CHAPTER 139: CHAPTER 113: COOKED TO PERFECTION

Snowflakes fluttered; it was the first snow of the year in Baojiao County, coming down just as the year was ending.

Inside the house, Chen Ku sniffed around and soon found several items closely related to Zhao Chuanzu’s scent. One of them was Zhao Chuanzu’s private seal. There was also a sandalwood box the size of a pillow, which Chen Ku opened to find several porcelain vases. He sniffed each in turn.

"Two Qi Boosting Pills, three Life Blood Pills, three Restoring Yuan Pills... These are all top-grade pills from the Inner Qi Realm. Each is worth at least three to five hundred taels of silver, even more potent than ordinary Treasure Herb... The eight pills are comparable to the previously consumed eight ’Seven-Colored Pearl Fruits’..."

Chen Ku realized they must be Zhao Chuanzu’s cultivation ’staples’. Further searching the box, he found silver notes amounting to over five thousand taels.

Carrying over five thousand taels while going out is not considered a small amount.

He stuffed all of Zhao Chuanzu’s possessions into his pocket.

However, holding Zhao Chuanzu’s private seal, he knew it was the most valuable thing in the box.

With it, he could borrow the influence of the Zhao Family.

Meanwhile, in the room next door, he also found a sword, sharp enough to cut hairs in the wind.

It could definitely be classified as a top-grade sharp weapon, integrated with ’Mixed Steel’.

A while back, when he was repairing his own Refined Iron Dragon Stick at Firewood Iron Shop, he had learned a little about the classification of weapon quality.

Ordinary swords are just weapons.

If special materials like crow sink sand, Mixed Steel, or Iron Essence are added, they can be regarded as ’sharp weapons’.

Above these sharp weapons was the Water-Fire Dragon Head Staff wielded by his master, classified as a ’Famous Weapon’, indicating extremely high quality and fame; some Famous Weapons are even more renowned than the individuals who wield them.

As for what lies above Famous Weapons, there are even more formidable weapons known as Divine Weapons, which cannot be found in Baojiao County.

It seems I overestimated Zhao Chuanzu. Initially, I thought that as a son from such a prominent family, he would have something like the ’Skin Bear Storage Bag’ that Counselor Sui used, but alas.

Chen Ku had been fixated on such a wondrous ’Storage Bag’ ever since he saw Counselor Sui store four basin-sized blood spheres into a water-bag-sized pouch that day.

Every time he transformed, handling weapons and clothes was too troublesome.

If he could have something with storage capabilities, it would save him a great deal of concern.

CREAK. CREAK.

Chen Ku stepped out of the dilapidated house, treading on the snowflakes, and said to Huang Muxia, "Alright, I will be troubling Chief Huang tonight."

"You’re too polite. Please, follow me."

Huang Muxia led the way, and half an hour later, they arrived at the Twin Rivers Guild by horse carriage.

"How are your injuries today, Chief Huang?" Chen Ku asked casually.

Huang Muxia’s expression darkened slightly as he said, "That old man Yang Luochen is indeed overbearing. If Thirteen Young Master Xie hadn’t helped me relieve some pressure, that strike would have broken at least three or four of my ribs."

Serves you right, Chen Ku thought.

Actually, his decision to transform into Zhao Chuanzu and follow Huang Muxia to the Twin Rivers Guild was a spur-of-the-moment idea.

Originally, his only thought was to ensure that no one would suspect him in Zhao Chuanzu’s death, but when Huang Muxia mentioned their relationship, an idea struck him—he could exploit this identity.

Not seizing some advantages for himself would mean he transformed for nothing.

Upon reaching his temporary guest room, Chen Ku again asked casually, "I heard the Twin Rivers Guild can provide advances for guests; I wonder if I could borrow some funds temporarily?"

He was indeed curious to see how much the relationship between Zhao Chuanzu and the Twin Rivers Guild was worth in silver.

"Borrowing money?"

Huang Muxia was slightly stunned. "With Young Master Zhao’s wealth, do you still need to borrow money?"

"If it were a small amount, of course I wouldn’t bother Chief Huang. It’s just that I can’t swallow my anger towards that Chen Ku."

Chen Ku covered his mouth and coughed. "Though it was not he who came to assassinate me tonight, I still can’t let him off. However, I can’t take action against him myself, as that would be too conspicuous. So... I plan to offer a high bounty for his life at the Grey Clothes Tower."

"Grey Clothes Tower?"

Huang Muxia was momentarily taken aback, then slowly said, "Chen Ku already has a bounty of ten thousand taels at the Grey Clothes Tower..."

"Ten thousand taels? How could that possibly kill Chen Ku?"

Chen Ku boldly stated, "Chen Ku caused me to lose one hundred thousand taels. Why should I give him that money when I could use it to buy his life instead? Once he’s dead, I won’t need to give him the shop. I believe money sways people’s hearts; one hundred thousand taels is enough to entice Martial Practitioners from the Third or Fourth Realms to take his life."

"One hundred thousand taels?"

Huang Muxia was initially shocked. Was Chen Ku truly worth such a high price for a bounty? But when he heard "Zhao Chuanzu" explain that it was because he didn’t want to hand over the shop worth one hundred thousand taels that he had lost to Chen Ku—preferring to ’settle the debt with death’ by spending the one hundred thousand on an assassin rather than giving it to Chen Ku—he pondered for a moment, then said, "This..."

Chen Ku intentionally raised his eyebrows and said, "What’s the matter? With my, Zhao Chuanzu’s, and the Ancient Elephant Sect’s reputation, can’t I get a temporary advance of one hundred thousand taels from Chief Huang? I just don’t have that much on me right now. If you don’t trust me, my private seal is here; we can write an IOU."

Saying so, he pulled out Zhao Chuanzu’s private seal.

Seeing this, Huang Muxia, although convinced, still waved his hand, saying, "What are you talking about, nephew? Your reputation isn’t worth just one hundred thousand taels. I’ll make some arrangements for this money; you can collect it from the accounts tomorrow."

"Then, I greatly appreciate it, esteemed uncle," Chen Ku smiled and thanked with a cupped fist bow.

As it was getting late, Huang Muxia said, "Nephew, rest early. Tomorrow, Elder Liang may be back; we’ll report to the officials then."

Having said that, he left, mulling over the words of the Ancient Elephant Sect’s young scion.

Huang Muxia mused to himself. Spending one hundred thousand taels to put a bounty on a youngster from the Inner Qi Realm? It’s true that one who doesn’t manage the household doesn’t know the cost of firewood and rice, and a prodigal son feels no pain selling off family fortunes. Ten thousand taels could even put a bounty on a Fourth Realm Meridian-Opening expert. Young people really are hot-headed.

In the Jianghu, where there is Jianghu, there are grievances.

Like Yang Luochen of Medicine King Hall, Li Yutang of the Fish and Dragon Association, and Thirteen Young Master Xie—they were all on the bounty list of the Grey Clothes Tower.

There were quite a few in the county who hated him, Huang Muxia.

In the Grey Clothes Tower, the bounty on Huang Muxia himself was only five hundred thousand taels. Perhaps because this price wasn’t considered high enough, no Blade-Handlers or assassins dared to venture to the Twin Rivers Guild to assassinate him.

But who was he?

And who was Chen Ku?

Even with some mysterious bloodline and root bone, if he hasn’t matured, his strength is still firmly within the Inner Qi Realm...

An idea struck Huang Muxia. After Zhao Chuanzu issues the bounty of one hundred thousand taels, should I seize the moment and arrange for the experts of the Twin Rivers Guild to take on this mission directly? By then, after Zhao Chuanzu repays the money, we could still make a clean profit of one hundred thousand taels. Actually, this business seemed quite feasible. Since I already have a significant feud with Medicine King Hall, and today, because of Chen Ku, I even took a blow from that old fellow Yang Luochen’s staff, killing a True Heritage Disciple of Medicine King Hall would not only let me vent my anger but also net a clean one hundred thousand taels. Why not do it?

[Huang Muxia harbors malicious intent toward the Diagram Master...]

Chen Ku felt the Transformation Diagram’s alert inside the room and, with a jolt, subconsciously wondered if his transformation had been exposed. Without hesitation, he transformed into a Flower Fox Mink and slipped through the door gap. But he waited outside the house for a long time and saw no movement from Huang Muxia.

Suddenly, comprehension dawned.

Could it be that he was tempted by the one hundred thousand taels bounty I fabricated just now?

He sorted it out.

In front of Huang Muxia, he was in the guise of Zhao Chuanzu.

And the alert from the Transformation Diagram might have been a warning concerning his true self.

But even so, Chen Ku barely slept that night. Early the next morning, he went to the accounts office of the Twin Rivers Guild, took the silver notes for one hundred thousand taels, and fled.

When Huang Muxia woke up in the morning, a servant informed him, "Young Master Zhao has withdrawn the one hundred thousand taels in silver notes."

He had a good idea of what was happening, so he didn’t want to inquire too much. He only asked, "Where is Young Master Zhao?"

The servant continued, "Young Master Zhao took the silver early in the morning and then left the guest room."

Huang Muxia frowned.

Having been in business for many years, he instinctively smelled something fishy.

So he asked subconsciously, "Did he write an IOU when he withdrew the money?"

"Yes, Young Master Zhao used his private seal to stamp the IOU," the servant replied.

Huang Muxia let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Having the IOU was good.

Not to mention that Zhao Chuanzu wasn’t someone who couldn’t repay. Even if something untoward really happened, he could take the IOU to the Ancient Elephant Sect to claim the debt.

Huang Muxia smiled and instructed his servant, "In the next few days, help me keep an eye on any changes in the bounties at the Grey Clothes Tower. Bring me a report daily. And if Young Master Zhao returns, inform me immediately."

***

"One hundred thousand taels!"

When Chen Ku, holding a thick stack of fresh silver notes still smelling of ink, returned home in his own form, he looked at the large sum in his hand and had only one thought. No wonder telecommunication scams were so rampant in my past life; preying on acquaintances is a trick that’s truly timeless, in any world.

Thinking of how Huang Muxia, in collusion with Zhao Chuanzu, had schemed against him, and how Huang Muxia had even planned to have him assassinated last night once the bounty was posted...

A faint smile crossed Chen Ku’s lips.

Consider these one hundred thousand taels an early compensation offered to me. Wait until I, Chen, reach the Fourth Realm—no, the Third Realm... and I will slaughter you!

Even so, such a windfall still left him somewhat unsettled.

This amount of silver was roughly half a month’s revenue from Medicine King Hall selling pills. He had just talked his way into acquiring it from his enemy; truthfully, it felt exhilarating.

One hundred thousand taels of silver was enough for Chen Ku to expand the Chen Family Iron Bank by four or five times its current size.

And before Chen Ku had time to process this, as soon as it was daybreak, the eighty thousand taels of silver that Xie Qingfeng from Firewood Iron Shop had promised were also delivered in silver notes.

"Our Thirteen Young Master said, his skill was inferior, so he accepts the loss from the bet. If opportunity permits in the future, he invites Young Hero Chen to visit his residence."

Chen Ku accepted the compensation from Firewood Iron Shop.

Listening to the speaker’s words, he thought, This Xie Qingfeng is indeed an upright man; it looks like he will definitely be the future Sect Leader of Firewood Iron Shop.

Thinking now that he had a total of one hundred eighty thousand taels in his hands—enough to buy a dozen or twenty shops and convert them all into assets—he might well become known as ’Half-Street Chen’.

But he hadn’t forgotten.

To conduct business on that scale, money alone wasn’t enough; background and real strength were the fundamentals.

How could a kid in the Inner Qi Realm possibly dominate half a street in Baojiao County?

Unless he was one of the Top Ten Experts of Baojiao.

Strength, capital, background, connections, and the methods and secret formulas needed for conducting business—all were essential.

Medicine King Hall, Firewood Iron Shop, and the Fish and Dragon Association, each dominating a trade and even selling to other prefectures, relied not just on manpower and money. More importantly, they possessed exclusive, monopolistic assets like Pill Prescriptions, secret weapons forging techniques, and control of docks—things they would never share.

But Chen Ku didn’t feel that reaching that echelon was too difficult.

I already possess the Fire Control ability... More abilities will come. Given time... I will eventually establish a power in Baojiao County comparable to the three giants, becoming a master of a trade myself...

If that day ever came, with the foundation he had built in the county seat, even if he aimed for larger territories like Qiu Dragon Mansion, he wouldn’t be easily bullied. He would have his enterprises to support him.