Volume 1: A Stranger in a Foreign Land Chapter 14: Dark War Vortex
In the darkness, four cargo ships drifted downstream, their lights flickering.
Yang Ge lay behind a small mound, staring at the sparkling river, his mouth dry and his palms sweating.
"My lord, relax a little."
Fang Ke squatted beside Yang Ge, tying a white cloth around his arm. Hearing his heartbeat, he slowed his voice and said softly, "Take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly. Don't hold the weapon too tightly, as it can easily injure your palm and wrist."
"When the fight starts, don't move too fast or too slow. Follow our brothers and press forward together. Don't be anxious if you encounter experts. We have more experts than them."
Seeing his calm demeanor, Yang Ge shyly whispered, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."
Fang Ke smiled and said, "It's normal for you to be a little nervous when you're on a mission for the first time, sir. When I first started on a mission, I was so scared that I almost peed my pants."
Yang Ge knew he was trying to comfort himself, so he joked, " Actually, I need to pee right now too... Oh no, why isn't the boat moving? Has it been exposed?"
Fang Ke turned his head to take a look, then casually grabbed the oxtail knife in front of him and replied calmly: "Normal. In our business, it's not easy to complete a task smoothly and without any mistakes!"
Yang Ge looked at Fang Ke's young face, who was only in his early twenties, and for a moment he couldn't describe the feeling in his heart.
Four cargo ships were parked on the river, swaying with the current. After a moment, an old and powerful voice rang out, "May I ask which of you is playing tricks on my Xie family? The night wind is chilly, why not come aboard for a cup of hot tea and chat?"
The sound is like muffled thunder, intimidating without being angry, fully demonstrating the confidence of a wealthy family.
The next moment, a chuckle rang out from the other side of the riverbank. "We, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, dare not drink the Xie family's tea. If word gets out, the Censorate will impeach us, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, for colluding with the nobles and working in cahoots with them!"
Although the tone was light, the sound was no less resounding than thunder. Invisibly, it seemed as if rolling waves of sound were breaking the night wind.
Yang Ge recognized it; it was Shen Fa's voice.
The moment the words fell, figures were seen crossing each other on the four cargo ships, and the dense "thump thump thump" sound of footsteps on the wooden decks could be heard by Yang Ge from a long distance away.
But soon, the hurried footsteps stopped, and the old voice sounded at the right time, with a little more smile than before: "Forgive me for being so old, but I don't know which lord you are here with?"
Shen Fa's chuckle rang out again: "Xie Lao Si, we are all sensible people, so don't pretend to be confused. Now that I have made it clear, do you think we can just laugh it off and get over it?"
The old voice smiled amiably, "So it's the Shen family's nephew. Fourth uncle is deaf, but was there some misunderstanding tonight? Even if my Xie family transported some goods that shouldn't have been transported, there's no need to trouble my nephew to come in person!"
Shen Fa replied with interest: "Are you finally scared now? It's not too late. Follow me back to Beijing. Maybe you will have a chance to hear me call you Fourth Uncle again. But if you continue to go down this path... I'm afraid no one will be able to save your Xie family!"
The old voice seemed confused. "Nephew, what are you talking about? We are branches that grow from the same root. Fourth Uncle naturally trusts you absolutely... But nephew, you have to tell me what all this commotion is about tonight, right?"
Shen Fa sighed heavily, "How can you people not cry until you see the coffin? If there is no solid evidence, would we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, dare to touch you? Since I'm here, it means that the matter is already settled. Now you can only choose, do you and your entire Xie family hold on to the end, or confess everything and be beaten together... Which is more important? You must think carefully. If you continue, you will enter the gates of hell!"
The verbal confrontation and psychological game between the old and the young can be described as bloody and heartbreaking.
On the river bank, Yang Ge, who knew what was going on, broke through the defense directly!
He was not stupid. Shen Fa and that Xie Lao Si were playing almost openly. How could he not realize that he was involved in the vortex of the secret war between the Wei Dynasty and the Tartars, and between the emperor and the aristocratic families?
If such powerful people get involved, they will end up in a bloody grindstone of Jiu Clans Candy Crush if they are not careful. How can a commoner like him get involved?
If something happens in the future, will he have any other choice except to follow Shen Fa to the end?
"Okay, Shen Fa, you're playing the game of allegiance like this, right?"
He slapped himself in frustration: "Even Xiao Huang knows that strangers can't be trusted. How can you, at your age, be worse than a dog?"
Just when Yang Ge was feeling overwhelmed with regret.
The confrontation on the river has changed again.
All I heard was a "bang".
Then a burly man dressed in a linen shirt and shorts, dressed like a boatman, burst through the hold of a cargo ship and soared into the sky. He shouted angrily in a strange, nasal voice, "Damn coward! At this point, do you still think that killing me can cover up your dirty deeds of secretly colluding with the grasslands? Let's kill these spotted dogs together, and then everyone will have a chance of survival!"
This guy was indeed quick-witted, but before he could finish his words, another figure broke through the cabin and silently swung a pair of flesh palms at him.
The strong man dodged sideways, and the oncoming man's palm hit the air. Then he heard a tiger's roar, and the calm river surface exploded with a "bang", and the waves splashed more than ten feet high!
And just as the second figure rushed out of the cabin, Shen Fa on the other side of the river shouted "Attack".
In an instant , countless torches lit up, illuminating the dark river.
Immediately afterwards, a large number of figures rushed out, swinging square wooden boards onto the surface of the river like pebbles.
Then, dozens of nimble figures holding shining long swords rushed out together, stepping on the wooden boards floating on the river and rushing towards the four cargo ships.
"Sir, it's our turn!"
Here, while Yang Ge was still struggling to watch the series of changes in the river, Fang Ke, who was lying beside him, had already picked up the shining long sword, jumped up and ran away.
“Fuck!”
Yang Ge slapped himself again in anger, then jumped up with the axe in his hand, crossed the river bank in a few steps, and caught up with the running Fang Ke.
He knew that this was a big pit.
He also knew that it was a bit foolish of him to jump into a trap even though he knew it was a trap.
But he also knows that sometimes even the wrong choice is better than no choice at all.
Just like now...
If you make the wrong choice, you will be dragged into the vortex of the secret war between Wei and the Tartars, and between the emperor and the aristocratic families, and you will have no choice after that.
But if he doesn't make a choice, he may not be able to escape from this whirlpool, and he will lose his value in Shen Fa's heart.
