Chapter 450: The Big Brother in Pi City

This time there was no resistance at all. The guards obediently dropped their weapons. The sudden attack just moments ago had shown them this "Xuzhou Guard Salt Patrol" unit's willingness to kill. If no one had shouted a warning, they might well have been slaughtered to the last man.

The steward's face had gone completely white. The Feng family's banner actually meant nothing here—Xuzhou truly was a lawless place. One note from his master to the yamen, and every one of you bastards would be in serious trouble. He thought this, but still obediently knelt on the ground, not daring to say another word.

The man who had cut down the banner wiped the blood from his blade on the cart, then rode back to the main group with a swagger. Many men were dismounting to tie people up and make arrests. The cart driver hiding under the cart was also called out to drive. The steward, still kneeling and trembling, stole a glance and saw that these men were all in their thirties or forties—tough, lean, and battle-hardened.

Most of the two hundred-plus riders had triumphant, high-spirited looks on their faces. The man returned to the ranks and said with a laugh, "Satisfying! Truly satisfying! So our Xuzhou Guard can have such a glorious moment too."

As soon as he spoke, several men nearby loudly echoed him, clearly struck right to the heart. The man then said to a young man beside him, "Bingfeng, your archery is far better than before. Sure enough, it only gets good when you take it into real battle. If you just hole up all day, you'll end up like your uncle here."

The young man in the leather robe beside him was none other than Dong Bingfeng. The dozen or so young men around him were all from the Zhao Camp cavalry.

"Third Uncle, you were far too careless just now. If anything had gone wrong, it would have been big trouble!" Dong Bingfeng said, his face full of exasperation.

"You're not old, but you act like an old man. What's there to be afraid of? That rabble's skills—how could they compare to us army veterans? They actually thought they could launch a surprise attack. What a joke. If we'd faced them in open ground, we'd have wiped them out in less than the time it takes to burn one stick of incense!" The man Dong Bingfeng called Third Uncle said carelessly.

Dong Bingfeng could only nod with a wry smile, then said seriously, "Third Uncle, twenty percent of the salt has to go to Fangcun Market. The rest gets sold elsewhere, at thirty percent below market price. Don't forget any of this—my big brother gave specific instructions."

"Your big brother? Isn't your real big brother at home learning to farm?" Third Uncle teased, then nodded and said, "Don't worry. That big brother of yours has strict rules—I've heard about it from your father more times than I can count. Let me ask again: does that big brother of yours really not want a share?"

Dong Bingfeng shook his head and said, "Third Uncle, you've completely cut off the salt route. Whatever you capture is yours. From now on, you'll also get a share of the fees from this. As for our side, we still don't want any of it. It's all small stuff."

"I really don't know how people your age have built up such a big operation. Understood. You go take care of your business, leave this to us!" Dong Bingfeng's Third Uncle spurred his horse and rode off, shouting orders to the busy men. Six large carts turned around, apparently heading for Fangcun Market.

Several dozen riders in the group were already cheering and spurring their horses to follow. They were the men sent from Fangcun Market.

Dong Bingfeng could faintly hear people murmuring things like "Old Zhao really is blessed, and Old Dong's blessings aren't bad either."

The proposal to rebuild the Xuzhou Guard Salt Patrol met with no resistance whatsoever. The commanders with close ties to Zhao Camp immediately agreed. Getting a slice of the salt route—everyone was burning with enthusiasm.

In truth, it could hardly be called rebuilding. The unit had always existed on the books; it had simply been neglected. In a large guard post like this, there were always several hundred men with excellent martial skills—some from family traditions, some who had fought in wars elsewhere. These men naturally had no desire to farm or work as tenant laborers. Being able to ride and fight, and to reap benefits on top of it, suited them perfectly.

As soon as Zhao Jin mentioned it and word spread, over a hundred men immediately came to sign up. At their age, joining Zhao Camp was no longer suitable, but their skill with blade and spear remained, and the heart for battle still beat within them. Besides, this was picking up money from the ground—far better than working the fields.

These dozens of cartloads of salt would be distributed and sold. Though they had to travel to every village and market, and sell at twenty percent below market price, this was pure profit for nothing. The salt, the carts and draft animals, even the captured weapons—all of it could be sold for money. Even split among everyone, each man's share was worth half a year to a full year of hard labor. It was more than worth it.

Every man was in high spirits, already thinking that when they returned to Xuzhou Guard, they absolutely had to tell the tale and get those old brothers still sitting on the fence to come out and join them.

The sharper minds could already see the brilliance of this operation. Though they had acted in broad daylight with torches and blades, and even spilled blood on the public road, no one could find fault with them afterward. The Xuzhou Guard's authority to suppress illegal salt was established regulation. They hadn't acted before because of pressure from all sides—every party wanted their cut and naturally couldn't stand the Xuzhou Guard stirring up trouble. But now, with Zhao Jin as their patron deity, once he gave the word, who dared say no?

After the Salt Patrol was rebuilt, the salt inspectors in Xuzhou had been quite displeased at first. But once they heard it was Zhao Jin's idea, every one of them shrank back. Privately, they all came to make contact, saying they were willing to provide information, but wanted a small share of the salt suppression business.

As for the officials, the yamens of Xuzhou's one prefecture and four counties got no benefits from the Feng family anyway. What they ate from the salt trade was a share carved out by local distributors. That share wouldn't be affected in the slightest.

Zhou Baolu, the Xuzhou Regional Vice Commander, took a large share, but Zhao Jin had promised him even more. For example, this operation included personal guards and cavalry from the Vice Commander's camp. Looting goods and selling them directly was far more lucrative than getting a cut after the sale. Everyone knew how to work out that math.

Those familiar with the inner workings understood even better: compared to the salt profits, Commander Zhou and his son relied on Zhao Jin for quite a lot. They already made a fortune every year just from selling liquor.

Zhao Jin was not a man to offend lightly. The moment Ma Biao heard that name outside **** Town, he knew things had gone bad. But the Feng family was equally unoffendable—Ma Biao understood that too. So that night, he had led his men in a ferocious assault, sparing no effort. After retreating, he immediately told everyone to go home for the New Year, wait to see how things developed before regrouping. He himself took his valuables and hid in his mistress's house in the city.

Ma Biao's nickname "One-Horned Serpent" was not given for nothing. He ran a salt route business yet refused to take orders from the Feng family, and still managed to carve out his own little operation. He was no ordinary shrewd operator.

He stayed in the city until the eighteenth of the first month. The Pi City area remained quiet, with no news coming in. Ma Biao finally stopped being so anxious. It seemed this Zhao Jin feared the Feng family's power after all. With that weight off his mind, Ma Biao began thinking about his next move. Since Zhao Jin didn't dare retaliate, he would surely be crushed by the Feng family. Having contributed and shed blood, could he ride along and grab some advantages? Could he climb a little higher?

The more Ma Biao thought, the more excited he became. He sent his mistress out to buy wine and food, planning to have a hearty drink before going out to rally his brothers.

Not long after, his mistress was calling at the gate from outside. Ma Biao put on his shoes and went to open the door, humming a little tune in his excitement. When he was still a few steps from the courtyard gate, he suddenly sensed something wrong. It was just him and his mistress at home. She had gone out alone—the gate should have been left ajar.

Just as he was wondering, the courtyard gate was pushed open. A dark, thin man with a grim face walked in. Ma Biao's mistress was deathly pale, a man following behind her. It looked like something sharp was pressed against her back.

Trouble! Ma Biao turned and ran toward the house. His blade was in the main room. The dagger strapped to his calf was nowhere near enough to fight two men.

The moment he turned, a searing pain shot through his calf. His leg could no longer support him, and he collapsed involuntarily. After falling, Ma Biao struggled to crawl toward the house. His hand hadn't even touched the threshold before a foot stamped down on his back.

"Spa—" Halfway through his plea for mercy, a dagger drove into the back of his skull.

Nie Hei pulled his two daggers from Ma Biao's leg and the back of his head. Behind him, he heard a "Crack!" Ma Biao's mistress's neck was now twisted at an unnatural angle, her terrified expression frozen in place.

The two men did not bother with the bodies. They merely poked their heads out to check outside. The reason Ma Biao had hidden at his mistress's place was precisely because it was secluded and deserted. At this moment, no one was passing by outside. Nie Hei and his companion walked out quickly. They didn't even close the courtyard gate—the bodies were meant to be seen.

In a small restaurant within Pi City, business was dead during the first month. Only one lone table was occupied. But a waiter stood guard at the door; any customer who entered would be told the place was reserved.

This restaurant had good food and high prices. Its patrons usually had some status. When they arrived and heard the place was reserved, a few felt a flicker of indignation. But one glance inside, and they immediately turned and left.

Those familiar with the local scene could recognize the man at the table. He was Guo Laoliu, a constable from the prefectural yamen. His real identity was the underworld boss of Pi City. Standing behind him were two of his brothers. The middle-aged man sitting across from him, however, was an unfamiliar face.

"Brother You, I built this operation of mine one axe-stroke at a time. The profits aren't taken by just one family. You walk in here and demand thirty percent, and on top of that, you want us to follow your orders. Isn't that a bit too overbearing?" Guo Laoliu's face was dark as thunder, but he dared not make a rash move. The man before him, You Zhenrong, was the boss of the Xuzhou prefectural city's underworld. Guo Laoliu had heard the name.

Men of the streets and markets lived by their own turf. Once they left home ground, they were nothing. Yet this Xuzhou boss had come straight to his door, demanding thirty percent of Pi City's street profits and advance notice of any news. This was clearly telling Pi City to kneel and obey.

If there had been real fighting, a real show of strength, Guo Laoliu was not a man who failed to recognize the bigger picture. But to just show up out of nowhere and make such demands—this was treating him as less than nothing.

"Brother Guo, the matter is urgent. I couldn't be bothered with all those tedious formalities. Give up thirty percent, report everything upward, and you can still run things inside and outside Pi City from now on. Give me your answer quickly!" You Zhenrong said, a bit impatiently.

Such utterly unrestrained words enraged the two men behind Guo Laoliu. One of them slammed his hand on the hilt of his waist blade and roared, "You—!"

The moment he shouted, Guo Laoliu hurriedly stood up, turned, and waved his hand, saying, "We're all brothers of the jianghu. Let's not hurt the harmony!"