Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 175 - 12 Fleeing Far Away
Chapter 175: Chapter 12 Fleeing Far Away
“…”
The old man was at a loss for words.
Li Yan’s face still carried a smile, but there was a different kind of gleam in his eyes.
The old man in the black cap curled up his upper body, his hands tucked into his sleeves, stammering as he shook his head. “Brave, brave, brave, brave. Please, no jokes, brave one.”
He looked mournful: “This old fool is over sixty this year. How can I withstand the rough seas? Please be kind. If something happens to me, my family of orphans and widows will have no way to live on~”
Li Yan still said nothing, just stared at the old man.
The fierce men exuding murderous intent surrounded the old man and a young one, their faces so grim they seemed to drip water.
Zhang Dong had just opened his mouth: “Brave~”
“I didn’t ask you.”
Li Yan cut him off directly.
The sound of footsteps approached from afar.
The waiter came upstairs, bringing two plates of cold dishes. He was right between Li Yan and Zhang Dong,
Zhang Dong, having been snapped at by Li Yan and seemed startled, began to tremble. Taking advantage of the waiter’s cover, he drew a dagger from his boot, secretly gripping it in his hand and hiding it beneath his wide sleeve. His body was stiff as a rod.
“Sir, please don’t make me waste words.”
Li Yan’s tone was firm.
The black-capped old man, who had been silent, slowly raised his head and met Li Yan’s gaze.
After a long time, he slowly pulled his hands out of his sleeves, took off the black skullcap on his head, revealing a few strands of white hair beside his temples, his body bearing the marks of a hard life. The expression of earnest fear was gone from his face.
“Brave one, if you insist on taking me with you, no problem. This old fella has traveled north and south and has seen some of the world. You are a notable hero in Guangdong and Guangxi, and I trust you to play by the rules. I’m not afraid of being bound, but at least let this little disciple of mine go back and send word to my family. Then they can bring the ransom, don’t you agree?”
“If I disappear, people will naturally suspect me, no need to trouble others to send the word.”
“Goodness! Is there really such a bandit in this wide world who doesn’t want money, just lives?” the old man lamented with a sigh.
Li Yan grabbed a handful of peanuts and put them in his mouth, mumbling unclearly,
“I wonder how much wealth a first-rank official of the court has? Seems odd to be eager to deliver ransom to pirates.”
At these words, even the steeled mind of the black-capped elder felt the piercing sensation of plummeting into an abyss.
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Seeing Li Yan’s amused expression, the old man let out all his breath.
Zhang Dong pushed against the ground with the sole of his foot, but the old man firmly held him down by the shoulder, unable to rise.
The black-capped old man neatly folded his cuffs and collar, and after wiping the corner of his eye with his thumb, he said slowly and deliberately, “You just mentioned ordering another table. Coincidentally, I haven’t had my fill either. Let me finish this meal, and then I will go with you. Will that do?”
“That will do.”
Li Yan’s reply was succinct.
He himself had not expected to have such an unforeseen gain when breaking through the blockade at Humen.
Li Yan did not recognize the identity of the old man, nor did he know which one Lin Yuanfu was. However, a probing “A Fleeting Glimpse” had revealed the old man in the black cap’s background.
The threat level was pale white, the string of titles that followed was enough to dazzle Li Yan’s eyes.
Jinshi of the 55th year of Qianlong, Crown Prince’s Tutor, Wenhua Hall Grand Scholar, Royal Envoy, Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi.
Lin Yuanfu!
After becoming aware of the black-capped old man’s identity, Li Yan felt a flash of murderous intent.
Killing Lin Yuanfu could bring him a high evaluation score, which might not be the optimal solution, but it was undoubtedly the most effortless and most reliable method.
As for the official backlash and retaliation, Li Yan really didn’t take it seriously. Yan Fu was naturally fearless under the heavens and on the earth, and besides, with Lin Yuanfu dead, the government would be in chaos for a while before they could reorganize troops and appoint officials. By the time all that happened, Li Yan would have clapped his bottom and walked away.
Night breeds many dreams, so if you can kill, just kill. Li Yan wouldn’t underestimate these “officials” who stood out from the masses, but once you’re cut down, all your grand strategies mean nothing.
What made him dismiss this idea was a hint from Yan Fu.
[You have triggered a special Yan Fu event: Overwhelming Bandit!]
[Content: Bring Lin Yuanfu back to Lantau Island as a hostage and demand a ransom from the court.]
Judgment standard: The final evaluation will depend on the amount of ransom obtained.
Completing this Yan Fu event will significantly increase your purchasing quota, and you will also receive a special reward draw for completing a Yan Fu event.
Note: No pirate has ever taken a top official hostage and demanded a ransom from the court. At this moment, an opportunity to make a name for yourself lies before you. Would you really just cut him down so impetuously?
…
On the high lock wall, a sailor wearing a Red Head spotted the dust in the distance, where the flags, weapons, armor, and carriage wheels were faintly visible amidst the dust, indicating that reinforcements had arrived. He strained his voice to rally his brothers:
“Hurry, load the ship! Load the ship!”
Lin Yuanfu and Zhang Dong stood on the deck, their expressions complex, with Xue Ba yawning beside them.
Red Flag sailors efficiently sorted and loaded the looted goods into the lock ships, box by box. Dressed in shorts and T-shirts, they obviously had nowhere to hide anything, and they worked nimbly without any sign of reluctance. The haphazard plundering, fighting, and eagerness to claim spoils that Lin Yuanfu had imagined did not occur, raising his opinion of the Red Flag Gang by another notch.
“Tianbao, all loaded!”
A sailor with defined muscles bellowed like a tiger, calling out to Li Yan.
“Set sail!”
Li Yan gave the order on the deck.
The Spirit of the Duck led the way, the red arrowhead pointing to the open sea. Seven or eight small sails approached from either side, flying the Dragon Flag of the government forces. The soldiers in blue tunics on board aimed their firelocks at the Red Flag Gang’s large ship and fired.
“Boom!”
The red broad-hulled ship, sitting heavily in the water, listed to one side as nearly twenty bronze-bound cannons spat out flames, sending a volley of cannonballs that terrified the pompous government ships into confusion. They even forgot to pursue.
The laughing helmsman whistled at the government ships, jeering loudly as cries and howls erupted from the broad-hulled ship.
On the mast of the Spirit of the Duck, hung the pickled head of Zhuo Huxing, Governor of the Humen Naval Forces, swinging wildly in the sea breeze. Soon, the Red Sails were a distant sight.
In February of the fourteenth year of the Jiaqing era, the great South Seas pirate Tianbao attacked Humen, killed Zhuo Huxing, Governor of the Humen Naval Forces, looted extensively, and after circling for a short time, withdrew. The news shook Guangdong and Guangxi…
[You’ve completed the Yan Fu event: Assault on Humen]
Evaluation: 85% (This was only a surprise attack, you did not actually occupy Humen)
The Red Flag Gang’s looted goods are as follows:
604 strings of cash (distributed to participating sailors)
More than 500 jin of grain, over 300 cotton garments, 200 sacks of salt, more than 2,000 jin of iron material, four Dragon Bones measuring 12 meters, over 150 pieces of intact weaponry (swords, spears), 20 Bird Guns, four barrels of gunpowder.
Eight pieces of lacquerware, fourteen pieces of porcelain, twenty-two books.
Total value: 5,400 taels of silver
You need to convert these items into cash and buy the corresponding offerings to sacrifice to the Lord of the Xiang River.
Cha Xiaodao, with his loose pants and bare upper body, came over, his face bearing a long scar from when he nearly got caught while tricking his way through the sluice gates, getting trapped and narrowly escaping amidst heavy government forces.
“How is it?”
“Found a rare book on military tactics at a local private school. After reading it, Kui devoured a ‘Void’ and a ‘Battle’ word, leaving behind the things useful for Yan Fu. It’s all here. As per the rules, you choose first.”
This surprise attack on Humen seemed effortless because the water gate was broken, leaving the officials unable to stop the Red Flag Gang’s large ships. At that time, Cha Xiaodao had no back-up and was trapped in a corridor by the government soldiers, surrounded by danger. Li Yan had Cha Xiaodao lead the scavenging teams as a sign of trust and to compensate for the risks, implying that if Cha Xiaodao were to skim anything off the top, Li Yan would turn a blind eye, as clear waters are devoid of fish.
