Chapter 597: Suppression of Bandits

Song Xuan of Hengshan Sect is a woman; she and her senior brother entered first and saw Pan Yun, then Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He.

She couldn't help but laugh: "Whose disciple is this?"

Pan Yun heard and turned back, her eyes flickering with astonishment.

She was a woman around twenty, strikingly beautiful, holding a sword, her red robes making her face appear snow-white.

Unlike the red gauze worn by Xiao Hong and Sister Hong Yan, her red robe was cinched at the waist, slender as a fistful, standing there like a kapok flower on a cliff—strong yet dazzling.

Pan Yun felt that even if this banquet revealed nothing, meeting her was worth the journey.

Pan Yun smiled and bowed: "I am Pan Yun of Mount Sanqing, also known as Pan Sanzhu."

"Pan Sanzhu?" The other paused: "Are you by any chance the same Pan Sanzhu from Long Hushan who helped suppress bandits in Quanzhou last year?"

"That is I."

Song Xuan burst into delight and stepped forward quickly: "So you're the young hero!"

Last year's Quanzhou剿匪 battle made several names famous, but the most talked-about were naturally Master Xuanmiao of Sanqing Mountain and Li Jih and Qu Le of the Wu Lin Alliance.

Yet beyond them, the one most intriguing and watched was actually Pan Sanzhu of Long Hushan.

After that battle, at least seven out of ten storytellers along the southern coast were telling her story.

By the time the tales reached inland, they had changed shape; Song Xuan didn't know which version she'd heard, but she held Pan Sanzhu in high esteem.

She sat right beside Pan Yun, pushing Qu Le away.

By the end of the meal, Pan Yun had learned little, but she had become friends with Song Xuan; they agreed that when they fought together, they would walk side by side, watching each other's backs.

Xue Shao blended in better than Pan Yun; by the time they rose from the table, he was utterly drunk, and Tao Yanbai and Xi Jin half-carried, half-supported him out.

But after walking a stretch toward the guest mansion, the drunken ones scattered in groups; Chen Lan and others on their path fell far behind, and in the dark, Xue Shao pushed both of them aside and stood steady himself.

Tao Yanbai was startled: "You were faking drunk!"

Xue Shao smiled at him.

Xi Jin said: "Of course we fake it—can't let them actually get us drunk; these people aren't worth our master getting drunk for."

Pan Yun asked him: "What did you find out?"

Xue Shao shook his head slightly: "I only sensed the Chen family is courting us; among our table, the brothers value the three from the漕帮 the most."

Pan Yun mused: "Years ago, tea and silk mostly traveled by land, but since someone began smuggling salt via the漕帮, transporting moisture-sensitive goods like tea and silk by water has grown common."

Xue Shao nodded slightly: "Moreover, southern goods go north, northern goods go south—rich and poor alike choose water routes, so the漕帮's intelligence network rivals even the Beggar's Sect."

Qu Le beside them: "What do you mean?"

Seeing Miao Zhen glanced at him: "It means the Chen brothers threw this banquet to befriend the漕帮—for profit."

Pan Yun: "If it's only for profit, that's better."

Qu Le: "If not for profit, then what else could it be?"

Pan Yun shot him a look: "I don't know—just warn you: don't wander off. Stay close to me, especially you—you're our golden treasure."

Qu Le felt no sense of being a golden treasure; not just Pan Yun's disciples, even Xue Shao, whom he'd just met, treated him indifferently—how was he a golden treasure?

Not just them—even Li Wenying and others who knew his importance treated him no differently than other disciples.

They only added one extra reminder when leaving: "Stay close to Pan Yun. Don't wander off."

As if he were a seven- or eight-year-old child who'd run off and get snatched by child traffickers the next moment.

Qu Le hated this feeling. He silently gathered his strength, determined to make them look at him differently during this剿匪.

Last year he had already gained fame, but whenever people mentioned him, their tone was always odd.

Tonight's banquet was worse—even Tao Yanbai, who'd just entered the martial world, received polite greetings from others; when it came to him, their tone always felt strange.

The order came quickly—faster than Pan Yun expected.

The very next morning after the banquet, Li Wenying summoned them all and ordered Zhang Weiyi and Zhang Ning of the Wu Lin Alliance to lead them in suppressing a sea bandit group called Jin Sha.

Their large force totaled one hundred: fifteen Daoist Priests, eighty-five martial artists.

Pan Yun's small squad was among them.

Xue Shao and Xi Jin somehow slipped in and were also assigned to this group.

Moreover, he wasn't just assigned—he was personally brought by Li Wenying and handed directly to Pan Yun.

Pan Yun stared at the hand placed in her palm, expressionless, then looked up at Li Wenying.

!

Li Wenying smiled at her: "You two are already acquainted…"

Pan Yun withdrew her hand; Xue Shao's hand dropped: "Not acquainted."

Xue Shao suppressed a laugh and looked at Li Wenying too.

Li Wenying: …

He took a deep breath and forced a bright smile at Pan Yun: "Even if not acquainted, there's history—come, come, let's properly introduce ourselves: this is Xue… a Provincial Graduate, single name Shao; he is the nephew-grandson of Zhang Yuanzhu."

Pan Yun froze, staring sharply at Xue Shao: "You… you're related to Zhang Yuanzhu?"

Xue Shao nodded: "Yes, but my uncle-grandfather took the Dao and we haven't seen each other in years—I never expected Mr. Li to recognize me at once."

Pan Yun lowered her voice: "Since the imperial court has infiltrated agents, why didn't you join them?"

Xue Shao lowered his voice too: "I'm a Censor. Officials mingling with officials is pointless—and they're not necessarily safer than sea bandits."

Pan Yun, thinking of his identity and character, looked at him with pity: "By the way, you've been out for a while—have you…"

Xue Shao remained calm: "Investigated one Department Magistrate, removed two county magistrates, and submitted a memorial impeaching the Ministry of Revenue—nothing much, nothing much."

Pan Yun retracted her shocked expression, then doubted: "That's all?"

Xue Shao paused, then said: "Also confiscated two households: one local gentry family, whose son works as a Physician in the Ministry of Works; one merchant family, with no officials—because they colluded with local gangs, killing and looting to seize business. That's all."

Pan Yun stared at him silently.

Xue Shao said earnestly: "Truly, that's all."

Pan Yun sighed. "It's a wonder you've survived this long. Fine, I'll bring one extra."

Xue Shao laughed, cupped his fists, and said, "Many thanks for Daoist Sanzhu's protection."

Li Wenying let out a breath—two heavy burdens off his shoulders, he felt light all over. Smiling, he said, "All right, once you're there you must follow orders. Off you go. If you're late, the good spots on the boat will be taken."

Pan Yun snorted to herself, tugged Xue Shao along, and said, "Speaking of which, we've known each other so long and I still don't know how good your Wu Gong is."

Xue Shao: "Nowhere near yours."

"I know that. There's hardly anyone here who can match me."

(End of chapter)