Hearing that, Xu Baomo was surprised. Without answering her question, he said, “That s.h.i.+p belongs to Brother Hengshu? But last night… they wanted to bring you away last night?”

“My father didn't want him to go back to his foster brother.” Sheng Weiqiao pursed her lips and said, “So he cooperated with the servants and added the special incense to the herbs fumigated in the whole building so that they could flee after we fell asleep!”

She repeated what she heard from Sheng Shuihe and then asked again, “Wasn't you poisoned by the special incense? How did you catch up so soon? I supposed it would be my father who would send someone to pick me up after receiving the message!”

“Because of my curious const.i.tution, the special incense had little effect on me.” Xu Baomo blinked and he explained, “So when those people carried you on board, I figured that something unusual was going on. But when I tried to wake up Eldest Childe Feng and others at the next door, I could make it by no means. I didn't know that they weren't malicious to you and your brother. In case I would fail to beat them down and even would get you into trouble, I left a note in the room and climbed onto their boat when they didn't notice, hoping to find a chance to save you.”

The boat he had climbed onto surely wasn't the one where Sheng Weiqiao had woken up, but another exquisitely-decorated boat those people had taken on Fangfei Lake.

Though Xu Baomo wasn't discovered on the boat, he didn't find the chance to save them out either. Then the boat went out of use when it steered out of Fangfei Lake and entered the ca.n.a.l connected to the sea. Those people switched to a towering s.h.i.+p. But unable to board the towered s.h.i.+p secretly, Xu Baomo had to leave the boat and look for other boats and helpers.

But luckily, because he blessed Senior Master Sheng in public on his birthday banquet, where all the important celebrities throughout Nanfeng County were present, their servants had remembered the countenance of this Ningwei Marquis' Young Lord. Or it would have been impossible for him to get such a s.h.i.+p with the crew in it.

Having heard of his experience, Sheng Weiqiao was deeply appreciative, “It was too crude of that man. You have endured so much!”

Xu Baomo figured subjectively that she refused to call Sheng Shuihe “brother” because she failed to detain Sheng Shuihe and she was annoyed that he had left with insistence.

He pondered for a while, thinking that based on the friends.h.i.+p between his family and Sheng Family, also his future with “his Big Weiqiao”, he was allowed to ask after such stuff, so he uttered, “I haven't learned about the impa.s.se which trapped Brother Hengshu. What was it exactly? Uncle Sheng is such a generous person that he wouldn't have been indifferent to their difficulties. After all, they had fostered Brother Hengshu for so many years, right?”

“I have no idea!” Reminded by him, Sheng Weiqiao also frowned. Though Madam Feng had commented Sheng Lanci with plenty of mean words like “ruthless” and “cruel”, according to her impression of her father, Sheng Lanci would never do harm to someone who had once obliged him.

As Xu Baomo had said, the family of Sheng Shuihe's foster brother had at least raised him up. Now that they had met difficulties, how could Sheng Lanci act so coldly?

“Could it be that the son of a mistress actually isn't the son of my father? So, my father doesn't care about the kindness of his foster brother?” That occurred to Sheng Weiqiao, but she thought it impossible and muttered in mind, “If he wasn't my father's son, why did he bother to bring him back? My father is the grandfather's eldest son, also the head of Sheng Family's business! Since my mother failed to give birth to a brother for me, his son would definitely become the righteous heir to Sheng Family!”

No matter how generous Sheng Lanci was, would he entrust such huge property to an outsider of their breed?!

“….” Xu Baomo paused for a while. Obviously, he didn't expect that Sheng Weiqiao had spent such a long time with Sheng Shuihe in the boat but had ended up without asking such an important question. However, he found her an excuse very soon. Always kind and broad-minded, his Big Weiqiao must have concentrated on persuading her brother from going when hearing that he was to leave, which was why she had neglected other stuff. It was reasonable!

At the moment, seeing Sheng Weiqiao frown, Xu Baomo thought that she was still sad that Sheng Shuihe had gone. When he was about to say something to console her, Sheng Weiqiao said, “But he was brought back by my father, so my father must know everything about him! How about we go back and ask my father about it?”

“Good idea.” Recalling the killing glances of Sheng Lanci last time, Xu Baomo felt a bit daunted. But immediately he remembered that he had “saved” his daughter this time!

Even though the situation wasn't that urgent for Sheng Weiqiao, still, he had suffered a lot during this journey. When he saw Sheng Lanci again this time, he wouldn't be so defensive against him, would he? He cleared the throat, “It's windy on the board. Why don't you go back to the cabin and get some rest, sister?”

When Sheng Weiqiao was about to say yes, from the mast came several irregular whistles. Then the crew who had scattered around to avoid troubling them all manifested surprise. Someone rushed over to tell them, “n.o.ble guests, please go back to the cabin as soon as possible! We have met pirates!”

“Pirates?!” Xu Baomo and Sheng Weiqiao were pushed into the cabin in confusion. And before they took it in, all the crew on the s.h.i.+p began to bustle around desperately. They hoisted the sail to flee, but at the same time, they equipped themselves with weapons in case of a battle. Seeing such a scene, Sheng Weiqiao caught a boy of twelve or thirteen nearby and asked in amazement, “It's said that pirates stop the s.h.i.+ps only for money, don't they?”

“My lady, since you're raised in an affluent family, it's natural that you know nothing about commoners' sufferings!” Hearing her words, the boy rolled his eyes at her and smirked coldly, “Since Old Sea Master Gongsun lost his life in the battle at the beginning of the year, the family of Gongsun has failed one battle after another and kept retreating. They had no choice but to draw back to Daimao Island. The s.h.i.+ps of the family of Gongsun have never shown up since then! Nowadays the s.h.i.+ps on the sea belong to Sea Master Han or Sea Master Pan! Both of them are outsiders who haven't received any presents from the distinguished families in the county. So, if they b.u.mp into us, they'll kill all the people and ruin the s.h.i.+p! How could we not expect a b.l.o.o.d.y war?!”

The boy said sarcastically. Obviously, he had ascribed the coming crisis to Xu Baomo, who had borrowed the s.h.i.+p and the crew from his employer in order to save Sheng Weiqiao. Or he wouldn't have gone sailing at the time. Why did he get into such a thing?!

Sheng Weiqiao discerned his sarcasm and loosened her hand awkwardly. Xu Baomo gave her a comforting look and said to the boy, “My father is more or less respected in the imperial court. If we fail to escape, you can tell them about my ident.i.ty, which might frighten them.”

Though pirates were all outlaws who were unlikely to compromise to the dignitaries, Han and Pan were now besieging Daimao Island. If they killed Ningwei Marquis' son, Nanfeng County and the navy of the imperial court would surely launch out for war as a response to Ningwei Marquis' pain. Then even if they were able to retreat, they couldn't revenge their father's death upon the family of Gongsun.

In this way, it could be a solution.

Seeing the possibility to survive, the boy's face softened with the respect for n.o.ble people returning to his eyes. He bowed to them and ran to the head to report.

However, it was always uneasy to foresee the future. After a while, a pirate s.h.i.+p that hanged a flag with the character “Han” on it came close from the horizon. Having experienced an enhancement, the s.h.i.+p went very fast, while Xu Baomo's s.h.i.+p was picked randomly in an emergency. Even though the s.h.i.+p wasn't loaded with goods and had set the sail to full, it was chased up by them at a great speed!

Seeing that, the crew began to signal with semaph.o.r.e flags and yell, telling them that Ningwei Marquis' Young Lord was on the board, hoping for their scruple so that they dared not to act.

However, the s.h.i.+p slowed down for a while and immediately began to chase more closely!

“No!” The head of this s.h.i.+p turned pale, “Han and Pan have been besieging Daimao Island for long, but they haven't broken through the defense of the family of Gongsun. Now they're probably scheming to capture Young Lord Xu as leverage and compel the officials to help them!”

Actually, when he heard the boy's report, it had already occurred to him. But as it concerned with their own lives, everyone was taking chances. So, in the end, he agreed to show them Xu Baomo's ident.i.ty. While Xu Baomo stayed calm and said peacefully, “It's alright if they want me as leverage. Anyway, their opponent the family of Gongsun isn't a good type. If all people here on the board can be saved, will I feel bothered to coax them?”

His composed reaction rea.s.sured the crew on the board. The boy uttered, “Do we keep running?”

“Can we make it?” Without answering him directly, Xu Baomo turned to the head. He smiled bitterly, “No, we can't. Or why would I leak your whereabouts?”

At the time, the pirate s.h.i.+p was approaching. Many pirates were already seen to rub their palms and swing the hook rope and claws, in the preparation of leaping over to their rail. Xu Baomo's crew were called in temporarily, they couldn't match in terms of the amount, let alone the difference of force between normal crew and pirates!

Xu Baomo signaled Sheng Weiqiao to come to his side, “Stop the s.h.i.+p then!”

Since they were unable to escape nor beat them down, if they kept running and provoked those unruly pirates, even they still wanted him for leverage, they were unlikely to leave the other people on the board alive. Xu Baomo still hoped to save the crew with his ident.i.ty, so he had given up the meaningless struggle.

Not long after they stopped, those pirates caught up with them. Claws and hook ropes shot out like locusts and bound tightly the two s.h.i.+ps together. Five or six springboards were installed promptly, and the vanguard composed of men in sleeveless tops rushed over, crying. Their eyes turned around and rested on Xu Baomo and Sheng Weiqiao, especially the latter. Sheng Weiqiao looked pretty. With black chignon and snow-white skin, she was originally a beauty in common people's eyes. Now standing amid a group of the tan crew who had been working on s.h.i.+ps, she was even more outstanding.

Those people were supposed to enter the cabins to have a search. But at the moment, they forgot to move, peering at her. They pointed at her, whistling. Some bold people even went closer, intended to take advantage of her.

Seeing that, Xu Baomo's face darkened. Protecting Sheng Weiqiao with his body, he said coldly, “I'm Ningwei Marquis' Young Lord, which was bestowed by the imperial court! Meanwhile, my father is the secretary of the ministry of war. Since we meet here today, may I see your head?!”

Those people exchanged a look. Daring not to offend, they looked at Sheng Weiqiao with obsession and entered the cabin.

Then another group of people came through the springboards. They didn't go for the search, but gazed at Xu Baomo for a while, and cupped their hands with a stiff smile, “You're Young Lord? Our Young Master hopes to see you.”

Hearing that, everyone felt astounded. So, they had encountered Sea Master Han's son?

“Since you made them stop the s.h.i.+p, I suppose you're clear-minded.” Presently, Xu Baomo and Sheng Weiqiao saw the young master in their s.h.i.+p. Though he was called a young master, he seemed in his thirties. He might have a look too mature for his age, or he was literally not that young.

The Young Master Han wasn't very handsome though, he was straightforward. He said openly the moment they met, “My father and I hope to revenge my grandfather. But the family of Gongsun has resided on Daimao Island for years and built it a seamless place! Considering your dignity and your friends.h.i.+p with one of the three most powerful families in Nanfeng County, Sheng Family, if you do me a favor and bring the situation on the sea back to peace, it will be so great!”

Before Xu Baomo spoke, he added, “The family of Gongsun has been stirring up the sea for long. All four generations of the family of Gongsun were wanted by the police with a high price put on their heads. Their heads will be useless for me after I do the revenge, but if you bring them back, you'll surely be awarded by the imperial court. How do you like it?”

In summary, he was menacing him while tempting him. If he didn't cooperate, Xu Baomo would come to no good end; if he did, Xu Baomo would be repaid by a promising future.

Anyway, Xu Baomo had made the decision to compromise, so he said without hesitation, “It's said that if we meet, we should regard it as being destined. As long as you don't hurt the people with me on the s.h.i.+p, I'll exert myself.”

“They're just the crew. I was intended to burn the s.h.i.+p and slaughter the crew. Considering your mercy, I'll spare them!” Young Master Han, content with his answer, waved his hand and commanded his servants to send the order of sparing those people. Then he said, “I've sent someone to prepare the rooms. I hope you'll bear with all the inconveniences during your stay here in the coming days!”

Xu Baomo was about to answer when Young Master Han blinked his eyes and rested on Sheng Weiqiao who stood behind him, fully stunned. He said, “Is this your maid? She deserves the position around you. Such a fairy, I've never seen an equal on the sea!”

“Please mind your manners!” Xu Baomo's face darkened, “This is my sister!'

“She's the lady of your marquis' mansion?” Young Master Han manifested regret. He rose, cupped his hands and said with a laugh, “Excuse my imprudence!”

Because they were dominant, Xu Baomo didn't want to go against him directly, so he put his hand on Sheng Weiqiao to comfort her and said, suppressing his temper, “Never mind. Where are the rooms for us? My sister is young, and she was already tired just then.”

“Young Master, since we've made the alliance in order to eliminate the family of Gongsun together, why don't we go even further?” Young Master Han rolled his eyes and suddenly smiled, “Twenty-five though I am, I haven't got a wife. I can tell from your sister's dressing and age that she isn't married, either. You said just now that we meet for destiny. How could I waste such a destiny with Miss Xu? Why don't we make an engagement now?”