Chapter 4: Night Raiders for the Fair Lady

Listening to the explosive sounds of the wooden boat being consumed by the fire, Lin Fu was worried that the hull would soon collapse. After waiting for a moment, as most of the water bandits had jumped onto the pleasure boat and the attention of the bandits was no longer on the water's surface, he took aim and plunged into the water, swimming towards the pleasure boat. He estimated that after the water bandits seized the pleasure boat, they would not easily set it ablaze, so it would be safer to swim downstream for a while before coming ashore.

At this moment, Lin Fu's body was completely submerged in the water from the tip of his nose down, showing no trace of someone who had fallen into the water.

Su Mei's cabin was at the bow of the ship, while Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe were hiding at the stern. They could not hear the commotion at the front, only the gradually diminishing sounds on the ship, suggesting that the water bandits had already taken control of the situation. After a moment, bodies were continuously thrown down from above. Counting the splashes, Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe exchanged glances; apart from Su Mei and her maid Xiao Man, not a single living soul had been left behind.

"What can we expect from those incompetent fools?" Dong Yuan scoffed coldly, "Three days ago, Chongzhou County was raided, and there were over a hundred soldiers from Ninghai Town in Chongzhou City, yet they were still defeated by a mere thirty to fifty pirates, causing chaos and panic among the people and horses alike"

Was it Fu Qinghe who fell into the water? Lin Fu was taken aback; he knew that the role of martial artists in chaotic battles was limited, but he did not expect Fu Qinghe to be so ineffective. With a sudden dive into the water, using the faint light filtering through the river, he saw a dark shadow below that remained motionless. Before he could surface, Lin Fu pulled Fu Qinghe and swam towards another location.

Lin Fu watched as the painted boat was less than thirty zhang from the shore. The painted boat was also a rowing vessel, with six wooden oars on each side of the hull. The crew could maneuver the oars for a moment to reach the shore. Moreover, the crossbowmen at the county office on the shore could shoot arrows in response. If the water bandits could not timely attack the painted boat, allowing it to reach the shore and join forces with the crossbowmen of Baisha County, it would instead turn the painted boat into a swift warship for the crossbowmen to pursue the bandits.

"Alright," Lin Fu whispered, "Master Fu, where are you injured..." Earlier, she had only seen blood seeping from his back and shoulders in the water, without any critical injuries. Now, she noticed two deep cuts on his right arm, the flesh exposed and resembling white lips after being submerged for a while, while blood continued to ooze from his left armpit. Although these injuries did not seem severe, she was uncertain if he had sustained serious wounds elsewhere.

Lin Fu still wanted to wait for the right moment, but the two men at the bow of the ship were not willing to give him that time. They pressed a knife against Zhao Neng's man, who had a scar running through his nose, and he asked the other person: "Do you think that soft-footed shrimp has woken up yet? Why is there not a sound at all?" In their words, they were not afraid of Lin Fu waking up.

"Be careful with the books, you scoundrel. Making such a commotion has startled the painted boat, and Zhao the Elder is going to take action ahead of schedule..." A lean man outside said in a deep voice

The painted boat was nearly two hundred meters away from the riverbank, and only then did the archers arrive at the ferry. Their arrows were already out of reach, and no one was seen jumping into the river to swim to the rescue. Lin Ba knew that the painted boat was doomed; no matter how skilled Fu Qinghe was in martial arts, he would find it difficult to exert much influence in the chaos of battle. At most, he could kill a few water bandits to vent his anger, but if he failed to recognize the moment to abandon the boat and jump into the water, he would not escape death.

The soft-shelled shrimp is like a weight in the water, dying even faster, do not pay attention to it... quickly board the painted boat, we must not let the painted boat dock.

The water bandits no longer delayed; at the bow of the three-masted ship, over a dozen bows were drawn and fired in unison. Others hurled objects resembling ceramic jars towards the bow of the pleasure boat, shattering them and releasing a cloud of lime dust. Taking advantage of the chaos at the bow of the pleasure boat, dozens of water bandits jumped from the three-masted ship and the other three hijacked merchant vessels onto the pleasure boat.

At the ferry terminal, seven or eight small to medium-sized merchant and fishing boats were docked. The crew on board was minimal, and there was no security, leading to a silent and unnoticed downfall.

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The fire on the black-sailed boat intensified, and Lin was hiding underwater, temporarily safe. However, he did not dare to act recklessly, as chaos reigned among the people and horses. Who could tell if swimming towards the shore would lead to being mistakenly killed?

How could Huzi possibly fail?

Lin Fu held the broken knife in his hand, hesitating whether to strike the drowning person as soon as they surfaced. Just then, he heard someone shout from above him: "Fu Qinghe is dead, go below deck and kill the oarsmen!"

It looks like a sea vessel, possibly a pirate from the East China Sea. I fear we won't be able to catch up if we pursue along the shore. Should we hasten our horses to inform the Ninghai naval station? Under the illumination of the torches, Ding Zhiru, the magistrate of Baisha County, appeared somewhat pale, his body chilled by the wind. With the pirates rampaging within the territory, as the chief official of Baisha County, he bore a certain degree of unavoidable responsibility.

The man with the bushy beard smiled knowingly, bending his arm to grip Zhao Neng's neck, and threatened in a low voice: "If you want to stay alive, don't scream in pain! If you do, I'll chop you up with one stroke!" He then struck Zhao Neng's temple hard with the hilt of the knife. Zhao Neng let out a muffled groan and slumped down weakly. As the man with the bushy beard tried to insert the knife through the door crack to pry open the latch, Lin Fu took half a step back. Just as the latch was about to be pried open, he swiftly grabbed the back of the knife's tip and kicked it, breaking the knife at the door crack. The man outside was caught off guard, and he stumbled in with a broken knife in hand.

After the river swelled, the water surface was two to three li wide. The painted boat was dragged to the center of the river, tied to that pirate ship, while the remaining three merchant ships were set ablaze by the water bandits. Although there were knife-wielding archers running along the riverbank trying to rescue, they were powerless. By the light of the fire, a few people could be seen riding tall horses on the riverbank, uncertain if Dong Yuan, known for his reputation, and Lord Dong were among them, resisting the She family rebellion in the southeast.

This scourge is in Baisha County, and it is quite tricky; you should come with me. The ship has been set on fire, and we must not allow it to reach the shore

At this moment, although Lin Fu harbored feelings of cherishing flowers and precious jade, and remembered the kindness that Su Mei had shown him, he was not a fool who would recklessly rush into a dead end out of impulsive passion

The scarred face was formidable; when his eyes were poked, he let out a scream akin to that of a slaughtered pig. Yet, he managed to break free from Lin Fu's grasp, struggling and crashing into the corner of the cabin. Blood streamed from his eye sockets, and the broken knife in his hand was still flailing, preventing Lin Fu from closing in. He shouted towards the outside of the cabin: "Lao Biao, tough guy, my eyes have been blinded, hurry in and save me"

Ding Zhiru then realized that Dong Yuan was also harboring resentment over being rejected at dusk. If his suspicions were correct, the thieves should be a faction of the Donghai pirates. At this moment, he dispatched someone to urgently inform Ninghai Town, hoping to intercept them before the pirate ship set sail. Ding Zhiru certainly did not forget the conflict between Dong Yuan and Ninghai Town. Moreover, Dong Yuan was a key official advocating for the establishment of a local new army outside the town's military system. Therefore, he chose not to say anything further, even if it was just for show. He instructed the county lieutenant to lead the sword and bowmen to continue the pursuit along the coast. He also vaguely saw that there were still people alive in the river, likely those who had narrowly escaped disaster and fallen into the water. He hurriedly organized personnel to go into the water to rescue them.

Dong Yuan let out a cold snort, saying nothing further, merely gazing at the dark silhouette gradually receding in the center of the river under the bright moonlight

The soft-shelled shrimp is infatuated with that woman, and when he goes mad, it is truly unpredictable; it is better to be cautious... Another man, with a lean face, squinted towards the riverbank—at this moment, the bank was not far enough away. Near the disaster relief camp at Mosquito Head Mountain, nearly a hundred knife and bowmen from Baisha County were stationed. After Dong Yuan took office as the governor of Yangzhou, he placed great importance on the training of the knife and bowmen and other security forces in the various counties of Yangzhou, even intending to train an elite local army. The lean man was quite wary of the knife and bowmen from Baisha County. Moreover, Dong Yuan had a formidable reputation, and he was currently in Baisha County. If they were to cause a disturbance now, tonight's plans might not succeed. With this in mind, he exchanged a glance with the scar-faced man.

Breaking the surface for air, the bottom of the painted boat, covered in dark green water moss, was right before him. Lin Ba took a broken knife and wedged it into the seam of the boat's planks, finding a support point to catch his breath. At that moment, a dark figure fell from above, and the splashing water caused Lin Ba to choke violently; it was a person who had fallen, their fate unknown.

Lin Fu was secretly alarmed upon hearing this: Zhao had scolded him during dusk, admonishing him not to speak carelessly in front of outsiders. It seemed that these two were quite familiar with his previous self

Lin Fu observed the situation and became convinced that the robbers were targeting Su Mei, and that their plan was meticulously crafted. Under the cover of night, they sent people to infiltrate other boats at the ferry under the pretext of listening to music, intending to suddenly launch an attack and force these boats away from the riverbank, preventing them from serving as transport for the support of the pleasure boats on shore. The three-masted ship was likely the main battle vessel of the water bandits this time; it resembled a sea vessel and had somehow blended in and docked at the ferry without raising anyone's suspicion. It was evident that a considerable number of elite water bandits were concealed on board, all of whom were now called into action. The three-masted ship was likely the main battle vessel of the water bandits this time; it resembled a sea vessel and had somehow blended in and docked at the ferry without raising anyone's suspicion. It was evident that a considerable number of elite water bandits were concealed on board, all of whom were now called into action

The man's eyes were pierced and bleeding, unable to see the length of the broken knife in his hand. Hearing the sound of the wind, he raised his hand to defend himself, but missed, allowing the steel sword to cleave into his brow. The sword got stuck in the bone, and Lin Fu lacked the strength to pull it out. Hearing the sound of the door being smashed behind him, without a moment's hesitation, he picked up the broken knife, climbed through the window, and jumped out. He plunged into the water and only surfaced for air after diving under the wooden oar at the stern of the boat.

Lin Fu jumped over to secure the cabin door, hoping to delay the lean man outside for a moment; just as he drew his sword, a scream echoed through the air, suggesting that the boatman was in grave danger. Lin Fu disregarded everything else and swung his sword like a blade, striking towards the man in the corner of the cabin.

Lin Bu was about to untie his belt to bind Fu Qinghe's body to the oar, when he felt the body in his hands move slightly. He tilted his head to the side, dodging Fu Qinghe's weak punch. Turning his head back, he saw Fu Qinghe looking at him in astonishment, probably unable to believe that he had not died and had even saved him.

The place where Fu Qinghe fell into the water would attract the attention of water bandits. Lin Fu did not believe that he could still cleverly evade the strong bows while in the water. Holding onto Fu Qinghe's lifeless body, he submerged beneath the oars at the stern of the painted boat before surfacing. This area at the stern was deeply recessed and shielded by the oars, making it much more concealed than other places, as the firelight could not penetrate here.

The man suddenly entered a dark environment, his vision completely obscured; however, Lin Fu adapted to the dim light, swiftly seizing the wrist of the bearded man holding the broken knife, and with two fingers, he jabbed fiercely towards his eyes.

At that moment, the ferry and several boats from the books, along with the painted pleasure boats, had drifted about seventy to eighty meters away from the riverbank, and suddenly chaos erupted. Two boats caught fire, and in the blink of an eye, the river water was illuminated a bright red by the flames. People were continuously knocked over and fell into the water. On one of the hawk boats, two archers drew their bows, keeping a watchful eye on the water's surface, while Lin Ba concealed himself behind the wooden oar, too afraid to show his face. After a while, he heard someone jump onto the black awning boat to ask, "Chen Biao, what is happening?"

The cabin door was tightly shut, and outside the moonlight was bright, yet the cabin was shrouded in darkness. Lin Ba remembered that the sword was hanging on the wall opposite him. He carefully tightened his clothes, mentally calculating the distance to the window, envisioning how he could swiftly retrieve the sword in the dark and then leap from the wooden window into the river. However, he could not see the situation of Su Mei's pleasure boat through the crack of the door, nor was he clear about how many water bandits were attacking the ship this time. Lin Ba patiently stood close to the door, thinking that perhaps taking the opportunity to jump into the water amidst the chaos would be the best choice.

The commotion here also alarmed those on the shore. The disaster relief camp on the hill lit many torches towards the ferry, and dozens of dark figures could be seen rushing towards it. They were armed, being the knife and bowmen stationed on the mountain. The awakened disaster victims echoed loudly across the mountains: "Governor Dong is here; how dare the water bandits come to their deaths!" "Governor Dong has declared that for every bandit killed, there will be a reward of ten taels of silver, regardless of whether they are officials or commoners." Some brave disaster victims also ran chaotically towards the ferry alongside the knife and bowmen. The awakened disaster victims echoed loudly across the mountains: "Governor Dong is here; how dare the water bandits come to their deaths!" "Governor Dong has declared that for every bandit killed, there will be a reward of ten taels of silver, regardless of whether they are officials or commoners." Some brave disaster victims also ran chaotically towards the ferry alongside the knife and bowmen.

The water thief lifted the ram onto the ship, and received a blow to the chest, causing him to hold his breath and fall into the water. Fu Qinghe, with one hand hooked on the oar, weakly explained the reason for falling into the water

The rope of the black awning boat has been untied and is slowly drifting away from the shore. Lin Bu, peering through the crack of the door, sees the fishing boat across the way also untie its rope and float towards the center of the Baishui River. In the moonlight, he notices five or six shadows squatting at the bow of the grain ship, unable to discern who is the boatman and who is the robber

Lin Fu listened to the voices at the bow of the black awning boat and thought, could it be that the bandits are still haunted by the fear of Governor Dong Yuan of Weiyang? He then saw two men at the bow abandon the black awning boat and jump onto a large three-masted sand boat, which was about the same height as the pleasure boat. They extended several long poles with iron hooks to connect with the pleasure boat. The two boats quickly drew together, and dozens of bandits gathered at the bow, armed and preparing to storm the pleasure boat

Hiding in the cabin, Lin Fu was startled to hear their words, thinking to himself: Are they targeting Su Mei?

The bright autumn moon illuminates the Bai Shui River ferry, making it as bright as day. Lin Ba, watching at dusk, sees two bandits with machetes hijacking Zhao Neng and the boatman. A wave of shock surges through him, and an instinctive thought flashes through his mind: Water bandits are hijacking the boat! Yet, he is also filled with doubt; what is there to hijack on this black canopy boat?

Sailing towards the painted boat? Fu Qinghe was on guard against water bandits attempting to steal the ship from the water, increasing the likelihood of accidental killings; moreover, with seventy to eighty robust water bandits surrounding the painted boat, and with fewer than twenty oarsmen and crew aboard, if the bowmen from Baisha County on the shore could not promptly find a boat to come over for rescue, their fate could be easily imagined

"Damn it!" Dong Yuan looked at several merchant ships ablaze in the Baishui River and the three-masted pirate ship fleeing towards the river mouth, with a flower boat tied behind it. He clenched his fists in anger, furious that these pirates dared to rob people right under his nose, how could he not be infuriated

The cook, maidservants, and female attendants on Su Mei's pleasure boat need not be considered. In addition to the three bodyguards of Fu Qinghe and his disciples, more than ten boatmen and oarsmen were hired from the local river guild in Jiangning, so there was certainly some defensive strength. For the time being, no thieves had infiltrated the pleasure boat. Fu Qinghe stood at the bow, holding a round shield in his left hand and a short halberd in his right, forcing a water bandit attempting to board the boat back into the water. Lin Fu looked on with slight surprise; he had previously thought Fu Qinghe was merely a down-and-out ordinary martial artist—after all, what ordinary martial artist would carry a short halberd as a personal weapon? Those hired boatmen and oarsmen had been navigating rivers, lakes, and seas for years and were not strangers to encounters with water bandits. Under Fu Qinghe's command, they armed themselves to guard against the water bandits jumping onto the boat.

When Huzi entered the cabin to kill, he was ambushed. I went in to take a look; he had been struck on the brow by an iron sword. The window was open, and the person had already disappeared. Should we send two people into the water to pursue?

The water bandits had long anticipated this situation. In addition to three boats filled with water bandits' black canoes at the bow, the other boats dragged to the center of the river were set ablaze. After the water bandits on the three-masted ship hooked the pleasure boat with a grappling iron, they quickly raised the sails and pulled the pleasure boat towards the outer side of the river. Lin concealed himself in the water, observing all of this, and thought to himself that their plan was indeed meticulous.

The voice of a lean man could be heard saying, "Huzi lost his grip, and the soft-shelled shrimp jumped into the water..."

Emperor Gaozong understood that Dong Yuan harbored a deep hatred for these Eastern Sea pirates. However, if someone were to be abducted within the territory of Weiyang Prefecture and then rescued by the Ninghai Army, what face would Dong Yuan have? He remarked, "A mere songstress is not worth the lord's effort to mobilize troops day and night for her. The documents can be issued tomorrow without delay"

Lin Fu had never seen what a ramming log was, but he could imagine it. The sides of the painted boat were long and narrow; if Fu Qinghe wanted to stubbornly resist there, the water bandits could simply bring a large log and ram it straight into the boat, forcing him into the water