Chapter 627

She wouldn't open her mouth—what if heaven counted this as her karmic debt?

Since she boarded the ship to suppress pirates, her spiritual realm had been flashing incessantly with entries and deductions of merit, like a scrolling screen.

Watching the merit bar continuously shrink, Pan Yun knew that deductions far outweighed gains at present.

Yet she was confident—once the results of the pirate suppression spread among the people, she would receive massive merit, as she had last year.

Still, even with full confidence in the future, Pan Yun now saved every bit she could; evil deeds were best left to others to do.

Pan Yun stared at Xue Shao.

Xue Shao: …

He hadn't thought it mattered, but with her push, her refusal, and now this stare, Xue Shao's heart tightened involuntarily; he paused before saying, "Do your Brocade Uniforms really need to ask others such questions?"

Chen Liutao and Qu Zhixing: … They hated people like this most—like all evil deeds were what the Brocade Uniforms willingly did.

It was clearly they who wanted to do it but wouldn't say so, shoving it onto the Brocade Uniforms, who then had no choice but to carry it out.

The Brocade Uniforms' reputation has been ruined by these hypocrites, these false righteous Daoist Priests.

Xue Shao raised an eyebrow: "Hmm?"

"Understood."

The two responded in low voices, then turned to threaten others.

They were truly skilled at this—after chopping off one of Chōsōkabe Shigeru's fingers and stabbing his son once, both Chōsōkabe Shigeru and Ichijō Tarō gave in, sending one of their sons with two retainers home to fetch money and goods.

As they saw them off, Qu Zhixing threatened: "You'd better behave. Otherwise, we won't mind wiping out your two families before we leave—you saw last night how easy it is for us to kill you."

Neither young master dared even consider resistance, because all their retainers and household servants were held captive by Benshan.

Even if they wanted to counterattack, they had no manpower to spare.

And Pan Yun's group's abilities had genuinely terrified them—last night's battle had been fierce, their men dead or wounded, yet not a single opponent had been injured.

The blow to them was immense.

The two young masters returned with their retainers to gather money and goods.

Pan Yun, meanwhile, studied the sea chart she'd taken from Benshan's home; after staring for a while, she gasped: "After all this time, I finally understand—this isn't an island of Japan, it's an island of Ryukyu!"

Xue Shao immediately came over to look: "Indeed, it's Ryukyu."

Pan Yun clicked her tongue twice, then slapped the sea chart against Benshan Yousun's head: "What a wild ambition you have."

Benshan Yousun knelt on the ground, his head bobbing with each blow, nearly touching the floor.

Pan Yun leaned in and asked him: "So, you want to seize the Ryukyu Islands? By official means—or as a pirate?"

Xue Shao urged her: "Stick to the matter at hand."

Pan Yun could only fall silent and asked him: "Tell me, how do you get from here to Shimane Prefecture on Honshu?"

Benshan Yousun looked up: "Chūgoku region?"

This China is not that China.

In Wa, Great Ming is called Great Ming, Tang Land, sometimes respectfully referred to as the Superior Nation or Great State, occasionally also as Zhonghua or China.

But when Benshan Yousun says "Chūgoku region," he means the five western prefectures of Honshu, derived from their legal administrative divisions, meaning "Central Country."

Because this region lies precisely between Kyoto (Kin'oku) and Kyushu (En'oku).

Good—now we have Kin'oku, Chūgoku, and En'oku.

Pan Yun, as if struck by a thought, rolled her eyes and nodded: "Yes, I'm going to Chūgoku region—how can I bypass the Ōuchi clan's spies?"

"How can you possibly bypass the Ōuchi clan's spies if you're going to Shimane Prefecture?" Benshan Yousun said. "Shimane is Ōuchi territory."

Ichijō Tarō, who had been silent as a chicken, suddenly lifted his head: "I know how to avoid their spies."

Pan Yun turned to Ichijō Tarō, met his gaze, and smiled brightly: "Oh? Tell me in detail, Ichijō-kun?"

Benshan Yousun and Chōsōkabe Shigeru stared at him in disbelief.

Ichijō Tarō acted as if he saw nothing, his expression calm: "I know a route where the Ōuchi clan's control is lax; we can disguise the ship and pass through."

Pan Yun asked: "How do you disguise it?"

Ichijō Tarō immediately crawled forward on his knees and bowed deeply to Pan Yun: "If the noble one requires it, the Ichijō family will spare no effort—the noble one may use our family's name to pass through and land."

Pan Yun: "A name alone won't be enough."

Ichijō Tarō: "I am willing to accompany the noble one aboard, at your command."

Pan Yun immediately stepped forward to help him up, laughing heartily: "No wonder you're the only one who wants to do business with me—clever! Fine, then I'll rely on you, Ichijō-kun."

Benshan Yousun and Chōsōkabe Shigeru remained kneeling on the ground.

The two: …

They glared at Ichijō Tarō.

Ichijō Tarō felt a chill run through him.

Only these three knew about this—during the secret meeting, even the shinobi had kept their distance. How did Pan Yun know?

It couldn't have been Benshan Yousun who told her; Chōsōkabe Shigeru had no chance to speak, nor would he have. She… truly is inscrutable.

Ichijō Tarō, ever cautious of his life, became even more deferential—even after his ropes were loosened, he still stood hunched over.

Pan Yun was satisfied; Qu Zhixing rushed in to report: "Daoist Pan, Mr. Xue… the Chōsōkabe and Ichijō families have delivered the goods."

"They're quick."

Pan Yun and the others went to inspect the goods, graciously leaving the three alone.

No sooner had she left than, despite Seeing Miao Zhen watching the hall, Benshan Yousun and Chōsōkabe Shigeru immediately turned on Ichijō Tarō: "What are you trying to do? Why abandon us?"

Ichijō Tarō protested: "I didn't abandon you—we're all just trying to survive!"

Ichijō Tarō still felt wronged, complaining: "I said from the start we should do business with them—you insisted on raiding people…"

"Shut up! The busiest maritime trade areas are Kyushu and western Honshu—we on Shikoku only get goods that have passed through several hands; ships rarely dock directly on Shikoku. This rare chance—if she only wanted to stop here, we'd gladly do business with her. But you heard her—she's leaving for somewhere else the moment she lands! Clearly, she won't stay here!"

Once she reaches Kyushu and Honshu, will she ever come back to Shikoku? Don't even dream it! Since it's a one-time deal, why not make it a big one? We won't even have to pay a single coin!

Ichijō Tarō said sarcastically, "True, you don't have to pay, but do you actually have any money left?"

Benshan Yousun's face flushed red, and he bellowed at the top of his lungs, "That's because our plan wasn't airtight—she found out. If we tried again…"

Seeing Miao Zhen's ears were ringing from his shouting. She couldn't help but pick at her ear and replied, "Even if you tried again, it'd be the same. You really underestimate my Little Martial Uncle and the rest of us."

The three people in the center of the main hall stiffened and turned their heads toward her in unison: "Y-you can speak Japanese?" (End of chapter)