Lan Province was the eighth largest among the thirteen provinces of Yue State in terms of area, but its prosperity ranked second, surpassed only by Xin Province. Located in the southern part of Yue State, it boasted fertile land, countless waterways, lakes, and canals. Coupled with its consistently favorable weather, it was exceptionally suitable for growing grain, making it the nation’s premier rice-producing region.
Situated in the central part of Lan Province, Jiayuan City was not the provincial capital but was indeed the largest city in the province. The Xianglu Grand Canal, which traversed Yue State from north to south, ran directly through the heart of the city. In addition, several other major land and water routes converged here, making it a critical transportation hub and a vital artery for trade. Every year, countless merchants and travelers passed through, significantly boosting the local economy. Thus, it was no surprise that Jiayuan City had become the largest city in the province.
In Jiayuan City, cart services, docks, and boat households were abundant, spread throughout the city. The number of cart drivers, laborers, and boatmen engaged in these trades was immense, totaling tens of thousands. Sun Ergou was one such individual who made a living working at the docks.
True to his name, Sun Ergou had a sly and unimpressive appearance, with crooked eyebrows and shifty eyes, giving off the vibe of a petty ruffian. However, thanks to his knack for reading people and flattering others, he had managed to become a minor gang leader at the dock, overseeing dozens of laborers and porters who made a living by carrying goods and luggage for passing merchants.
So, when Sun Ergou arrived at the small dock early this morning, several of his underlings hurried over and greeted him respectfully: “Good morning, Second Master!”
“Second Master is here!”
…
Hearing these addresses, Sun Ergou couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. After all, being called “Master” indicated that he was a person of some status here. He put on an air of importance, responding to his subordinates’ greetings with a mere grunt through his nose.
“Second Master? More like Second Dog!”
“Yeah, a two-legged dog trying to act all high and mighty!”
“Haha! Haha!”
…
A wave of mocking laughter, utterly unconcealed, reached Sun Ergou’s ears.
Upon hearing this, his face darkened instantly, and his mood soured in an instant.
He slowly turned his head toward the dozens of men standing on the other side of the dock, his gaze settling on a burly, dark-skinned man. A flicker of resentment flashed in his eyes.
If there was one person in Jiayuan City whom Sun Ergou despised the most, this dark-skinned man would undoubtedly rank in the top three. If someone told him that he could make this man disappear forever in exchange for all his wealth, Sun Ergou might hesitate. But if the price were halved, he would agree without a second thought. Of course, due to his indulgent lifestyle of drinking, gambling, and womanizing, his so-called “wealth” was already nearly depleted.
No one remembered the dark-skinned man’s real name anymore. People at the dock either called him “Black Master” or by his nickname, “Black Bear.” He was the leader of another small gang, the “Iron Fist Society,” and held a position similar to Sun Ergou’s in the “Siping Gang.” As such, he was also assigned to manage another group of laborers at the same dock.
If two tigers cannot share one mountain, how could this small dock accommodate two rival gangs? From the very beginning, the two groups were at odds. After several conflicts over competing for customers, their relationship deteriorated even further. Nowadays, whenever they crossed paths, they would either trade insults or engage in physical shoving and exclusion, stopping just short of outright violence.
If the underlings were like this, it went without saying that their leaders, Sun Ergou and Black Bear, who reaped the greatest benefits from the dock’s business, held even more animosity toward each other. However, as minor gang leaders with some status and influence, they were aware that their respective gangs, the Iron Fist Society and the Siping Gang, were allied against a larger rival gang, the “Venom Dragon Gang.” Therefore, although both longed to drive the other out and monopolize the dock, they had no choice but to temporarily suppress their urges. Their pent-up frustrations and anger were instead vented through their subordinates’ verbal clashes, which had become a daily morning ritual.
Sure enough, without waiting for Sun Ergou’s signal, a few of his quick-witted underlings launched a sharp counterattack.
“Do you know what the dumbest animal is?”
“A bear!”
“And what’s the dumbest kind of bear?”
“Of course, it’s the black bear!”
“Hah…”
Black Bear, who had initially been grinning smugly at his subordinates’ taunts, instantly darkened upon hearing this. Sun Ergou, on the other hand, broke into a smile and patted the shoulders of his quick-witted underlings in approval.
Not to be outdone, Black Bear’s men retaliated with a stream of vulgar insults. Sun Ergou’s side naturally gave as good as they got. They were all grown men—who was afraid of whom? They hurled the nastiest, most offensive words they could muster.
As their leaders, Sun Ergou and Black Bear stood aside, watching coldly. They were men of some status, after all, and could not possibly join in the undignified squabble.
Just as the two groups were reaching the point of hoarseness and spittle flying everywhere, one of Sun Ergou’s men suddenly exclaimed, “A boat is approaching!”
Instantly, the nearly hundred men who had been enthusiastically trading insults fell silent and turned to look toward the river. After all, the prospect of making money was far more appealing than the temporary satisfaction of a verbal victory.
However, when the men saw the boat docking at the pier, their excitement waned. It was just a small leaf-shaped skiff, capable of carrying at most three to five passengers. This was clearly no major business opportunity.
This was hardly surprising. The dock was small, dilapidated, and located in a remote area. Under normal circumstances, no large ships would come here. Only during the peak trade season would larger vessels, unable to dock elsewhere, reluctantly stop here.
Once the small boat was secured, two people disembarked. One was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen, with an ordinary appearance. The other was a giant of a man, standing more than two heads taller than an average person.
The young man wore simple blue robes and had a small yellow bird perched on his shoulder. The moment he stepped off the boat, he began looking around curiously, like a country bumpkin seeing the city for the first time. The giant, on the other hand, wore a cloak and green robes, making it difficult to see his face. His attire was somewhat peculiar. He followed closely behind the young man, never straying more than a step away, clearly appearing to be a servant or bodyguard.
This young man and the giant were none other than Han Li and Qu Hun, who had just arrived at the hometown of the late Doctor Mo after three months of travel.
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