Chapter 580: Clear

A deafening roar erupted from the left, seven or eight streams of white smoke belching from the food stalls and instantly filling the space above the road.

The blade in the lead guard's hand on the front cart was only half-drawn when his whole body shuddered amid the roar; blood immediately gushed from the side of his chest, then he toppled headfirst to the ground, his waist saber clattering onto the stone slabs as it was pulled free.

Screams rose everywhere in the street. Several figures tumbled from horseback, and the horses, terrified by the explosions, shrieked madly and rammed their carriages into one another. Over a dozen diners burst from the food stalls, hacking at the convoy's men, while another group circled around from behind the rear wall to cut off the convoy's escape.

Panicked figures and horses darted chaotically through the white smoke; shrieks and agonized whinnies mingled in the street.

The white smoke in the street was dispersed by brandished blades. The convoy's defense collapsed in an instant. The ground ran slick with fresh blood, the wounded crawled across it, and the men in the convoy scattered in every direction.

A figure in a padded jacket and felt hat strode swiftly through the street. Cui Yongda reloaded his short musket as he walked. A north wind gusted past, white gunpowder smoke streaming around him, and a few scraps of paper rustled and tumbled across the ground.

Cui Yongda looked down. A man in a Liuhe cap lay on the ground, a hole torn through his chest from which blood pulsed out in gouts. He could no longer speak, only stare at Cui Yongda and gasp for breath. Beside him a bundle had half-spilled open onto the ground, the banknotes inside scattering out to flutter through the street on the north wind.

"Third Team, collect the goods."

Two figures ran over and swiftly gathered up the banknotes on the ground. The man lying there feebly stretched out a hand to stop them, but the two paid him no heed, picking up the tickets as if he were not there.

Cui Yongda had by now finished loading the powder and at once drew the ramrod to tamp it firm in the barrel. These short muskets had only been made after the rally to the king; the first batch produced had gone to the Dark Sentinel Battalion, and this was their first combat use. A few men had misfired earlier, but Cui Yongda's had fired true, striking the man on the front cart's front seat dead center.

The few common folk nearby fled at top speed, while farther off a crowd gathered, standing in the street to watch and point.

Three men in black bailiff's robes raised their swords and bellowed from the roadside, "Ministry of War constables seizing criminals! Clear the area!"

Cui Yongda looked out into the street. Figures were everywhere. The panicked horses bolted wildly. The mounted men among the enemy had been the first to flee; those in the carriage compartments were slower, and many still remained in the street.

Cui Yongda's eyes shifted ceaselessly over those figures. He walked slowly as he loaded the priming powder, when suddenly a figure in a woman's crouching-rabbit headdress darted out from the last carriage, a bundle also strapped across their back.

Cui Yongda immediately headed toward that person. Just then another flash of white smoke burst in the street, and amid the roar the figure stumbled and fell in fright, then scrambled up and fled outward. Next, a leather hat wielding a waist saber gave chase. Cui Yongda snapped the powder-pan cover shut with a click and quickened his pace, following behind.

This food stall stood on the outskirts of Xin'an Post Station, where the surrounding dwellings were sparse. Across the street lay a cluster of houses with wide gaps between them. Cui Yongda pursued in the direction the two had taken.

The leather hat's figure flickered in and out of sight among the houses. Several combatants darted past before his eyes, but Cui Yongda did not glance aside, his gaze locked tight on the leather hat's form.

The distance steadily closed. The leather hat vanished behind a thatched hut. Cui Yongda quickened his stride and rounded the hut. The space before him suddenly opened up — not far beyond the hut was the river channel, yet there was no sign of the leather hat.

Cui Yongda whipped his head around and moved downstream among the thatched huts. Passing a doorway he shot a swift glance inside without breaking stride. Few thatched huts remained ahead. Just as a trace of urgency crept over him, he suddenly heard a voice shouting.

"M-mercy, Lord Thousand-Years! Spare me, my lord! The silver is all here."

Cui Yongda halted. He caught his breath on the spot, then walked toward the source of the voice.

"You say this is all the silver you have on you — truly no small sum." Second Locust's voice carried a hint of panting. "Your lord asks you: what are you doing carrying all this paper when you go out?"

"I report, I report for the Thousand-Years Lord to know, these are all account registers."

"Heh-heh, trying to deceive your lord even at death's door — makes the killing all the sweeter."

The leather hat tore open the snatched bundle and pulled out a thick stack of banknotes. He flipped through them briefly, then tossed them to the ground. Then he pulled off the leather hat.

A savage grin spread across Second Locust's face. Collapsed on the ground was a gaunt-faced man in his thirties wearing a crouching-rabbit headdress. His chest heaved violently, and he stared in terror at Second Locust drawing near.

Second Locust advanced step by step. The man shrieked in panic. The grin on Second Locust's face deepened, and the blade's edge slowly neared the man's cheek.

At that moment a voice behind him said, "Let him go."

Second Locust heard the voice. He paused where he stood for a moment, then turned his head, a trace of cruel amusement still on his face. "Let him go? What for? Haven't killed anyone in so long it's stifling me to death. The shopkeeper said we could kill — there's no reason to let him walk."

Cui Yongda stepped into the thatched hut and looked at Second Locust. "What the shopkeeper said was to kill only those who resist. We came to seize wealth, not to kill people."

"This man running off with banknotes is resisting. You killed just now yourself — so you get to kill, but your lord doesn't?"

Second Locust looked at the man on the ground and suddenly raised his sword. There was a soft click. Second Locust's motion froze. He slowly turned his head to see Cui Yongda already aiming the short musket at him, the striking hammer cocked back.

"Cui, we're on assignment together. The Deputy Battalion Commander leads the team — no one said you're in charge."

"This matter happens to be mine to manage."

The sounds of slaughter and screaming around them gradually faded. From the street behind, the shouts of "Ministry of War constables seizing criminals!" rang on without pause.

Second Locust slowly turned around. The two men faced off in a cold staredown behind the crumbling thatched hut. The man on the ground half-propped himself up, not daring to move or make the slightest sound, his eyes filled with utter terror as he watched them.

Second Locust narrowed his eyes. "Cui, you only entered the Dark Sentinel Division this year. I, Second Lord, am a veteran of four years."

Cui Yongda replied evenly, "Second Lord had no choice. I am not like you — I came to join the army of my own will."

Second Locust gave a cold, nasty laugh. "For the sake of one man from an enemy house, you really mean to cross your lord?"

Cui Yongda kept the short musket aimed steadily at Second Locust. "I only carry out my own assignment. I never cross anyone — but I don't care for anyone crossing me either."

The two stood locked in a standoff for a moment. The shouts around them grew even sparser. Footsteps could be heard approaching, and then a whistle sounded outside.

Second Locust's eyes flickered. He then looked at the banknotes on the ground. "You say you're not crossing me?"

Cui Yongda's gaze held steady on Second Locust. "You and I each carry out our own assignments."

The urgent footsteps outside drew near. Second Locust slowly retreated a step, picked up the stack of banknotes from the ground, and stuffed them into his black felt boots.

The bundle stuffed full of banknotes lay discarded on the ground, beside it a scattered spread of more tickets — all in fifty-tael denominations.

Cui Yongda lowered the short musket and stepped aside from the doorway. Second Locust headed for the door. As they passed each other, Second Locust deliberately swept his short blade before Cui Yongda's eyes. Cui Yongda did not flinch in the slightest.

Second Locust let out a nasty chuckle and exited. Someone outside called out at once. Second Locust raised a hand in that direction to signal, then strode off on his own.

Cui Yongda looked at the ground. The man was trembling all over, still lying there too terrified to move. Cui Yongda put away the short musket, went over and grabbed the bundle of banknotes, then crouched down, preparing to gather the scattered tickets.

Footsteps outside reached the thatched hut. Cui Yongda said loudly, "I'm questioning a live one."

The footsteps halted. Cui Yongda picked up two of the banknotes, then suddenly stopped and slowly rose to his feet.

A patch of fifty-tael banknotes still lay on the ground. Cui Yongda looked down at the terrified man in the crouching-rabbit headdress.

The man's eyes held terror mixed with a trace of bewilderment. His right hand was splayed open, as if it could somehow ward Cui Yongda off.

Cui Yongda paused for a moment, then lifted the bundle and walked out. The man gasped for breath, staring blankly at the banknotes left on the ground.

…

Outside Xuzhou's city walls, beside the docks, stood Luo Zu Temple — the territory of the Xuzhou Canal Gang. Among the trackers and porters all along the Grand Canal, there were vast numbers of Luo Zu Sect faithful. Though the Luo Zu Sect's scriptures were deemed illegal, the local yamen, trapped in financial straits, lacked the resources to manage such popular affairs. So long as the Luo Zu Sect followers caused no trouble, the yamen had no wish to stir up a hornet's nest, and temples of this kind were left to stand as they were.

A brazier had been lit in the rear hall. The moment Cui Yongda stepped inside, he felt a wave of warmth.

Yuan Zheng was already waiting within. Seeing Cui Yongda, he said, "Have all the captives been questioned?"

"Reporting for the shopkeeper to know: two captives were questioned in total. The other side's goods were divided into ten portions and entrusted to ten couriers. Even using the latrine required groups of three. Today, five died in the street, and two more died in nearby houses. Three still escaped. This humble one did not anticipate they would split up among so many."

Yuan Zheng followed up, "Has your team tallied the goods?"

"This humble one's team captured three in total. Tallied together with the Pacification Commissioner — eighty-seven thousand in all."

After Cui Yongda finished speaking, he paused briefly. Based on the quantity the other party was carrying, the figure was indeed somewhat off. What made it most difficult for them was that three couriers had still escaped — that alone meant one hundred thousand in banknotes. As long as it stayed within the Xuzhou Silver Bank's capacity to pay, the other side's objective could not be achieved.

But for this operation, it still counted as a failure. He had thought Yuan Zheng would show anger, yet at this moment there seemed to be no particular reaction.

"Every man in the squad was searched by me and the Pacification Commissioner together. No hidden stashes or the like were discovered." Cui Yongda drew a stack from his bosom. "Reporting to the Academic Instructor, some of these appear to be fake. I am not deeply versed in banknotes, and beg you, sir, to authenticate them."

Academic Instructor was how they addressed him back in the Academy; now Yuan Zheng's official rank was already Battalion Commander.

Yuan Zheng turned his head and looked at Cui Yongda. Cui Yongda hastily lowered his head, but his expression was quite composed.

After a moment, Yuan Zheng's voice said, "Everything counted together with the Pacification Commissioner and the documents — burn it all."

Cui Yongda looked up, stunned. Yuan Zheng offered no further explanation, but continued, "The first hearing record was taken down by you. Did it say 350,000 was sent to Xuzhou?"

"I cannot quite recall clearly." Cui Yongda hesitated briefly. "The hearing records are sent to the Nanjing branch every ten days for filing. That day's record is still in Huai'an. I cannot remember clearly; it would be convenient enough to check again."

The room fell silent for a moment. After a while, Yuan Zheng said, "Checking would be good. Do not make a mistake. Once this figure is submitted, the discrepancy will be counted in the tens of thousands. This is to be reported to the Central Army Secretariat."

"I just recalled — perhaps it was 250,000."

Yuan Zheng lowered his head and looked at the floor. Cui Yongda immediately said, "Or perhaps it was still 200,000."

Yuan Zheng nodded. "In the end, the amount is what you yourself heard and recorded. Whatever it is, that is what it is. Just make sure you clarify it. You have worked hard here. Withdraw and rest for now."

"I understand." Cui Yongda raised his head and glanced at Yuan Zheng, then quietly withdrew.