Puff, puff, puff...
One gold ingot after another fell from midair, smashing into the ground below.
Zhao Chijiu was the first to land. As he looked at the gold ingots scattered across the ground, confusion and greed flashed through his eyes.
Ji Sanniang landed right after him. Seeing the gold everywhere, she could not help crying out, "Hehehe, hahahahaha! We misjudged him, Second Brother. That inconspicuous brat was the real God of Wealth after all."
As she spoke, Ji Sanniang reached for the gold on the ground, but Zhao Chijiu stopped her with an outstretched hand.
"Wait."
"What is it?"
Ji Sanniang was somewhat puzzled. Zhao Chijiu crouched down, carefully picked up an ingot, and examined it. He even broke one apart to inspect it before finally smiling. "It's real. Pick it up."
"Hehehe, I told you, Second Brother, you're always being suspicious of everything."
"In all of Three Fiends Ridge, who would dare come looking to provoke us?"
Ji Sanniang might have had a taste for handsome men, but who did not love gleaming gold?
Before long, Ji Sanniang had picked up nearly all the gold on the ground. Including the pieces in Zhao Chijiu's hands, there were a full two hundred taels.
One tael of gold was worth ten taels of silver. That bundle alone was worth two thousand taels of silver, and the two of them could not help growing curious about the young man from earlier.
Afterward, the two searched the carriage as well and found several dozen more taels of gold. Today, they had truly struck it rich.
Outside the valley, Li Yan set the young gentleman down and finally got a clear look at his face.
If he had to put it into words, the young gentleman was only ordinarily handsome. He was simply an uncommon sort of young nobleman, though there was a heroic air between his brows that ordinary people lacked.
"Damn it! Those two had no martial honor. They joined forces and even ambushed me! Otherwise, how could this young master have suffered such a setback?"
The moment he left the valley, the young gentleman began cursing furiously. It seemed his injuries were not too severe.
"Young Master, stop talking. I'll take you to find a doctor for treatment first!"
Li Yan raised a hand and pointed toward Duobao Town. "Go to Duobao Town and find Treasure Official's Manor. Tell them Li Huo sent you, and they will help you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Fang repeatedly expressed his thanks. He supported the young gentleman and was about to leave, but the gentleman called out to him. "Wait, Old Wang."
With that, the young gentleman looked at Li Yan. After struggling to stand steady, he cupped his hands in salute. "Thank you for saving me, brother. My name is Mo Cheng..."
"Young Master!" Wang Fang wanted to stop Mo Cheng from speaking, but Mo Cheng merely waved a hand.
"He saved my life. What is there to hide over a mere name?"
Mo Cheng? Li Yan frowned slightly. The name felt somewhat familiar to him.
Very quickly, he found the relevant memories.
Within the Great Wu Dynasty, the civil officials were led by the Grand Commandant, and Wu Zongren covered the sky with one hand. The military faction, meanwhile, had General Mo standing like a single pillar supporting the heavens.
General Mo guarded the gates of the northern pass, blocking all those who coveted the Wu Dynasty beyond Beacon Fire Pass. Within Great Wu, there was no one who had not heard of his name.
The General's Manor had a young master named Mo Cheng. But was Mo Cheng not the hostage of the General's Manor, the guarantee that reassured the Wu Emperor that General Mo would not command an army and grow independent?
Why was he here?
Still, Li Yan cupped his hands and said, "So it is Young Master Mo. Please forgive my discourtesy."
"No discourtesy at all, none at all. Without your help, I would already be a corpse by now."
"Hmph. Once my injuries recover, I will naturally come back to settle accounts with those people. I shall take my leave first, brother, you..."
"I still have matters to attend to. You go on ahead."
Mo Cheng nodded. The old man immediately carried him on his back and rushed toward Duobao Town.
Only after the two had gone far away did Li Yan walk to a boulder. He took out another bundle from within it, slung it back over his shoulder, and entered Three Fiends Ridge once more.
This time, not long after entering Three Fiends Ridge, Zhao Chijiu's voice rang out beside him. "Brat, do you truly not fear death?"
Then Zhao Chijiu and Ji Sanniang landed before him at the same time.
"Heroes of Three Fiends Ridge, greetings. I am Li Huo. A friend sent word that another friend has been severely injured. I have come only to deliver medicine to him."
"The two hundred taels of gold from earlier may be considered my toll money. I only hope the leaders of Three Fiends Ridge will show mercy and grant me passage."
Hearing this, Zhao Chijiu and Ji Sanniang exchanged a glance, each lost in thought.
One did not strike a smiling face, much less a smiling face bearing lavish gifts. They ought to show him some courtesy, at least.
The next moment, Zhao Chijiu's gaze fell upon the bundle on Li Yan's back. Remembering the gold he had seen earlier, he could not help asking, "What is in that bundle?"
At those words, Li Yan instinctively shrank back a little, then gave an awkward laugh. "Nothing much. Some clothes and medicinal herbs prepared for my brother."
"Is that so? Open it and let me see!" Ji Sanniang immediately sensed that something was wrong and stretched out her hand for the bundle.
Li Yan took a step back and shielded the bundle behind him.
"You brat, you still dare dodge?"
Zhao Chijiu shouted furiously. His body shot forward in an instant, and with a raised palm, surging palm force enveloped Li Yan.
Seeing this, Li Yan hurriedly drew his blade. It was an extremely common saber.
The blade flashed. With one slash, Li Yan tore through Zhao Chijiu's palm force and swiftly retreated.
"The brat has some skill... Where do you think you're running?!" Ji Sanniang roared, her five fingers forming a claw as she swept forward. Just as she was about to strike Li Yan, he flipped and hurled the bundle from his back at her. He rapidly retreated, then viciously flung the saber in his hand at Zhao Chijiu.
As he forced the two back, Li Yan shouted, "Damn Three Fiends Ridge! I'll remember you! Sooner or later, I'll wipe out you bunch of trash!"
The two had been forced back. Seeing that they could not catch up to him, they stopped pursuing.
Ji Sanniang opened the bundle. When that familiar golden gleam appeared again, both of them could not help sucking in a cold breath.
Gold bars. This time, they were actually gold bars.
By the feel of them alone, there was probably far more here than in the previous bundle.
"I knew that fellow was acting sneaky. So this was what he had planned."
"Hehe, today we caught ourselves a big fat sheep. Sixth Sister, head back first. I'll notify the others, and tonight we'll have a proper celebration."
"Alright, then let's go to my place. I happened to hunt two big mountain boars the other day."
With that, the two went their separate ways. Ji Sanniang took both bags of gold. There truly was no wariness between them; their relationship was extremely harmonious.
Yet not long after the two left, Li Yan emerged from behind a huge rock within the distant mist.
After confirming that the two had truly departed, Li Yan took a saber from beside the boulder. It was his Waning Moon.
As the sun set and the moon rose, Ji Sanniang's residence on Three Fiends Ridge sat within a spacious cave. All eighteen brothers and sisters had gathered there, drinking deeply and eating meat in great mouthfuls, enjoying themselves to their hearts' content.
The tall, sturdy Elder Brother, Heart-Shattering Hand Zhao Xincheng, laughed loudly. "Brothers and sisters, today is a day of great joy. My good second brother, your good Second Brother, and Sixth Sister have brought us a tremendous surprise."
As he spoke, Zhao Xincheng opened the two bundles on the table, revealing two great piles of gold before everyone.
Zhao Xincheng casually grabbed several gold ingots and tossed them to the lower-ranked brothers and sisters, then flung the gold bars to the other brothers.
"Before we came up this mountain, we said that no matter who it was, once they joined us here, they would be blood-thicker-than-water brothers and sisters."
"No matter what we seize, everyone gets a share. Naturally, today is no exception."
"Brothers and sisters, raise your cups. Let us toast Second Brother and Sixth Sister."
"Many thanks to Second Brother and Sixth Sister!"
"You are too polite, brothers. We are as close as hands and feet, loyal to one another with heart and guts. They are merely yellow and white trinkets; naturally, we share blessings together."
"Hahahahahaha!"
Outside the cave, Li Yan gathered his qi and focused his mind, waiting silently for the Ice Heart Qi Condensing Powder on the gold bars to take effect.
That was right. The method he used this time was almost exactly the same as the one he had used against Black Cloud Stronghold. He was not a Saint Seiya—why could he not use the same trick twice?