Chapter 18: What Are Your Intentions Toward Me?
Chapter 18: What Are Your Intentions Toward Me?
In the spray of blood that shot straight into the sky, Young Master Chen remained expressionless…
“Bold enough!”
Yang Xin said, giving a thumbs-up.
The head of Liu Qi, released by him, immediately fell into the muddy water of the rice paddy, and blood also flowed through the green.
“Killing one person within ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles!
Your action, warrior, does carry quite an ancient style!
But have you ever considered the consequences of killing someone right in front of a military camp housing two thousand five hundred soldiers? Or perhaps you don’t know that this is the station of the coastal defense camp? Even though the coastal defense camp soldiers are now utterly corrupt and have no fighting strength left, there are still many maritime merchants in Gegu. Any one of them could summon hundreds of sailors who have seen blood. You’ve come to their territory to commit murder—they probably won’t let you off no matter what!”
Young Master Chen said with a smile.
As he spoke, he also pointed behind Yang Xin with his finger.
Yang Xin cautiously retreated to one side.
Then he turned to look behind him.
There was a dock, with three large sea ships moored, one even having eight masts. At that moment, a large number of sailors were swarming over, carrying weapons including bows and arrows. Similarly, the laborers on the dock were also looking for tools. Clearly, his actions had stirred up a hornet’s nest. At this time, Gegu was comparable to a base for smuggling merchants. Liu Qi’s two subordinates were running toward them while shouting. Farther away, the gate of the Gegu coastal defense camp opened, and many ragged soldiers were slowly pouring out of the camp gate and heading this way…
Yang Xin hesitated for a moment, then shifted his gaze to Young Master Chen.
“Young master, can you do me a favor?”
He said with a sincere look.
“No help!”
Young Master Chen said firmly.
“Is this what a righteous person does?”
Yang Xin said.
“I am a scholar, not a knight-errant. Also, why aren’t you running yet?”
Young Master Chen said.
“Ha, I have no need to run yet.”
After saying that, Yang Xin grabbed Liu Qi’s hair and casually cut off his head, then immediately tossed it into the air. At the same time, he leaped up and performed a mid-air volley. Liu Qi’s head instantly flew out, crashing like a cannonball into a sailor over twenty meters away. The latter fell backward under the immense impact. Two sailors behind him hurriedly dodged in fright. Further back, two archers raised their bows, ready to shoot…
“Don’t shoot, be careful not to hurt Young Master Chen!”
A young man behind them anxiously shouted.
The two archers immediately lowered their arrows. More sailors swarmed past them on both sides.
Yang Xin looked back at Young Master Chen…
“I teach them how to grow rice!”
The latter said.
Yang Xin lifted his foot to flick up his sword, caught it in his hand, and crossed his blade and sword…
“I am Yang Xin! Liu Qi colluded with Cripple Zhang to hijack my ship and kill my brothers. I came here only for revenge. If you keep pushing me, don’t blame my blade and sword for showing no mercy!”
He roared.
The sailors all came to a halt.
“Capture him first, then we’ll talk!”
The young man shouted from behind.
The sailors continued forward.
Yang Xin let out a roar and began sprinting toward them.
Young Master Chen looked stunned behind him; clearly, Yang Xin’s actions were completely beyond his expectations.
With his arms spread wide, Yang Xin sprinted and in the blink of an eye collided head-on with his opponents. Just as two sailors opposite him simultaneously swung their blades down, he forced his way between them, his blade and sword slicing across both of their thighs. With their screams, Yang Xin, like a galloping warhorse, reached another man behind them in an instant. The latter panickily thrust a short spear. Yang Xin dodged sideways while ramming his shoulder into the man’s chest. The massive impact from his full-speed sprint sent the man flying backward. But the next moment, two Long Spears reached him from left and right.
Yang Xin dropped to his knees with arms spread and leaned back.
Momentum made him slide rapidly through the mud of the rice paddy. The two Long Spears swept past his head from left and right. But as he stood back up, his outwardly spread blade and sword came together forward, slicing open the sides of two sailors with a spray of blood.
Then he suddenly stopped.
“Everyone, stop!”
The young man screamed with a frightened tremble in his voice.
Yang Xin had stopped less than half a zhang away from him. Parallel in front, his maximally extended arms held a blade and a sword that reflected blinding sunlight, like two Long Spears, steadily pointing at his throat.
The distance was less than five inches.
Yang Xin maintained that posture, quietly watching him. All the sailors were terrified and stopped, not daring to move as they watched the scene.
“You’re a real tough guy. No wonder killing Liu Qi was like killing a dog.”
The young man said without changing his expression.
“He was a dog anyway!”
Yang Xin said.
“Indeed, he was a dog. But since he was a dog on the Jiang Family’s turf, he couldn’t just be killed randomly.”
The young man said.
He had been too careless, not even carrying a weapon on him. After all, it happened suddenly, and he had so many subordinates in front. He never expected Yang Xin to fight back, let alone that this freakish guy would rely on his speed and agility to make a direct dash at him. In just a moment, he bypassed the sailors in front and was right before him, making his situation very awkward. Given Yang Xin’s speed and skill, he, unarmed, certainly couldn’t escape. Although he had over a hundred trusted men around, none could save him—if Yang Xin took just one step forward, the blade and sword would pierce his neck.
Of course, mainly it wasn’t worth risking his life for someone like Liu Qi.
“But I’ve already killed him!”
Yang Xin said.
His blade and sword continued to point steadily at the man’s throat, less than five inches away, without the slightest tremor.
The latter remained silent.
“Killed is killed. Just a dog after all!”
Suddenly he said with a smile.
“I like your way of handling things!”
Yang Xin said, satisfied.
“So, shouldn’t you escort me out next?”
He said.
The man frowned.
“Prepare a boat!”
He said readily.
Clearly, this was also someone accustomed to storms, who knew when to do what.
“Warrior, how about I escort you instead?”
Young Master Chen suddenly came over and said.
As he spoke, he walked to the man’s side, who looked at him with gratitude.
“Between you two?”
Yang Xin said suspiciously.
A sudden chill ran down his spine…
Of course, the other person’s sexual orientation was none of his business. What he needed was just a hostage. Before, he had thought that Young Master Chen had always been polite to him, so taking him hostage did not seem right. But now that he volunteered, it did not matter. Xu Guangqi’s nephew—that was definitely more secure. Though he did not know what official position Xu Guangqi held at this time, it certainly could not be too low.
Then he stepped forward and switched to taking Young Master Chen hostage.
At that moment, government officials arrived, but with Yang Xin holding Young Master Chen hostage, they did not dare to act.
A small boat soon rowed over.
Yang Xin, holding Young Master Chen hostage, cautiously boarded the small boat. He kicked the boatman into the water and pressed his sword against Young Master Chen, making him row away from the Gegu dock. It was high tide, and on the several-hundred-meter-wide Hai River, a lone boat moved forward, followed at a distance by dozens of boats…
“Are you two really a pair?”
Yang Xin said with curiosity.
“Well, my friendship with Brother Jiang is merely casual; there is no special affection between us. Gegu has eight major maritime merchant families, and the Jiang Family is just the leading one. Taking him hostage is useless. The other families probably hope you kill him. But I am different. None of them would dare let anything happen to me.”
Young Master Chen said.
“Then you are helping me. What do you want from me?”
Yang Xin said, horrified.
He even struck an exaggerated pose.
He knew very well the customs of the late Ming Dynasty—Miao Changqi forcefully violated Feng Quan. Speaking of which, this incident should have just happened. Miao Changqi became a Jinshi in the 41st year of Wanli. No, it should have just occurred. Feng Quan became a Jinshi in the 47th year of Wanli, which was this spring. Then, in the Hanlin Academy, because of his stunning beauty, he was defiled by that older man Miao Changqi, afterward embarking on an irreversible path of corruption.
Thinking of this, Yang Xin suddenly felt a cold shiver run down his back.
“Well, warrior, you think too much. I only want to take this chance to leave this place. My uncle and I have been testing rice cultivation in Gegu for years, and it is now successful. However, some local villagers still do not understand. After my uncle was summoned to the capital, the villagers begged me to stay in Gegu to continue helping them with rice planting, for safety’s sake. I have always wanted to leave but could not refuse. Today is simply a good opportunity to depart.”
Young Master Chen said.
“That’s good, that’s good!”
Yang Xin let out a long sigh of relief.
Young Master Chen could not help but show a slight smile.
“Chen Yujie, from Songjiang!”
He said.
“Yang Xin, I should be from Hejian!”
Yang Xin said.
“Brother Yang, where do you intend to go?”
Chen Yujie did not mind the oddity of his statement and asked while rowing.
“How do we get rid of those people behind us?”
Yang Xin asked.
“That is easy. Just head to the northern shore and find a reed marsh to enter. I am quite familiar with this area. Once we land, things will be simple. After finding the main road, we can part ways. I will go north to Lutai, then proceed to the capital to find my uncle. As for you, Brother Yang, do as you wish. But you better not return to Tianjin. Taking me hostage will have consequences; officials everywhere will surely hunt you down.”
Chen Yujie said.
“I still need to go to Tianjin.”
Yang Xin thought for a moment and said.
“Brother Yang, can you explain the details of this matter?”
Chen Yujie said.
Yang Xin then described what had happened earlier. He omitted his relationship with Huang Ying, but kept the fact that he was her cousin. It became that Liu Qi harassed his cousin, he taught Liu Qi a lesson, Liu Qi held a grudge and colluded with river bandits to rob the boat and kill people, and he took revenge, spilling blood within five steps.
“If that is the case, it can still be salvaged. As long as Liu Qi’s collusion with bandits is true, you capturing him to see the officials would make you innocent. My own father was once harmed by thieves, and I led men to chase and kill them, personally striking the final blow. Therefore, if Liu Qi resisted and you accidentally killed him, you would still be innocent. As for injuring the Jiang Family’s sailors, you can explain it as a misunderstanding due to language barriers, thinking they were Liu Qi’s accomplices. I can step in to persuade the Jiang Family not to pursue it; they only suffered minor injuries. But your act of taking me hostage truly cannot be excused. Fortunately, I am unharmed. According to the Great Ming Code, this is considered using force to restrain someone. Even without injury, the punishment is eighty cane strikes. However, government cane strikes are easy to manipulate. I have some connections with the Tianjin Military Defense Circuit.”
Chen Yujie said confidently.
“What if the Tianjin Military Defense Circuit is everywhere searching for me, wanting to behead me as a public example?”
Yang Xin said with an innocent look.
“Well, forget I said anything.”
Chen Yujie said, startled.