the original owner's memories, he could tell that his social circle had been very limited.
Among those who had dealings with him and held even a little power in the Cao Gang, there was only one.
Wang Chengen, the brother-in-law of Yu Zongping, Hall Master of the Cao Gang's Blackwater Hall.
That fellow had once relied on his backers to bully others, buying low and selling high, making life miserable for the many fishermen who depended on the Qinglin River. He had even given Jiang Che a vicious beating.
Other than that, Jiang Che truly could not think of anyone else who would target him.
Therefore, the target Jiang Che had chosen this time was also him.
Because Jiang Che had previously established absolute authority, with Liu Zhi acting without restraint, no one in the entire West City Martial Camp dared defy his orders.
At a single command, more than half of West City's manpower was mobilized. Over fifty men surged mightily toward West City Dock.
If he was going to make trouble, he might as well make it big.
The opportunity he had fought Zhu Sheng for was meant to throw the entire situation in Yanggu County into chaos. Only then could he fish in troubled waters. After accumulating strength for several days and conducting two sacrifices, he ought to cause some commotion no matter what.
As a dock situated right beside the Qinglin River, Yanggu County's West City was the most prosperous place in the entire county. The Cao Gang had risen through water transport, rapidly growing over barely a decade.
It had become Yanggu County's undisputed overlord of the martial world.
At this moment.
The dock remained bustling with activity. Many laborers carried sacks on their shoulders, moving them from the ships onto land. Amid the surrounding crowd, Wang Chengen reclined half-heartedly in a chair.
Someone massaged his legs while he occasionally picked up a piece of tofu from a plate and dropped it into boiling water.
He softly hummed a folk tune, looking utterly carefree.
"Protector Wang, Protector Wang!"
A middle-aged man dressed in coarse hemp clothing wore a fawning smile as he hurried over on quick little steps, calling out to Wang Chengen.
"Why are you panicking? Did your father die?"
"Hehe, my dad died long ago. Didn't you tell me to look into something before? I found it out." The middle-aged man was not angered, his face full of ingratiating smiles.
"Speak."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chengen's gaze shifted sharply, and he straightened up.
"Guess what? That newly appointed Deputy Commander of the West City really is Jiang Che, the fisherman from before. Damn it, he changed in the blink of an eye and actually became an official.
"Heaven really is fucking unfair."
The man muttered on, failing to notice Wang Chengen's expression abruptly change. Wang Chengen suddenly grabbed him and demanded:
"You saw him with your own eyes?"
When Jiang Che had first taken office, Wang Chengen had not cared. But later, when he heard that the man was named Jiang Che, had risen from the auxiliary troops, and had once been a fisherman in Yanggu County, he had begun to feel faintly uneasy.
He had specially sent someone to investigate.
Yet the more he feared something, the more it came true.
"No, but I have a distant relative in the West City Martial Camp. From the looks he described, he's exactly like that Jiang fellow. There can't be any mistake."
The man hurriedly replied, nervous.
Wang Chengen's expression darkened and brightened unpredictably. He casually released the man, lowered his head to think for a moment, then immediately rose to his feet, intending to seek help from his brother-in-law.
The deputy commander of the West City Martial Camp carried far more weight than a mere protector like him. Fortunately, he was not without anyone to rely on; the Cao Gang had his back.
That brat Jiang Che might not necessarily dare lay a hand on him.
Besides, Jiang Che might not even know it was Wang Chengen who had arranged for him to take someone else's place in military service.
"You... forget it. Stay here and keep watch. I'm going out for a while."
Wang Chengen waved his hand. His sister was merely Yu Zongping's second wife, and he truly could not order the man around. Shaking his head, he only felt that his mind was a little muddled right now.
Jiang Che, that stinking fishmonger—shouldn't he have died at the border?
How had he suddenly transformed and become an official?
If he had known this earlier, then either he should not have accepted someone else's things and offended Jiang Che, or if he was going to offend him, he should have gone all the way and sunk him straight into the Qinglin River.
But it was already too late to think about any of that.
No one could have expected things to change so suddenly.
"Go ahead, leave this place to—"
The fawning man had just started to agree when the noisy sounds around them abruptly faded. Alarmed, he and Wang Chengen turned to look behind them, only to see dozens of soldiers in padded armor swarming over.
Each held the hilt of a blade, surrounding the area.
Wang Chengen's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding immediately arose.
Yet he still forcibly suppressed his thoughts. On one hand, he ordered someone to promptly inform his brother-in-law that trouble had broken out here; on the other, he piled a smile onto his face, feigning confusion as he stepped forward and cupped his hands.
"Old Jin, what's all this today?"
He recognized Jin Dayya, and he recognized Hu An. He also recognized quite a few soldiers from the West City Martial Camp whom he had dealt with before, so he immediately stepped up to make conversation.
Jin Dayya grinned, revealing a gleaming yellow tooth, but he did not answer Wang Chengen's question. Instead, he shifted aside and made way. The familiar face appearing behind him caused Wang Chengen's heart to sink.
That was right. Behind Jin Dayya, surrounded by several men, stood Jiang Che.
The instant the order had been issued, he had immediately made preparations and headed straight for West City Dock.
According to his investigation, today was the day the Cao Gang unloaded its cargo.
"Protector Wang, it has been a while."
Jiang Che looked at him with a smiling face.
"Jiang... Jiang Che?"
Wang Chengen feigned confusion, trying to muddle through.
After all, very few people knew about Jiang Che taking someone else's place in military service.
"Yes, it's me."
"Oh, isn't this a flood washing into the Dragon King's temple, with one family failing to recognize its own? We brothers even did business together before. We nearly drank together." Wang Chengen hurriedly went forward.
If they had not known better, they might really have thought the two had a good relationship.
"Yes. You forced your purchases and sales, trading my fish for your wine."
Jiang Che smiled faintly. Then, without another word, he waved one hand and directly gave the order:
"Seal all cargo on the ships. Take it away."
"Yes!"
Geng Dabiao was the first to nod, immediately stepping forward to search the cargo ships.
Aside from grain, the Cao Gang's ships also carried other valuable goods, such as medicinal herbs, silk, porcelain, and the like.
"Wait."
Wang Chengen blocked Geng Dabiao's path. His expression changed slightly as he stared directly at Jiang Che.
"Commander Jiang, what are you doing?"
"You still can't see it? Of course I'm sealing it up under orders."
"On what grounds are you sealing it? Whose orders are you following?"
"My orders. Do you have a problem with that?"
Jiang Che stepped forward, lifted his scabbard, and patted Wang Chengen's left cheek with it.
"Deputy Commander Jiang, this is Cao Gang cargo. Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself by doing this?" Wang Chengen narrowed his eyes, stressing the word "deputy" as he began threatening him outright.