Chapter 631: Stay

Pan Yun's eyes sparkled: "Ishima County has a silver mine."

Xue Shao suppressed his racing heart and smiled: "How large a mine would make you this eager, to cross a thousand li and sail across the sea just for it?"

Pan Yun: "How much silver did Great Ming's state treasury earn last year?"

Xue Shao had only passed the imperial examination last year; though he had served near the Emperor for a time, he lacked the authority to review the full annual financial reports from the Ministry of Revenue. After a moment's thought, he said: "In the fifth year of Zhengtong, the Taicang Treasury received two million four hundred thirty thousand taels in silver. I estimate the total state revenue that year at about six million taels."

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly: "The silver mine in Ishima County can yield one million taels a year."

Xue Shao's heart pounded violently as he stared fixedly at Pan Yun.

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow and asked him: "Will you take it?"

Xue Shao's face turned solemn: "When heaven offers, not to take it is an act of disrespect."

Pan Yun smiled brilliantly and turned back toward the cabin.

Xue Shao hurried after her, whispering: "A silver mine isn't a treasure you can grab and leave. It requires mining—and continuous mining year after year. This land isn't within the Great Ming Realm, nor is it a tributary state like Liuqiu or Korea that depends on us. How do we take it?"

Pan Yun: "I don't know yet. We'll figure it out once we find the place. Maybe we can just buy the land outright?"

In a feudal dynasty, money can buy land.

Besides, Japan is now in political chaos, with shifting regimes—buying land is easier than ever.

Xue Shao paused, startled: "So you mean the silver mine hasn't been discovered yet? I thought we'd have to seize it by force… How did you even know about an undiscovered silver mine?"

Pan Yun: "Someone has done small-scale mining nearby, but they probably only found the edges. As for how I know there's such a vast deposit… if I told you I calculated it with my fingers, would you believe me?"

Xue Shao nodded: "I believe you."

Isn't that her profession?

Why wouldn't he believe her?

Though she hadn't actually calculated it, she was pleased by his trust—it meant she didn't have to fabricate excuses.

Like Xue Shao, her four junior disciples were equally easy to deal with.

They wouldn't press for details. When they heard Ishima County had a massive silver mine and that they'd be exploring it, they immediately became ecstatic.

They didn't ask how they'd claim the mine—right away they asked: "Will the silver mine belong to Mount Sanqing?"

Pan Yun: "You're bold to think that. I only dare imagine it belonging to Great Ming."

Seeing Miao Zhen looked disappointed: "Can't it?"

Pan Yun's mind stirred, thoughtful: "Maybe it doesn't have to be impossible."

Their eyes lit up.

Pan Yun pointed at the deck: "Don't always stay cooped up in the cabin cultivating. Sometimes, go out and walk. Buddhist disciples cross oceans to spread the Dharma—how can our Daoist disciples, who've come here by chance, do nothing?"

Seeing Miao Zhen and Tao Yanbai looked bewildered, but Wang Cong and Miao Zhen's expressions turned thoughtful. After a moment, their eyes brightened and they nodded vigorously: "Junior Master's words are profound."

So they befriended the captives on board, occasionally demonstrating Daoist arts before them, utterly enchanting the old men, women, and children.

They had already witnessed Pan Yun and the others' abilities and knew they were formidable; now seeing these four conjure objects from thin air, ignite fire with a flick, or condense fresh water, they nearly worshipped them as gods.

The four quickly surpassed Qu Le in the captives' esteem.

Yet they also liked Qu Le, seeing him as an optimistic, kind-hearted man.

And he had no scheming mind.

People without scheming minds—whether old, woman, or child—all enjoyed playing with him. Though he sometimes had a bad temper and a touch of arrogance, his heart was good.

For two days aboard the ship, all three groups got along well and lived happily.

When the ship reached the Bungo Channel, since a significant portion of the captives were from Jiuzhoudao, Pan Yun ordered the vessel to stop near Bungo County and let them disembark there.

Pan Yun still provided them with travel money.

Sixteen chose to disembark here—far fewer than Pan Yun had expected.

According to their records, thirty-four of the remaining captives were from Jiuzhoudao, meaning eighteen chose to stay aboard instead of leaving.

Pan Yun pretended not to notice, her expression unchanged, though inwardly she was delighted.

Pan Yun gave them their travel money on the spot and saw them ashore; then the ship set sail without delay.

The captives on deck watched the sixteen take their money and leap ashore, vanishing instantly into the crowd—their gratitude and trust in Pan Yun reached its peak.

By the time the ship passed the Bungo Strait and neared Honshu Island, no one chose to leave.

The remaining sixty-nine selected three representatives to approach Pan Yun, kneeling before her, begging her to take them in.

"Whether as servants, fishermen, or sailors—we'll do anything. Only beg you, noble one, to let us stay."

Pan Yun: "I seized your families. Don't you hate me?"

An old man said: "I'm a bandit. Since I took to the sea, I've known there's no right or wrong—only strength, weakness, life, and death. My son was weaker than you. He died because he lacked ability. I don't hate you."

A woman said: "I was kidnapped. I only want to live—and now, I only want to keep my daughter alive. Please, my lord, take us in. If women go ashore, they're either kidnapped again or forced into prostitution. Please take us!"

The third was a twelve-year-old boy—among pirates, anyone twelve or older could sail.

So when we raided them, those twelve and older either died in battle or were handed over to the authorities.

The only children who survived were under twelve.

This boy was lucky—he was two months shy of twelve, had never sailed on a pirate ship, and was deemed innocent during the purge, so Pan Yun brought him aboard.

He spoke for the children on board who had no parents. He knelt and pressed his forehead to the deck, earnestly saying: "We are willing to serve you."

Pan Yun shook her head: "I can't give you an answer yet. I brought you across the sea to return you home—we have no provisions or funds to support you long-term."

The three immediately offered to work for her, earning their own food.

The old man said: "We're old, but still strong. We can do many things. We have experience."

The woman: "We can clean, mend clothes, and now we've learned to fish. If you don't think it bad luck to have women aboard, we're willing to go out fishing."

The child: "We'll grow slowly, get stronger. We'll become your sharpest, most loyal blades."

Pan Yun's lips curled slightly, and then she agreed to keep them.

Gao Zhiming and the others standing nearby looked puzzled: "Is this your goal? But why keep a group of Japanese pirates' families?"