39. Conflict of Interest

Afei led the carpenter and a group of farmers to build a ferry at the riverside. The construction was simple: stakes were driven into the riverbank and wooden planks laid across them. The craftsmanship for making rafts was even easier—logs bound together securely, fixed with nails. Soon, two rafts were completed.

Players who were fishing by the river saw the ferry being built and laughed, saying, “Hey, Brother Afei, so now we can cross the river?” “Does that mean we can go fish on the shallows across the river?” “Of course! There’s no one over there anyway. The place is vast, perfect for fishing.”

“Come on, newly opened—everyone rides for free!”

Afei laughed proudly and was the first to jump onto the raft. Each large raft could carry eight people; besides him, seven more players hopped aboard. When the raft reached the other side, the carpenter and farmers quickly built another ferry landing, enabling smooth passage from both shores.

The river wasn’t very wide, and the yield of fat fish at any one spot was limited. With the convenience of rafts, the players from Little White Village could now expand their fishing range up and down both banks of the river.

Excited by their success, Afei and the others took the raft upstream, their vessel the only one on the whole river. Swept up in the moment, Afei felt a surge of bravado and couldn’t resist showing off; a few crude words escaped his lips, “Urgent need—this is the perfect place to relieve oneself!” He took out his “little bird,” and a warm stream poured from his pants into the river.

The other players burst out laughing. “Brother Fei, you’re so creative!” They mimicked him enthusiastically.

...

Zhan Xiaobai had never considered that, because of the fat fish in the river, players in the Longyou region might nearly trigger a fierce conflict.

The supply of fat fish was limited; Little White Village’s experience in raising farmers with fat fish drew imitation from many nearby villages. Coupled with the recent devastation from bandit raids, all the villages had suffered heavy losses and urgently needed food. Competing for scarce fat fish naturally became the top priority.

Three villages lay near Little White Village: Tiger Leopard Village (across the river, five miles away), Great Qi Village (upstream, six or seven miles), and Wutong Village (downstream, seven or eight miles).

Players from Tiger Leopard Village dared not compete with the populous Little White Village, nor did they wish to clash with Wutong Village, Little White’s allied brother village. Their only option was to fish in the upstream stretch belonging to Great Qi Village. The players from Great Qi were clearly weaker than those from Tiger Leopard. When Tiger Leopard’s players aggressively took to fishing, Great Qi could only endure and yield.

But inevitably, conflict arose over fishing rights. Tiger Leopard found an excuse and began driving Great Qi players away from their own river section.

Great Qi’s pride was wounded; they couldn’t bear it and soon fought back against Tiger Leopard’s players.

News of the skirmish reached Zhan Xiaobai just as he was discussing farming matters with Sword Overlord and Autumn Water.

Zhan Xiaobai frowned. If the conflict were only between a few players, he might have ignored it. But a direct clash between two villages’ players would have much broader impact. He asked, “What excuse did Tiger Leopard use? How could they openly drive Great Qi’s players away from their own river section?”

The reporting player quickly replied, “According to Tiger Leopard’s players, someone saw several Great Qi players urinating in the river, polluting the downstream water. Then Tiger Leopard’s chief, Black Tiger, was furious, viewing this as a serious insult and provocation against their village. He declared that Great Qi would be deprived of river usage rights for three months as punishment.”

Autumn Water burst out laughing, struggling to contain his amusement. What a bizarre excuse!

Sword Overlord chuckled, “Ha! What a justification—polluting the river! Tiger Leopard Village now has a righteous cause. Even if it escalates, it’s Great Qi that will be embarrassed. Great Qi has suffered a silent loss; though Tiger Leopard is clearly using this as an excuse to forcibly seize the fish, they appear to have the moral high ground.”

Zhan Xiaobai smiled and shook his head, “Let them fight. I was just worrying about who would buy blood potions. Heh, depriving river usage for three months! ... Black Tiger is clever; three months is neither long nor short. By then, Tiger Leopard will be strong in soldiers and grain and won’t need those few river fish anymore. Great Qi is in for hardship.”

This bloodshed, sparked by “urination,” became a joke among players in Little White Village. Many bored players went to watch the battles, cheering for both sides.

Over two or three days, Tiger Leopard and Great Qi players fought dozens of skirmishes, each ending in defeat for Great Qi. Tiger Leopard’s players were so pleased their heads seemed held higher as they walked.

Zhan Xiaobai strictly ordered his village’s players not to get involved, only to observe from the sidelines, avoiding a chaotic war among all three villages.

...

Autumn Water saw Tiger Leopard’s arrogance rising and felt uneasy. “Big Brother Bai, Tiger Leopard’s morale is soaring—aren’t we raising a tiger that will become a threat? What if, once Tiger Leopard grows strong, they challenge us?”

Zhan Xiaobai chuckled, not answering directly but instead asked Sword Overlord, “What do you think?”

Sword Overlord sneered, “Always plan ahead. Though Tiger Leopard has won repeatedly, gaining short-term advantage, Great Qi’s strength isn’t seriously damaged. Great Qi is very proud—he may swallow this insult for now, but will surely seek revenge later. If the two villages keep entangled, there’ll be plenty of drama ahead. We can easily profit from their strife.”

Zhan Xiaobai nodded in agreement. Sword Overlord’s analysis made sense; this was precisely the outcome he wanted.

He had once considered turning Great Qi and Wutong into satellite villages of Little White, but Great Qi, believing himself strong, refused to bow. Now that Great Qi and Tiger Leopard were in conflict, if Great Qi couldn’t withstand it, he would have to seek help.

Zhan Xiaobai quietly calculated his next moves.

Sword Overlord and Autumn Water dared not disturb him.

“Report! Great Qi Village has sent an envoy seeking an audience.” A player rushed in with urgent news.

Zhan Xiaobai smiled; speak of the devil, and he appears. “Invite him in!”