On the eighth day at sea, the ships reached Hirado Port without incident.
Before the ships even entered the harbor, they could see sails coming and going beneath the golden sunlight, layered like fish-scale clouds along the horizon. As they drew closer, they saw that the ships sat low, the buildings on the docks were squat, and the countless figures weaving among them looked like ants...
What a thriving sight: vast skies, broad waters, and a hundred vessels racing with the current!
The bumpkins from Great Wei, who had never seen anything like it, were stunned. They felt the same unease as someone emerging from a mountain hollow into a great city for the first time, only to discover that the world outside had already developed this far.
Even the usually fearless Yang Tiansheng felt lost as he drew his sword and looked around. "Second Brother, with so few of us, where do we even start robbing...?"
Yang Ge hooked an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close, took the treasured sword from his waist, placed it in his palm, and closed his fingers around it. "With a sword in your hand, the world is yours!"
Then he turned and pulled Liu Tang of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Nan Guang Feiying of the Western Factory out of the crowd. Tucking one under each arm, he carried them to the bow like an eagle clutching two cowering chicks and gestured toward the harbor. "See it clearly?"
Both nodded like they were pounding garlic and answered meekly, "Yes, Second Master. We see it clearly, very clearly..."
Yang Ge said, "Then take an even closer look. Stick to the facts. Don't exaggerate anything, and don't deliberately erase any facts, either!"
Both nodded together again. "Yes, yes, Second Master!"
Yang Ge patted