Chapter 7: Unfulfilled Wish

"Don't cry." Tang Xiao smiled at Lin Zuo. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard only sheds blood, not tears."

Lin Zuo didn't know what to say, so he could only wipe the corners of his eyes hard. However, the next moment, tears gushed out of his eye sockets again, unworthily.

"It's a pity that Yagyu Ichiro ran away. If you have a chance, remember to avenge me." Tang Xiao said, stuffing the Embroidered Spring Blade in his hand into his disciple's hand.

Lin Zuo gripped the hilt, feeling his Master's body getting colder. He nodded heavily and said in a decisive tone: "Master, I swear, I will definitely kill him with my own hands to avenge you."

"Mm." Tang Xiao nodded, his body beginning to spasm slightly, and his breathing becoming rapid.

"Master, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?"

Hearing Lin Zuo's question, Tang Xiao suddenly fell silent. After a full ten seconds, he opened his mouth: "You are the person I trust the most. I do... have one more thing to entrust to you."

"Master, tell me."

"I have a son. After I die, I entrust you to take care of him."

Hearing his Master say "son," Lin Zuo froze, because the rule of the Embroidered Uniform Guard had always been "no parents, no spouse, no children," so that they could serve the imperial court without any worries.

His Master had mentioned this rule to him many times, but he never expected that his Master himself would actually...

However, such a thought only flashed through his mind. Seeing his Master's eyes unfocused and his breath weak, Lin Zuo said without hesitation: "Master, don't worry. What is his name?"

"That child, his name is... is..." Tang Xiao opened his mouth halfway, grabbed Lin Zuo's arm tightly with his hand, and barely managed to say two words, then his voice suddenly went hoarse.

He stared straight at Lin Zuo, as if he had thousands of words to say, but his body suddenly convulsed all over, and a large amount of black blood gushed from his mouth.

Then, his body gradually softened, his fingers loosened, and his arm finally hung down powerlessly.

"Master..."

Lin Zuo felt his world suddenly go dark.

He was an orphan, originally wandering the streets. It was his Master who took him in, taught him martial arts, and later brought him into the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

In these few years, he had been following his Master, living together day and night. They were master and disciple in name, but their feelings were like father and son.

No matter how dangerous the job was, as long as his Master was by his side, he wasn't afraid.

But now, his Master was gone.

The wind blew, and a few leaves left the branches, swirling and falling onto Lin Zuo.

*Rumble*—a muffled thunder sounded, then a flash of lightning split the sky, and raindrops the size of beans fell *pitter-patter*.

And Lin Zuo just knelt there, letting the rain soak him into a drowned rat.

His shoulders shook, and he finally let out a heart-wrenching howl.

In this world, he had no more relatives.

In this battle, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Zhuque Flag, led by Commander Tang Xiao, annihilated nearly two hundred Japanese pirates and river bandits and captured more than a dozen corrupt officials involved in the case. The residents along the coast of Jiangzhe and the canal all clapped and cheered.

The news reached the Capital, and the Emperor was overjoyed. The Embroidered Uniform Guards who participated in the battle were all rewarded, and Lin Zuo was promoted to Hundred Household for his meritorious service in going undercover and capturing corrupt officials.

It's just a pity that Commander Tang Xiao could never go back.

After returning to the Capital, Lin Zuo began to fulfill his Master's entrustment. He searched in many ways for the son his Master mentioned. However, the rule of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was "no parents, no spouse, no children," and his Master clearly knew the consequences of breaking the rules, so he left no information about the child.

It wasn't until two months later that he found a residence his Master had once rented by coincidence. He heard that a mother and son had once lived there, but it was a pity that when he rushed there, the place was already empty.

The only clue was broken just like that.

Time passed, and in the following ten years, Lin Zuo was promoted all the way from Hundred Household for his meritorious service in solving cases, eventually succeeding his Master Tang Xiao as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

However, there was always a hurdle in his heart that he couldn't overcome. He always felt that if he could have waited for Yagyu Ichiro to drink the wine with the Monghan Drug before sending the signal, perhaps his Master wouldn't have died.

Self-blame made the originally cheerful him become reticent, and there were rarely smiles on his face anymore.

In ten years, there were two things that Lin Zuo had always been brooding over and never dared to forget.

The first thing was to avenge his Master.

The second thing was to find that child.

It's a pity that he hadn't done either of these two things.

Third year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty.

"Yesterday, His Majesty received a memorial. Su Shanhe, the Grain Transport Supervisor Commander of Zhenjiang Prefecture, wrote that there have been signs of corruption in the water transport recently, and the river bandits have returned from the dead, repeatedly harassing the coastal areas of the Jiangzhe canal. The public's panic is high, and they have begun to worship the River God frantically. Commander Lin, what do you think?"

Hearing the three words "Zhenjiang Prefecture," Lin Zuo's heart trembled inexplicably.

"Reporting to My Lord, water transport is a major matter concerning the stability of the country. The harassment of river bandits and the panic of the people cannot be neglected. This subordinate is willing to go to Zhenjiang Prefecture to share the worries for My Lord."

"That would be very good. However, I remember that you also participated in the Xijindu battle in Zhenjiang Prefecture ten years ago, and the Commander Tang Xiao who sacrificed his life at that time was your Master."

"Yes." Hearing his Master's name, countless memories suddenly flooded into his mind, making Lin Zuo's heart feel a mix of flavors.

"Commander Tang died young, it's a pity. However..."

"My Lord, however what?"

"However, he didn't catch the bandit leader back then, which gave that group of river bandits a chance to return from the dead. I heard that the bandit leader Yagyu Ichiro has become more cunning and cautious after the last battle. His subordinates don't go ashore easily, and they collude with some officials to exchange information. I'm afraid that after you go there, you will inevitably startle the snake, and it will be even more difficult to catch them then."

"My Lord, rest assured. This time, this subordinate is willing to go undercover to investigate the news. I will only take action after I have full certainty, striving to catch that group of river bandits in one net." Lin Zuo paused and said, "If I let Yagyu Ichiro run away again, this subordinate is willing to bring my head to see you."

"With your words, I can rest assured. Since that's the case, this errand is handed to you."

The next day, Lin Zuo left the Capital.

After setting the military order, his mindset was neither urgent nor uneasy, but very calm.

It was as if some people had been sitting on pins and needles looking forward to doing something, but when that thing really arrived, they had an inexplicable calmness, as if the wheel of fate should rotate like this, and everything was an arrangement in the dark.

Ten years. If it was destined that he couldn't find the child his Master left behind, at least he had to kill Yagyu Ichiro to avenge his Master.

Sailing down along the canal, more than ten days later, Lin Zuo finally arrived at Zhenjiang Prefecture again.

Sitting on the ship, looking at the green mountains on both sides and the Beigu Pavilion hidden in the green trees, thinking of the scene where his Master stood at the bow reciting poetry when he came here ten years ago, it felt like a lifetime ago.

The difference from before was that last time he wore a Flying Fish Suit and carried an Embroidered Spring Blade, with a free and easy smile always hanging on his green face. This time, he wore a long gown and disguised himself as a scholar. The smile was gone, and there were a few more wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and sparse white hair had grown at his temples.

The sea has changed into mulberry fields, and things have changed and people have changed—that's all there is to it. ===== CHAPTER 8 =====