Chapter 018｜Wang's Boat Genealogy

Wushan Fisherwoman raised the genealogy in her hand and said in the same manner as Wang Cheng had just done: ''This is the genealogy of my Wang family. My family originated from the Hongnong Wang family clan. During the Western Jin Dynasty, my ancestor Wang Jun pacified Eastern Wu with his unrivalled navy, and his son Wang Ju inherited the title of Xiangyang County and settled in Xiangyang for nine generations. In the eighth generation, he had two sons, Wang Duo (the eldest son) and Wang Zheng (the second son). I am none other than Wang Zheng's daughter, Wang Shi, and Wang Duo is my uncle."

Her female voice was crisp and clear, making it even more pleasing to the ear. However, because it was imitated, there was a bit more banter, and Li Jing almost laughed out aloud. Wushan Fisherwoman was able to repeat word for word what Wang Cheng had just said, and based on this memory alone, it was also amazing.

Wang Cheng leaned on the umbrella and rose, his eyes seemed to spit out fire: "You ... you blaspheme my ancestors, how dare you pretend ..."

Wushan Fisherwoman sneered, "You took this genealogy and claimed to be a member of the Wang family; now that I have taken this genealogy, why can't I be a member of the Wang family? So you call yourself 'Wang Cheng', and of course I'll be called 'Wang Shi'."

Wang Cheng almost roared, "That's something you robbed ..."

Wushan Fisherwoman said, "I can rob you, won't you rob someone else? Or not rob, but steal instead."

Wang Cheng couldn't even answer, and was so angry that his fingers trembled: "Who are you? Why don't you dare to show who you really are?"

Wushan fisherwoman sneered back, "And who are you? Why are you pretending to be a member of the Wang family?"

Wang Cheng was suddenly stunned. He lifted his black umbrella and clipped it to his armpit, as if he wanted to leave.

Right then, Li Jing heard a "bang" sound. Countless tiny objects flew out of the umbrella, raining down onto Wushan fisherwoman.

It turned out that this black umbrella had a hidden mechanism, shooting out steel needles as fine as cattle hair. Even a man with strong martial arts could not avoid them in a moment.

However, Wushan fisherwoman was standing there. In that instant, she raised her right hand, and the table in front of her stood up upside down, with hundreds of steel needles nailed on it.

Wang Cheng shot out steel needles and swung his umbrella to strike. Gu Musheng swung his soft sword diagonally, and the two of them fought together in the hall.

Li Jing had witnessed Gu Musheng's martial arts, in the Temple of the Mountain God, instantly he was able to killed a dozen of Sui army officers and soldiers, the enemy did not even have room to fight back, showing that he was really one of the few experts in the world. However, Wang Cheng waved his black umbrella and poked and prodded, forcing Gu Musheng to retreat. The snake-like soft sword was covered in black shadows, and could not exert any power at all.

Wushan Fisherwoman stood still and watched for a long time, then suddenly voiced, "Hit his left rib!" Gu Musheng's sword was like a swimming dragon, hitting Wang Cheng's left rib. Wang Cheng's footsteps indeed swayed, avoiding that strike, his body moving like an ape, rushing towards the roof beams, his left hand grabbing the beams, hanging in mid-air.

Gu Musheng let out a soft shout, with his body and sword rushing upward with a straight stab. Wang Cheng's right hand shook, and opened his black umbrella. Gu Musheng soft sword stabbed on the large umbrella open like a sail bulging, but was bounced back, then he landed, taking three steps back before stabilizing he body. In this instant, Wushan Fisherwoman's fingers moved. With a miserable scream, Wang Cheng fell down, threw the black umbrella, covering the left rib, with his face suddenly whitened.

Gu Musheng put away his sword and put it into his waist, looking very forlorn. Perhaps he hadn't met such an expert since he started his career with the Wushan Fisherwoman.

Wang Cheng gritted his teeth and said, "It is said that the Wushan Fisheriwoman is very conceited, but today's witness is nothing more than that." The implication was that the Wushan Fisherwoman saw that Gu Musheng was undefeated and even aided in the sneak attack.

Wushan Fisherwoman laughed coldly, ''You directly said that I just sneak attacked, why do you have to make a show of it? Not only did I sneak attack you today, I also attacked you last night, and it was the same point on your left rib. A person who can be hit by me twice and not die, I guess that you can only be 'Iron Armed God Ape' Hua Qingfeng from Kongdong sect with the Kung Fu of Copper Skin and Iron Bone."

Li Jing then knew, last night the eavesdropping person was him, no wonder even the Wushan fisherwoman was not aware of him earlier then.

"Wang Cheng" finally couldn't stand it any longer and spewed out a mouthful of blood, gritting his teeth and saying, "If my master was alive, how could you possibly be his match?"

Wushan Fisherwoman said, "Your Master Zixiao Taoist has always been indifferent to fame and fortune, but you have become an eagle and dog of the powerful. I respect Zixiao Taoist, so I leave you alive, if you are still obsessed in power, even if you have copper skin and iron bones, it's hard to escape death!"

Li Jing had heard his uncle talk about the world's highly skilled people, this Zixiao Taoist can walk on cliff walls as if on the ground, knives and spears could not penetrate him, it seemed this imposter Wang Cheng had inherited his skills, no wonder Gu Musheng was not his match. As significant as such a master, he even disguised as a descendant of Wang Jun, What was the reason behind it?

Suddenly, a voice said, "Mr Hua is not Eagle dogs of the powerful, but he is working for the royal throne. Your divine power is world-class, but it is hard for mortals to escape death in the end, so why humiliate a nobleman and make more enemies?" Li Jing followed the sound and looked over, somebody slowly walked in from outside the hall. It was none other than Gao Sheng Dao.

Gao Sheng Dao left and returned, it didn't surprise Li Jing. However, following him were around twenty people—precisely the monks from the monastery and hired strongmen. They had been performing rituals for a whole day and night as if they were not involved, seemingly waiting for this moment.

A Yue saw these people suddenly turn fierce and menacing, which frightened her so much that she cried out with a 'Wow'.

Wushan Fisherwoman hugged A Yue and gently stroked her hair. Only when A Yue stopped crying did she coldly say, "Mr. Gao is not going to Chien-k'ang?"

Gao Sheng Dao bowed and said, 'Replying to your honorable, it is indeed necessary to go to Chien-k'ang . However, it will not be too late to go after obtaining the 'Wang Family shipbuilding drawings.

Wushan fisherwoman exclaimed in surprise, 'Could it be that Mr. Gao intends to present this drawing to the Emperor of the Chen State as a gift upon their first meeting?

Gao Sheng Dao shook his head and said, 'The manner of meeting can sometimes be a sincere face-to-face encounter, and at other times, it can be through armed confrontation. The Chen State is in decline, and the people are suffering; the Sui State has pacified the North and will unify the whole country in just a few years. However, Chen State is still resisting by virtue of the Yangtze river, with the advantage of boat. An army with fleet is mandatory to conquer them,. All of us in the Sui dynasty, we should be loyal to the court, and work together to fight against the Chen bandits.

The urgent task at hand is to build a large fleet of ships, sail down the river, march straight to Jiankang, and capture Chen Shubao (king of Chen State) alive. This kind of meeting, I'm afraid, might be better.

Wushan fisherwoman nodded and said, "I think I understand now - you've been indiscriminately killing and scheming so that you can find the shipbuilding blueprint and ultimately destroy the Chen State."

Gao Sheng Dao said with a smile, 'Although your honorable lives in seclusion in the Wu Gorge, how can the affairs of the world escape your discerning eye? Indeed, when it comes to building boats, the best timber comes from Mount Wu. The varieties like cedar, pine, cypress, teak, redwood, camphor, and phoebe, each have their uses – some are resistant to decay, others serve as oars or masts, and some are used for beams and rafters.

Although wood is not scarce, the art of shipbuilding is extremely particular, and only the Wang family's secret manual is considered the best in the world. Mr. Xie, the boat owner, is originally from Mayi in the north and a subject of the Great Sui State. I implore the boat owner to present the 'Wang Family Shipbuilding Drawing'. I will then submit a report to the emperor, asking for recognition of your contribution." After saying this, he clasped his fists in salute and bowed in the direction of Ch'ang-an from afar. 

The silent Xie Kangtu said: 'Mr Gao, you have been single-mindedly seeking the shipbuilding drawings, even going so far as to order the killing of thirty-three people from the Jiangzhou boat company. I am grateful that Mr. Gao spared my half humble life. However, with your shrewdness and informants spread all over the world, don't you know that it's impossible for the Jiangzhou Boat Company to hide the 'Wang Family shipbuilding drawings'?"

Gao Sheng Dao seemed surprised: "Mr Xie, The eighteen people of Jiangzhou Boat Company refused to hand over the drawings and resisted stubbornly, so we had no choice but to take action, resulting in their accidental deaths. Moreover, our people have already performed rituals for the souls of the deceased from the boat company and have properly buried them. I will also arrange for a full amount of compensation to be delivered to the families of the deceased as consolation. I hope Mr Xie can understand."

"Accidental killing?" Xie Kangtu gave a wry smile, "Mr. Gao, you surely have a way with words! To get your hands on the so-called shipbuilding drawings, you killed all my boat company brothers, rummaged through cabinets, sneaked into secret chambers, and ended up with nothing. You had to pretend to be robbed, you tried to deceive me but failed, then you predicted that I would surely bury my men, so you planned for these monks and strong men to come to manage the aftermath. Then you had Mr. Hua sneak in late at night to eavesdrop on my conversation with Wushan Fisherwoman, and ask him to pretend from Wang family to deceive me. In the end, your true intentions shows up... Such a series of schemes, Mr. Gao has really put in a lot of effort!

Gao Sheng Dao spoke solemnly: 'Mr Xie, your thoughts are sharp and your insight extraordinary, what you described is mostly correct, there's just a slight error--This Wang family genealogy is definitely not a forgery. Mr. Hua and I have indeed visited the Wang family in Xiangyang. It's only because Wang Cheng is obstinate and old-fashioned, and the matter is of great importance, that we had to ensure he remains silent forever.

Upon hearing this, Li Jing felt a sudden chill in his heart. Gao Sheng Dao, seemingly a scholarly man, employed such ruthless and cunning methods that were truly horrifying.

Xie Kangtu sighed: ' Mr Gao, what a skillful maneuver! However, Jiangzhou is under the jurisdiction of the Chen State. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble with the local government and military forces by acting recklessly in a foreign land?

Gao Sheng Dao laughed heartily: 'Mr Xie, you are well-versed in commerce, but political and military affairs are quite different. With the rise of the Great Sui State, all regions have submitted, and men of insight are eagerly aligning themselves with it.

Although the Turks are strong, they have declared themselves vassals in their petitions; although the state of Liang still exists, it is resolutely aligned with us; even though the Chen state occupies the regions south of the Yangtze River and the Lingnan area, in strategically important places like Jiangzhou, Don't the key officials understand the driving force of the general trend? I don't want to conceal to you, our men not only work in the government offices, but also in monk and Taosim monasteries, and drinking bars.

It was then that Li Jing realized that this Mr. Gao was confident and unafraid, having long held the winning cards and calculated every move to perfection.

Wushan fisherwoman, tired of his grandiose boasting, said coldly, 'Mr. Gao, spare me the nonsense. Since you've brought so many people, dare you come on.

Gao Sheng Dao bowed again and said, "Your honorable is a benefactor of my Gao family. Although you have injured Mr. Hua, I shall not blame you, especially since you are completely unrelated to this incident. However, I am under orders and had no choice but to disturb you. I ask for your forgiveness."

Xie Kangtu said: 'Mr. Gao, do you mean to say that this broken body of mine and the lives of the other fifteen brothers have got nothing to do with you?"

Gao Sheng Dao said proudly: 'Gao has always been daring and responsible. Does Mr. Xie have any evidence about other shipping brothers being killed?'

Xie Kangtu said: 'I had arranged to meet with fifteen of my men at the Congyang Inn when suddenly a troop of government soldiers arrived. The leading general, named Yang She, without asking any questions, killed my fifteen brothers and even chopped off both of my legs. If not for Mr. Gao's orders, how could they have been so ruthless?'

Wushan Fisherwoman said: 'Yang She claimed he was on a secret mission and accidentally offended me when we encountered each other at the Mountain God Temple. I also acted impulsively and ended up killing them all.

A flash of surprise crossed Gao Sheng Dao's face, and then he said: Since it's the work of the Sui State official army, it's acceptable to blame it on me. Mr. Xie, as things have come to this point, no meaningless talk is necessary. Please hand over the shipbuilding drawings. Otherwise, except your honorable Wushan Fisherwoman, no one else will leave here alive today.

Xie Kangtu turned his head to glance at the Wushan Fisherwoman and Li Jing, then sighed and said: Since Mr. Gao has come targeting at me, I would ask the your honorable Wushan Fisherwoman to take the young brother and leave.

At this moment, Li Jing was feeling apprehensive. Judging by the situation, even if the Wushan Fisherwoman intervened, Alone Star, A Yue, and Xie Kangtu could easily become hostages. Their safety and danger at this moment entirely depended on the Wushan Fisherwoman.

The Wushan Fisherwoman said, ' Mr. Gao speaks sensibly. My encounter with Mr. Xie was merely a chance meeting; we are neither kin nor acquaintances, and I hold no interest in his shipbuilding drawings. Mu Sheng, let us go.' Having said this, she slung her Qin bag over her shoulder, took hold of Alone Star with one hand and A Yue with the other, and gave Li Jing a look, signaling him to follow quickly and leave.

Li Jing hesitated somewhat. Leaving the injured Xie Kangtu behind was not an option for him, even if Mr. Xie had been unharmed, they should be fight against them together. The Wushan fisherwoman didn't wait for him; she took a few steps leading the two children, but a call of 'Wait' from Gao Sheng Dao halted the group's footsteps.

"Mr. Gao, are you stopping me again?" the Wushan fisherwoman shot a cold glance over. However, Gao Sheng Dao pretended not to see it. He spoke loudly, "It's only because you have great grace to my Gao family that I am letting you and your servant go; the rest must stay behind.

The Wushan fisherwoman said, 'don't speak so loudly; you're frightening the children. These two are orphans whom I picked up on the road. Surely they have nothing to do with the shipbuilding drawings?'

It's not two children, but three," Gao Sheng Dao said without a hint of backing down. "They are not orphans, nor were they picked up by the heroine, therefore, they must stay!

Wushan fisherwoman suddenly stopped talking. She had intended to first capture Gao Sheng Dao as a hostage, but Gao Sheng Dao was already prepared. Three monks stood by his side, forming a semi-circle around him. Meanwhile, she was holding two children in her hands. If she couldn't succeed in one strike, she herself could easily advance or retreat, but the two children would inevitably get hurt.

The scene suddenly fell into dead silence, the breathing of the people in the hall clearly audible.

A Yue's little face was scared pale, but she also dared not make a sound. Under this immense pressure, Li Jing found it somewhat difficult to breathe, his hands already clutching the hilt of the knife on his leg. as Any moment when the fight began, he was ready to break through with all his might to protect Alone Star. However, he was acutely aware that if Gao Sheng Dao did not fear the supernatural abilities of the Wushan fisherwoman and her servant, he would have already made his move. His own modest skills would not withstand a single blow.

Xie Kangtu sighed deeply: 'Your lady don't need to trouble yourself anymore. Mr. Gao is after the shipbuilding drawing, and I shall give it to him.' Gao Sheng Dao smiled broadly: 'Mr. Xie is a wise man. In fact, had you handed over the shipbuilding drawings earlier, we would not have needed to waste so many words.' The atmosphere immediately relaxed. Xie Kangtu said: 'There's only one condition for Mr Gao to get this drawing: let everyone else, except for me, leave. Otherwise, even if you kill me, I will not divulge it.

Gao Sheng Dao was deep in thought. His journey southward focused on obtaining the shipbuilding drawing. It was originally the most important matter. However, he seemed also unwilling to let go of the three children.

While he was hesitating, Xie Kangtu spoke solemnly: 'Though I am but an insignificant merchant, I have always kept my word. If Mr Gao does not agree, I will bite my tongue and commit suicide!

Finally, Gao Shan Dao made up his mind: 'Alright! I trust Mr Xie.' The Wushan Fisherwoman, taking A Yue with her, gestured to Gu Musheng to pick up Alone Star and walk outside. Li Jing closely followed Gu Musheng out of the hall and into the courtyard.

The large door, painted in vermilion, remained tightly shut. Gu Musheng quickened his steps to open the door for his master. As the door was pushed open, a blast of cold air rushed in. Gu Musheng's body immediately stiffened.

In the cold wind, three rows of soldiers clad in bright armor stood, each with arrows nocked and swords drawn. A general mounted on a tall horse, his piercing cold gaze shooting straight over. Li Jing recognized this man. It was Xiao Mohe, the Grand General of the Chariots and Cavalry of the Chen State.