Chapter Twenty: Let's See Who Is Truly Ruthless

"Ouch!"

"It hurts like hell, could you be a bit more gentle?"

Wu Qingshan was drenched in sweat, and he had been groaning like this for almost half an incense stick’s time. Old Wu, standing nearby, turned his face away with a look of utter disdain.

"You make more noise than any pig I’ve ever slaughtered."

Wu Qingshan retorted, "Dad, I just got into a fierce fight with those brats and managed to keep the goods safe. I’d say I was pretty heroic, don’t you think?"

Jiang Chen laughed. "If you’re so heroic, why are you whining now? When we found you in the middle of the night yesterday, you didn’t make a peep."

"That’s because I was so tense at the time, I couldn’t even feel the pain in my hand."

"I think you were just scared out of your wits. It was really dangerous," Wu Yue said, as she tended to Jiang Chen’s wounds, her eyes filled with both worry and the urge to laugh.

Her younger brother wasn’t a bad person by nature, but he had always been idle and wasted his time. If not for Jiang Chen’s support, who knew how long he would have gone on like that? Now, seeing him finally take up honest work and even showing such bravery, both Wu Yue and Old Wu felt genuine pride.

"Hey, brother-in-law, now that we’ve all taken a break, what about tonight’s delivery? Why don’t I go with you? Having only one arm won’t slow me down."

Though Wu Qingshan volunteered, Jiang Chen had already made up his mind and told him to just rest and not worry about a thing.

Before he left, Wu Yue handed Jiang Chen a lacquered wooden food box. He opened it to find freshly made dumplings, still steaming.

"You didn’t get a hot meal yesterday, so I made a new batch for you today. Remember to eat them while they’re warm."

Feeling the depth of Wu Yue’s affection, Jiang Chen was moved. "It seems I must have accumulated a lot of good karma in my past lives."

"Oh? And how do you know that?"

"Otherwise, how could I be so fortunate as to marry such a beautiful and virtuous wife?"

Wu Yue gave him a gentle punch on the chest, but her concern was evident. "Enough sweet talk, just remember to be careful tonight!"

"Don’t worry. The ones in trouble tonight won’t be us."

Arriving at the distillery courtyard, Jiang Chen finished the dumplings Wu Yue had lovingly made. Outside, night deepened.

Gu Jun stood at the gate, keeping a vigilant eye on the surroundings. After last night’s events, everyone was on high alert.

Jiang Chen said, "Perfect timing. Let’s load up and head out!"

Tonight, he would personally lead the convoy, ensuring all three hundred jars of Jiangyue White arrived safely at the Drunken Immortal Tavern—without a single loss.

"Were those people last night sent by Lin Yuanzhou or Lin Lidong?"

"It was Zhao He. The Lin brothers are too busy fighting each other to bother with us right now. Only that old fox Zhao He would think of ambushing our goods."

"If we fail to deliver on time, we’ll offend all those wealthy merchants and gentry. That could ruin the reputation of Jiangyue White, which is exactly what he wants to see."

Gu Jun spat, "That bastard is cunning. We ought to teach him a lesson!"

"There will be a chance."

Soon, the first batch of goods was loaded, and Jiang Chen led his team toward the Drunken Immortal Tavern. The route from the west to the east of the city was long, and everyone remained on high alert in case of another ambush.

Gu Jun scanned the surroundings as they went. "They failed last night. Maybe they won’t try again, knowing we’d be prepared this time."

"Zhao He wouldn’t care. He’s hell-bent on destroying Jiangyue White, and I doubt he’ll let this go. Let’s just wait and see."

The convoy turned into a secluded alley, where the silence was unusually heavy—even the stray dog barks common in the city were absent here.

Because the alley was too narrow for two carriages to travel side by side, the convoy had to enter in single file, snaking along the cramped passage.

Jiang Chen and Gu Jun exchanged a look. If their enemies planned to strike, this was the perfect spot. Last night, Wu Qingshan and his group had fought desperately not far ahead.

"Whoa!"

At the sudden halt of the lead carriage, Jiang Chen knew the main act was about to begin.

"What do you want? Get out of the way!"

A group of masked men dressed in black appeared, matching Wu Qingshan’s description exactly. These were the same men who had attacked the convoy last night, injuring so many. If not for Wu Qingshan and the others’ desperate resistance, the shipment would have been lost.

Jiang Chen and Gu Jun started toward the front, but suddenly noticed another group of enemies approaching from the rear.

Unlike last night, tonight’s attackers were more than double in number, making it clear they were determined not to let the convoy through.

"We taught you a lesson already. Still daring to deliver goods tonight? Do you have a death wish?"

The leader of the masked men wielded a broadsword, and his companions also brandished gleaming weapons. Everything about them showed they were even more ruthless than before.

"Fine, let’s see whose blade is sharper. You think I’m afraid of you?"

Before Jiang Chen could speak, one of the porters at the front drew his sword from the carriage, and the others followed suit, weapons flashing in their hands.

Gu Jun smiled faintly. "This is just the sort of thing they enjoy."

Without another word, both sides clashed with fierce intensity. Jiang Chen and Gu Jun simply stood by, watching the fight unfold—it was all under their control, and their intervention wasn’t even needed.

The brash, swaggering masked leader was quickly forced back by his opponent. Cold steel flashed past his head so closely that his face turned ashen and he cried out in terror.

Despite their overwhelming numbers, the attackers crumbled at the first blow, fleeing in panic and utter disarray.

But how could a handful of porters suddenly become so formidable?

No matter how hard the masked men racked their brains, they would never find the answer—for they were being routed, leaving their weapons behind as they ran for their lives.

Jiang Chen had expected this outcome and was not surprised in the least.

Gu Jun circled the carriages, reporting, "The wine is all intact."

"Good. Let’s move on."

Though Zhao He had thrown everything into this ambush, he could never have foreseen that Jiang Chen would bring in the bandits from Tiger Head Mountain, disguised as porters. Against these fierce outlaws, the masked assailants were crushed like ants beneath an elephant’s foot.