stonecrandall Page 127
Page 127
When did these poor bastards from the Beggars' Sect become so rich?
Feng Xifan's first reaction was that these beggars were definitely trying to take advantage of the early signs of drought in the Central Plains and the rising grain prices to repeat their old tricks and make a fortune by reselling military or government grain.
The Beggars' Sect has done this kind of thing before.
As the largest gang in the world, their information channels are far more advanced than those of a local gang like ours. Perhaps they know some inside information that we don't.
Feng Xifan considered himself a local tyrant in Jiaxing, and since such a lucrative opportunity was offered to him, there was no reason not to take a bite.
He assumed that the grain would eventually be transported to a grain-deficient prefecture in the Central Plains to be resold at a high price.
By robbing the grain, he could not only obtain the huge reward promised by the noble young master, but also hoard the grain and speculate on its value, making a fortune when the price rose further.
He wanted to get a share of the profits, and he didn't care if he acted unsavory, since the Beggars' Sect and he had never had any real relationship anyway.
Who knew that after his men had firmly seized the grain and transported it back to the depths of South Lake, he finally managed to pry a chilling piece of news out of a captured beggar gang leader.
This batch of grain was not intended for resale in any part of the Central Plains.
Its destination is Xiangyang!
It is Xiangyang, which is now confronting a powerful enemy in the north and is crucial to the lifeline of the entire Song Dynasty!
This news kept Feng Xifan awake all night.
Don't underestimate him just because he's a roughneck who makes a living in the underworld. He usually engages in smuggling and extortion, and because he has a lot of men, he's generous when bribing officials, and the government turns a blind eye to it.
However, if the crime of hijacking military rations, especially those destined for the Xiangyang front, is proven, it would be treason and collusion with the enemy!
Let alone one cannon fodder gang, even ten cannon fodder gangs could not withstand the siege of heroes from all over the world filled with righteous indignation.
So... the identity of this elegant young man who is willing to pay a fortune to do this kind of head-risking business... is obvious.
They were definitely not fellow江湖人士 (jianghu figures), nor could they be officials in the imperial court.
Who else but the Mongols in the north, who are determined to conquer the Central Plains, would go to such lengths and spare no expense to cut off Xiangyang's food supply?
Thinking of this, a fierce glint flashed in Feng Xifan's eyes, but more than that, there was a sense of humiliation at being used as a pawn and a fear of being caught in a dilemma.
He looked at the young man who still wore a smile, as if he had everything under control, and his throat went dry.
Feng Xifan suppressed his fear and waved his hand grimly behind him.
Immediately, several trusted subordinates carried the heavy wooden crates that the other party had sent, and with a loud thud, placed them heavily on the wooden planks of the temporary dock.
"Son!"
Feng Xifan spoke in a hoarse voice, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "This deal... our Cao Gang... cannot do it, nor can we afford it."
The money, not a penny less, will be returned in full.
Please take that batch of grain with you, young master.
From now on, we'll keep to ourselves and owe each other nothing!
His words were a complete humiliation, almost a plea for mercy.
However, the young man in white didn't even glance at the boxes filled with gold and silver, as if they contained not wealth that would make countless martial artists fight tooth and nail, but a pile of useless pebbles.
He simply snapped the Xiangfei bamboo fan shut with a "whoosh" and gave Feng Xi-Fan a gentle smile.
But this action was like a silent military order.
The eighteen burly men in black surrounding him moved in perfect unison, as if they were one person, instantly taking out the large ox-horn bows from their backs, nocking arrows, and drawing them to a full moon!
"Buzz!"
The resounding clang of eighteen bowstrings taut simultaneously seemed to freeze the air.
The cold arrows, a dark mass, locked onto Feng Xifan at the bow and the entire Dragon King Boat beneath his feet.
The chilling killing intent sent a shiver down the spines of all the members of the Canal Gang.
At that very moment, on the Dragon King's Boat, without warning, shrill screams and the sounds of clashing weapons erupted!
Two figures, one gray and one black, moved so fast they were barely visible, darting out from the depths of the ship's hold and rapidly traversing the deck of the giant vessel!
They were so fast that even the usually fierce members of the Canal Gang couldn't react in time.
Wherever the gray shadow passed, streaks of blood shot out. The gang members who were brushed past him clutched their throats, making "hoarse" sounds, and fell down in disbelief.
The shadowy figure's movements were even more bizarre. He seemed to have no bones, moving along the ground. Wherever he went, the gang members' legs would buckle and they would silently kneel down. Upon closer inspection, their tendons in their feet and hands had been severed in an instant!
This wasn't a fight; it was a one-sided massacre.
In just a few breaths, dozens of members of the Canal Gang had fallen on the deck. The thick stench of blood mixed with desperate cries instantly turned this floating fortress into a living hell.
Feng Xifan's eyes were wide open, almost bursting. He couldn't understand how his stronghold, this impregnable water fortress, had been silently infiltrated by the enemy until his death!
"court death!"
A fierce glint flashed in Feng Xifan's eyes.
After all, he was a powerful figure who had dominated the waterways of Jiaxing for many years, and his formidable martial arts skills were honed through countless battles and bloodshed.
He roared and grabbed a thick-backed nine-ringed broadsword from the side of the ship. Instead of retreating, he charged forward and pounced on the two gray-black ghostly figures!
With a flash of light and immense force, accompanied by a whistling sound, the blade slashed straight at the gray-robed old man.
However, the gray-robed old man swayed and dodged the blade like a weightless leaf, while simultaneously striking out with his palm.
The old man in black approached from the other side, striking out with both palms simultaneously; the chilling palm winds seemed capable of freezing the air.
clang!
Feng Xifan parried with his sword, only to feel a chilling, bone-piercing internal force surge wildly into his body along the blade, causing half of his body to go numb.
Northern Darkness Divine Palm!
They are the Two Elders of Xuanming!
The chilling name flashed through his mind in an instant, and his heart sank.
What made him even more desperate than the insidious palm strike was the rain of deadly arrows coming from the dock!
"Release the arrows!"
Charge over there and hack those bastards to death!
On the deck, a usually fierce leader of the canal gang roared with bloodshot eyes, brandishing his steel knife, trying to organize his men to fight back.
Before he could finish speaking, with a "whoosh," an arrow pierced his open mouth, penetrating the back of his head and forever silencing his words.
This seemed to be a signal. Eighteen archers in black began their ruthless and efficient slaughter.
They didn't fire in volleys, but rather took scattered shots in a staggered manner.
Every arrow shot will inevitably take a life or cripple a person.
Those who tried to jump overboard to escape were immediately pierced through the back by three or four arrows as soon as they leaped over the ship's side. Their bodies crashed into the water with a "plop," instantly staining the area red.
Some tried to hide behind the ship's deck or cargo, but the archers had extremely sharp eyes and could always find gaps from all sorts of tricky angles to send arrows into their vitals.
At this moment, thousands of members of the Canal Gang were like fragile porcelain under the sun, being relentlessly hammered.
Their numerical advantage became a joke in the face of these unerring archers.
On the deck and on the water, everywhere could be heard the screams and wails of those who had been hit by arrows.
Blood flowed down the deck through the cracks, pooling into glaring streams.
They were completely unable to mount any effective resistance, and couldn't even get close to the black sedan chair.
Under the ghostly attacks of the Xuanming Elders, Feng Xifan was already struggling to defend himself, his internal energy in disarray. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his brothers, whom he had painstakingly raised, falling like stalks of wheat being cut down. His heart was bleeding.
If this continues, it won't even take the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
His canal gang is about to be completely wiped out!
A tremendous sense of humiliation and powerlessness welled up inside me.
He finally realized that from the moment he agreed to the deal, he had already stepped into a carefully laid trap, and that he and his thousands of men were just pawns on the other side's chessboard that could be discarded at will.
"what!"
Feng Xifan roared, enduring a chilling palm strike from the old man in black, his chest heaving with blood and qi, and forcefully wielded his nine-ringed broadsword to create an impenetrable curtain of blades, forcing the Xuanming Elders to retreat half a step.
But he did not pursue them.
Taking advantage of this brief respite, he gritted his teeth, abruptly withdrew his hand, letting a trickle of blood spill from the corner of his mouth. His eyes, bloodshot, glared at the white-robed young master on the dock who hadn't even blinked once throughout, and he roared with all his might, "Young master, what exactly do you want to do!"
Chapter 55: What methods should be used when facing a demoness?
The sound of horses' hooves was rapid, kicking up billowing dust on the official road.
Zhou Zhiruo's cheeks were so red they looked like they were about to bleed. The thrilling sensation in her palm still seemed to linger, hot and burning, making her heart pound like a deer's, and she dared not be distracted in the slightest.
After walking for about an hour, the terrain ahead gradually became flatter, and the official road became wider.
As more pedestrians and vehicles appeared on the road, the air was filled with the unique, humid, and warm atmosphere characteristic of the Jiangnan water towns.
The outline of a magnificent city is already visible in the distance.
Jiaxing Prefecture has been a prosperous land in Jiangnan since ancient times, a land of fish and rice.
Located south of Taihu Lake, and with the Grand Canal running through it, it is a vital transportation hub for north-south and water-land traffic.
The city is crisscrossed by waterways, with small bridges and flowing streams. Outside the city lies the vast and misty South Lake, a picturesque scene that has attracted countless literati and poets to linger here and leave behind timeless masterpieces.
However, beneath the poetic and picturesque scenes of ordinary people, Jiaxing City presents a different kind of worldly landscape.
Wherever waterways are accessible, it becomes a place where all sorts of people mingle.
While the government's influence is deeply entrenched here, matters on the water are often beyond its reach.
At the canal wharf, thousands of sails competed for passage, and merchants from all over gathered. What flowed through here was not just ordinary goods, but also countless amounts of silver that made people envious and eager.
Where there are interests, there will be conflict.
Where there is conflict, there is a world of martial arts and chivalry.
The Jiaxing shipping gang, led by Feng Xifan, was a local power that emerged from the muddy waters of the canal.
They controlled the loading and unloading at the dock and the flow of traffic on the waterway. Any ship that wanted to stop or pass through had to be mindful of their attitude and pay a "safety fee".
Over time, in the territory of Jiaxing Prefecture, ordinary people only knew about the canal gangs, but they might not remember the name of the prefect.