Chapter 963: Which Could It Be?

Could it be after the recent changes?

Is it possible?

Qianshi Zhao urgently asked, "My Lord, could it be that fellow surnamed He..."

"Silence!" Wu Tiju's mind was also in turmoil.

He asked his student, "How much cargo was on the Baoji?"

"Over a thousand taels' worth."

Wu Tiju sighed in relief, "That's not too much."

"But among that, there are one thousand nine hundred sacks of grain meant for the official granary."

Wu Tiju retorted angrily, "Can't you just say everything at once?"

"...Student, I was wrong."

Wu Tiju paced back and forth several times. If the grain got wet, it was ruined. Even if some other cargo could be salvaged, those one thousand nine hundred sacks of grain were completely lost.

What's more, this grain had been purchased by the Maritime Trade Commission and was intended for the national treasury to meet the demands of the State of Mou.

The State of Mou also "purchased" provisions from the State of Qing; they paid two hundred thousand taels of silver, but the State of Qing had to supply grain worth over five hundred thousand taels. The State of Mou had been pressing for months, and the State of Qing had been slow to gather the full amount. As the wealthiest port, the Maritime Trade Commission was responsible for a significant portion of these official procurement tasks.

Previously, Bailie had also been acquiring grain at Blade Port, artificially inflating the prices. While the Maritime Trade Commission was tasked with stabilizing prices and regulating trade, it could not compel foreign merchants to sell. Though these one thousand nine hundred sacks of grain might not seem like a vast fortune, re-acquiring and transporting them would be extremely troublesome.

The three men exchanged glances, their minds clouded with the same unsettling question:

Had Island Master He sent the Shadow Serpents?

Wu Tiju turned to Qianshi Zhao, "What do you think?"

"I... I don't know," Qianshi Zhao stammered. How could he possibly make a judgment on such a matter? "Shadow Serpents have attacked merchant ships before, yes, they have. The most recent incident seems to have been the year before last?"

"There was heavy fog at sea, and that ship strayed deep into the archipelago by mistake," Wu Tiju stated with a grim face. "The Baoji was attacked in West Bay, not within the Yangshan Archipelago!"

Qianshi Zhao began to speak, then stopped. His superior had just declared that the idea of Island Master He controlling Shadow Serpents was baseless and impossible.

Now, that conviction must be wavering, mustn't it?

"So, should I go find that supervisor, Ding, and question him?"

Wu Tiju hesitated for a long time before shaking his head. "No, perhaps it really was an accident."

Whoever makes the first move concedes ground.

There's no such thing as absolute certainty when sailing the seas. He had served as Tiju for over a decade and had heard of at least dozens of major maritime disasters.

Nevertheless, he instructed Qianshi Zhao, "If that fellow Ding comes again for inspection, bring him to me."

However, for the next two days, Ding Zuodong did not visit the Maritime Trade Commission at all. Instead, two more of Wu Tiju's merchant ships were attacked at sea.

Again, the attacks were carried out by Shadow Serpents, and again, they occurred outside the Yangshan Archipelago, specifically near Fishbone Reef and Baosha Reef. Several passing merchant ships witnessed the incidents.

Yet, the Shadow Serpents ignored those other vessels, even swimming close to them without attacking. They focused solely on the 'Azure Fish' and the 'White Wave'—Wu Tiju's two ships—until they were pierced and dragged into the deep water. Only then did the creatures cheer and roar before departing.

Onlookers at the scene watched the ships' destruction with rapt attention, a process that lasted for over half an hour.

While shipwrecks were not uncommon, Blade Port had been operational for many years, and routes had long been established to avoid malevolent energies and areas where Shadow Serpents were active. All vessels, large and small, had navigated these routes without issue.

They had been avoiding these sinister creatures, but now the creatures were directly seeking them out. This was utterly unbelievable and quickly spread like wildfire through Blade Port's streets and alleys via eyewitness accounts, described with vivid detail, even including how the Shadow Serpents toyed with those who fell overboard.

The curious and the perceptive quickly pinpointed a commonality among the three scuttled ships:

They all belonged to Wu Tiju's household.

Everyone in Blade Port, from high to low, knew that Wu Tiju possessed immense wealth, particularly many ships.

This was an open secret.

Consequently, when merchants sought to charter vessels, they would first inquire if the ship belonged to Wu Tiju. If there was even the slightest connection, they would immediately refuse.

These reports reached Wu Tiju one by one, leaving him no mind for his duties.

He no longer believed that he wasn't being targeted, and the strange looks from those around him made him particularly uncomfortable.

He immediately began to investigate and discovered he still had fourteen ships at sea, five or six of which were scheduled to enter or depart from Blade Port in the near future.

His ships had always been the most sought-after for charter, rarely having idle periods.

This advantage, however, had now become a vulnerability.

Wu Tiju quickly notified his ship owners, instructing them not to set sail for the time being.

To his dismay, as soon as he reached them, he was told that all clients wanted to cancel their charters.

What a joke! It was widely rumored that the Shadow Serpents specifically targeted Wu Tiju's ships; how could anyone dare to charter them? The maritime cargo represented countless livelihoods and fortunes; who would be held responsible if it all went to waste?

They would rather forfeit their charter deposits than rent these ships!

Wu Tiju felt a surge of stifling anger.

When had he ever suffered such a loss?

However, there were still two ships at sea, nearing the port, that Wu Tiju could not reach.

He truly couldn't understand. "With so many ships at sea, how do the Shadow Serpents specifically recognize mine?"

His superior's temper had been terrible these past few days, even his breath was a bit foul. Qianshi Zhao cautiously offered, "Your ships all have special markings on their bows, My Lord. In the past, pirates would recognize them and let them pass."

Previously, even the most reckless pirates of the Yangshan Archipelago would never attack official vessels or those belonging to the Maritime Trade Commission, as it would invite thunderous retribution.

These ships had even prominently marked their bows to alert the pirates.

"Pirates?" Wu Tiju no longer bothered with decorum, slapping the table forcefully. "This is preposterous!"

It was a well-established fact that all pirates in the Yangshan Archipelago had been subjugated by He Lingchuan. Any secrets they possessed were very likely known to He Lingchuan as well.

Pirates and Shadow Serpents, linked together, practically screamed 'He Lingchuan's doing,' didn't they?

This was retaliation, blackmail, a clear threat: 'If you don't accommodate me, I will sink all your ships.'

And yet, he was forced to yield, for He Lingchuan genuinely possessed the power to carry out such a threat.

Wu Tiju shut his door and unleashed a furious tirade, even smashing his cherished teacup to smithereens, before calling Qianshi Zhao back in:

"Go find Ding—no, go find He Lingchuan, and arrange a meeting for me!"

Qianshi Zhao, trembling, acknowledged the order and quickly exited.

But only a few moments later, he hastily returned:

"My Lord, Ding Zuodong has returned to submit oil products for inspection."

Wu Tiju stood up abruptly, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Qianshi Zhao thought he was about to strike someone, but his superior merely gritted his teeth and said, "Bring him here!"

"Yes, My Lord!" Qianshi Zhao hurried out, while Wu Tiju slowly sank back into his chair.

He knew full well that the sinking of three ships was merely a 'greeting gift.' If he didn't accept a 'gift' of this magnitude, then his family, the Wus, would never again be able to venture out to sea. Furthermore, if the Shadow Serpents began attacking other vessels along the Golden Trade Route, would merchants dare to pass through Blade Port in the future?

That would pose a substantial threat to the very survival of Blade Port.

That young man, He, certainly knows how to manipulate people.

Wu Tiju took the initiative to meet him, and Ding Zuodong arrived promptly.

As soon as he entered, he clasped his hands and bowed. "My Lord, I hope you are well! Ah, Master Wu, you are so busy with official duties; it's truly a rare opportunity to see you."

This was no mere courtesy. The last time he had sought an audience with Wu Tiju, he had been repeatedly rebuffed, waiting days for a brief meeting during which he was dismissed after barely two sentences.

No matter how polite Ding Zuodong was, Wu Tiju offered only a fake smile. "You and your master always find a way to see me, don't you?"

Ding Zuodong looked puzzled. "Oh? Master Wu, what do you mean by that?"

"Are you aware that Shadow Serpents attacked three merchant ships—the Baoji, Azure Fish, and White Wave—in West Bay and the White Jade Sea?"

"I've heard a little, just a little," Ding Zuodong said with a sigh. "That was truly an unprovoked disaster. I have no idea why the Shadow Serpents would suddenly leave the archipelago to cause trouble."

Wu Tiju fixed his gaze on him. "You truly don't know?"

Ding Zuodong flinched. "What are you implying? How could a humble person like myself know what the Shadow Serpents do or think? They aren't human, and they don't understand human speech!"

For all these years, almost no one had been able to communicate with the Shadow Serpents... except He Lingchuan.

Recalling the fantastic tales the pirates had spread throughout Blade Port, Wu Tiju felt a surge of resentment.

Qianshi Zhao, standing nearby, knew it was his turn to speak. "Isn't your master hailed as the Lord of Yangshan, capable of commanding even the Shadow Serpents?"

"Master Wu, with all due respect, that's simply not true!" Ding Zuodong exclaimed, a look of dismay on his face. "The Shadow Serpents have roamed the archipelago at will for countless years; even immortals couldn't control them. My master is merely flesh and blood; how could he possibly possess such power?"

Logically and emotionally, his words were impeccable.

Qianshi Zhao pressed on, "Did your master not sign an agreement with the Shadow Serpents? The pirates of the archipelago boast about it constantly in Blade Port's taverns, over drinks and food." It was nearly impossible for anyone not to overhear them.

"No, no, absolutely not!" Ding Zuodong waved his hands dismissively. "They exaggerate everything; what could they possibly know? Every pirate I've ever met loves to spout nonsense."

"Then how do you explain that the malevolent energies on many islands in the archipelago have completely faded?"

Ding Zuodong chuckled. "That's because my master is intimately familiar with the geography. He discovered that the timing and extent of the earth's malevolent energy surges have changed. My master says that these energies, like tides, ebb and flow, expanding and contracting. He has thoroughly researched them, knowing which islands are safe to visit and which are not. To outsiders, it merely appears as if he can dispel the malevolence."

Seeing the conversation veer off course, Wu Tiju inwardly cursed Qianshi Zhao as 'useless' and had no choice but to ask himself:

"Shadow Serpents attacking ships from this port—Blade Port cannot simply stand by! Since your master has thoroughly studied the archipelago, tell me, why did the Shadow Serpents leave the archipelago waters, and why did they attack merchant ships?"

'Blade Port cannot simply stand by?' Clearly, Wu Tiju was merely pained by his sunken ships and lost money. Ding Zuodong smirked inwardly, but maintained a solemn expression on his face.

"My master believes that Shadow Serpents thrive on malevolent energies and are acutely sensitive to shifts in the earth's sinister ley lines and reductions in these energies. This could indeed cause a drastic change in their temperament, making them more aggressive," Ding Zuodong slowly explained. "Nothing is constant, My Lord; things change with time and circumstances."

Under no circumstances could he admit that the Shadow Serpents attacked the ships under He Lingchuan's command. That would not be blackmail; it would be providing a clear pretext for animosity and inviting outright hostility.