The thick smoke had thinned.
Mo Zi could see clearly all around and couldn’t help but be alarmed. What she had thought were only about ten bandit ships had actually become over thirty, plus fifty or sixty various small boats, densely spread across this desolate stretch of river. Under torches on the ships, row upon row of bare-chested men wearing black leg-bound trousers stood solidly upright with expressionless faces.
Where were these water bandits? They were clearly qualified to be a naval force. She thought secretly.
Zuo You’s ship was surrounded three layers deep inside and out. The enemy clearly had the idea of capturing the leader first.
But Zuo You’s demeanor wasn’t anxious. His eyes searched as he called out loudly, “Old Zuo has traveled this route for years, thinking I’d already made proper arrangements all along the way. I didn’t expect to have missed a good fellow. May I ask this good fellow’s honored surname and great name? If it’s for toll money, you should have spoken up earlier to negotiate rather than working your brothers so hard in vain.”
The voice came from an unknown direction, sounding forthright to the listener. “Master Zuo is so understanding—this bandit chief is very pleased. I can’t possibly tell you my real name, but I haven’t been doing this no-capital business on this route for long and have earned a nickname—Kind Yama. Master Zuo can just call me that.”
Zuo You cupped his fists. “Kind Yama, Old Zuo has always respected capable good fellows. Meeting you all today is also fate—just right for making another friend.”
“This bandit chief heard that Master Zuo is righteous and generous. I was half-believing, half-doubting, but seeing you I know it’s truly correct. This is best—saves the fighting and killing, and we can make money harmoniously. I don’t want much, and with Master Zuo’s wealth you can definitely afford it. One thousand taels per ship, and I’ll let you pass. I won’t charge on the return trip—consider it a meeting gift to Master Zuo.” Kind Yama’s words carried laughter.
Mo Zi also smiled. This one’s no-capital business was quite profitable—wanting to collect twenty thousand taels of silver in one go.
Zuo You’s voice grew somewhat cold. “One thousand per ship? For a round trip?” Openly robbing money while calling it a gift to him. This self-proclaimed bandit chief was simply outrageous.
Kind Yama said, “Does Master Zuo think it’s too little? The first time meeting, one must always leave some margin, otherwise how can we continue doing business in the future? Master Zuo just needs to show some token gesture and that’s enough.”
Zuo You laughed loudly. “You know who I am yet still dare to be so arrogant—Old Zuo has encountered someone with a death wish. Listen well, these ships are carrying items needed by the royal family. If anything goes wrong, your heads will be looking for a new home. Up ahead there are people from the water fort waiting to meet us. If they don’t see me by dawn, they’ll definitely send military ships to investigate. Although you rabble are numerous, my ships are large and I also have experts with excellent water skills and martial abilities. We may not win easily, but we can wear you down. Old Zuo dares to travel this waterway, naturally I’m not a timid coward afraid of death. I’ll negotiate with you one final time—two thousand taels of silver to buy your passage, and I’ll present it with both hands.”
While they haggled over there, Mo Zi asked Zan Jin and the others, “Can anyone locate that Kind Yama? The voice isn’t far—he might be on a ship right around us.”
This time Chouyu was clever. In no time he climbed up the lookout barrel and narrowed his eyes. “Brother Mo, from your current position, turn thirty degrees southeast and look down sixty degrees. On that double-rudder boat, the bearded man in a straw rain cape holding an oar—his mouth is moving.”
Mo Zi’s eyesight wasn’t as good as Chouyu’s, but she saw the bearded man, completely dressed as a fisherman.
Having heard Zuo You’s words, Kind Yama was neither angry nor flustered. “If this bandit chief were afraid of the water fort’s soldiers, I wouldn’t dare block Master Zuo here. Unless Master Zuo hands over the silver, no matter whose goods are on your ships, this bandit chief will confiscate them all clean. Master Zuo’s goods are worth over ten thousand taels per ship in profit—are you unwilling to give even one thousand taels? That’s being too stingy.”
“These are all Han people.” Mo Zi suddenly said.
Zhong An was startled. “Han people have low status in Daqiu and are bound by strict laws. Would they dare rob Zuo You’s ships?”
“Daqiu water bandits generally won’t look for this kind of trouble, specializing in picking on scattered small and medium merchants. But this Kind Yama seems to love gnawing on hard bones.” Mo Zi smiled. “I don’t know why, but I quite admire him.”
Zhong An looked at her seriously. “Don’t forget, Baiyu is currently severely injured and unconscious.” Admiring a bandit chief?
Mo Zi replied to him, “Doctor Ji’s medical skills are superb. If he says it’s nothing, then it’s nothing. Sir, please rest assured. They clearly had the advantage underwater, yet not one of our people lost their lives. I believe they showed mercy and aren’t conscienceless villains. During negotiations, they surrounded but didn’t attack—clearly even thieves have principles. To be honest, beyond admiration, I’m also grateful to him for not causing us to lose a single person on the ship.”
Zhong An couldn’t argue with her, so he could only drop it. “What now? Fight or not fight?”
“If Zuo You won’t give the silver, then it’ll be a hard battle.” Mo Zi squinted and laughed twice.
Zhong An intuited she had some scheme, but it might be a crooked idea. “What do you want to do?”
Mo Zi’s smile toward him became sweeter. “Sir, Zuo You has some personal grudges with my friend. I’ll help her get some satisfaction in her heart, how about that?”
Without waiting for Zhong An to finish speaking, Mo Zi pulled Wei Jia over to Zan Jin and Ding Gou’s side and whispered a few words to them.
The several people then walked briskly toward the stern.
Zhong An was still guessing what Mo Zi would do when suddenly he heard whooshing sounds, immediately followed by Zuo You’s alarmed cry.
“Kind Yama, you actually resort to underhanded attacks!” Zuo You was furious. His landlord’s cap had been shot off, scaring him into a cold sweat.
This time Kind Yama didn’t answer immediately. After quite a while, he finally laughed and spoke. “Master Zuo, if you don’t agree, the next arrow will be your head. You’re welcome not to believe it and try.”
Zhong An immediately understood, mouth half open. “You’re actually helping water bandits intimidate Zuo You?” Although Zuo You wasn’t anything good either, they were currently traveling together temporarily. Taking such a risk was inappropriate—
“Sir has forgotten Mo Zi’s origins? Private goods sellers and water bandits are people of the same path.” But Mo Zi wasn’t someone who played by this era’s rules.
Whoosh—
A gust of wind.
Zuo You discovered an arrow embedded beside his right ear and finally felt his legs go weak. Thinking again, a loss of one thousand taels per ship was still bearable. Escape first, then request troops from the water fort to come eliminate them—no need to act tough for a moment.
“Fine, I agree.” Although his legs were weak, his voice didn’t tremble.
Kind Yama’s final words were, “Much obliged. I want hard silver, gold and jewels are also acceptable, but I won’t accept banknotes. Much obliged—”
Mo Zi softly replied, “You’re welcome. The green mountains remain unchanged, the clear waters flow long—I hope you’ll have a chance to return this favor someday.”
Having collected the silver, the water bandits threw their torches into the water and it immediately became pitch black. By the time Zuo You shouted to light fires and illuminate, the surroundings were already empty. Nearly a hundred boats came and went like ghost shadows.
Mo Zi looked at the strange peaks and rocks not far away, certain there were hidden water caves and such. Add in the poor torch illumination, and disappearing without a trace wasn’t difficult.
Later in the cabin, when she told Miao Shi about the matter, Miao Shi was quite happy, saying that the several hundred taels of silver Zuo You had earned from selling her—principal and interest—had been coughed back up this time.
After sailing through the night, towns began appearing on both banks, and everyone’s hearts finally relaxed. After finishing breakfast, Mo Zi went to the main ship to request an audience with Zuo You. As his niece, she should at least come console the elder.
Zuo You seemed to be in a good mood. “Were you frightened last night? How is your brother’s injury?”
“Before I came, he had just woken up. His complexion still isn’t too good, but he should be fine.” Mo Zi smiled. “Big Brother reminded me to come check. Is Uncle all right? Money is just a worldly possession. What’s lost here can be earned back there. The price of salt—isn’t it whatever you say it is? Why argue seriously with crude, rough men? If life were harmed, that would be the real loss, one that could never be made up.”
These words were very pleasing to Zuo You’s ears, and he kept saying they were right.
Mo Zi continued, “Last night that bandit chief charged by the ship. You helped pay for my brother and me, Uncle. I truly feel bad about it. Today, besides coming to inquire after Uncle, I also want to return Uncle’s generosity.” She turned and called Zan Jin.
Zan Jin stepped forward and placed a carved box before Zuo You.
Hearing she wasn’t going to repay the one thousand taels but rather give a gift, Zuo You couldn’t help but feel uneasy. But upon opening it, his eyes immediately narrowed with a smile. “Niece, you’re too polite. A mere one thousand taels—Uncle will just consider it a New Year’s red envelope owed to you siblings. I never planned to ask you for it. This gift is valuable—Uncle can’t accept it.”
“Family doesn’t speak in two voices.” Mo Zi smiled faintly. “If we hadn’t followed Uncle’s ships, my brother and I probably would have been robbed clean by those water bandits long ago. We might not even have kept our lives. This object came from Father’s jade mine. Although the family fortunes have declined now, we still have some jade like this at home. Rather than let pawnshops cheat us on the price, better to send it as a favor and have people think well of us. If Uncle doesn’t disdain it, please do accept it.”
She was being generous with the Great Zhou Emperor’s resources, taking out a flawless piece of beautiful jade. Of course, it couldn’t make up for the loss of twenty thousand taels, but it was still worth two or three thousand. As the saying goes, give a slap then offer a date. It also conveniently strengthened horizontal connections to avoid any mishaps on the final day.
“Niece is so filial—as an uncle I can’t be petty. I’ll accept the jade. Don’t casually give away what’s at home as favors. When we return, I’ll help you look them over. If you’re willing, just sell them to me—I definitely won’t shortchange you.” Zuo You really liked the quality of this jade and was interested in purchasing.
Mo Zi quickly thanked him, thinking to herself that he really didn’t miss a single opportunity. No wonder he could go from a poor young man to the top merchant.
Before leaving, Zuo You even gave her an old ginseng root, saying he would come visit her older brother when they reached shore.
Returning to the ship, she showed the old ginseng to Xiao Wei who was lying in bed drinking medicine, but said, “He seems very kind-hearted. I had Doctor Ji check this ginseng too—there’s nothing wrong with it. If you want to take it, take it. If you get poisoned, don’t say I randomly took people’s things.”
Xiao Wei was amused by these words. “With you saying that, how dare I take it? Throw it away.”
“How about feeding it to fish? I wonder if fish eat ginseng? If they do, would they become flying fish?” Having taught Zuo You a lesson through the water bandits’ hands last night, Mo Zi was in an excellent mood.
“Up to you.” How could Xiao Wei know she had thrown his injury to the back of her mind? Just seeing her more lively and adorable than usual, his mood also became incomparably sunny.
“I plan that once we dock, we’ll find an opportunity to separate from the Zuo family fleet. Stopping in one place, it won’t be convenient for us to move around, and it’s hard to guarantee Zuo You won’t become suspicious and inform on us.” After joking for a couple of sentences, she spoke of serious matters.
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Xiao Wei was just about to say they thought alike when Chouyu ran in from outside.
“Young Master, do you need to wash your face? Drink tea? Or relieve yourself? I’ll help you! Our Brother Mo can’t do this kind of rough work.”
Mo Zi burst out laughing, told Chouyu to properly repay his debt of gratitude, then turned and walked out.