The closer someone is, the greater the harm they can inflict—such cases were truly not rare. Thinking about it now, Yue Xiang, Yu Zhong, the Crown Prince of Yuling, the Empress Dowager of Nande—these people all had ambition. No matter how much they were given, they’d never be satisfied. Only by replacing you or making you disappear would they stop and rest.
“Xu Jiu once mentioned Yu Zhong, saying he was treacherous and vicious, birds of a feather with the Mackerel Gang’s Feng Shiyi, wanting to borrow the Boat Alliance’s power to expand his own territory.” Mo Zi had long heard of Yu Zhong’s notorious reputation—he’d committed many evils, conducting a major purge when he took power, killing without batting an eye. What she hadn’t expected was that the three sons of the Whale Gang’s former leader had been by her side all along.
“Though we’ve yet to prove whether it was that man surnamed Yu who killed our parents, we once swore we’d definitely confront him face-to-face for the truth. Previously we avoided him because we were alone and weak—going to his door would be seeking our own death. As the saying goes, a gentleman’s revenge is never too late even after ten years. Now Heaven has made Qiao Lao Si run into us.” Chou Yu’s eyes gleamed cold as a blade. “These years we’ve diligently practiced martial arts—we’re no longer those wastrels who relied on our old man and old lady’s influence. Brother Mo has always been extraordinarily clever—we three brothers respect only you. I ask: has the opportunity for revenge arrived?”
The three brothers’ loyalty toward her along the way could trade for several of her lives. Mo Zi didn’t hesitate and took the matter upon herself. “Since Qiao Lao Si betrayed you back then, why does he act like seeing long-lost relatives upon seeing you? I guess either he regrets it, or there are other hidden circumstances. On one side, he lost you three brothers as backing; on the other, Yu Zhong couldn’t possibly value him highly. His life seems unsatisfactory, so he misses his former masters. Though this person can’t be given major responsibilities, he should be competent at playing intermediary. Whether I can help you get revenge, I can’t say yet, but we might as well start with Qiao Lao Si.”
Fei Xia’s plump palm slapped the table heavily, making the candlestick jump. “Brother Mo, we’ll follow your lead.”
“Shouldn’t you also ask your big brother about this?” Ding Gou specialized in finding fault.
But her patience was no joke. She shot him a glance without losing her temper. “What? Think I’ve been truly obedient lately and it looks uncomfortable, is that it?”
Ding Gou’s eyebrows and eyes rose together in challenge. “Seeing you always want to do whatever you want, yet these days you report everything big and small to others—how can I feel comfortable, is that it?”
“I’m saving it up.” Mo Zi’s smile was shallow and gleaming. “When everything’s peaceful and calm, why stir up waves for no reason? Let everyone think I’m easy to talk to—that way I can smoothly handle my own affairs later. Being watched constantly, any rebellious act would just be pointless thrashing about, completely useless. Save up ten days of good behavior, tomorrow I can use it for one instance of doing as I please.”
Ding Gou hadn’t believed it. But who knew the next day, Mo Zi instructed those on duty that she needed to handle some private matters, didn’t even greet Xiao Wei and Zhong An who were still eating, and swaggered off the ship with them, heading straight for yesterday’s tavern.
Finding out where Qiao Lao Si lived wasn’t difficult. Mo Zi said Qiao Lao Si owed wine money, so the tavern’s shopkeeper must have sent someone to collect the debt and naturally knew where he was.
Initially the shopkeeper hemmed and hawed, wary of the Whale Gang’s power. One twenty-tael silver ingot from Mo Zi, plus her silver tongue convincing him that Qiao Lao Si was insignificant in the gang, and he surrendered the location.
It was an abandoned earth god temple in the western city, surrounded by similarly abandoned broken-down houses. Moss emerged from every crack, carefully avoiding direct sunlight, coating the bricks and tiles with a layer of deep green. Nameless wild vines climbed the walls with particular abandon, purple and white flowers concealing sharp thorns beneath, silently sneering. In the beautiful spring light, the fragrance of flowers and grass mixed with the smell of wood mold into an eyebrow-furrowing miasma that clung like a shadow once entered.
However, the cracked wooden pole under the eaves made Mo Zi’s eyes narrow slightly. Interesting—the eaves were quite new, two years old at most. She therefore wasn’t hasty to enter, circling around and discovering someone had deliberately made this place unwelcoming to visitors.
“I’ll scout their strength first. Each of you guard one broken-down house, especially watch the haystacks, pottery jars, and shaded areas behind—who knows if someone might pop out.” Mo Zi issued precautionary strategies.
Everyone listened in bewilderment. Though they didn’t know what she’d spotted, they had no doubts and scattered accordingly.
Only then did Mo Zi walk back to the front of the temple. “Is Qiao Lao Si here?”
No one answered her.
Shy? She chuckled lightly. “Qiao Lao Si, if you won’t even do good business, how will you ever clear your wine debt?”
The half-closed door creaked as Qiao Lao Si poked his head out. “Who are you?”
“So yesterday you only recognized your former masters and didn’t notice anyone else?” His memory apparently wasn’t very good. A dignified, sturdy man hiding like this also seemed cowardly and afraid of death. Mo Zi didn’t avoid mentioning yesterday’s incident, because to hear the truth, she’d need to bring out the three Chou Yu brothers, otherwise Qiao Lao Si probably wouldn’t engage.
Qiao Lao Si studied her for a while, then remembered. “You were with Lu Yu and his two brothers.”
“Correct.” Mo Zi took two steps forward.
“Stay where you are, don’t come closer.” Qiao Lao Si’s face showed suspicious wariness. “How do you know I live here? That damned old ghost—I owe him a few taels of silver and he sells me out. See if I help him next time, let Yu Zhong’s men squeeze all his hard-earned money dry.”
“I think he probably knew to some extent I meant no harm.” Mo Zi instead stepped back two paces. “Look, I only want to do business with you.”
“Bullshit! You’re a young lady—clearly not someone who moves in martial circles. What business could I possibly have with you? Get lost, don’t disturb my sleep.” His head started to withdraw.
“I’ve already paid off your wine debt.” She began expressing her “sincerity.”
“Who asked you to meddle? Besides, that silver wasn’t for me—my eyes didn’t see it. Even if you gave that old ghost gold, I couldn’t spend it. One sentence: you wasted money, I wasted words. Get lost, get lost.” Bang—he shut the door.
He was just about to turn around when suddenly something flew in through a broken window opening, bouncing several times on the ground—actually a gleaming gold ingot, at least ten or so taels. His eyes brightened like gold itself. He picked it up, pinching and biting it, confirming it was real gold. At the same time, the woman’s voice clearly transmitted inside.
“If the deal goes through, I’ll give you ten ingots like this.”
Qiao Lao Si hurriedly stuffed this ingot into his bosom. He opened the door faster than he’d just closed it. “You said it—ten ingots, and I don’t want bank notes.”
So even people afraid of death also loved money. Mo Zi smiled inwardly, nodding. “Absolutely hard cash.”
He’d never heard the term “hard cash” before, but Qiao Lao Si could understand the meaning. “Speak then, what business?”
“Smuggling business.” Mo Zi was very direct, and after speaking, immediately stared intently at Qiao Lao Si’s face.
Qiao Lao Si froze, stroking his full beard. His surprised expression calmed. “I don’t understand your meaning.”
Smugglers came in two types. One type like Mo Zi dealt in concentrated antiques and treasures—even if caught, it wasn’t a capital offense. Another type like Hong Tu and Zeng Hai smuggled weapons and iron ore—if caught, that was treason and certain death. Whichever type, when encountering strangers, they’d absolutely never easily admit to being smugglers. Because in this trade, whether smuggler or customer, identities couldn’t be exposed. When the time came, the risk of being robbed and killed on the water or being silenced had to be borne by both parties individually. Therefore, one’s eyes had to be sharp.
She needed to win Qiao Lao Si’s trust, Mo Zi knew. Trust required a factual foundation.
“My ship is going to Yuling. A two-thousand-dan cargo ship, loaded entirely with rice and flour, wanting to make a high profit margin over there. On the ship are my big brother and cousin and cousin-in-law, ordinary merchants. Parents and elders died early, so Big Brother and Cousin have big ambitions, seeing the war across the river as a good chance to get rich. I’ve followed Father in commerce since childhood and know there’s a smuggling trade—one only needs to understand the ways and means to enter. That day I heard a few words between you and the shopkeeper and guessed you might be a smuggler. I don’t know if I’ve found the right path?” Of course, her facts were built on her own matter-of-fact foundation.
As long as you yourself believe it’s fact, you can make others believe it’s fact too—this is called confidence.
“You say your ship wants to cross the river?” Qiao Lao Si dug in his ear. “Two thousand dan of rice and flour, plus your big brother, your cousin, even your cousin-in-law?”
Mo Zi continued in this rambling way, “My cousin is newly married—the young couple’s feelings are so good they can’t be separated. When he goes out it’s always three months to half a year, so naturally my cousin-in-law made a fuss and refused. Finally they could only come out together. As for me, I was originally at home keeping my sister-in-law company, but now I’ve come aboard to keep her company. She’s a woman who hasn’t traveled everywhere like me—inevitably there are things she’s not used to. The first two days she vomited until everything went dark…”
Qiao Lao Si hurriedly said stop. “Enough. However you all manage, this business we can’t do.”
He’d admitted he smuggled. Mo Zi’s goal was achieved.
“Why not?” She pretended not to understand, though she knew in her heart.
“Even if you only had me transport cargo across the river, I’d have to see what the cargo is, whether there’s any danger of losing my head. What’s more, you have an entire ship, a whole mess of people and cargo—how could I lead it?” Speaking to this point, he realized he’d confirmed his trade to the other party. He couldn’t help but feel a chill in his heart, somewhat wanting to back out. What he feared most was cooperating with certain types of people—the type so clever that he’d only end up being schemed against. “How can you not lead it? The ship is ready-made, the people are ready-made. You come aboard empty-handed, point out a direction and a route. I don’t even need you to lead us back. One trip is five hundred taels of gold. Such a good deal is like pie falling from the sky.” Smugglers all had their own secret routes they habitually traveled. Mo Zi’s real purpose was to find this route.
“Big Sister, seeing you’re quite generous in spending, I’ll also tell you the truth. Silver can be earned less, but life can’t be lost.” Qiao Lao Si had survived to this day not by valuing money over life.
“I understand this even less. Everyone on my ship is first-rate—even if the ship completely capsized, I can guarantee everyone aboard would be unharmed. How could your life be lost?” If he didn’t jump at money, then she’d have to use another tactic.
“I’m just someone who helps hoist sails on a smuggling ship. Helping you transport seven or eight sacks of cargo, I can still ask the captain for a favor. You want me to tell a whole shipload of your people the route? Not to mention this is an extremely secret matter—I absolutely cannot speak of it. Even if I were greedy for silver and told, this route would no longer be safe, and the captain would kill me.”
Qiao Lao Si clutched the gold in his bosom, pinching it again and again, but finally threw it out.