Lin Is Going to Earn Ten Thousand Coins

"It's a little shabby, but make yourself at home."

Lin Shu's thoughts stirred. He reached toward the Essence Blood and made the Immortal Scion child, still wearing a face full of indignation, burrow back under the covers.

Yu Sheng's words contained some very important information.

But County Lieutenant Gu had first looked up at the sky, then happened to stop in front of the formation. He had seen through it without saying a word, clearly coming specifically for Chang Yi and not wanting to meddle in anything else.

There was no need to let the little one inside get involved.

"It may be a bit run-down, but it's quiet. It's quite nice."

Gu Nanzhi followed Lin Shu to the low table and sat down without hesitation. "I'll get straight to the point. Thanks to you, Chang Yi solved several major cases in the city all at once. The Yamen plans to promote him to chief constable. He's the talk of the town."

"I came on behalf of his family to express their gratitude."

She noticed the young man's gaze drift toward her empty hands and couldn't help laughing.

"I work for the Yamen. It wouldn't be quite appropriate for me to bring gifts when visiting a Fierce Wolf. Besides, when it comes to money, I'm certainly not as well-off as you."

"But gratitude can't just be expressed with words. I sent someone to warn Xia Mingtang. As long as you don't offend him again, he won't go looking for trouble with you."

Only then did Lin Shu look away and slowly sit down. "Thank you."

Xia Mingtang's name had appeared repeatedly in the ledger. He was the very Heavenly Fiend Tiger Liu Zhen had been so eager to curry favor with.

Lin Shu had long been prepared for the possibility of being targeted by that tiger. But his strength was still lacking, so having someone buy him some time was always a good thing.

Gu Nanzhi continued, "Liu Zhen's death ends here. The Yamen has publicly assigned Chang Yi to investigate, but they won't pursue the matter behind the scenes. They have their pride to consider, after all."

At the words "their pride," Lin Shu didn't respond. Only a fleeting trace of something strange passed through his eyes.

"..." Gu Nanzhi paused, as if she had guessed what the young man was thinking.

The city was in such a state of chaos, yet the Yamen had to rely on a Fierce Wolf to provide evidence.

After getting their hands on the ledger, instead of investigating the crooked practices among the constables, they had wanted to suppress the whole matter outright.

Anyone would find that hard to understand.

But she didn't offer an explanation. Instead, she changed the subject. "Let's leave that child aside. Now, let's talk about you."

"Me?"

Lin Shu looked up, somewhat surprised.

He'd thought this County Lieutenant was decisive, settling everything in just a few sentences. He hadn't expected the main point to come afterward.

Gu Nanzhi smiled calmly. "Don't misunderstand. These are just some personal thoughts of mine; they have nothing to do with the Yamen. If you think they make sense, then hear me out. If you think they're out of line, you don't have to take them to heart."

"Go ahead." Lin Shu gave a slight nod, his manner attentive.

Whether in strength or knowledge of this place, the County Lieutenant far surpassed him. What she had to say was bound to have some merit.

"You've done enough." Gu Nanzhi's expression suddenly turned serious, her voice grave. "I know you came from the South Suburb and have lived through hard times for too long. You want to climb higher. But for now, you should keep your head down."

She picked up the battered teapot from the low table and poured the young man a cup of water.

"Blackwater City has been sealed off for ten whole years."

"Everyone is in a daze, with no idea what tomorrow will bring. Whether they live or die is in someone else's hands, decided by a single thought."

Gu Nanzhi gently pushed the cup toward Lin Shu, finally explaining what had happened earlier.

"I won't waste time making excuses for the Yamen. You only need to know that without the court's authority to keep people in check, and with everyone gripped by fear, Blackwater City is now a powder keg that could explode at any moment. Whoever dares to disturb it..."

"Won't just hurt themselves. They'll destroy this fragile balance, too."

"There's no need to seek a future in a place like this. You already have a territory and a reputation. That's enough to live comfortably, with food and clothing to spare. All that remains is to protect your life and wait patiently for the outcome."

With just a few words, she had pointed Lin Shu in the right direction.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "So you can only wait, too?"

"What else can I do? I tried forcing my way out ten years ago. The injuries I sustained still haven't healed."

Gu Nanzhi smiled as if resigned to it, but a chill crept into Lin Shu's heart.

She was observant to an extraordinary degree and clever. She was most likely at the Foundation Establishment Realm, and she was a disciple of an Immortal Sect, to boot.

And even she could only wait to die?

"Actually, there's no need to be so nervous." Gu Nanzhi slowly rose. A hint of exhaustion surfaced on her delicate face. "Everyone in the White Tiger Hall is a Rogue Cultivator. They don't understand the ins and outs, which is why they're so panicked. They spend all day dreaming up ways to break through and improve their odds of surviving."

"The fact that they use human lives to make pills isn't exactly a secret. But if you stop them from doing it, cut off their last hope, and lack the ability to wipe them all out, the emotions building up in that group of madmen will only spill over onto the people of the city in an even more terrifying way."

It was more or less the attitude of... If I can't live, then we'll all die together.

"In truth, if that Immortal Scion really wanted to take the lives of everyone in the city, he wouldn't need to go to all this trouble. Most likely, he just wants to collect something. If we can hold out until the city opens, it's hard to say what life will be like afterward, but more than ninety percent of the people will certainly survive."

"It's just a pity that the tens of thousands of elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in the South Suburb probably won't last until then."

Gu Nanzhi turned away, hiding the faint anger on her face.

In front of an Immortal Family, mortals were too frail. Simply scraping by was already difficult enough. How could they dare to hope for everything to go perfectly?

She had no power to change things, and neither did her brother-in-law, who worked at the Yamen. As for the young man in front of her, it was already a good thing if he could protect himself.

Without enough status or strength, all they could do was endure!

"Oh, there's one more thing."

She stopped and said helplessly, "Chang Yi's parents have already suffered the pain of losing a child once. That's why they've protected their only surviving son so carefully, turning him into the odd little fellow he is now."

"Sometimes, I do think that children have to grow up eventually."

"But I'm not his parents, so it's not my place to interfere too much. I can only pass along a message from my sister."

"That child is too foolish and has little talent. As for things like this time, where he benefited from your efforts, I hope you won't consider involving him in the future. He isn't capable of taking on that responsibility."

"..."

Lin Shu said nothing. He rose and escorted the County Lieutenant to the courtyard gate.

So Little Black Charcoal was the only child left in his family. From the way his family saw it, they didn't want him to make a career at the Yamen, either. They simply wanted to raise him as a pampered little darling, safe and sound.

As Gu Nanzhi had said, he was someone else's child. They had thanked Lin Shu and repaid the favor.

As outsiders, they had no right to criticize.

"Take care." He gave a slight nod.

Though he didn't agree with some of the County Lieutenant's views, there was no denying that she meant well.

"I have one more thing." Gu Nanzhi suddenly remembered something and turned back, raising an eyebrow. "Could you stop looking at me like I'm some corrupt official? I only came here to visit relatives back then. I was unlucky enough to get stuck here, and my brother-in-law pressed me into service."

"The Yamen is short on money. I've never received a single grain of imperial rice, and I have no relevant experience. I've done pretty well just keeping things from falling apart."

After dropping that complaint, Gu Nanzhi strode straight out of the alley.

"Phew."

Lin Shu let out a long breath, then returned to the room in silence and sat down by the bed.

Porcelain Doll shot out from under the covers and clung to his neck. She bared her little white teeth and said, "Why do you look like you've lost your soul?"

Was it because that Big-breasted Woman had left?

"Be quiet."

Lin Shu wasn't in the mood to play around with this Little Chick. He lifted her up, turned her head down, and pressed her onto the bed.

From the moment he'd opened his eyes in the South Suburb until now, he'd finally had a chance to relax and think carefully about his future.

Lin Shu had already heard from Yu Sheng that Blackwater City was sealed off.

But compared to the Immortal Scion child's nonchalant tone, Gu Nanzhi's perspective as a cultivator was completely different.

The helplessness in her voice had given Lin Shu a new way of looking at things.

In temperament, status, and strength, she was superior to him. If they were talking about connections to an Immortal Sect, she was already a disciple, while his own prospects had only just begun to show a glimmer.

The Virtue Coin was certainly wondrous, but to turn it into actual cultivation, he still had to earn it bit by bit.

If even this woman was trapped in Blackwater City, what made him so sure he could get out?

Everyone said the city would open sooner or later.

But from what Gu Nanzhi had said, even if the city opened, the people inside might not return to their old lives. Most likely, they would still be enslaved and kept like livestock.

Even if he really did get out, who knew whether some other Immortal Scion might trap him again for no reason?

To forge iron, you needed to be strong yourself. Lin Shu didn't want to put all his hopes in this foolish Little Chick.

The most useful thing was cultivation. Status and standing came second.

"Tens of thousands of elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in the South Suburb..."

If they couldn't hold out until the city opened, would the people without hearts somehow manage to?

He still had to take the initiative.

Lin Shu closed his eyes. If he could find a way to break through Blackwater City's restrictions and earn ten thousand Virtue Coins, perhaps he could gain some power to protect himself in a place like this.

Sigh, dreaming in broad daylight already.

He didn't even have the slightest idea how to get out yet.

But Gu Nanzhi seemed to understand the situation better. If he grew stronger, he could ask her about it.

Lin Shu let go of the child, rubbed his brow, and turned to look at her.

"What is a World-Walking Disciple?"