An Jiu had no sense of responsibility for the world, so she might not understand concepts like peace and stability. Chu Dingjiang stopped discussing such matters, but if she couldn’t find a direction, similar situations would inevitably arise during future missions. "In my homeland, nations frequently waged war and formed alliances, where friends could become enemies overnight. Ordinary soldiers were just like you—they didn’t understand why they were fighting. But in the midst of battle, a moment’s hesitation or a single step back could mean death. Since you’ve chosen this path, if you can’t be indifferent, then make yourself ruthless."
"Understood," An Jiu replied.
Ruthlessness—she had it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have made such a swift decision when facing Li Ting.
They rode hard.
By dusk two days later, they arrived smoothly in Yingtian Prefecture.
Chu Dingjiang found a privately-run inn to settle in. After washing off the dust of travel and changing into clean robes, they found a quiet corner in the inn’s main hall to eat and listen for news.
The massacre of over a hundred people overnight on the river had spread rapidly along its banks, stirring up a frenzy across the entire Jingdong West Circuit. An urgent report had been dispatched eight hundred li overnight to the capital, Bianjing.
The Song Dynasty valued civil over military affairs and was deeply influenced by Confucianism. Most Song people were gentle by nature, and even one or two deaths would be considered a major case. But the silent deaths of a hundred people—this was the most significant crime in over a decade!
The hall was filled with the mingled scent of food and wine, and the clamor of voices. Nine out of ten conversations revolved around this horrifying murder case.
"Hey, has the government found any leads?"
The conversation at the neighboring table caught Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu’s attention.
Another voice chimed in, "It’s only been a day—what leads could there be? That stretch of the river is quite wide, surrounded by fields. The nearest boat to the incident was two li away. They said they vaguely heard noise from the ship around midnight but thought nothing of it. It wasn’t until dawn when they saw the boat on fire that they realized something had happened."
At a distance of two li, any loud or unusual sounds should have been noticeable. But this had been a small-scale ambush, not causing much commotion. At first, many on deck had mistaken it for a conflict between Madman and Lu Danzhi, and no one had called for help from other boats. No one could have predicted how quickly things would escalate—their lives had hung on Yelü Huangwu’s whim. Those in the lower cabins were even more unfortunate, dying without ever knowing what had happened.
"By the time the authorities arrived, the fire was too intense. After it was extinguished, the ship’s planks had scattered, and many bodies had been swept away by the river. They say they’ve recovered eighty or ninety so far."
When the ship departed, its cargo and passenger count were recorded at the dock. Originally, there had been 144 people aboard. Now that the ship had broken apart, no one knew if there were any survivors—whether the killings were done by those on board or if the ship had been hijacked.
The authorities were now conducting a full-scale search along the river’s docks. If the ship had been hijacked, there would surely be traces left behind.
The man took a sip of wine and sighed. "Such a grand operation—there must be powerful forces behind it. Isn’t that always the way? When those in power fight, it’s the innocent who die."
Another agreed. "Exactly! These criminals are despicable. With such skills, why not use them against the Liao dogs instead of committing such atrocities?"These scholars probably never imagined that the Liao people could not only swagger in and out of Bianjing at will but also dare to run wild on Great Song territory!
An Jiu tilted her head slightly and saw two fair-faced young men at the neighboring table. While undeniably elegant, they were likely the type who couldn’t lift a hand or shoulder a burden.
She glanced around the room—most of the patrons were like this. Regardless of appearance, they all put on airs of refined gentility.
Chu Dingjiang knew what she was observing. Leaning slightly forward, he lowered his voice and said, "With folks like these, I could slap a whole bunch dead in one go."
An Jiu replied impassively, "Mind your manners, young master."
Chu Dingjiang had once claimed to be a noble scion of the Hua Clan, a statement An Jiu often mercilessly mocked and ridiculed.
"Back in the day, Confucian disciples could also slap a bunch dead in one go," Chu Dingjiang grumbled. During the Warring States period, such things were perfectly normal—even Confucians had their moments of ferocity and savagery.
An Jiu let out a soft snort through her nose, dripping with unmistakable sarcasm.
Chu Dingjiang resignedly sipped his wine.
After listening to the chatter in the hall for a while, the two returned to their guest room.
After a night’s rest, they abandoned the water route and instead took horses along the official road, boldly staying at government-operated post stations without fear of inspection.
They arrived smoothly in Jiangning Prefecture.
Chu Dingjiang hired a private boat, and the two sailed toward Yangzhou.
Due to the major case of a hundred people being murdered on the river, inspections at checkpoints along the way were extremely strict. It took them over a month to reach a private dock in Yangzhou.
This was the largest dock in Yangzhou City aside from the official one, owned by a local ship merchant.
Night had just fallen, and lanterns lit up the dock, their rows resembling coiled dragons. Many cargo ships were moored at the shore, waiting to unload. Foremen stood on the decks, whips in hand, supervising the laborers as they moved goods, occasionally lashing out with shouts and curses.
As Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu passed by, one foreman kicked a frail old man to the ground, a massive bundle—larger than the man himself—crushing him.
Seeing the old man struggle to rise, the foreman delivered another kick and spat, "If you’re gonna die, crawl out of the dock first! Damned bad luck!"
The old man’s gray hair was disheveled as he strained, veins bulging on his arms, his entire body trembling uncontrollably—yet he couldn’t push the heavy load off.
As Chu Dingjiang walked past, he casually flipped the weight aside.
The old man kowtowed tearfully in gratitude before staggering away with his burden.
The two shouldered their packs and made their way through the dock.
People along the path glanced at them, intentionally or not.
An Jiu frowned slightly and stayed close behind Chu Dingjiang as they exited.
Nearby was a small town. Thanks to its proximity to the dock, it was a place that never slept—taverns and inns stayed open until midnight, and even after that, lodgings still accepted late arrivals.
The two wandered around town first. The Jiangnan region, with its small bridges and flowing water, black-tiled roofs and white walls, even the names of its taverns and inns carried a unique charm. Eventually, they checked into a private inn called "Jade Exquisite." The establishment was mid-sized for the town, with over a dozen guest rooms arranged in a square layout around a small courtyard. Lush plants filled the space, and in one corner was a tiny pond stocked with a dozen plump koi.
A waiter led the way with a lantern, guiding them through a covered corridor and up a steep, narrow staircase to the second floor.
"Honored guests, these are the last two rooms available."The two rooms were opposite each other, separated by the courtyard. The waiter first opened the door in front of them. "This room faces the river. It's quite spacious, but being close to the dock, it can be a bit noisy. The other room is quieter, but it doesn’t have a bathtub. If you want to bathe, you’ll have to go to the bathhouse on the first floor..." (To be continued...)
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