After more than a month, the mighty waters of the Qing River came into view again.
It’s called a ferry, but it resembles a small town, complete with inns, tea houses, and restaurants.
There are places frequented by wealthy merchants, as well as tea stalls for the porters to rest.
A large, coarse porcelain bowl is filled directly from a barrel, one bowl for a penny; the robust workers at the dock, having quenched their thirst, swing their arms and get back to their bustling tasks.
The streets are not very clean, littered with various bits of debris.
Those drinking the coarse tea sit along the roadside, mingling with people speaking accents from all corners of the land. The air is filled with a peculiar smell—a mixture of sweat, inferior liquor, livestock, and various goods.
Naturally, this smell is not pleasant; many managers from big trading firms cover their noses as they disembark.
However, those familiar with the docks are accustomed to it, dividing into several factions. These “underworld gangs” formed as a means to survive. The poor laborers, not wanting to work for free or be oppressed by the trading firms, band together, and over time, these gangs have become entrenched powers at the ferry docks.
The docks for official and merchant ships are separate, located on opposite sides of this small town.
Near the western dock used by merchant ships, there’s a segregated bay with several ships of various sizes moored—this is the Qing River crossing.
Chartering a boat and hitching a ride are worlds apart; the dock appears orderly, while the ferry side is in utter chaos.
Carriages can’t pass through from a distance; people waiting for the ferry crowd the roadside with their burdens and baskets, along with live chickens and ducks whose cackling adds to the disorder.
Lu Min is dumbfounded, holding his whip, unsure of what to do when a lean, dark man with a towel wrapped around his head approaches him, asking in the Guanzhong dialect from near the capital, “Is this carriage going aboard?”
Lu Min fails to respond at first, and the lean, dark man grins, switching to fluent official language, “Is your carriage boarding the ferry? It must take a larger ship. You are late; you should have been here at dawn, otherwise the road gets blocked! There are too many people crossing the river here; if you get stuck behind, even by evening, you won’t get on a boat.”
Initially unsure why he was being approached, Lu Min gradually shows a complex expression.
Before Mo Li and Meng Qi could speak, the scholar already lifted the curtain of the carriage and said sternly, “Ten coins, no more.”
Hearing his accent from the capital, the dark, lean man’s face changes, the previously pleasant and smiling demeanor disappearing without a trace, as he extends his hand, “It’s ten coins per person, pay now and I’ll take you across.”
“Twenty coins, or I’ll find someone else!” the scholar says, tossing over a string of copper coins.
The dark, lean man’s face hardens as he glares at the scholar.
After a standoff, the dark, lean man huffs, tucking the coins into his pocket, and says grudgingly, “Consider me unlucky, come on then.” He then heads towards the merchant ship dock, while Lu Min is still somewhat confused, though Mo Li has begun to understand.
“Is this the norm?”
People skilled in martial arts also have keen eyes.
It turns out that the larger ferries dock at the merchant ship dock; they do not solicit passengers or shout for attention. Anyone carrying a lot of luggage or driving a carriage wishing to cross the river must pay a sum to people like the dark, lean man, otherwise, they won’t even find a ferry.
The scholar nods, sighing softly, “People say it wasn’t like this in the old days.”
Lu Min is surprised, “If you knew the trick, why didn’t we just go directly to the dock?”
The scholar glances at him, thinking he’s a simpleton from nowhere, unaware of the surroundings.
“Do you think he’s alone? The idlers wandering nearby, the laborers on the docks… If you try to force your way, you’ll soon find out how many people are here, and in the end, you’ll have to pay each one! What can you do, report them to the authorities?”
Though there are several ferry crossings outside the capital, this is the main one.
Is it possible that the officials managing the ferries and docks are unaware of the extortion happening here? The eastern dock is used by official ships, constantly manned by clerks; the town is only so big, it would be strange if they didn’t know!
“…Even if the local officials are bribed to ignore the matters, we could still appeal to the Taijing Prefecture or the Transport Office!” Lu Min thought to himself, and if all else failed, he could even write a letter to his elder imperial brother!
Then he reconsidered, knowing his elder brother dealt with endless affairs daily; how could he burden him further? Lu Min looked towards Meng Qi, his expression eager as if he hoped for such an encounter where the imperial teacher would defeat all adversaries.
Meng Qi saw through his thoughts instantly, giving him a wry look.
The Second Prince shrank his neck and muttered, “What use is keeping such greedy and deceitful villains around?”
“It’s not just about money anymore,” Mo Li suddenly said.
Before Lu Min could react, Mr. Jinshui’s expression changed, and he quickly looked around.
The porters squatting by the roadside seemed to be casually inspecting the carriage, and a few individuals who looked like clerks from a trading company happened to pass by. The dock gang’s “guiding business” was thriving; apart from their own lean, dark man, several other groups were also rushing towards the ferries moored near the dock.
The scholar, suspicious of everyone, trembled as he gripped the side of the carriage.
Lu Min hurriedly asked, “Doctor Mo, what’s going on? Could there be villains about?”
Mo Li watched the lean, dark man’s retreating figure, slowly nodding his head.
Meng Qi had noticed even earlier but hadn’t spoken up. He signaled for Lu Min to hide inside the carriage, then naturally sat next to the driver’s seat on the carriage, reasoning that the carriage was only big enough for two people; any more would make it difficult even to turn around.
“When did you notice?” Meng Qi leaned in and whispered.
“He’s been greeting people along the way, looking very nervous, as if searching for something…”
Mo Li did not push Meng Qi away, and from a distance, it seemed as if they were whispering secrets.
The atmosphere around them subtly shifted, a few people looking over cautiously, as if eyeing them.
“I need to get off… I want to get off,” the scholar said, his face turning pale.
“It’s too late for that,” Meng Qi looked back into the carriage and smiled, “If they came for you, stepping off the carriage won’t spare us.”
After saying this, Meng Qi felt a surge of internal energy jabbing at his waist.
Mo Li looked serious, and Meng Qi quickly corrected himself, “Mr. Jinshui need not worry, as the saying goes, those who commit wrongdoings will eventually stumble, and if they dare to make a move, I can make them start anew.”
To start anew, of course, meant reincarnation.
The scholar’s face turned even paler, looking at Meng Qi as if he was a ruthless bandit.
Mo Li: “…”
He couldn’t help but jab a second time.
Can’t he speak nicely without frightening people?
The reason for jabbing at the waist was that the externalized internal energy was concentrated at the fingertips, and since Mo Li was sitting on the shaft, his fingers naturally reached someone’s waist.
Sitting side by side, Meng Qi’s right waist was the most convenient target.
In his childhood, when Old Master Qin took him on mountain paths, whenever he sensed danger ahead, Qin Luo would immediately use his internal energy to pull the boy back, always gently.
Later, when Mo Li had a junior brother, Tang Xiaotang, he intuitively learned to use the same method to nudge his junior brother, especially when Xiaotang dozed off while studying, usually with a pat on the back.
This was the first time he used a jab.
Perhaps it was because of the lingering impression of the plump rat, round and soft, that he felt compelled to poke.
Perplexed by the third jab, Meng Qi looked up.
The first jab was a reprimand for not speaking clearly, making Mr. Jinshui think he had implicated them; the second was for needlessly scaring people, but why the third? He hadn’t said anything this time?
“Ahem.” Mo Li, unable to explain his poking addiction, casually added another jab and acted as if it never happened, consoling Mr. Jinshui, “Could your enemy have bribed the people at this dock?”
The scholar first shook his head in disbelief, then nodded.
“Heh, what do you mean by that?” Lu Min lost his temper, frowning.
“…Although I know these people won’t let things go easily, but…”
The scholar gritted his teeth, still reluctant to divulge the details.
Lu Min, discontented, was about to press further when Meng Qi intervened, “Let it be, if he’s not speaking, he’s probably trying to avoid involving us.”
—Hmm, no jab this time.
Meng Qi felt invigorated, though he maintained a languid demeanor, he ventured cautiously, “Perhaps it involves a secret that shouldn’t be spoken about, where those in the know find themselves in trouble.”
The scholar looked doubtful yet slightly ashamed, his voice rough, “Exactly, I hurriedly left the capital during the Spring Outing Festival to avoid them, but I didn’t expect…”
At that moment, the carriage had passed through an open area, and the high stacks of goods were enough to block the view of people in the distance. Navigating through there felt like walking through a rock garden, where voices could be heard without seeing their sources.
The carriage turned a corner, and suddenly, five men jumped out from behind the stacks.
Some grabbed the reins, one led away the extra horse tied to the back of the carriage, and two others wielding wooden clubs surrounded the vehicle. The remaining tall man with wide-set eyes viciously kicked at the wheel.
Then his foot met empty air.
The wheel was plainly there, but somehow his foot missed it by a distance, causing the wide-eyed man to lose his balance and stumble forward. If not for a quick catch by his companions, he would have smashed his forehead on the carriage.
The guiding lean, dark man almost laughed out loud, luckily covering his mouth just in time.
“Find this funny?” the wide-eyed man lifted his foot to kick at the lean, dark man.
The latter ran swiftly, dodging and then begging for mercy, “Chai Ye, please forgive me, how could I dare?”
The lean, dark man quickly glanced at Mo Li, paused, and then offered a smile, “These are all outsiders, unfamiliar with Chai Ye’s reputation. They might have inadvertently crossed paths with someone they shouldn’t have, you see—”
“Do you think it’s your place to speak? Get lost!”
“Yes, yes!”
The lean, dark man nodded and bowed, his expression hesitant and worried.
“Interesting.” Meng Qi raised an eyebrow.
Only Mo Li could hear his soft voice. The doctor looked puzzled at the lean, dark man—though they were strangers, why plead on their behalf after leading them into a trap?
The lean, dark man lingered, not leaving, and the others snarled, “What, you want to stay and get kicked by Chai Ye?”
“No, look… there have been quite a few arrests at the docks lately, all scholars. The brothers of the Green Snake Gang make a living here, and at your word, Chai Ye, we’d go through fire and water, but the brothers have families waiting at home. Without a clear word from you, they’re all on edge.”
Chai Ye glared at him, asking in a mocking tone, “Is this the gang leader’s idea?”
“How could it be, our leader wouldn’t foresee this, I don’t understand! I wouldn’t dare bother him, I mean, it’s just…”
“He Haozi, don’t pry into what you shouldn’t know. If you’re tired of living, the fish in the river still need feeding!”
Startled by the threat, the lean, dark man quickly waved his hands and scurried away with his head ducked.
Chai Ye spat in his direction and cursed, “Worthless dog!”
Then, his gaze fell on Mo Li’s face, perhaps sensing the calmness of the people in the carriage was too unusual, he swallowed his crude words, narrowing his eyes as he asked someone nearby, “What’s their story?”
“Not sure.”
“This carriage is from the biggest vehicle dealership in the capital, and it’s an old one!”
“There are four people inside, the target’s hiding there!”
One with a wooden club confirmed, “I saw it clearly, just now he argued with He Haozi over money, I was sitting at a roadside tea stall and recognized him at a glance!”
Inside the carriage, Lu Min looked towards the shaky scholar, curiosity nearly driving him to leap out and seize Chai Ye by the collar, demanding the gang explain the entire situation.
The old carriage and the ordinary fabric of Meng Qi and others’ clothes convinced Chai Ye.
“Drag them out!”
Meng Qi stretched out his arms, pushing Lu Min out of the carriage.
“…I’d like to see who dares?”
The Second Prince quickly caught on, picking up his whip and lashing it at those surrounding the carriage.
Lu Min had no martial arts skills according to Meng Qi, but in truth, the Second Prince had learned some boxing and could use various weapons while on horseback. He was fond of martial arts but lacked the talent of a great general or the prowess of an exceptional warrior.
However, the adversaries at hand seemed hardly formidable, possessing only the skill level of household guards; Lu Min was fully capable of handling them, even outnumbered as he was.
“His lower stance is quite stable, but his footwork is too chaotic,” Meng Qi commented leisurely.
Mo Li, puzzled, asked, “Didn’t you see him fight with the Sixth… with his younger brother multiple times?”
Meng Qi scoffed, “Embarrassing! His brother, five or six years his junior and much shorter, still managed to beat him to a pulp.”
Hearing this, Lu Min lashed even more fiercely, feeling deeply wronged.
The skills of his youngest brother? That boy had been taught by experts sought far and wide, while Lu Min’s maternal family couldn’t exert much influence. Besides, as he got older, his muscles and bones stiffened. Why bother learning secret martial arts techniques when hiring an assassin to target the emperor would be quicker? Wasn’t it foolish to spend ten years tearfully learning skills?
Turns out, he was the fool, and the Second Prince was incredibly frustrated.
Chai Ye, the man with the wide-set eyes, bellowed angrily and caught the whip in his hand, exerting force and snapping the poor-quality whip.
Lu Min staggered, nearly pulled forward by the broken whip.
“Thinking you can act up in Taijing? You must be…”
Chai Ye’s voice abruptly stopped as a smelly shoe stuffed into his open mouth.
The Second Prince turned around in shock, only to see the other assailants already on the ground, while the shoe also hit Chai Ye in the nose, causing him to tear up and stagger dizzily on the spot.
The lean, dark man, who had climbed onto the goods pile, held a shoe, his expression blank.
He had intended for the thrown shoe to hit Chai Ye at the back of the head but, inexplicably, a gust of wind had turned it mid-air. That was odd enough, but then he rubbed his eyes to see that the other four men brought by Chai Ye were also down, as if they had encountered a ghost.
Several heads popped up from nearby stacks of goods, all dock workers, who asked in astonishment:
“What happened? Was it He Haozi?”
“It wasn’t me; I just threw a shoe…”
The lean, dark man swallowed hard, glancing subconsciously at the carriage.
Meng Qi dusted off his sleeve, remaining silent.
His skill and deeds hidden from fame.
Author’s Note:
Chai Ye: He Haozi, keep up your nonsense, and I’ll throw you into the river to feed the fishes!
