Chapter 150: Winner Takes All
Chen Shun’an rowed the boat alone to the center of the Pearl Gathering waters, where Tanka Fishermen were all busy Pearl Gathering all around.
Due to the black water’s piercing chill and the bone-chilling cold, Pearl Gathering was always only done at noon on calm, windless, clear-skied days, but after just two hours, they had to come ashore.
Every boat would have the boat captain holding the rope.
Chen Shun’an was mainly there as a precaution.
Chen Shun’an saw that no one was paying attention to this side.
He cast down the fishing rod, pretending to scoop water for the fish cage, but secretly released the Golden Scaled Perch and Silver Scholar.
That Golden Scaled Perch still carefully held a Golden Head Overlord skilled at treasure hunting in its mouth.
“Do a good job, and the Qi Eating Insect will be fed sooner or later!”
Chen Shun’an silently encouraged it, habitually painting a pie.
Demonic fish in the water plus treasure hunting grasshoppers was simply the perfect combination for underwater treasure hunting!
Wasn’t this better than an old man like Chen Shun’an doing it personally, turning into a white strip in the waves?
The other martial artists were still using primitive methods, holding steel forks and diving into the river water, repeatedly searching for treasures in the Sancha River.
Meanwhile, Chen Shun’an had already started acting as a ‘capitalist’, exploiting the surplus value of the Golden Scaled Perch, Silver Scholar, and Golden Head Overlord.
The two fish and one insect quickly vanished into the deep black river water, disappearing from sight.
Chen Shun’an fished on the river, for half an hour.
Air force.
But Lin Shou Zhuo arrived.
Lin Shou Zhuo wielded a bamboo pole, tapped the shallow water edge, kicked off with both feet, and with tremendous force, flew from the shore like a cannonball, landing heavily on the sampan.
Ripples suddenly rose, and the fishing line snapped.
The fish that had finally bitten the bait was immediately startled and swam away.
Chen Shun’an looked at Lin Shou Zhuo with annoyance and said,
“Instructor Lin, Chen Mou finally hooked an Ox Horn Pomfret, you have to compensate me!”
Ox Horn Pomfret?
Lin Shou Zhuo was stunned for a moment.
You hadn’t even reeled it in, and you already knew it was an Ox Horn Pomfret?
Chen Shun’an also noticed Lin Shou Zhuo’s fluctuating breath, surging blood tide, and a strong fishy smell emanating from him, frowning as he said,
“Injured?”
“A little bit.”
“Who did it?”
“Jiu Chan Hui.”
Lin Shou Zhuo walked to Chen Shun’an’s side, saw his fish basket was empty with more water than fish, nodded in satisfaction, and then said,
“I went to fight him, didn’t win, but at least I vented my anger!”
Chen Shun’an suddenly understood.
It must be that after Lin Shou Zhuo finished his task and returned to the Sancha River, he heard the news, especially how Water Carrier under Guo Guanfu had been making trouble for Sun Xiao and others, so he went to settle the score.
Lin Shou Zhuo said: “That old bald donkey Jiu Chan Hui has profound cultivation, thick palm force, and is among the strongest in Slay Two Thieves, even close to Slaying Three Bandits! I fought him for five rounds and regretfully lost.”
Regretfully lost?
Chen Shun’an gave Lin Shou Zhuo a bland look.
Why does it feel like you’re a bit proud and complacent?
Chen Shun’an shook his head and said,
“There’s a saying: no bald, no poison; no poison, no bald; turn bald turn poison, turn poison turn bald. These lamas and monks are all rotten to the core, not easy to deal with, so unless necessary, don’t bother with them.”
What Chen Shun’an didn’t say was that the Sacred Dynasty took Esoteric Buddhism shamans as the state religion, so these lamas’ backgrounds were probably even more mysterious than he imagined.
Lin Shou Zhuo listened and became a bit anxious, saying,
“Not bother? Old Chen, we’ve been beaten at our door and had our faces stepped on. Have you heard about the higher-ups? The position of next wellhead has been snatched by that bastard Guo Guanfu! Our days ahead won’t be easy.”
Anxious?
Chen Shun’an looked at the river surface with surging undercurrents and rolling white waves upon hearing this.
The fishing line would tighten and loosen at times, who knew what kind of fish would bite next.
Chen Shun’an said faintly,
“What’s there to be anxious about? Just trust the Landlord.”
If Zhao Guangxi couldn’t even handle this bit of trouble, the grass on his grave would be two meters high by now.
Zhao Guangxi could still hold on!
……
Guo Guanfu’s death news, unexpectedly, did not spread immediately throughout Wuqing County.
Logically, such a person’s sudden death should cause a storm across the city.
But Bao Wenbin, Zhuang Jun, and Kong Ling had a tacit understanding, joining hands to suppress the matter, even ‘using the emperor to command the vassals’, immediately appeasing Guo Old Madam and her heirs.
Then they ordered all the maids and guards in the mansion not to leak it.
Violators, slay!
And the other merchant leaders who attended the banquet, with the mindset of fewer troubles better, hurriedly left and chose to keep silent.
Guo Guanfu seemed dead, but also not dead.
Bao Wenbin said: “Thanks to Master Guo’s many years of cultivation, I wish to stay and help the eldest young master take over the well business, trying to stabilize the situation.”
Zhuang Jun had already packed his travel expenses, prepared a horse-drawn carriage, and brought his family.
Zhuang Jun said gravely: “Everyone, I plan to head south to seek another path.”
Kong Ling was silent for a moment, then said: “I plan to go to Ding Fu Village and seek refuge with Lord Ding. Please forgive me, everyone; if Lord Ding asks later, I can only tell the truth.”
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; each goes their own way.
As for that lama Jiu Chan Hui……
This guy was somewhat arrogant and had gaps with the three during their interactions, so the three tacitly kept him in the dark.
Several days passed.
At Crouching Tiger Well, under the well shed, shadows blocked the sun, with only the crisp sound of dripping water heard.
Zhao Guangxi held a Black Chess Piece, with a green stone chessboard in front of him.
And across from him sat an old man whose face was almost devoid of flesh, nearly showing his skull.
No one knew how many years this man had lived; he was full of decaying aura, with brown spots all over his face, blackish-purple lips, without a shred of vitality.
If not for his eyes still open and his chest occasionally rising and falling, one would really think he had kicked the bucket.
“Elder Feng, if there’s no other choice, we can only ask Elder Feng to step in.”
Zhao Guangxi placed his piece with a clack, Black Chess occupying the right upper star point, his tone respectful.
“Young Landlord, this old servant has served as a servant his whole life, attending the Old Zhao Family for nearly a hundred years. If this decrepit body can still be of use, it would repay the kindness of the old Landlord.”
Elder Feng’s face was calm, his eyes revealing a detachment that had seen through the vicissitudes of life, as if all joys and sorrows were far from him.
Indifferent to everything.
Elder Feng placed a White Chess Piece, a small flying corner hang, intending to divide and conquer the board.
Zhao Guangxi used those twenty thousand taels of old debt to exchange for Red Fifth Master and Bai Manlou to act once, slaying Guo Guanfu.
But he never liked to bet everything on one person.
If the Guo Lu Society failed.
Then there would only be the ‘late-life Slay Five Thieves expert from Li Tan Banner carrying Immortal Fate, coming with Blood Burning Ascension’……
Although the water station’s rules strictly forbade infighting and fratricide.
But rules were meant to be broken.
Rules were precisely created and maintained by the least rule-abiding group of people.
Zhao Guangxi just needed to keep his hands clean and timely plug the mouths of the higher-ups with interests.
The two silently played chess, Black and White each seizing large areas, building formations.
Gradually, Zhao Guangxi’s chess was a step better, Black Chess gaining the upper hand, completely surrounding the White Pieces.
Almost with just one last piece, Black Chess could turn into a ferocious giant dragon, strangling and devouring all of White Chess’s big dragons and isolated pieces!
However, Elder Feng just looked faintly at the chessboard, his turbid eyes showing no sorrow or joy.
“Where is Zhao Guangxi?”
Suddenly, a stern voice came, breaking the calm.
Lan Ting Guard Qing Lin, still in his dark black battle robe, swooped down from above like a hawk, silently landing in front of Crouching Tiger Well.
Zhao Guangxi was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted, lifting his robe and hurriedly walking out of the well shed, saying with slight awe,
“So it’s Brother Qing here, what guidance do you have?”
Qing Lin’s gaze was like lightning, as if to see through Zhao Guangxi, coldly saying,
“Guo Guanfu is dead, did you kill him?”
“What, Brother Guo is dead?!”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Guangxi’s pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints, the blood draining from his face instantly, filled with shock and disbelief.
His legs went soft, he couldn’t help retreating a few steps, steadying himself against the wall, full of regret as he said,
“There must be thieves who got wind of it and struck decisively… Brother Guo died for me!!”
Zhao Guangxi suddenly looked up fiercely, as if eager to defend himself, speaking incoherently,
“Brother Qing, how could it possibly be me who killed him? Wronged! I have no old grudge or new hatred with Brother Guo, how could I be so insane? Brother Qing, your Lan Ting Guard must investigate clearly!”
Seeing Zhao Guangxi like this, a trace of doubt flashed in Qing Lin’s eyes.
Really not him?
“Cough cough cough…”
At that moment, an extremely weak coughing sound came from the shadows under the well shed.
Qing Lin then noticed the decrepit figure under the well shed.
With one glance, Qing Lin’s expression changed slightly.
From that lifeless body, he surprisingly sensed a heart-palpitating, immeasurably deep aura, like a sleeping ferocious beast.
That was an aura few in Tongzhou City could match.
Slay Five Thieves?
Zhao Guangxi’s subordinate has such a figure?
A trace of wariness flashed in Qing Lin’s eyes.
The wariness in his eyes deepened, silent for a moment, he cupped his hands and said: “…It was my presumption. I disturbed you, farewell.”
With that, Qing Lin gracefully left.
Preparing to find the next Landlord, continue bluffing and probing for evidence of hiring killers.
Watching Qing Lin’s departing figure.
“The momentum is set.”
Zhao Guangxi felt as if he had swallowed a weight, his heart instantly settling.
Because there was no evidence for this matter at all.
Ever since the new letter was held back unannounced by Ding Zhang, the Ding Fu Village steward let slip while drunk, leaking the matter.
Zhao Guangxi had never contacted the Guo Lu Society at all.
He just went to Lingguan Temple to light three incense sticks, and complained and vented a few words to the shopkeepers and water carriers below.
The Guo Lu Society brothers had their own connections, knew Zhao Guangxi’s demands, and thus proactively repaid the ‘debt’.
What Guo Guanfu didn’t know was that Consul Jiang Hui was lustful, and even more so for men.
He could use beauty traps, and Zhao Guangxi could use handsome man traps…
Now, it was time for Zhao Guangxi to win it all.
Thinking of this, Zhao Guangxi seemed to remember something, his face still showing grief, turned to the Crouching Tiger Well shopkeeper beside him and said,
“Master Guo met with a tragic accident, the dragons without a leader, this is a time of turmoil. We at the well must not be restless. You pass the order down, have all shopkeepers strictly guard the water wells.”
“Additionally, have Chen Shun’an from Grit Well take office immediately, additionally residing as Black Sand Well shopkeeper on Wusheng Street!”
“Yes, I’ll go do it now!” The shopkeeper acknowledged and hurried off.
Reward for merit.
Zhao Guangxi took this opportunity to settle Old Chen’s position.
