Wuxia: Drinking with Spring Breeze

In the darkness, four cargo ships drifted downstream, their lights flickering.

Yang Ge crouched behind a small mound, staring intently at the glittering river, feeling his mouth dry and palms sweating incessantly.

"Relax a bit, sir,"

Fang Ke squatted beside Yang Ge, tying a white cloth around his arm. Hearing his heart thumping like drumbeats, he slowed his tone and softly advised, "Take a few deep breaths, slowly exhale, and don't grip your weapon too tightly, too tight might hurt your tiger's mouth and wrist."

"When the fight starts, don't move too fast or too slow. Follow our own brothers and press in together. If you encounter a skilled fighter, don't panic; we have more masters than they do."

Seeing his calm demeanor, Yang Ge said in a low, embarrassed voice, "You must be laughing at me."

Fang Ke laughed and said, "It's normal for the sir to be a bit nervous on his first mission. When I did my first mission, I was so scared I nearly peed my pants."

Yang Ge knew he was trying to comfort him and jokingly said, "Actually, I need to pee right now... damn it, why have the ships stopped moving, have we been exposed?"

Fang Ke turned his head to look, casually grabbed the ox-tail saber in front of him, and replied indifferently, "It's normal. In our line of work, expecting to complete a task smoothly without any hiccups is never that easy!"

Yang Ge looked at Fang Ke's young face, barely in his twenties, and felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

The four cargo ships stopped on the river, swaying with the waves. Moments later, an old yet robust voice rang out, "May I ask which friends are playing with the Xie Family's ships on this river? The night wind is chilly; why not come aboard for a cup of hot tea and chat?"

The voice, thunderous without anger, demonstrated the confidence of a wealthy family.

The next moment, a chuckle echoed from the opposite side of the river, "The Xie Family's tea is something we Imperial Guards dare not drink. If it got out, the Imperial Censor's office would have grounds to accuse us of colluding with the nobles, in cahoots and breaching duty!"

The tone was light, but the voice resonated like thunder, subtly breaking through the night wind with its power.

Yang Ge recognized that it was Shen Fa's voice.

The moment the words dropped, on the four cargo ships, figures intermingled, and the dense "thud thud thud" of footsteps treading on wooden decks could be heard from afar by Yang Ge.

But soon, the hurried footsteps ceased, and with opportune timing, the aged voice rose again, this time with more laughter, "Please forgive this old man's deafness; may I know which lord graces us with their presence tonight?"

Shen Fa's chuckling voice rang out again, "Xie, everyone here is wise, so don't play dumb when you are fully aware. Since I've made it clear, do you think today's matter can be laughed off?"

The old voice replied amicably, still laughing, "Turns out it's the Shen Family's distinguished nephew. I apologize for my poor hearing. But is there perhaps some misunderstanding tonight? Even if the Xie Family transported some goods it shouldn't have, there was no need to trouble you to come personally!"

Shen Fa responded with interest, "Finally afraid now? It's not too late. Come back to the capital with me, and you might still have a chance to hear me call you 'uncle' once again. But if you keep heading down this dark path... I'm afraid there's no saving the Xie Family!"

The old voice seemed perplexed, "Nephew, what are you talking about? We come from the same roots, uncle naturally trusts you entirely... But you still have to tell uncle, what exactly is going on tonight?"

Shen Fa sighed heavily, "Why can't you people understand until you see your coffins? Would the Imperial Guards dare take action against you without solid evidence? Since I'm here, it means the matter is settled. Now, you can only choose: either the Xie Family resists to the end, or confesses everything, and we all face the punishment together... Weigh it wisely, one step further and you're at the gates of hell!"

The verbal sparring and psychological warfare between the old and the young were cutting to the quick, ruthless in their intent to kill.

On the riverbank, Yang Ge, who had been following along keenly, was utterly caught off guard!

He wasn't stupid; Shen Fa and the Xie hardly had any cards left to play, so how could he not realize he was now caught in the whirlpool of the Wei's covert war with the barbarians and the emperor's power struggle with the nobility?

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This kin of powerful elite mess, one careless move could lead to a blood grinder where nine clans are exterminated for amusement. Was this something he, a mere commoner, could meddle in?

If something happened later, would he have any other choice but to follow Shen Fa down a dark path?

'Fine, fine, fine, Shen Fa, you're really playing a dangerous game, huh?'

He was so frustrated with himself he slapped his own face: 'Even Huang knows not to trust strangers, how can you at your age be worse than a dog?'

Just as Yang Ge was wallowing in his regret.

The clash on the river had taken another turn.

There was a loud "bam".

A burly man dressed in hemp and disguised as a boatman burst forth from the cabin of a cargo ship, rocketing skyward as he bellowed in a peculiar nasal tone filled with rage, "You damned cowards, do you think killing me will cover up your filthy dealings with the steppe? Kill all these traitors so that we can all have a way out!"

The ruffian was indeed quick-witted, but before he could finish speaking, another figure broke through the cabin, silently swinging a pair of fleshy palms at him.

The burly man dodged to the side, the attacker's palm missing its mark, followed by a tiger's roar. The calm river "boomed"—spray shot up more than three feet high!

And in the instant the second figure burst from the cabin, Shen Fa on the opposite bank yelled out "Now!"

In a flash, countless torches lit up, illuminating the dark river as bright as day.

Then immediately, a large number of figures rushed out, skimming square wooden boards across the water like skipping stones.

Next, dozens of agile figures each wielding shining long knives leaped out, stepping on the wooden boards floating on the river, lunging toward the four cargo ships.

"Sir, it's our turn to go!"

While Yang Ge was still struggling with the unfolding chaos on the river, Fang Ke, who was lying beside him, had already snatched up a gleaming long knife, jumped up, and sprinted away.

"Damn it!"

Yang Ge, in a burst of irritation, slapped himself again, then grabbing his great axe, jumped up and, in a few strides, had crossed the riverbank, catching up to the sprinting Fang Ke.

He knew this was a big trap.

He also knew, fully aware that it was a trap yet still jumping in, that there was something wrong with his head.

But he understood even more that sometimes, even a wrong choice was better than making no choice at all.

Just like now…

To choose wrongly means getting involved in Wei's and the Tartars', the emperor's and the aristocrats' undercover war, with no control over his own fate afterwards.

But choosing not to choose doesn't necessarily mean he could escape this vast vortex, plus he would lose the value he had in Shen Fa's eyes.

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