Chapter 22

Seizing this opportunity and pretext, I squatted in the pit with him, observing and chatting, sharing our backgrounds and origins despite our shallow acquaintance.

At least in this time and space, he is a free-spirited pirate with a vast fleet, commanding several ships, having his own anchorage, and supporting over a thousand people, including his close and peripheral followers.

This time, the great pirate Zong Ze, known as "Sea Dog," appeared here after plundering the river port of Sizhou and came to fence his loot and enjoy himself.

Due to his handsome appearance and chivalrous demeanor, he has a wide social circle and has left many romantic debts. This time, he encountered an old lover who had reformed and married, leading to some predictable events. However, he was caught by the sudden return of the ship's owner and had to pretend to be a thief.

When he recounted these events, he seemed calm and composed, as if they had not happened to him.

His greatest wish at the moment is to marry a talented lady from a prestigious family, Liang Hongyu, although she does not know him and his infatuation is one-sided.

I can't help but marvel at the coincidences of history across time and space.

Unfortunately, my charisma and leadership attributes are not enough to persuade this great pirate to become my ally and subordinate. To be honest, with my current conditions and foundation, I don't have the qualifications to lead others.

I can't compare to a certain university student in another time and space, who, in the face of national turmoil, could rally historical figures like Zong, Yue, and Zhang with fiery speeches and bold actions, convincing them to rebel and save the imperial princesses and consorts.

However, getting to know him, gaining some goodwill, and leaving contact information and a promise to find him with a shell token when needed, is a good start.

Amidst the sounds of pursuit, I kidnapped a poor soul, took his clothes, and used my identity badge as a cover to bring him out of the chaotic anchorage area without incident, then parted ways.

I returned to the streets, blending into the crowd as an unremarkable individual.

This little encounter with Zong Ze, amidst the signs of some variables and conspiracies, gave me a bit of unwarranted confidence and backbone.

The appearance of this familiar historical figure at least reassured me that this was not a completely unfamiliar era.

Suddenly, a few figures blocked my path, and I casually pushed them aside.

"Please move aside..."

"Xia Ge'er..."

A somewhat familiar title made me stop, shaking my head to shake off the odd feeling.

"Eldest Young Master..."

The other person looked at me in disbelief.

"Indeed, it's you..."

An old man in a black robe, looking like a crow, hugged me and burst into tears.

"Everyone thought you had met with an unfortunate fate..."

"Hey, hey, don't you be mistaking me for someone else..."

Although I said this, I felt a strange sense of familiarity and affection, hesitantly calling out,

"Old Bai?"

"Indeed, it's me..."

Clearly, this old man who suddenly appeared and hugged me, crying, was someone who knew my previous identity and mission.

"As long as you are safe..."

"The family head is ruthless, assigning you to... we have been looking for you all along..."

"The descendants of the Luo family of Qingyuan, one of the eight major clans of the nation, how can they take a widow of humble origins?"

"Our family is not a broken household from the capital, needing to marry into wealth to maintain appearances..."

"But why did you leave without a word..."

All this talk of dirty affairs left me confused and entangled.

"Don't worry, even if the family head has other thoughts, there is still a hierarchy..."

"We will always stand by you..."

"Under the system of the imperial clan, he cannot act recklessly..."

Finding a secluded teahouse, we cleared the area, sipped tea that had lost its flavor, and enjoyed the salty sea breeze. I still had a strange feeling, as if a loyal servant had fallen from the sky, signaling a change in my fortune.

Then,

He eagerly and incessantly recounted a bunch of so-called "my" past events. For example, after I left, there were disputes within the domain, and the maternal uncle's family rebelled and interfered. They were one of the many old retainers and vassals sent out by the Luo family head, who found them inconvenient to deal with and sent them out under the pretext of seeking and contacting business.

Most of the content left me confused, but I vaguely remembered some things, like the windmills and watermills by the river and the strange pipes and tools.

According to him, I showed extraordinary talent from a young age, meaning I was exceptionally mischievous, causing chaos in the domain, and often came up with strange behaviors and remarks, creating things that would mysteriously smoke, catch fire, and make terrifying noises, leading people to view me as a harbinger of disaster.

Fortunately, after the coming-of-age ceremony, my personality gradually stabilized, and I began to show a talent for construction and management. I studied at the provincial school while familiarizing myself with the family business, and my creative ideas began to show value and benefits.

Thus, I was unanimously expected to be the next head of the family. Due to my excellent performance at the Hainan Clan Affairs School and my tutelage under a renowned master, even the main family of the province began to show concern.

However, at this time, the family head, who had been away for a long time, suddenly brought back a charming singer and her son. Rumors spread that he was more concerned with this adopted son than the original heir. The thought of a son of dubious origin and low bloodline possibly surpassing me left many retainers and vassals deeply unsettled.

My nominal maternal uncle's family could not sit idly by, and I became the focus of the struggle, pushed to the forefront, and then the family head inexplicably arranged a marriage for me. This was like a cliché plot from a female-oriented domestic drama.

"Is there a ship sailing out?"

I sighed heavily.

"Yes, yes, but it has to wait until the end of the month... We will set out together."

The old man nodded eagerly.

"After all, we came here on a ship from Yizhou."

"But once we complete this task, we can directly board the fast merchant ship of our clan at Longshan Port."

The old man continued to chatter incessantly, his trembling voice indicating genuine excitement. It seemed that my predecessor had some authority and a following, but to me, it still felt distant.

"Do you know why I came out?"

As I said this, I remembered that a rumor had suddenly spread in the domain, claiming I was not the family head's biological son but an adopted one. Therefore, my father favored his biological younger brother and intended to marry me off to a different family.

Then, various emotional, literary, and middle-schooler complexes flared up, and I was easily provoked to run away, vowing to create a successful career without the support of the Luo family and return to prove myself.

"These are all the malicious schemes of flatterers," he said angrily.

"Even without the family's background, your bloodline is far superior to the Luo family's main branch."

At this point, he almost inaudibly muttered,

"Marriage to the younger miss would be fine... You could still continue the family line."

What, not a biological son, and marrying a sister? I heard something significant, but the old man realized his mistake and refused to say more.

I decided I couldn't return easily, at least not unprepared. However, using their help to leave this place, which might soon be in turmoil, should not be a problem.

"How much money do you have?"

I thought for a moment, looking into his eyes. Since there was a better opportunity to leave, I needed to make some preparations.

"I don't want to return just yet... There are still matters to resolve here."

"This..."

Without hesitation, he immediately took out everything he had: a handful of silver coins, several banknotes, and a finely crafted jade ring.

"Take all of this..."

"There is still money and goods on the ship. If the Young Master needs it urgently, it can be sold on the spot... though not at a good price, it should be around 8,000 to 9,000 strings of cash."

"So much..."

I sighed. My predecessor was quite wealthy. Why did he come to this northern region to play a dangerous game?

"These material possessions are nothing..."

Seeing that I had taken most of it, he finally looked relieved.

"As long as the Young Master is safe, that is the most important thing."

"The clans in the domain can now rest easy."

At this, he showed genuine happiness and excitement, and I felt a bit guilty for using his trust.

Well, a life of idleness and surrounded by soft girls seemed to be within reach.

Seeing figures searching for me on the path,

"They're here..."

The old man smiled reassuringly.

"This is Captain Kang, a reliable and capable person from our family, and a longtime friend of mine."

"But there is one condition..."

"Oh..."

I was taken aback.

"Whatever the Young Master wants to do, please let me assist you."

He looked like a rejected old dog.

"Alright."

"Brother Chu... I have come to pay my respects."

A middle-aged man, accompanied by several burly men in short-sleeved shirts, appeared, looking out of place in the cold weather.

Watching the old man approach, I had a strange feeling, a subconscious dislike for the smiling Captain Kang.

Suddenly, his body stiffened, looking at the blade protruding from his chest.

"Kang Borona..."

The old man managed to shout before pushing the man away.

"You..."

I saw his two followers also fall, dragged to the side of the road, their bodies convulsing.

This scene made my scalp tingle, and I jumped into the grass, getting covered in mud and dew.

On the other side,

"Why..."

The dying Old Bai grabbed the man's leg.

"Because of our life-and-death friendship... It didn't have to be this way."

Captain Kang sighed, slowly prying his fingers apart.

"But the price they offered was enough to buy the lives of everyone on the ship."

"I'm old, with a family, and I'm not as brave. For everyone's future and security, I had to trade your life and your family's life for it."

He suddenly shouted,

"The tea is still hot, they haven't gone far, find them quickly."

I hid under a pier near a small boat, panting heavily. This was the second time I had to run for my life today, and it was even more dangerous. I was grateful for the tall reeds by the sea.

Then, I realized that the only person who knew my identity and was willing to help me leave was dead, killed in an unnamed seaside teahouse.

Hey, my hope of leaving the Liangshan bandit group and returning home to live a carefree life with the benefits of my new identity was over? Damn it, you can't be serious.

I sighed, and the people continued to search nearby, while others began to destroy the scene. One of them approached me.

Following the sound, I suddenly stabbed a short dagger into the wall, easily piercing through and hitting something heavy. A sharp cry followed, and the man fell to the ground. I stabbed again in the direction of the sound.

Until blood slowly flowed from the dozen holes, and the man stopped moving. I lit the grass with a flint, and the fire quickly spread to the teahouse, causing a commotion and dispersing the pursuers.

I ran along the edge of the beach, but saw several boats approaching, one of which had Captain Kang. I cursed inwardly; these guys were relentless.

Seeing me, they rowed faster and jumped ashore, chasing after me. However, I was back in the bustling market, and I just needed to run a bit more to escape. Suddenly, I saw a familiar group.

It was Luo Ke-di and his men, walking with a satisfied air, talking about some common male topics. I was overjoyed.

"Lu Zi, help!"

A flying axe whizzed past me, grazing a Liangshan member's head and breaking a willow window, causing a cry inside. Well, that saved some explaining.

"Huh..."

Luo Ke-di's face changed.

"Kill these dogs."

The men in shirts, seeing the situation, scattered, but how could they escape the local Liangshan warriors? Several were killed on the spot, but the middle-aged leader, after being wounded and captured, committed suicide with a wrist knife.

After a while,

"They came with the Yizhou clan, a temporary ship association of several dozen ship owners and merchants. If we pursue this, we might need to request higher authorities to handle it."

Luo Ke-di explained to me.

"After all, involving these clans' internal affairs can be complicated."

Hearing this, I felt disappointed but helpless. According to my story, I was just an accidental witness to a murder and was being silenced, which was enough to temporarily fool them.

In another corner of the market, Ji Wangsun's followers, facing the cut curtains and sawn floorboards, walked out with pale faces. They casually broke the necks of the already beaten Fish Head and Shark Skin, then threw the bodies into the fire.

"Whether the secret is out or not, we must act faster."

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