Liu Renyuan had grown increasingly disagreeable. On his once passable square face, there were now three deep, long scars. His whole body reeked of the salty sea wind. Military garments hung loosely on him, deliberately exposing his bronze-colored chest. When he walked it was as if springs were installed under his feet, bouncing along. This was from staying too long on ships—he was no longer accustomed to stable land. If one day this fellow’s two feet degenerated into fish fins, Yun Ye wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
Carrying two salted fish in his hands—this was the gift this general brought to visit his teacher. Entering the room and performing the ritual greeting, he tossed the rock-hard salted fish onto the table, then held the fruit plate to his chest, eating until juice flowed everywhere.
Yun Ye looked once and knew these two salted fish were definitely provisions from the ship’s galley. He wanted to lose his temper, but thinking it over, he let it go. This fellow had been floating on ships all these years, persistently pursuing his own dream, hadn’t even married a wife.
“The Liang family’s daughter serves your two elders at your home. A twenty-two-year-old woman still wearing a maiden’s hairstyle—doesn’t that break people’s hearts? Your father’s hair has turned completely white. When he came to my home to pay New Year’s respects, he kept coughing. I heard your mother’s health isn’t good either. I had Master Sun examine her—he said it was excessive worry. Not knowing whether you’ve paid the price for your unfilial behavior by finding your mermaid yet?”
“I’m searching. I’ll find one eventually. That Miss Liang not marrying me is her good fortune—otherwise it would be no different from being a living widow. You forcibly summoned me back from the sea this time just to tell me these things?”
Yun Ye stood up, walked before Liu Renyuan, and raised his hand to deliver a heavy slap. Liu Renyuan neither dodged nor evaded, just took the blow. Yun Ye pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hand, then threw the handkerchief to Liu Renyuan to let him wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. With his hands behind his back, he said: “For three years you haven’t returned home once. You’d rather stay in Luoyang guarding warehouses than return to Chang’an. Why? The Liang family’s daughter shamelessly came to your home. I thought something had happened between you two, so I didn’t inquire. Not until your father told me that Miss Liang was still properly a maiden did I know you were the bastard who let her down. This slap is on behalf of your father—he can’t see you, so he asked me to help him when I had the chance. This favor I’m very happy to do.”
“Back when your old man sent you to the Academy, you weren’t qualified. I made an exception to admit you. Then you ran away halfway, and it was I, your unlucky teacher, who re-enrolled you, letting you smoothly complete your assessments. I thought this way I could cultivate a fierce naval general. Instead I cultivated a heartless, cold-blooded bastard. I gave you a seafaring dream, now I must personally destroy it. During this year’s assessment, I’ll expel you from the Lingnan Navy and will tell other navies not to take you in. Want to sail the seas? Go play in your bathtub at home.”
The more Yun Ye spoke, the more furious he became. Finally, with a wave of his arm, he swept all the teapots and teacups from the table to the floor. Leaning on the table, he struggled to suppress his anger. What he couldn’t stand most was this kind of bastard who used ideals as a pretext for being heartless. People living in this world always have things that need cherishing. Casting aside everything, single-mindedly advancing toward one’s ideals, living completely as a solitary man—what difference was there between this and those bastards who single-mindedly wanted to become immortals?
Liu Renyuan knelt ramrod straight behind Yun Ye, pressing his head to the ground, not daring to move. Though this young teacher was the same age as himself, he was still willing to treat him with the ritual due a teacher, regardless of age.
“I’ve prepared a fast ship for you, the Lingnan Navy’s fastest ship. I’m giving you three months’ major leave. Don’t go back to your hometown—go directly to Chang’an. Your father, mother, and Miss Liang are all at Yun Family Manor. I’m writing to my wife to have her arrange your marriage. Leave now! If Miss Liang’s belly doesn’t have your seed, don’t come back. This point needs Master Sun’s confirmation. Whether you can stay in the navy and continue depends on your ability. Get lost!”
Liu Renyuan kowtowed once, turned and grabbed Liu Jinbao who was leaning against the door laughing, asking where the fast ship was. Now on Dongting Lake winds and clouds were surging—a great battle was about to unfold. How could they do without him at this time? After walking two steps he returned and quietly asked Yun Ye: “Teacher, how about I go back after the great battle?”
Yun Ye looked at him mockingly and said: “What, without you this butcher Liu, must I eat hairy pork?”
Liu Renyuan could only leave with an embarrassed expression. Walking on the road, Liu Jinbao said to him, wasn’t it just getting a woman’s belly big? He’d already done it three times—it wasn’t a big deal. Go and come back quickly, half a month round trip would be fine.
When Yun Ye sat in the Military Review Tower watching the navy’s drills, Liu Fang was also continuously gathering water bandits coming from all directions to pledge allegiance, moreover accepting all comers. Through constant testing and integration, many previously famous water bandits were defeated by some young water bandits. Whether in military competence or winning people’s hearts, these veteran water bandits were no match. Liu Fang had lamented several times before Han Zhe—the younger generation was formidable. He should remove the military strategist title and concentrate on being steward, lest he ruin the young master’s great enterprise.
Han Zhe seemed indifferent to the water bandits, but actually he was very clear about the movements there. Liu Fang’s testing had no private motives. The young water bandits who rose to positions were all more ruthless, more vicious, and full of schemes. Most outrageous was that two fellows could actually read. If not for their dark faces, strong bodies, full of rogue nature, plus their evil reputations, Han Zhe would almost think these people were from military noble families.
Young people always felt goodwill toward young people. He himself was a person of unmatched wisdom and strategy, so naturally he would elevate his recognition of all young people’s intelligence by one level. Plus there was also the fox-cunning, tiger-fierce Yun Ye. Young people having such performance was completely unremarkable.
Inexplicable people continuously joined the water bandits. Han Zhe instructed Liu Fang to arrange them in key positions. When the chief officers of all sixteen water bandit camps had been replaced by these newcomers, the old water bandits suffered disaster. At Han Zhe’s command, those renowned old water bandits were pounded alive into meat paste on flat ground by two foolish slaves. Seeing those water bandits’ terrified appearance, Han Zhe with a smile announced new personnel appointments. Except for those few young men who performed well, all leadership positions were replaced with his own people. Liu Fang deeply admired the young master’s decisive killing. Once again he proposed he only needed to serve as steward—the army’s military strategist truly exceeded his capacity.
“I know you’re afraid. Don’t be frightened. You’ve already stepped halfway into the divine realm. I won’t move against you. As long as we can destroy Yun Ye’s new city this time and put him to death, our objective will be achieved. As for these people on Dongting Lake’s destination, we won’t manage it, because the Emperor will always send large armies to exterminate them. You see they’re all lively now, but actually they’re all dead men.”
“The Emperor’s secret decree has already been issued. Within half a year, Dongting Lake will be covered with the Emperor’s navy. While there’s only one navy now, our actions must accelerate. According to your plan, it looks like at least three months are needed to complete adjustments. This is also good—being prepared means more chance of victory. When autumn winds rise, we’ll begin attacking. The great army will charge straight at Yueyang city. I want to raze this city to the ground.”
“Yes, sir!” Liu Fang loudly acknowledged, then with chest thrust out strode out of Han Zhe’s room, seemingly obtaining infinite courage from Han Zhe’s words.
“Foolish Slave, look at these base people. Just use a little benefit to tempt them and they’ll wholeheartedly work for you. Says he doesn’t care about this bit of power on Dongting Lake, but actually, look—his eyes are full of desire. Already told him we can’t win this war, yet he still wants to control these dead men. Actually doesn’t care about the steward position to a god. Ignorant people.”
The Foolish Slave prostrate at Han Zhe’s feet, iron chain hanging from his neck, motionless, only drool dripping to soak the ground. Han Zhe stroked Foolish Slave’s grass-like hair, continuing: “We were originally brothers, blood brothers! But why when you were born did you become idiots? Does really no one know?”
Clearly knowing blood relatives cannot mate, why still do it? For divine blood’s dignity? Little Sister is thirteen now. She’s the last divine person born in our clan. I’m very worried they’ll want me to marry Little Sister, then do nothing else, just reproduce all day like our father and mother? Really want to kill that person. Every time massaging his shoulders and back I want to break his neck, but don’t dare. Actually we all know he’s a madman, a madman who for thirty years hasn’t said one word, only done one thing. Now perhaps he can’t do anything anymore—why am I still so afraid…
When confiding in low tones, he most hated being disturbed. Strange sounds constantly came from next door. Han Zhe wanted to rage, but calmed himself down. Forget it—what they were doing was very important.
San Fengzi hadn’t died. As the most famous water bandit, he was in the next room receiving surgery. Two men in blue were sculpting his face. Originally a chubby smiling face was being carved into an angry face. The upper eyelid was pulled up and fixed with needles, the lower eyelid pulled down and also fixed with needles. The black eyeball must be in the center, otherwise it would show whites—fish eyes weren’t glaring angry eyes. Teeth needed to be bared, facial flesh needed to be taut. This being so, a large chunk of fat needed to be cut away, then the skin sewn up, creating the feeling of eyes glaring in rage, teeth gnashing.
San Fengzi very much wanted to be like those companions smashed into meat paste, but he didn’t have such treatment. After the blue-clothed men carefully sculpted his face skin and applied tung oil, staring with round eyes he watched a long wooden wedge being slowly hammered into his body. He actually felt a sense of relief—finally could die. Only the moment the wedge pierced his heart was too fucking painful.