Chapter 27: The Unscrupulous Merchant’s Scheme

The fishing village was shrouded in the morning mist. Li Chuan stood in the center of the camp, watching the pirate leader before him with a cold gaze. The pirate, known as Jiro Kuroda, was short and stocky, with a long, jagged scar running across his face. He knelt on the ground, his hands bound, yet his expression remained stubborn and defiant.

"Jiro Kuroda, why does your fleet possess so many high-quality weapons? Who is supplying you?" Li Chuan asked slowly, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

Kuroda bit his lip and remained silent. Li Chuan sneered and gestured to a villager, who stepped forward with a bucket of brine. The villager poured it over the pirate's head without hesitation. The salt stung his wounds, causing Kuroda to grimace in agony.

"You have already lost; stubbornness is meaningless now," Li Chuan said, stepping forward, his eyes sharp as blades. "I will give you one chance. If you do not speak, your end will be far more miserable than this."

Kuroda glared at Li Chuan before finally deflating. He took a deep breath and gritted out, "Fine. Our supplies and weapons come from a Central Plains merchant named Cao Qing. He is one of your own, a man of the Great Ming."

"Cao Qing?" Li Chuan frowned. "Why would he help you?"

Kuroda let out a cold laugh. "He isn't helping us; he is using us to help himself. He wants to suppress the coastal fishing villages so he can monopolize the trade routes. We are merely his tools."

From Kuroda’s confession, Li Chuan pieced together a shocking conspiracy. Cao Qing, a wealthy merchant who had built his fortune on shipping and trade, was in league with the pirates. He not only sold them grain and weapons but also taught them how to exploit tides and navigation routes, and even leaked information about coastal villages to facilitate their raids.

"A cunning scheme indeed," Li Chuan muttered to himself with a cold smile. "The pirates handle the looting and burning, and he seizes the opportunity to buy up the village’s resources at a pittance while weakening our coastal economic strength."

What enraged Li Chuan even more was that Cao Qing had orchestrated several seemingly accidental conflicts behind the scenes. By spreading false rumors of collusion between certain villages and pirates, he fostered distrust and infighting, further crippling the fishermen's ability to resist.

Li Chuan’s knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. "This man is even more despicable than the pirates!"

"Knowing this is not enough," Li Chuan mused. "We must find his weaknesses, expose his true face, unite all the villages, and sever his ties with the pirates."

He summoned the village elders and his trusted inner circle to explain the situation.

"Cao Qing could not have done all this alone," one village elder remarked. "He must have patrons in the Central Plains; otherwise, he could not mobilize such resources."

"Indeed," Li Chuan nodded. "Our first step is to locate the base where he trades with the pirates and cut off their supply lines."

Another elder frowned. "But how do we find these bases? If he has been operating for this long, they must be well-hidden."

"Kuroda has given us a starting point," Li Chuan replied calmly. "According to him, Cao Qing and the pirates meet for secret trades at 'Twin Dragon Bay' at the beginning of every month. The next trade is in three days. We must act before then."

To ensure the success of the operation, Li Chuan led the reconnaissance mission to Twin Dragon Bay himself. He chose several experienced fishermen as guides, carefully avoiding pirate patrol boats along the way.

Twin Dragon Bay was a hidden cove flanked by steep cliffs, accessible only through a narrow channel. Its complex geography and rapid tidal shifts made it a natural hideout.

"Look, there!" a fisherman whispered, pointing toward the distant water.

Li Chuan followed his finger and saw several ships anchored in the bay. One ship flew a flag clearly embroidered with the character "Cao," identifying it as a merchant vessel belonging to Cao Qing.

"So, they are here," Li Chuan’s eyes darkened. "We must secure definitive evidence when they conduct their trade."

To ensure success, Li Chuan divided his forces into two groups. One would infiltrate the merchant ship to steal account books and documents, while the other would lie in ambush at the bay's entrance to intercept the transport vessels.

"Remember, do not alert them," Li Chuan instructed. "Our goal is to find evidence and then seize the opportunity to destroy their supplies."

That night, the strike team approached Twin Dragon Bay through the thick mist. They parked their main boat at a distance and switched to small wooden skiffs to approach the target area.

"Keep it quiet," Li Chuan whispered. Each man carried a short blade, with fishing nets and grappling hooks strapped to their backs for contingencies.

As they reached Cao Qing’s ship, they found few guards. Clearly, neither the merchants nor the pirates expected anyone to dare infiltrate this location.

"Now," Li Chuan signaled. They swiftly boarded the ship and split up to search the cabins.

In the captain’s quarters, Li Chuan found a detailed ledger. It clearly recorded the nature of the transactions between Cao Qing and the pirates, along with itemized lists of all supplies traded.

"There are names of Central Plains officials here?" As Li Chuan flipped through the book, he discovered a startling fact: the ledger listed several local officials and the exact amounts of their bribes.

"These people are Cao Qing's patrons!" Li Chuan’s heart pounded. "No wonder he could collude with the pirates so brazenly."

At that moment, a shout erupted from outside: "Intruders! Guards, here!"

The strike team was suddenly in grave danger.

The shout rang out like a thunderclap, shattering the silence of the night in Twin Dragon Bay. Li Chuan’s heart sank; the operation was exposed. He shoved the ledger into his tunic and signaled his team: "Take what you can and retreat!"

But the team had been spotted. Several pirate speedboats swarmed in from all directions, their torches illuminating the bay as bright as day.

"Charge!" Li Chuan commanded, and his men drew their weapons. Though they were common fishermen, their training and recent battles had honed their skills.

As pirates swarmed the deck, Li Chuan led his team to the bow. A pirate swung a blade at him; Li Chuan dodged in a flash and thrust his spear into the man's chest. Blood sprayed as the pirate collapsed with a scream.

"Hurry! More are coming!" a teammate yelled. They tied the seized goods to ropes and lowered them into the waiting skiffs.

With the ship surrounded, Li Chuan’s mind raced. He looked up at the sails and had an idea: "Light them! Burn the sails!"

"Burn the sails?" A teammate hesitated but quickly understood. He ignited the canvas with a torch, and flames swept upward, roaring into the night.

The blaze distracted the pirates, causing chaos as they debated whether to fight the fire or continue the pursuit. Seizing the moment, Li Chuan and his team threw the last of the supplies into the skiffs and shouted, "Jump!"

They dove into the sea, vanishing into the darkness.

Though they had escaped the immediate encirclement, they were not safe. The pirate speedboats were swift, and the glow of their torches reflected off the churning waves as they gave chase.

"Keep rowing, don't stop!" Li Chuan gritted his teeth. Their wooden skiffs couldn't match the speed of the pirate boats, but this was their home turf; they knew the tides and the location of every reef.

"Head west! There are shallows there, they can't follow!" a fisherman familiar with the waters shouted.

"Good! Split up—half of you draw their fire, the rest take the ledger and go!" Li Chuan commanded.

Despite their reluctance, the team split, and the skiffs scattered in different directions. The pirates fell for the ruse, and most of the pursuers were drawn away, buying Li Chuan’s skiff precious time.

"Faster! Once they realize, they'll turn back!" Li Chuan growled.

Just as they thought they had shaken off their pursuers, thick fog descended, drastically reducing visibility. This weather was a hindrance to the pirate speedboats, but equally dangerous for the small skiffs.

"Brother Li, what do we do?" a young fisherman asked nervously.

"Stay calm. Listen to the tide and row against the current," Li Chuan closed his eyes, navigating by experience. He knew the pirates were unfamiliar with these tidal shifts; by avoiding the reefs, they would slowly shake them off.

Just then, a faint light glimmered through the fog in the distance. It was the signal from the village’s support fleet!

"Our people are here!" The men’s morale surged, and they rowed harder.

Li Chuan shouted, "Follow my lead! Head for the light, stay together!"

Minutes later, they successfully rendezvoused with the support fleet. The villagers pulled them aboard the larger ship and immediately turned toward safe waters.

Back at the camp, Li Chuan handed the ledger to literate villagers for translation. They discovered that it not only detailed every transaction but also listed the corrupt officials involved in the smuggling ring.

"I recognize some of these names," an elder said, frowning. "They hold great power along the coast. If we expose them directly, it might bring even greater trouble."

"Indeed, they likely have even more powerful forces backing them," Li Chuan mused. "But the ledger must not go to waste. We must find the right opportunity to expose them."

After discussion, Li Chuan decided to use the information to sow discord among the enemy. He planned to spread rumors suggesting that certain officials and Cao Qing were already too deeply entangled, inciting mutual suspicion. Meanwhile, he strengthened defenses within the alliance, preparing for any retaliation.

Having survived the mission, the villagers' morale was at an all-time high. They realized that the pirates were not invincible; even with the support of treacherous merchants, they could overcome their enemies through unity and wisdom.

Li Chuan gathered the village elders and announced his next move: "We will not only defend our homes; we will take the initiative and clear these waters once and for all!"

The villagers responded with fervor, and the strength of the alliance grew. Li Chuan’s position as leader was solidified, and he became the spiritual symbol of the coastal resistance.

"As long as we stand together, no storm is too great for us to weather!" Li Chuan shouted to the villagers. His voice echoed in the sea breeze, igniting the fighting spirit of all present.

Meanwhile, back in the Central Plains, Cao Qing had already received word of the attack on Twin Dragon Bay. He slammed his table in fury, gritting his teeth: "Those foolish fishermen! To think they dare ruin my grand design!"

But he quickly calmed down and ordered his subordinates: "Find those officials. Tell them that if this is exposed, we all go down. I don't care what you do: you must eradicate Li Chuan and his alliance!"

Cao Qing’s conspiracy was far from over, but Li Chuan was already prepared to face the greater challenges ahead.