Man Dies for Wealth

"That bitch isn't my sister-in-law!"

Hearing Spirit Medium Wang's words, Zhao Cheng's face twitched. "All I did was speak up for the villagers and say what was fair!" he said viciously. "And what did she do? She was afraid I'd steal her limelight, so she had those cousins of mine shut me out! Now I can barely get by there! If she hadn't left me no way to live, I wouldn't have had to..."

"Heh, heh..." At Zhao Cheng's explanation, Spirit Medium Wang once again pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Clearly, she didn't believe a word.

If Zhao Cheng was as innocent as he claimed, would he have kidnapped his niece?

Seeing Spirit Medium Wang's reaction, Zhao Cheng felt his face grow hot. But on second thought, there was no need to argue about it with the old woman. He probably couldn't win an argument against a gossip like her anyway.

So Zhao Cheng changed the subject. "What do we do next? I brought you this girl, just like you said! Where's the money you promised?"

Although Yin Yunze had expected Spirit Medium Wang might be involved, only now did he understand that Zhao Cheng was merely an accomplice who had carried out the kidnapping. Spirit Medium Wang was the mastermind.

"Of course you'll get your share!" Spirit Medium Wang reassured Zhao Cheng, then added, "But I need you to do one more thing for me!"

"What? You want me to do more?" Zhao Cheng raised his voice, furious. "We agreed you'd pay me if I brought you this girl! Do you know how much risk I took? Hand over the money, now! Or I'll..."

"You'll what?" Spirit Medium Wang wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled sinisterly. "Take the girl back? I'm not afraid. How much worse could things get for me, anyway? But what about you? You stole Widow Sun's most precious treasure! You want to go back? Can you?"

"...You fucking set me up!" Zhao Cheng flew into a rage. "Old woman, don't think you can control me. If the worst comes to the worst, I'll break the net even if the fish dies, and take you down with me!"

"Young man, don't be so impulsive!" Spirit Medium Wang shook her head at Zhao Cheng's blustering threat. "I'll give you the money I promised. In fact, you'll get more than we agreed on! It's just that I haven't gotten my hands on the money yet!"

"You fucking still haven't..." Enraged, Zhao Cheng hurriedly pressed her. "Where's the money?"

"In your sister-in-law's hands."

Spirit Medium Wang glanced at the little girl over Zhao Cheng's shoulder and said confidently, "I've already made inquiries! After Widow Sun collected the payment for praying for rain from the villagers, she went to the fox immortal's temple, but she didn't offer it to the fox immortal or the Dragon Lord. She took it back home instead!

"And for some reason, Widow Sun hasn't returned to the fox immortal's temple in the day and night since. That means the money the villagers pooled to pray for rain is most likely still in her hands."

"Add the profits she squeezed out when she oversaw the grain exchange before, and I reckon she might have more than two hundred taels of gold! Given how much Widow Sun treasures the girl you've got, she'll have to hand over those two hundred taels, no matter how unwilling she is."

"Once we get our hands on those two hundred taels of gold, the three of us can split it evenly and get seventy or eighty taels each, maybe even more! With that money, we can leave this place and live out the rest of our lives in comfort anywhere!"

Hearing Spirit Medium Wang's words, even Yin Yunze was somewhat startled.

Yin Yunze hadn't expected Spirit Medium Wang to have such a clear picture of things.

Apart from somewhat overestimating the little stash Sun Qin had gained from kickbacks, she had seen through everything else.

Had she perhaps grown during this time? Or did Spirit Medium Wang simply care that much about gold?

Hearing Spirit Medium Wang's plan, Zhao Cheng showed a trace of greed, but then he thought of something and asked, "You make it sound good, but is it really that simple? Don't forget, that bitch has the fox immortal backing her now! If the fox immortal finds out..."

"Don't worry!" Spirit Medium Wang still sounded confident. "That fox immortal may be supernatural, but for some reason, it seems unable to leave the bounds of Clear Creek Village. As long as the exchange takes place outside Clear Creek Village, Widow Sun is just an ordinary woman! Never mind the gold, even the woman herself..."

At that, Spirit Medium Wang gave Zhao Cheng a sly smile. "Widow Sun may be a little older... but don't tell me you're not interested in your sister-in-law, Zhao boy! She's practically a half-immortal now. Even an old woman like me can't help feeling tempted when I look at her! Once it's done, you'll have both the woman and the money! Tie her up and take her somewhere else, and that fox immortal won't be able to do a thing to you!"

Hearing this, Zhao Cheng swallowed, and his breathing quickened. "You're sure that fox immortal can't leave Clear Creek Village? What proof do you have?"

"Heh, heh, of course I have proof. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare pull on Widow Sun's tiger whiskers, would I?"

Spirit Medium Wang looked at Zhao Cheng and shook her head. "But I can't show you! I can guarantee, though, that this information is absolutely true. Next, all you have to do is deliver a letter for me..."

Hearing Spirit Medium Wang's words, Yin Yunze was startled. He couldn't understand how Spirit Medium Wang had discovered this.

Yin Yunze had never mentioned it to either Sun Qin or Zhao Wan.

He could only say that he had underestimated Spirit Medium Wang somewhat.

Anyone who could sponge off the village for decades without being exposed had to have some skill at the petty scheming of flies and dogs.

As the saying went, the person who understood you best was often not your friend, but your enemy.

Where Yin Yunze and Sun Qin couldn't see her, there was no telling how long Spirit Medium Wang had been watching and plotting.

"...I want half!" Enticed by Spirit Medium Wang, Zhao Cheng fell silent for a moment. Then he made up his mind and gritted his teeth. "I won't agree to splitting it by the head! I want half! I'm the one who kidnapped this girl, and now you want me to deliver a letter too...

"I do all the dirty, exhausting work, and I only get a third? That's not fair! You came up with the plan, so I'm willing to split it half and half with you! But your son, Wang Laizi, hasn't done a thing. Why should he get a third too?"

"Either let Wang Laizi deliver the letter. Then he'll have done his part, and I'll accept him getting a third!" As he spoke, Zhao Cheng stared fixedly at Spirit Medium Wang. "Or you and I split it half and half!"

Although Zhao Cheng didn't know exactly what Spirit Medium Wang was planning, he had a vague feeling that delivering the letter probably wasn't as simple as it seemed!

At the very least, if Sun Qin discovered Zhao Wan was missing beforehand and sought the fox immortal's help, the risk of being exposed would increase dramatically.

One could say this was also the last obvious point of danger.

"...Fine." Spirit Medium Wang had already thought this through. After pondering for a moment, she said to Zhao Cheng, "I accept your demand for half! But you must make sure Widow Sun has read the letter and left before you come along!"

"...Fine!" After thinking it over, Zhao Cheng nodded. "It's settled, then. I'll deliver the letter, and we'll split the gold evenly!"

Just as Spirit Medium Wang and Zhao Cheng reached a preliminary agreement, Wang Laizi suddenly pointed at Yin Yunze. "Little Nannan hasn't moved for so long. She isn't dead, is she?"