Meanwhile, three hunters watched the direction Chen Xun had gone, their eyes flickering.
One of them, a wiry man, swallowed and said:
"Big brother, second brother, by my reckoning, that black tiger could sell for at least a hundred gold!"
That was a hundred gold coins! A fortune that could flood the heavens!
Converted to silver coins, that was ten thousand. Converted to copper coins, that was a million! Enough to bury someone alive!
Mortal currency conversion: (1 gold coin = 100 silver coins = 10,000 copper coins)
In Little River Town, a bowl of plain noodles cost only three copper coins. A million copper coins... how many bowls of noodles would that buy...?
They could never finish them. Never.
"A hundred gold... a hundred gold! If the three of us had a hundred gold, we wouldn't have to worry for the rest of our lives. We wouldn't have to keep risking our necks hunting, either."
Another man, middle-aged and sporting a full beard, drew a deep breath as he spoke.
Then the wiry man and the bearded man both turned toward the bald, burly man between them, whose face bore a knife scar. Their faces were full of conflict.
"Big brother..."
The bald man was the eldest, named Da Wei. The bearded man was the second, named Xu Qiang. The wiry man was the youngest, called Skinny Monkey.
These three hunters were not natives of Little River Town. They had come from elsewhere and settled here after finding that Little River Peak had enough resources to keep them fed.
Several years had passed since they settled here. In fact, they had arrived even before Chen Xun.
Seeing the way the two were looking at him, Da Wei's gaze shifted slightly. He pulled them into a corner and snapped:
"You actually dare entertain that idea? Have you got a death wish? We've lived in Little River Town for years, and we've all seen how the authorities operate. Do you really think they just sit around eating for nothing?"
Xu Qiang and Skinny Monkey gave bitter smiles at his words.
Xu Qiang said, "You can say that, big brother, but Skinny Monkey and I don't believe you aren't tempted. That's a hundred gold! We couldn't earn that much in our whole lives!"
Da Wei faltered. Of course he was burning with envy too, but he still said gravely, "Whatever happens, I won't break the law! If we do something like that, there'll be no place for us in Little River Town anymore. And if we get caught... I don't want to spend the rest of my life in prison!"
However Da Wei looked at it, the risk was far too great!
Truthfully, after living in Little River Town for these past few years, Da Wei had come to think of it as home. He was not wealthy, but at least he would not starve, nor did he have to wander from place to place without a roof to call his own as he once had.
As Da Wei saw it, he only needed to keep honestly saving money for a while longer, until he had enough to find a wife in Little River Town. Then he could live out his days in peace.
Skinny Monkey grew anxious and hurriedly said, "Big brother, we're not from Little River Town in the first place! At worst, we can just leave after this job! With that money, where couldn't the three of us live comfortably?"
"Exactly, big brother. Sure, we have enough food and clothes now, but I want a good life too. With that money, all three of us could marry pretty wives!"
Xu Qiang spoke quickly too, his face brimming with dreams of the future, as though the hundred gold were already in his hands.
Da Wei looked at Xu Qiang and Skinny Monkey, then sighed.
Though the three were not brothers by blood, their bond was stronger than that of true brothers. After surviving so many dangerous hunts together over the years, theirs was a friendship forged by entrusting one another with their lives.
"Second brother, third brother, I..."
Da Wei hesitated, unable to finish.
"Oh, big brother, enough hemming and hawing! Just give us a straight answer. Are you in or not? Let's make this clear first: even if you won't do it, Skinny Monkey and I will. After all these years, a chance to soar to riches and glory has finally landed right before us. We don't want to let it slip away!" Xu Qiang said solemnly.
Skinny Monkey nodded repeatedly. "The bold feast till they burst, while the timid starve to death. Riches are found amid danger. Let's stake it all!"
At those words, Da Wei glanced around, overcome with emotion.
What he found hardest to leave behind was this little town that had given him a sense of warmth...
Seeing Da Wei like this, Skinny Monkey pondered for a moment. Suddenly, inspiration struck. He raised a finger and said excitedly:
"Hey! Big brother, second brother, I have a plan!"
Xu Qiang blinked. "Skinny Monkey, you're usually such a dimwit, and now you've actually thought up a plan? Let's hear it!"
"Heh heh." Skinny Monkey grinned, then glanced at Da Wei. "One look tells me big brother can't bear to leave Little River Town. Honestly, second brother and I feel the same way. In that case, why don't we just stay?"
Stay?
Break the law, commit robbery, and still stay?
What did he mean?
Would the authorities tolerate them? Impossible.
Skinny Monkey said smugly, "Big brother, second brother, I bet you've been thinking about nothing but how to flee Little River Town after the robbery, right?"
Da Wei and Xu Qiang exchanged a glance.
What else would we do?
This was not some children's game of playing house. One wrong move could land them in prison.
Skinny Monkey said sinisterly, "Big brother, second brother, you've got it wrong. That black tiger was hunted down by the three of us in the first place, so how would we be breaking the law? Couldn't Chen Xun have stolen the black tiger we killed while we weren't looking?"
At his words, Da Wei's and Xu Qiang's pupils contracted, and a chill crept up their backs.
Skinny Monkey's scheme was far too sinister, far too... shameless.
Da Wei rubbed his bald head. "But third brother, Chen Xun already said an Immortal killed it. Plenty of townsfolk were there and heard him. We..."
Skinny Monkey said disdainfully, "Does something become true just because Chen Xun says so? Empty words without proof-who would believe him? An Immortal, no less! Are Immortals that easy to encounter?"
Da Wei and Xu Qiang fell silent.
Though Skinny Monkey's plan was rather underhanded, it really did seem workable...
Brilliant, even.
This way, not only would they stand a good chance of getting the black tiger, but the authorities would not hunt them down, and they could continue living in Little River Town.
As for Chen Xun, a scholar with skinny arms and legs, they were not afraid of him in the slightest.
Presumably, he would not even dare think of revenge. In the end, he could only swallow his shattered teeth along with his anger.
After thinking it through carefully, Da Wei finally gave in to temptation too. After all, they might well snare a white wolf with empty hands!
That was a hundred gold!
Da Wei immediately asked, "Third brother, what do we do next? Chen Xun is already getting ready to sell the black tiger!"
Xu Qiang said gravely, "Right, we can't let him sell it. Let's go stop him!"
Skinny Monkey waved a hand, without blushing or missing a heartbeat. "Don't rush, big brother, second brother. We were the ones who hunted that black tiger in the first place. Right is on our side... so naturally, our next step is to report it to the authorities before he does."
Da Wei and Xu Qiang froze, then nodded in turn. At the thought of the black tiger's carcass soon falling into their hands, their hearts began to race.
We're rich!
Meanwhile, Chen Xun had already dragged the black tiger to the largest restaurant in Little River Town, the Spring Breeze Restaurant.
Since the black tiger was such a rarity, a great many townsfolk had followed Chen Xun all the way there, surrounding the Spring Breeze Restaurant in rings three deep inside and out.
Someone had already gone to notify Old Li's household. Old Li and Li Yuan were probably hurrying over in excitement.
Outside the restaurant, the proprietor circled the black tiger several times, nodding in satisfaction now and then, before saying:
"Chen Xun, the Spring Breeze Restaurant is willing to buy this black tiger for a hundred and twenty gold. What do you say?"
An uproar erupted!
At that astronomical figure of a hundred and twenty gold, the townsfolk present burst into a frenzy. They stared at the black tiger, their breathing quickening and their eyes burning red with envy.
Had Little River Town not maintained strict law and order all these years, quite a few of them would probably have rushed forward to snatch it.
Chen Xun nodded. "Agreed. That's a very fair price."
Chen Xun understood that the other party was a businessman. After buying the black tiger, he would probably transport it to another large town or city to resell for a profit-a substantial one, at that. But that was only right.
"Heh heh, good." Delighted, the proprietor took out his money pouch and prepared to pay. Truthfully, even he felt a sharp pang at parting with a hundred and twenty gold. But the thought of recouping his costs and making a hefty profit on the resale soothed him.
Just as the proprietor was about to hand the money pouch to Chen Xun under the crowd's envious gazes, a stern shout suddenly rang out:
"The Yamen is investigating a case! Bystanders, stand aside!"
Before you continue