Resolve

Shen Mu slowly stepped forward, his tone indifferent as he said, "If I hadn't followed you last night, I fear the one dead today would be me, wouldn't it?"

"I ask myself, I have no grudge or enmity with you, yet you would collude with outsiders to kill me?"

"No grudge or enmity?"

Guo Jinchuan bared his teeth, stained crimson with blood, and let out a strange, mocking laugh: "If you had lent me the silver in your hands, why would I have ever turned against you?"

"Why didn't you lend me the money?"

"If you had given me the money, would I have needed to go to such lengths?"

At this, Guo Jinchuan's expression grew increasingly venomous, and he roared, "All of this is because you deserve to die!"

Shen Mu shook his head upon hearing this, sneering, "Just because I had money and didn't lend it to you, I deserve to die?"

"Do you mean to say that the debt you owe the Money Gang is because I owe it?"

"It was you who gambled recklessly in the gambling den and incurred such a massive debt."

"There are others in Emerald Cloud Valley with money, why didn't you go to them?"

"It is nothing more than you thinking I was weak and easy to bully."

"The fact that you have fallen to this state is entirely of your own doing."

Hearing Shen Mu's words, Guo Jinchuan's voice faltered. He wanted to retort, but could find no words to argue with, and he stood there stunned and speechless.

Only now did he suddenly realize.

Everything, from the very moment he stepped into that gambling den, had already been destined by fate.

Guo Jinchuan was silent for a moment, then looked at Hong Jingcheng and rasped, "Brother Hong, all the faults and errors are mine. Can you give me a quick death? If possible, please look after my family; they are innocent..."

Hong Jingcheng glanced at him but ignored him.

"Innocent?"

Shen Mu shook his head: "Whatever fate befalls them in the future is all thanks to you. You should have thought of today when you were doing all of this."

He looked toward Hong Jingcheng and signaled, "Brother Hong, I leave these two to you."

"Brother Shen, I owe this to you. Otherwise, cracking this case would not have been so easy."

Hong Jingcheng walked forward and said with a smile.

Shen Mu laughed self-deprecatingly: "I only stumbled upon this by accident. It is thanks to Brother Hong taking action that we were able to capture these two."

Hong Jingcheng chuckled, showing no intention to continue the topic.

"Cough, cough~"

At this moment, Yue Kun, who was to the side, regained consciousness.

"The two of you, I admit defeat today. Could you spare my life? I can give you all the Origin Mulberry Fruit I stole as a tribute, as long as you let me go."

Yue Kun pleaded.

Hong Jingcheng stepped forward and said coldly, "Which faction in Cloud Dragon County are you from?"

"Hundred Generations Martial Hall."

With his life hanging by a thread, Yue Kun did not hesitate in the slightest, revealing his affiliation with blunt honesty.

"Hundred Generations Martial Hall?"

Shen Mu was taken aback. Although he had suspected as much, hearing Yue Kun admit it made everything clear.

The four great martial halls primarily earned their keep through student enrollment fees.

Beyond that, the martial halls would organize men to hunt beasts in the Dark Night Beast Forest and bring them back to the city to sell, with the students themselves being the primary consumers...

Other than that, the four great martial halls had few other profitable industries.

The students themselves were already paying out of pocket to learn martial arts and were penniless.

It was precisely because of this that the Origin Mulberry Fruit of Emerald Cloud Valley became a way for many students to make quick money after achieving some success in their cultivation.

After all, by comparison, stealing Origin Mulberry Fruit was far safer than hunting beasts...

"So it is someone from the Hundred Generations Martial Hall."

Hong Jingcheng sneered: "Then I suppose the others involved in this matter are also from the Hundred Generations Martial Hall?"

Yue Kun's voice faltered, and he did not speak; clearly, Hong Jingcheng had guessed correctly.

"Hmph."

Hong Jingcheng let out a cold snort and continued: "Over these years, of all the thieves who have come to steal Origin Mulberry Fruit in Emerald Cloud Valley, those from your four great martial halls are the most numerous."

"But these people were always sneaky, and even if caught, they were just taught a lesson and released."

"But this time, you caused the deaths and injuries of over a hundred men from the Firewood Gang..."

"You have touched the bottom line of the Firewood Gang. You all deserve to die!"

Yue Kun's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "This brother, since only the two of you know about this matter anyway, why not just let us settle this quietly and make a big problem small?"

"Causing such massive losses to the Firewood Gang was indeed our fault, but it was truly an accident."

"We originally intended to lure a non-ranked demonic beast off the cliff to create a disturbance, buying us the opportunity to sneak into the valley and pluck the Origin Mulberry Fruit."

"We never expected that the trap we set would attract a Dark Gold Red Tiger looking for a meal."

"As long as you let me go, all the Origin Mulberry Fruit we harvested this time will be yours to dispose of."

"That is worth at least five thousand taels of silver. Even if you turn us in to your superiors, how much silver could you possibly earn?"

"I can make you earn much more than that."

Upon hearing Yue Kun's words, Hong Jingcheng's expression immediately betrayed his interest.

If he handed these two fellows over, he would only earn one thousand taels of silver, but if he didn't, he could use this situation to make several thousand.

Even if he were to reach the ranked stage in the future, he would have the resources to support his cultivation.

Seeing the hesitation on Hong Jingcheng's face, Shen Mu's heart skipped a beat.

If Hong Jingcheng didn't turn them in, he might even silence Shen Mu to keep the money all to himself...

Shen Mu hurriedly said, "Brother Hong, you must not listen to his treacherous words. Just think, if you obtain these Origin Mulberry Fruits, how would you sell them?"

"How many people are currently investigating this matter?"

"Once it comes to light, won't the higher-ups suspect that you were the one behind it?"

"By then, it won't just be you, Brother Hong; your family will also be implicated. Why risk your life for this kind of wealth?"

"You are in the Firewood Gang; once you reach the ranked stage and become a Master, there will be plenty of opportunities to make money. Don't lose the big picture for a small gain."

Hearing Shen Mu's words, Hong Jingcheng broke out in a cold sweat; he had indeed entertained that very thought just a moment ago.

Now, hearing Shen Mu's warning, he instantly came to his senses.

Earning one thousand taels of silver through these two fellows was already a huge windfall; why take such a dangerous risk?

"No, no, no! I have a way to move the goods! If we just wait a while, we can take the dehydrated Origin Mulberry Fruit to the neighboring Blue Mountain County..."

Yue Kun's expression changed drastically, and he spoke in a rush.

However, before he could finish his sentence, Hong Jingcheng kicked him with all his might, sending him flying.

"Hmph, daring to incite me to collude with you—you deserve to die!"

Hong Jingcheng snorted coldly.

Yue Kun crashed heavily onto the ground. He tried to prop himself up to say something more, but the pain racking his entire body caused him to lose consciousness again.

"Brother Shen, I'll be taking these two away. Once the reward comes down, your share will certainly be waiting for you."

Hong Jingcheng promised with a smile.

"Solving this case was all thanks to Brother Hong's intervention; I only provided some insignificant help."

Shen Mu shook his head and said, "Working for the Firewood Gang, how could I dare to covet a reward?"

"Brother Shen, there is no need to be modest. If you hadn't provided the information, I wouldn't have been able to capture these two alive."

Hong Jingcheng laughed, "There is no time to lose. I will escort these two to Master Lin and Master Kong right now to interrogate them for the specific list of names involved in that night's operation."

He looked at Shen Mu with increasing favor.

Not only had he gained a thousand taels of silver for nothing, but he could also earn a favor from Lin Xiao and Kong Mingyuan, deepening his relationship with both. It was truly a windfall from the heavens; he had filled his pockets to the brim.

"In that case, safe travels, Brother Hong."

Shen Mu greeted him with a smile, watching as Hong Jingcheng knocked Guo Jinchuan unconscious with a single palm strike and dragged the two of them toward the valley entrance.

Not until Hong Jingcheng disappeared from sight did Shen Mu withdraw his gaze, his expression complex.

"Who could have imagined that all of this was merely the result of a gambler's split-second decision?"

Shen Mu couldn't help but sigh, thinking of the gang members who had died at the hands of the Dark Gold Red Tiger that night.

The setting sun was like blood, illuminating the entire Emerald Cloud Valley.

Shen Mu sat on the Bamboo Shed, enjoying the breathtaking scenery all by himself.

A crisis that would have led to his total ruin had been resolved without a hitch.