Chapter 314: Has the Rain Stopped?

Zhou Mazi asked cautiously, "Boss Shen? What should we do now?"

Shen Wanjin still stood dumbfounded, "This rain, why is it so ominous?"

Too ominous!

Tuan Tuan tugged at Xiao Ningxun's drenched collar: "Third Brother, has the rain stopped? Are those gunpowders unusable now?"

Xiao Ningxun nodded: "Stopped, Tuan Tuan."

Xiao Er wiped the rain from his face, his tense back relaxed, and smiled low: "Miss, it's not just stopped, it's more than enough."

Tuan Tuan's face instantly blossomed with a radiant smile.

Then she let out a tiny sneeze, "Achoo!"

She frowned, lifted her face again toward the sky: "Enough! Stop raining! If it keeps, I'll catch a cold!"

As soon as she finished, the downpour seemed suddenly tightened like a gate, turning the raging waterfall into a dense curtain of rain, and moments later into a drizzle of fine drops.

Yet after a moment, the rain stopped.

Lu Qi's shocked expression had already frozen, his mouth slightly ajar.

He had seen many of Tuan Tuan's miracles, but summoning wind and rain?

His throat dried, his voice trembled: "Lord Master, you truly are divine."

At that moment, "Woo——!"

A low, droning horn sound rose from Hei Wei Dang in all directions.

The guards looked around in panic.

"Who are they?"

"Ships! So many ships!"

From the reed thicket, a dozen swift skiffs burst out, instantly blocking all the waterways out of Tu Island.

The ships were filled with people, each brandishing swords, the elite of the Canal Gang and the Bridgehead Gang.

Luo Hongli shouted sharply: "Land! Capture them!"

She wielded a water‑splitting spear, leapt from the ship, landing steadily on the pier, followed closely by Zhou Ping and Zhou An.

Luo Zhenjiang led his men like tigers into a flock of sheep; within a few glances they knocked the guards and Shen Wanjin to the ground.

Shen Wanjin was seized by two burly men, his arms twisted, pressed hard into the mud.

He struggled to lift his head, roaring hoarsely: "Luo Zhenjiang? Luo Hongli?!"

"The Canal Gang and the Bridgehead Gang have always kept to their own waters, never meddling with ours at Jiangkuo Trading Firm!"

"Why today breach my private property, bind my men? Do you still have any law in your eyes? How can you meddle with my affairs, Shen?"

Luo Hongli didn't even glance at him, her expression urgent, she shouted loudly: "Tuan Tuan! Young Master Xiao! Where are you?"

Zhou Ping and Zhou An, the two brothers, searched anxiously: "Miss! Where are you?"

Behind a distant pile of scrap, Xiao Ningxun emerged, cradling Tuan Tuan.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi followed closely.

Shen Wanjin stared at them, bewildered for a moment, then his face turned horrified: "There are other people on the island?"

He suddenly realized it wasn't the craftsmen who fled suddenly!

"It's you!" his eyes bulged as if blood would spill, "All this today! Is it your doing? Who exactly are you?"

Tuan Tuan turned her face from Xiao Ningxun's arms, looking at the chubby man pressed in the mud, his face twisted.

She recalled the starving sister Xiao Yue, the craftsmen silenced by poison and shackled, and the gunpowder that almost blew everyone skyward.

"Hmph!" she puffed her cheeks, glared at Shen Wanjin, shouting: "Exactly! It's us! You big villain, scared now? I'm going to scare you to death! Hmph!"

Shen Wanjin wore a venomous scowl, staring intently at Tuan Tuan.

A louder commotion came from the outskirts of Hei Wei Dang.

War drums roared deafeningly, countless torches lit Hei Wei Dang as bright as day.

"Kill—!"

A thunderous battle cry rang out, Shen Wanjin panicked, looking around.

On countless ships, armor shone, swords and spears reflected the firelight, a murderous aura surged toward them.

On the largest ship stood a commander clad in armor, Zhao Tieshan, the defender of the City Guard Camp, with Xiao Ran at his side, arms crossed.

Zhao Tieshan gathered his inner Qi, his voice rose above the waves:

"All those on the island, immediately board the island ships! Disobedients will be treated as rebels and executed without mercy!"

He paused: "This island can't endure any more turmoil; if we don't get off soon, it'll sink!"

The crowd herded the prisoners onto the various ships that had come aboard.

Shen Wanjin was forced by Zhao Tieshan's elite soldiers onto that large ship.

Xiao Ran walked to Xiao Ningxun, saw the soaking‑wet Tuan Tuan, and immediately tore off his cloak to wrap around her: "Little one, are you cold?"

Tuan Tuan sneezed again, pouting: "Jiu Gege, I almost couldn't see you!"

Xiao Ran was startled, and Xiao Ningxun briefly recounted what had just happened.

Xiao Ran and Zhao Tieshan, after hearing, were shocked and still fearful; if it really exploded…

Xiao Ran glared at Shen Wanjin: "You deserve death!"

"Who are you again?" Shen Wanjin glared back, still struggling.

He stuck out his neck, shouted at Zhao Tieshan:

"Defender Zhao! Regarding the merchants of Jiangzhou Prefecture, when did your City Guard Camp gain the right to intervene? Where is the Prefect? I demand to see the Prefect! You have no right to seize me!"

Zhao Tieshan stared coldly for a moment, said nothing, stepped forward, swung his arm and struck.

"Bang!"

A resounding slap struck Shen Wanjin's face hard.

Shen Wanjin's head tilted from the blow, red swollen finger marks quickly appeared on his face, and bloodstreaks seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He stared blankly at Zhao Tieshan.

Zhao Tieshan's face turned solemn: "Jiangzhou Prefecture merchant? Shen Wanjin! You privately manufactured weapons, secretly stored gunpowder—any one of those is a capital crime punishable by extermination of the entire clan! Facing death, you still try to invoke the Prefect's protection to save your life?"

He leaned close to Shen Wanjin's pallid face: "Do you think we could be this precise tonight for no reason? Do you think the City Guard Camp could move this fast without cause?"

"Allow me to tell you, you had just stepped out the front door, and by the time your back foot landed, my men had already seized your Jiangkuo Trading Firm and sealed off your residence!"

"Your ledgers, letters, all documents—by now they're probably sitting on Governor Han's desk!"

Shen Wanjin's heart sank completely, his legs went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

His face turned ashen, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end not a single word came out.

It turned out that all his trump cards, all his backing, all his escape routes had been completely cut off the moment he, believing everything was under his control, stormed out of his house in a fury.

Zhao Tieshan no longer looked at him, waved his hand and said, "Take him away and keep a tight watch!"

When Shen Wanjin was dragged away, he made no further struggle or cries; his voice was completely gone.

Zhao Tieshan saluted Xiao Ran and Xiao Ningxun: "There are many offenders; I will make the arrangements."

"Fine. Thank you for your effort."

Zhao Tieshan turned and left.

Tuan Tuan yawned, rubbed her eyes, and rested her damp little head on her brother's shoulder.

"Third Brother," she mumbled sleepily, "Has the villain been caught?"

"Hmm." Xiao Ningxun gently patted her back, "It's over. Tuan Tuan, you're tired, right? You're still wet. Don't sleep yet; go back, soak in warm water, change clothes, then sleep."

"Hmm." Tuan Tuan closed her eyes and completely relaxed.

Everyone glanced at each other and couldn't help but smile; at last, everything was over.

Suddenly, a vague white glow burst from Xiao Ningxun's bosom, flashing and vanishing in an instant.

Everyone who looked was dumbfounded.

Tuan Tuan curled up among the pile of clothes, her face rounder and smaller, her body reduced to a tiny stub.

She slept soundly, unconsciously smacking her lips, and a short, lotus‑root‑like arm protruded.

Xiao Ran blurted out, "Little one! How did you become so tiny?"