Seeing Shen Zhi Again

Once on the boat, Cai Hang couldn't help but look around.

Taking advantage of the moment when no one was looking, he secretly stroked the brand-new wooden railings of the war shed, his eyes unable to take it all in. Seeing Cai Hang's mesmerized expression, Guan Zong couldn't help but feel smug: "So, what do you think of this ship?"

Cai Hang, completely lacking the composure of a martial arts master commanding nearly a thousand pirates, displayed a rare moment of awkwardness and unease when facing the imposing Guan Zong, much like when he first entered the world of martial arts. He lavishly praised him: "The navy's ships are sturdy and well-equipped, and the soldiers are arrayed in perfect formation; truly a mighty force on the water!"

This statement was somewhat exaggerated, making Guan Zong blush with embarrassment.

He wanted to hear compliments, but the other person went too far.

Guan Zong's navy was newly established by him, and its core members were more than two hundred elite soldiers who had followed him to infiltrate Sun Ban's rear and sabotage the granaries. In addition, he also extracted a number of veteran soldiers skilled in naval warfare from Wang Ba and towed new ships away from the shipyard.

Naval forces are difficult to train.

Who would have thought that a piece of fatty meat would fall from the sky?

The lord wants to send him nearly a thousand promising young men with experience in fighting river pirates.

With just a little practice, and without Guan Zong needing to put in much effort, their combat strength would be quite respectable. Therefore, Guan Zong couldn't wait to arrive, fearing that if he was too slow, someone else would snatch it away, and he'd miss out.

Cai Hang was secretly observing the vast resources of Guan Zong's navy, while Guan Zong was also observing Cai Hang, subtly probing what he did at the naval stronghold. Upon hearing that Cai Hang was the head instructor of the naval forces, Guan Zong was overjoyed. He then inquired about Cai Hang's insights into naval training, and even without prior preparation, Cai Hang spoke eloquently. Guan Zong immediately grasped Cai Hang's calloused hand.

"Cai Jun is a man of great talent."

Guan Zong's words drove Cai Hang wildly infatuated.

His lips were practically curling into a smile, but he forced a stern expression, feigning humility: "How could I, Cai, deserve such a title? I'm nothing more than a desperate petty thief making a living on the water, knowing only some crude tricks for fighting and violence while on a boat, utterly devoid of any proper methods. I'm already overwhelmed with gratitude for Mr. Zhang's favor in taking me under his command. How could I dare to presume to teach a fish to swim before a general like myself?"

Guan Zong listened, stunned and inwardly amazed.

Don't let Cai Hang's rugged appearance fool you; he has a surprisingly eloquent tongue!

"What do you mean by showing off your skills before an expert? Cai Jun, don't underestimate yourself." Cai Hang was so sensible that Guan Zong's pre-prepared show of force was useless. He forced a friendly smile, "Don't always look down on yourself. What do you mean by desperate thieves? To put it bluntly, soldiers have their methods, and thieves have theirs. On the battlefield, there is only victory and defeat, not distinction of rank or status. The soldiers under my command are all inexperienced recruits who only know how to recite from the book and form ranks. But if you ask them how to identify unfamiliar waterways and shallows, how to navigate the waves and maintain balance, or how to board enemy ships, they are still green."

Cai Hang's methods were unconventional, but they were effective.

The experience gained over many years is a valuable asset.

After Guan Zong finished speaking, he finally revealed his true intentions: "I wish to appoint Lord Cai as my naval deputy, so that we may serve our lord together. What do you say?"

Cai Hang was madly moved, swallowing his saliva again and again.

However, his reason prevented him from being swayed, and he asked, "...I wonder what the general plans to do with the people in the water fortress?"

Guan Zongdao: "Reintegrate them into Lord Cai's command?"

Cai Hang shook his head: "That's not appropriate."

Guan Zong asked, "Why is that?"

"To be honest, General, Jiaolong Village is the result of the hard work of the two leaders. I only gained their preferential treatment because of the small favors I did for them in the past." Cai Hang revealed the truth, which was also a subtle hint to Guan Zong to try to persuade Yu Qiu Bi Gong to keep his personal troops.

Furthermore, the bandits of Jiaolong Village do not submit to outsiders.

If Guan Zong were to forcibly incorporate them into other people's ranks, it could easily lead to problems and pose a significant hidden danger. However, he couldn't say this outright, lest it be misunderstood as Jiaolong Village harboring ulterior motives.

"I thought it was something serious. What you're saying is indeed something I didn't consider carefully, and it almost led to a big mistake." Guan Zong followed Cai Hang's words and said, "Then they will be temporarily managed by Mr. Cai, and will be returned to them when our colleagues Yu and Bi return."

Cai Hang did not expect Guan Zong to agree so readily.

He also wanted to inquire about his future treatment.

Guan Zong didn't give him a chance to speak, first pulling him around to tour the various places, ostensibly to familiarize him with the new environment. Where had these pirates, who relied on the whims of the weather for their livelihood, ever seen anything like this? Pirates could be rich when they were rich, but truly poor when they were poor. Business wasn't a daily occurrence, and the nearly one thousand mouths in the water stronghold needed to be fed every day, while they also had to find ways to increase their income; their standard of living was extremely unstable. This naval force was different.

They are really rich.

Guan Zong said that these warships were all pulled from the shipyard.

He grinned broadly: "They're all new guys."

Cai Hang nodded in agreement.

It was indeed new; there weren't even any patches for repairs. The weapons on the weapon racks were polished to a shine, and boxes full of arrows filled the warehouse. The naval archers carried quivers that could hold fifty or sixty arrows on their backs. Most importantly, the soldiers' uniforms were all brand new.

Just by looking at their spirit, you can tell they are elite and full of vigor.

They didn't seem like the inexperienced recruits Guan Zong had described at all.

What made Cai Hang even more uneasy was the food rations for each soldier, making him suspect that Guan Zong was putting on an act by letting the soldiers celebrate the festival early. However, upon seeing the ample food reserves on the warships, he dismissed his suspicions.

rich!

They're obviously rich!

The eyeliner is right, this is a prime target!

The thought of running away halfway through completely vanished from Cai Hang's mind; only the desire to join the sheepfold remained. Putting everything else aside, these wolves from Jiaolong Village, disguised as sheep, could enjoy a stable and sustenance for every extra day they stayed in the sheepfold—it wasn't a loss either way.

As for the future?

Let's make plans later.

In a flash, Cai Hang had an idea.

Now, he needs to find a way and an excuse to cover up his "falsifying accounts." He's shameless enough to approach Guan Zong directly and say, "There's something else... that's a little difficult to say."

"Please feel free to speak."

"Jiaolong Village isn't the largest of the water fortresses, but it's not small either. Zhang Jun gave us too little time, and everyone is reluctant to leave their homeland. Some of the elderly and weak are still unsettled… We haven't had a chance to settle them yet… I don't want to force them; I only think that once the younger generation is settled, we can take them away later." Cai Hang looked ashamed, raising his sleeve to cover his face. "The general has treated us so kindly; if I were to keep this a secret, I would be ungrateful and heartless!"

Guan Zong understood.

On the surface, he still had to feign politeness with Cai Hang: "I see. Don't worry, Mr. Cai, we'll bring them over again."

Cai Hang was overjoyed: "Thank you, General."

Guan Zongdao said, "No need to thank me yet, let's take a look at the boat first."

How can naval warfare be complete without ships?

Guan Zong planned to extract a few more boats from Wang Ba.

There's no harm in using the shipyards in Dongham County.

Cai Hang: "Yes!"

He happily went with Guan Zong to see the warships.

Zhang Yang watched speechlessly as Cai Hang's favorability rating soared from negative thirty to over seventy, finally settling at seventy-five. Unlike others whose favorability ratings only fluctuated by single digits, Cai Hang's rating perfectly exemplified the meaning of generosity and magnanimity.

Look at Cai Hang's favorability rating, and then look at Bi Gong's red name.

"Tsk."

Zhang Yang is temporarily leaving it to his own devices.

If Bi Gong really ran away with the Jade Dragon, and then looked back to see Cai Hang living happily with a bunch of pirates in Dongxian, he'd probably be furious. Zhang Yang, on the other hand, was looking forward to that scene.

Bi Gong: "..."

He felt a chill down his spine, and a strange, eerie aura emanated from him!

The merchant ship successfully docked at the ferry crossing within Dog Kingdom County.

The original two-person whimsical mounts were far too flashy, and the slanted, laughing pig emoji on the sails was particularly eye-catching and likely to draw attention. So Zhang Yang docked midway and rented a dilapidated, unassuming merchant ship, hiring twenty or thirty boatmen to help him.

Upon seeing the goods in the merchant ship's warehouse, Bi Gong's expression turned ferocious.

Didn't the cargo sink to the bottom? Where did this person get all this from? Or is it just a facade, with sand and gravel inside? Taking advantage of the absence of others, Bi Gong secretly sneaked in to inspect it.

Zhang Yang, seeing the red name appear in the warehouse: "..."

She sighed, "This is just burying one's head in the sand."

Learning from each other through teaching leads to faster progress.

The boatmen and cooks at the ferry dock helped unload the cargo. Zhang Yang, taking full advantage of her youthful appearance, mingled with the people at the dock, asking around. She had assumed that Dog Kingdom County, caught between two opposing forces, would be filled with chaos and poverty, but what she saw was quite different. The ferry dock was bustling with people, and she could even spot patrolling soldiers, creating a sense of order amidst the chaos…

Zhang Yang swung the heavy money bag in her hand, quickly attracting the attention of more than a dozen pairs of eyes. She went straight to the most crowded area: "Do you know who around here has the best connections?"

Everyone turned to look at the sound.

The first thing that caught my attention was Zhang Yang's clothing, followed by his appearance.

"What would you like to inquire about, young lady?"

Zhang Yang: "I brought in a batch of goods and want to sell them, but I don't want to sell them cheaply, so I want to find out where I can get a good price."

The crowd gathered around the tea stall listened with wide eyes.

"What kind of business does your family run, young lady?"

"I dabble in everything, doing all sorts of businesses. But this batch of goods was acquired at a low price on short notice, not the usual stock, so I can't use my family connections and have to find out for myself." Zhang Yang spoke with these people, his eyes sparkling, unlike his usual indifferent demeanor.

Even the Puyang governor was astonished when he saw it.

"This tongue? Is this still our lord? He's like a completely different person." While not exactly a silver-tongued strategist, he's certainly eloquent.

Fan You chuckled and said, "Her intelligence comes in bursts."

If he weren't certain that Zhang Yang didn't possess such superb acting skills, he would have suspected that his lord's previous behavior was just a deliberate prank.

Little did they know, Zhang Yang was just using a template.

The game has been updated for sixteen years, with numerous major and minor version iterations, and the number of game missions can be measured in tens of thousands, many of which require players to gather information. After years of intensive practice, Zhang Yang can easily use a template. That's a piece of cake!

The ferry crossing is a place where information is readily available.

The people who frequent this place hear countless things every day.

Zhang Yang used money to pave the way, naturally managing to extract information from the tea vendors. She said she wanted to sell at a high price, ideally to a wealthy and generous merchant named Wang. The tea vendor laughed, "The royal family is no longer in power, let alone a merchant like Wang. If that's your plan, young lady, be careful—your goods will be snatched up the moment you show them."

Zhang Yang: "You can't just say things like that."

The others burst into laughter: "What's wrong with saying it?"

They became increasingly certain that Zhang Yang was an outsider.

Young and inexperienced, they've only read a few books and already think they're something special, like kings and generals, and that the royal family is still the same as before. One of them pointed to two heavily made-up, broad-shouldered men in the distance and said, "If you don't believe me, young lady, why don't you go buy a painting from them? It won't cost much, and you'll see what's going on." Everyone burst into laughter again.

The laughter carried a subtle, unspoken understanding.

Zhang Yang: "Who are they? Artists?"

The tea drinker said, "No, they are two old men."

Zhang Yang: "Why did you buy paintings from them?"

The tea drinkers laughed until they were breathless, until Zhang Yang took out a small piece of silver. One of them snatched it away quickly and said obsequiously, "Some people don't know how to do things with a male prostitute, so they have to learn carefully like newlyweds."

Zhang Yang sensed something was amiss: "Who is this painting?"

The tea drinker pointed to the sky, then smiled knowingly.

Zhang Yang: "..."

The painting "Zhao Chai Appreciating the King Under the Moon" is widely circulated.

Those aging, faded courtesans, desperate for business, turned their attention to this place. One skilled painter created a series of paintings featuring King Zhao Chai, using this as a gimmick to attract customers. These paintings quickly spread within a small circle, and everyone who frequented the ferry crossing had seen the masterpiece. Having all seen the king's body, what reverence could they possibly have for him?

When people think of a monarch, the first thing that comes to mind is not the majesty of the imperial family, but the details of every body part in the painting and the lewd lyrics and songs.

Awe?

nonexistent.

If the royal family is like this, what good will happen to those who depend on it?

The once-powerful royal merchants have long since dispersed, and the few remaining are no longer loyal to the royal family, but rather take advantage of the chaos to make money and commit murder.

Zhang Yang paused for a moment, then asked, "How is the king?"

The tea drinker casually remarked, "Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

"How is it bad?"

The tea drinker sighed, "I heard it from others. They say the king is in a terrible state now. He wanted to eat a good meal and try a chicken leg, but he was criticized for being extravagant. He was so hungry that he was given half a bowl of moldy wheat rice... Sigh, that's really tragic."

Zhang Yang: "Who relayed this information to you?"

"How could I have known..."

They only remembered it because they found it novel and interesting.

They work so hard every day to make a living, they wouldn't feel at ease without hearing some sensational news from the wealthy and powerful. What kings and generals? Sometimes their lives are even worse than theirs. They sell their physical labor, but every now and then they can taste some meat, instead of eating moldy wheat porridge.

Zhang Yang: "..."

The royal family has fallen so low; wouldn't a partnership be a huge loss?

"I've also heard that when the king first fled here, he was fair and tender, as delicate as a painting, so tender he looked like he could be squeezed for water. Now he's as thin as a hairless monkey, and the people serving him are suffering from hunger too. They're so hungry their eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets."

"A hairless monkey? That's really ugly."

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar, and the air seemed to be muted. Everyone who had been chatting enthusiastically just moments before lowered their heads.

Whose gaze are they avoiding?

Zhang Yang glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and saw that it was a lightly armored surprise force.

The leader is a green-named person.

Zhang Yang noticed the green name, and the green name happened to look over as well.

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