Chapter 328

What is this 'Afang Underpants Defense War'?

This sounds like a proper command, doesn't it!!

Also, who is this Afang? Why are the brothers guarding this person's underpants?

Ayoyo, it sounds like a woman's name—does this count as humiliating us brothers?

Ayoyo, the eldest brother hasn't spoken—where do you get off speaking! Whose underpants are we guarding? Anyway, the name sounds like a stunning beauty; guarding her underpants isn't a loss.

Autumn wind shrouds the mist, river haze spreads.

A thousand peaks are drenched in color, distant mountains loom dark.

No matter how beautiful the scenery, the brothers' noisy clamor beside us is so irritating it kills the mood to admire.

Left with no choice, Liu Ji covers his ears and begins scouting on his own.

A group of people now find themselves on a lofty hill along the banks of the Deep River.

Situated high with a clear view, it overlooks the river and docks perfectly—ideal for scouting and ambush.

Dense forest behind provides cover, while open ground ahead allows free movement—perfect for concealment, observation, and planning the ship raid.

Now, with the early summer flood tide not yet arrived, the Deep River runs calm—no midsummer flood turbulence—its surface flows long and slow, a stretch of green water winding east to west.

Merchant ships come with the current, departing from Broad Prefecture, passing through West Firewood, Three Waters, entering West River, sailing upstream to Phoenix Tree Prefecture, entering the Deep River to continue west, until it reaches Eternal Peace and flows into the Eternal River.

This route is the lifeline waterway for South of the Ridges' cargo trade.

And the docks along the water are naturally the sole stopping point on this treacherous river stretch.

Liu Ji stands still on the hilltop, his gaze slowly sweeping the entire channel, carefully assessing the terrain and river situation—

Here the mountains on both banks suddenly close in, squeezing the wide river surface into a narrow water corridor; at its narrowest point less than a hundred zhang, it is the throat of the Deep River channel.

The riverbed is scattered with hidden reefs, shoals lurk beneath the surface everywhere; early summer currents are slow, with no turbulent rapids, only a sluggish flow drifting along.

With such water conditions, large ships struggle to gain speed, small vessels lack room to maneuver; any ship entering this choke point will inevitably have its movements restricted everywhere.

And to the north of the docks, north of the river stands continuous verdant cliffs, jagged stones rise sheer, between the cliffs ancient trees and green vines intertwine, branches layered and hanging toward the riverbank, shading most of the sunlight.

Under the forest, shrubs grow wildly, deep grass buries a person......

This terrain truly can be called a heaven-sent opportunity.

Liu Ji's gaze swept over each advantageous spot, then he turned his eyes to the river, where a merchant convoy was sailing westward against the current, slowly entering this treacherous river stretch.

The convoy consisted of six inland river barges, all shallow-draft cargo ships transferred at Guangzhou port, with broad hulls and shallow draft, specially suited for the shoals and narrow channels of the upper Xijiang and Xunjiang rivers; they were not as grand as ocean-going vessels, but their cargo capacity was quite considerable.

The hulls were coated all over with dark brown tung oil, waterproof and anti-corrosive, and on one side of the gunwales was stamped the secret mark of the Lingnan merchant house.

At this moment, sailing upstream, they happened to have an east wind, but the masts were half-lowered, the sails could not catch the wind, and they could not rely on wind power to gain speed.

Along both sides of the gunwales stood several bare-chested trackers; the early summer sun scorched their backs, turning them dark, their knotted muscles clearly visible, and the coarse hemp ropes dug deep into their shoulders, leaving dark red marks.

Because the vessels were heavy, the whole convoy moved extremely slowly, inch by inch, making rapid advance or retreat difficult.

On the deck, layers of cargo boxes were tightly bound and heavily stacked, pressing down on the hull.

Between the seams of the crates, one could faintly see the soft sheen of Guangdong silk, brocade pouches holding overseas spices, and the outlines of porcelain wrapped in sackcloth—all rare goods imported through Guangzhou, of considerable value.

A few deckhands lounged by the gunwales, leaning lazily against the planks, each holding a short stick, their expressions listless and lax.

The waterway had been peaceful all along, and the prolonged tranquility had worn away everyone's vigilance; they had no guard at all.

Upon seeing a dock where they could moor in the distance, that group cheered and leapt with joy, clearly also extremely excited.

Liu Ji gazed at the river for a long time; the contemplation in his eyes gradually settled, and he had already worked out a complete plan to seize the boats in his mind.

He pondered for a few breaths, then waved his hand backward and said:

"Quiet down, go fetch a vat of wine; we'll go scout the situation."

By day the river offers an open view; if we act then, we would easily be spotted by passing vessels far off, leaving a hidden danger, so the best moment must wait until nightfall.

When night shrouds the river, river mist rises, and the faint starlight and moonlight are blocked by clouds and trees, that is the time to act.

He carefully laid out each arrangement in his mind—

After nightfall, he will take drugged wine and sell it along the river, knocking out as many as he can.

If that fails, it's no problem; beforehand he will send half of his brothers to hide in the forests on the north bank cliffs, and when the whole convoy has moored for the night to rest, he will throw out grappling hooks and ropes to lock the hulls, firmly securing the barges and eliminating any chance of drifting downstream to escape.

Then select brothers who are skilled in water, have them silently swim across the downstream shallows to approach, climb aboard the gunwales without a sound, and quickly take control of the inattentive deckhands.

This way, large-scale slaughter can be avoided as much as possible, no needless loss of life, and the operation can be carried out cleanly and swiftly.

Within a hundred miles before and after this place there are no official checkpoints; night can conceal our movements, and once we succeed we will immediately take the goods and retreat into the deep forests behind the hills, withdrawing along mountain trails, trying to erase traces as much as possible to avoid being captured on the spot......

Carrying out this plan will not only secure the cargo on these boats, but also not delay our next strike!

With the plan settled, Liu Ji suppressed his tumultuous thoughts, quietly ordered everyone to temporarily withdraw, recuperate, and return at midnight to wait for an opportunity to strike.

All the brothers answered in unison, composed themselves, and followed Liu Ji slowly down the hill, retreating discreetly along the secluded mountain path, keeping their movements as quiet as possible and leaving no trace.

The return mountain road wound and undulated, the view alternating between blocked and open.

The group arrived at a flat spot in a mountain hollow; ahead the mountain trail linked to a distant official road, and just then a figure appeared far off, coming into everyone's sight.

Far off on the official road, a splendidly decorated, luxurious carriage came slowly into view.

The carriage's cabin was made of fine timber, its outer walls carved and gilded, the style luxurious, far surpassing ordinary wealthy households' carriages.

The wheels rolled smoothly, and the carriage advanced at a leisurely pace.

A long mountain wind swept past, lifting the half-drooped carriage curtain, and in the instant of a gap.

Liu Ji's sharp eyes clearly saw the carriage interior piled full, stacked with many items, obviously carrying a heavy load, evidently not light in weight.

Yet the strangest thing is that, although this exquisite carriage is clearly carrying something, all around it is empty.

There were no guards or attendants; it traveled alone in the wilderness, with only a tall, stern young coachman at the front cracking his whip to drive the horses.

In early summer, this mountain path near the treacherous Xunjiang is already remote; ordinary merchants dare not travel it alone, fearing bandits.

A luxurious carriage laden with goods, without a single soldier or guard, traveling alone here, simply exudes an absurd eeriness everywhere.

Liu Ji's steps halted, his brows knit tightly, a hint of wariness and doubt rose in his heart, and he turned his head and asked:

"Weren't there sentries posted all around earlier? Where did this carriage come from?"

At once a brother replied:

"Big brother, this carriage came out of Yongzhou Zhoufu. The brothers had seen it from afar earlier; on the carriage there was only a young attendant and a young little Daoist..."

"Just now they were asking a brother disguised as a tea vendor for directions!"

"They seem to be going, going... oh right, to Mysterious Feather Mountain."