How Can I Let You Stay?

All of this had happened too fast, too suddenly.

So fast that Zhu San didn't even have time to react. He turned around only to see a large hole punched through Zhu Liu's forehead.

Compared to Zhu Liu's carelessness, Zhu San was far more meticulous.

He immediately ran an analysis in his mind: Chen Mo had been pretending to be knocked out by Zhu Liu from the very start, waiting all along for this moment to strike.

Deeply calculating, ruthless in method.

What surprised Zhu San even more was that Chen Mo actually roared out loud, offering a reward of a hundred taels of silver.

Without a second thought, Zhu San immediately tried to spur his horse and flee.

As the saying goes, under a heavy reward, there will always be brave men.

That soldier immediately drew his blade. "Men, seize this bandit!"

The surrounding gate guards all drew their swords and surrounded Zhu San tightly.

But Zhu San was tall and strong, wielding his Mountain-Cleaving Saber with heavy, forceful strokes. With the momentum of his charging horse, he forced back several soldiers in just a few swings, looking like he was about to break through the city gate.

Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Chen Mo roared again: "Seize this man, and the reward is eight hundred taels of silver!"

Eight hundred taels!

To both the gate guards and the nearby merchants and commoners, it was an astronomical sum—more silver than they could earn in a lifetime.

Many people's eyes turned red.

But Zhu San was still a vicious bandit on horseback with a blade. Though everyone was itching for action, none dared to charge in.

All it took was one leader to ignite the greed burning in the crowd's hearts.

Chen Mo keenly sensed the crowd's mindset and shouted again: "Whoever leads the charge to surround this bandit, whether they succeed or not, this Young Master will reward them with a hundred taels of silver."

As soon as these words left his mouth, the crowd's courage and greed were finally set ablaze.

A rough-looking man took the lead. "Everyone, follow me and surround him. Let's go collect the reward."

With someone taking the lead, the crowd surged forward in a dark mass. People grabbed sticks and other makeshift weapons, lining up behind the soldiers, blocking Zhu San in from all sides until there was no gap left.

Though no one dared to actively engage Zhu San in a fight, their voices were anything but small. A deafening roar erupted from every direction, carrying an overwhelming momentum.

Not only did it embolden the soldiers, but it also terrified Zhu San, whose guilty conscience was already frayed. His saber technique fell into chaos, and within moments, the soldiers' spears had stabbed several large wounds into him.

Some merchants and shop assistants hurled bricks, hoes, tools, dustpans, and whatever else they had at Zhu San. Though it didn't cause him any real damage, it boosted morale immensely and blocked his line of sight.

Before long, the leading soldier hooked Zhu San off his horse with a spear. He was then bound hand and foot.

Seeing this, Chen Mo finally let out a long breath.

If force wasn't enough, cash power made up for it.

"Young Master Mo, how are you feeling?" The soldier who had checked his travel permit earlier walked up to Chen Mo, asking with great concern.

Chen Mo didn't even know this man, let alone have any friendship with him. He naturally understood that the soldier's concern was only because he was thinking about the reward.

Fake concern was still concern.

Chen Mo said, "May I ask the brave warrior's name?"

The soldier replied, "My surname is Zhao, given name Bing."

Chen Mo knew the crowd was most concerned about the reward, so he had to distribute the silver first: "I'll trouble Brother Zhao to keep a record and reward everyone according to their contributions. Later, I'll hand the silver over to you, and I'll ask you to handle the distribution."

Zhao Bing was overjoyed. He immediately bellowed orders for the other soldiers to record the crowd's names. Only after everyone had registered did they leave, satisfied.

Zhao Bing was also a soldier who understood how the world worked. He took the initiative to help Chen Mo up. "Shall I escort Young Master Mo back to the mansion now?"

Chen Mo said, "Brother Zhao, could you check if there's anything on my back?"

Zhao Bing did as asked. He lifted the clothes on Chen Mo's back and indeed peeled off a small paper figure.

Whoosh!

The moment the paper figure was removed, Chen Mo felt his entire body loosen. His pinned hands and feet immediately regained freedom, and all the other discomfort vanished. This let Chen Mo breathe a huge sigh of relief as he quickly scrambled to his feet.

Taking the paper figure and looking at it, Chen Mo's pupils contracted.

On the yellowed paper figure were written his name and his detailed Eight Characters of Birth.

"As expected, that Granny Li used the Eight Characters of Birth to set up this paper figure, stuck it on me, and then performed the Nightmare Suppression Technique from afar. Such a vicious method. If I hadn't already reached the Muscle Refining Realm and reacted as sharply as I did today, I would have been doomed beyond redemption."

Thinking back on today's events, Chen Mo felt a chill of lingering fear.

Then came the question...

The Eight Characters of Birth!

Chen Mo hadn't been in this world for a short time, and since he had been a Taoist priest in his previous life, he naturally had a good understanding of the Eight Characters of Birth.

The so-called Eight Characters of Birth are divided into the Four Pillars and Eight Characters.

The Four Pillars refer to the Year Pillar, Month Pillar, Day Pillar, and Hour Pillar of one's birth. Each pillar consists of two characters—one Heavenly Stem and one Earthly Branch—combined to form the Eight Characters.

As the legitimate son of the Chen family, Chen Mo's birth year, month, and day couldn't be hidden. But the Hour Pillar was only known to those closest to Chen Yin Fu.

In other words, Granny Li had colluded with someone close to the Chen Mansion to obtain his Eight Characters of Birth.

There's a traitor!

"Young Master Mo, shall I escort you back to the mansion?" Zhao Bing asked again, seeing Chen Mo silent for a long while.

Chen Mo snapped back to reality and tucked away the Paper Figure. "No need. Tomorrow, I'll invite Brother Zhao to the mansion and give you the eight hundred taels of silver."

"Young Master Mo is generous!" Zhao Bing was overjoyed.

"Have everyone disperse. I'll speak with Zhu San alone for a bit."

Chen Mo instructed Zhao Bing to send the onlookers away, then walked up to Zhu San and delivered two vicious kicks. "Tell me who the traitor in the Chen Mansion is, and I'll let you off."

Zhu San's face was stubborn. He snorted coldly. "I fell into your trap, so I'll accept my fate. Kill me or flay me, do as you please."

Chen Mo picked up Zhu San's broadsword and sliced open the crotch of his pants with one stroke. "My Chen Family has been in business for generations—we don't relish fighting and killing. But cutting off balls? That's something I'm good at."

Sss!

At the mention of castration, Zhu San clamped his legs together, trembling all over with fear.

As Chen Mo's blade pressed forward, piercing the skin of his groin, blood seeped out.

The hardened Zhu San finally felt terror, and his attitude softened. "If I tell you, will you really let me go?"

Chen Mo said coldly, "You're not the mastermind. Why would I kill you?"

Though Zhu San didn't quite believe it, the knife at his crotch was too terrifying. Fear overwhelmed his reason at last.

"It's, it's your mansion's Steward Liu."

Chen Mo's hand, gripping the blade, paused slightly.

He wouldn't easily trust a few words from the other party—after all, Steward Liu had served diligently in the mansion for many years, always hardworking and deeply valued by Chen Yin Fu.

"Tell me every detail."

How could Zhu San dare to hide anything now?

"When my Brother-in-Law and I first asked Steward Liu for your Eight Characters of Birth, he refused. I looked into it and found he often sneaked off to the Spring Breeze Tower to throw money around, so I guessed he'd embezzled from the Chen Family. After some digging, it turned out true, and I used that to blackmail him. Fearing punishment from Chen Yin Fu, he spilled it."

Chen Mo extended his hand. "Do you have proof of Steward Liu's embezzlement?"

Zhu San's hands and feet were tied tight, unable to move, so he said, "It's in the inner lining of my right sleeve."

Chen Mo reached into the sleeve and indeed pulled out a small booklet.

He opened it and looked.

It recorded the details of Steward Liu's embezzlement—skimming from the pharmacy's procurement costs and pocketing the rent from tenant farmers. Altogether, several hundred taels.

Every entry was recorded truthfully, not seeming forged. Combined with Chen Mo's earlier inspections of the pharmacy and rice paddies, the accounts roughly matched. The embezzlement appeared genuine.

'So it really is Steward Liu.'

Chen Mo tucked away the ledger. "What's your relationship with Granny Li of the Blood Ridge Black Market?"

At this, Zhu San clearly showed fear.

Compared to revealing Steward Liu, he was far more afraid of Granny Li.

But a moment's thought made the reason clear: earlier, Zhu San had likely felt victory was in hand and said something he shouldn't have, which Chen Mo overheard.

Knowing he couldn't escape, Zhu San said, "Zhu Liu and I were bandits near the Blood Ridge Black Market, surviving by robbing lone merchants and buyers. A few days ago, Granny Li recruited us to work for her. I had no choice."

Zhu San begged, "Young Master Mo, I've told you everything I know. Please, show mercy..."

Ptoo!

Before Zhu San could finish, Chen Mo raised the broadsword and slashed it fiercely across his neck. The head flew off, blood spurting from the severed stump, splattering Chen Mo's face.

"You harbored evil intentions—how could I let you live!?"

Clang.

Chen Mo sheathed the longsword and slowly stood up.

This was his second kill since crossing into this world.

Though there was still some unease in his heart, he never regretted his choices.

His mindset was gradually hardening, growing more iron-blooded.

"Brother Zhao, please clean up the bodies of these two bandits."

Chen Mo gave Zhao Bing the order, then strode away with the blade in hand.