Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

The man carrying the load walked quickly, his steps light but not hurried. He passed through the narrow alleys with familiarity, bypassed several stalls, and finally stopped in front of a seemingly inconspicuous spice shop.

"Boss, buy some osmanthus scent." The man carrying the load said in a low voice.

The shop owner was a middle-aged man with a simple and honest face. He replied without even looking up, "We have incense, but I don't know if you want aged osmanthus or freshly made ones?"

The man carrying the load hesitated for a moment and whispered, "Aged ones, the older the better."

The boss then raised his head and smiled: "You have a good eye. The fragrance of aged osmanthus is indeed unique. Wait a moment, I will get it for you."

Zhu Biao stood at a distance at the entrance of an alley, taking it all in. Just as he was about to approach, he heard a very light sound of footsteps behind him.

He turned around and saw a thin young man standing behind him, with a look of vigilance between his eyebrows. The young man looked him up and down and whispered, "Sir, you followed my guys all the way, what's the matter?"

Zhu Biao looked calm and replied casually, "Nothing. I just found the load he was carrying interesting and couldn't help but take a few more glances."

The young man narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Interesting? This load is just ordinary goods, but your interest is a little bit special."

Zhu Biao raised his lips slightly: "Oh? If it is an ordinary cargo, why does it need to bypass most of the market and be delivered here?"

The young man's eyes suddenly changed, and his hand subconsciously reached for his waist. Zhu Biao saw it clearly, and he took a wrong step, quickly stepped forward, grabbed the young man's wrist with one hand, and drew his long sword with the other hand, pressing it against the other's throat.

"Don't move." Zhu Biao's voice was low but irresistible. "Tell me, what are you sending?"

The young man's eyes widened, obviously not expecting this ordinary man in blue cloth to react so quickly. He clenched his teeth and said nothing.

"You don't have to tell me." Zhu Biao said coldly, "But if I find out that there is something in this burden that shouldn't be there, you know the consequences."

The young man's forehead was covered with sweat, but his eyes became more determined: "I'm just running errands. I don't know what the things are. But if you do it, you will never be able to leave this alley alive."

There was a gleam of sharpness in Zhu Biao's eyes, and he gently pushed the sword in his hand forward, and the tip of the sword had already cut through the opponent's skin.

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Zhu Biao said calmly, but his tone was full of suffocating pressure. "I'll ask you one last time, who is this thing for?"

The young man finally couldn't bear the pressure anymore, and his voice trembled slightly: "Yes...it was given to the people in the cottage...but I really don't know what it is!"

Zhu Biao nodded and moved his sword slightly away, but his eyes were still cold: "You'd better pray that what you said is true. Otherwise, I will make you regret being alive tonight."

Before the young man could even breathe a sigh of relief, he was knocked to the ground by a huge force. Lin Chuan then emerged from the darkness, holding a short stick in his hand, looking coldly at the young man who had fallen to the ground.

"Your Highness, his identity has been exposed. How should we deal with this person?" Lin Chuan asked.

Zhu Biao waved his hand and said, "Detain it temporarily. It may be useful if you keep it. Check the contents of the burden carefully."

Lin Chuan quickly opened the load and found a bag of ordinary spices and a few inconspicuous wooden boards. He frowned and said, "I'm afraid these things are just a cover."

Zhu Biao nodded: "It's very likely. Their real deal should have another arrangement. Take him with you and continue to follow the porter."

Lin Chuan took the order and the two of them quickly left the alley.

The man carrying the load finally disappeared at an abandoned dock. He whispered a few words to a middle-aged man in a green robe, and then took out a dark token from his pocket.

The middle-aged man took the token with a serious expression. He whispered, "I'll pass the message on. Now go back and keep an eye on those people. Don't show any flaws."

Zhu Biao stood in the distance, his eyes locked on the two men. He whispered to Lin Chuan, "That token must be something special. When they separate, you keep an eye on the man carrying the load, and I'll go after the one with the token."

Lin Chuan said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, be careful, that man looks very skilled."

Zhu Biao sneered: "The more this is the case, the more it shows that he knows more."

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man quickly left the dock, his steps light and steady. Zhu Biao followed him calmly, with the long sword in his hand slightly unsheathed, ready to strike at any time.

The wind blew by the river, and the night became darker. The middle-aged man seemed to have noticed something, and suddenly stopped and turned back. His eyes were as sharp as a knife, and his face suddenly changed when he met Zhu Biao's eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked in a deep voice, his tone full of vigilance.

Zhu Biao smiled faintly: "Someone who is interested in seeing the token in your hand."

The middle-aged man's eyes suddenly flashed, and a short blade suddenly appeared in his hand, stabbing directly at Zhu Biao. His movements were as fast as lightning, and he had obviously received extremely strict training.

Zhu Biao did not panic. He slightly turned his body to avoid the sharp sword, and at the same time stabbed out with his sword with his backhand, with the tip of the sword pointing directly at the opponent's throat.

The middle-aged man barely dodged, but he was clearly at a disadvantage. His eyes flickered, as if he wanted to get away, but Zhu Biao kicked him in the chest and he fell heavily to the ground.

"Hand over the token." Zhu Biao said coldly.

The man gasped, with a trace of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, but he sneered and said: "You won't stand a chance... Our people have already set their sights on you..."

Zhu Biao frowned slightly and glanced down at the man's hand, only to see that his fingertips were tightly clenched around a black pill.

"Want to die?" Zhu Biao snorted coldly, stepped on the ground and kicked the pill away.

"You are not qualified yet." He drew out his long sword, the blade flashing coldly in the night, "Tell me, who is the man behind you?"

Zhu Biao's sword was only an inch away from the middle-aged man's throat, and the cold light reflected in his frightened eyes. The man gasped violently, and beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, but he closed his lips stubbornly, obviously refusing to give in.

"You'd better not waste your time." Zhu Biao's tone was cold. He pressed down the tip of the sword slightly, cutting the man's skin and leaving a thin trace of blood. "Tell me, who is your master? Who is this batch of goods for?"

The man's eyes flickered, his lips trembled a few times, and he finally squeezed out a sentence: "You think... you can get the answer by catching me? Wishful thinking!" Zhu Biao frowned, turned his eyes slightly, and sneered in a low voice: "It seems that you think death can solve the problem. However, I won't let you have it that easy. Lin Chuan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Chuan flashed out from the darkness, his eyes as sharp as an eagle. He held a short stick in his hand, tapped the ground lightly, and said in a cold voice: "Your Highness, do you need to use some special means?"

The man's pupils shrank slightly, but he soon sneered: "You will get nothing... Our leader is more powerful than you think..."

Zhu Biao narrowed his eyes slightly and slowly retracted his sword half an inch: "Are you sure you don't want to tell me? Well, since you don't value yourself, I don't mind deciding for you."

His tone was neither hurried nor slow, but it revealed an irresistible pressure. Lin Chuan took a step forward and slammed the ground with his short stick, making a crisp sound, as if he was ready to force a confession at any time.

The man gritted his teeth and raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth: "You may think you have a sure win, but you don't know that our news has already spread. Wait, you will regret what you did today."

Zhu Biao sneered, "Really? Then I want to see who will make me regret it." He turned his eyes and whispered to Lin Chuan, "Take him back to the dark place and keep him under strict guard. I want him to be alive until this clue is thoroughly investigated."

Lin Chuan nodded, quickly tied the man up, and blocked his mouth with a cloth. The man struggled a few times, but could not make a sound, and could only stare at Zhu Biao with resentful eyes.

Zhu Biao ignored him, turned around and looked at the street market in the distance, whispering: "All this can't be just a conspiracy of the Jiangnan village. The people behind the scenes dare to be enemies of the court, their intentions are definitely not simple."

Lin Chuan asked in a low voice: "Your Highness, what should we do next?"

Zhu Biao pondered for a moment, his eyes as calm as water: "Lin Chuan, order people to take this man back to the temporary base for interrogation, and keep a close eye on the two people in the teahouse. If they fail to make contact, it will definitely lead to a bigger move. When the time comes, we will take advantage of the situation to wipe out this force in one fell swoop."

Lin Chuan took the order and left. Zhu Biao watched him disappear into the crowd, his eyes becoming more and more serious. He recalled Zhu Han's instructions before he left, and an indescribable pressure arose in his heart.

"Uncle Royal is right. The more secretive the enemy is, the more serious the problem is." Zhu Biao murmured in a low voice, then turned around and walked quickly towards the depths of the market.

In a house not far away, Zhu Han sat quietly at his desk, with a map of Jiangnan spread out in front of him. His eyes wandered over the map, and he tapped a forest area with his finger, a sneer on his lips.

"Qinglong Mountain..." Zhu Han said softly, with a hint of amusement in his tone.

At this moment, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the door. Huang Ming pushed the door open and walked in, his face solemn: "Your Highness, I just received a tip that His Royal Highness Zhu Biao has captured an important enemy figure near the dock. They have taken him to the base, but the enemy seems to have noticed it, and many suspicious people have appeared in the surrounding streets."

Zhu Han's eyes darkened, and he said slowly: "It seems that the other party's reaction is faster than I expected. This means that they dare not take the risk of losing this line."

Huang Ming clasped his fists and said, "My Lord, do you need me to lead some people to provide reinforcements?"

Zhu Han waved his hand, his eyes flashing with determination: "No need. Let Biaoer handle this matter. I want to see if he can stand out from this storm."

Huang Ming was slightly startled, then asked in a low voice: "Your Majesty, you seem to be particularly attentive to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

Zhu Han turned his eyes and said with some deep meaning: "Biaoer has a heavy responsibility. He can't shoulder the heavy responsibility without going through hardships. What I can do is to clear the thorns on his way."

Huang Ming bowed his head and replied, "I understand. I will secretly control the situation and take action at any time if the situation gets out of control."

Zhu Han nodded, stood up, and looked out the window at the night. He put his hands behind his back and said in a low voice: "The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light. Tonight is destined to be restless."

As night fell, the market had long since dispersed, and the streets were exceptionally quiet. Zhu Biao stood in a secret room in the stronghold, staring at the captive in front of him with a sharp gaze.

"Last chance." Zhu Biao's voice was low, with unquestionable power in his tone, "Tell me, who is your master."

The prisoner sneered, but remained silent.

Zhu Biao took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly turned cold: "Very good, then don't blame me for being ruthless." He turned to look at Lin Chuan, "Continue the interrogation, at all costs."

Lin Chuan's eyes moved slightly, and he took the order and stepped forward. He pulled out the dagger, slowly put it close to the prisoner's finger, and said coldly: "You'd better speak, otherwise..."

The prisoner finally showed a trace of panic, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. But at this moment, there was a rapid knock on the door outside the secret room.

"Your Highness!" Huang Ming's voice was somewhat anxious, "A large number of suspicious people appeared outside the streets, the enemy may have noticed it!"

Zhu Biao's eyes shone, and he turned around abruptly: "Lin Chuan, keep an eye on him, and don't let him escape."

He pushed open the door of the secret room. Huang Ming was already standing outside the door with a serious expression: "Your Highness, the number of enemies is far beyond our expectations, and they seem to have become suspicious of this stronghold."

Zhu Biao's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he said in a deep voice: "Since they dare to come, let them never return. Order everyone to set up an ambush immediately and make sure to catch these people in one fell swoop!"

Huang Ming clasped his fists and replied, "Yes!"

Zhu Biao looked at the shadow approaching in the darkness, put his hand on the hilt of the sword, and said coldly: "Tonight, I will let these people know who is the real hunter."

The night wind was getting colder, and the dense dark clouds covered the moonlight, shrouding the entire stronghold in shadow. Zhu Biao stood in the courtyard, his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at the street outside the door, where he could vaguely hear low footsteps, chaotic yet orderly, revealing a sense of imminent danger.

"Your Highness, the spies outside reported that there are at least twenty enemies, divided into three groups to surround this place, and it seems that they want to force us to break out." Huang Ming walked quickly from the darkness, his tone revealing a seriousness.

Zhu Biao frowned slightly and spoke slowly: "They want to drive us out of here to avoid a head-on confrontation."

"Your Highness, they are clearly planning to take advantage of the situation to capture people." Huang Ming looked alert, "Do you think we should transfer the prisoners first?"

Zhu Biao raised his hand to stop Huang Ming from speaking, his tone firm: "No, this is exactly their purpose. If we transfer the prisoners, it will expose our weakness. They have more people, but they are not invincible. Pass the order down, have people prepare oil and fire, seal the back door and the side alley, and only leave the main door. I want them to think that we have no way out."

Huang Ming was slightly startled, but soon understood Zhu Biao's intention and said with a fist: "I understand. I will arrange it immediately."

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with a hint of coldness: "Since the enemy dares to come to our door, let them see the methods of the men of my Zhu family." (End of this chapter)