PFC Chapter 206 Alertness
Chapter 206 Alertness
"From now on, keep a close eye on that group's every move. Whatever they do, report back to me immediately, understand?"
"Yes, boss, when do we make our move?" someone asked.
Upon hearing this, the boat captain looked out of the boat.
The waves were surging, and although all they could see at this moment was a vast sea, based on their past sailing experience, they should be not far from the town.
Perhaps because we were getting close to land, we could vaguely see several merchant ships sailing leisurely in the distance.
The boat captain looked away. "No rush. Let them enjoy themselves for a few more days."
He exhaled a few smoke rings, and ashes fell all over the ground.
"Wait until we're far from human habitation, then we'll deal with them completely."
"Yes." The old boatman in the lead replied quickly, but a hint of heartache flashed across his face.
He genuinely felt it was a real shame that such a big fish he had almost caught was lost.
However, the only reason to blame this is because the group's behavior was extremely suspicious.
The old boatman silently touched the few silver coins he had just received in his pocket and began to calculate in his mind.
If even one of the subordinates in this group is so generous, then their master must be carrying a considerable amount of valuables.
Thinking of this, the old boatman couldn't help but lick his lips, and a greedy glint appeared in his eyes.
However, his gaze quickly turned cold again.
According to custom, if this group were captured, all the wealth they brought would be pocketed by the ship owner, and they would get nothing.
As he pondered, the old boatman suddenly had a thought, and a bold idea popped into his head.
It seems he needs to find a good opportunity to raid those people's house before the boss makes a move.
Meanwhile, a group of people, whose behavior was considered "suspicious," swarmed into Chu Ling and Xie Yan's room.
He Shan tried to cover his eyes with his hand, as if afraid of seeing something he shouldn't have.
Unfortunately, the room was spotless, and even the bedding on the bed was neatly folded, showing no signs of anything having happened there.
He Shan withdrew his gaze in disappointment and began to silently griev for the prince.
The two had been sharing a bed for months since their time at the border, and by all accounts, they should have taken things "a step further."
Not to mention they were all young and vigorous men in their prime, who shouldn't have the usual inhibitions between men and women.
However, after a long period of covert observation, Heshan was forced to confront an unbelievable fact:
It seems like these two were really just sleeping.
Apart from their lips sometimes being a little swollen, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.
As he pondered this, He Shan's gaze slowly drifted to Chu Ling's face.
That shouldn't be the case. Judging from the prince's appearance, he doesn't seem to be so "pure and ascetic"!
It was one thing to be aloof from women before, but now that he has someone he likes, how can he still be so calm?
Is it possible...
Could it be that Your Highness is impotent?!
The moment this terrifying idea took hold, Heshan gasped in shock.
He sadly looked away, thinking to himself that he should privately consult with Tao Xian and get some medicine for the prince to "treat" him.
Everyone stared indifferently at He Shan's startled reaction. Without even asking, they knew that this man was definitely not thinking anything good.
However, everyone was already used to it and had no intention of probing He Shan's thoughts. They all tacitly ignored him.
After a moment of silence in the room, Chu Ling looked at the group of people with different thoughts, raised an eyebrow, and tapped his hand.
The wooden fan ribs tapped on the table, producing a crisp sound.
"Did you find anything?"
Xuanfeng was the first to speak.
"Your Highness, I suspect that this merchant ship is not engaged in any legitimate business at all."
He frowned and solemnly recounted everything he had overheard from the boatman.
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned serious.
It seems they really did get on a pirate ship.
Next, Yu Bai spoke up, "I pretended to be curious and wandered around the ship. I found that there were guards on the stairs to the second and third floors. They said that the wealthy merchants were worried that someone would steal, so they wouldn't let me go up."
"And the cargo hold downstairs is off-limits. Not only is the entrance locked, but it's also where the most guards are stationed."
"Although they wouldn't let me get close to the entrance, I took a quick look down when people were going in and out, and I saw that there did look like there were quite a few boxes and sacks down there."
He paused, then cautiously added, "I think there's a high probability that their shady business is related to those goods."
This series of news caused Chu Ling to frown deeply.
At the same time, Heshan added, "By the way, I also looked around the ship, and I really couldn't find any trace of the boy who brought us on board."
"If he wasn't in the cargo hold or the two upper floors, then there's a high chance he's at sea."
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent again.
For a moment, the only sound echoing in the room was the sound of Chu Ling tapping the table with his fan.
Murder, shady deals, and unidentified boatmen and wealthy merchants...
This is still a pirate ship rife with all sorts of evils.
Chu Ling stopped what he was doing. "Anything else you've discovered?"
His voice remained as steady as the expression on his face.
But both Meng Lan and Tao Xian shook their heads.
Before they could find out anything, they were stopped by the fat, wealthy businessman who was lustful at first sight.
At this moment, Xie Yan, who had been staying with Chu Ling without investigating, spoke up.
"I do find something strange."
All eyes turned to Xie Yan again.
Xie Yan raised her eyes, looked past the crowd, and focused her gaze on Tao Xian.
"There are clearly quite a few guests on this ship, so why did that idiot assume that Tao Xian was one of the ship owner's people the moment he opened his mouth?"
Upon hearing this, everyone realized what was going on and began to sense that something was amiss.
Yes! Judging from Tao Xian's attire, she doesn't look like a boatman or a maid.
But why was that person so certain that Tao Xian was the ship owner when they first met?
Xie Yan then remembered that the boat was drafted quite deep.
He and Chu Ling exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.