Chapter 1392

The boat foreman took out his money bag and counted out the wages for them. "Alright, take your money and get lost!" Weng Su swallowed a bitter smile. They had worked diligently; had that actually cleared them of suspicion?

What kind of situation was this? Weng Xing counted the copper coins in his hand: "So little?"

The boat foreman spat on the ground with a 'ptui': "Do you want to be dragged off by the guards too?"

Weng Su grabbed his younger brother and hurried off the boat.

After reaching the shore, the two walked from the pier toward the inn in the back. Only then did Weng Xing say: "Truly cunning. Once those few were dragged away, the boat foreman didn't have to pay the wages."

Used someone else's labor, yet didn't have to pay them.

"Brother, what do we do now?"

"Buy two horses and chase after him!" The Weng brothers had always been persistent.

"Uh, do you know where the one surnamed Xue is going?" They had already deviated too far from their original plan; it seemed they were currently in a state of taking things one step at a time.

According to the original plan, they should have finished off Xue Zongwu at Rock Mother Cliff, or been finished off by him.

Ever since they boarded the boat, they could only adapt to circumstances.

Adapting to circumstances was truly not his brother's or his strong suit.

"On his way to the capital, there is still one place he must pass through." Time on the boat was ample. Aside from carrying heavy loads, Weng Su had also been thinking deeply about the future direction. "We're going to Mangzhou City!"

"First, buy some wine and meat!" They hadn't eaten a good meal in nearly ten days. The inn's kitchen wafted out waves of savory oil, making Weng Xing's eyes turn green with hunger, his stomach growling loudly. "I want a braised pig trotter! It must be a trotter bigger than a face!"

He Lingchuan and Fan Shuang got off the boat; the shore was a scene of great bustle.

This pier hadn't been this lively in a long time.

"The inn back here is very poor. If we walk another twenty li forward, there are some very good inns." Fan Shuang pointed the way. "I stay there whenever I travel back and forth."

Before he could finish speaking, a squad of guards rushed past, simultaneously shouting: "Move aside, move aside! Urgent official business, idlers keep back!"

The pier was already narrow; several people were pushed off by them and fell into the water with a 'splash'.

They didn't care at all and kept walking straight ahead.

He Lingchuan asked: "Ignoring everyone else. Whose subordinates are these?"

He noticed this squad of guards was also holding several commoners with chains, pushing and shoving them forward. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be laborers or civilians from the boat, each one terrified and miserable.

Are these all suspects? Xue Zongwu really had made arrangements.

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. He wondered if those few men in black were among those arrested? Those people acted impulsively; perhaps they had jumped into the trap without even thinking.

If that were the case, it would be a real pity.

"General Xue's." Fan Shuang pointed his chin toward the shore. "That one is General Xue Zongwu!"

He Lingchuan looked up and saw the true face of his target for the first time.

This Xue Zongwu was in his early forties, with a slender build and a heroic appearance. There was a mole at the end of his eyebrow, and his gaze was sharp and predatory; few people dared to meet his eyes.

Dong Rui coughed: "He looks like someone not to be trifled with at first glance."

Back when he assassinated Ke Jihai, he felt the target had the air of a great general. Xue Zongwu's aura seemed even sharper than Ke Jihai's.

"General Xue is a key general of our nation, a disciple of Qi Yunsheng of Green Ridge Mountain, and also the son-in-law of True Person Qi!" Fan Shuang laughed. "He has led armies twice; he is truly a pillar of the nation."

At this moment, naturally, no one would bring up the disappointing topic of "slaughtering the city."

He Lingchuan gave a long 'oh': "I've long heard of his great name. Brother Fan, would you mind introducing me?"

Fan Shuang's smile stiffened slightly. Seeing Xue Zongwu striding forward, he said: "Ah, this... General Xue is in a hurry to get on his way. Let me see if there's a chance next time to bridge the gap for you two."

He was just a low-ranking minor official; how could he get close to Xue Zongwu?

However, Xue Zongwu looked over here himself, saw the palace guards beside He Lingchuan, and walked over on his own.

"Commander Zhao?"

The leader of the palace guards assigned to He Lingchuan by King Yao was surnamed Zhao. At this moment, he also bowed to Xue Zongwu: "General Xue."

He was a close court attendant and clearly knew Xue Zongwu.

"Commander Zhao, what is this mission?" Xue Zongwu asked Commander Zhao, but his gaze swept back and forth between He Lingchuan and Dong Rui, not sparing many glances for Fan Shuang.

Fan Shuang bowed with thick-skinned persistence: "Greetings, Grand General Xue. This humble official is..."

Xue Zongwu waved his hand to interrupt him, his face full of impatience.

Commander Zhao replied: "This is He Lingchuan, the master of the Yangshan Society. We are under orders to escort him to the capital."

"Oh, the Yangshan Society." Xue Zongwu was indifferent.

He Lingchuan understood the moment he saw his smile; he didn't have a very deep impression of Yangshan—

Giving the Yangshan Society a little trouble was just a trivial matter for Xue Zongwu; he only needed to give a single order.

He harms you, makes you suffer intensely, and then forgets you, because from beginning to end, he never took you seriously.

Nothing is more hurtful than this attitude.

He Lingchuan, however, smiled gently and politely: "A pleasure, a pleasure. Grand General Xue has taken special care of the Yangshan Society; I am deeply grateful and have always been thinking about how to properly repay you."

The words "special care" and "repay," though soft, were long and drawn out; it would be hard for others not to notice.

Xue Zongwu was startled.

As soon as He Lingchuan spoke, he remembered. The Yangshan Society had indeed been "cared for" by people he sent recently to educate these arrogant newcomers, but there were only a few casualties; after all, the King had also ordered the merchants to do business with it.

It was just a small warning; he had already shown mercy. He hadn't even used his real methods; otherwise, the Yangshan Society wouldn't have just suffered this little loss. But looking at this kid's expression, he was still very unconvinced.

Repay, hehe, how does he want to repay? A mere low-ranking foreign merchant society, a young man who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth! Unappreciative.

If it weren't for the fact that the King still had use for him later, Xue Zongwu would have killed him on the spot, and no one would have dared to say a word!

Xue Zongwu returned the smile: "It's only right, Island Master He, don't be so formal. Since the King has given instructions, I will continue to take good care of Yangshan in the future."

Dong Rui and the Soul-Stealing Mirror thought to themselves: "Holy crap!"

Still want to "take good care"? This threat was obvious. If He Lingchuan didn't submit, Xue Zongwu had even harsher moves later, until the Yangshan Society was beaten into submission.

Thinking of Xue Zongwu's temperament and methods, this threat would certainly come true.

He Lingchuan was pleasant and agreeable, as if he hadn't heard the threat: "Then I thank General Xue in advance."

"Sharing the King's worries is my duty." Xue Zongwu was righteous and stern.

"When you have time, I must invite you for a drink to ask for your guidance in person."

How could Fan Shuang hear the clash in their words? He only thought they were being truly polite and couldn't help but speak up: "There's no time like the present, General Xue. Why not today together..."

He Lingchuan, however, pointed toward the direction where the few boatmen were being dragged away: "What crime did these few commit?"

"Spies." Xue Zongwu spat out two words. "We're taking them back for interrogation."

(End of chapter)