The fifth day of April.
The sky was gloomy, and the clouds were so low that they were like old cotton wool saturated with water, clogging the heart and chest, making it hard to breathe.
Tianjin In this area, when the sea breeze blows, the damp, salty smell penetrates into the seams of the bones.
Wave-Quelling Bureau Headquarters The atmosphere in the lobby was a bit gloomier than the sky outside.
"Pah!"
A roll of official documents stamped with a large vermilion seal was thrown heavily onto the large rosewood case, causing the pen holder on the corner of the case to tremble.
Qianhu Jiang Youzhi just returned from the Dragon-Guard Office headquarters in the inner city.
The warm smile that always hung on his face in the past was nowhere to be found today.
That fair face was tinged with an iron-green color, and his eyes were as sinister as if he wanted to eat someone.
Standing below were two thousand-household chiefs, several generals, and ten general banners such as Zhou Dawei, all holding their breath and concentrating, not even daring to express their anger.
Everyone can see that this smiling tiger is really anxious today.
"Are you all mute?"
Jiang Youzhi's voice was not loud, but it was filled with a cold air. "Nineteen days. Nineteen days!"
"Thousands of us Wave-Quelling Bureau people, eating imperial rations and receiving military pay, have surrounded this Tianjin waterway like an iron barrel. What's the result?"
He stretched out his fingers and tapped his knuckles on the table, making a "knock-knock-knock" sound, as if he was knocking on everyone's heads.
"Just now, the Lord Shen above knocked the teacup off my feet."
Jiang Youzhi took a deep breath, tugged on the somewhat tight collar, and scanned the whole place with his eyes like knives. "I was given a death order from above."
"Three days."
"If we can't find the rat hole where Foreigners transports the goods, there is no need to deal with the Wave-Quelling Bureau. We will be disbanded! Every one of us, one by one, will pack up and get out! We may even be charged with dereliction of duty and be sent to the army!"
As soon as these words came out, there was a commotion below.
Disband? Consign the army?
This is no joke.
I finally found a job at Dragon-Guard Office. It was the way to honor my ancestors. Who wants to go to the frontier to eat sand?
"Listen to me!"
Jiang Youzhi stood up suddenly, supported the table with both hands, and leaned forward, like a cornered wolf. "From now on, this rule has changed."
"Tide Sacrifice, Jiao-Harnessing, and Pagoda, please stop standing on the boat. Get them all into the water! Even if you turn over the mud under this Xun River, you must find the entrance and exit of that Underground River!"
"River-Blocking Division, and everyone else."
"Whether it's a big ship or a small ship, whether it's a passenger ship or a cargo ship, or even a fisherman, a manure collector, or a transporter of dead people!"
"As long as there is a wooden plank floating on the water, I have to stop it!"
"Strict investigation! Deadly investigation!"
"If anyone dares to let me off the chain at this juncture and let a fish slip through the net, I will first chop off his head as a sacrifice to the flag!"
"Do you understand?"
"Yes!
Everyone shouted in unison, and the sound shook the roof tiles.
The fierceness of being forced to a dead end suddenly surged in everyone's heart.
Xun River Wharf.
Following Jiang Youzhi's order, the entire Wave-Quelling Bureau started running like a rusty machine that had been forcibly filled with oil.
The soldiers, who were still a little slack at first, now looked like red-eyed fighting cocks.
On the river, whistles were heard one after another.
Large and small warships shuttled back and forth, cutting the wide river surface into countless small pieces.
"Stop the ship! Cut off the engine! Lower the sails!"
"Everyone come on deck! Open the boxes!"
The sounds of curses, cries, and the sound of boxes being pried open all mixed together, turning the originally peaceful dock into a pot of boiling porridge.
--
Those passenger ships and cargo ships that were serious merchants were in bad luck.
The soldiers were armed with long spears and short knives, and they were really searching inch by inch.
Rice bags need to be stabbed to see if there are any traps inside, oil drums need to be opened to see if there are any hidden compartments underneath, and even the ballast stones under the cabin need to be lifted up to check.
However, in this chaotic scene, there are two types of ships that seem a little out of place.
One type is Night Soil Boat with a yellow flag.
One type is a funeral boat with white flags hanging on it.
These two types of ships are really unlucky.
Before Night Soil Boat even got close, a disgusting stench floated two miles away with the wind.
Although the soldiers responsible for the interrogation had received the death order, when they actually arrived, they still instinctively covered their noses and frowned.
"That fucking stinks!"
A soldier was holding a spear, standing on the bow of a Night Soil Boat ship, looking at the huge wooden barrels, his stomach churning.
"Okay, okay, who has no time to hide things in here? There's no need to worry about it going bad."
He knocked twice on the wall of the barrel with his spear, listening to the dull echo inside, and then looked at the filthy Nightsoil Collector, and waved his hand with disgust. "Hurry up! Don't smoke the uncle here!"
On the other side, the funeral boat was in a similar situation.
Great Xin Dynasty emphasizes that the deceased is the most important person and the burial is the most important thing.
The filial son and grandson kneeling on the bow of the boat cried so miserably that paper money was scattered all over the sky.
Although the soldiers also went up to check, they just opened the curtain and took a look. Seeing the dark coffin, they felt a little frightened.
"My lord, this is my old man. He got typhoid and left. If you open the coffin and bump into Killing Intent, what if you get sick——"
The steward, who was wearing sackcloth and mourning, was wiping his tears while stuffing red envelopes into the hands of the soldiers.
The soldier squeezed the thickness of the red envelope and looked at the coffin again, feeling that most of the fierceness in his heart was gone.
"Let's go, let's get out of the city quickly."
This is the blind spot of the human heart.
The more times like this, the more no one wants to delve into the dark place under the lamp.
Qin Geng drove the modified "Swift Horse", like a shark swimming in muddy water, slowly gliding across the river.
He did not join in the excitement of those big ships.
Those eyes were shining dimly under the brim of the hat, staring intently at those "fish that slipped through the net" that had been intentionally or unintentionally let go by the large army.
"Night Soil Boat, White Boat----"
Qin Geng chewed these two words in his mouth, and the words Chuanzi said last night echoed in his mind.
Thirty percent more.
When something goes wrong, there must be a monster.
While I was thinking about it, a Night Soil Boat with a deep draft was swaying down the river from the upstream.
The boat was not big, it was a modification of a common awning boat. The hull was full of stains, and there was a tattered yellow flag on the bow with the word "Tan" written on it.
Before he even got close, the stench that hit his forehead hit him.
--
If it had been anyone else, they would have avoided it long ago.
But Qin Geng hit the oar suddenly, and the boat drew a neat arc on the water, directly crossing the channel of the Night Soil Boat.
"Stop the boat!"
Qin Geng stood on the bow of the boat, holding the handle of the knife with one hand, and River-Blocking Guard's official uniform rustled in the river wind.
The boatman on Night Soil Boat obviously didn't expect that someone would stop him.
A few men who were using long poles to punt the boat trembled in their hands, and the boat suddenly swung sideways and almost hit Qin Geng's boat.
"Ouch! Master! Be careful!"
A man wearing a coarse brown shorts, with his trousers rolled up to his knees, and covered in black mud dots, emerged from the cabin.
This man has a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, and a pair of mung bean eyes that move around, and he looks very clever.
When he saw that the person blocking the road was Qin Geng, his mung bean eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had seen his biological father. He quickly wiped his hands on the dirty clothes and came to the side of the boat with a smile on his face.
"Oops! Isn't this Fifth Master Qin?"
The man nodded and bowed, his voice full of affection. "Fifth Master, you are such a busy man, how come you still have time to take care of our shit transport business?"
Qin Geng looked him up and down and felt he looked familiar, but couldn't place his name for the moment.
"You are?"
"Hi! Fifth Master You are so forgetful!"
The man grinned, showing his big yellow teeth. "Little Er Dan! Nightsoil Collector Er Dan!"
Seeing that Qin Geng hadn't remembered yet, Er Dan quickly made a famous gesture. "It was the last time, in the Huang Family compound! At that time, all the Huang Family members were sucked into mummies. The younger one was under Master Tan. He happened to be collecting night incense that day, and he was the first to report that something was wrong!"
"You were with Mr. Tan at that time!"
Qin Geng A picture flashed in his mind.
There are indeed such people.
That day, Huang Family's family was massacred. This kid was so frightened that he wet his pants, and tremblingly reported the situation to Old Tan.
It's Golden Dung Peddler Old Tan's person.
"It turns out to be brother Er Dan."
Qin Geng nodded, his face softened slightly, but his body was still stuck in the bow of the ship like nails, with no intention of giving way.
When Er Dan saw Qin Geng admitting his fault, the stone in his heart fell to the ground.
He quickly took out a pack of cut tobacco wrapped in oil paper from his arms and handed it over. "Fifth Master, take a puff. This is the best Kanto cigarette, very strong."
"There is nothing on our ship to honor you. They are all filthy things. I'm afraid they will stain your eyes."
"Master Tan was talking about you two days ago, saying that you are now the official of Dragon-Guard Office and a big shot of our Tianjin, so we must behave ourselves when we see you."
This Er Dan was quick to talk, and while he was getting close, he wanted the boatman to row the boat to the side, hoping to use his enthusiasm to get through this.
"I won't smoke anymore."
Qin Geng raised his hand and blocked the tobacco.
He looked at Er Dan, and the corner of his mouth curved into a smile, "Since he is Mr. Tan's person, he is also a half-acquaintance."
"But Er Dan, we have to take care of this matter today."
"A death order has been issued from above. Even a fly on the river must be checked for male and female.
"Your ship----"
Qin Geng pointed at the huge wooden barrels. "I have to check."
"Fifth Master, look what you said. We are all honest craftsmen. We transport the golden juice produced in the city, which is used to fertilize the crops in the countryside."
"This thing----hehe, it really stinks. If you open the lid and the wind blows, I'm afraid it will blow you away.
"We are also doing this for your own good, right?"
Qin Geng ignored his words, tiptoed, and lightly jumped onto the deck of Night Soil Boat.
"Cut the nonsense."
"Open."
Two words, solid and rigid, without any room for maneuver.
Seeing that Er Dan couldn't escape, he could only grimace and waved to the boatmen. "Since Fifth Master wants to investigate, then let's go!"
Be smart! Don't keep Fifth Master waiting!"
Although several boatmen looked reluctant, they did not dare to make any mistakes when they looked at the official sword on Qin Geng's waist.
The latch on the barrel was pulled out.
Several men worked together to open the heavy wooden cover a crack.
"Boom!"
A stream of yellow-green stinking gas rushed out of the barrel instantly.
The smell is so irritating to the eyes.
Several boatmen around could not help Boss twisting aside and retching.
Qin Geng held his breath, frowned slightly, but did not move his feet.
He looked into the bucket.
This barrel is really big.
With a diameter of three meters and a height of two meters, it looks like huge water towers standing in the cabin.
Inside the barrel, yellow and white stuff surged, making a gurgling sound as the ship's hull rocked.
Obviously, the inspection was strict that day. Soldiers must have stirred it up with sticks in front, and the excrement water was still turbid.
It's really shit.
There are no mezzanines and no hidden compartments.
Er Dan was observing Qin Geng's face from the side. When he saw Qin Geng frowning, he quickly came up and fanned the wind with his sleeves. "Fifth Master, look, I didn't lie to you, did I? This is just a bucket of shit and urine."
"The first few waves of soldiers have stabbed them with their rifles, but nothing happened."
"Look at the strong smell, let's cover it up quickly so that it doesn't smell like your official uniform."
Qin Geng said nothing.
His eyes stayed on the surging excrement water for a moment, and he really didn't see any flaws.
Logically speaking, if this is found, it should be released.
After all, no one wants to contend with a bucket of shit.
But the string in Qin Geng's heart has not loosened.
He closed his eyes, blocking out his sense of smell and vision.
The perception belonging to the tenth level Water Lord was like an invisible net, slowly spreading out and covering the entire ship.
In this filth, under this stench.
Qin Geng felt an extremely weak but extremely clear trace of water vapor.
This water vapor does not belong to the muddy water of the Xun River, nor does it belong to the excrement in this bucket.
It is pure, cold, and carries an extremely regular fluctuation.
It's like a drop of water dropped into boiling oil. Although it is tiny, it is out of place.
"Wrong."
Qin Geng opened his eyes suddenly, looked past the huge dung buckets, and landed on an inconspicuous utility compartment at the stern of the ship.
That smell didn't come from the dung bucket.
It came out from that pile of debris!
"Cover it."
Qin Geng waved his hand lightly.
Er Dan was overjoyed and hurriedly called to people, "Hurry! Cover it quickly! Fifth Master is merciful!"
Just when Er Dan thought that this level was passed, he was about to call people to sail the boat.
Qin Geng did not get off the ship.
He turned around and walked straight towards the stern of the ship.
Er Dan's expression changed instantly.
The cleverness was gone, replaced by a kind of panic that could not be concealed.
"Hey! Fifth Master! Fifth Master! That's where our brothers put their bed rolls and dry food. It's a mess and full of rats. Don't go there——"
Er Dan opened his arms and wanted to stop Qin Geng.
Qin Geng didn't even raise his hands, he leaned slightly to one side and leaned on his shoulders.
"Collapse!"
A sudden force knocked Er Dan around, causing him to sit on the ground.
Qin Geng strode to the glove compartment.
The cabin door was ajar, and it was filled with torn sacks, rotten fishing nets, and a few chipped pickle jars.
It looks like a garbage dump.
But the glint in Qin Geng's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
The moisture here is so strong that it seems like it can't be dissolved.
He reached out and grabbed a pile of broken fishing nets that exuded a musty smell.
Under the fishing net, there was a small mahogany box hidden.
The box is unlocked.
Qin Geng reach out and open it.
There was no gold, silver, treasure, or prohibited arms or opium in it.
Only a teapot lay quietly.
A handful of Purple Clay Teapot.
This pot looks ordinary, with no carvings and a dull pig liver color.
But the moment the box was opened.
A moist, cold breath hit his face, and Qin Geng felt as if someone had sprayed cold air on his face.
This feeling----
Qin Geng's pupils shrank suddenly.
He remembered!
When Wild Fox Ridge killed Foreigners, he had seen similar vessels!
At that time, Qi Hongsheng once said that this thing was an evil thing created by Foreigners by combining Eastern weapon refining techniques with certain Western sorcery.
This Purple Clay Teapot is not used to make tea.
It is used to "hold" things!
It's like the legendary Sumeru Mustard Seed, but not as advanced.
It uses the soul of a high-level Water Cultivator master as a guide to forcefully open up a small space filled with compressed water vapor in the pot.
This pot looks small, but it can hide a lot of things inside!
"That's it----"
Qin Geng pinched the cold Purple Clay Teapot, and his heart suddenly became enlightened.
No wonder I can't find the goods.
No wonder there is only shit in the shit bucket.
Foreigners didn't hide the goods in the feces at all. They used the stench of the ship to cover up the trace of water vapor fluctuations coming from the Purple Clay Teapot!
Use this huge excrement bucket to divert the attention of the interrogators!
What a great move to attack the east and the west!
"Er Dan."
Qin Geng turned around, playing with the Purple Clay Teapot in his hand, and looked at Er Dan, who was lying on the ground ashen as ashes.
"This thing is used to hold gold juice?"
Er Dan was trembling all over, his lips were white, and his mung bean eyes were full of despair. "Five----Fifth Master----I----I don't know----Master Tan asked me to take this----"
"Master Tan?"
Qin Geng sneered, "Old Tan If you were here, I'd probably have to slap you two big mouths first.
"Colluding with Foreigners and smuggling prohibited items, this crime is enough to cut your whole family into eight pieces."
Qin Geng said no more nonsense, he quickly walked to the side of the ship and waved to a speedboat patrolling on the river in the distance.
That's Tiger Cub's ship.
Although Tiger Cub lost to Qin Geng, he is really convinced by Qin Geng these days.
As soon as he saw Qin Geng waving, he immediately turned the ship's bow, and the ship came close to him in the blink of an eye, like a flying fish.
"Fifth Master! What's wrong? Is it in stock?"
Tiger Cub jumped on Night Soil Boat and asked excitedly without feeling bad about it.
"There's great stuff."
Qin Geng shook the Purple Clay Teapot in his hand and said in a low voice, "This ship is not serious at all. These grandsons use this thing to transport goods."
"Huzi, this ship is handed over to you."
Qin Geng pointed at Er Dan and the pale-faced boatman. "Show this boy to death. Don't let him die, and don't let him escape. The mouth here must be pried open."
"Shake people again!"
Qin Geng looked at the White Boat boats on the river in the distance that had not yet left the port, with murderous intent in his eyes.
"Call all the brothers from Mr. Zhou's side."
"Don't let go of any ship with yellow flags or white flags!"
"Button them all down!"
When Tiger Cub heard this, his eyes widened instantly. "Okay! Fifth Master Just look at it! Don't even think about running away today!"
He turned and whistled.
The sharp whistle echoed on the river.
In the distance, a dozen warships under Zhou Dawei heard the signal, turned their bows one after another, and surrounded us.
Night Soil Boat has been arranged, and Qin Geng has not stopped.
He jumped back into his little speedboat, using his arms so hard that the oars were about to break.
The boat was like an arrow, heading straight for the nearest funeral boat.
It was a big ship with "Su Residence" white flags hanging on it.
Paper money was flying on the bow of the boat, and the sound of crying was loud.
"Stop the boat!"
Qin Geng drove the boat directly into it, making a muffled "dong" sound and shaking the funeral boat.
"Who is it! Looking for death!"
On the bow of the boat, a tall and thick man in sackcloth and filial piety suddenly stood up. He was still holding a handful of paper money in his hand, but the flesh on his face was shaking at this moment. How could he look like a filial son?
"Wave-Quelling Bureau is on the case!"
Qin Geng flew onto the deck, the long knife in his hand was half an inch out of its sheath, and there was a cold light.
"Open the coffin! Autopsy!"
When the strong man heard this, his eyes widened, and his big hand like a leaf fan directly stopped in front of Qin Geng: "How dare you!"
"This is the coffin of our third master Su Family! That is a good citizen who has been registered by Dragon-Guard Office!"
"How dare you, a little River-Blocking Guard, disturb the undead? Aren't you afraid of divine punishment?
Following his roar, a dozen men, also wearing sackcloth and mourning, rushed out of the cabin.
Each of these people's temples were bulging, and they all had guys hidden under their hands. Their eyes were fierce, and they seemed to be surrounding Qin Geng.
Where is the funeral procession here?
This is clearly a boatload of heavily armed thugs!
Qin Geng Looking at this battle, the guess in his heart became 100% confirmed.
He didn't retreat, but instead took a step forward.
Close your eyes and open your senses.
The familiar water vapor fluctuation appeared again.
It's in that nanmu coffin covered with thick black paint and gold lines!
But this time, the aura was suppressed by the black paint and the several yellow talismans affixed to the coffin.
If you were a little further away, or if you didn't have the experience of Purple Clay Teapot, you really wouldn't be able to notice it.
"God's damnation?"
"Those who collude with Foreigners will really be punished by God!"
"I think what's lying in the coffin is not the third master, but the evil weapon of Foreigners!"
"Get out of my way!"
Qin Geng shouted loudly, and Hidden Force exploded.
He didn't draw his sword at all, but directly hit the mountain and hit the strong man's chest hard.
The sound of bone cracking sounded.
The strong man weighing more than 200 kilograms was knocked out like a rag doll and smashed directly into the cabin, smashing the mourning hall to pieces.
"Do it! Kill him!"
When the remaining men saw this, they stopped pretending.
They all pulled out daggers and daggers from under their mourning clothes and rushed forward with howls.
"Seeking death!"
Qin Geng's eyes flashed coldly.
Half-Step Crushing Fist!
Even without the chains, he still took that heavy half step at this moment.
Punch out.
The air bursts.
The man who rushed at the front didn't even have time to swing the knife, and a large piece of his chest collapsed. He flew out, knocking three or four people behind him to the ground.
Tiger among sheep!
Every punch and every kick has the power to crack open monuments and crack rocks.
Although these thugs have some kung fu skills, they are simply not good enough in front of Qin Geng.
In the blink of an eye, people were lying on the deck, and their wailing was much more sincere than the fake crying just now.
Qin Geng stepped on the "filial sons" everywhere and strode to the coffin.
The long sword in his hand is unsheathed.
"Open!
With a flash of the sword, the heavy coffin lid was blown away.
"Boom!"
There is no corpse smell.
Instead, a stream of rich water vapor with a fishy smell of the sea spurted out.
Everyone took a closer look.
I saw what kind of body was there in that huge coffin?
Neatly stacked are dozens of the same Purple Clay Teapot as before!
And the gaps in Purple Clay Teapot are filled with straw and cotton wool.
"Sure enough!"
Qin Geng snorted coldly.
These Foreigners guys really worked hard to transport these things.
The black paint and yellow symbols on the coffin are used to isolate the breath;
This Purple Clay Teapot is used to hold supplies.
One link after another.
At this time, the surrounding river was already noisy.
The whistle of Tiger Cub and the sound of fighting on Qin Geng completely shocked the entire Wave-Quelling Bureau.
Countless warships, like sharks smelling the smell of blood, surrounded us.
A building boat flying the Qianhu flag broke through the waves and came.
Jiang Youzhi stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the opened coffin and Purple Clay Teapot held in Qin Geng's hand.
His face, which had been gloomy all day, finally looked like the dark clouds had dispersed to reveal the moonlight, revealing a trace of ecstasy and a ferocious look of relief.
"Block the pier!"
"All Night Soil Boat, funeral boats, all seized!"
"Don't let a single bird pass!"
"Qin Geng!"
Jiang Youzhi shouted loudly, his voice trembling. "Remember the first merit! Remember the great merit!"