Making a Killing

Making a fortune depends on how and from whom.

Liu San's plan was brilliant; he set his sights on the managers and others.

"That bastard took Spirit Stone we'd saved up. Now, if we wait for those cultivators to dig them up, we'll only get low-grade Spirit Stone, nothing of value. We might as well lure that manager over and squeeze a hefty sum out of him!"

These days, "Liu San" is very persuasive; he only needs to start to get everyone's emotions going.

However, some questioned, "That manager has quite a few experts around him. Look at all these cultivators, they were all captured by his men. We're just a few people, what can we possibly do?"

"That's right, and besides, it's uncertain how much money can be squeezed out of that manager!" someone echoed.

"Then you're mistaken. That steward has far more valuable items than our leader. His men kidnapped so many cultivators, and he took all their valuables early on. The Spirit Stone we mine each month are also taken by him to deliver to our master. Do you think he wouldn't skimp on some of it?"

Liu San's words once again shook everyone's resolve.

"Besides, that steward is a veteran of our master's service. Our master is always generous to his subordinates. If he gave us just one of his valuables, we could live a carefree life for the rest of our days! Wouldn't it be better for us to tie him up, take his valuables, and then sneak out of Rizhao City than to live like this now?"

After Liu San said this, many people were persuaded.

However, some of the people who had previously raised doubts remained dissatisfied. "You've said so much, but you still haven't considered how to deal with the people under the manager. Those people are quite shrewd; even if we all joined forces, we might not be a match for them."

Hearing this, Cang Lian couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thankfully Sang Ying had already considered all of these people's concerns.

He immediately replied, "Solving this is simple; it just depends on whether you have the guts!"

One of the guards, who had a thick beard, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this. "We're all doomed right now, what's there to be afraid of? Just say it!"

"Liu San" then said, "We can't beat the men under the manager's command, but the Jimo Household can crush them with ease!"

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the people below immediately lit up. "You mean, we'll leak information about those people to the Jimo Household and have them help us deal with the manager's subordinates?"

"Liu San" nodded, looking confident and assured.

This method is indeed excellent. If the Jimo Household were to take action, they would definitely be able to eliminate all of the manager's subordinates. At that point, the manager would be like a bird without wings, unable to escape their grasp.

"But what if the foreman's men are gone, and he panics and flees Rizhao City, refusing to come to our mine? Or what if the foreman himself fled with the foreman?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, suddenly poured down, instantly extinguishing the fire in everyone's hearts.

Yes, what if the manager has already run away?

Liu San scoffed at this. "Someone like the manager wouldn't leave Rizhao City so early. Besides, even if he wanted to escape, he wouldn't take our boss with him. If you don't believe me, you can go find his place and see if that shop is closed!"

Indeed, in order to conceal their identities, the manager and his party did open a small shop in Rizhao City and even served as the shop's manager, which is why they earned that title.

This matter was originally kept secret, but the minor leader had always looked down on the manager and had been thinking of replacing him, so he secretly found out about this news from the manager's subordinates.

And he himself couldn't keep his mouth shut, so before long, everyone under him knew about it.

Liu San's suggestion was quickly approved by everyone. They quickly found a few clever and agile people and sent them out to find out what was going on outside.

"Liu San" further urged, "If that manager is still in the city, you should secretly reveal the whereabouts of his men to the Jimo Household, saying that these people are kidnapping ordinary people and Rogue Cultivator in the city and selling them for money!"

The group nodded quickly. They had all been persuaded by "Liu San" and naturally knew what to do.

The guards changed their clothes and quietly left the mine.

Cang Lian only breathed a sigh of relief after their figures disappeared from sight. With that, Sang Ying's plan was half successful!

The guards were already in disarray because of the foreman's "escape," and now they had no time to care about the miners.

Wen Heyu and his group were the first to notice the anomaly. Upon seeing this, they immediately gathered everyone together, preparing to take this opportunity to escape!

But as soon as he opened his mouth and revealed a hint of his meaning, everyone present, whether cultivators or mortals, hesitated and refused.

"Why is that? Now that the guards are gone, it's the perfect time for us to escape!" Wen Heyu didn't understand. Such a good opportunity was right in front of them. As long as everyone worked hard, they could leave this dark and hopeless place.

But none of them had any fighting spirit whatsoever; they seemed to have already resigned themselves to their fate.

"Heyu, don't worry. It's not that we don't want to leave, it's just that the situation is unclear. We still have the Spirit-Sealing Lock on us. If we run into those guards, we might be able to save our lives, but those mortals..."

It was Wen Heyu's Rogue Cultivator friend who spoke. Unlike Wen Heyu, who came from a major sect, he had suffered a lot since childhood and was well aware of the guards' contempt for mortals.

When cultivators make mistakes, their opponents might spare their lives, perhaps because of their strong physique. But for mortals, making mistakes only means being beaten to death.

These mortals naturally wanted to go home, but they preferred to live rather than risk their lives with Wen Heyu.

A friend's words awakened Wen Heyu, and he silently lowered his head, a sense of powerlessness rising in his heart once again.

He had always grown up under the care of his teachers and fellow disciples. The elders of the sect always told him that as long as he held a sword, no matter how dangerous the road ahead, he could simply cut it down.

But his first experience on the road taught him that human will cannot always prevail over nature.

Wen Heyu sighed, his initial enthusiasm slowly cooling down. "I understand. I will definitely find a way to get everyone out of here!"

His tone was firm, it was unclear whether he was making a guarantee to these people or to himself.

The crowd quickly dispersed; now that they were finally free from guards, they seized the opportunity to find good spots to slack off.

Only Wen Heyu, head hanging low, hid in a corner, probably still thinking about how to rescue this group of people.

Sang Ying sighed, but made no move to comfort him. In her opinion, this blow might not be a bad thing for Wen Heyu.

The Spirit-Sealing Lock was a real headache for her.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhuoxue's voice rang out again soon. "Little cultivator, I have some good news for you, would you like to hear it?"