Chapter 7: The Officers and Soldiers Come to Stir Up Trouble

"Aren't the soldiers outside here to rescue us?" Xiao Man exclaimed in surprise, asking without thinking.

"Lost in thought again, the young lady should not have come out..." As Xiao Man saw Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe killing outside, she felt a surge of fear, nearly gasping for breath from the stench of blood. When she saw Lin Fu standing there in a daze, captivated by Su Meirong's beauty, she found this bookish fellow familiar and couldn't help but chuckle, no longer feeling that the dead in front of her were particularly frightening

It depends on the situation. The ransom can be as low as three to five hundred taels, or as high as ten to eight thousand taels; anything is possible. Before the pirates take hostages, they will assess the situation and will not force people to go bankrupt in order to pay the ransom. Naturally, they will not make it easy for these families either

Su Mei pushed Lin Fu to the ground, not expecting him to utter such crude and despicable words. Seeing the blood from the murder earlier on his body, with a fierce expression and glaring eyes, he no longer resembled a scholar in the slightest. Knowing that he did not want to expose any weaknesses to the detained youth because of this, she found it somewhat amusing, yet felt that his push was too forceful, as her arm was starting to ache from his grip.

Xiao Man was just joking casually a moment ago, and she had no intention of looking down on others as she had in the past. She playfully stuck out her tongue, observing that Fu Bo was somewhat struggling, and bravely joined Su Mei in helping Fu Bo drag the body into the cabin.

In a moment of urgency, there was no concern for gender distinctions. Moreover, there was no time for her to dawdle. Lin Fu said: "There is no time left, let’s act together. Be careful to apply it evenly on your neck..." The face was smeared with black, but the neck must not remain white and smooth like snow.

"Who would feel heartache?" Su Mei found Lin Fu's words amusing. This room contained many items she cherished; while it would certainly cause heartache to burn them, she also understood that not burning them would only lead to them being taken by the officials and soldiers. Yet, Lin Fu did not allow her to feel heartache. She wanted to laugh but felt it was not the right time to do so. Strangely, being interrupted by him made her feel less anxious, and she thought to herself that he truly knew how to comfort people.

Two severely injured pirates stood at the bow of the boat, intently observing the battle ahead. Fu Qinghe and Lin Ba communicated through glances and gestures, quietly approaching from the left and right. Fu Qinghe suddenly seized a pirate from behind, covering his mouth and nose tightly to prevent any sound. Without hesitation, he thrust a spear into the pirate's throat, and under his strong grip, the pirate struggled silently for a moment before losing his breath.

"It could be that the message is coming to rescue us, or it might be to rescue those young boys held in the rear cabin, but more likely it is the navy patrolling the river that has encountered..." Fu Qinghe said, then explained to Lin Fu, "The more than twenty teenage boys held in the flower hall are all captives taken by this group of Eastern pirates during their raid on the school in Chongzhou County three days ago..." This is what he had just heard from Su Mei.

Fu Qinghe was suddenly startled and hurriedly got up. Lin Fu raised a crucial question that he had not considered, urging Su Mei and Xiao Man: "Quickly tidy up and come with us to hide in the aft cabin."

Su Mei then realized that Lin Fu intended to tarnish her reputation. Even though they were dressed in men's clothing, they were still too conspicuous. Seeing that he was still in the mood to joke around, her anxiety eased a little. However, feeling somewhat embarrassed after smearing a bit of dirt on Lin Fu's face, she said, "Let's do it ourselves..."

The body can enhance the expression of skills, but does this mean that the skills are solely determined by the body? Previously, Lin Fu could not swim, but now he can; he had no martial arts training before, yet that does not prevent him from killing now. Unlike combat, killing is purely a technical task. Even if Lin Fu is as weak as a chicken, a pen or a piece of paper in his hands can become a tool for murder. Of course, with improved physical attributes, killing would be more convenient. Lin Fu cannot explain to Fu Qinghe: the previous Lin Fu has already drowned; he is Tan Zong, merely borrowing Lin Fu's body while retaining his memories.

Hiding in the stern is not feasible, and directly jumping into the water is also inappropriate. Who knows if the pirates will jump into the water to escape if they are overpowered? Who knows if the officials will dive in to pursue? Having two women in the water is just a burden

Su Mei did not understand his intention. When she saw him walk to the table and remove the glass cover from the oil lamp, she thought he was coveting the glass cover and wanted her to hide it. Anxiously, she said: "It's not worth much money"

In the blink of an eye, Lin Fu returned, having searched other cabins for two waist knives left by the pirates. He also held two sets of clothing in his hands. Seeing Fu Qinghe sitting on the ground to rest, he handed him one of the waist knives and asked, "What happened?"

It can only be this way, Fu Qinghe knew that Lin Fu had quick wits, and could not think of a more appropriate countermeasure at the moment. Listening to the sounds, the officials and soldiers had gained the upper hand, and it was possible that some pirates might flee back here later. "I will go to the cabin entrance to take a look, you all move a bit faster."

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe returned to the cabin where the bodies of the pirates were hidden. These two pirate corpses also needed to be dealt with to prevent the officials and soldiers from discovering that there were others concealed on the ship

Su Mei glared at Xiao Man. Although Lin Fu seemed no different from before in her eyes, she had heard Xiao Man say that Lin Fu saved Old Master Fu and, together with Fu Qinghe, had been lurking on the ship to find an opportunity to rescue them. Now, he was even killing for their sake; she could no longer allow Xiao Man to treat him lightly.

"It can deceive for a moment," Lin Fu said

Fu Qinghe believed it was reasonable; they could not linger on the deck, could not leave the body on the deck for others to discover, nor could they casually throw the body into the water. The only option was to drag it into the cabin to hide it, ensuring that the boat appeared normal. He and Lin Ba dragged a body into the cabin.

"Damn it," Lin Fu cursed, "There are thirty boys inside, and rescuing one will earn a reward of one hundred taels of silver, which amounts to three thousand taels of silver, or three hundred thousand coins. That could rival the wealth of a large household." He instinctively asked again, "How much ransom do the pirates demand?"

Can Master Fu be certain that the officials and soldiers outside have come to rescue Miss Su Mei based on the message from Baisha County? Lin Fu inquired

Fu Qinghe was at a loss, and Lin Fu could not explain it to him clearly. After all, how could he explain the role of oxygen in combustion? Keeping the doors and windows tightly shut would lead to insufficient fresh air indoors, thereby suppressing the spread of the fire. When the officers arrived to search the cabin and suddenly burst through the door, a large amount of fresh air would rush in, causing the flames to flare up dramatically, which would surely leave them in a state of confusion.

Su Mei stood there, somewhat obstructing the way. Lin Fu glanced up at her, and upon making eye contact with her clear, deep eyes resembling autumn waters, he was momentarily stunned as if struck by electricity. Indeed, such a stunning woman exists in this world

Su Mei calmed down a bit, looking at Lin Fu as if he were a stranger. Only when he dragged the corpse inside did she seem to awaken and step back slightly.

Xiao Man was so frightened that she kept retreating. Last night, when the pirates attacked the ship, she and Su Mei locked themselves in the cabin, listening to the fighting outside. Having never seen a dead body with her own eyes, how could a girl of fourteen or fifteen not be afraid upon seeing Lin Su and another dragging a corpse into the cabin

"There is nothing, the wound is a bit torn..." Fu Qinghe straightened up, took the waist knife, and said, "We will hold this position, listen to the sounds outside. The pirates should not be able to hold out for long. They are trapped in the river inlet and cannot escape. We must prevent them from killing in a fit of rage..."

Ah! Su Mei realized she was in the way, and with a soft call, she stepped back half a pace, wanting to lend a hand but not daring to reach out to pull the body.

Lin Fu felt that Xiao Man was a great beauty, but compared to Su Mei, she was still far from fully blossomed. The enchanting woman before him had skin as smooth as cream, as white as freshly fallen snow. Beneath her elegantly straight Yao nose, her fiery red lips formed a beautifully curved line. Her exquisite features left no room for criticism, and her eyes sparkled with a charming and ethereal allure. Lin Fu had never seen such a beautiful woman; he had not even encountered one in pictures. He thought to himself that it was no wonder the previous master was so infatuated with this woman, nor was it surprising that the so-called Second Young Master of Jin'an exerted so much effort for her.

Previously, Lin Fu had been funded by the Seventh Lady to study at the county school. He understood that families capable of sending their children to the county school were mostly well-off. He cursed under his breath: "Damn it, these pirates are not foolish; they know how to choose their kidnapping targets, and they even managed to kidnap so many people at once. Perhaps they have Du Rong's guidance behind them, but they are just lacking some luck." Seeing Fu Qinghe about to go out to assess the situation, he grabbed him and said: "It's not appropriate to go to the aft cabin either; the officials and soldiers will definitely search the ship."

Fu Qinghe was also frustrated; if it had not been for Lin Fu's reminder, he would have almost made a grave mistake. He knew that the court's officials and soldiers were as ruthless as bandits, with a very poor moral climate, even more ferocious than the local bandits. If the two ships' naval officers had not been entrusted by Baisha County to rescue people, upon seeing Su Mei and her companion, they would likely have been tempted by their beauty, and the consequences would have been unimaginable

Having the memories of Lin Fu regarding Su Mei from before, yet upon being reborn, those memories felt as if they were separated by a layer of gauze, as if they belonged to someone else. The memories of Su Mei were akin to a beautiful image printed on paper— the beauty of a woman cannot be fully captured by a cold, flat image. The look in Su Mei's eyes, filled with panic yet striving to remain calm, would evoke a protective instinct in anyone who beheld it. The memories of Su Mei were akin to a beautiful image printed on paper— the beauty of a woman cannot be fully captured by a cold, flat image. The look in Su Mei's eyes, filled with panic yet striving to remain calm, would evoke a protective instinct in anyone who beheld it

In this cabin, there is also a small room. The two young women entered and exited with clothing, and in the blink of an eye, transformed into handsome young men with delicate features. As they were about to proceed inside, Lin Fu called out to them and the books: "Wait a moment..."

Fu Qinghe was initially worried that Lin Fu would not handle things cleanly. While he was committing murder, he kept an eye on Lin Fu, ready to assist him at any moment. After Lin Fu passed the examination and became a scholar, he could receive a monthly allowance from his clan to focus on his studies. Over the past two years, he had developed a delicate and tender physique, which made him appear anything but a martial artist. Fu Qinghe thought that no matter how composed and calm Lin Fu was, killing was a technical skill, and failing to handle it properly was only to be expected. When he witnessed Lin Fu's clean and efficient assassination techniques, he was momentarily stunned, and even felt a chill running down his spine. He wondered if this young man were to launch a surprise attack on him, would he be able to escape?

What should be done? Fu Qinghe, in a moment of anxiety, found himself without a good solution

Lin Fu brought the two women directly to the flower hall where the boys were imprisoned. He kicked open the locked carved lattice door without regard for the more than twenty frightened youths inside, forcefully pushing the two women in. He drew his knife and struck the door frame, threatening fiercely: "Behave yourself, or I'll chop off your hands if you reach out, your heads if you lean in, and your privates if you expose them!"

Fu Qinghe asked again, "Should we go to the aft cabin, or hide directly in the water?" He found Lin Fu to be quick-witted

"Ordinary wealthy families cannot afford this either," Lin Fu said with a smile as he walked over. He reached into the glass cover and wiped a few times, then said to Su Mei, "Do not move..." He smeared the black ash he had wiped from the glass cover onto her face. Only then did he feel the indescribable smoothness of her cheek, making one unable to resist the urge to touch it a little more.

So greedy! Lin Fu gritted his teeth and said, even if the average ransom is five hundred taels per person, thirty meat tickets would amount to fifteen thousand taels of silver, a significant transaction. To be so greedy for such a large sum of money with just these fewer than thirty pirates, what else could it be but greed? Are they planning to wash their hands of this after this one deal?

"Rest assured, the officials and soldiers will extinguish the fire. I am merely burning your belongings, so do not feel heartbroken," Lin Fu said

Lin Fu returned to the cabin door, and Fu Qinghe asked him: "How is it?"

Seeing Lin Fu still had the mood to joke at this moment, Fu Qinghe also laughed and said, "Exchanging martial arts skills is fine, but let's skip the part about exchanging killing techniques"

Lin Fu and Fu Qinghe bound two corpses to a ballast stone and sank them to the bottom of the water. Throughout the process, Fu Qinghe felt quite ashamed of himself as an old hand in the underworld, yet he was puzzled about where Lin Fu had learned such skilled techniques. He observed Lin Fu carefully; his muscles, tendons, and limbs did not appear to be those of someone who had practiced martial arts.

Su Mei was also poised and graceful; she certainly could not ask Lin Fu to help her with her neck. With her face slightly raised, she had Lin Fu and Xiao Man assist her in applying makeup to her face. She herself, with her hands smeared with lamp soot, darkened her neck, and then together they helped Xiao Man darken her face, neck, and the exposed parts of her arms.

Lin Fu quietly placed the dead body in his hands onto the deck, noticing Fu Qinghe staring at him in a daze. He smiled and said, "When it comes to sparring with Master Fu, I am certainly no match; I do have some small insights on killing. When shall we have a discussion on this?"

That is sufficient. The officers and soldiers are here to rescue the captives; for each person saved, they can receive a reward of one hundred taels of silver, " said Fu Qinghe

How is it? Su Mei asked Lin Ba.

Lin Fu felt somewhat awkward after revealing the truth to Xiao Man. He cleared his throat and cut a large piece of dry cloth from the corpse, saying to Fu Qinghe, "I will go outside to wipe away the bloodstains..." After last night's battle, the deck at the bow of the ship was splattered with blood, and the fresh bloodstains were particularly distinct. Wiping them away could provide some concealment.

Ah... Su Mei looked at Lin Fu with confusion, not understanding why he wanted to burn the painted boat

"Drag the body inside..." Lin Fu said

Fu Qinghe's ruthless killing intent and technique did not make Lin Fu perceive him as an ordinary martial artist or bodyguard; rather, everyone has their own secrets, and there is no need to pry too deeply. Turning around, he saw Su Mei and Xiao Man peering out from behind the cabin door, their faces pale as they witnessed the earlier killing. Xiao Man exaggeratedly covered her mouth with her hand, likely fearing that she might uncontrollably scream.

Lin Fu still felt that Su Mei's eyes were too enchanting, and said: "Once inside, remember to keep your heads down as much as possible... I will pretend to be a pirate and push you out later, so try not to make any noise; I will also set this place on fire, so do not panic"

"Change into the clothes first and blend in inside," Lin Fu said, gesturing towards the flower hall where the captives were held. He handed the garments in his hand to Su Mei and Xiao Man, urging them to quickly change into men's attire to mingle with the crowd of captives. "Let's assess the situation before making any decisions; it may not necessarily be a bad thing."

"In a moment, we will jump directly into the water..." Lin Fu said, suggesting to Fu Qinghe that they retreat first, set fire to Su Mei's cabin, and while the flames are still small, have Fu Qinghe help him tightly close the doors and windows of that cabin.