"Ronin from the Eastern Isles? Japanese bastards?"
Yang Ge had been standing in front of the dining table as he spoke to the two men. At those words, he pulled over a chair and sat down. "Tell me everything. What's going on?"
Seeing his serious expression, the two hurriedly put down their chopsticks and answered solemnly, "Second Master."
"These ronin from the Eastern Isles started showing themselves after you left Jiangzhe."
"There are quite a few of them. They've landed in both Jiaodong and Jiangzhe... but Jiangzhe has the most at present."
"According to the information we've received, these ronin must have insiders helping them ashore. Someone provides them with food and lodging as soon as they land..."
"We just haven't established who's providing it yet."
"The main problem is that their backers are too mixed a bunch. There are wealthy local families and local martial-world gangs. We've sent several groups of brothers to investigate, but they all vanished without a sound. They didn't even raise a ripple."
"Our young wharf master suspects the people behind them are either Prince Ning or those surviving bastards in the Jiangzhe Government."
"Japanese pirate raids have plagued the Jiangzhe coast since the previous dynasty. With so many ronin landing, they're bound to be up to something."
"We can't speak for anywhere else, but we certainly won't let them run wild on the Chain Wharf's own little patch of ground."
"Our young wharf master was worried we might end up facing imperial troops, so he sent the two of us to ask your opinion, Second Master."
"If you think we should act, then our brothers at the Chain Wharf won't let a single Japanese pirate cross the Grand Canal!"
"If you think this should be left to the Court, then the Chain Wharf will