Chapter Forty-Six: The Sea Raiders

Night had fallen.

Qin Zhen had specially asked the old village chief to vacate two of the newly built houses for Chief Chen and his companions to stay in temporarily.

Qin Zhen lay with his head pillowed on Liu Juan’s lap, pondering the words Chief Chen had spoken earlier that day.

“What are you thinking about?” Liu Juan asked.

“I’m thinking about when I’ll finally be able to let everyone live a good life,” Qin Zhen replied.

“Isn’t life pretty good already?” Liu Juan’s lips curved in a proud smile. “Have you forgotten how we struggled through these past years? Now everyone has clothes to wear, food to eat, land to farm—it’s like living in paradise!”

All of this was brought by Qin Zhen!

In the surrounding region, there wasn’t a household that didn’t praise her husband’s abilities!

Liu Juan was deeply satisfied with their current life.

Her only wish now was to bear a brood of healthy sons with Qin Zhen and manage their household well.

“What you want is too simple,” Qin Zhen said, rolling over to pin Liu Juan beneath him, her scent intoxicating as it filled his heart.

“Simple? There are so many people in this world who long for such days and have nowhere to go,” she said.

Their body heat rose, making the atmosphere in the room fiery.

Liu Juan seemed to remember something, a sly smile appearing at her lips. “By the way, what do you think of Yan’er from the village chief’s family?”

Qin Zhen, caught up in the moment, was startled by her sudden question.

“That little girl is quite fond of you, I hear she’s even given you flowers.”

Qin Zhen was about to explain when Liu Juan changed the topic. “Zhen, why don’t you marry her too?”

“Huh?”

Seeing Liu Juan’s serious expression, Qin Zhen was reminded that this was not Blue Star, but another world.

Here, having several wives and concubines was not a mark of infidelity but a sign of capability.

Qin Zhen felt a bit restless. “Our home is only so big. If I married her, where would she sleep?”

“Sleep together, of course,” Liu Juan replied matter-of-factly. “Who doesn’t share a bed in this village?”

Liu Juan wanted to say more, but her heart was enveloped in warmth.

“I only want you, my dear,” he whispered.

“Whimper, whimper.”

When Qin Zhen awoke the next day, it was already midday.

Chief Chen sat beneath the tree at the edge of the village, holding a steaming bowl of fish soup. Upon seeing Qin Zhen, he said, “If it weren’t for my position, I’d really like to stay in your village. With fish and meat every day, leisure and comfort—what a life!”

Officials of the Great Shang had no concept of retirement.

Once appointed, they served until death, essentially selling their lives to the state.

Only when too old to lift a blade were they permitted to resign and return home.

Of course, there were no retirement benefits in the Great Shang.

Old was simply old.

“Brother Chen, you’re always welcome here! Whenever you want to come, just do so. If nothing else, we have plenty of fish and meat!” Qin Zhen replied with a smile. “Come eat whenever you please, and I won’t charge you a coin!”

“You rascal, I’ll hold you to that!” Chief Chen was deeply gratified, and being addressed as Brother Chen brought them closer.

After a simple meal, Qin Zhen took Chief Chen to Golden Sands Beach.

Just as Qin Zhen had arranged, there was no sign of Scar Brother’s gang at the beach. Instead, fishermen from nearby villages crowded the shore.

“Where’s that old dog Scar?” Chief Chen asked, surprised. He had come specifically to teach Scar Brother a lesson and let him know that he was now under Chief Chen’s protection!

But Scar Brother was nowhere to be found.

“Guess he’s gone to Wujiang City to sell fish,” Qin Zhen feigned surprise. “Ever since our last fight, I haven’t seen him. Maybe he’s headed to Mount Mao’er to gather reinforcements?”

“Reinforcements? Who does he think he is? He couldn’t gather anyone even if he tried,” Chief Chen sneered.

“What do you mean?” Qin Zhen asked quickly.

Chief Chen then explained the situation in simple terms.

Mount Mao’er did have bandits, but they weren’t as Qin Zhen imagined—ready to swarm down the mountain and attack at the slightest provocation.

According to Chief Chen, there were three groups of bandits on Mount Mao’er. One was the largest, with about eight hundred to a thousand men, considered the main force. The other two were small groups with around two hundred each, little more than rabble. And the so-called Third Chief, Sang Biao, whom Scar Brother mentioned, was merely the leader of one of the small groups.

“Lackeys like Scar Brother are everywhere. They only use the bandit name to intimidate others. If real trouble comes, who would care about him? Mount Mao’er is nearly two hundred miles from the coastal county—who’d bother trudging through mountains for the sake of a petty thug?”

With Chief Chen’s explanation, Qin Zhen gained a basic understanding of Mount Mao’er’s bandits.

Bandits, in essence, were desperate refugees forced to seek power on the mountain.

Their names might sound intimidating, but in a real fight, they might not be so formidable.

“I heard from people coming from the west that the bandits on Mount Mao’er have fallen into internal strife?” Qin Zhen asked tentatively.

“Internal strife? You overestimate them. When the provincial authorities clash, armored cavalry and infantry collide—that’s internal strife. These mountain bandits fighting to the death is nothing more than a village brawl!” Chief Chen had now reached the shore, his gaze sweeping over the villagers catching fish barehanded.

“To put it simply, the old bandit chief died due to a woman, and his men couldn’t get along, so they’re fighting over territory. It was chaotic a while ago, but things seem to have settled down lately, so I guess they’ve decided the victor.”

The internal strife on Mount Mao’er was ending!

That meant the bandits had reestablished order. The new leader, eager to assert his authority, might well expand outward and plunder villages!

“If it’s not urgent, let’s leave it be,” Chief Chen said, turning to go. Then he added, “But to be honest, this fish-selling business is a lucrative deal for those destitute bandits. They might not want to let it go.”

His words were clear.

To protect their livelihood, outsiders wouldn’t suffice; they had to rely on themselves.

Qin Zhen understood he needed to prepare for the worst.

Returning from Golden Sands Beach, Qin Zhen immediately summoned Chen Shu, Shan Hai, and Li Han.

“From today, double the sentry posts in the village. Expand the village guard. We might have to fight the bandits from Mount Mao’er.”

The three exchanged glances.

“When?” Chen Shu asked at once.

“I’m not sure, but they’ll definitely come. Chief Chen said the internal strife on Mount Mao’er has ended, so I reckon it won’t be long before the bandits descend to raid for grain and people.” Qin Zhen spoke calmly, nothing like a boy of sixteen or seventeen.

“We must hurt them badly!”

Now armed with bows and crossbows, and with the village’s defenses complete, Qin Zhen felt confident about facing bandits of average strength.

But who knew how many more bandits might come?

Chen Shu didn’t hesitate and immediately began making arrangements with his men.

Meanwhile—

On the sea around Golden Sands Beach, several sails appeared. Under cover of darkness, pairs of shifty eyes slowly approached the shore.