Chapter 967: How could that be?

It must have been after the recent upheaval? Could it be?

Assistant Prefect Zhao said urgently: "My lord, could it be that the one surnamed He..."

"Shut up!" Commissioner Wu's heart was also in chaos.

He asked his student: "How much cargo was on the Baoji?"

"Worth over a thousand taels."

Commissioner Wu breathed a sigh of relief: "That's not much."

"But among it, there are 1,900 bags of grain that were to be delivered to the official granary."

Commissioner Wu said angrily: "Can't you say it all at once?"

"... Student, student was wrong."

Commissioner Wu paced back and forth a few times. If the grain gets wet, it's finished. Even if some of the other cargo could be salvaged, these 1,900 bags of grain were truly money down the drain.

And this happened to be grain purchased by the Shipping Commissioner's Office, prepared to be handed over to the national treasury to cope with the demands of the Mou Nation.

The Mou Nation also "purchased" grain and fodder from the Qing Nation. It paid 200,000 taels of silver, and the Qing Nation had to send out grain with an actual value of over 500,000 taels. The Mou Nation had been urging for several months, and the Qing Nation had been dragging its feet and hadn't gathered it all. As the wealthiest port, the Shipping Commissioner's Office bore a large number of official purchasing tasks.

Previously, Baili was also purchasing grain in Blade Harbor, forcibly driving up the price of grain. The Shipping Commissioner's Office had the duty of price stabilization and monopoly, but it couldn't force foreign merchants to sell. These 1,900 bags of grain didn't seem worth much, but it was very troublesome to buy and transport them again.

The three looked at each other, suspicion swirling in their hearts, all thinking of the same question: Were the Yin-Serpents sent by Island Master He? Commissioner Wu asked Assistant Prefect Zhao: "What do you think?"

"This subordinate, this subordinate doesn't know." Just kidding, how would he dare to make a judgment on such a matter? "There have been accidents where Yin-Serpents attacked merchant ships before, haven't there? The most recent one seems to have been the year before last?"

"There was a thick fog at sea, and that ship accidentally strayed into the depths of the archipelago." Commissioner Wu said with a dark face, "The Baoji was attacked in the Western Xiawan, not in the Yangshan Archipelago!"

Assistant Prefect Zhao stopped himself from speaking. This immediate superior had just said that Island Master He being able to command Yin-Serpents was nonsense and impossible.

Now, is that thought wavering?

"Then, shall I go and bring that supervisor surnamed Ding over to ask?"

Commissioner Wu hesitated for a long time before shaking his head: "No, perhaps it really was an accident."

Whoever visits first bows their head.

When sailing at sea, what is ever a sure thing? He had been a commissioner for more than ten years and had heard of at least dozens of major shipwrecks.

But he still instructed Assistant Prefect Zhao: "If the one surnamed Ding comes to submit for inspection again, bring him to see me."

But for the next two days, Ding Zuodong didn't go to the Shipping Commissioner's Office at all; instead, Commissioner Wu had two more merchant ships attacked at sea.

It was also the work of Yin-Serpents, and it also wasn't in the Yangshan Archipelago, but right near Fish Bone Reef and Bao Sha Reef. Several merchant ships passing by nearby all saw it.

But the Yin-Serpents just wouldn't attack them; even if they swam past these merchant ships, they ignored them, focusing solely on the "Green Fish" and "White Wave," which were Commissioner Wu's two ships, until they bored holes through them and dragged them into deep water, only then leaving with cheers and hisses.

Everyone at the scene watched the live broadcast of the ship-breaking with rapt attention, and this process lasted for more than an hour.

Shipwrecks are not new things, but Blade Harbor had been operating for so many years and had long planned routes to avoid baleful energy and stay away from the Yin-Serpent activity areas, and ships of all sizes had been sailing just fine.

They were hiding from the baleful stars, who knew the baleful stars would come directly to their door. This matter was simply unbelievable, so it quickly spread through the streets and alleys of Blade Harbor through the mouths of eyewitnesses, and it was described vividly, even describing how the Yin-Serpents toyed with those who fell into the water.

Busybodies and smart people soon discovered a common point among the three ships that were bored and sunk:

They were all Commissioner Wu's.

Everyone in Blade Harbor, from the top to the bottom, knew that Commissioner Wu was wealthy, especially in ships.

This was an open secret.

So when merchants went to rent ships again, they would first ask if they were Commissioner Wu's, and if there was any connection, they would immediately shake their heads and refuse.

These messages were delivered to Commissioner Wu one by one, and he had no heart to be on duty at all.

Furthermore, he didn't believe he wasn't being targeted anymore. The strange looks from the people around him also made him feel particularly uncomfortable.

He immediately set about checking, and then discovered that he still had fourteen ships running at sea, five or six of which would be entering and leaving Blade Harbor soon.

His ships were always the easiest to rent and rarely had downtime.

This advantage, at the moment, had become a sore spot.

Commissioner Wu hurriedly notified the shipowners that they were not allowed to go to sea for the time being.

Who knew that as soon as he made contact, the people said that all the clients wanted to cancel their rentals.

What a joke, it was widely rumored outside that Yin-Serpents specifically dealt with Commissioner Wu's ships; how would they dare to rent them? Behind the maritime cargo were the livelihoods of how many people; who would be responsible if it all went down the drain?

They would rather lose the deposit for renting the ship than rent it!

Commissioner Wu held his breath, feeling blocked.

When had he ever suffered such a loss?

But there were still two ships at sea about to return to port that Commissioner Wu couldn't manage.

He truly didn't understand: "There are many ships at sea, how can the Yin-Serpents specifically recognize my ships?"

His superior had been in a terrible mood these past few days, and even his breath was a bit foul. Assistant Prefect Zhao said cautiously: "Your ships all have marks on the bow, which pirates used to recognize so they could let them pass."

In the past, no matter how reckless the pirates of the Yangshan Archipelago were, they wouldn't rob official ships or the Shipping Commissioner's Office's ships, otherwise, it would bring down the wrath of thunder.

These ships simply made marks on the bow to remind the pirates.

"Pirates?" Commissioner Wu could no longer care about his demeanor and slapped the table hard. "Outrageous!"

The pirates of the Yangshan Archipelago had all been subdued by He Lingchuan; this was already a nailed-down fact. The secrets they knew, He Lingchuan likely knew as well.

Pirates, Yin-Serpents, linked together, wasn't it the glaring words "He Lingchuan's doing"? This was revenge, this was extortion, this was a threat of "If you don't accommodate me, I will bore holes in all your ships."

And he had to bow his head, because He Lingchuan could really do it.

Commissioner Wu closed the door and vented his anger, even smashing his beloved teacup to pieces, before calling Assistant Prefect Zhao in again:

"Go find Ding, no, find He Lingchuan, and arrange a meeting for me!"

Assistant Prefect Zhao was trembling with fear, responded, and hurried out.

But only a dozen breaths later, he hurried back: "My lord, Ding Zuodong has come to submit oil products for inspection again."

Commissioner Wu stood up at once, his fists turning white.

Assistant Prefect Zhao thought he wanted to hit someone, but in the end, his superior just gritted his teeth and said: "Bring him here!"

"Yes!" Assistant Prefect Zhao hurried out, and Commissioner Wu slowly sat back in his chair.

He knew clearly that the sinking of three ships could only be considered a greeting gift; if he didn't accept this level of "gift," then his Wu family would never go to sea again in this lifetime; looking further, if the Yin-Serpents started attacking other ships on the Golden Route, would merchants dare to pass through Blade Harbor in the future?

That would pose a substantial threat to the survival of Blade Harbor.

The kid surnamed He really knows how to handle people.

Commissioner Wu took the initiative to meet, and Ding Zuodong arrived very quickly.

As soon as he entered, he cupped his hands and bowed: "Greetings, my lord! Oh my, Commissioner Wu, you are busy with official business; it's really not easy to see you."

This was not just polite talk. Last time he asked to see Commissioner Wu, the other party pushed back and forth, dragging it out for several days before seeing him, and dismissed him after saying less than two sentences.

No matter how thorough his etiquette was, Commissioner Wu smiled without warmth: "You and your master have ways to see me, don't you?"

Ding Zuodong was stunned: "Eh? Commissioner Wu, what do you mean by that?"

"The Yin-Serpents attacked the Baoji, Green Fish, and White Wave merchant ships in the Western Xiawan and White Jade Sea. Are you aware of this?"

"I've heard a little, heard a little." Ding Zuodong sighed. "That was truly an unprovoked disaster. I don't know why the Yin-Serpents would leave the archipelago to cause trouble for no reason."

Commissioner Wu stared at him: "You really don't know?"

Ding Zuodong was startled: "What are you saying! How could I know what the Yin-Serpents do or think? They are not human, nor do they understand human speech."

For so many years, almost no one could communicate with Yin-Serpents... except He Lingchuan.

Thinking of the various legends about the pirates that were spread so miraculously at Blade Harbor, Wu Ti felt a sense of resentment in his heart.

Assistant Prefect Zhao stood on the side, knowing it was his turn to speak: "Isn't your master known as the Master of Yangshan, even able to command Yin-Serpents?"

"Commissioner Wu, please examine clearly, how could that be!" Ding Zuodong looked terrified. "The Yin-Serpents have done as they pleased in the archipelago for so many years; even the Immortals couldn't handle them. My master is also a mortal of flesh and blood; how could he possibly have that ability?"

In terms of reason and logic, there was nothing wrong with this statement.

Assistant Prefect Zhao pressed: "Didn't your master sign a covenant with the Yin-Serpents? The pirates of the archipelago drink wine and eat meat in the taverns of Blade Harbor, bragging about this all day long." It was hard for others not to hear it.

"No, no!" Ding Zuodong waved his hands repeatedly. "They believe whatever they hear; what could they know? Of the pirates I've met, there isn't one who doesn't love to talk nonsense."

"Then how do you explain that the baleful energy on many islands in the archipelago has faded?"

Ding Zuodong smiled: "That is because my master is familiar with geography and discovered that the eruption time and range of the Earthly Yin Qi veins have changed. My master said that this thing is like the tide, with ups and downs, expansion and contraction. He has studied it thoroughly and knows which islands can be visited and which cannot. To outsiders, it looks as if he can disperse the baleful energy."

Seeing the topic go off track, Commissioner Wu cursed Assistant Prefect Zhao as "useless thing" and had to ask himself:

"The Yin-Serpents attacked the port's ships; Blade Harbor cannot sit idly by! Since your master has studied the archipelago thoroughly, tell me, why did the Yin-Serpents leave the archipelago sea area and why did they attack merchant ships?"

Blade Harbor cannot sit idly by? It was clearly Commissioner Wu who was heartbroken over his own ships sinking and money running away. Ding Zuodong sneered in his heart, but on the surface, he had to be serious: "My master believes that Yin-Serpents are born relying on baleful energy and are more sensitive to the changes in Earthly Yin Qi veins and the reduction of baleful energy. This indeed may cause them to change their temperament and become more aggressive." Ding Zuodong said slowly, "Things have no constant state and change according to the times, my lord."

No matter what, he could not admit that the Yin-Serpents attacked merchant ships under the orders of He Lingchuan. That was not extortion; that was giving people a handle and making enemies.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 968 =====