Hidden Shadow – CH 159

Chapter One-Hundred-Fifty-Nine: The Dock

An Jiu did not consider the world’s affairs her responsibility, so she might not understand the concept of world peace. Chu Dingjiang stopped talking about it, but if they could not find a direction, they would inevitably face similar situations again when carrying out missions.

“In my hometown, warring states were frequent, and friends turned enemies overnight. Ordinary soldiers, like you, did not understand why they fought, but in the midst of swords and shadows, a moment’s hesitation or a step back meant death. Since you’ve chosen this path, if you cannot be heartless, then be ruthless.”

“Understood,” An Jiu replied.

She was ruthless; otherwise, she would not have made such a swift decision when facing Li Ting.

They rode swiftly.

Two days later, in the evening, the two arrived safely in Yingtian Prefecture.

Chu Dingjiang found a privately owned inn to stay in. They washed away the dust of their journey, changed into clean robes, and found a quiet spot in the inn’s lobby to eat while also gathering news.

News of the murder of over a hundred people on the river overnight spread rapidly along the riverbanks, causing an uproar throughout the entire Jingdong West Circuit. An urgent report was sent to Bianjing overnight.

The Song Dynasty valued literature over military affairs and was deeply influenced by Confucianism. Song people were generally mild-mannered; the death of one or two people was usually considered a major case. However, the silent deaths of a hundred people were unprecedented in the Song Dynasty for over a decade!

The main hall was filled with the unique aroma of food and wine, and the noise was deafening. Most of the conversation revolved around this horrific murder case.

“Hey? Have the officials found any clues?” The conversation at the next table drew the attention of Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu.

Another person chimed in, “Only a day? What clues could there be? That stretch of river is quite wide, surrounded by fields. The nearest boat to the scene is at least two li away. They said they vaguely heard noises from the boat in the middle of the night, but they assumed it was just a commotion until dawn, when they discovered the boat was on fire.”

Two li away, any loud noise or unusual activity should have been noticeable. But this was originally a small-scale ambush, causing little commotion. Initially, many onlookers on deck thought it was just a fight between the madman and Lu Danzhi and did not shout for help to other boats. No one expected things to take such a dramatic turn; their lives were hanging by a thread in Yelu Huangwu’s hands. Those in the lower decks were even more innocent, dying without ever knowing what had happened.

“When the officials arrived, the fire was too large. After it was extinguished, the ship’s planks scattered, and many bodies were washed away by the river. I heard they’ve recovered eighty or ninety bodies so far.” The cargo and number of people on board were recorded at the dock when the ship departed. There were 144 people on board this time. Now that the ship had fallen apart, no one could tell if there were any survivors, or whether it was caused by someone on board, or if someone had hijacked the ship.

The government was now conducting a full-scale search of the docks along the river. If someone hijacked the ship, there would definitely be traces.

The man took a sip of wine and sighed, “Alas! Such a grand scheme. There must be a lot of power behind it. Is that not how it is these days? When those in power fight, it is always the innocent who die.”

Another man chimed in, “Exactly! These villains are truly hateful. With such abilities, why do they not fight against the Liao dogs but instead commit such a brutal act?”

These scholars probably never imagined that the Liao people could not only swagger in and out of Bianjing but also dare to run rampant on Song territory! An Jiu slightly turned her head and saw two pale-faced young men sitting at the next table. They were undeniably elegant, but she guessed they were all physically weak and incapable of lifting a finger.

She glanced around; most of the people in the room were like that, regardless of their appearance, all displaying an air of refined elegance.

Chu Dingjiang knew what she was looking at. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, saying, “People like that, I could kill a whole bunch with one slap.”

An Jiu said calmly, “Young master, please mind your words and actions.”

Chu Dingjiang had mentioned that he was a nobleman of the Hua family, which often drew merciless sarcasm from An Jiu.

“Back in the day, even Confucian disciples could kill a whole bunch with one slap,” Chu Dingjiang retorted, dissatisfied.

This was commonplace in the Warring States period; even Confucian scholars had their moments of ferocity and barbarity.

An Jiu gave a soft snort, which sounded unmistakably sarcastic.

Chu Dingjiang sipped his wine helplessly.

The two listened to some news in the main hall for a while before returning to their guest rooms.

After resting for a night, the two abandoned the waterway and rode horses along the official road, openly stopping at government-run post stations without fear of inspection.

They arrived smoothly at Jiangning Prefecture.

Chu Dingjiang found a private boat and, together with An Jiu, traveled to Yangzhou.

Due to the major case of the murder of hundreds on the river, checkpoints along the way were extremely strict, and it took them over a month to reach a private ferry crossing in Yangzhou.

This was the largest ferry crossing in Yangzhou besides the government-run ones, owned by a Yangzhou shipping merchant.

As night fell, lanterns were lit on the ferry, and rows of ships stretched out like a long dragon. Many cargo ships were moored on the shore, waiting to unload their cargo. Foremen stood on the decks, hands behind their backs, whips in hand, supervising the laborers unloading goods, occasionally cracking their whips and shouting orders.

Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu passed by and saw him kick a thin old man to the ground, his large, heavy bag pressing down on him.

Seeing that he had not gotten up after a while, the foreman kicked him again, cursing, “If you are going to die, crawl out of the dock first! What bad luck!”

The old man’s gray hair was disheveled. He struggled for a long time, the veins in his hands bulging, his whole body trembling uncontrollably, but he could not move the heavy load no matter what he did.

As Chu Dingjiang walked by, he casually lifted the heavy load.

The old man, moved to tears, kowtowed to him and quickly carried the goods, trembling as he walked away.

The two of them, carrying their bundles, crossed the dock.

People along the way would glance at them, intentionally or unintentionally.

An Jiu frowned slightly and followed closely behind Chu Dingjiang.

There was a small town nearby. Because of its proximity to the dock, it was a place that never slept. The taverns and inns closed at midnight, but after midnight, the inns would still accept travelers seeking lodging.

The two strolled around the town, admiring the picturesque scenery of Jiangnan’s bridges, flowing water, and white-walled, black-tiled roofs; even the names of the taverns and inns possessed a unique charm. Finally, they checked into a private inn called “Cui Linglong.” This medium-sized inn had over ten rooms, a U-shaped building with a small courtyard in the center, lush with flowers and plants, and a small pond in the corner with a dozen or so plump koi.

A waiter, carrying a lantern, led the way, guiding them through a covered walkway and up a steep, narrow staircase to the second floor.

“Esteemed guests, these are the only two rooms left.” The two rooms were opposite each other, separated by a courtyard. The waiter opened the door to the first room. “This room faces the river and is quite large, but it is close to the dock and a bit noisy. The other room is quieter, but there’s no bathtub; if you want to bathe, you will have to go to the bathhouse on the first floor…”