Chapter Fourteen: Pursuing Thieves on Dongting Lake

Mi Qian rowed his boat, carrying Gu Sichen, Luo Kun, and Ge Yunxiang far from the Junshan ferry. Once they were a good distance away, he stopped the boat. Before long, Old Liu’s fishing boat caught up with them. As the two boats drew close, Old Liu called out, “Little Dragon King, why did you summon an old man like me here? What’s going on?”

Mi Qian replied, “There’s an urgent matter, Old Liu. I need your help.”

Old Liu said, “Well, there’s nothing else for me to do today. I’ll serve the Little Dragon King for once, then.”

Mi Qian laughed. “Thank you, Old Liu. Please, could you quickly ferry my two friends to Baling? Once it’s done, there will be a handsome reward—I guarantee you’ll spend the rest of your days in comfort.”

Old Liu replied, “To see the Little Dragon King walk on water is reward enough for me.” Mi Qian thanked him with a smile, then asked Ge Yunxiang and Luo Kun to board Old Liu’s boat.

Gu Sichen took Luo Kun aside and instructed him, “Kun’er, take good care of Master Ge. You must not let anything go wrong.” Luo Kun replied, “Master, please rest assured. With me here, nothing will happen.” Ge Yunxiang added, “With Brother Gu and Mi Qian going to hold off the ambush at Earth Dragon Island, and me and Little Luo heading to Baling for reinforcements, those bandits won’t dream of such a surprise attack.” Luo Kun then, with concern, said, “Master, it’s extremely dangerous for you and Brother Mi. Please be careful.” Ge Yunxiang replied, “Don’t worry. Your master is a tiger on land, and with Mi Qian, the Dragon King of the waters, as my partner, we won’t fail easily. Soon, the reinforcements from Baling will arrive.”

Old Liu, overhearing this, exclaimed in surprise, “Are you officials going to Baling to summon troops to fight water bandits?” Ge Yunxiang saw no reason to hide the truth and replied, “The bandit problem in Dongting will be ended today. The people will suffer no more.” Old Liu was overjoyed. “That’s a blessing for all the people of Dongting!” His spirits lifted, he quickly set off with Ge Yunxiang and Luo Kun. Mi Qian and Gu Sichen also set off in their own boat.

Old Liu’s boat sped across the water, and before long they reached Baling, where the famous Yueyang Tower could already be seen in the distance. Luo Kun, his mind set on his task, waited until the boat was still a dozen meters from the shore, then called out, “Master Ge, I’ll go ahead.” He leaped ashore and dashed away, leaving Ge Yunxiang and Old Liu marvelling at his agility.

Luo Kun made his way to the residence of Chang Yudao, the garrison commander of Baling. He burst in, startling the guards, who cried, “Assassin! Seize him!” and rushed to intercept. Luo Kun deflected a thrusting spear and shouted, “I must see General Chang on urgent business! Don’t block my way!” With a sweep of both palms, he broke a row of spears—without hurting the soldiers—and with a leap, vaulted over their heads, throwing the compound into chaos.

Inside, Luo Kun drove off the soldiers who got close. Unsure where to find Chang Yudao, he suddenly heard a shout: “Who dares break into my residence?” Luo Kun turned and saw, beneath the eaves, a middle-aged military officer. “Are you General Chang?” he called, moving swiftly to stand before him. Chang Yudao, startled, reached out to grab Luo Kun’s arms, but Luo Kun dodged and, taking the opportunity, handed Ge Yunxiang’s urgent blood-written letter to the general, stepped aside, and bowed. “I am Luo Kun, sent by Master Ge Yunxiang, to urgently request that you dispatch troops to the lake to eradicate the bandits.”

Chang Yudao grasped at air, inwardly impressed. Hearing Luo Kun’s words, he was shocked and quickly halted the soldiers who were about to attack, then hastily read the letter. When he finished, his face changed. “Where is Master Ge?” he asked.

“At the lakeside, in a boat. He’ll be here soon. This is urgent—please, General, send the troops at once,” Luo Kun replied.

Chang Yudao immediately ordered, “Sound the drums! Summon the officers! Prepare to march against the water bandits!”

Having received Ge Yunxiang’s blood-written letter about the bandit crisis, Chang Yudao dared not delay. He immediately mobilized his forces, ordering Deputy General Cao Gan to lead five hundred men with Ge Yunxiang and Luo Kun to attack Langyue Manor at Junshan, aiming to strike the bandit lair and capture Gu Kangzhi, the bandit chief hiding under the alias He Feiyan. Chang Yudao himself led eight hundred sailors to launch a direct assault on Earth Dragon Island, targeting the main bandit force and to rescue Gu Sichen and Mi Qian, who were holding off the enemy there.

The city of Baling was thrown into turmoil. News spread rapidly, and the people, long tormented by the lake bandits, volunteered in droves. Over three hundred strong young men, armed with clubs and fish spears, offered to join the fight. Chang Yudao, delighted, took a hundred into his own unit and placed the remaining two hundred under Cao Gan’s command. The situation was urgent, boats were in short supply, but as soon as a notice was posted requesting boats, dozens of fishing vessels arrived to help. After a cannon shot, both forces set off at speed.

On the way to Langyue Manor, as soon as they landed at Junshan ferry, the soldiers charged ashore, heading straight for the manor. The townspeople scattered in panic. The bandits at Langyue Manor were caught completely off guard by the sudden arrival of government troops. Following Ge Yunxiang’s plan, Cao Gan had Luo Kun attack the main gate while he led three hundred men to surround the manor and block the rear exits. Luo Kun led the first assault, wielding a long staff that sent anyone in his way sprawling. Soon, the manor was filled with the sounds of battle.

Gu Kangzhi, the manor lord, realized disaster had struck. Only fifty or so capable fighters remained in the manor; most of his men had been sent to Earth Dragon Island. Seeing the situation was hopeless, he tried to break out with a handful of loyal followers, only to run straight into Ge Yunxiang. Gu Kangzhi, recognizing Ge Yunxiang as the cause of his downfall, flew into a rage, his eyes bloodshot, and cut down several soldiers before charging at Ge Yunxiang.

Ge Yunxiang, seeing Gu Kangzhi rushing at him like a madman, cried out in fear, “Little Hero Luo, save me! The bandit chief Gu Kangzhi is here!” Luo Kun, hearing this and seeing Gu Kangzhi charging recklessly at Ge Yunxiang, was too far to intervene directly, so he hurled his staff, striking Gu Kangzhi in the waist and sending him tumbling to the ground, unable to move. Soldiers rushed forward and tied him securely. Ge Yunxiang, pale and shaken, only recovered after a long moment. With Gu Kangzhi captured, the remaining bandits surrendered without resistance. Cao Gan ordered all the manor’s inhabitants bound for later judgement and sealed the property.

With Langyue Manor secured, Luo Kun worried about the safety of his master and Mi Qian at Earth Dragon Island, so he quickly set off to reinforce them. Cao Gan assigned a hundred soldiers to accompany him under his command. Anxious, Luo Kun hurried to the ferry, boarded a boat, and urged the men to make haste.

Meanwhile, a hidden cave in Langyue Manor was discovered, filled with gold, silver, and jewels scattered across the floor—obviously abandoned in a hurry. Cao Gan cursed, “Damn! How many ships had to be robbed for this much?” He immediately ordered, “Count and seal everything. No one is to steal a thing—anyone who does will be severely punished!”

In Gu Kangzhi’s study, Ge Yunxiang was helping to inventory contracts and documents when he noticed something odd about one wall. He ordered it broken open and found a secret compartment containing only a thick register. Flipping through it, Ge Yunxiang was startled. He dismissed everyone and locked the door to study it closely. It was a roster of Dongting water bandits, listing names, addresses, crimes, and shares of the loot in detail. Some names shocked him; he quietly crossed them out and memorized them. Others he recognized but let pass; some he struck out without hesitation, committing their details to memory. When he finished, he tucked the register into his coat.

Looking around the study, he noticed a scroll painting on the wall. Upon closer inspection, it was an authentic work by Wu Daozi of the Tang dynasty, “Five Monks Chanting Sutras.” Ge Yunxiang hesitated, looked around, then, making up his mind, took down the scroll, tied it to his leg beneath his robe, and crossed out the name of Gu Kangzhi’s nephew in the register, muttering, “Your family is doomed, but I’ll take a painting to spare your kin.” He hid the register and left the study, instructing the men outside, “Check everything carefully—nothing must be lost.”

In the courtyard, the bound Gu Kangzhi shouted at Ge Yunxiang, “I treated you well, so why did you betray me like this?” Ge Yunxiang stopped and sighed, “Gu Kangzhi, I once valued our friendship and tried to persuade you to change your ways, but you not only ignored my advice, you sent men to kill me on the lake to silence me. Now