Chapter 94

The confrontation between Xiang Shaolong and Yatai was a pure exchange of martial arts, free from any ulterior motives. As the inheritor of the Shinin-ryu style of this generation, Yatai had traveled across Japan's mountains and rivers, experiencing countless local customs and traditions, and had also sparred with many martial arts masters in Japan.

When Yatai found that his martial arts path in Japan had become difficult to advance, he began to look overseas. He yearned for China, for the West, and for the opportunity to observe the world with his own eyes and to understand the principles of the universe.

Originally, Japanese martial arts had absorbed a lot of Zen philosophy, emphasizing sudden enlightenment. Traveling itself was a form of cultivation. Thus, Yatai came to Naha. Just as he was raising funds to sneak into the Qing Kingdom, he unexpectedly discovered Xiang Shaolong, a martial arts master from the Qing Kingdom.

Masters always admire each other. Xiang Shaolong could feel Yatai's dedication to martial arts. Essentially, they were of the same kind.

Xiang Shaolong said it was a very private sparring session, and he did not want anyone to watch, so Xiao Letian did not follow and did not send anyone to protect Xiang Shaolong. It would be a joke if Xiang Shaolong needed protection; if that were the case, Xiao Letian would have failed as a bodyguard.

However, what he feared most came to pass. Xiao Letian's top martial artist, Xiang Shaolong, was indeed injured tonight, and it seemed to be quite serious.

"Where is Xiang Shaolong? How badly is he hurt..." Xiao Letian rushed in, anxiously shouting. When he saw Xiang Shaolong, who had just been bandaged, nodding and smiling at him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, you scared me to death. No more such duels without my permission..."

Xiang Shaolong, with a look of shame, said, "I wasn't injured during the duel. After sparring with Yatai, I encountered an ambush by a group of ninjas. It was completely unexpected..."

It turned out that while Xiang Shaolong and Yatai were dueling, a group of ninjas had secretly surrounded them. They seemed to know that these two men were formidable, so they did not get too close. These devious ninjas secretly scattered caltrops on the path.

Caltrops are iron weapons with four sharp points. No matter how you throw them on the ground, one point will always face up. In ancient China, they were used to injure the hooves of warhorses and were a common weapon on the battlefield. However, in Japan, due to the backward smelting technology and lack of resources, no one would use such weapons on the battlefield.

For ninjas, however, these weapons were perfect for ambushes and assassinations. When Xiang Shaolong and Yatai were about to return to the city after their duel, the first to suffer was Xiang Shaolong. His cloth shoes were pierced by three caltrops, causing intense pain in his left foot.

"Ah... Ambush!" Xiang Shaolong leaped backward, and a bone-piercing dart flew into the trees on both sides of the road. Yatai, who was behind Xiang Shaolong, drew his sword and rushed into the forest, followed by a series of intense clashes.

"Yatai is different from ordinary Japanese. He has a good impression of China. This duel was a friendly exchange, and he even begged me to take him back to China... Thanks to him, the wooden sandals worn by the Japanese are the natural counter to these caltrops. If he hadn't rushed to the front and engaged the ninjas, I might not have made it back..."

Xiao Letian was furious when he heard this. "Damn, these bastards. They were just being polite to me, and now they're trying to kill us. They turn on us faster than turning a page. I'll remember this, and one day I'll settle the score."

The injured Xiang Shaolong, however, remained unusually calm. After some thought, he said, "I don't think this is that simple. I feel that these ninjas were more interested in Yatai than me. After I was injured, only one masked female ninja engaged me, while the rest of the ninjas attacked Yatai..."

"Are the Japanese fighting among themselves? We don't need to get involved. Let them kill each other..." Xiao Letian didn't care about Yatai's fate, though he had some goodwill towards the young swordsman.

However, Xiang Shaolong insisted that Xiao Letian send people to search for Yatai. Xiao Letian finally gave in and sent Sima Yun and Xiao Hexin with over twenty guards to search, but they found nothing after a night of searching.

As the sky gradually brightened, Naha Port began to come back to life. Xiang Shaolong knew that ninjas would be more cautious during the day. If Yatai had not met with any accidents, he should be safe now. Xiang Shaolong knew that Xiao Letian had to secretly meet with the Ryukyu King Shang Tai today, and this dangerous mission required his protection. Who knew what other plots the Japanese had in mind.

"Xiang Shaolong, your foot is injured. You should stay and recover in the inn." Xiao Letian insisted, but Xiang Shaolong's stubbornness was unyielding. "It's just a few holes in my foot. It's not a life-threatening injury. Even without my legs, I can still protect you with my skills in hidden weapons..."

Xiang Shaolong forcefully put his injured foot into his shoe and hopped around the room several times. It was hard to tell how he managed to do it, but he showed no signs of injury. Xiao Letian sighed, knowing he couldn't leave Xiang Shaolong behind, and nodded. "It's my fault. I should have remembered to get you all leather boots back home. These cloth shoes are not suitable for battle..."

At that moment, Mike spoke up, "There are leather boots in Naha, and they're American!" Seeing Xiao Letian's confusion, he quickly explained, "The American Civil War just ended, and a lot of military supplies lost their market. Many companies are stockpiling equipment, and some small companies are almost bankrupt. Do you think Americans would bring Spencer rifles to Asia to sell? It's just a matter of luck..."

"On the ship that brought us to Naha, there was a military supplier looking for opportunities in Asia. He mainly deals in auxiliary military supplies, not firearms. He's almost out of money. If we pay him the cost price, we can buy a lot of military supplies..."

Xiao Letian's eyes lit up, and he immediately recalled the classic war scenes from the American Civil War. Rows of neatly dressed soldiers in wool uniforms, capes, and leather belts, wearing tall leather boots. Officers even wore knee-high boots. Their backpacks contained ammunition, first-aid supplies, rations, and warm blankets. The wide-brimmed hats were not just for show; they could block rain from entering the eyes during heavy downpours, ensuring clear vision.

War is not just about firearms; it's about comprehensive combat power, which is reflected in every detail.

"Alright, Mike, take some advance payment and see what he has. Try to equip our people first. Tell him that if the price is reasonable, we'll buy all his supplies..."

After assigning the task to Mike, Xiao Letian and his group finally set out. The meeting with King Shang Tai was scheduled for a short time, only during the royal tour. A lot of preparation had been done for this meeting, and King Shang Tai had even mobilized all the secret pro-Chinese factions in the court to provide cover.

This meeting must succeed. If it fails, the last batch of pro-Chinese factions in the Ryukyu court will be exposed, and the Shimazu family would not allow this. They would eliminate them one by one, even through assassination.

On a viewing platform outside Shuri Castle, on a temporary tatami mat laid out near a cliff, the picnic venue was set up. From 9 AM, the king and his ministers gathered to recite poetry and admire the beautiful scenery of Naha Port and the Pacific Ocean.

Two hours later, the banquet officially began, and the king and his ministers drank and enjoyed themselves until the afternoon. During this time, the only opportunity for a private meeting was when King Shang Tai went to the toilet. The pro-Chinese factions had arranged for this. At noon, when everyone was slightly drunk, the pro-Chinese factions would distract the pro-Japanese factions, allowing King Shang Tai to leave the banquet alone.

The secret meeting place was in a row of warehouses closest to Shuri Castle, which belonged to Cai Mao, a general of the Imperial Guard and a staunch pro-Chinese supporter.

The salty sea breeze was refreshing on the faces of the people. King Shang Tai, who was only 22 years old, was in high spirits. His heart was not yet mature, and he smiled frequently during the banquet, which made the court officials very uneasy.

"Your Majesty looks very happy today. I propose a toast to your health..." The speaker was Jin Changsen, the Minister of Rites, a well-known good-natured official who never involved himself in factional struggles and was a complete neutral party.

Ignoring the signals from Lin Yuanmiao, the Minister of Revenue, King Shang Tai raised his glass and smiled. "With such beautiful scenery, how can we not enjoy this drink? Come, all my ministers, raise your glasses to the prosperity of our Ryukyu Kingdom..."

The Ryukyu Kingdom followed the political system of the Ming Dynasty. Although it had six departments and nine ministers, it was a small kingdom, and the real power was held by only a dozen or so ministers. The Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Personnel were the most important, while the Ministry of Works and Ministry of War were much weaker and were only there for show.

The most important ministers at the banquet were Cai Mao, the general of the Imperial Guard, who was responsible for the kingdom's limited military forces; Lin Yuanmiao, the Minister of Revenue, who managed the kingdom's finances; and Jin Changsen, the Minister of Rites.

For a kingdom heavily dependent on long-distance trade, diplomacy was one of the most important tasks of the court. The Ministry of Rites was responsible for foreign affairs, and how to survive in the midst of powerful nations depended on the abilities of the officials in the Ministry of Rites.

In contrast, the Ministry of Works, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Personnel were so weak that they could be ignored.

Jin Changsen looked at the excited King Shang Tai with confusion, constantly trying to figure out what was going on. The pro-Japanese officials at the banquet also sensed the strange atmosphere. Soon, a pro-Japanese official tried to leave under the pretext of needing to use the toilet to send a message, but to his surprise, the platform was surrounded by Cai Mao's soldiers.

These soldiers politely escorted the ministers to the toilet but stood guard, making it impossible to leave.

All the pro-Japanese officials were now in a panic, realizing that something was definitely wrong with this banquet.