Chapter 73 - 72: Self-Directed, Self-Acted

Chapter 73: Chapter 72: Self-Directed, Self-Acted

Although they had already encountered the Water Monkeys.

But Lu Jing’an’s Water Patrol was not over yet.

There was still a final stretch of the waterway to cover.

And this last section of the waterway directly connected Xiao County and Lou Mountain County, the respective territories of the Li Family and the Liu Family.

Ordinarily, Lu Jing’an would never visit Xiao Mountain or Lou Mountain.

This was someone else’s territory, after all.

The three families had never been on good terms.

Stepping onto another’s turf was not a safe thing to do.

But things were different today.

He was the new director of the Water Patrol Bureau.

Inspecting his own jurisdiction was perfectly reasonable.

The two Ironclad Ships soon arrived in the waters of Lou Mountain County, where the Liu Family was based.

"Head over there." His voice was not loud, but it cut clearly through the roar of the engines.

The two Ironclad Ships cut through the murky yellow river water, heading toward the waters of Lou Mountain County.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the ancient city perched on the riverbank emerged from the morning mist.

Its high walls were built from blue-gray stone blocks.

From a distance, it resembled a colossal beast lying prone, far more imposing than the earthen walls of Yin Mountain County.

"Director, Lou Mountain County has been a major city since ancient times."

Chen Xuan, standing beside him, spoke up at the right moment, his tone carrying the measured cadence of a storyteller recounting history.

"There are copper mines in the county’s outskirts. During the previous dynasty, it was a major center for minting coins.

The Liu Family’s ancestors once held the authority to mint currency. Later, when the world underwent great change...

They were among the first of the local Noble Families to side with the republic.

To this day, the bulk of the Liu Family’s industry is still in copper mining.

It’s just that these days, most of the refined copper is sent to armories to be made into bullets."

Lu Jing’an nodded slightly, but his gaze fell upon a merchant ship in the distance that was about to turn into the main channel.

Hanging from its bow was the Liu Family’s triangular flag: gold lettering on a black background.

"Intercept it." Lu Jing’an lifted his chin.

"Board it and search. Search it thoroughly. If there’s any contraband, impound the vessel immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

The Ironclad Ship suddenly accelerated, plowing two churning white wakes as it moved to block the merchant ship.

The sailors on the merchant ship were startled at first, but after seeing where they were, they calmed down.

A lean-faced ship captain in a silk jacket walked to the bow, put his hands on his hips, and shouted:

"Who goes there? Don’t you see whose flag is flying on this ship!

Stopping a Liu Family shipment right at the gates of Lou Mountain County... are you tired of living?"

But Lu Jing’an didn’t even bother to look at him.

"Board and search."

The men from the Water Patrol Bureau swarmed onto the merchant ship’s deck like black crows.

The Liu Family crewmen tried to stop them but were met with rifle barrels pressed against their chests.

They could only grit their teeth and retreat, fire burning in their eyes.

The commotion had already alerted those on the shore.

Before long, a rumbling sound came from downstream. RUMBLE.

An even larger Ironclad Ship came cutting through the waves.

Its hull was freshly painted a glossy black. On the foredeck, a small-caliber rotating naval gun gleamed with the cold, bluish light of steel in the morning sun.

At this moment, the deep-rooted power of a century-old Noble Family manifested as tangible military deterrence.

Lu Jing’an narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself:

’No wonder Kui Shan had that look in his eyes when he saw my car.

A family with this kind of foundation... it’s truly enviable.’

As the ship approached, a middle-aged man in a Public Security Bureau uniform stood at its bow.

He had a square face, a wide mouth, and a grim expression.

"Who the hell are you blind bastards, daring to cause trouble in Liu Family territory? You must have a death wish!"

Lu Jing’an waved a hand to his side.

An officer of the Water Patrol Bureau immediately drew a breath and bellowed, "Provincial Water Patrol Bureau, conducting a river patrol!

We suspect your vessel is carrying contraband and are conducting a search in accordance with the law!"

The man from the Public Security Bureau spat and deliberately drew out his words:

"Water Patrol Bureau? Never heard of it! This is Lou Mountain County. Even a dragon has to coil up and behave here!"

Amidst the standoff, the bureau officers who had boarded to search emerged from the lower deck in a line.

Two men at a time, they carried up three or four heavy wooden crates.

The lids had been pried open, revealing neatly stacked, brick-shaped objects wrapped in oiled paper.

Even from several dozen feet away, that familiar, sickly-sweet smell of decay drifted over with the wind.

"Director, we’ve found opium! Twelve crates in total!"

The faintest trace of a smile touched Lu Jing’an’s lips.

"Caught red-handed. Impound the ship and arrest the crew. Take them all back to the bureau for questioning."

"You dare!"

"This is a Liu Family merchant ship! Let’s see any of you dare touch it."

Lu Jing’an’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the Public Security Bureau Director.

"Think carefully before you speak again. Whose ship is this?"

The Public Security Bureau Director clearly realized he had misspoken.

He immediately changed his tune:

"This is the jurisdiction of Lou Mountain County! Even if there is contraband, it should be handled by my Public Security Bureau!"

Lu Jing’an slowly turned to face him directly, his gaze as calm as a frozen pond:

"The ship was intercepted on the Canglan River.

The goods were found on a vessel on the river.

As of today, the entire Canglan River falls under the jurisdiction of the Water Patrol Bureau.

Any crime committed on the river will be handled by my Water Patrol Bureau."

He paused briefly, his voice suddenly dropping low:

"Take them away. Anyone who dares to interfere will be charged with obstructing justice."

The two Ironclad Ships flanked the merchant vessel, sandwiching it in the middle as they slowly turned their bows.

On the Liu Family’s large ship, all gun muzzles were aimed at them, and a tense, deathly silence hung over the deck.

But Lu Jing’an had already turned his back, gazing ahead at the river.

"Continue the patrol. If they want to shoot, let them."

The engines roared back to life, and the fleet moved upriver against the current.

They gradually left the Liu Family’s well-equipped Ironclad Ship and countless searing glares behind them.

Not until the ships’ silhouettes had shrunk to a tiny dot did the square-faced man from the Public Security Bureau slam his fist onto the ship’s railing, sending tiny splinters flying.

"Director, are we just going to let them..."

"What else?!"

The Director glared at him, his eyes shot with blood.

"That’s the Water Patrol Bureau, established by official provincial decree!

If you open fire here, a dispatch from the Governor’s Mansion will be on the Patriarch’s desk by tomorrow!

That’s handing them a knife to stab us with, don’t you understand?!"

He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving, when he suddenly roared another question:

"I gave repeated orders! The Water Patrol Bureau is patrolling the river today.

All ships were to be strictly inspected and self-checked! We were not to give them any leverage!

So what’s the deal with this opium?

How did you people conduct your inspections?!"

The subordinate beside him, his face a mask of grievance, mumbled with his head down:

"Director, we did... we did notify everyone.

We sent people to check every ship. We don’t know how this one..."

The Director cut him off with a raised hand, his gaze dark as he stared toward the end of the river, at the ships that were now nearly invisible.

The Director understood. The Liu Family had been framed by Lu Jing’an.

This opium had obviously been brought by Lu Jing’an himself.

He had most likely planted it during the chaos a moment ago.

It came aboard with his men.

No one had noticed at the time.

But now it had been blatantly discovered on a Liu Family cargo ship.

There was no way the Liu Family could explain this away.

The only thing the Liu Family could do now was to distance themselves from this incident.

But doing so...

...was undoubtedly a resounding slap in the Liu Family’s face.

This couldn’t help but remind him of the day the Liu Family sat on the mountain to watch the tigers fight.

They had been waiting to see how the Li Family would slap the Lu Family’s face.

How similar that situation was to the present one.

Except the Li Family had failed to land the slap, instead suffering heavy losses.

This time, the Lu Family had delivered a loud and clear slap, and without losing a single soldier.