Pirates

"Did they run their business poorly all the time?" "Of course. Just look at the state of our supply post on Suoding Island, and then look at that beggars' den of theirs. Only a blind traveler would choose to stay the night over there!" Lei Ni gave a cold laugh. "Once we set up our supply post on Suoding Island, business on Heiye Island dried up. They tried every trick in the book, from intimidation to swindling, but nothing worked. In the end, they had no choice but to cozy up to boat captains, promising them a kickback every time they steered a party of passengers their way. That was the only way they scraped by." "I see." He Lingchuan shifted the topic. "You mentioned earlier that even the pirates across the Yangshan Archipelago have heard of me?" "Uh..." Lei Ni gave an embarrassed grin. "I was just speaking off the cuff." He Lingchuan added, "Yet Registrar Yang pointed out a moment ago that you and your father are in league with pirates." Registrar Yang chimed in at once. "Indeed, that was no groundless rumor! Lei Ni may be sly, but her father admitted as much with his own mouth." "So there really are pirates in the Yangshan Archipelago, then?" "..." Registrar Yang shut his mouth tight. The more he said, the more mistakes he made. He Lingchuan waved a dismissive hand, charitably letting him off the hook. "Miss Lei speaks the truth. It's my own fault for not investigating thoroughly beforehand. But let us talk about the pirates. Do you truly have ties with them?" Seeing no trace of reproach in his demeanor, Registrar Yang felt a knot loosen in his chest. The islands were right there, and the pirates were right there. If Young Master He hadn't bothered to ask around, could he really blame anyone else in the end? Lei Ni bit her lip and glanced at Registrar Yang. He Lingchuan immediately reassured her, "Don't worry, this is merely idle chatter. I'm not going to have you and your father dragged off to the magistrate." "We've never taken part in their misdeeds, we've never harmed a single soul, and we've never passed them intelligence!" Lei Ni rattled off three firm denials in a single breath before continuing, "It's just that the Chief of the Second Channel grew up with my father. Ever since they were kids, running around bare..." Running around bare-bottomed together. Realizing the phrasing was unladylike just as it reached the tip of her tongue, she hastily rephrased: "They've been close playmates since childhood. With him around, none of the other pirates dare harass us." "Chief of the Second Channel?" "Around the outer rim of the Yangshan Archipelago, the pirates divide their spheres of influence according to the natural navigable channels. There are three channels in total," Lei Ni explained. "My father knows the Chief of the Second Channel, and the other two channels leave us in peace out of respect for him." "It seems this Chief of the Second Channel carries quite a bit of weight." He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "How many men does each faction command?" "The First and Third Channels were both ambushed by yin hui a few days ago, losing ninety and a hundred and thirty men respectively. The Second Channel emerged unscathed; their position is closer to the mainland, far from the depths of the archipelago." At the words 'yin hui', cold sweat broke out across Registrar Yang's forehead. What had to come had arrived after all. Why hadn't the guards packed this Lei girl off before Young Master He returned? Yet He Lingchuan seemed not to notice the creature's name at all, pressing on with his questions. "So the Chief of the Second Channel commands the strongest force right now?" "Most likely. The First and Third Channels have barely two hundred men left each, while the Chief of the Second Channel still has a full roster." "Oh, a full roster?" He Lingchuan smiled pleasantly. "And how many is that?" "..." Lei Ni was reluctant to answer. He Lingchuan simply waited, and everyone aboard the boat waited with him. The water lapped softly against the hull. With every pair of eyes fixed squarely on Lei Ni, a prickle of dread crept up her spine. She knew that without coughing up a number, she would never get past this hurdle. "Eig-eight hundred or so, probably!" He Lingchuan let out a soft murmur. "Then we'll count it as four hundred." "..." Lei Ni added hurriedly, "Once night falls, even the pirates live in terror these days. The day before yesterday, the Chief of the Second Channel was chatting with my father and said he wanted to relocate to the mainland for the time being." Only dry land was safe. "Even the pirates are moving out, yet you and your father won't?" Lei Ni pressed her lips together. "We can't. Everything we own is on Suoding Island." That was why Registrar Yang's attempt to brush them off with a paltry fifty taels had sent her into such a fury: how was that any different from highway robbery? He Lingchuan gave a slight nod. "What sort of temperament does this Chief of the Second Channel have?" "The left side of his face took a heavy slash, so he looks ferocious, but he's always gentle with me. He often drops by to drink and play chess with my father. My father says he's loyal to his men, and they respect him for it. The year before last, when one pirate's elderly mother fell gravely ill, the Chief gave him ten taels of silver and told him to go home and care for her." Lei Ni continued, "Among the three channel chiefs, the First has a foul temper, and the Third is a rotten sneak. It's no accident that the Second Channel has the most men." So that was why Old Man Lei had decided to set up a supply post on Suoding Island in the first place. With his connection to the pirates, he held an exclusive monopoly. No matter how he ran it, losing his shirt was out of the question. Qiu Hu had been watching the water the entire time. Suddenly, he spoke up: "A vessel has been tailing us." Following his pointing finger, the others looked out across the sea. Sure enough, a boat was trailing them at an even pace, lingering a little over a hundred zhang behind the pleasure barge. Registrar Yang remarked, "Perhaps it's a merchant vessel following the same route." Lei Ni needed only a glance. "No, that's a pirate vessel from the Second Channel. You've drawn their attention." He Lingchuan laced his fingers together, gazing back at the trailing boat in quiet contemplation. Registrar Yang gave the order: "Increase speed, shake them off!" At a critical juncture like this, nothing must be allowed to go wrong. "No need." He Lingchuan turned to Lei Ni instead. "Do they recognize you?" Lei Ni leaned over the bow, squinting to make out the vessel, and then nodded. "The captain of that ship knows who I am!" "Then disembark here." He Lingchuan instructed the Mount Rong men to untie her skiff, then turned back to her. "Pass a message to the Chief of the Second Channel for me: tomorrow at the hour of the dragon, I invite him to meet me at Fishbone Reef outside Blade Harbor. Neither side may bring more than five men. Ask him to make sure he attends." This pampered young master actually wanted to meet a pirate chieftain? Did he think he was that capable? Lei Ni asked in wonder, "If he refuses to go, you can't blame me." "This is an invitation from the new master of the Yangshan Archipelago, and it concerns the future livelihood of the pirates." He Lingchuan smiled faintly. "If he doesn't come, he'll surely regret it." "Quite the grand tone." Lei Ni nodded. "I will make sure your words reach him." She climbed down from the stern and hopped into her skiff. Qiu Hu helped cast off the mooring line, then gave the little boat a firm shove. The skiff sliced through the spray, shooting forward two or three zhang in an instant. *This fellow has terrifying strength.* Lei Ni voiced her thanks and flashed him a bright smile. Qiu Hu gave a curt nod and watched her drift toward the pirate vessel astern before turning back to reboard the barge. Registrar Yang could not make head or tail of it. "Young Master He, do you truly intend to meet with a bandit chieftain? That carries no small amount of danger." "I know it's dangerous, which is why I chose Fishbone Reef outside Blade Harbor." He Lingchuan gestured casually toward the archipelago. "Otherwise, we'd be negotiating in their own lair." Registrar Yang was utterly bewildered. "What could you possibly have to discuss with bandits?" And to think this youth had even threatened the man, saying he would regret not showing up. Weren't those the kind of words pirates usually leveled at others? "Didn't I say so just now? It concerns their future livelihood." He Lingchuan took a sip of wine. "Once they weigh the circumstances, they will come."