Chapter 97 "It's really you——"...
Outside Jiangyang City, the Yuanshui River.
The journey was smooth, but Song Lin was afraid of alarming the other party, so he left some of his men in the jungle behind the river. He and Lord Jia only brought enough yamen runners to ensure that the box containing gold reached the bank of the Yuanshui River.
As far as the eye can see, the Yuan River resembles a winding dragon, swirling between its banks. The sun, high in the sky, shimmers on the river, making it seem as if strands of floating gold dance across it.
There was only silence all around, with only the occasional chirping of insects and birds, making the place seem even more deserted. There was no sign of any human being.
Just as Song Linsheng remained silent and watched the situation develop, Lord Jia on the side spoke first.
"The Yuan River is deserted." Jia Ren seemed to be slightly angry, but after listening carefully, he seemed relieved. "In my humble opinion, someone must have deliberately played a trick on our Jiangyang government office."
The strange thing is that he had searched the city for the past few days, almost turning the entire Jiangyang Prefecture upside down, but he had not found any property stolen or people missing from any household.
In addition, the "promised" Yuanshui River is now empty, with no one else except him and his group.
No matter how you look at it, this seems like a ridiculous farce.
Seeing that Lord Song beside him remained unmoved, Jia Ren continued to advise, "Lord Song, I've been searching the city for days and weeks, and there's been no activity anywhere. This must be a false alarm..."
"Why not just call it a day..."
Before Jia Ren finished speaking, Song Linsheng took a look at him and he immediately stopped talking.
Song Linsheng's eyes were deep, like an inky whirlpool that made people indulge in it unconsciously.
"Master Jia, this is wrong."
"If they are bandits causing chaos in the surrounding areas, then we can't just consider the situation in Jiangyang Prefecture. If they cause trouble in neighboring prefectures, can we just sit back and watch?" Song Linsheng said this and didn't say anything else.
Madam Wen Yu's life is still in that man's hands. Since Madam Wen Yu has entered Jiangyang Prefecture, the "people of Jiangyang" should also bear her responsibility.
"Why did Lord Jia stop him?" Mu Tong, who was standing by, stepped forward to help.
He was busy with other matters earlier and arrived late. He only managed to catch up with Lord Song and his party after they left the city gate. He still hasn't caught his breath.
"Since the other party has sent a message, I will just wait here for a while."
"Mu Tong, you—" Jia Ren's face changed, and he almost couldn't breathe. This Mu Tong was really good at choking people. "Sir Song, I have absolutely no such intention. I just..."
For a moment, the atmosphere was a little subtle.
Before Jia Ren could finish his words, he was suddenly interrupted by a male voice coming from a distance.
"Brother Jia, how are you?"
This ordinary greeting was like a sharp blade that cut through the originally tranquil Yuanshui River, revealing a wide gap. Unknown danger rushed towards Song Linsheng and his group at a rapid speed like the wind.
Song Linsheng turned around abruptly upon hearing the sound, and Lord Jia beside him was no less quick-witted. Only Lord Mu, who was always alert, was a little slow to react, perhaps because of fatigue from days of work or for some other reason. His movement of turning around was also a bit slow, or it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was leisurely.
Song Linsheng took a step forward and, braving the glaring sunlight, finally saw the face of the person who came.
A cargo ship was slowly moving on the Yuan River, approaching Song Linsheng and his group on the shore.
The man stood alone at the bow, one hand behind his back and the other on the scimitar at his waist. His hair was disheveled and wild, his eyebrows were heroic and powerful, but there was an old scar on his face that ran through both sides, making him look extremely terrifying.
"If it really is you—"
Song Linsheng frowned and glanced around, but did not see Madam Wen Yu.
A few days ago, Lord Mu came to report that Madam Wenyu was safe and there was no need to worry.
Song Linsheng's heart was about to drop. He thought Lord Mu's men had already found Madam Wen Yu's whereabouts, but Lord Mu replied that he knew it by observing the celestial phenomena at night. Song Linsheng thought it was ridiculous at first, but then he gradually believed Lord Mu's words.
For some reason, Lord Mu's words always inexplicably convinced people. Perhaps it was his towering, tree-like figure, his incredibly confident demeanor, or something else entirely...
Song Linsheng couldn't explain it.
He thought so, then lowered his eyes and quickly glanced at the jade ring on his waist. The beautiful green jade was shining brightly at this moment.
Madam Wen Yu must be on the boat!
He suppressed his worries and finally calmed down a little. He talked to the visitor across the river again.
"The day we first met at Houtu Temple, Linsheng promised you gold, silver, and riches, but you ignored him."
Song Linsheng raised his eyebrows, and Xiyan beside him quickly handed over the first letter.
Song Linsheng raised his hand to take it, unfolded it with one hand and showed it to the people. The thin and soft Dongchang paper flew left and right in the river breeze, as if it would break in two in the next moment.
"How come you suddenly turned around and sent this letter to the Jiangyang government office, and even asked for ten thousand taels of gold?"
This was also what Song Linsheng couldn't figure out. Although he had guessed before, he couldn't be sure that the person who sent the letter was definitely the scarred man in front of him, because he clearly had no intention of money that day.
But in the blink of an eye, the letter demanding gold was delivered to the gate of Jiangyang Prefecture, and it was specifically stated that it should be presented to Lord Jia.
The only difference between them is that one is him, Song Linsheng, and the other is...
Song Linsheng raised his eyelids slightly and glanced at Lord Jia's face. He saw that his expression was solemn and he didn't know what he was thinking.
Could it be that it's not the gold or silver that's wrong, but the person who paid for it...
As expected, before Song Linsheng could finish his guess, the scarred man standing high on the cargo ship in the river answered loudly.
"Sir Song, since you mentioned Hou Tu Temple, I believe you still remember what I said at the Hou Tu Temple that day."
Zhao Kuo stood high and had a far view, so he could see everyone on the riverbank at a glance.
"Don't ask about things that don't concern you!"
He answered in a rough voice, his raised brows making him look even more ferocious. Just when the fierce look on his face almost reached its peak, he suddenly stopped and laughed inexplicably.
"However, Master Song has done a great job. I haven't thanked Master Song enough for delivering my message."
After receiving the message, Song Linsheng's face turned grim. He had previously mentioned that he wanted to bring something like "an old friend wants to see you" to Lord Jia, but Song Linsheng actually put it aside and did not tell Lord Jia.
I originally thought that this would allow me to conduct a secret investigation, but what did this person mean by sending a child to deliver a letter to Lord Jia? Isn't that an open secret?
However, Lord Jia received the letter but acted as if he knew nothing about it.
Now that he has heard this, I wonder if he will notice anything...
However, Zhao Kuo quickly changed the subject, leaving no chance for Jia Ren and the others to investigate further.
"I have come here today specifically to reminisce with Brother Jia."
These words were obviously directed at Lord Jia.
Song Linsheng and Mu Tong looked at each other, and then looked at Lord Jia beside them. Now they didn't know how Lord Jia would respond.
"Where did this pirate come from? How dare you speak so arrogantly here?" Jia Ren's face was filled with fear, and a hint of anger danced between his eyebrows. "How dare you claim that we are old friends?"
"If scars cover your eyes, then open them and see who has a past with you."
Song Linsheng was silent in his heart. Lord Jia was really unforgiving with his words.
Previously, when Madam Wenyu talked about her first encounter with Lord Jia and Chen Mian in East Street Market, she mentioned Lord Jia's arrogant and domineering side. However, Song Linsheng had met Lord Jia many times, all in the government office. Apart from some unpleasantness at the first meeting, he had never seen Lord Jia behave rudely.
Seeing it today, it is just as...Mrs. Wenyu said.
Who would start by poking someone's scar? Song Linsheng looked at the scar on the man's face on the boat and chose to keep silent.
Zhao Kuo did not get angry but laughed instead, as if he had heard some huge joke.
"Brother Jia, why are you so angry?"
"Even if you don't want to recognize me, there's no need to make excuses like this."
Zhao Kuo raised his hand and stroked the scar on his face, rubbing it inch by inch as if he was very reluctant to do so, as if he was recalling the story behind the scar.
"Besides, I'm sure Brother Jia knows exactly how I got this scar!"
Jia Ren on the shore snorted coldly and did not respond.
Song Linsheng raised his eyebrows slightly. It seemed that this person and Lord Jia did have a past, but what exactly was the scar about?
Could it be that Lord Jia has a grudge against this person, and he came here just to seek revenge?
The spring sun is shining brightly and the river breeze is sweeping.
Everyone who was drying in the sun was sweating profusely, and their dry mouths and impatience added a touch of tension to the tense atmosphere.
Zhao Kuo glanced at the situation on the riverbank from afar. In front stood Jia Ren and Song Linsheng, as well as the boy who had been stabbed in the neck that day. Behind them followed an unfamiliar man and a few yamen runners.
But the most eye-catching thing were the boxes and cages behind him and his group.
As if they had been prepared in advance, the lids of the boxes were all opened, revealing the neatly stacked gold bars inside.
Under the sunlight, it shines with dazzling golden light.
Zhao Kuo couldn't help but sneer.
Song Linsheng saw him from afar laughing so hard that his shoulders shrugged, and he felt a little puzzled. He couldn't put a finger on the emotion contained in this smile, but he always felt that... it was not satisfaction.
Zhao Kuo shook his head, laughing until he almost couldn't breathe. He stared at the people on the shore and said word by word, "That day I only asked for a hundred taels of gold, but you refused to give it to me. Now I ask for ten thousand taels of gold, and you offer it to me with both hands."
He changed the way he addressed Lord Jia, suddenly addressing him respectfully as "you", which sounded a bit sarcastic and strange.
"It seems that things change with the times, it's just the same as usual."
When Song Linsheng heard this, his eyes moved slightly and he glanced at Jia Ren on the side. At this moment, he saw Lord Mu looking at him.
This person's words seemed to align with his previous speculation. It seemed that his and Lord Mu's ideas were not unreasonable.
Jia Ren's heart sank, but he suppressed his impulse and did not move at all. The inquiring gazes of the two adults, Mu Tong and Song Linsheng, beside him were like thorns in his back, making him unable to move.
After Zhao Kuo finished speaking, he glanced sideways at Jia Ren who was sitting below him and the box filled with gold behind him.
Just as Song Linsheng said, he really wasn't after money. He just wanted to help Jia Ren think carefully about what happened back then.
He was just afraid that Song Linsheng would not deliver the message to him, so he took a risky move and captured a little boy to deliver the letter.
Zhao Kuo on the boat saw that Jia Ren did not answer. After a pause, he slightly turned sideways and glanced at the cabin at the back. It was unknown what he was looking at, and then he turned around quickly.
Song Linsheng took his actions in, and couldn't help but look towards the back of the cabin, wondering if Madam Wen Yu was in there.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
