Bandit trouble

On the deck of a merchant ship on the Wei River Canal within Jianzhou.

Wearing a warm cloak, Mu Nanzhi sat on a cushioned chair, holding Bai Ji in one arm and fishing with a bamboo pole in the other.

On the left, there was a table and two chairs, with a small stove on the table where charcoal was burning brightly, cooking a pot of fish.

Xu Qi'an and Miao Youfang sat at the table, munching on their fish.

Bai Ji peeked out from Mu Nanzhi's arms, her big, dark eyes looking at him expectantly.

"These past few days it's been nothing but fish and cured meat; I'm so full I can't even poop."

Miao Youfang cursed.

Xu Qi'an slapped him off the chair with his backhand, then waved to Bai Ji.

Bai Ji broke free from the princess's embrace, and with her four short, bouncy legs, she ran happily to Xu Qi'an's feet, tilting her head to look at him.

Xu Qi'an picked up Bai Ji, placed a piece of tender fish belly meat on the bowl, and Bai Ji buried her face in the bowl, eating it in small bites.

"You're progressing very quickly. I estimate that with another month of training, you'll be able to reach the fifth rank of Transformation Realm. At that time, as long as you don't do anything reckless and provoke top figures, you can go anywhere in the world."

Xu Qi'an took a sip of the turbid wine, feeling somewhat gratified.

Their journey took them south to the Hundred Thousand Mountains of Southern Frontier.

The small team currently consists of only three people and one fox.

Among the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, Li Miaozhen was chivalrous and righteous, and liked to help those in need. With the disaster raging and people suffering everywhere, she always wanted to do something, so it was hard for her to stay by Xu Qi'an's side.

Chu Yuanzhen is a free-spirited swordsman who wanders the world, has no fixed abode, and yearns for the freedom to do as he pleases.

During his travels, the happiest thing for him is to meet old friends, have a drink, and share his joys and sorrows. Once the drinking is over and the business is settled, he will set off on his journey again to pursue his swordsmanship.

Master Hengyuan and the Holy Maiden share the same mindset: monks are compassionate and have an inescapable responsibility to help and save people.

As for why Li Lingsu didn't follow them south...

When everyone woke up that morning, the Holy Son had already left.

He left a letter for the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, explaining that he had recently achieved a breakthrough in his State of Mind and was going to embark on a journey alone to comprehend the true meaning of transcending emotions.

In fact, when he left, all the members of the Heaven and Earth Society knew about it. With their cultivation levels, they could clearly hear the commotion within a radius of several miles.

Lying in his warm bed, Xu Qi'an sang a farewell song to the Holy Son in his heart:

That night, knowing you were leaving, we didn't say a word. As you shouldered your baggage and shed that glory, I could only keep the smile in my heart.

After the Holy Son left, Xu Qi'an released Dongfang Wanqing. Chai Xing'er remained imprisoned in the Floating Pagoda, where she was fed regularly, summoned to wash herself regularly, and made to do manual labor by Miao Youfang cleaning the toilet regularly.

At this moment, Manager Zhu, the person in charge of the merchant ship, hurried over and said respectfully:

"Master Miao, the Jinshui Beach is just ahead. The current is calm, but river bandits often try to rob you. Usually, you can cross by paying a small amount of silver."

Seeing Miao Youfang nod, he continued:

"If nothing unexpected happens, you won't need to intervene."

Miao Youfang gave an arrogant "hmm," maintaining his "superior" demeanor.

Steward Zhu bowed and withdrew.

This merchant ship belongs to the Jianzhou Chamber of Commerce and is heading to Yuzhou to do business. Miao Youfang is currently a newly recruited guest advisor of the Jianzhou Chamber of Commerce, responsible for the safety of the merchant ship as it sails south.

Xu Qi'an's identity remained unrevealed; he was merely an ordinary follower.

After sailing for half an hour, the current indeed began to calm down, and after another quarter of an hour, the ship's speed became extremely slow.

They could only navigate by rowing from the bottom of the hold.

With a thud, Manager Zhu led a dozen or so martial artists out of the cabin, carrying knives and bows, their expressions wary.

Xu Qi'an looked towards the left bank and saw dozens of small boats cutting through the waves at great speed.

Previously, they were still properly moored on the shore. But as soon as the merchant ships entered this calm section of the river, more than a hundred bandits on the shore immediately jumped onto the ships, rowed with both oars, and rushed towards them, cutting through the waves.

This is a small boat with pointed ends, less than ten feet long and only three feet wide, with a bamboo-framed canopy, two oars and one paddle, light and swift.

"How... how can there be so many bandits?!"

Manager Zhu was dumbfounded, his face turning pale.

Miao Youfang glanced at him. "Wasn't it before?"

Manager Zhu composed himself, his face still grim, and said with a wry smile:

"I've traveled this waterway several times. Before, there were only twenty or thirty bandits in total, but now there are probably over a hundred. Their appetite has certainly grown."

Xu Qi'an suddenly asked, "What are these ships called?"

"This is a gunboat, known for its agility, and is a common vessel used by pirates."

Manager Zhu was in a very bad mood, but he patiently explained:

"In calm waters, merchant ships aren't as fast as these small boats. The guns they carry are meant to pierce the hull of our ships; guns aren't their only weapon, they also have kerosene to burn the boats."

As they spoke, the gunboats were less than three zhang (approximately 10 meters) away from the merchant ship. Manager Zhu walked to the ship's side, took a breath, cupped his hands, and shouted loudly:

"Fellow heroes, my name is Zhu Wen. We are all brothers under heaven. It is not easy to make a living out here. I have prepared fifty taels of silver for you brothers. I hope you will do me a favor."

Fifty taels of silver was a considerable sum of money for passage.

During his time Nightwatchers in the capital, Xu Qi'an neither ate nor drank, yet his annual salary was only fifty taels of silver.

"Fifty taels? Is that enough to feed a beggar?"

Laughter erupted from a gunboat.

Manager Zhu and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man dressed in black, wearing a cloak, with a knife at his waist, standing steadily at the bow of the boat.

He was probably in his early thirties, with rough, dark skin and sharp, arrogant eyes.

Manager Zhu didn't recognize him. In his memory, the leader of this gang of river bandits was a martial artist called "Wild Mandarin Duck," who Qi Refining Realm stage and was fairly law-abiding; he would pay whatever money was offered.

"If you are not a philanderer, where is he?"

Just as he was about to speak and follow the sound, the man in the cloak leaped up and slammed hard onto the bow of the merchant ship.

Boom!

The bow of the ship suddenly lurched downwards, causing everyone on board to sway violently and nearly fall over.

The man in black glanced at Miao Youfang, the only one who remained unmoved, and several guards carrying bows and swords, and scoffed:

"There are a few skilled fighters here."

"Wild lovers? You mean that ungrateful bastard? I've already chopped off his head and thrown it into the river, but I'm still loyal enough to take good care of his wife."

Steward Zhu said in a deep voice:

"Please just tell me how much silver you want."

The man in black raised his hand, fingers spread. "This number."

"Five hundred taels," Steward Zhu said in a deep voice.

"You must be joking, sir."

The total profit from the entire ship's cargo was less than five hundred taels.

The man in black smiled and said:

"We not only want money, but also women. We have so many brothers under our command; we can't live without women."

"I'll offer you a compromise: ten taels for a woman, and twenty taels for a woman of good looks."

As he spoke, he glanced at Mu Nanzhi beside Xu Qi'an and clicked his tongue in disdain.

"For this kind of stuff, five taels of silver is the most we can offer, just enough for the brothers to have some fun for a few days."

Mu Nanzhi sneered.

"When you're out in the world, don't go too far."

Manager Zhu, who was about to offer some kind words of advice, suddenly choked up, because at that moment, the man in black deliberately faced the sunlight, and his skin had a faint divine glow on it.

Rank 6, with skin of copper and bones of iron!

Manager Zhu's expression changed slightly upon encountering a formidable opponent, and he couldn't help but glance at Miao Youfang.

Generally speaking, when encountering a master of this level, one can only admit defeat.

Manager Zhu couldn't accurately assess Miao Youfang's abilities, so he had to leave the decision to him. Manager Zhu believed that Miao Youfang would weigh the pros and cons.

"Stop being so fussy, my patience is running out!"

The man in black walked to the table, grabbed the wine jug, took a swig, and whistled.

With a few thuds, a dozen iron hooks were wrapped around the gunwale, and the pirates climbed up the ropes.

Those bandits who hadn't used ropes to climb the boat would point their spears at the bottom of the boat or open jars of kerosene, waiting for the black-clad men's order to stab and burn the boat.

They're river pirates, not businessmen; who's going to haggle with you?

After the pirates boarded the boat, the man in black gave the following instructions:

"Go inside and loot all the valuables, and bring all the women out."

Then, pointing at Mu Nanzhi, he said, "Take this woman with you too, but don't pay her; consider her a bonus."

His tone was relaxed, but he was not lax; his right hand remained firmly on the hilt of the knife.

Two bandits immediately approached Mu Nanzhi, brandishing knives and striking menacing poses.

Suddenly, with two loud bangs, the bandits who had just approached Mu Nanzhi were blasted away by a tremendous force, coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground.

Seeing the black-clad man's expression change drastically, Xu Qi'an reached out and grabbed his neck:

"Let them go down."

"Get down, get out, all of you get out!"

The man in black was terrified; he felt the same way as Manager Zhu had earlier—he had met his match.

The bandits were in an uproar. They never expected that the man who had killed their former leader in one move would be as weak as a quail in front of this ordinary-looking man.

"Even a mere lackey is this powerful; Master Miao's strength is far more terrifying than I imagined." Steward Zhu was secretly shocked.

Throughout the journey, Xu Qi'an considered himself Miao Youfang's follower.

The bandits who swarmed in fled in droves.

"Your Excellency is kind enough to show mercy; let's discuss this. I was blind to your true worth today."

The man in black spoke with a tone that was both sincere and pleading.

He believed that unless the other party wanted to give up all the cargo on the ship, they wouldn't fight him to the death.

Sometimes, river bandits like them aren't afraid of skilled fighters at all, because many skilled fighters will choose to compromise due to reasons such as casualties and cargo.

There's no need to risk your life for something that can be done with money.

Xu Qi'an indeed didn't kill him, and asked:

Where are you from?

"Yuzhou!"

After a series of questions and answers, Xu Qi'an learned that the man in black was named Sun Tai, a native of Yuzhou, a Rogue Person, and wanted by the Yuzhou government for committing crimes.

This prevented him from establishing a gang in any one place, because the imperial warrants were shared across continents.

Sun Tai began to wander the world. Although he lived a life of pleasure and had no shortage of money, he was ultimately a lone wolf.

As winter sets in this year, widespread cold weather has caused a subtle breakdown in order between continents, and no one will pay any attention to him, the wanted criminal.

Sun Tai began to gather refugees and other wandering Rogue Person, establishing himself as the king of the waterways in this area. Now, he commands a hundred water bandits, making him a fairly formidable force.

If things continue like this, similar bandits and river bandits will become righteous armies that overthrow the imperial court, or regional "lords" who will become part of the avalanche. Xu Qi'an sighed softly.

"Do you want to live?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Sun Tai nodded immediately.

Xu Qi'an pointed at Miao Youfang: "Kill him, and you'll live. I won't interfere."

Then he said to Miao Youfang:

"This is your first trial. In two quarters of an hour, bring me his head. If you fail, our master-disciple relationship will end here."

With two loud thuds, Xu Qi'an kicked Sun Tai and Miao Youfang off the merchant ship, and the two fell toward the shore.

He then instructed Steward Zhu to drop anchor and remain where he was, so that he could watch the battle alongside Mu Nanzhi.

Manager Zhu was stunned; he never expected that this lackey was the real person.

Seeing his solemn expression, Mu Nanzhi asked:

"Worried about Miao Youfang?"

"I'm thinking, if I were Duke Wei, how would I deal with these warriors who break the law with their weapons?" Xu Qi'an said in a low voice.

The enemies of the Great Feng Dynasty were not only the rebels in Yunzhou, but also these Jianghu people who took advantage of the chaos, and the refugees who robbed wherever they went in order to fill their stomachs.

In the study of the Prince's residence.

Looking dejected, Chief Minister Wang hugged a hand warmer, tapped the table with his finger, and asked:

"Erlang, these are reports from various places. Since the beginning of winter, banditry has become severe in various regions. Wandering Rogue Person have taken advantage of the situation, gathering refugees and robbing and plundering. We are beset by internal and external troubles."

"Today His Majesty questioned you all in the palace. How should this be resolved? What are your suggestions?"

Xu Erlang knew that Chief Minister Wang was testing him.

Similar examinations have occurred frequently in the past few months.

Chief Minister Wang took a sip of tea and slowly said:

"You are too inexperienced to command respect within the Wang faction. As for my health, I don't know when I'll recover, or if I will ever recover."

"It's truly a pity to hand over a team that we've built up over so many years."

Xu Xinnian frowned and remained silent.

"No need to rush, just give me a reply within three days." The Prime Minister waved his hand wearily.

"You may go now."

PS: I'll update first and then revise later. Next chapter, see you tomorrow.