Chapter 143 - Why Are You Still Here? (2/2)
Dragon looked at Xiao Baoshan and said, “I’m not robbing the s.h.i.+p. I’m here for Xiao Baoshan. He and I are old friends.”
Seven breathed a sigh of relief.
Dragon added, “But someone wants his head for ten taels of silver.”
“…” Seven knelt down again.
Xiao Baoshan asked Dragon, “Who wants my head?”
“Can’t you figure it out for yourself? Who did you provoke recently?” said Dragon.
“I’ve provoked too many people. Who might it be?” asked Xiao Baoshan.
It was impossible for a man who went sailing with s.h.i.+ps not to provoke others. Besides, even if he just stayed at the dock, he would still provoke someone.
Dragon said, “A person called Fang Shanding.”
“So, it’s him,” said Xiao Baoshan plainly.
“When I took the job I didn’t see your portrait clearly. He said it was someone called Xiao Baoshan. I felt that it sounded familiar. Later when I saw the portrait, I remembered you.”
“You’re pretty forgetful too.” Xiao Baoshan smiled.
“Not forgetful. I just didn’t expect that I’d meet you here and, more surprisingly, you actually came.”
Xiao Baoshan asked, “Now you’ve found out it is me, are you still going to kill me?”
Dragon did not say that he would kill or not kill. He said, “Ten taels is nowhere near enough for killing you. Your head is worth a whole city, I’m afraid.”
Xiao Baoshan asked, “So you’re going back to ask him for more?”
“No, I’m going back to return the money. I quit!”
When it turned out like this, Seven felt relieved again. He quickly got up and said to the people behind him, “It’s just a misundertanding. They’re friends and happen to see each other on their trips, so they come together to chat about the past.”
The others behind were not pleased.
They happen to see each other on their trips? You think you’re in the street? You’re now on a long river. This way of chatting about the past was too horrifying to the others.
…
Xiao Baoshan and Dragon finally stopped standing there and talking. Instead, they sat down on the deck, took a small square table and poured some wine with a tray of peanuts. The two of them drank wine while chatting. The breeze on the river was cool.
“Baoshan, you haven’t answered my question yet. Why are you here? Why do you work on the dock?” asked Dragon.
Xiao Baoshan laughed. “I was born here, so where else should I go? Talking about you, you don’t sound like a local, so why are you here yourself?”
“Me? Ah, I’m now an a.s.sa.s.sin, wandering around everywhere, so any place is home for me.”
“What kind of people do you kill?” asked Xiao Baoshan.
“I don’t kill often. When the client pays me I have to check out who they want me to kill. If I don’t like the look of them I will kill them, but otherwise I won’t.”
“I seem to remember something someone once said. If an a.s.sa.s.sin is picky about his targets like prost.i.tutes are picky about their clients, that way he will ruin his reputation,” said Xiao Baoshan.
Dragon was in a daze and gave a feeble look. “I’d say that work hasn’t been going too well for you this past year or so. You’d never have said such things in the past. You used to be so majestic. You only talked about tactics and the military.”
Xiao Baoshan took a mouthful of his drink and did not answer Dragon.
Dragon added, “Do you really plan to do this sailing work in the future? Nothing else?”
“Actually going sailing with s.h.i.+ps pays well. I’ve earned much more than from any other job I’ve done.”
“I heard that you’ve also got a wife?” asked Dragon.
“Yeah.” Thinking about Ye Xiaoxian, Xiao Baoshan’s lips slightly curved with a smile.
Dragon tutted. “I would never have expected that. It’s really so hard to predict things in this world. Xiao Baoshan ends up marrying and leading such a life. Well, does your wife know who you were before?”
“She doesn’t. She’s just an ordinary farm wife.”
“If she knew, she might almost die of fright and obey every word you say.” Dragon laughed loudly.
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