Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 223: Chapter 60: Zhang He’s Responsibility

“Gentlemen, put aside old grudges upon your arrival here. Mr. Cai has invited everyone here not only for the purpose of deliverance but also wealth acquisition. I hope that all of you can temporarily set aside any past resentments, unite, and work together to confront the Red Hair.”

Cai Qian cupped his hands towards the South Seas bandits gathered before him and said.

“A snake can’t move without a head; it’s only with a leader that we can get things done properly. It’s not to say that becoming an Alliance Hierarch means ordering everyone around; when push comes to shove, we must still deliberate together. Yet, we do need someone whom everyone respects to make the final decisions.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone interjected.

“Mr. Cai, I understand that a snake can’t move without a head, but there’s something I must ask.”

The speaker was the leader of the White Bottom Gang and he stood very close to those on the platform.

“The brothers haven’t left because naturally, they want a hand in this. They’re also coveting the bounty on those Red-haired Men. As for who among the big leaders should be the Alliance Hierarch, it doesn’t come down to us little fish and shrimp. But there’s one person sitting at this table that I, frankly, can’t bring myself to accept.”

“I’m all ears.”

Cai Qian bowed.

The other major pirates remained unmoved, as steady as Mount Tai. Their reputations had been accumulated either from ancestral exploits or through their own hard work, far surpassing that of the average pirate force, thus they had the confidence to face anyone’s questioning.

Only Zheng Xiu’er’s heart was pounding upon hearing these words, and her palms grew sweaty, layer upon layer.

Li Yan tapped the back of Zheng Xiu’er’s chair and gave her an unconcerned smile.

Zheng Xiu’er clenched her fists and nodded.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝονǤᴑ.ƈᴑ

“The one I can’t accept is you, Mr. Cai!”

This challenge from the leader of the White Bottom Gang took everyone by surprise.

“Mr. Cai, you are as rich as a nation and your men are all profound and unfathomable, but the problem is, you’re not a pirate! To put it in the language of our trade, you’re just not cut from that cloth!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene erupted into chaos, but there were also quite a few who nodded in agreement, for it made perfect sense.

Was Cai Qian’s operation truly that clean? Of course, that was nonsense. Everyone that had made a name for themselves in these seas was a ruthless character. Back in the previous dynasty, when Cai’s ancestors served under the Fiery Cauldron Couple, they performed live sacrifices with the Tu Tribe and merchants, grabbing their goods, and scalding people to death in large cauldrons. Their actions were more brutal than any pirate.

But Cai Qian had high aspirations. Since he had taken charge of the Tianbo Division, direct looting of merchants had virtually disappeared from his men, and with Cai Qian holding an official title, only then did the boss of the White Bottom Gang raise this point.

“If you say that you, Mr. Cai, act as a go-between for the officials and the South Seas pirates, introducing us to help the officials chase away the Red-haired Men, that’s fine. But if you say you want to be our Alliance Hierarch, don’t blame me for saying this – no matter how rich your household is, the White Bottom Gang will be the first to refuse!”

Cai Qian listened carefully, his face showing no emotion. After the boss of the White Bottom Gang finished speaking, the noise of protest began to rise.

“Right, Cai Qian is not one of us!”

“You’re not qualified to contend for Alliance Hierarch!”

Amid the clamor, many of the more collected pirates turned their gaze to the Demon Thief.

Last night, the boss of the White Bottom Gang had boarded the Demon Thief’s ship; many were aware of this. Now, with the White Bottom Gang challenging Cai Qian, it didn’t take much to guess that this was likely at the Demon Thief’s behest.

Looking at Zhang He, the Demon Thief, his eyes watching his nose and his nose his mouth, he had the appearance of a clay statue, giving nothing away.

“Who says Cai Qian isn’t qualified to contend for Alliance Hierarch?”

The voice was strong and hoarse but carried far, silencing everyone for a moment.

An old man, leaning on a cane, was helped out by Hu Ji of the Cai family. His hair and beard were both white, his eye sockets deep, his eyes bright, and every so often he would cough twice.

“Lord Xu?”

The boss of the White Bottom Gang couldn’t help but exclaim.

Many in the crowd stood up, especially the older pirate leaders whose faces showed both surprise and respect.

“It really is Lord Xu!”

This old man, known as Guan Dao Xu, was one of the first generation of leaders of the Five Flagsi Alliance, with a history so long it was astonishing.

Over a hundred years ago, when the officials captured Treasure Island and the Eastern Ning Kingdom fell, leaders of the Zheng Family fled to the vicinity of the Pearl River, planning several revolts. When these efforts failed, their power gradually waned, until some recognized the disparity and began to shift to maritime business. Although they continued to claim the slogan of reviving the Ming dynasty, their activities were essentially those of pirates.

So over the last hundred or so years, every cutthroat, murderous pirate was happy to fly the flag of the Zheng Family from Treasure Island. To some extent, this tarnished the reputation of Lord of the State, but those pirates who had turned to maritime business genuinely reversed the decline, laying the foundations for their success.

Indeed, this was the Five Flagsi Alliance.

This Guan Dao Xu was one of the first generation leaders of the Five Flagsi Alliance, and having retired from that life for thirty years, he would be about ninety years old this year.

“Godfather.”

Cai Qian bowed respectfully.

Guan Dao Xu grunted in acknowledgment, then turned to face the bandits.

“Cai Qian is my foster son,” Guan Daoxu said. “You say he’s not a pirate? Which faction are you from? Huh?”

When it comes to pirates, there’s a hierarchy based on seniority, and legitimacy matters. Originating from Treasure Island, the Five Flags Alliance is the most authentic and revered pirate force. Many old pirates still nostalgically remember the Zheng Family of the Eastern Ning Kingdom’s Treasure Island—frankly, aligning with this faction meant being part of the Volunteer Army opposing the Qing Dynasty, not just some lowly riff-raff.

This was precisely why Li Yan pushed Zheng Xiu’er to the forefront.

The White Bottom Gang leader was at a loss for words, and after stuttering for a moment, he sat down.

The members of the Red Flag Gang were expressionless. Madam Shi, even before her death, had long since cleared out the old-fashioned seniors from the Red Flag Gang, and Gaoli ghost, being a die-hard loyalist of Madam Shi, had no sentiments for these old remnants.

It took Cai Qian a while to help Guan Daoxu back to his seat.

After this commotion, it became harder for anyone to question Cai Qian’s qualifications.

Many turned to look at the expression of the Demon Thief, Zhang He.

This time, the provocation instigated by the Demon Thief ended up bluntly countered by Cai Qian. At first glance, it seemed that the White Bottom Gang leader was the one embarrassed, but in fact, it was Zhang He.

“Well, if there are no other questions, let’s discuss who should fairly take the position of the Alliance Hierarch…”

As Cai Qian spoke, Zhufen covered his face with his sleeve and glared at a certain spot below the stage.

Someone below, clenching his fists hesitantly for a long time, was about to speak out as Cai Qian continued, but upon receiving another signal from Zhufen, he gritted his teeth and stood up.

“Mr. Cai, hold on a moment!”

Despite being interrupted multiple times, Cai Qian showed no sign of anger.

“This brother looks unfamiliar. If you have something to say, please speak freely.”

“That girl, what right has she to contest for the position of Alliance Hierarch!” the man pointed towards Zheng Xiu’er.

Immediately, members of the Five Flags were displeased, about to curse, when they heard the man shouting, “Madam Shi conspired with Tianbao, everyone says this happened after Zheng Yiguai, the Dragon Head, died! I don’t think so at all! Maybe, this girl is actually Tianbao’s seed! She’s not a true descendent of the Zheng Family at all!”

Zheng Xiu’er’s face turned ashen, and her lips trembled incessantly.

As these words came out, the entire place exploded, with many showing signs of aggression, while others pondered in silence. More people’s attention shifted to…

The Demon Thief, Zhang He!

The White Bottom Gang leader had visited the Demon Thief’s ship the night before, and without a doubt, attacking Cai Qian was a scheme orchestrated by the Demon Thief.

So who was behind this latest accusation against Zheng Xiu’er?

It had to be the Demon Thief, Zhang He!

To outsiders, it seemed that Zhufen had a good relationship with the Red Flag, and Cai Qian had a cooperative relationship with them as well. Lin Ajin had not interacted with the people of the Five Flags for nearly a hundred years.

Only the Demon Thief had been clashing fiercely with the Red Flag these past two years.

Someone slinging mud at Zheng Xiu’er now could only mean Zhang He was behind it!

As the man rambled on, Zheng Xiu’er bit her lower lip, tears swirling in her eyes, when a dagger, swift and deadly, stabbed towards the man’s mouth.

Li Yan revealed a mouthful of chilling white teeth—it was he who had made the move.

If one harbored dark thoughts and cared about reputation, to avoid being seen as guilty, one should stay calm, seek out the mastermind, and then take revenge. But Li Yan had never believed in such nonsense. To hell with people’s opinions—was he supposed to hesitate before chopping down a worthless lackey?

But what surprised Li Yan was that just as his dagger moved to strike, the man’s head burst open like a rotten watermelon, spattering brain matter onto the faces of bystanders.

Taiping Document • Wang Lingji

Zhang He’s face darkened as he dropped his hand, and the silent pirates all around stared at him.

“Recently, I’ve grown tired of being the scapegoat for other people’s plots,” Zhang He said in a matter-of-fact manner.

“I turn a blind eye to your little acts, Mr. Cai, but the White Bottom Gang had the audacity to plot against me. I’ll settle the score later, but this…”

He pointed at the headless corpse on the ground.

“What’s this supposed to be? Spreading rumors, trying to make the Five Flags resent me even more? They don’t know their own weight.”

Zhang He’s eyes were fierce: “I, Zhang, do things openly. I despise such dirty tricks. If you have any moves, strike the gong to my face, and I’ll face the drum. Play any underhanded schemes with me, and when it’s time to face death, don’t play dumb…”

Zhufen chuckled dryly, “Commander Zhang, you can talk all you want, but why are you glaring at me?”

The Demon Thief laughed coldly repeatedly, no longer looking at him, and turned his head away, closing his eyes to rest.