Read Chapter 3: — THE RED RESCUE BOAT

The pirates barely glanced at the red boat drifting toward them.

Red rescue boats were common on the Zhenjiang waterways, operated by local crews who recovered bodies, towed damaged vessels and pulled drowning men from the current.

The disguise worked perfectly.

When the two boats drew level, grappling hooks flew.

Jinyiwei officers erupted from the cabin.

Arrows came from the tree line.

The pirate deck dissolved into panic.

Lin stayed out of the first crush because he was still dressed as the enemy and had no wish to die from a loyal sabre.

Instead he found Officer Wu dazed on the floor of the private cabin.

“Help me,” Wu begged.

“With pleasure,” Lin said.

He led him to the rail.

Wu looked down at the river.

“I cannot swim.”

“I can.”

“I am afraid of water.”

“So am I, whenever I’m standing beside corrupt officials.”

Lin kicked him overboard and followed.

The painted demon on his chest washed away as he dragged Wu ashore.

Wu stared at the black streaks running down Lin’s ribs.

“You are not one of them.”

Lin peeled off the false beard.

“No.”

The official tried to crawl away.

Lin knocked him unconscious.

On the ship, meanwhile, Yagyu Ichiro realised the battle was lost.

He climbed the mast, leapt into open air and triggered a folded wing mechanism hidden beneath his clothes. Silk and thin ribs snapped wide like a bat’s wings.

He glided toward shore.

Tang Xiao saw him and mounted a horse.

The chase carried them away from the canal and onto the muddy river flats.

Tang shot once from horseback.

The arrow tore through one wing.

Yagyu fell.

When Tang reached him, both men drew steel.

They fought without witnesses for the first moments, and because both were excellent, the fight was quiet except for breath, footwork and the dry collision of blades.

Tang cut Yagyu’s thigh.

Yagyu understood he would not win.

Then he saw two children playing near the reeds.

He seized the younger girl and pressed his sword to her throat.

Tang stopped.

“Drop your weapon.”

Tang looked at the child.

Then at Yagyu.

“You have misunderstood the uniform,” he said coldly. “You think I serve because I am soft.”

The girl trembled.

Tang raised his sabre.

Four characters gleamed on its blade.

Peerless in Service.

“My teacher gave me this blade,” Tang said. “He told me: let other men crawl through filth if they choose. Your duty is to stand upright.”

Yagyu’s eyes narrowed.

Then he threw the girl at Tang and charged behind her.