Chapter 911 - 756: Adopted Son

Jingjiang County was built along the river.

Three miles away, flames rose into the sky over Jingjiang, illuminating five large ships on the river, their red bottom three-star flags showing they belonged to the Matsubara Clan.

An old soldier looked at Zheng Jiye: "Sir, those bastards brought five ships, probably with around three hundred people. We don’t have enough manpower. Should we report to Marshal Lv and get the Central Army to come over?"

Zheng Jiye said in a deep voice: "Marshal Lv is in Deqing right now. By the time we find him, two days will have passed. What will be left of Jingjiang County then? Let’s first enter the city and organize the men to cover the civilians retreating to the City God Temple. Save as many as we can..."

At this point, he looked at Chen Ji and the others: "If you don’t desert this time, you will share the profits of smuggling salt with the old soldiers over the next three months. I won’t promise more, but you’ll have enough to acquire two acres of good land by the year’s end, enough for you to marry."

Jiang Chai pointed to his nose: "Do I look like an old bachelor to you?"

Zheng Jiye ignored him, rode off on his horse, while the old soldiers of the Anti-Japanese Army threw their burlap sacks on the ground and rushed towards Jingjiang County.

In the night darkness, Chen Ji watched Jiang Chai and the others for a moment, retrieved the sword seed from behind them, mounted a horse, and followed the Anti-Japanese Army.

The faces of Yuan Xi, Jiang Chai, Li Si, and Zhou Chang flickered under the firelight’s glow. They exchanged a glance, all understanding: now was the best time to escape. If they missed tonight, who knew when they’d have another chance like this?

Yuan Xi nodded, and the four pulled Yuan Xing in the opposite direction: "Hurry up, escape south first, go to Southern Ocean Siam and then take a merchant ship back to the Jing Dynasty!"

But Yuan Xing immediately broke free from the four and angrily rebuked: "What are you doing, we should go kill the pirates with our godfather!"

Jiang Chai retorted: "You’re too deep into the act, he’s already far gone!"

Yuan Xing declared righteously: "What nonsense are you talking? Am I, Yuan Xing, someone who says one thing and means another? How could I be two-faced?"

Yuan Xi said, lamenting: "Don’t we already know your true nature?"

Jiang Chai said seriously: "Yuan Xing, tell the truth, do you have some dirt on him? Did he find out about your affair with Yuan Xiang’s concubine?"

Yuan Xing’s expression changed and he quickly covered Jiang Chai’s mouth: "Why do you let everything spill out of your mouth!"

Jiang Chai batted Yuan Xing’s hand away, puzzled: "Then why do you insist on staying? Oh, I get it, the Military Intelligence Department is under Lu Jin’s control. The Minister of the Secretariat lacks intelligence on the Southern Dynasty, so he sent you to establish a separate organization outside the Military Intelligence Department? Brilliant, this way you won’t be restrained by Lu Jin."

Yuan Xing sighed, watching Chen Ji and Old Ears’ figures recede, unable to help but warn: "I’ll only remind you this once."

He pointed to Chen Ji’s back: "What is his official gateway?"

Jiang Chai confidently replied: "Sword seed."

Yuan Xing pointed to Old Ears’ back: "Then what is his path?"

Jiang Chai was puzzled: "How would I know?"

Yuan Xing was exasperated, pointing his right hand skyward: "Heaven..."

Jiang Chai pondered: "Heavenly killer?"

Yuan Xing impatiently said: "I might as well kill your father, I’ll remind you one more time, in this world..."

Yuan Xi murmured beside: "... Taide?"

Yuan Xing quickly withdrew his right hand: "You figured it out yourself, nothing to do with me! Remember, no one can reveal that one’s identity, or I’ll twist your heads off and kick them like balls!"

Finishing his words, Jiang Chai and the others all turned to look at Chen Ji and Old Ears’ backs, with Jiang Chai the first to rush out, swiftly putting distance between him and the others.

Yuan Xi patted Yuan Xing’s shoulder: "Good brother, I’ll forget all the times you’ve set me up, water under the bridge."

Yuan Xing chuckled coldly: "I haven’t even settled the score for your betrayals against me!"

Yuan Xi turned and ran: "No more talking, when we get back to the Jing Dynasty, it’s all on me over drinks."

The five of them easily caught up with the Anti-Japanese Army, joining them in the charge into Jingjiang County.

After Zheng Jiye entered the city, he became a bit bewildered by the cries of battle coming from all directions, unsure where to go first to save people, or where the main force of the pirates was.

"The pirates are scattered throughout the city looting; finding each one will be too troublesome," Jiang Chai pointed south and said loudly: "Head south, their ships are on the Yangtze River to the south. If we cut off their retreat, they’ll naturally panic!"

Yuan Xing also affirmed: "That’s right, the Matsubara Clan has to return to their ships with their captives, goods, and provisions from the south. Once we block the South Gate, we can catch them like turtles in a jar."

Zheng Jiye was suddenly enlightened: "Right, right, head south!"

But just as he charged out, he reined in his horse: "Wait, we only have about two hundred exhausted soldiers, and they have around three hundred men. How can we cut off the pirates’ retreat? Better to protect the civilians and fortify a corner..."

"What nonsense," Yuan Xing glared at him, then turned to select twenty robust Anti-Japanese soldiers: "You, come with me, we’ll harass the pirates’ flanks in alley battles."

Then he pointed at Jiang Chai: "The rest follow him to the South City Gate, set up barricades and sandbags before the pirates react. Don’t let a single pirate escape!"

After this series of commands, the Anti-Japanese soldiers were left dumbfounded, not having time to react before Yuan Xing and the others split up and charged out.

The Anti-Japanese soldiers looked at Zheng Jiye, who was momentarily indecisive.

Yuan Xing turned around, infuriated, and momentarily forgot his own status, angrily shouting: "What are you standing there for? If you delay military plans, it’ll cost your lives!"

Zheng Jiye was so intimidated by the official authority that he almost thought he was facing Marshal Lv. He quickly said: "Hurry, hurry, follow his orders, go to the South Gate first!"

Yuan Xing led a group of twenty young and strong men into the firelight and thick fog, while Jiang Chai led the main forces to weave through to the south of the city.

The thick fog of smoke in the city scoured people’s eyes shut, when suddenly a squad of pirates emerged from the fog, over twenty of them brandishing coldly glistening Japanese swords, putting the old soldiers of the Anti-Japanese Army into a rapid retreat in just one encounter.

When Zheng Jiye was regretting following Yuan Xing’s arrogant orders, he saw Jiang Chai collide head-on with one of the pirate servants. Before he could see what was happening, he saw the half-meter-long Wild Great Sword in the servant’s hand already exchanged into Jiang Chai’s hand.

Jiang Chai twisted his body and sliced, actually severing the servant at the waist, spilling intestines all over the ground.

Zheng Jiye’s pupils contracted: "Innate Realm?"

Among the pirates, the rangers were merely Postnatal Martial Artists, the servants were Innate, and the Seeking Dao Realm Japanese Chiefs were as rare as a phoenix feather or unicorn’s horn, one wouldn’t even see one in a year.

Jiang Chai easily suppressed the servant, clearly also an expert at the Innate Realm.

At this moment, Yuan Xi also clashed with a servant, the servant swung his sword down.

Zheng Jiye shouted from a distance: "Watch out!"

But his vision blurred, only to see Yuan Xi twist around and appear behind the servant, using his bare hands to wrap around the other’s waist, suddenly leaning backward.

The servant only felt his feet leave the ground, his entire body lifted, being back-dropped heavily onto the ground by Yuan Xi. The servant’s head hit the ground, shattering into pieces.

Yuan Xi lay breathlessly on the ground for a moment, then pushed away the corpse pressing on him, picked up the Wild Great Sword, and charged back into the pirates.

Zheng Jiye widened his eyes: "Also Innate?"

He turned his head again, Li Si and Zhou Chang, not having seized any servants, could only snatch Japanese swords from the rangers, forging ahead without looking back, seemingly Innate too.

Zheng Jiye’s mind began to race with ideas.

The pirates he encountered earlier were led by two servants, clearly elite warriors from the Matsubara Clan. Upon a single faceoff, the servants were dead, and the remaining rangers were retreating step by step.

Four Innate Realms, and counting the man leading the young and strong who left earlier, that makes five Innate in total? Blocking the pirates at the South Gate seems doable...

In less than 15 minutes, the twenty pirates encountered were all put to death, Zheng Jiye directed the Anti-Japanese Army to pick up Japanese swords and follow the four of them.

When they arrived at the southern city gate, they saw that the guards on the city tower were all brutally killed, the gate wide open, with only a dozen pirates guarding outside.

Jiang Chai and the others rushed forward, the pirates guarding the gate saw things were not right, quickly retreating while blowing on bamboo whistles.

Yuan Xi wanted to chase after them, but heard Jiang Chai shout to stop: "You fool, have you no discipline? Don’t get caught up in fighting, remember what we’re here for!"

Yuan Xi came to his senses: "Right, right, can’t chase after them."

The few of them worked together to close the city gate, first allowing the old soldiers of the Anti-Japanese Army to climb the tower and remove the bamboo ladders brought by the pirates.

Then they called the younger men of the Anti-Japanese Army, dismantling nearby courtyard walls and houses, blocking the gate with bricks and stones. By the time reinforcements from the pirate’s large ships arrived, the South Gate of Jingjiang County was already sealed, completely cutting off the pirates inside the city.

Jiang Chai tirelessly directed: "Quick, the pirates in the city have already discovered something unusual, fortify before they come back!"

With that, he carried the Wild Great Sword back to Chen Ji’s side, presenting the sword with both hands: "Godfather, please use this sword, discard that rusty knife."

Zheng Jiye was carrying a stack of green bricks, and on hearing this, he suddenly looked at Chen Ji, then at the thirty-something Jiang Chai: "Godfather? You call him godfather?"

Jiang Chai replied sincerely: "That’s right."

At this moment, Yuan Xi also came over with a Tachi, presenting it with both hands to Chen Ji: "Godfather, use mine too, it’s new."

Zheng Jiye dropped the green bricks from his hands, staring wide-eyed at Yuan Xi: "He’s your godfather too?"

Yuan Xi responded courteously: "That’s right."

Zheng Jiye looked at Li Si: "Is he your godfather too?"

Li Si hesitated for a moment, but also acknowledged: "That’s right."

Zheng Jiye looked as though he had seen a ghost, turning to Zhou Chang: "He is your godfather too?"

Zhou Chang nodded.

Lastly, Zheng Jiye looked at Old Ears, who, despite his older age, following the example of the four godsons before him, didn’t seem so absurd.

He looked at Chen Ji, then at Old Ears: "Is he also your..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Yuan Xi, Jiang Chai, Li Si, and Zhou Chang panicked, covering Zheng Jiye’s mouth and dragging him away.