Chapter 126 Embroidered Robe Order

"Hattori Shichiro, do you still recognize me?"

Hattori Shichiro looked up and his expression changed drastically.

"Sarutobi Higetsu, what are you doing here?"

But his feet didn't stop; instead, he ran even faster, darting towards his boat on the riverbank.

Just as Sarutobi Hiyori was about to give chase, Shi Potian flicked his finger, sending a pebble flying through the air. Hattori Shichiro had only run a few feet when a numbness shot through his waist, and he froze on the spot, unable to move, his face filled with horror.

Sarutobi Hiyori walked over, grabbed him, and sneered, "Run? Do you think you can escape?"

Longkui, Qu Feiyan, and the others also came ashore. Longkui said, "Don't kill him yet. Ask if there's any news from Nanjing."

Sarutobi Higetsu nodded, tied up Hattori Shichiro, and tossed him aside.

Hattori Shichiro shouted, "Sarutobi Higetsu, I never expected you to betray us and betray your own people!"

Sarutobi Higetsu spat, "We're all losers. You've all chosen to degenerate and become pirates. What kind of 'ones' are you talking about? Don't you think the Japanese will kill you?"

The people cheered again when they saw the Japanese pirate leader captured. The mother of the rescued child knelt before Shi Potian, kowtowing repeatedly until her forehead bled.

Shi Potian quickly helped her up, and the mother choked out, "Thank you so much, benefactor... benefactor... I... I..."

Shi Potian was at a loss, repeatedly saying, "You're welcome, you're welcome, it's only right to beat up bad guys."

Outside the city, the winds of war raged, blood and fire mingled, and the ground was littered with the corpses of Japanese pirates and civilians, their blood staining the earth below. Yet, the gates of Anqing City remained tightly shut.

On the city wall, the soldiers peered out, looking down at the city below, but none dared to move. They hadn't dared to come out when the Japanese pirates were rampaging, and now that the pirates were all dead, they still dared not come out.

They were probably afraid that Shi Potian and the others weren't good people either.

Longkui stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at the tightly closed city gate. A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. She said to the maid, "Let's go see if we can get the city gate to open."

The maid understood and led the way.

When the two reached within a dozen or so feet of the city gate, Long Kui took out a token from her sleeve, handed it to the maid, and said calmly, "Go and tell them to open the gate."

The maid took the token, leaped forward, and in a few bounds reached the city gate. She raised the token and called out loudly towards the city wall, "You all, take note! The Embroidered Robe Token is here! Prefect of Anqing, come and open the gate immediately!"

The token was entirely black, with the character "令" (command) engraved on the front and a five-clawed golden dragon engraved on the back, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

A commotion broke out on the city wall. A moment later, a middle-aged man in an official robe poked his head out; it was Li Chengen, the prefect of Anqing.

He glanced closely at the token below the city wall, but it was too far away to make out clearly. Then he looked at Long Kui and his expression changed drastically. He scrambled down the city wall, yelling, "Quick! Open the city gate!"

The city gates roared open. Li Chengen stumbled out, followed by a group of flustered soldiers.

He had just opened the door when he saw the token in the maid's hand. All hope vanished, his legs went weak, and he nearly knelt. He scrambled to Long Kui's side and collapsed to his knees with a thud: "This humble official...this humble official was unaware of the arrival of the imperial envoy. I have failed to greet you properly; I deserve death!"

His entourage also knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly. Seeing the prefect kneel, the soldiers on the city wall followed suit.

Longkui toyed with the token and said calmly, "Prefect Li is truly unmoved. The people outside the city were slaughtered by the Japanese pirates..."

You shut the city gates and stood by and watched people die. If we hadn't happened to be passing by, wouldn't the people outside the city have been slaughtered by the Japanese pirates? Is this how you act as a local official?

Sweat streamed down Li Chengen's forehead as he kowtowed, saying, "This humble official... this humble official was only thinking of the safety of the people in the city, fearing that we might fall into the trap set by the Japanese pirates..."

"A trap?" Long Kui sneered. "A dozen or so Japanese pirates have scared your entire city of Anqing into closing its gates, afraid of being captured? Where's the commander guarding the city? Call him over!"

Li Chengen scrambled to his feet and shouted towards the city wall, "Quick! Call Commander Zhao down here!"

A moment later, a burly, armored general stumbled down and knelt before Long Kui, his face deathly pale: "This humble general... this humble general Zhao Yong pays his respects to Your Excellency."

Longkui looked down at him and said, "Commander Zhao, the people outside the city were slaughtered by the Japanese pirates, and your men just stood on the city wall watching. Not a single one dared to go out and fight to the death. Do you know your crime?"

Zhao Yong was trembling all over, his lips quivering so he couldn't speak.

Longkui said, "From this day forward, you are stripped of your position as a commander of a thousand households and will remain here to await the court's judgment. Do you have anything to say?"

Zhao Yong kowtowed repeatedly, trembling like a leaf: "Yes...yes...I have nothing to say."

Longkui stopped looking at him and turned to Li Chengen, saying, "Prefect Li, you're going to lose your official hat. Do you want to go to jail and see how you make amends? You must provide compensation to the people who have been harmed by the Japanese pirates."

Seeing the high-ranking official so terrified of Long Kui, kowtowing repeatedly, Lin Zhennan and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Wasn't this Miss Long a figure from the martial arts world, a martial arts master? Why was this official so afraid of her?

Who exactly is she?

I don't know what Longkui said again.

Li Chengen kowtowed repeatedly, blood streaming from his brow, and cried out, "This humble official will certainly comply! Thank you for your mercy, Your Excellency!"

Longkui put away the token and said calmly, "Get up. We still have a long way to go."

Li Chengen stood up shakily, stealing glances at the God of Slaughter Shi Potian, then at the subdued Hattori Shichiro, and cautiously asked, "Your Excellency...where is Your Excellency going?"

Longkui said, "Nanjing."

Li Chengen's expression changed, and he hesitated, but finally couldn't help but say, "Your Excellency, those Japanese pirates... those Japanese pirates said that tens of thousands of them are attacking Nanjing. Nanjing's defenses are strong, so it should be fine. Your Excellency is of noble birth; why risk your life..."

Longkui glanced at him, did not answer, and turned to board the ship.

Shi Potian and others boarded the ship one after another, including Hattori Shichiro.

Hattori Shichiro was overjoyed to hear that they were going to Nanjing. With his elder brother Hattori Senjun in Nanjing, he still had a chance to survive. However, when he looked at Shi Potian, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

The large ship turned around and sailed downstream. Li Chengen, along with a group of officials, stood on the riverbank, bowing as they saw the ship off. Only when the ship disappeared into the water and sky did he straighten up and let out a long sigh of relief.

Qu Feiyan leaned against the ship's railing, watching the city of Anqing gradually disappear into the distance, and suddenly exclaimed, "Sister Long, your token is amazing! The prefect was terrified of the Japanese pirates and dared not open the gate, but as soon as he saw you, he opened it immediately!"

Longkui smiled slightly, offering no explanation.

Shi Potian looked at Long Kui and suddenly asked, "Sister Long, who exactly are you? What is the Embroidered Robe Token?"

This reminded him of Xie Yanke's "Mysterious Iron Token," and he wondered if this Embroidered Robe Token was something similar.

Longkui smiled and said, "You'll find out later."