Sudden Upheaval

"Hero! Hero, I finally found you!"

Li Ping'an quickly recognized the familiar voice.

Xiao Wu, the Bounty Hunter.

"Hero!"

Li Ping'an took a bite of his large bun, its wrapper thin and its filling generous. "My name isn't Hero."

Xiao Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Hero, I finally found you."

"Looking for me?" Li Ping'an stopped eating. "Fifteen coins for funerals, twenty for weddings. Meals included-for me and my ox."

Xiao Wu said, "I'm not asking you to sing at a wedding or funeral. It's something else."

Ever since everyone had assumed Xiao Wu was the one who caught Ma Sandao, his reputation among the Bounty Hunters had soared.

Both the authorities and civilian organizations now regarded him as a prized catch.

More and more commissions poured in.

At first, Xiao Wu had basked in the flattery, feeling utterly delighted.

But one look at the assignments took the wind right out of him.

They involved apprehending notorious outlaws, capturing cultists, or investigating beast attacks.

Even ten lives wouldn't have been enough for Xiao Wu to carry out these commissions.

He could make excuses at first, but if he kept refusing every assignment, sooner or later someone would notice something was amiss.

Left with no choice, he had sought out Li Ping'an.

Xiao Wu pleaded, "Hero, please help me. I won't ask you to do it for nothing.

"I won't take a single coin of the bounty. It's all yours."

Li Ping'an hesitated, then took out the prescription for Life-Pulse Powder.

"Can you get the medicinal ingredients listed here?"

Xiao Wu glanced at it. "Most of these ingredients aren't normally available on the market. You can only buy them on the black market, and the prices there are a little higher."

Something suddenly occurred to Xiao Wu. "Oh, right! One of the clients this time owns the Tong Ren Tang in Luoshui City. He'll definitely have a way to get these ingredients."

Li Ping'an took a sip of lamb offal soup, his interest stirring.

It would be difficult for him to buy the ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder on his own.

Tong Ren Tang was a long-established name with branches across the country.

If he could truly establish a connection with its owner, things would surely become much easier.

The Luo River.

An enormous treasure ship sailed across the water, the behemoth carrying a mysterious force that seemed impossible to resist.

"Princess, the ship is almost at Luoshui City."

Liu Yun stood at the bow, gazing at the water.

She said nothing, but a hint of a smile had already appeared on her face.

When the beauty smiled, she truly seemed peerless beneath heaven.

She was like a piece of white jade steeped in water, soft and lustrous.

Like a water spirit in the river, she exuded a charm that bewitched the heart.

Her personal palace maid, Fang Ruo, said quietly, "Princess, I've heard Luoshui City hasn't been peaceful lately. We should be careful."

"We aren't stopping in Luoshui City. What is there to fear? Besides, who would dare attack an imperial treasure ship?"

Fang Ruo glanced around and lowered her voice further.

"Princess, Her Majesty is gravely ill, and the Second Prince's faction... I'm worried they may harbor ill intentions."

The Great Sui had already passed through eight reigns, three of them under empresses.

The current sovereign was also an empress, and her favored successor had always been her eldest daughter, Liu Yun.

Everyone at court knew that, barring any unforeseen developments,

Liu Yun would inherit the throne after the empress died.

Yet the situation at court was now as treacherous and shifting as the clouds, and the princes were stirring restlessly.

Court officials formed factions for their own gain, while regional warlords colluded with one another and ruled their own territories.

The Great Sui had long since become a chaotic heap of loose sand.

Liu Yun let out a soft breath.

The delight she had just taken in the riverside scenery was soon washed away by the weight of her worries.

"These ingredients are certainly difficult to obtain, but you've come to the right person. How about this? I'll charge you only half the black-market price.

"Once you complete this commission, I'll give you a few packets of the medicine for free."

Wang Dali of Tong Ren Tang glanced at Li Ping'an's prescription and readily agreed.

Li Ping'an cupped his hands. "Then I'm sorry for the trouble."

Wang Dali's commission concerned a fugitive named Liu Bo.

He had once worked at Tong Ren Tang, then stolen many of its secret formulas and beaten Wang Dali's nephew to death.

The authorities had never managed to catch him.

Wang Dali hated him to the marrow of his bones, so he had sought out Xiao Wu, the Bounty Hunter.

"No problem, Boss Wang. Leave this to us."

Wang Dali said, "My men have already found Liu Bo's whereabouts, but he used to run with the Fish Dragon Gang.

"He often clashed with the authorities. With his outstanding martial skills and deft saber technique,

"the constables suffered quite a bit at his hands."

It was noon, and the sun blazed with extraordinary intensity.

"Hero, could you teach me saber techniques? That move you used that night."

Xiao Wu's mouth hadn't stopped moving the entire way.

Li Ping'an ignored him and faced the river.

According to Wang Dali's information, Liu Bo was hiding by the river.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Two soldiers approached from the east.

"Just admiring the scenery, sirs." Xiao Wu put on a broad smile.

"Move along! Can't you pick a better time to admire the scenery? The princess's treasure ship is about to arrive. All unauthorized people must leave."

With no choice, the two turned and left.

"The princess's ship is coming?" Li Ping'an asked.

Xiao Wu looked back every three steps, peering toward the river.

"You don't even know about something this big? The news arrived half a month ago.

"Ah, they say our princess is the top beauty on the Rouge Ranking. Who knows whether we'll be lucky enough to behold her royal face?"

Li Ping'an uncapped his wine flask and took a sip.

"Moo~"

Li Ping'an opened another wine flask and held it to Old Ox's mouth.

"Drink up, old friend."

Old Ox raised his tail, delighted.

The sound of bells and drums suddenly rang out over the quiet river.

In the distance, a huge ship cleaved through the water, churning up a white wave.

"Wow! What grandeur!"

Xiao Wu marveled.

Li Ping'an didn't turn around. He couldn't see it anyway.

"Moo~"

Old Ox let out an uneasy low.

Li Ping'an frowned.

Old Ox was no ordinary old ox. Li Ping'an had known that for a long time.

Old Ox possessed a measure of foresight, and Li Ping'an could discern many things from his calls.

Li Ping'an turned his head. [Aura Lock] couldn't yet lock onto anything that far away.

BOOM-!!

Xiao Wu's expression froze on his face.

In an instant, the colossal treasure ship was engulfed in a sea of flames.

A taut, sharp pressure spread through the water in a way that defied description.

It formed a blood-red sea, as though it would slice the treasure ship into fragments inch by inch.

What a staggering sight!

The princess's treasure ship had exploded?!

The entire river shook violently, and one end of the treasure ship was blasted to pieces.

Ship destroyed, all aboard dead! Ship destroyed, all aboard dead!

"Go!"

Li Ping'an grabbed the still-dazed Xiao Wu and turned to leave.

With the princess's treasure ship under attack, the authorities would surely rather arrest a thousand innocent people than let one culprit escape.

They had just been by the river, so they would certainly be treated as suspects.

Once they were taken to the government office, evidence wouldn't matter. They would first receive a brutal beating with the intimidation rods.

If they were lucky, they might eventually be released.

If not, they would spend the rest of their lives in prison at best, or lose their lives at worst.

"There's someone in the water!"

Xiao Wu suddenly spoke.