Chapter 288: Chaos in the City

The magistrate's yamen was already packed with people. The heads of the constables and runners, a squad commander from the city garrison, and the leaders of the local militia and village braves had all arrived.

"Squad Commander Liang is already up on the wall keeping watch. Over four hundred brothers are up there now. We ask the magistrate to arrange food supplies. The stones and lime for the wall top still aren't fully ready, and the pots for boiling water haven't been requisitioned either. We urge the magistrate to hurry these along." One squad commander spoke in a booming voice. His rank was far below the magistrate's, but since there was no direct chain of command between them, he didn't bother much with formalities.

He finished speaking with a cupped-fist salute, but there was no reaction from above. The people who had been murmuring amongst themselves looked over and saw Magistrate Tong sitting there in a daze, his face pale. He was muttering to himself, and his words were clearly audible below: "How did they come to this side?" "How do they have boats?"

Magistrate Tong's demeanor made everyone below look grim. The Advisor Wang beside him remained relatively normal. Head Constable Chen Wu shot Advisor Wang a meaningful glance. Advisor Wang understood and leaned in to whisper a couple of sentences into Magistrate Tong's ear, accidentally bumping him in the process.

Magistrate Tong jolted as if shocked and finally snapped out of it, staring blankly at the people below. Advisor Wang frowned and hurriedly leaned in again to repeat what he had just said.

"Yes, yes, this official will arrange it immediately. Supplies will certainly be ample. After this is over, there will be generous rewards for the troops. The safety of this city is entrusted to Squad Commander Wang and Squad Commander Liang." Magistrate Tong spoke incoherently in rapid succession.

The expressions of everyone in the room turned odd. Everyone on the official side in the city knew that Squad Commander Wang disliked it when people used his surname together with his rank, because it sounded like "bastard turtle." Those of lower rank called him Sir Wang, while those of higher or equal rank simply called him Old Wang.

As soon as Magistrate Tong finished, Squad Commander Wang let out a cold snort, gave a stiff cupped-fist salute, turned around, and left to make arrangements. The moment Squad Commander Wang was out the door, Magistrate Tong sat there and started zoning out again. Advisor Wang was just about to bend down and remind him when Magistrate Tong snapped to his senses, stood up, and bellowed, "What are you all still doing here? Get to the wall, now! If anyone slacks off even a little, this official will punish him severely! Go!"

Head Constable Chen Wu, however, stepped forward two paces, cupped his fists, and said, "Your Excellency, the troops in the city are led by the two squad commanders. The constables and runners are led by me. The assembled militia and civilian braves also need someone appointed to command them. To make it easier for Your Excellency to direct them, I request that Your Excellency appoint Zhao Zhentang as their commander. He comes from a military background and has the experience!"

"Fine, fine, do as you say. Mister Wang, go draft the document and affix the seal, affix the seal!" When Magistrate Tong had faced Adjutant Zhou, he had still been able to keep his composure. When discussing matters with Honorary Licentiate Yang, he had even seemed confident and assured. But now that the crisis was actually upon him, he was utterly panicked and bewildered, agreeing to whatever anyone said.

Head Constable Chen Wu quickly bowed, then called over the leader of the civilian braves standing nearby. This leader was named Gao Hongyuan, the brother-in-law of Adjutant Zhou. He ran a freight depot in the city that did business exclusively with the garrison. He was in his thirties and usually enjoyed practicing with weapons. This time, when the militia and civilian braves were being assembled, Gao Hongyuan had enthusiastically contributed, sending nearly twenty men from his own relatives and employees. Given his connections, everyone had pushed him to take charge.

"Shopkeeper Gao, having Old Zhao come over isn't about seizing power; it's so we can all pull in the same direction. I ask for your understanding." Chen Wu spoke very politely.

Although Gao Hongyuan had an adjutant for a brother-in-law, he knew what was what. He knew even better who this Old Zhao, Zhao Zhentang, was. Though Zhao held no official rank, his weight was more than sufficient. Since the other party was being polite, Gao Hongyuan quickly smiled and replied, "It's all for defending the city and everyone's safety. Head Constable Chen is too polite. I will follow all arrangements."

Chen Wu, all smiles as well, took his leave of Magistrate Tong and led Gao Hongyuan to the constabulary. The constabulary was in an uproar. Constables and runners were all gathered there, some murmuring in low voices, others cursing incessantly. Zhao Zhentang sat off to one side with a grim face. As soon as Chen Wu entered, Zhao Zhentang stood up.

"All of you, settle down! Yesterday, not a single one of you was sick or injured, so don't try any tricks with me today. Those who haven't shown up, go tell them this: if I don't see them before noon, don't bother working in this constabulary ever again. Understood?" Chen Wu roared at the top of his lungs.

Silence fell over the constabulary. Everyone nodded. Chen Wu spoke again: "All our families and property are inside this city. If those bandits outside get in, everything is finished. No one try any shirking or scheming during this defense."

"Don't worry, Chief! None of us are cowards! We've got blades in our hands too!" someone shouted back from the crowd, and everyone roared in agreement.

"Old Zhao, you and Shopkeeper Gao will coordinate the civilian braves together. Our runners and the braves must be woven into a single rope." Chen Wu gave further instructions. Naturally, no one objected to this. Gao Hongyuan smiled and nodded at Zhao Zhentang, and the two exchanged a cupped-fist greeting.

"Head Constable, there are already thugs looting on the streets. The city is starting to descend into chaos. Shouldn't we send the brothers to stabilize the city first? Otherwise, a major disaster will break out," Zhao Zhentang said urgently.

Chen Wu nodded, his face filled with murderous intent. He said viciously, "These scum and lowlifes, picking now of all times to cause trouble! Old Xie, Old Yu, take the mounted brothers out onto the streets. Any looters you see, cut their heads off on the spot! I'll take responsibility for whatever happens!"

The two men called upon roared their assent and strode out quickly. Chen Wu began assigning tasks. There were several dozen salaried constables and runners in the city, plus over a thousand unofficial runners. However, these men all had their own duties, and not everyone could wield a blade or a staff. Counting even those who could only make up the numbers, there were roughly four to five hundred men. The civilian braves were quite numerous. Xuzhou had a flourishing martial culture, and in such an urgent moment, without the authorities even needing to forcibly conscript, several thousand able-bodied young men had gathered. But so many people couldn't all be piled onto the city wall. Some had to handle transport, others had to guard the city gates. These details would be left for the military officers to arrange.

The dense sound of hoofbeats echoed through the city streets. The looting thugs had no ability to resist; they couldn't even run away. The mounted constables showed no mercy, riding them down and striking directly with blades and clubs, sending the thugs straight to the Western Paradise in an instant.

The north and east of the city were mostly wealthy households. These mansions and estates had all gathered their able-bodied young men, so the looters couldn't gain any advantage there. The shops and trading houses in the west of the city suffered quite a bit. Furthermore, the mounted constables received word as soon as they left the yamen that the most chaotic part of the city was the south. The southern district was a mess, a gathering place for all sorts of riffraff from every walk of life. Moreover, there were many humble households with little ability to resist. Although they were poor and looting them wouldn't yield much profit, they were easy targets, and many small gains could add up. Every time trouble broke out, it was these common folk who suffered.

Yet the mounted constables and runners had to clear the north of the city first, then the east, then the west, and only lastly the south. If they got the order wrong, their jobs might not be so secure.

Some of the softer-hearted mounted constables, seeing columns of smoke rising everywhere in the southern district from horseback, couldn't help but sigh. By the time they managed to get over there, who knew how many households would have already met with disaster.

The Black Tiger Temple in the southern district had originally been an unremarkable place. Ever since Zhao Jin had crushed Copper Head and propped up Chen Ergou, this place had become one of the centers of the southern district. Quite a few people from the marketplace and the underworld came and went. The residents in the surrounding area had all moved away, and Chen Ergou had bought up their properties for very little silver. Chen Ergou might not have been good at much else, but he had a real knack for business. He didn't keep those houses and yards; he tore them all down, creating a huge open space, and invited people to set up stalls and do business.

Ordinary peddlers didn't dare come to territory belonging to the underworld, and besides, a broken-down place like Xuzhou didn't offer much commercial opportunity anyway. But for fencing stolen goods and transactions that couldn't easily be done in the open, this place was perfect. In less than two months, people were even coming from Pi County. Chen Ergou took his cut and made a tidy fortune. The place even earned itself a name: the "Black Tiger Market."

With the situation inside and outside the city today, the Black Tiger Market naturally couldn't open for business. But even without the usual crowds, the place was still packed with people.

Anyone familiar with the Xuzhou underworld who looked at the crowd gathered at the Black Tiger Market would notice that practically every figure of any name in the city's underworld was present. The few dozen men standing in front of the Black Tiger Temple gate, however, didn't look like underworld types. The young man leading them wore a short robe and carried a sheathed sword. The famously notorious Chen Ergou and Butcher Li both treated him with the utmost deference.

"Everyone, all the city gates are now closed, yet there are looters inside the city taking advantage of the chaos. Our task is to eliminate these thieves, then each of you must guard your areas with your lives. We absolutely cannot allow chaos to erupt inside the city!" the sword-carrying young man declared loudly.

"... Among Master Jin's Little Eight Righteous Ones, this one originally contended with Chen Da for the second-in-command seat. But now he's pursuing scholarly honors, so he stayed in the city and has grown distant..."

"... He's still in charge of matters inside the city..."

The crowd below murmured amongst themselves. This young man was, of course, Wang Zhaojing. As soon as word of the refugees crossing the river came, he first arranged for Uncle He to summon the household guards and able-bodied servants for self-defense. Then he went personally to the Zhao household and asked the family guards to escort He Cuihua and a few servants to take temporary shelter at the Wang residence. Once that was settled, he went to the freight yard, mobilized all the hands there, and arranged the guards for the distillery. After doing all this, Wang Zhaojing brought twenty household guards to the Black Tiger Temple and had Chen Ergou summon all the underworld figures of any significance.

When Wang Zhaojing finished speaking, the gang leaders didn't respond as expected. Instead, they looked at each other, and someone even muttered sarcastically from the back, "At a prime time like this, our brothers are supposed to just watch other people get rich? Aren't we fools then?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the already restless Black Tiger Market immediately erupted into commotion. Everyone began chattering at once. Chaos in the city and looting were prime opportunities for local thugs and riffraff to make a fortune. Yet now, at this very moment, they had been called here. Seeing that familiar faces hadn't shown up, they all felt regret, thinking the smart ones had gone off to get rich. Moreover, this Wang Zhaojing rarely appeared before everyone and had the air of an aristocratic scholar. They felt even less respect or awe for him.

The reaction from below made Wang Zhaojing's face turn ashen. He raised his voice and said coldly, "Brother Zhao Jin has authorized me to manage matters inside the city. My words carry his intent. Who among you dares disobey?"

The mention of Zhao Jin's name silenced the crowd for a moment, but then someone immediately shouted back, "There are a hundred thousand bandits outside the city! Zhao Jin can't even get into the city, and who knows if he's dead or alive! You bookworm, stop waving a tiger skin as a banner! Who are you trying to scare?"

The crowd fell silent for another instant, then erupted into noisy clamor. Reminded by those words, everyone came to their senses. With so many refugees outside, the Zhao Camp had at most a few hundred people—utterly insignificant, nothing more than a tiny boat in a storm, about to capsize and be destroyed completely. Since that was the case, what did they have left to fear?

Wang Zhaojing shot a glance at Chen Ergou and Butcher Li beside him. Both men wore bitter smiles but made no move. Whatever they might be thinking in their hearts, these two leaders of the city's underworld clearly intended to stay out of it entirely.

The open ground of the Black Tiger Market grew more and more chaotic. The crowd was worked up, looking ready to scatter and begin a massive looting spree across the city. Wang Zhaojing's face flushed red. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and suddenly roared, "Who said that outrageous nonsense?!"

"I did!" A fat, burly man answered defiantly. The man held a two-foot short knife in his hand—whether for butchering pigs or something else was unclear. His shirt was open, revealing his hairy chest. Two scars marked the left side of his face, giving him a very vicious look. A dozen or so young toughs stood around him.

"... Isn't that Iron Tower An..."

"... He sure picked the right moment. If he raises his banner today, plenty of people will follow..."

Quiet murmurs came from the crowd. The burly man heard them too. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he bellowed, "All you men, all you brothers, the time has come for us to be our own masters! Follow me, Iron Tower, and get rich! When we break into a compound, I, Iron Tower, only take forty percent. The rest is for everyone's hard work! Don't be afraid of anything! With so many bandits outside, who cares about the old rules? Anyone who does is a damn fool!"

Wang Zhaojing said nothing. He strode toward Iron Tower An. The household guards behind him, having received no orders, simply waited in silent formation. Seeing Wang Zhaojing approach, Iron Tower An stopped his shouting and said disdainfully, "Stop meddling in other people's business. If you know what's good for you, go home and hide. When we men break into compounds and get rich, we won't bother with you!"

At Iron Tower An's words, the young men around him all jeered in agreement. Wang Zhaojing kept walking forward. Iron Tower An nervously raised his short knife and said viciously, "Don't refuse a toast only to be forced—"

Before he could finish, a miserable scream rang out. The knife clattered to the ground as his knife-hand jerked back, a bloody gash already cut across it. His scream had barely escaped his lips when Wang Zhaojing charged before him. The narrow-bladed longsword left its scabbard and thrust forward with lightning speed, piercing straight through Iron Tower An's throat before whipping back out just as fast.

Blood sprayed out. Iron Tower An clutched his throat, eyes bulging wide, making gurgling sounds, and collapsed face-down onto the ground. Only then did the man beside Iron Tower An react, raising his axe. Wang Zhaojing moved faster. He pivoted, shifted his stance, and the drawn longsword backhanded into the man's neck, instantly cutting halfway through. Blood gushed wildly, splattering everyone nearby. On the other side, another man roared and drew a dagger, but before he could even thrust, Wang Zhaojing's body had already turned. His arm bent and extended, and the longsword stabbed into the man's mouth and burst out through the back of his skull. He was dead on the spot.

Only then did the people splattered with blood react. Feeling the warm, wet blood on their faces and smelling the stench of gore, they screamed instinctively and scrambled backward, trying to get as far away from Wang Zhaojing as possible.

Looking at the three corpses before Wang Zhaojing, the Black Tiger Market fell deathly silent. That refined, scholarly young gentleman from a prestigious family had, in the blink of an eye, become drenched in blood and looked like a god of slaughter.

"Disobey the Zhao Camp's words, and death is the only outcome. Any more useless talk, and I'll slaughter every last one of you!" Wang Zhaojing swept his gaze around and spoke with vicious ferocity.

After he finished, Wang Zhaojing raised his arm. The twenty household guards standing at attention immediately leveled their long spears, the spearheads glinting coldly. Everyone felt the dense, murderous aura and hurriedly retreated further. No one dared make a sound.

"... This young master also fought battle after battle alongside Master Jin..."

"... The Zhao Camp still has over a hundred men inside the city..."

At this, everyone finally came to their senses. Wang Zhaojing turned his head to look at Chen Ergou and Butcher Li. Both men were bowing hurriedly with ingratiating smiles. Butcher Li even started shouting, "All of you, get the hell to your posts and keep watch! These are your neighbors and fellow townsfolk—how the hell can you bear to harm them? Move, move!"

"These brats remember the beating but not the lesson! Leave them unsupervised for too long, and they forget who they belong to!" Chen Ergou's words weren't slow either.

Wang Zhaojing swept a cold glare over the two of them and simply said, "Follow my orders, and do it fast. Otherwise, no matter what happens outside the city, I can still wipe out your entire families!"

Chen Ergou and Butcher Li shuddered and hurried over to shout orders and make arrangements. Neither of them noticed that a few men who had been standing behind them moments ago gave Wang Zhaojing a subtle nod and withdrew their hands from inside their clothes.

Wang Zhaojing's expression was grim and cold. Always fastidious, he now ignored the bloodstains on his body and simply led his men deeper into the southern district. Maintaining order didn't just mean sending others to do the job—he had to personally oversee it as well.

After walking three streets, they ran into seven gangsters working together, just coming out of a residence with bundles on their backs. Women were wailing inside the courtyard. When the gangsters saw Wang Zhaojing's squad, before they could even figure out what was happening, the spears were already thrust right up to them, stabbing straight through with a bone-chilling cold.

After patrolling for a little over half a shichen, Wang Zhaojing's squad had already killed four groups. But the southern part of the city, which had been in noisy chaos just moments ago, was now considerably quieter. The men from Black Tiger Market had already begun maintaining order as instructed.

Wang Zhaojing only felt the sunlight was unbearably glaring. He looked around and felt everything was utterly unfamiliar. The king's law in the city — how had the king's law suddenly vanished?

The news that the refugees had boats to cross the river and reach the southern bank was known at He Village no later than inside the city. Zhao Jin had long since placed scouts by the river, and any news would be reported back immediately. The various villages and settlements around Xuzhou's prefectural seat received the news just as quickly, because the sentries stationed inside the city had no way to enter and could only scatter and flee, naturally spreading the news along the way. The entire Xuzhou region began to stir into turmoil.

Before the so-called "hundred thousand refugees" crossed the river, Zhao Jin had already prepared contingency plans, believing he could calmly handle any situation that arose. But when the moment came, it left him utterly dumbfounded.

For the nine villages in the joint defense alliance with He Village, Zhao Jin already had arrangements. A small portion of the able-bodied militia would stay behind to guard, while the majority of the villagers would go take refuge at the Xiao Mountain Lower Court of Cloud Mountain Monastery. Under these circumstances, although the Zhao Battalion's strength was limited, its mobility and such were sufficient — they could still run in time.