Scheming for Money

Guo Jinchuan walked alone through several streets, glancing back repeatedly as if checking whether anyone was following him.

With the cover of night and a distance of several dozen meters between them, Shen Mu could easily avoid being noticed.

This only made Shen Mu more curious. Was this guy going to collect a debt or meet a lover? Why was he being so cautious?

"Who?"

A wary-sounding male voice came from inside the courtyard.

"It's me."

Guo Jinchuan said impatiently, "Open the door."

Creak.

The courtyard gate opened, and a young man stepped out. He glanced to either side before lowering his voice. "Why did you suddenly come here?"

"Didn't we agree that things were tense right now, and you shouldn't come unless it was important?"

"What happened to you?"

Only then did the young man notice Guo Jinchuan's bandaged right arm.

"If it weren't important, would I have come?"

Guo Jinchuan's expression darkened. "Tu Chuan and Cao Xingyang from the Money Gang sneaked into Emerald Cloud Valley to collect their debt from me. This injury was caused by that bastard Tu Chuan."

"Come inside first. We'll talk there."

The young man pulled Guo Jinchuan through the gate, then peeked out and looked both ways. Only after confirming the alley was empty did he shut the gate again.

Shen Mu had already leaped onto the wall of the neighboring residence. Using the night as cover, he made his way across the rooftops to the house where Guo Jinchuan was.

"Brother Yue, this is urgent! I have to get the silver within three days."

Guo Jinchuan got straight to the point. "Tu Chuan gave me three days to repay the principal and interest. Otherwise, he'll sell my younger sister to Fragrant Shadow Pavilion to work as a prostitute and pay off the debt..."

The young man he called Brother Yue shook his head. "You know the Firewood Gang has been scouring the streets for clues lately. Things are too tense. How could we possibly sell anything now? That would be asking for death."

"I don't care. You promised me five hundred taels of silver once everything was done."

Guo Jinchuan said in a low voice, "And now you're telling me the Origin Mulberry Fruit hasn't been sold, so you can't pay me?"

"Working with you nearly got me killed by a Dark Gold Red Tiger."

"Yue Kun, I'm telling you, I have to get the money within three days. If anything happens to my sister, none of us will get out alive!"

Hearing this from his hiding place on the roof, Shen Mu's pupils suddenly contracted.

Sell anything?

Dark Gold Red Tiger?

Origin Mulberry Fruit?

Could it be...

An unbelievable thought suddenly surfaced in Shen Mu's mind, and his face turned an alarming shade of green.

In an instant, he pieced together what must have happened.

Guo Jinchuan had racked up a huge gambling debt, and some people had come after him. So he'd joined them in secretly picking Origin Mulberry Fruit to sell and pay off the debt?

Had he nearly died in the chaos that night simply because this guy had owed a gambling debt?

"You nearly died at the hands of a Dark Gold Red Tiger. How was that my fault?"

Threatened by Guo Jinchuan, Yue Kun's expression darkened too. He said coldly, "Wasn't it your idea to lure a demon beast over the cliff and create a disturbance?"

"We planned to lure an unranked demon beast off the cliff. None of us expected a Dark Gold Red Tiger to show up."

"If that Dark Gold Red Tiger hadn't appeared, we could've secretly picked some Origin Mulberry Fruit, and the Firewood Gang is big enough that they'd have swallowed their anger and let it go."

"But your idea caused so many deaths and injuries. Now the higher-ups in the Firewood Gang are furious, and they're searching for clues on the streets every day. Even though we picked several thousand jin of Origin Mulberry Fruit, we don't dare sell it..."

"We didn't blame you for coming up with that rotten plan, and now you're telling me none of us will get out alive?"

"Listen, Guo Jinchuan. You agreed when we discussed this beforehand. We're all in the same boat. If it sinks, we might as well go down together!"

After listening to Yue Kun, Guo Jinchuan replied, sounding a little guilty, "None of us expected to lure a Dark Gold Red Tiger off the cliff."

"But I really have no choice. I have to get the silver to pay off my debt. You know what the Money Gang is like. They really will drag my sister off to Fragrant Shadow Pavilion and force her to work as a prostitute..."

Hearing this, Yue Kun's expression softened somewhat. "I've already discussed your situation with the others. We pooled some money together, but it's not quite enough yet. We only have two hundred taels of silver."

At the mention of two hundred taels, Guo Jinchuan's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "That's enough."

"Oh?"

Yue Kun looked surprised. "Do you have silver of your own?"

"I don't."

Guo Jinchuan shook his head, then his expression turned mean. Slowly, he said, "But there's someone who should have a decent amount. If you help me get the silver from him, it should be enough to pay off my debt."

"Oh?"

Yue Kun furrowed his brow. "Who is he? What's his cultivation like? Will this cause trouble?"

"Don't worry."

The desperate look on Guo Jinchuan's face was gone. Smiling with confidence, he said, "His name is Shen Mu. He's a Guardian who arrived in Emerald Cloud Valley just over two months ago. He only broke through to the Second Stage of Boiling Blood a few days ago."

"With your Fourth Stage Boiling Blood cultivation, you can deal with him effortlessly..."

On the rooftop, Shen Mu was so furious he almost laughed.

Guo Jinchuan had caused chaos in Emerald Cloud Valley with outsiders because of his gambling debts, killing so many Guardians—but that aside.

Shen Mu had accompanied him into the city, never expecting that not only would the bastard fail to feel grateful, he would actually plot with someone else to harm him just to steal the silver he had and pay off his debt.

Calling him an utterly heartless, ungrateful wretch would have been letting him off easy!

Feed a dog a few meals, and at least it would wag its tail at you, giving you a little affection in return.

He'd helped this guy, and the guy was still thinking about how to tear a chunk of flesh off him...

If Shen Mu hadn't secretly followed him, he would probably have been doomed tomorrow.

This man named Yue Kun had reached the Fourth Stage of Boiling Blood, while Shen Mu was only at the Third Stage. He was nowhere near a match for him...

Shen Mu couldn't help feeling deeply relieved.

Luckily, he'd acted out of compassion and taken Guo Jinchuan into the city for treatment, while also keeping his wits about him and secretly following.

Otherwise, the consequences awaiting him would have been unimaginable!

"He's in Emerald Cloud Valley. How am I supposed to help you?"

Yue Kun asked, puzzled.

"Easy."

Guo Jinchuan smiled. "Most of the Guardians are away from Emerald Cloud Valley right now. We just need to get you a set of Firewood Gang clothes. Then you can sneak into Emerald Cloud Valley with me."

"He spends all day training his body in the valley. We just have to wait until he's exhausted, then you can strike suddenly and take him down in an instant. After that, we'll force him to tell us where his silver is..."

Yue Kun continued, "What should we do with him afterward?"

At his words, Guo Jinchuan thought of all the times earlier that day when he'd asked Shen Mu for a loan and Shen Mu had refused him.

Hmph. I asked you for a loan, and you still made excuses to brush me off.

You wouldn't take the wine when it was offered, so now you'll have to drink the forfeit. In that case... I can't let you live!

"To avoid complications, we'll kill him as soon as we have the silver and bury him in the Origin Mulberry Field as fertilizer."

"Good. We'll do it your way!"

After hearing their plan, Shen Mu felt a chill run through his whole body.

Not only did they want to rob him, they wanted to kill him too?

"Guo Jinchuan, you've made me realize just how low human nature can sink."

A murderous intent flashed in Shen Mu's eyes, and the corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile.

He quietly left the rooftop, slipped out of the secluded alley, and joined the throngs crowding the streets. With curfew not yet in effect, he hurried toward the city gate.