Chapter 230: Forward Scouts

As night was about to fall, dense corpses floated up in the backwater at the Anqing docks, bobbing and drifting in the river currents. Those caught in the flow were carried downstream with the water.

Upstream of the docks, all was peaceful. The river breeze was gentle, the reeds lush and green — as if it were a separate world from the downstream.

Outside the wind-stirred reed beds, two masts with half-furled sails moved slowly. After passing Jiangkou, the two small patrol boats hugged the north bank, using the cover of the shoreline reeds to gradually approach the docks.

"Just now I saw the smoke columns from cooking were at least one or two li from the riverbank, and the smoke was wide and dense. Ordinary town cooking doesn't look like that — it has to be a large bandit camp. Slow the boats down. When we reach the docks, we need some light to see by, but not too much, or the bandits will spot us. When we land, the Marine Corps goes ashore first. Grab someone and leave immediately."

Tang Ershuan glanced back. The speaker was a cavalry Banner Commander. This forward scout boat had set out a day and a half ahead of the main force, tasked with gathering intelligence along the river. This was Tang Ershuan's first time on such a small patrol boat. Before, he had only ever watched the Water Camp come and go from the docks. These small patrol boats couldn't run transport; they mainly operated on the Anqing river, intercepting passenger boats to collect tolls and the like. He never imagined he'd one day be sitting on one.

The boat could only carry a dozen or so people: four sailors, four dismounted scout cavalrymen, and six Marine Corps soldiers. Tang Ershuan was one of them.

The only thing he knew about the cavalry commander was that his name was Chen Rulie. He had delicate features but a rather fierce attitude. It was said he had previously been a Relay Courier and had performed two great deeds in quick succession at Shucheng and Huoqiu. He had just been promoted to Banner Commander and was in charge of this riverine forward scout mission. There were three small patrol boats and one grain transport ship in total. As they neared Hezhou, one patrol boat had failed to watch the channel and followed the grain transport into the right branch of Jiangxinzhou. They could no longer count on it for scouting Hezhou.

When they stopped at a fishing village west of Jiangkou, a few fishing boats were still there. The information from the fishermen was that the Roving Bandits had already taken Hezhou, but there were many conflicting rumors. Chen Rulie believed they had to go to Hezhou to confirm.

What made Tang Ershuan nervous was that this Banner Commander put on considerable airs and treated the Marine Corps like laborers. The main reason was that the Marine Corps had been established too recently — its current size was barely over a hundred men, so it had little standing in the camp. When the Army boarded ships, they could rest and recover, but the Marine Corps still had to double as oarsmen. The Water Troops on board looked down on them, and the Army looked down on them too. They were like bullied young daughters-in-law everywhere. Now, facing the highest-paid Scout Cavalry, their status was even lower. On the boat, this Banner Commander had ordered them around relentlessly. That was usually tolerable, but now, scouting deep in enemy territory, he was still making the Marine Corps take point.

The Marine Corps captain gave a dry cough and said to Chen Rulie in a humble, ingratiating tone, "Banner Commander, sir, we... we haven't trained in how to scout. Could we perhaps all go together?"

Chen Rulie's eyebrows shot up. "Lord Pang said the Marine Corps is for landing operations. Just because you haven't trained, does that mean you can't do it?! I never trained to kill anyone, but I still killed at Huoqiu!"

The Marine Corps captain was stunned by the scolding and then dejectedly shrank back. Tang Ershuan didn't know how to argue either.

The captain said quietly to the others, "We have no armor and no shields. Going up there, we can only fight with our lives. No one shrink back."

The Marine Corps soldiers nodded blankly. With that, there was no way to shirk this assignment. Tang Ershuan hurriedly tucked a short-handled axe into his waist and grabbed a seven-chi hooked spear. That was his equipment. Apart from that, he had only the clothes on his back. The short jacket had tightened cuffs, warm and convenient for work, but it offered basically no protection, because the Land Battalion had claimed all the cotton armor first.

Thinking of this, Tang Ershuan stuck a Cloud Ladder Blade into his waist as well — at least it could shield part of him.

"Marine Corps to the oars."

As the reed beds were about to end, the bowman called out. He was a coxswain who ran the grain route for the Water Camp, had been to Hezhou many times, and was quite familiar with the docks. Tang Ershuan had to set down his hooked spear and sit at an oar position, watching as the bowman lowered the sail a bit. The bowman then ordered the oarsmen to back-paddle to slow the boat.

"This last stretch has no reed cover. We need to land fast. If the docks are empty, the Marine Corps stays to guard the boats. The Scout Cavalry will follow me inland to grab someone." Chen Rulie looked up at the fading light, then waved his hand. "Land!"

"Forward paddle!" the bowman shouted, then immediately hoisted the sail.

The two small patrol boats accelerated simultaneously, racing with the current toward the docks. By now, the sky was hemp-black, and the riverbank at Hezhou was a blur.

Tang Ershuan's mouth was dry, his tongue parched. The legendary, murderous Roving Bandits were right there on that riverbank. He wished the speed would slow, that they would never arrive, but his hands and feet rowed furiously in time with the bowman's chants. The axe and Cloud Ladder Blade tucked in his waist dug painfully into his stomach.

The small patrol boat cut through the waves, speeding toward the docks. Everything was going smoothly.

Chen Rulie stood at the bow, staring intently at the riverbank. There seemed to be something in the water, but the light was poor now, so Chen Rulie paid it no mind. The docks were close. There was a faint firelight, and figures moving about.

The distance continued to close. As Tang Ershuan rowed, he stole glances toward the docks. In the firelight there, the figures seemed numerous. His heart pounded violently, and all thought emptied from his mind.

"Lower sail! Left oars stop!" the bowman shouted. Tang Ershuan hastily stopped.

Someone kicked him in the back, and the bowman roared, "I only said stop the left oars!"

Tang Ershuan realized he had mixed up the directions again and hurriedly resumed rowing. The coxswain at the back threw the tiller hard, and the bow swung sharply to port, aligning with the docks.

Thumping sounds came from the hull — hitting something, he didn't know what. Tang Ershuan didn't think about it, just watched the dark dock steps rushing toward him.

As they drew closer to the steps, a few shouts came from the shore. Tang Ershuan stole a glance at Banner Commander Chen — would he abandon the landing plan because they'd been spotted? But Chen Rulie didn't even turn his head.

"Both sides back-paddle!"

The oarsmen rowed with all their might, and the boat's speed began to drop. Several sailors picked up bamboo poles.

Chen Rulie bellowed, "Marine Corps, prepare!"

Tang Ershuan immediately dropped his oar and reached for his hooked spear. By now, figures had already appeared on the docks. Before he could even steel himself mentally, the sailors thrust their bamboo poles into the water together.

The bamboo poles groaned and bent under the strain. The boat's speed plummeted. Tang Ershuan, off balance, missed the hooked spear for a moment. The bow bumped gently against the steps and stopped. The other small patrol boat also pulled alongside, and the five additional Marine Corps soldiers on it surged out.

"Land!"

The captain roared and leaped onto the steps. The boat rocked up and down. Tang Ershuan didn't bother looking for his hooked spear anymore. He ran two steps, timed the rhythm of the boat's rocking, and jumped ashore in one stride.

Axe in hand, Tang Ershuan took the steps three at a time — thud, thud, thud — racing up as fast as he used to carry goods at the Sheng-Tang ferry.

A dark figure was right in front of him, nearly colliding with Tang Ershuan. Both were startled at the same moment. The man hurriedly tried to raise his sword. Tang Ershuan didn't think at all — he instinctively raised his axe and hacked down. Crack! It struck the man square in the forehead. The man didn't make a sound, collapsing limply to the ground. The Hezhou docks unfolded before Tang Ershuan's eyes.

It was much like the docks at Anqing. The riverfront side was lined entirely with shops. Their doors were all open, firelight flickering inside, crowded with figures.

"Kill the bastards!"

The captain's shout came from ahead. Tang Ershuan ran forward, head down, following the captain's back as they charged straight into a shopfront. Inside were more than ten people, all huddled together around a fire. They stared at the charging Marine Corps soldiers, still not grasping what was happening.

The captain wielded a Cloud Ladder Blade and stabbed at the neck of the nearest person. Chaos erupted in the room.

Tang Ershuan was right behind him, his axe swinging and hacking wildly in the cramped space. Blood sprayed through the room. Those who dodged fled shrieking out of the shop, scattering in both directions.

Shouts rose everywhere else on the docks. Hundreds of figures burst from the buildings. In the darkness, unable to grasp the situation, they fled in all directions like headless flies. The eleven Marine Corps soldiers each chased and hacked at them, making the chaos even worse.

"Grab someone, damn you!" Chen Rulie shouted from behind, but the docks had already descended into utter pandemonium, screams everywhere. Chen Rulie had never imagined that a captive-snatching operation would be turned into this by the Marine Corps.

Chen Rulie had no choice. He called over his three Scout Cavalry companions and grabbed a few fleeing people along the street — all of them old and weak. Only the tenth one they caught was a young, able-bodied man, his head wrapped in red cloth.

The sound of gongs rose from behind the docks. Chen Rulie dared not linger. This red-cloth-wrapped man would have to do as a captive. The four of them dragged the captive along as Chen Rulie blew his bamboo whistle and retreated directly down the steps.

Tang Ershuan had just hacked someone down from behind. The man's cotton clothes were very tattered. He no longer remembered how many he had cut down. His head was dazed and groggy. Those people had rarely fought back — it felt even easier than the Canal Gang brawls at the Anqing docks in the old days. He never imagined the Roving Bandits would be like this.

The bamboo whistle had been blowing for a good while before Tang Ershuan reacted. He sprinted toward the landing point. The ground was littered with corpses. At the top of the steps, Tang Ershuan tripped. Just then, two arrows came whistling from the opposite direction — swoosh, swoosh — flying right over his head.

Tang Ershuan jolted in fright, scrambled up in a panic, and fled down the steps. Seeing that the bow of the small patrol boat had already pulled away from shore, he threw himself at it without a second thought.

Splash! Tang Ershuan's legs plunged into the water, but luckily his hands caught the bow. The boat rocked violently from his lunge. Several figures on board leaned over, weapons still in their hands.

After hearing Tang Ershuan's shouts, the captain cursed and came over to drag him by the hand. By now, figures had appeared on the steps, starkly illuminated by the firelight from the shops. They shot arrows wildly into the river.

Both small patrol boats had pulled away from shore and were turning around in the river. Tang Ershuan's feet soaked in the icy river water as he hung from the bow, listening to the arrows hiss through the air — swoosh, swoosh.

Ignoring the arrows, the captain and the other Marine Corps soldiers hauled Tang Ershuan aboard. Tang Ershuan collapsed on the deck, gasping for breath, unable to speak.

"What kind of fight was that? What did I tell you? Raid the nearest shop, grab someone, and leave. You bastards went up there and just started hacking. Couldn't you at least take a look to see if they were bandits first?" Chen Rulie finished his furious scolding and asked, "Did you do a headcount?"

The captain froze. After calling out names on the deck, he stammered to Chen Rulie, "We're... we're short. Two men."

Chen Rulie flew into a rage. "We only captured one, and our own six are short two! What a damn fine battle you fought!"

At that moment, a voice came from the other small patrol boat: "We've got an extra one over here."

"Then we're still one short." Chen Rulie took a breath and looked down at the bound young bandit. At least they had something to show for it.

Seeing that Chen Rulie's mood had eased slightly, the bowman came over and said cautiously, "Banner Commander Chen, the hull hit something. It's taking on water."

Chen Rulie rubbed his forehead. This Scout Boat was even more troublesome than a scout horse. Left with no choice, he could only ask, "Can we still cross the river or not?"

The boatman hesitated a moment, then said, "Ahead there's a sandbank where fishermen usually put in. In winter it's a good place to stop. Let's head there first — once we're there, we'll find a way to patch her up."

Chen Rulie nodded, grabbed the Roving Bandit lying on the deck and hauled him up with one hand. "Tell that boat we're heading there first. At daybreak we'll cross the river and make for Dangtu to join the Grain Transport Ships."

He headed for the inner cabin as he spoke. The boatman hurriedly said, "Crossing from the sandbank puts us downstream of Dangtu…"

Without turning his head, Chen Rulie roared, "Then have the Marine Corps tow us back up!"