Chapter 88 - 87: Punishment and a Death Trap

Chapter 88: Chapter 87: Punishment and a Death Trap

Mutual trust is the foundation of any partnership.

Smoke curled through the air inside the pleasure boat. Li Chongshan made no secret of his plan.

In fact, on a matter of such great importance to both families, hiding anything would be foolish.

"I know your family has the Crimson Gold Copper." Li Chongshan’s voice was steady, his finger tracing a line across the tabletop. "I plan to use this Crimson Gold Copper as bait."

Sitting across from him, Liu Zhenyue rubbed the rim of his teacup.

His gaze was as calm as still water. He didn’t answer immediately, waiting for Li Chongshan to continue.

"According to my investigation,"

"the Lu Family is still making inquiries about Crimson Gold Copper in Jinshan Village.

They seem to be planning to acquire weapons containing Crimson Gold Copper from Martial Artists.

At the same time, Lu Jing’an himself has been to Jinshan Village twice.

He was most likely there to hone his Martial Arts.

These two points are enough for us to lay a trap.

As long as it’s arranged properly, killing Lu Jing’an should be feasible."

Liu Zhenyue listened to Li Chongshan’s somewhat vague plan, his brow furrowing slightly.

He lifted his teacup and took a sip, the scalding tea running down his throat.

The plan sounded feasible at first, but upon closer inspection, it was riddled with holes.

’How can they guarantee Lu Jing’an will go to Jinshan Village?’

’And how can they be sure the experts they arrange can actually kill him?’

Lu Jing’an has Chen Xuan by his side, a Great Martial Cultivator of his caliber.

The losses the Liu and Li Families had suffered at Chen Xuan’s hands were still fresh in their minds.

If it weren’t for Chen Xuan, they would have found a way to get rid of that old fox, Lu Huaiqian, several times over by now.

’What if Lu Jing’an doesn’t go this time, and Chen Xuan goes instead?’

’What if the acquisition fails, and the Lu Family resorts to strong-arming them?’

These were all problems.

Lu Jing’an was no fool, and Lu Huaiqian was even less so.

"I understand your concerns."

Li Chongshan seemed to have seen through Liu Zhenyue’s thoughts. He chuckled, but there was no warmth in his smile.

"But one thing cannot be changed: the Lu Family needs Crimson Gold Copper.

Let’s take a step back. Even if Lu Jing’an doesn’t go and Chen Xuan does...

...would killing Chen Xuan have no effect on the Lu Family at all?"

He paused, leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice.

"So, while this plan may be crude, for our purposes,

it’s a success as long as we can ensure either Lu Jing’an or Chen Xuan goes in person.

Sometimes, a plan that’s too complex and meticulous isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Especially in a place like Jinshan Village."

Liu Zhenyue was silent for a moment, then looked at Li Chongshan with a sharp gaze. "There’s another reason, isn’t there? The Li Family is the one backing Jinshan Village, right?"

Li Chongshan shook his head, his expression candid. "The Li Family isn’t exactly backing Jinshan Village. We’ve just made some prior investments, that’s all."

The pleasure boat fell quiet, with only the faint sound of wind coming from outside the window.

In the distance, the outlines of the mountains were hazy and menacing under the overcast sky, like dormant beasts.

After a long silence, Liu Zhenyue finally spoke again. "How much Crimson Gold Copper do you need?"

"Forty jin," Li Chongshan answered crisply.

"This is the amount the Lu Family has been acquiring on the market.

Adding the same amount on top of that will be enough to whet their appetite."

Liu Zhenyue pondered for a moment before nodding.

The Liu Family controlled copper mines, and while Crimson Gold Copper was a rare mineral,

it wasn’t difficult for them to produce this amount.

"I’ll have someone deliver it to your designated location tomorrow."

The smile on Li Chongshan’s face deepened. He raised his teacup. "Let’s toast with tea instead of wine. Here’s to our success."

The two celadon teacups clinked together, making a crisp sound.

The tea sloshed gently, reflecting two faces, each with their own hidden thoughts.

Meanwhile, at the Water Patrol Bureau docks in Yin Mountain County, hundreds of li away, dusk was falling, and a thin layer of mist spread across the River.

Zhao Laosuan, along with the dead and wounded, slowly pulled ashore in an Upturned Boat.

This time, they had set out with thirty-five men.

Five were on standby, while thirty split between two boats to carry out the interception.

Now, upon their return, of the thirty interceptors,

eight had drowned, and three of their bodies could not be recovered.

The remaining twenty-two, including Zhao Laosuan himself, were all injured.

In the director’s office, an electric lamp cast a dim, yellow light.

Lu Jing’an sat behind his desk, listening to Zhao Laosuan’s hoarse report.

Zhao Laosuan’s forehead was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, his face still streaked with grime and gunpowder residue.

His voice trembled as he spoke, whether from pain or lingering fear, it was hard to tell.

But his account was clear and concise.

He recounted when they were intercepted and how many men the enemy had.

"...I was incompetent. We lost eight of our brothers."

After finishing, Zhao Laosuan bowed his head deeply, not daring to look at Lu Jing’an’s back.

Lu Jing’an turned around, the dim yellow light casting deep shadows on his face.

He handed over a clean white handkerchief. "Wipe the blood from your forehead."

Zhao Laosuan accepted the soft, clean fabric with trembling hands.

He carefully pressed it to his wound, and the white cloth quickly stained a dark red.

"You did a good job," Lu Jing’an said, his voice calm and revealing little emotion.

"Go back and tell everyone:

those who survived will each receive a reward of one hundred silver coins.

Those who died will have a pension of three hundred silver coins.

Have their wives and children come directly to collect it.

Furthermore, the widows and orphans can remain in Yin Mountain County. I will arrange livelihoods for them."

He paused, his gaze falling on Zhao Laosuan’s cloudy but loyal eyes.

"Whether dead or alive, from this day forward, all of them will be entered into the Water Patrol Bureau’s roster of auxiliary personnel."

Zhao Laosuan began to tremble violently.

One hundred silver coins was enough for an ordinary family to live on for several years.

The pension was even more generous than he could have imagined.

But the most crucial part was the status of auxiliary personnel.

This meant that people like them, who had once scraped by on the river as half-bandit, half-official types,

finally had a legitimate status.

"Thank you, Director! I—I thank you for your great kindness on behalf of everyone!" Zhao Laosuan said, about to kneel, but Lu Jing’an stopped him with a raised hand.

"We don’t do that anymore," Lu Jing’an said lightly. "You are now an official Water Patrol Officer of the Bureau. From now on, you must act with the decorum of an official."

"Yes... yes..." Zhao Laosuan choked out, wiping his face haphazardly.

"From now on, you won’t have to do this kind of dirty work yourselves."

Lu Jing’an walked back behind his desk, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface.

"Find some other capable Water Bandits to handle the escorts. You just need to assist from the sidelines.

Also, tell everyone..."

He raised his eyes, a sharp, cold light flashing within them.

"I will not let our brothers die in vain. The Liu and Li Families will pay the price."

"I understand!"

"Go on. Your daughter is in the backyard, learning to read with her tutor. Go see her."

Zhao Laosuan thanked him repeatedly and backed out of the office.

The door closed softly, sealing the dim, yellow light inside.

Lu Jing’an stood quietly for a moment, then walked to the telephone and turned the crank.

A moment later, he spoke into the receiver, "Father, there is something I must report to you..."

Lu Huaiqian’s steady voice came from the other end of the line.

Lu Jing’an briefly explained what had happened at the docks, concluding, "I’m not very skilled with official channels. I’m afraid this matter will require you and Secretary Hu to handle it."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Jing’an gazed out the window.

The lights at the docks were scattered like stars, and the river fog was growing thicker.

He knew that once his father and Secretary Hu unleashed their one-two punch,

the Liu and Li Families would suffer far more than just the loss of a few boatloads of goods.

「Three days later.」

The official penalty notice from the provincial government arrived as expected.

The Liu and Li Families were each ordered to compensate the Water Patrol Bureau fifty thousand silver coins.

The pay silver for the Public Security Bureaus of both counties was halved.

More fatally, the variety and quantity of their military procurement were reduced.

In these chaotic times, this was tantamount to strangling their military lifeline.

At the same time, Secretary Hu launched an attack in the Civil Affairs Department,

savaging the Liu Family’s backer in the provincial government until he was left in a sorry state.

The matter quickly made its way into the newspapers.

For two families with such deep foundations, the fines and docked pay were not a crippling blow.

But the reduction in military supplies was a real sore spot.

Many Firearms and pieces of Equipment were difficult to acquire even with money, and they certainly didn’t dare to traffic them privately.

As for their backer suffering a setback, while infuriating, it was something they could still maneuver around.

What truly stuck in Liu Zhenyue and Li Chongshan’s throats like a fishbone were the sensational newspaper reports.

Face.

At their level of status, face was sometimes more important than money.

Once the incident was published, they became the laughingstock of their circle.

The other powers in Lou Mountain and Xiao Mountain counties—the local families and gangs who had once been so respectful—

now looked at them with a subtle change in their eyes.

’Even a few Water Bandits dare to intercept your ships? Do you still have the power to keep things under control?’

In Liu Zhenyue’s study.

The newspaper in his hand crumpled with an audible CRINKLE before he slammed it to the floor.

He walked to his desk, spread out a sheet of paper, ground the ink, and wrote a line for a telegram with forceful strokes. He then summoned a trusted subordinate. "Send this to Lou Mountain at once, for Li Chongshan’s eyes only."

The telegram contained only two words, written with such force they seemed to pierce the paper:

Act quickly!

In truth, Li Chongshan had already made his move, with or without Liu Zhenyue’s urging.

On the very day the penalty notice was issued, he had used a clandestine channel

to give an order to the Smiling Tiger in Jinshan Village.

No matter the method, he had to lure Lu Jing’an to Jinshan Village.

If neither Lu Jing’an nor Chen Xuan showed up, it would be the Smiling Tiger’s death sentence.