The best way to get from Xuzhou to Yucheng is by boat.

On this day, the wind is mild, the river breeze blows on the water, the ripples float, sparkling light, three heavy cargo ships loaded with Xuzhou's famous liquor Yao Zixue Qu (Wuliangye), Nanxi dried tofu, Pingshan fried green, Xingwen Fang bamboo shoots and Yunlian Kuding tea and other specialties, are driving down the river along the current.

Because the cargo was quite valuable, the owner also invited the platoon to come and escort the darts, and in addition to the thirteen people on the cargo ship, two other pike boats followed the fleet.

Hu Renbiao, the old dart head of the Xuzhou platoon, stood on the double plywood, looking at the two men lying on the deck basking in the sun at the stern of the boat, his face was a little not good-looking.

These two people knew at a glance that they were from the rivers and lakes, and judging from their demeanor, they were definitely cultivators, and they were even very likely to be middle and high masters.

For such an unknown passenger on the boat, Hu Renbiao, who has been escorting cargo and traveling all the year round, has always been very vigilant - after all, this Yangtze River waterway is dangerous, not only has turbulent river bends and strange waters, but also breeds a large number of water bandits because the people are not happy.

The bandits made a living collecting money for the protection of passing ships, and more often than not, they robbed with knives and guns.

The Sichuan people call these guys beavers.

These beavers are very rampant and cunning, most of them are in groups, they form camps with each other, collude together, and then after robbing the goods, some people are responsible for selling the stolen goods, some are responsible for kidnapping tickets and collecting money, and some are responsible for negotiating with the passing forces, and a whole set of procedures is very mature.

The most representative of this is the famous Lianyun Twelve Water Village......

Of course, there are also many Jiangyang thieves who go to the gang, these people are even more ruthless, basically they will not leave a living mouth, and if they meet, they will only die.

These beavers are very powerful and numerous, and it would be a big trouble to have some beaver spies in the fleet.

Hu Renbiao talked to the owner about this, but the owner told him not to worry, these two people would not have a problem.

Despite this, he was still not at ease, and personally went over to check the way of others, but not only did he not figure out where the other party came from, but his own bottom was all hollowed out by the round-faced boy, and there was nothing left.

That guy, who is not very old, has so many eyes that he wants to die, he has lived in vain for more than forty years, and in front of that old and cunning boy, he has no ability to resist at all, and he is confused.

Because of this, Hu Renbiao has always been obsessed with it, always trying to figure out the details of those two people.

Just as he was squinting and pondering, the deputy helmsman Pi Liu ran over and said to him: "Darthead, there is a small boat over there, there are two people on it, hanging the pennant of Lianyun Twelve Water Village, running for us......"

Hu Renbiao raised his eyebrows, and said with some astonishment: "Lianyun Twelve Water Village? ”

Pi Liu's face was full of nervousness, and he said anxiously, "Yes." ”

Hu Renbiao had some doubts, but he still said to Pi Liu, as well as a few apprentices and subordinates around him: "Don't be afraid, we have paid enough money to Lianyun Twelve Water Village, and those beavers will not embarrass us on the Yangtze River waterway......"

Piliu asked, "What about the boat?" ”

Hu Renbiao spoke: "Let it go." ”

He led the men all the way to the bow of the boat, and saw that the pike boats on the left and right had approached, and the men on it were either carrying steel harpoons or holding old-fashioned rifles, staring at the boat in the distance.

When an order came down from the bow of the main ship, he lowered his gun, but he was still vigilantly guarded.

The boat in the distance arrived in front of it after a while, and at this time, Hu Renbiao had already asked someone to hang the flag of Xuzhou Paijiao to tell the other party the identity of the ship.

Generally speaking, Paijiao and Lianyun Twelve Water Villages have secretly colluded, how much money is paid, and even if the beaver is going to open a "business", he will not do anything to the people and gangs who have paid the money, after all, what the rivers and lakes pay attention to is a "integrity" and "morality", if they go back on their word, then how to collect the money in the future?

Don't look at the money as much, but gathering sand into a tower is also a considerable income, and it doesn't need to spend any effort, which is more comfortable.

With such money, why bother to hijack ships with life and death?

Hu Renbiao comforted himself here, and the boat stopped ten meters away, and a person stood up, arched his hand towards the bow of the boat, and said: "The mountains and rivers by the river are full of clouds, and the Mazi Village rolls twice, in the lower Qin Muyun, I don't know which one of the darts on the boat is the master of the sect?" ”

This person spoke the riverside vernacular, the first sentence named their identity as "Lianyun Twelve Water Villages", and the second sentence specifically referred to the water villages to which he belonged.

Mazi Village.

This village is located in the lower reaches of Xuzhou, the leader is a leper, but the cultivation is quite high, the water is very good, so even if you are sick, there is not too much hindrance, the people in the rivers and lakes call "leprosy tiger", is a very ruthless role.

As for this Qin Muyun, Hu Renbiao had never heard of it.

He looked at the man, stepped forward, and said: "The good man is polite, our family is called Hu Renbiao, he is the old dart head of Xuzhou Paijiao, the example money of Lianyun Twelve Water Village, we give it according to the quarter, I and your village owner Lebar Tiger are also old acquaintances, I don't know if you come over, so what's the matter?" ”

The man laughed twice, and then said: "Hu Dart's news is a little lagging behind, the jasper tiger has already given the law on the spot because of his opposition to the order of the chief village master, and now the person in charge of Mazi Village is our Wang Wenjie Wang Zhai master......

Hu Renbiao was stunned for a moment, and said with some astonishment: "Huh? When did this happen? ”

He asked, secretly sensing that something was not right.

He has dealt with the lepra, what a fierce man, that guy has been rampant in this area of water for more than ten years, and he has a great reputation, and he belongs to the kind that can scare the night cry children just by taking out a name, but he was silent and killed directly.

It seems that inside this pockmarked village, there has been a drastic change in a power struggle......

Qin Muyun shouted: "Half a month ago, I won't tell you nonsense, the new village owner now has regulations, no matter if the gangs, dart bureaus and single gangs have any cooperation with the leprosy tigers, now all of them are invalid, in addition, the village has recently imported a batch of arms, and the deficit in his hands is very serious, any ship, if you want to cross the ship from the hemp turn, you have to hand over half of the goods, or the same amount of money......"

As soon as his words fell, Pi Liu, who was next to Hu Renbiao, couldn't hold his breath and shouted in surprise: "Aren't you a Ming robbery?" ”

When Qin Muyun heard this, he couldn't help laughing, and said: "Ge Laozi, what we do is what we do, leaving half of it for you, it's already very good, if you don't give it, we can just take it ourselves, but when the time comes, these lives on the ship, we can't guarantee you in Mazi Village......"

As he had finished speaking, the boat turned around and began to row off into the distance.

Qin Muyun arched his hand towards Hu Renbiao on the bow of the boat and said: "Hu Darttou, at ten o'clock in the evening, we will come over on time to get the goods, if there is any resistance, we don't mind a scene of killing chickens and showing monkeys, so that the old and young masters of the entire Xuzhou territory can take a look......"

Seeing that the two were about to leave, Pi Liu had a gloomy face and whispered in Hu Renbiao's ear: "Darthead, these two turtle sons are too arrogant, do you want to keep them?" ”

Pi Liu is different from the ordinary platoon disciples who are good at using knives, guns and sticks, he was originally from the Hunan army, and he practiced two guns with one finger, and later joined the platoon - according to this distance, he is confident that he will save the lives of those two people.

But Hu Renbiao stretched out his hand to stop him.

Taking the lives of these two little miscellaneous fish, of course, can breathe a sigh of relief, but because of this, it will offend the new owner of Mazi Village, that Wang Wenjie.

Not to mention that the Mazi Village is quite powerful, and then they teach to walk the waterway all the year round, and these beavers are like teeth and tongues, they will always be encountered, and if the relationship is really stiffened, not only will they smash their jobs, but also the lives of their brothers may be taken.

Merely......

Half of the goods are wanted, and this thing is too desperate, it is completely a posture of fishing and killing chickens and eggs, which makes the old Jianghu Hu Renbiao a little confused.

What does the new owner of Mazizhai want to do?

Does Lianyun Twelve Water Village know that they are messing around like this?

No, no, the jatropha was killed because he resisted the owner of the village, that is to say, they did this, it was the order of the head of the Twelve Water Villages?

Just when Hu Renbiao was confused and felt that his head was as big as a fight, a boatman came at this time and said to him: "Old dartman, Boss Tian heard that there were water bandits coming and asked what was going on." ”

Hu Renbiao hesitated for a moment and decided to go over and explain to the owner in person.

When he came to the cabin and told the owner about what had just happened, the owner was at a loss and asked, "Didn't you say that you have dealt with the bandits here in the Yangtze River waterway, and there will definitely be no problems?" ”

Hu Renbiao was very embarrassed to explain the relationship to the other party, and then said: "We may be a little troublesome this time." ”

After listening to Hu Renbiao's explanation, the owner was a little scared and said, "Will they really come tonight?" ”

Hu Renbiao said: "Since you have come here and given an ultimatum, you will definitely come over." ”

The owner of the goods exploded at once, and said nervously: "Old dart, you have to bear this matter for me - I ask you to teach, but it costs a lot of money, you can't really let me hand over half of the goods, if so, I will be bankrupt......"

Hu Renbiao said: "Of course, this is true, but the problem is that we don't know how many people will come to Mazi Village now." ”

The owner asked, "Can you rush over?" ”

Hu Renbiao shook his head and said that the rapid waves of Maguo Beach are dangerous, and it will definitely not work.

The owner of the cargo asked again: "Then we will dock and take the land route?" ”

Hu Renbiao said with a wry smile: "Being targeted by those people, do you think it's okay to land on the shore?" ”

The owner asked, "What can I do?" ”