Chapter 624: Eavesdropping

No bed, moonlight streamed through the window, casting a faint glow over them, blurring their forms in the hazy light.

But when Xue Shao turned back, she could clearly see the calm in her eyes.

Xue Shao knew that at this moment, A Xin and Wang Cong were guarding outside the house.

"Are you so certain they'll act tonight?"

Pan Yun: "What a perfect opportunity—warm invitation, just when we're most relaxed and know nothing about this place."

After a pause, Xue Shao said: "Draining the pond to catch all the fish is not the mark of true wisdom."

Pan Yun: "If they had your breadth of mind and wisdom, they wouldn't still be this poor despite holding such an excellent port."

Thinking of Quanzhou Port's faded glory, Pan Yun swallowed the harsher words.

Forget it—if we're comparing the right places and people, they're not much better off themselves.

In the silence, the sound of a blade being drawn came from outside, followed by a "meow"—the blade halted halfway out of its sheath.

Pan Yun and Xue Shao turned their heads toward the door, but a cat's head poked out from the window, then slipped in with three quick leaps.

The two turned back and stared at it in silence.

Pan Xiaohei jumped down from the window and exhaled a soft puff of cat breath: "They have ninjas."

Pan Yun: "Did you hear what they were saying?"

Pan Xiaohei: "Don't you care about me? Don't you ask if I was spotted or hurt?"

Pan Yun was startled but showed no expression; she picked it up and cradled it close, gently stroking its soft little head: "My fault—I thought you were so skilled, those ninjas couldn't possibly spot you. You were frightened, weren't you?"

Pan Xiaohei was pleased and satisfied, then shook its head: "They've teamed up with someone named Ichiro Taro. From their conversation, Ichiro Taro doesn't want to just attack outright—he wants to talk to you, turn this into a long-term business. But Chosoibei Shigeru and Benshan Yousun believe that since you intend to operate elsewhere, you'll inevitably be drawn to other prosperous places, and Kōchi Prefecture can't hold you.

Since they can't hold you, better to strike big—take your people and cargo all at once. Across the sea, you're pirates who prey on pirates; no one will come looking, and if they do, we won't fear them."

Pan Yun stroked its head and sighed: "This sea is truly wonderful~~"

Pan Xiaohei shook off her hand: "They plan to strike after midnight, when everyone's deepest asleep and the night is darkest."

"Then let's rest quickly," Pan Yun released it and called toward the window: "Rest well to be ready for action."

Outside, Chen Liutao, Qu Zhixing, and others turned and returned to their rooms.

A Xin turned too, saw Wang Cong standing still, and tugged him: "Come on."

Wang Cong dawdled until the door behind him opened and Xue Shao stepped out—only then did he lean on A Xin's shoulder and quicken his pace: "Come on, come on—I've been on the ship for days, I still feel the ground swaying."

Pan Yun waved shut the window, ignoring the watchers, pulled out her blanket, and lay down.

Pan Xiaohei: "You're just going to sleep? Not pluck out those eyes outside?"

Pan Yun pulled the blanket up to her chin, yawned, and drowsily said: "Aren't they better off keeping watch for us? They won't come close enough to hear us, and we're not talking now."

Along the way, Pan Yun had scanned those hidden figures more than once, so they retreated, then retreated again, then retreated once more…

Though they'd retreated far, the ninja hiding in the trees outside the courtyard still felt Pan Yun had spotted them.

One ninja quietly slipped away to report to Benshan Yousun.

"You didn't hear what they said?" Benshan Yousun frowned, displeased.

The ninja replied in a hoarse voice: "They're extremely alert, especially that little girl leading them—whenever we get close, she turns to look. We can only watch from afar."

Benshan Yousun was deeply dissatisfied but helpless—he couldn't gauge Pan Yun's true strength.

"After tonight, no matter how skilled they are, it won't matter. There's an old Chinese saying: numbers win. We're many—we'll win!"

Pan Xiaohei didn't even want to listen—what numbers win? It's clearly "two fists can't fight four hands," and they can't even use a proper idiom.

It had said there was no need to eavesdrop, yet she insisted it go out—while she herself slept soundly inside.

Just as Pan Xiaohei was about to leave, it caught Benshan Yousun saying: "Go prepare the sleeping powder—strike both sides at midnight."

Pan Xiaohei paused, then zipped back, deliberately pressing one paw onto Pan Yun's scattered hair: "They're despicable—they're using sleeping powder."

Pan Yun, eyes closed, murmured "Mm," rolled over, and pinned Pan Xiaohei beside her, drowsily saying: "Not a bad idea—I'll borrow it. Sleep now—we've got an hour and a half left."

An hour and a half is enough to restore one's energy.

When Pan Yun woke, she felt refreshed; silently, she went to both rooms and woke everyone.

Qu Zhixing jolted awake, dagger half-drawn, only to have his arm forcibly pinned down—he finally saw it was Pan Yun.

He quietly exhaled, stood straight, and said: "Master Pan, what should we do?"

Pan Yun handed them both vials of sleeping smoke: "Go, knock out everyone in this house."

Qu Zhixing: … The Brocade Uniform Guard couldn't possibly do such a petty trick.

Qu Zhixing took the sleeping smoke with solemn face and respectfully replied: "Yes!"

Pan Yun nodded in satisfaction, turned, and left—silence was broken by a few soft thuds.

The two hurried out and saw Pan Yun dropping two black-clad figures from a tree, piling them atop two others on the ground.

Pan Yun descended from the tree, stepped from beneath its shadow into the bright moonlight, and tilted her chin at them, signaling them to move quickly.

Qu Zhixing and Chen Liutao silently scaled the wall and left—the watchers' eyes had been plucked out, so their path was smooth.

Xue Shao and the others emerged from another room; Pan Yun said: "What are you standing there for? Let's move too—Chosoibei Shigeru and Ichiro Taro have surely gone to the port. We'll raid the Benshan household first, then head to the port."

Pan Yun added with regret: "Pity we're few and unfamiliar with the terrain—if only we'd had the chance to strike their rear while Chosoibei Shigeru and Ichiro Taro took their men to the port, we could've used feint-and-attack, capture the leader first—how fun that would've been."

Xue Shao: "You don't want to kill them—using the Benshan household as a threat is enough. Don't overreach."

Pan Yun: "My teeth are strong!"

Pan Yun told Wang Cong to take out all his sleeping smoke: "We must seize the Benshan household with the fastest speed and least cost."

Wang Cong pulled the sleeping smoke from his wide sleeves as he spoke: "Little Master, we made little of this—once used, we won't have any left…"

"The Benshan household has medicinal herbs—we'll make more later using their supplies," Pan Yun snatched them, swiftly divided them, then clapped her hands: "Each of you, take care—I'm going to capture the leader."

(End of Chapter)