The Wu Family Treasury

The Wu Family was the biggest landowner in Baoshan Village, with countless acres of fertile farmland and wealth beyond measure.

And the way they had amassed such a fortune was actually very simple.

Lending money!

At usurious rates!

But it wasn't for that little bit of interest.

Whenever a farmer came to borrow money, he had to put up his land as collateral.

Then, after some time, the farmers who had borrowed money would mysteriously disappear.

Officially, they were said to have run into a ferocious beast in the mountains and been eaten.

But in truth, the Wu Family had a relationship with the demons in those mountains.

The demons got their meals, while the Wu Family helped cover up the truth and took possession of the farmers' land.

They had never failed.

Hearing this, Shen Lin asked curiously, "After all this time, haven't the other villagers in Baoshan Village noticed? Hasn't the County Office sent anyone to investigate?"

A mocking smile tugged at Zijing's lips. "When the Wu Family takes action, they naturally make sure every connection is covered. The villagers blindly follow along and can't tell that anything is amiss. And people from the County Office have come, too."

As she spoke, she glanced at Sun Zhi up ahead and continued, "This Head Constable Sun, for example, has come several times. Every time, though, he concluded that it was the work of a ferocious beast in the mountains. And, by coincidence, not long afterward, he'd find traces of demons somewhere else."

Shen Lin fell silent and let out a helpless sigh.

Before long, a village appeared ahead of them.

Compared to Bai Family Village, Baoshan Village covered more than five times the area. Candlelight dotted its densely packed earthen houses.

Shen Lin was about to keep going when Zijing stopped him.

"Wait. The dog demons have keen senses; their hearing and sense of smell are much sharper than those of ordinary demons. We need to keep at least five li away. We'll move once their attention is on Sun Zhi."

Shen Lin nodded and quietly waited for Sun Zhi to enter.

"By the way, aren't you worried those demons will attack Head Constable Sun outright? From this far away, you won't make it in time."

Zijing looked at Shen Lin in confusion.

Hadn't this guy always used Sun Zhi as cover?

Why was he so willing to let him get into danger this time?

Shen Lin said quietly, "In that case, Head Constable Sun can only fight to the death, slay three demons, then die of his wounds on the way back."

Hearing the script he'd written for Sun Zhi, Zijing shuddered. "You're one ruthless guy. But if that happens, you won't be able to keep your cultivation hidden anymore."

Shen Lin nodded, but made no reply.

If he couldn't keep it hidden, then he'd simply act openly.

After a little more time, once he opened his twelfth meridian, he'd be able to break through to the Xiantian Realm.

With his talent, he should qualify to join the Demon Suppression Bureau by then.

The thought filled Shen Lin with excitement.

The Demon Suppression Bureau specialized in slaying demons and monsters. If he could join, he'd surely encounter more of them and gain more demonic lifespan.

As he pondered, his eyes suddenly shifted. Two figures had appeared in front of Sun Zhi.

Sun Zhi exchanged a few words with them, then the two led him toward a corner of the village.

"Let's go!"

Zijing had seen it too. Her eyes lit up, and she led Shen Lin around the edge of the village toward a conspicuous, sprawling residence.

The two moved lightly, making not a sound.

They successfully slipped past the guards patrolling the Wu Family grounds and soon darted into a courtyard.

"That's the Wu Family treasury. I'll pick the lock; keep an eye on the perimeter."

Zijing had just finished speaking and was about to move when Shen Lin stopped her.

Shen Lin put a finger to his lips and pointed to a corner of the courtyard.

Puzzled, Zijing looked over, and her pupils abruptly contracted.

In the pitch-black shadows at the corner of the courtyard, a figure stood motionless.

Opening Meridians Realm!

Ordinary martial artists couldn't hide from the senses of someone at the Opening Meridians Realm, no matter how hard they suppressed their inner qi.

Zijing hadn't noticed the figure at all at first. That meant the person was undoubtedly a powerhouse on her level.

She frowned and thought, This is trouble.

The information she'd obtained earlier hadn't mentioned an Opening Meridians Realm martial artist guarding the Wu Family.

It looked like her actions some time ago had made the Wu Family wary, so they'd specifically hired an Opening Meridians Realm expert to protect the treasury.

The man had chosen his position well, with the entire treasury in his field of view. There was no way she could get around him.

Should she take him out first?

But that would make too much noise, and they'd likely... Hmm?

While Zijing was still racking her brains for a solution, she saw the man's shadow twitch. Another figure appeared beside him.

Was that... Shen Lin?

Zijing turned instinctively, only to find empty space beside her. That confirmed her suspicion.

Shen Lin didn't have time to dawdle here. What if those dog demons figured out Sun Zhi's purpose and fled when they sensed trouble?

Where else could they find three demons at the Opening Meridians Realm?

So while Zijing was still thinking, he had already made his move.

Relying on Shadow Severing Step, he silently appeared behind the Wu Family's Opening Meridians Realm expert. Shen Lin gestured at the man's neck, formed his right hand into a blade, and chopped down.

Thump!

The man didn't even manage a groan. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed limply to the ground.

The man was at the Opening Meridians Realm, but he'd only opened one or two meridians. He was no match for Shen Lin.

What's more, Shen Lin's dishonorable sneak attack had sent the Opening Meridians Realm expert the Wu Family had paid a fortune to hire straight into a deep sleep.

Not far away, Zijing saw Shen Lin's "all clear" gesture, and her expression turned strange.

But she knew there was no time to dwell on it. She ran straight to the treasury door and tried to pick the lock.

Watching Zijing take out all kinds of tools and diligently get to work on the lock, Shen Lin yawned with boredom, then crouched down and searched the man.

His search turned up something good.

Aside from banknotes worth nearly a thousand taels of silver, Shen Lin also found a martial arts manual.

Mountain Splitting Fist

Hmm... With a name that imposing, it had to be better than Blood Battle Saber Technique, right?

He flipped through it casually, then tucked it into his robes.

Just then, a click came from Zijing's side. The treasury door had unlocked.

"It's open?"

At the voice behind her, Zijing drew a deep breath. Her hands trembling slightly, she pushed the door open.

Inside was a dazzling array of treasures.

Pearls, coral, gold bricks, and silver ingots filled the room.

But Zijing didn't spare a glance at the kind of wealth most people couldn't earn in a lifetime. She looked straight at the famous paintings hanging on the walls.

After scanning the room, the excitement on her face froze.

"How is this possible???"

Agitated, she rushed inside and started searching.

After a while, she sank into a chair, drained, and murmured, "How could it not be here..."

Shen Lin wasn't blinded by the gold and silver filling the room. Instead, he searched carefully for martial arts manuals.

After all, even if he stuffed his pockets full of these worldly possessions, he couldn't take out much.

And if he were strong enough, wealth would be his at the snap of a finger.

Unfortunately, he couldn't find any martial arts manuals in the treasury.

He walked back and looked at Zijing, who seemed utterly lost. Rubbing his chin, he said, "If you didn't find what you wanted, why not ask them?"

"Ask who?"

Zijing's voice was wooden. She asked without thinking, then suddenly drew a deep breath and sprang to her feet. "You're right! Let's go ask!"

She hadn't wanted to meet the Wu Family patriarch herself, since that risked exposing her.

But now that she hadn't found what she was looking for, she had no choice but to trouble Master Wu.

As for the risk of being exposed...

There was a very simple solution.