Martial Arts Crossover: It All Started with Hijacking Li Canghai

The three of them walked through several streets and arrived at the dock by the river.

The dock was bustling with activity, with boats of all sizes moored there, including merchant ships carrying goods, passenger ships ferrying people, and small fishing boats.

Qin Han's gaze swept across the dock and he quickly locked onto his target.

On the east side of the dock, a medium-sized merchant ship was moored.

The boat wasn't new, but it was well-maintained, with a deep draft, clearly an old boat used for long-distance travel.

A dark-skinned, thin middle-aged man stood at the bow of the boat. When he saw Qin Han and the other two approaching, he quickly came forward and greeted them in a low voice.

"Gentlemen, the boat is ready and we can depart at any time."

These are members of the Ruan family.

Qin Han had arranged it beforehand; the boat captain was an old hand under Ruan Xingzhu, known for his tight-lipped nature and reliability.

Dry food, water, and changes of clothes were already prepared in the cabin.

The three boarded the ship one by one.

The merchant ship quickly untied its mooring lines and slowly sailed away from the dock.

The oars churned the river water, and the merchant ships merged into the surging torrent.

The outline of Chengdu grew smaller and smaller behind us, becoming increasingly blurred, until it finally disappeared into the green hills and clear waters.

……

Inside the cabin.

Qin Han sat at the wooden table and took out the intelligence and map compiled by Xu Xingzhi from his bosom.

The map is displayed on the desktop.

The drawing above is very detailed.

The route from Yangzhou to the capital is marked with a red line, and the terrain of Shandong Province is depicted in particular.

In various locations in Shandong, small flags of different colors marked the distribution of the major peaks of the Golden Snake Camp.

Dong Tianbao and Zhang Junbao came over, and the three of them huddled together to look at the map.

"This intelligence was compiled by Mr. Xu from the Heaven and Earth Society and the Mu Prince's Mansion."

Qin Han's finger pointed at the map.

"The Golden Snake Camp, led by Yuan Chengzhi, appears to be a unified entity, but in reality..."

His fingers slid across several locations in Shandong in turn.

"It is divided into at least six hilltops."

Dong Tianbao looked at the dense markings on the map and felt a bit overwhelmed.

"Six hilltops? That's too scattered."

"Therefore, if Yuan Chengzhi were to get into trouble, the Golden Snake Camp would fall apart," Qin Han calmly analyzed.

The finger stopped at the outer perimeter of Jinan Prefecture.

"The Cui Ximin lineage controls approximately 20,000 Golden Serpent Camp members, who are stationed here."

Move your finger down.

"Cheng Qingzhu was originally from the Green Bamboo Gang. However, he was deeply trusted by Yuan Chengzhi and was in charge of the grain and supplies, making him the logistical lifeline of the entire Golden Snake Camp. He was based in the Yanzhou area."

The finger continued to move.

"Hong Shenghai, Luo Daqian, Chu Hongliu, Sha Tongtian, and others each occupied a region, obeying orders but not proclamations."

Qin Han looked at his two brothers beside him.

"Have you found anything?"

Zhang Junbao reacted faster.

"These six strongholds are each in charge of their own affairs. On the surface, they obey Yuan Chengzhi's orders, but in reality, each stronghold has its own men, provisions, and territory."

"Tianbao is right," Qin Han nodded approvingly.

"This loose alliance structure is maintained solely by Yuan Chengzhi's personal prestige. Once Yuan Chengzhi is gone..."

He made a cursory gesture on the map with his hand.

"These six hilltops will become six knives, stabbing each other in the back."

Dong Tianbao scratched his head.

"Then, brother, how should we intervene? We can't just send troops to Shandong to fight our way in, can we?"

"Of course not," Qin Han said irritably.

The finger moved to another marked location on the map.

There was a name written there.

He Tieshou.

Dong Tianbao stared blankly at the name on the map.

"He Tieshou? Who's that?"

"The people who are actually managing affairs in the Golden Snake Camp right now."

Qin Han leaned back against the bulkhead, his tone flat.

"One of Yuan Chengzhi's confidantes, He Tieshou, has always been at odds with his upright wife, Xia Qingqing. However, she is quite capable, having come from the Five Poisons Sect. Her martial arts skills are not top-notch, far inferior to Yuan Chengzhi's, but she possesses an extremely powerful poison technique."

"The Five Poisons Sect?" Zhang Junbao frowned. "Isn't that a sect from Miao territory?"

"right."

Qin Han nodded.

"He Tieshou was originally a member of the Five Poisons Sect. Later, he followed Yuan Chengzhi and worked hard for his anti-Qing ideals. Because of this, Xia Qingqing was very wary of this woman, but she had no choice but to use her relationship with her to help her man."

He Tieshou has always been one of the core figures in the Golden Snake Camp. Her relationship with Yuan Chengzhi… the specifics are hard to say. But what is certain is that after Yuan Chengzhi was poisoned by the Golden Wave Flower, it was He Tieshou who kept him alive using various methods.

"You should have recently learned how potent the poison of the Golden Wave Flower is."

Qin Han looked at the two of them.

"An ordinary person poisoned with this kind of poison will not survive more than three days."

"Yuan Chengzhi has been able to hold on for at least three months, thanks entirely to He Tieshou's poison and the Five Poisons Sect's secret techniques that help him suppress the poison."

Although Dong Tianbao is somewhat straightforward, he still has basic judgment.

"So, does that mean He Tieshou is the current core of the Golden Serpent Camp?"

"That's one way to understand it."

Qin Han tapped He Tieshou's name twice with his fingers.

"But the problem is that He Tieshou has been able to suppress Yuan Chengzhi's poison for three months, and it's uncertain when Yuan Chengzhi will die. When Yuan Chengzhi is gone, the Golden Snake Camp will have no one to suppress the other factions."

"Those six mountain leaders, aren't they all seasoned veterans of the underworld? It's impossible for them to listen to Xia Qingqing or He Tieshou. They might give them face, but they'll definitely be resentful in their hearts."

"Therefore, He Tieshou is in a very awkward situation now."

Qin Han analyzed.

"Once Yuan Chengzhi dies, He Tieshou, a woman from the Five Poisons Sect, will be no match for those arrogant and rebellious soldiers. In my opinion, everything He Tieshou and Xia Qingqing are doing now is more like stalling for time."

"Delay time? Delay what time?" Zhang Junbao asked.

"Maybe they're waiting for a turning point."

Qin Han's tone became intriguing.

"They might be waiting for someone who can take over the Golden Serpent Camp."

The meaning of those words is quite obvious.

Dong Tianbao and Zhang Junbao exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thought in each other's eyes.

My older brother wants to be that person.

"but……"

Qin Han then changed the subject.

"Let's not rush to the Golden Snake Camp."

"Huh?" Dong Tianbao was taken aback. "So, what does Big Brother mean?"

"I just find the current situation of the Golden Snake Camp quite interesting."

Qin Han smiled wryly as he spoke.

"If something is interesting, you might as well take a look first, and then enter the fray after some of the shady characters have emerged."

I got up and looked out the window at the flowing river.

"We'll go to Yangzhou first. You brothers will escort my mother back to Sichuan, while I'll go to the capital to deal with Ao Bai's matter."

"As for the Golden Serpent Camp..."

Qin and Han dynasties had a far-sighted vision.

"That's the final move. After you've finished sending your men off, each of you will lead two thousand elite troops and gradually enter Shandong territory. Once I've finished my business here, I'll head directly to Shandong."