Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 171 - 8: Bandit Flames Skyrocketing!

Chapter 171: Chapter 8: Bandit Flames Skyrocketing!

Humen Town, Laba Bay,

Howling sea winds! Looming dark clouds!

The heavens seemed mischievous, not far from the sea’s entrance Xinghua Building was in chaos as the shopkeeper, along with the waiter, busily turned the place upside down. They refurbished the dilapidated little tavern from the inside out.

They shooed away a few loafers outside the door; they hammered and patched up the lame eight immortals tables; they cleaned off the grime on the signboard with a kitchen knife, scraping off a thick layer of grease from the menu. The kitchen staff wracked their brains and prepared a few exquisite dishes. The shabby tavern in the corner suddenly took on a decent appearance.

The reason the shopkeeper went to such lengths was that today in Xinghua Building, a dignitary was hosting a banquet.

On the second floor of the tavern, rows of servants in livery lined up as the tables were laden with delicious foods, yet there were only three chairs.

Sitting in the main seat was the Governor of the Humen Naval Forces, Geliang Tubatulu, Zhuo Huxing. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a dark face, square mouth, wide eyes, dressed in a deep blue military uniform, exuding an aura of natural authority.

“It’s a bit unfortunate for Mr. Zhang, just returned from suppressing bandits yesterday, you see. I’ve barely had time to take off my armor. This welcome banquet is rather modest. Once I report back to Guangzhou, I will invite Mr. Zhang to Longquan Building, the finest tavern in Guangzhou, for a proper meal. The chef there, Chen Angxing, is a good friend of mine.”

On the guest seat was a young man, about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with every strand of his hair queue impeccably arranged, a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and from a distance, there was a resolute sparkle that seemed to penetrate one’s heart.

“Lord Zhuo is too kind. The Guangdong and Guangxi Tiger General, who made countless pirates tremble in fear with the eradication of the blind bandit of Xijiang, I am but a commoner, how could I possibly accept such an invitation from Lord Zhuo?”

While the young man spoke politely, an elderly figure beside him dressed in black, with white-flecked hair queue, was voraciously eating and drinking, completely indifferent to the conversation between the two men.

At this large banquet table, there were only these three persons.

This young man was named Zhang Dong, and while he was indeed a commoner, his background was anything but ordinary.

Zhang Dong’s father was the head of Lezheng College; however, Zhang Dong himself was the most trusted aide to the newly appointed Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Lin Yuanfu.

Speaking of Lin Yuanfu, he was quite the eminent figure, nicknamed Lisou, a former Wenhua Hall Grand Scholar, and Crown Prince’s Tutor. He had served as the Governor of both Shanxi and Zhili provinces, a man of high standing among the emperor’s subjects.

Half a month earlier, appointed by Imperial Edict and bestowed with the Royal Command Flag and Shangfang Sword, Lin Yuanfu took up the position as Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, commanding all military and civilian affairs, instantly becoming a highly sought figure.

The emperor sent “Lisou” from the capital with two objectives in mind.

The first, to rectify and reform the degenerate military and political affairs, investigating and seizing corrupt officials. Second, to eradicate the great pirates of the South Seas and safeguard the trade routes.

In other words, Lin Yuanfu’s mission was to eradicate both corrupt officials and pirates.

Zhuo Huxing, also a distinguished first-rank military official, was still a frontier commander and paled in comparison to a proper first-rank civil official from the capital like Lin Yuanfu.

The fact that this young man had caught the eye of an important figure like Lin Yuanfu naturally made Zhuo Huxing treat him with more respect.

Humen was known as the foremost gateway to the Xijiang River and the first major fortress guarding Guangdong, heavily defended. Moreover, with the fortifications of Zhenyuan, Fuyuan, and Weiyuan, despite a lack of action for ten years, their grand scale could not be taken lightly.

After entering Guangdong, Lin Yuanfu suddenly fell ill and sent Zhang Dong ahead to Humen. His objective was to inspect the military preparedness on Lin Yuanfu’s behalf, reporting back the defense situation for review upon Lin Yuanfu’s arrival.

“Mr. Zhang need not sell himself short; I have also heard of your renowned talents, ha-ha~” Zhuo Huxing remarked casually, then with a thought, he added, “Regarding Lin Yuanfu falling ill to local diseases and delaying his arrival by a few days, may I inquire where he is at the moment?”

Zhang Dong put down his wine cup, a corner of his mouth lifted.

“Master Lin, commanded by the emperor’s decree, will surely not be delayed for long. It’s possible that right after we finish this meal, Lord Zhuo might just see Master Lin for yourself.”

Zhang Dong’s expression was inscrutable as the poor-looking elder in the black hat cast a nonchalant glance their way, his lips still stained with soup.

Zhang Dong noticed the elder’s gaze, cleared his throat twice, and changed the subject. He pointed outside the railing and said:

“Where three rivers converge and eight channels enter the sea, Humen truly deserves its reputation as the foremost gateway of the Xijiang River. Lord Zhuo’s command of the region is commendable; Humen indeed possesses the might to hold back ten thousand enemies with a single defender.”

Not far away, on the coast, batteries were erected, where knocked-down lances with flaming banners flapped wildly, and layers of waves cleansed the green stone bricks as the high tide of the Xijiang River rose and surged over the sluice walls. Triangle-sailed ships moored at the dock, guarded by soldiers in bamboo hats embroidered with a soldier’s character on their chest, and indeed it was a sight of remarkable sternness.

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Zhuo Huxing saw that the old man in the black hat had devoured over half of the table of dishes and was initially displeased, silently blaming the old servant Zhang Dong for his lack of manners, but Zhang Dong’s words had scratched an itch for Zhuo Huxing.

He began with a cough.

“It’s merely my duty; I dare not take credit for it.”

Zhang Dong threw in a comment, “Lord Zhuo’s martial prowess is evident, but I wonder, can it stand against those South Seas pirates?”

Zhuo Huxing’s face turned serious, “The South Seas are broad and the people are fierce; it’s truly difficult to manage. But as a servant, it’s my duty to guard the nation’s gates for the emperor, no matter how dangerous or difficult, I dare not make any mistakes.”

He sighed and continued,

“Mr. Zhang, don’t blame me for telling you my troubles. Here in the Capital City, there are always those who say our military officers from Guangdong and Guangxi are corrupt and our military supplies are in disarray. As a result, pirates erupt from the seas and creatures of evil grow rampant, stirring up trouble. Isn’t this blatant nonsense?”

“With such a vast South Seas, wouldn’t some petty thieves emerge? Sailing far is risky; if there’s a maritime disaster, is it the Monster’s doing?”

Zhang Dong sipped his wine leisurely and said, “I’ve heard that along the coast of An Nan, there’s a demon thief named Zhang He, a legend among the people, claiming he’s the reincarnation of the Kun beast with the ability to overturn rivers and seas. Could this be true?”

“Ah, such ignorant talk, Mr. Zhang, how can you take it seriously? It’s nothing but exaggerated rumors with no truth to them.”

“I’ve also heard that there’s a Madam Shi, nicknamed ‘Mrs. Yan,’ who wields curses that leave no grass alive wherever she goes. Is this also false?”

“Merely a charlatan, trivial tricks.”

“Is that so? I’ve also heard that there’s a lad called Tianbao, leading pirates in a passage of power intense as a boiling cauldron, with legions up to tens of thousands strong, ships numbering in the hundreds, and artillery in the hundreds. Is this also untrue?”

“Tianbao?”

Zhuo Huxing slammed the table, raising his voice by an octave.

“Mr. Zhang is uninformed; this Tianbao is actually the consort of that Mrs. Yan, nothing but a young man fed on women’s graces, a mere white face. Tens of thousands of people, hundreds of cannons – pah! How many do we have in our Guangdong naval forces, huh?”

Zhuo Huxing thumped his chest with a thud.

“If the pirates truly had that many men and cannons, why don’t they come and bombard Humen!”

The echoing silence of the empty restaurant reverberated back.

“Come bombard my Humen~”

“My Humen~”

“Humen~”

The sound of cannons roared!

Below the thick night sky, the terror-filled neighs cut across the heavens, while the orange glow of fires reddened each person’s face in the restaurant.

On the sea surface, the Spirit of the Duck showed a spike of red, with its bloated sails filled with wind, the six red-sailed ships, over twenty meters long each, arranged in the shape of an arrow, racing across the ocean.

The roar of the big guns was ceaseless as the Zhenyuan, Fuyuan, and Weiyuan batteries hardly fired a few shots before they were completely engulfed by the rolling red flames.

Xue Ba barefooted on the ship’s bow, with the wind howling, the boy’s mouth split into a grin, revealing distinct black cavities in the firelight, which appeared exceptionally horrific.

The whole Humen estuary was half sea, and half flame.