Chapter 2031: Chapter 1485: Ancestor, You Are My Brother and Dearest Friend!
"Clang!..."
The October cold wind swept over the reeds by the Ezo River, carrying the chill from Extreme North Asia. Thousands of troops from both north and south stood off against each other, each backed by their respective fleets across the Great River. At this moment, with the crisp clash of drawn blades, the Samurai on both sides raised their weapons simultaneously, tensely watching the trade leader by the riverbank.
"Sen, I considered you a trustworthy trade partner... but your conduct this time suggests you don’t wish for lasting trade with us!... To be frank, are you trying to rob me?!"
Zuwaro’s eyes were icy, and the iron blade in his hand was even colder. The cold edge of the blade was pressed against Mori no Kiyoshi’s neck, making him stiffen all over, his face showing fear. He glanced sideways at Zuwaro’s visage, filled with intent to kill and indifference, realizing once again...
No matter how cultured or mild this Shandan Mongolian Chieftain appeared, he was still a barbarian from the north! Encoded in his blood was an innate wildness, lacking any fear of slaughter and death. In other words, he didn’t care about others’ lives, or even his own life, for some unimaginable reason!
And those Shandan Warriors in armor seemed to have walked straight out of the "Mongolian Invasion Scrolls" as living Yuan Invader Ghost Soldiers. Their aura of savagery and ferocity craved death, slaughter, and blood!
"Cough!... Buddha bears witness! Zu, I swear by the name of my ancestors and Buddha! I regard you as a brother of a foreign tribe... I genuinely wish to maintain this mutually beneficial gold trade with you and the Golden Clan for ten, twenty years!..."
At this moment, with a blade at his throat, Mori no Kiyoshi’s face was all sincerity, looking anything but deceitful. After a long stare-off, Zuwaro abruptly sheathed his blade and said in a deep voice,
"Sen, my friend, I hope you are not lying to me! We value trust, especially promises made under the Chief Divine’s witness, which we never break. Our tribe’s friendship is seldom extended to outsiders, and you are an exception. A once-trustworthy friend who loses faith becomes a complete adversary, with no possibility of trade again!..."
"... No possibility of trade again?!"
Hearing this, Mori no Kiyoshi froze, his expression complex and conflicted, with hints of struggle. Regardless of whether this Shandan clan grows into a vicious tiger or a threat to the Shogunate... at least now, they acknowledged him as the best trade partner he’s ever had, bar none!
"Oh Buddha! The Shandan Golden Clan is my exclusive trade channel, a single ’twenty thousand cash’ gold transaction! No merchant in Japan dares to imagine it... This wealth-rivaling-nation northern trade route was pioneered by me, Mori no Kiyoshi, and the Kaozaki Family, it’s mine! This generous Golden Chief Zuwaro is more than an intimate kin, he’s a brother in arms!"
"And besides giving the lion’s share of trade profits and so-called ’protection,’ what else can the Tiantai Sect offer me? The Great Monks descending from Nan Rui Mountain, with their faces full of compassion and mouths full of Buddhist principles, are greedier and more arrogant than the Martial Families! Chasing the Shandan tribe’s fleets to their Mountain Tartar’s gold? Plundering their golden camp, seizing the treasure ships? They’re consumed by greed, anger, ignorance, and intoxication!"
"Not to mention, whether even this hammer deal can succeed. Even if it does, no matter how much gold the sect grabs in one go, of what benefit is it to me? Once the Shandan trade route is severed, both sides will talk only with blades and battleships, and I’ll be completely out of the game, with no value left! Damn it! These greedy fools from the sect and those Great Monks from Nan Rui Mountain!"
Mori no Kiyoshi’s expression changed, his emotions fluctuating. Only after a while did he press his palms together, making a decision that would betray his ancestors. He bowed his head slightly and, in a soft voice, said to Zuwaro,
"Zu, it’s Buddha who brought us together; we are friends by Buddhist fate... Only, you are the chieftain of the tribe, able to decide everything for them! But I, I am merely a merchant of the Tiantai Sect, and many things are beyond my control..."
"This time heading north, the sect sent a very high-status ’Monk Master’ along... although he didn’t disembark, he is the true in-charge. My earlier queries were at the behest of this ’Monk Master’..."
"Buddha witnesses! I am but a fox, willing to trade with you, a merciful tiger, satisfied with just a little broth. But the brown bear that came down the mountain, ravenous to eat raw flesh, always wants to weigh the tiger’s strength... it’s not my intention! But only when the brown bear and the tiger are equally strong could neither eat the other... Can this friendly business last for the long run!"
"Master of the house!..."
Mori no Kiyoshi’s words were sincere and candid, bordering on a clear revelation. Matsushita Zou Jirou, trembling beside him, was forced to call out softly. If the master of the house says more and reveals the full plan, that would be betraying the sect and a sin leading to the beastly realm after death!
"Hmm? Your Tiantai Temple sent a supervising Elder Priest? Not content with just trading with us, but wants to test our strength, see if he can rob us?"
Zuwaro raised an eyebrow, looking at the downcast Mori no Kiyoshi, eyes glinting with thought. He spoke so plainly; if he couldn’t understand, he’d have wasted the years spent on this treacherous Western Sea Continent. He knew well that on this land of "merit and might," equal military force and deterrence from robbery were the prerequisites for peaceful trade. And he always acted accordingly.
However, this time he had openly displayed a formation of six hundred troops. Just a charge from the Kingdom’s Warriors and Jurchen Heavy Cavalry could defeat the two-hundred-strong Kaozaki Family’s army... So what courage does this Elder Priest rely on to entertain ideas of their gold? What is his backing?
"Sen, you know nothing of the strength of our Chief Divine Tribe! The power our tribe displays here is but a hair’s breadth from a horse’s tail! Not to mention eliminating your trade team, even raiding the entire Japanese Land would be like a fierce tiger hunting a rabbit!... Unless, over the strait, the Japanese Great Tribe has sent an ambushing force of thousands in the south?..."
Zuwaro squinted his eyes, gripping Mori no Kiyoshi’s arm tightly again. Faced with the "Golden Chief’s" probe, Mori no Kiyoshi merely shook his head with a wry smile, lips sealed. The sect had sent Master Juehui, mistakenly overestimating, expecting no ambush of thousands in Ezo!
As one of Japan’s three main Esoteric Buddhisms, Tiantai Sect has high diplomatic standing, engaged with the top echelons of the Martial Family and public houses. If a threat of life and death arose, indeed, they could gather allies to mobilize armies. The Kanto Governor’s Uesugi Clan has always been close with the Buddhist Orthodox. Whether it’s Yuehou Uesugi or Mountain Uesugi, all have frequent dealings with the Tiantai Sect, and could deploy troops to protect the rightful Buddhist Law at a critical moment!
However, this time the sect sent warships, aiming for sole possession of the Shandan’s gold. Calling on the Uesugi Clan would mean the lion’s share of benefits goes to them, making peaceful trade with the Shandan tribe more favorable!
For now, what Master Juehui relies on is just ten specialized waterborne customs ships and five hundred well-trained Monk Soldiers skilled in naval combat! As for these Shandan Heavy Cavalry and Armored Warriors onshore, like the Kaozaki Family onshore, they are beneath Juehui’s Buddhist eyes. After all, he wouldn’t land, and the outcome onshore is irrelevant to him. What he’s after is the action of a pirate, locating the Shandan tribe’s hidden gold camp or ships laden with gold to plunder vigorously and then leave!...
"Zu... there’s no ambush in Ezo, nor any thousands of troops. Master Monk Juehui’s laughable plan is like a clumsy black bear, and I neither participated nor knew... rest assured! This gold trade will not encounter any mishaps. I genuinely and diligently found these outstanding craftsmen... As for after the trade, please, your tribe, take extra care and caution on your way!"
Mori no Kiyoshi finished softly, bowing deeply. Whether Master Juehui’s surprise attack succeeds or not, he’d already hinted to the Shandan Chief, separating himself from it. It could mean future trade is still possible. However, going further... he is still a merchant of the Tiantai Sect, unable to betray the sect under its protection, cutting all ties.
"Buddha bless! Zou Jirou, go invite the Korean Medical Craftsman Caisan! Yes! Have her bring her medical tools, remove her veil, and demonstrate her medical skills to the Shandan nobles!"
"Tell her this is her true opportunity... If the Shandan nobles aren’t impressed by her, I’ll send her back to the Matsuura Clan!"
