Chapter 604: Meeting on the Sea

Xue Shao said: "Set other matters aside for now—first, wipe out the Japanese pirates. If we can seize money from these sea bandits to fill the imperial treasury, perhaps we can resolve the maritime ban issue."

Pan Yun: "What if we don't get any?"

Xue Shao's gaze turned deep: "Then we'll have to get money from elsewhere."

Pan Yun's eyes lit up; she probed: "For example?"

"For example, when the porridge boils, you toss in some minced meat—even if it's just a voyage, you must give everyone a taste of sweetness. Otherwise, with nothing but clear broth, even those with righteous hearts will lose heart."

Pan Yun, lost in thought, rose to chop meat.

After chopping the meat and tossing it into the pot, Pan Yun looked at the swirling meat bits in the boiling porridge and raised an eyebrow: "You want to use maritime trade to lure them, make them serve the imperial court, and wrest control from the Chen and Pu families?"

Xue Shao said: "All under heaven belongs to the Son of Heaven; every shore is his domain. There are many ways to serve the sovereign and the state—aren't these martial heroes already fighting for the nation, the people, and the emperor by exterminating pirates? Then why isn't accumulating wealth for the treasury and easing the sovereign's worries a form of loyalty and righteousness?"

Pan Yun nodded slightly: "But can you guarantee they'll truly serve? Will they obey Your Majesty's orders, and not become sea bandits or smugglers?"

Xue Shao only smiled, saying nothing.

Pan Yun knew he had the ability.

Pan Yun began pondering in her mind: she loved making money, but had little interest in commerce, and even less in smuggling.

Yet Wang Cong, her disciple's disciple—he not only had interest in commerce, but also talent. If Xue Shao could get him cleared by the emperor, maritime trade would truly be a good opportunity for him.

She set the matter aside for now, planning to speak of it after eliminating the pirates.

If Wang Cong was interested in maritime trade, she'd have to help him eliminate the Chen and Pu families first—otherwise, with such powerful rivals at his side, how could he thrive?

Even if he were as cautious and cunning as possible, he'd still be surrounded and killed.

Thinking this, Pan Yun thought of her disciple Wang Cong—wondering how he'd been lately.

No sooner had she thought this than the next day, she encountered Wang Cong on the open sea.

He arrived on a much larger ship, carrying over a hundred men and even a cannon.

Across the stretch of seawater, Pan Yun, stunned, asked Wang Cong—who was nearly hanging over the ship's rail: "Where did you get this ship?"

Wang Cong said proudly: "Rented it from the Naval Office!"

The naval markings on the ship had been painted over, to be repainted later.

This year, the imperial court didn't want war, so it didn't escalate the incident of the Japanese pirates slaughtering the coastal villages;

yet they were deeply repulsed by the massacre.

Great Ming is the suzerain; Japan is merely a minor vassal state, annually crossing the sea to pay tribute and fawn, begging the emperor's favor to obtain fine silk, porcelain, and tea—and yet they dared sneak ashore and slaughter villages, trampling the dignity of the Celestial Court beneath their feet.

Had the treasury not been utterly empty—had funding a campaign against Japan not required massive ships—the emperor would have long since snapped at this insult.

So when the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Wu Lin Alliance proposed a joint operation, the emperor granted the Naval Office full cooperation: allowing them to sail from any port, and even assigning numerous elite soldiers—ten per squad—disguised as martial artists to join the anti-pirate campaign.

Across roughly ten meters of sea, Wang Cong cupped his hands to his mouth like a trumpet and shouted: "Master Li said we needed it, and they lent it!"

Pan Yun couldn't help muttering: "What a mess of seniority…"

But she didn't correct him, shouting instead: "Where's Master Gu?"

Wang Cong pointed behind him.

A middle-aged man with a full beard, revealing only two bright eyes and a high nose bridge, stepped forward behind Wang Cong and silently locked gazes with Pan Yun across the water.

Pan Yun grinned, clasped her fists: "Master Gu, long time no see!"

Hu Jing merely gave her a slight nod.

Pan Yun wanted to speak further, but then saw Li Wenying appear behind Hu Jing—her smile vanished.

Li Wenying stared at her fixedly, longing to go over and ask seriously: what was wrong with him? Why did his smile disappear the moment he saw her?

Pan Yun clasped her fists in greeting to Li Wenying: "Master Li!"

Li Wenying gave a slight nod.

Pan Yun felt it was too dangerous to have Hu Jing and Li Wenying together.

Now, Hu Jing remained the most coveted figure in both the martial world and the imperial court—everyone wanted to find him, to possess him.

If he were discovered on the other ship, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Thinking this, Pan Yun leapt across.

Li Wenying watched as she soared like a seabird from the opposite vessel, leaping several steps to the sea's midpoint, stepping on the churning waves between the two ships, then leaping again—several bounds later, she landed inside their cabin.

Chen Wen, dressed in a dark blue round-collar narrow-sleeved martial robe, stared at her, speechless.

Li Wenying watched her silently, his expression unchanged, only asking: "What do you want?"

Pan Yun smiled sweetly: "I missed my senior disciple, and wanted to catch up with Master Li, and also ask Commander Chen about the details of the anti-pirate operation."

Li Wenying immediately turned to the young man behind him and raised an eyebrow: "You know each other?"

Pan Yun smiled sweetly: "Master Li, I knew Commander Chen long before you did."

Chen Wen stepped forward, clasped his fists: "Master Sanzhu, I'm no longer a commander—I'm just a wandering martial artist now."

Pan Yun readily adjusted: "Commander Chen, long time no see?"

Chen Wen's lips curled slightly: "Thanks to you and Master Xuanmiao's blessings, I'm doing well."

Pan Yun looked around: "Where's A Xin?"

Chen Wen called someone over.

Not only did A Xin arrive—Song Dali came too.

Knowing their squad was twenty strong, Commander Chen had brought twenty men, making twenty-one including himself.

They had set out immediately after receiving Zhang Ning's sea chart; whether due to Commander Chen's men steering or favorable winds, they had caught up—and now seemed poised to overtake them entirely and strike straight for the heart of the pirates.

Pan Yun immediately invited Chen Wen: "Commander Chen, why not send a few of your men to steer for us?"

Chen Wen glanced at their ship and realized their helmsmen were ordinary sailors, inferior to his own soldiers.

He had no objection—but…

He looked up at the wind speed and said: "We must wait for the wind to die down before we can lay the boarding planks. I'll have them slow down and follow your ship at a steady distance."

"A plank bridge? No need, I can carry you across."

Chen Wen thought of her astonishing lightness skill from earlier, hesitated a moment, then still shook his head: "Daoist Sanzhu, this is the open sea, not like rivers or lakes. You yourself can leap this distance, but carrying people isn't necessarily the same."

Pan Yun hurriedly reassured him not to be afraid, saying she could guarantee bringing everyone across safely.

Li Wenying, who had been silent all along at the side, said unhurriedly: "Hero Chen, just trust her."

Chen Wen looked at Li Wenying seriously, saw that he was in earnest, then turned his head to look at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun said with a smile: "No rush, Hero Chen can watch first."

Watch what?

Before Chen Wen could ask, Pan Yun had already grabbed Wang Cong with one hand and Hu Jing with the other, and directly charged toward the ship on the opposite side with them.

Li Wenying raised an eyebrow, watching them land safely on the ship across the way.