My book friend Long Aotian

Chapter 197 Don’t Be Afraid

There was noise outside the cabin, the sound of horns was muffled, and there was panic on the Jiangchuan Huayun.

Zheng Xiuyuan and others were brought to the river to be persuaded because they witnessed Ma Fulong's three kills. There is a saying about this. After all, the river is vast and lawless, and it is really difficult to escape. This can magnify the fear of the person being persuaded to the extreme. When the wonton noodles are fed to their mouths, the stubborn ones are more likely to surrender.

When negotiations really fail, there is only Changfan on the vast river, making it convenient to do whatever you want. After all, Yunjiang will accept everything gently and tolerantly without leaving a trace.

This would prevent more deaths in Yunhua Hall and the difficult-to-deal-with explosions and bloodshed.

This is an old tradition of the Cao Gang.

However, Yunhuatang just habitually solved the problem at home, and the targets of persuasion this time did not have much backbone. The businessmen of Qushiwenhui had just witnessed the cruelty of the six major sects and had been frightened and softened. They cooperated very well and did not even say a word of objection.

They signed the Cao Gang's confidentiality clause and readily agreed to all requests.

This was in stark contrast to his previous resistance to Director Li in every way.

However, they were involved in the struggle among the giants in the court and had been on the wrong side from the very beginning. Their disaster was far from over. They sat in the cabin signing documents and contracts and putting on forced smiles with the kind-looking members of the Cao Gang. After a while, they heard the sound of the Canglong horn and drums approaching, and the members of the Cao Gang went out with solemn expressions to see what was happening.

Soon, the merchants heard people shouting in panic all over the ship: "The ship is leaking! The ship is leaking!"

Everyone stood up in shock. A moment later, the leader of the Yunhua Hall pushed open the door and shouted, "The Tongwen Bureau set up an ambush and surrounded us, using water ghosts to pierce the boat, trying to drown you all and put the blame on the Yunhua Hall!"

The merchants were in an uproar when they heard this.

Afterwards, more than 20 sailors walked into the cabin. The leader clapped his hands and said in a hurried tone: "There is no time to lose. Everyone, prepare to jump into the water to escape. These guys are the best swimmers and will definitely protect you all. Divide into groups and be sure to follow the command. The Yunjiang River is dangerous and the water is bloody. If you want to survive, you must be obedient!"

After what happened today, everyone was already shocked and frightened. When they heard this terrible news, their tense hearts suddenly broke, and someone shouted, "... No! I can't swim!"

The businessman held his head and screamed, "I quit! I want to leave Huazhou! I want to see Li Bailong!"

Immediately, some of the soldiers rushed up, held his pulse and stopped him from shouting.

Only then did everyone realize that something was wrong.

Zheng Xiuyuan looked around and cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

When the leader said, "Li Bailong wants to destroy the boat and drown us," he felt something was wrong.

He had been fighting with Li Bailong for more than a month. This dog official had used shady, despicable, harmful, and cruel tricks. His tricks were endless and his heart was extremely evil, but he had never used a killing move!
——If that guy was a cruel and ruthless person, I would have died several times already!

If Li Bailong didn't want to kill us, then...

Cut off from information due to the great river, they stayed in the cabin and had no idea that warships were surrounding them outside, let alone that Li Bailong had set a trap based on this. Being trapped in the trap and cut off from information, Zheng Xiuyuan still relied on his keen sense of smell and outstanding intelligence to guess a terrible possibility.

It’s the Cao Gang that wants to kill us!

Zheng Xiuyuan was filled with shock and anger and wanted to resist immediately.

But on the river, lives are in the hands of others. Although the more than 20 merchants on our side are not powerless, they can only practice some health-preserving boxing and golden spear skills. How can they defeat the tigers and wolves of the six major sects?

But if you obey orders and follow the boatmen foolishly to "jump into the river to escape", you can eat as much wonton noodles as you want!
——A fierce light flashed in Zheng Xiuyuan’s eyes.

Now that things have come to this, the only thing we can do is to survive and give it a try!

If the boat is leaking, it is most likely that Yun Hua Tang has pierced it themselves. The reason why they want to pierce their own boat must be that the Tongwen Bureau outside is forcing them too urgently... So they can't jump into the river! They have to delay time!
He opened his mouth and was about to scream and incite everyone to resist.

However, a figure flashed before his eyes, and the leader of Yunhuatang appeared in front of him.

"President Zheng, please persuade everyone, there is no time to lose!"

Then, the sound was transmitted into the dense Qi and formed into a line, which entered the ear.

"President Zheng, the deputy commander has ordered that you must cooperate with the explanation. Afterwards, I will personally escort you ashore to Lizhou and reunite with Master Zheng in Beijing." The leader said quickly, "Master Zheng is a good friend of the Cao Gang. We are family, so how could we offend him? But if you are unwilling to cooperate and ruin our cause, then I have no choice..."

The leader looked around and said, "I will share the same fate with you all."

Zheng Xiuyuan was greatly shocked.

The other party was very close, and I could see the murderous intent in his eyes when I looked up.

With this man's martial arts, he could kill everyone in the cabin as easily as slaughtering a chicken. There would be no difficulty at all. If I shouted loudly here and incited everyone to resist, I would be easily suppressed.

"... Stop arguing!"

Zheng Xiuyuan shouted, "Do you still have a choice? You've seen such a fatal thing, and you still want to see Li Bailong? What are you going to see him for? Are you going to falsely accuse Master Ma of murder?"

He grabbed the leader's arm and said impatiently, "Hurry up! If you walk too slowly and can't get away, I don't want to trouble my friends in the Cao Gang!"

What is the most brilliant way to set the tone in the world?
——That is to let the target imagine it himself.

These businessmen were all shrewd people. After hearing Zheng Xiuyuan's words, they were stunned for a moment and then reacted immediately.

Yes!

We witnessed Ma Fulong killing people with our own eyes, and were brought to the boat to be threatened and intimidated. Wasn't it just to make us shut up? If we walk slowly now, there is a risk of falling into Li Bailong's hands... We will definitely be silenced!

in other words……

Now they are urging us to leave, they must really want us to live!
Otherwise, they could have just killed us!

Although they are smart, they are just a group of businessmen who cherish their lives. They have all the weaknesses of human beings. Once they find a trace of logical rationality, they will desperately believe it to avoid another desperate possibility... After all, Zheng Xiuyuan is leading the way! He can't just pit himself, right?
Seeing Zheng Xiuyuan was in a hurry to leave, everyone started to move in a mess.

The leader smiled kindly at Zheng Xiuyuan and felt relieved.

——What a hassle, and they have to be drowned naturally.

Martial arts flourished during the Great Qi Dynasty, and the study of this famous knowledge promoted the development of many disciplines and industries, including forensic medicine and combat scene investigation.

Determining whether the deceased died of choking after falling into the water or fell into the water after death is the most basic of basic operations. An experienced coroner only needs to perform a slight dissection, push Qi through the acupoints, and sense the changes in the deceased's meridians to obtain a series of information such as whether the deceased was imprisoned or forced by martial artists before his death, and determine whether martial artists are involved in the murder.

The rich forensic experience involved is accumulated from the flesh and blood of mortal victims.

Therefore, even if they received an order from the hall, the boatmen on the boat could not simply start killing, because even if the boat was pierced and sunk to the bottom of the river, as long as the government was willing to get to the bottom of the matter, they could salvage the boat and inspect it inch by inch, and eventually discover the bloody Qi flow at the crime scene.

——It is even possible to use tiny traces on the floor that are barely detectable to the naked eye to depict the warrior murderer's footwork and force trajectory, and restore a rough outline of the situation at the murder scene.

As long as the government is willing to be serious.

Obviously, the fleet outside, the military bugle calls in the distance, and even the deputy commander's order to scuttle the boats all indicate that this time, the government, or Li Bailong, is very serious.

"Hurry up!"

The merchants were like pigs being slaughtered, walking and running around in a mess. The hull of the Jiangchuan Huayun was already tilting, and people were led to the side of the second deck.

Water had begun to fill the bottom of the ship, and the cabin was slightly tilted. The members of the Cao Gang each wielded their knives to cut a hole in the cabin wall large enough for passage, and the damp and cold wind from the river poured in.

The leader shouted in a low voice: "Go!" More than 20 canal workers carried the merchants and jumped down without hesitation.

There was a continuous sound of people falling into the water, with splashes coming from all directions. When the officers and soldiers on the surrounding ships saw this, they started to shout and clamor. However, the Cao Gang were known as the people of the river, and many of the martial arts skills they inherited were born for water. The Cao people jumped into the water as if they were returning home, and dived deep underwater, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye!
The river wind blew straight into the hole, making a howling sound, like an invitation from the gate of hell.

Zheng Xiuyuan shuddered in silence, and only when he saw everyone entering the river did he realize what had happened—twenty-two people! Just like that... they were gone?

The leader said calmly: "President Zheng, it's time to get going."

In this situation, with these words, is this a joke?

No...wait!
Fear arose spontaneously, and Zheng Xiuyuan turned back suddenly. The people on the river looked calm, with only pity in their eyes.

However, such compassion is nothing more than people looking at the chickens and sheep being slaughtered in the kitchen.

Only then did Zheng Xiuyuan realize the deception and his own fate.

At this moment, there was no fear, anger, or despair in his heart.

Just a hint of surprise.

——Hey, am I the same as them?

The next moment, he was grabbed by the collar and an irresistible force pulled him into the river. With a loud bang, a cold pain swept through his body and the river water rushed into his mouth, tasting muddy and bitter.

A helpless fear swept through his body, and he shouted: "Help..."

Before he could finish his words, the Cao Gang members dragged him into the water like water ghosts.

His five senses were sealed by the freezing water. The water was turbid and he could not tell anything. His ears and nose were useless. Only a faint sense of body made him realize that he was still being dragged down and sinking. He struggled in panic, but compared to the powerful Cao Gang water ghosts, his strength was surprisingly small. Zheng Xiuyuan choked, suffocated, and struggled. He only felt his body temperature quickly disappearing in the river water, and everything was turning black and black...

Suddenly, a strong undercurrent swept him up and pushed him forward.

Perhaps it was just a moment, he rushed back to the world from hell, the chaos and darkness around him disappeared, bright light penetrated into his eyes, he let out a few heart-wrenching coughs, and was shocked to find that he had returned to the surface of the water, and a magical force lifted him up.

Not far away, the Cao Gang leader's scream was heard.

"What the hell!?"

The screams of the deadly water ghost made Zheng Xiuyuan panic. He forced himself to open his aching eyes and found that the other party had surfaced not far away, with water droplets on his face and was rushing towards him with murderous intent.

Zheng Xiuyuan was extremely panicked and struggled to escape.

In an instant, the wind on the river howled, the water split into two waves, and Zheng Xiuyuan was pushed away by an invisible force, while the leader of the Cao Gang who was rushing over was pushed away in an instant.

It seems as if the river has a spirit, and its miraculous power controls the rise and fall of the tides.

Zheng Xiuyuan escaped death, but was shocked and unbelievable when he heard the water ghost's screams.

There were sampans speeding like arrows, and in the distance there were large ships sailing. Zheng Xiuyuan could see them from afar, and seemed to see someone in white clothes standing on the bow of the ship, and people kept floating up in panic on the vast river and splashing into the water.

The government's sampans rowed to rescue each other.

Zheng Xiuyuan escaped death and was overwhelmed with emotions, he actually cried out loud.

After being rescued, changed into dry clothes, and drinking ginger soup, Zheng Xiuyuan was sent to a large ship.

He saw the soldiers from the Tongpan Hall and knew that it was Li Bailong who rescued him in the end. He smiled bitterly in his heart - he had just escaped death and had become a mean person. He felt that in the current situation, he might as well jump into the river and commit suicide.

Li Bailong, in order to repay a favor, would definitely order him to accuse Ma Fulong. However, it is easy to accuse this man, while his son is still in the capital. If he is retaliated by the Cao Gang, how can he end up well?
Zheng Xiuyuan was brought before Lord Zhang in a daze and immediately knelt down to thank him.

"No need to thank me. Someone else saved you regardless of past grudges."

This made Zheng Xiuyuan confused - let bygones be bygones? Is it Li Bailong? Am I worthy of having a grudge against him?
Zhang Chun didn't say much, just got up and left. Zheng Xiuyuan stayed in the hall, not daring to ask any more questions.

After a while, several sword-wielding female warriors strode out and stood on the left and right. Then, two fairies with extraordinary grace came out. The woman in purple clothes and gold belt had been seen in Tongwen Bureau. It was said that she was Li Bailong's master. The other woman in white clothes with a veil was not recognized and no one knew who she was.

As he thought about it, he bowed his head to show respect, and then he heard the purple-robed woman say, "This is Zheng Xiuyuan. Every time I see him, he is being beaten by my apprentice."

"..."

Finally I know who Li Bailong learned that mouth from.

"Even so, he is still the most useful cultural talent under Ma Fulong. After all, not everyone can be beaten repeatedly by Sanlang."

...These words are not very pleasant to hear.

Zheng Xiuyuan was just complaining in his heart when he heard Li Bailong's master say calmly: "So, Ma Fulong wanted to hurt you with bad words, so he must have ordered him to come forward and plan... It's right to ask him, but do you really want to ask?"

What plans, what bad words to hurt you, I don't even know you are...

Zheng Xiuyuan looked up in surprise.

His gaze met that of the woman in white, and he was shocked by her eyes as deep as a dry well - he had only seen such eyes in old women who had gone through many ups and downs and were in their twilight years.

It cannot exist unless the heart is dead.

Could it be that she, she is...

"Her last name is Ma... She is the only one who can save you from the Dragon King of the River." Jiang Lishu said calmly, "She wants to ask you a few questions. Is it okay for you to tell the truth?"

Zheng Xiuyuan murmured: "You...you..."

The legendary figure became real and appeared before him.

Eight years ago, he and his colleagues made a fortune by fabricating a woman's sad story. Eight years later, he was forced by Ma Fulong to do everything possible to discredit a stranger.

She was used, deceived, and silenced. At the moment of life and death, she was saved by the person who had been hurting her. He thought Miss Ma was a hysterical, twisted and crazy lunatic, or a resentful woman with the flames of hatred burning all over her body. There are many such women in vernacular novels and plays.

But now, he saw it with his own eyes.

The victim of cyber bullying by him for no reason came to him.

Zheng Xiuyuan was shocked and frightened, his teeth chattering: "I...I..."

Then he heard talking.

Miss Ma had questions to ask. She could see that the other party was trembling so much, obviously extremely frightened. She knew what the other party was thinking and the source of the fear, so she subconsciously said, "Don't be afraid."

These four words are like arrows.

Shoot into the hearts of those who have escaped death, who are ashamed and terrified.

Zheng Xiuyuan stood there in a daze, slowly opened his mouth, and let out a... cry.

(End of this chapter)