46. Plotting for Wealth

Guo Jinchuan walked down several streets alone, looking back repeatedly as if to check if he was being followed.

Shen Mu relied on the cover of night, and with a distance of several dozen meters, he could easily avoid being detected by the other party.

This made Shen Mu increasingly curious: was this guy going to collect a debt, or was he meeting a secret lover, that he needed to be so cautious?

Guo Jinchuan looked back one more time, confirmed that no one was behind him, then suddenly turned into a secluded alley and knocked on the gate of a residence.

"Who is it?"

A slightly guarded male voice came from inside the courtyard.

"It's me."

Guo Jinchuan said impatiently, "Open the door quickly."

"Creak."

The courtyard gate was opened, and a young man stepped out. He glanced left and right before lowering his voice to say, "Why did you come here all of a sudden?"

"Didn't we say that the wind is blowing hard lately and you shouldn't come over unless necessary?"

"What happened to you?"

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

"If it weren't for an urgent matter, why would I have come?"

Guo Jinchuan's expression was grim as he said, "Tu Chuan and Cao Xingyang from the Money Gang snuck into Emerald Cloud Valley to collect a debt from me. This injury was caused by that guy Tu Chuan."

"Come inside first and we'll talk."

The young man pulled Guo Jinchuan through the gate, then poked his head out to look left and right again. Only after confirming the alley was empty did he close the gate once more.

At this moment, Shen Mu had already leaped onto the wall of the neighboring house, using the cover of night to make his way to the roof of the house where Guo Jinchuan was staying.

"Brother Yue, this is a matter of life and death. I must get the silver within three days."

Guo Jinchuan got straight to the point, "Tu Chuan has given me a three-day deadline to pay back the principal and interest. Otherwise, he's going to sell my sister to the Fragrant Shadow Pavilion to serve guests to pay off the debt..."

The young man addressed as Brother Yue shook his head. "You know as well as I do that the Firewood Gang has been scouring the streets for clues lately. The heat is too intense; how could we dare to move the goods now? Isn't that just asking for death?"

"I don't care. You all promised me before that once the deed was done, you would give me five hundred taels of silver."

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

"Working with you people, I nearly died at the hands of the Dark Gold Red Tiger."

"Yue Kun, I'm telling you, I must have the money within three days. If anything happens to my sister, nobody is getting out of this alive!"

Shen Mu, lying on the roof eavesdropping, felt his pupils constrict sharply upon hearing this.

Moving goods?

Dark Gold Red Tiger?

Origin Mulberry Fruit?

Could it be...

An incredible thought surged into Shen Mu's mind, and his face turned exceptionally livid.

He almost instantly pieced together the corresponding story.

Guo Jinchuan had racked up massive gambling debts, was approached by people with ulterior motives, and then conspired with them to steal the Origin Mulberry Fruit to sell and pay off the debt?

He had nearly died in that night's chaos simply because this guy owed a gambling debt?

"You nearly died at the hands of the Dark Gold Red Tiger, and you think that's my fault?"

Threatened by Guo Jinchuan's words, Yue Kun's expression also turned ugly. He said coldly, "Luring the demonic beast off the cliff to create chaos—wasn't that your idea?"

"At the time, the plan was to lure a beast that hadn't entered the ranks off the cliff. That a Dark Gold Red Tiger showed up was something none of us could have predicted."

"If it weren't for the appearance of that Dark Gold Red Tiger, we could have just stolen a bit of the Origin Mulberry Fruit. The Firewood Gang has deep pockets; they would have just swallowed their pride and let it slide."

"But because of your idea, so many people were killed or injured. Now the top brass of the Firewood Gang is furious and searching for information on the streets every day. It's gotten to the point where even though we picked thousands of catties of Origin Mulberry Fruit, we don't dare try to sell them..."

"We aren't blaming you for your rotten idea, and yet you're telling me that nobody is getting out of this alive?"

"I'm telling you, Guo Jinchuan, you agreed to this when we discussed it. We are all in the same boat; if the boat capsizes, we all die together!"

After hearing Yue Kun's words, Guo Jinchuan's tone became a bit guilty as he said, "Luring a Dark Gold Red Tiger off the cliff was something none of us expected."

"But I really have no other choice. I must get the silver to pay the debt. You know the methods of the Money Gang—they really will kidnap my sister and send her to the Fragrant Shadow Pavilion..."

Upon hearing this, Yue Kun's expression softened slightly. "I've already discussed your situation with the others. Everyone has pooled together a sum of money, but it's not quite enough yet—only two hundred taels."

Hearing the sum of two hundred taels, Guo Jinchuan's eyes lit up, and he said with pleasant surprise, "That's enough."

"Oh?"

Yue Kun asked in surprise, "Do you have more silver on you?"

"I don't have any on me."

Guo Jinchuan shook his head, his expression turning malicious as he said slowly, "But there is someone who should have a stash of silver. As long as you help me, and we get our hands on the silver that person has, it should be enough for me to pay off this debt."

"Oh?"

Yue Kun furrowed his brows slightly and couldn't help but ask, "Who is this person? What is his cultivation level? There won't be any trouble, will there?"

"Rest assured."

The look of desperate financial urgency was gone from Guo Jinchuan's face, replaced by an expression of absolute confidence as he chuckled, "This person is named Shen Mu. He is a Guardian who only arrived at Emerald Cloud Valley a little over two months ago, and he only just advanced to the second level of Boiling Blood a few days ago."

"With your fourth-level Boiling Blood cultivation, dealing with him will be a task that requires absolutely no effort..."

On the rooftop, Shen Mu couldn't help but laugh out of sheer anger after hearing Guo Jinchuan's words.

Setting aside the fact that Guo Jinchuan had colluded with outsiders to create chaos in Emerald Cloud Valley to pay off his gambling debts, causing the deaths of so many Guardians.

He had accompanied the man into the city, yet not only did this fellow feel no gratitude, he was actually conspiring with others to harm him, all just to snatch the silver in his possession to pay off his debts.

To call him a heartless, ungrateful wretch would be giving him too much credit!

If you feed a dog a few meals, it will at least wag its tail to provide some emotional value.

Yet after helping this guy, he was still plotting how to tear a piece of flesh off him...

If he hadn't secretly followed him here, he would surely be dead by tomorrow.

This fellow named Yue Kun possessed fourth-level Boiling Blood cultivation, while he was only at the third level—he was far from being his match...

A deep sense of relief welled up in Shen Mu's heart.

It was fortunate that he had felt a moment of compassion and brought Guo Jinchuan into the city for treatment, while also keeping his guard up and secretly tailing him.

Otherwise, the consequences awaiting him would have been unimaginable!

"He is inside Emerald Cloud Valley; how am I supposed to help you?"

Yue Kun asked, puzzled.

"It's very simple."

Guo Jinchuan laughed, "Most of the Guardians are currently away from Emerald Cloud Valley. I just need to get you a set of Firewood Gang attire, and you can sneak into the valley with me."

"He spends his days in the valley practicing body refinement. You only need to wait until he is exhausted, then strike suddenly. You will be able to take him down in an instant, and then we can interrogate him for the silver he has..."

Yue Kun continued, "And how should he be dealt with afterward?"

Hearing this, Guo Jinchuan couldn't help but recall the scenes from before sunset, when he had asked Shen Mu for money and was refused.

Hmph, I asked you to lend me money, yet you insisted on making excuses to fool me.

Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, then... I cannot let you live!

"To avoid any complications, kill him as soon as the silver is in hand and bury him in the Origin Mulberry Field to serve as fertilizer."

"Fine, let it be as you say!"

After hearing the pair's plan, Shen Mu felt a chill run through his entire body.

He hadn't expected that they would not only covet his wealth but also take his life?

"Guo Jinchuan, you have truly made me underestimate the lower limits of human depravity."

A thick murderous intent flashed through Shen Mu's eyes, and a cold sneer curled the corners of his mouth.

He quietly left the rooftop, exited the secluded alleyway, and merged into the crowded street, walking quickly toward the city gates before the curfew took effect.