Chapter 86

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Chen Xi trembled slightly, then realized he seemed to have become somewhat stiff. He looked up at the storm and suddenly thought of a saying: everyone is different, and thus the mental power born from the soul has different effects.

Chen Xi was not quite sure which aspect his mental power enhanced, but by his feeling, the person who made it rain must have enhanced the water mist.

The rain seemed the same, but with this slight enhancement, the slight chill was enough to slow down the unprepared side for a moment, and that moment could decide the outcome.

Lu Su also stood at the entrance of the government hall, reaching out to catch the rain. The coolness seeped through his skin. Besides his wisdom, this was the aspect he was most proud of. This slight difference was enough to break the balance unintentionally.

Soon, Liu Bei arrived with Xu Chu and Yu Jin. The news from Lu Su made him feel a bit cold. The Taishan had just been established, and someone was already plotting. Was this the chaotic era? The people had a place of refuge, and someone already wanted to break this peace. Thinking of this, a clear trace of anger appeared on Liu Bei's face.

"Zi Jing, are you sure you can capture everyone alive?" Liu Bei suppressed his anger and asked.

"I have discussed this with Zi Yang. The buildings that Zi Chuan specially constructed in Fenggao were prepared for this moment. We have no problem taking down the enemy, but Zi Chuan suggests that Zhong Kang take action to secure the victory in one strike!" Lu Su explained the current situation in detail.

"Wen Ze, lead the soldiers to control the shops on both sides, enter from the back door, and prepare all the crossbows. When Zhong Kang attacks the leader of the bandits, all the crossbows should be ready. Anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!" A cold light flashed in Liu Bei's eyes. "I used to laugh at Zi Chuan for being troublesome, but I didn't expect to use it so soon!"

"Brave sir, we have already arrived at Fenggao City. Can you release us? As for this fine salt, my Lu family can give it all to you as ransom." Lu Jun said with a bitter smile. What kind of situation was this? He had just pulled a ship of salt from Mi Zhu, preparing to sell it, but was robbed on the Yangtze River. Now, even his personal safety was restricted. If it weren't for the fact that the other side was somewhat reasonable, he would have been dead already.

"Ransom?" The burly man sitting outside the carriage, trimming his nails with a large saber, looked up at Lu Jun. "I remember this was originally a tribute to Lord Xuande."

"Yes, yes, it is a tribute to Lord Xuande, and if needed, we can bring another ship. I guarantee with the Lu family's century-old reputation that if you come to the Lu family with this jade pendant, the Lu family will not hesitate to give you a ship of fine salt." Lu Jun said with a bitter smile. He couldn't tell the man in front of him that the salt belonged to Liu Bei, as the Lu family's reputation was still important!

Gan Ning trimmed his nails with a large saber, feeling somewhat helpless. Originally, when his subordinates brought him the news that Liu Bei had issued a recruitment order to the world, recruiting talented people regardless of their background, Gan Ning had the intention to join.

Later, Gan Ning thought that he was a water bandit by origin and a typical case of an official turned bandit. If he went like this, others would definitely not have a good impression. So he sent someone to investigate and found out that Liu Bei did not care about such things; he would accept anyone with talent! Instantly, Gan Ning's confidence soared! He had the ability!

Immediately, Gan Ning eagerly led his men to join Liu Bei. On the way down the river, they encountered the Lu family's merchant ship. Hearing that it was a ship of salt, Gan Ning didn't hesitate to rob it. This was a scarce strategic resource, and he intended to give it to Liu Bei as a gift.

What Gan Ning didn't know was that the reason others didn't accept him elsewhere wasn't because of his lack of ability or his background as a water bandit. It was because he was still the Prefect of Shu Commandery. Gan Ning's father was so capable that even if his son became a bandit, he could make others in Shu Commandery turn a blind eye and even keep his position for him. Of course, this also had to do with Liu Yan's relationship.

Because of this position, if Gan Ning went to other states, others would not dare to accept him. Accepting him would mean being wary of Liu Yan, after all, he was nominally the Prefect of Shu Commandery. Liu Yan didn't mind Gan Ning skipping work or becoming a bandit, but if someone turned his subordinate into their own, it would be a slap in the face.

This is why, historically, although many people knew of Gan Ning's abilities, few dared to use him. Liu Yan wasn't a fool; he kept the position for Gan Ning to make him return. The Gan family was a major clan in Bajun, and after running around in his youth, Gan Ning would eventually return to his roots, becoming Liu Yan's general.

When Liu Yan died, Gan Ning saw Liu Zhang's weak and cowardly nature and immediately gave up the idea of returning home. His father had also died, and he was now the head of the family. He decided to move the Gan family away.

Liu Yan was still alive, so the situation was different. Although Gan Ning was a water bandit, his bandits were equipped like a regular army. From the upper Yangtze to the lower Yangtze, no one dared to catch him. When he needed supplies, he mostly relied on the government.

The Governor of Jingzhou, Liu Biao, and the Inspector of Yangzhou, Liu Yao, knew that Gan Ning was the预定的水军大将 of Liu Yan's clan, so they turned a blind eye. After all, this guy just did some robbing the rich to help the poor, without killing anyone. They let him be and provided supplies when he needed to dock, considering it a favor to Liu Yan.

This is why, although Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin were not weaker in terms of personal strength or the power of their subordinates compared to Gan Ning, Gan Ning was the only one who could be so arrogant on the Yangtze River, even wearing a bell to make sure everyone knew where he was.

Other water bandits would hide in the reed marshes when they encountered Cai Mao's Jingzhou navy, but Gan Ning didn't hide. He even dared to confront them. There were other bold bandits, but none of them could do this without being shot full of holes, because Gan Ning was an official, and the Prefect of Shu Commandery!

For an official of this level, unless the central government issued an order, no one could touch him, regardless of whether he broke the law. Before the order came down, no one could act. If Liu Biao caught him, it would be overstepping his authority, which would have a worse impact than Gan Ning's lawbreaking. So, under the central government's blind eye, Cai Mao could only pretend not to see Gan Ning, meaning the regular army had to hide from him...

Gan Ning naturally didn't understand these things. He always thought he was very powerful, striding across the Yangtze River, with no one daring to provoke him, doing whatever he wanted, without realizing that it was because of his strong backing!

Liu Bei's recruitment order was exactly what Gan Ning needed. The reason he left Shu was that in that place, people would always talk about the Gan family, not about him, Gan Ning. Gan Ning felt very capable and naturally disliked such talk, so he preferred to become a water bandit rather than stay in Shu. He wanted to carve out his own sky with his own hands. With this idea, Gan Ning became a water bandit and strutted across the Yangtze River, with no one daring to provoke him.

But that was all. He could only be a water bandit who strutted across the Yangtze River. As for his dream of a wise and valiant lord descending from the heavens, then conquering the south and north under his guidance to unify the world, there was no sign of it at all.

How could he prove his abilities? How could he make those bastards understand that he could make a name for himself without relying on his family?

Since he started strutting across the Yangtze River, Gan Ning began to think about this problem. In the end, he found it was like a tiger trying to eat the sky, with no way to start. He had the power to slay a dragon, but there was no dragon to slay!

Should he return to Shu? The moment this thought appeared, Gan Ning extinguished it. He would rather die than return to that hellish place. That place was all about competing with one's father. What was the point of going back to compete with one's father? Who had a more powerful father, who had a higher position, what was the point of living?

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