Chapter 46: The Great Boss is Wise

The shout startled Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang; what the heck, was there someone else?

Soon, a figure stirred in the woods behind her. Before long, someone emerged whose tattered clothing, made of old, worn material, looked very familiar to Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang. Upon seeing the person nailed to the tree and Cen Futong wailing on the ground, the newcomer was visibly startled.

The newcomer was short and thin, with dark skin. Their attire immediately reminded Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang of the Land of Exile. They also recognized the man. Wu Jinliang glanced back and exclaimed, "Skinny Monkey, why are you here?"

The man called Skinny Monkey grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and nodded respectfully. "You guys cleaned me out, making it hard for me to recover," he said, maintaining a somewhat reserved demeanor. "But I, Monkey, am truly blessed. Fortune descended from the heavens! Last night, someone suddenly found me, gave me a windfall, and then I was released."

These words shocked Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang; this person had clearly been brought to verify their identities. The crucial point was that they had only arrived in Zhaotian City yesterday, making contact with Liyun Tower around noon. Yet, that very night, someone dispatched people into the Life Prison, located their acquaintance, and brought them out. Such effortless entry and exit from the Life Prison implied extraordinary power. This was not something a mere Zhaotian City brothel could achieve. Coupled with Fenchi and Xiang Lan'er's mysterious behavior, Shi Chun suddenly realized he had stumbled into a huge predicament.

Instant regret washed over him. This time, he truly regretted it, realizing he had probably provoked people he shouldn't have, individuals and situations far beyond his comprehension. He wished he could slap himself. In the Land of Exile, not seizing an opportunity meant isolating oneself, but this wasn't the Life Prison; his habit of grasping at every chance he saw needed to change. Yet, he felt helpless. Who could have known that simply taking over a brothel's transaction would lead to such a mess? He felt that things in the outside world were far too complicated. However, regret was useless. Just as in the Land of Exile, the most crucial thing now was to preserve his life and survive!

Skinny Monkey glanced at the pair holding the hostage, then exclaimed, "I say, you two, why are you still practicing your old trade out here? I hear that getting caught doing this outside leads to severe punishment. It seems you can't do anything but robbery."

Wu Jinliang snorted, "Spring, this fool doesn't even realize he's stepped into a pit and is about to be silenced. He actually thinks it's a blessing from heaven." He deliberately spoke loudly, ensuring they heard him. When it came to being subtly devious, he was second to none.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Skinny Monkey's expression changed, even through his dark skin. He nervously looked at Fenchi. Fenchi ignored him and asked a superfluous question, "Is it them?"

Skinny Monkey nodded timidly. "Yes, that's them. The one holding the hostage is Shi Chun, the former boss of East Nine Plains. The tall one with the big saber is Shi Chun's number one henchman, Wu Jinliang. Don't let his height fool you; he's actually the most petty-minded person, the worst person in all of East Nine Plains."

This was clearly an attempt to throw them under the bus, as if he feared not dying himself. Wu Jinliang immediately cursed, "My bad luck was meeting your mother and creating a disaster like you! Spring, I told you, we shouldn't have let him escape back then!"

Shi Chun said, "He makes no difference, whether he's here or not. Why bother with someone who's about to die?" These words again struck fear into Skinny Monkey, who secretly glanced at Fenchi beside him.

Shi Chun swayed the captive Xiang Lan'er slightly and asked loudly, "Who exactly are you two?"

Fenchi ignored him, intent only on uncovering Shi Chun's background before deciding her next move. Crucially, she was baffled by how the Saintess had been captured; it was so bizarre that she dared not act rashly. She feared that if there was some hidden scheme, her impulsive intervention might endanger the Saintess's life. Unlike Shi Chun's group, who recklessly grabbed at every opportunity, she wouldn't be so impulsive. She continued to question Skinny Monkey, "Are they connected to Bowang Tower?"

Skinny Monkey nodded repeatedly. "Yes, they're quite close. Shi Chun is pursuing the daughter of the owner, Lan Qiaoyan..." He understood this woman was extraordinary; someone who could effortlessly retrieve people from the Life Prison was certainly not ordinary. Thus, he spilled the story of Shi Chun pursuing Miao Yilan like beans from a bamboo tube. He didn't, however, recount the story of Wu Jinliang calling someone "Mommy." Not because he chose not to, but because he genuinely didn't know. Wu Jinliang himself had never dared to flaunt Lan Qiaoyan's name openly in the Life Prison; he only used it privately and wouldn't risk spreading rumors, especially given his frequent involvement in robbery.

After hearing Skinny Monkey's account, Fenchi remained skeptical. "Is it really that simple? Why would someone with such an ordinary background head towards Wukang Mountain?" There was clearly something else going on!

Suddenly, she extended her five fingers and, with an ethereal grasp, pulled the wailing Cen Futong from the ground, sending him flying towards her. A living person weighing over a hundred catties was thus levitated through the air. This display of cultivation was truly astonishing, making Shi Chun, who was holding the hostage, even more vigilant. The critical factor was the opponent's exceptionally high cultivation. He didn't even dare to run; the slightest misstep could lead to his death. Such a level of cultivation meant one could kill a person with a mere flick of a finger. His mind raced, searching for a way to save himself.

The pale-faced Cen Futong had just managed to stem the bleeding from his foot wound, sealing the pressure points, when in the blink of an eye, he found himself in Fenchi's grasp. Fenchi grabbed him by the nape of his neck and pressed, "Tell me, why did you come to attack my young lady?" In front of outsiders, she wouldn't call her the Saintess; Xiang Lan'er's identity was a highly confidential matter.

"Payment upon delivery; I came to collect. He was going to sell Xiang Lan'er to me..." Cen Futong was remarkably quick to explain, requiring little coercion. Pointing at Shi Chun, he recounted the entire incident. The truth, once revealed, utterly astounded Fenchi and Xiang Lan'er. How could such a thing possibly happen? These masked guys ran here just to kidnap Xiang Lan'er and deliver her to Lu Taizhen? And the guy holding Xiang Lan'er hostage got involved just to make a profit? They just emerged from the Land of Exile and are already involved in this? Could it be any more preposterous? How dare they?

They believed Cen Futong; his hastily told story was logically consistent, and Fenchi had indeed found bank notes for two hundred thousand Tan gold on him. These guys actually came for a cash-on-delivery transaction! The problem was, Xiang Lan'er had indeed fallen into their hands. Fenchi was somewhat exasperated. If Xiang Lan'er hadn't ordered those two dealt with, and if her own people hadn't followed, the esteemed Saintess might genuinely have ended up in Lu Taizhen's bed. Little did she know, that was highly unlikely.

"Spineless," Wu Jinliang spat, even with his back turned, naturally cursing Cen Futong. He then quickly glanced back at the bank notes in Fenchi's hand, unwilling to let go, and muttered, "Spring, that's our money."

"Two hundred thousand gold..." Skinny Monkey couldn't help but murmur softly, a look of admiration welling up in his eyes as he gazed at Shi Chun. He truly admired him. To execute such a grand scheme right after leaving the Land of Exile, enough to live off for three years after just one deal—he was truly worthy of being the infamous boss of East Nine Plains. It was no injustice that he had lost to this man.

Shi Chun's lips twitched. Cen Futong's words had just given him an idea, providing him some confidence in a way to save himself. He suddenly said loudly and unhurriedly, "Brother Cen, I'm truly sorry, but I didn't bring that deed of sale with me. I had planned to hand her over to you first, let you pay a partial amount, and then you would go elsewhere to pay the remaining half and receive the deed. Now it seems Lu Taizhen won't get the woman in my hands, and I won't get your money."

As he spoke, he swayed the warm, soft woman in his arms. "You won't get into Wukang Mountain either! If your only background were from a brothel and you were virtuous, you'd still have a great chance to turn things around. Since you dared to go, you must have made preparations there. But if my brother and I can't leave alive, then the situation will be different. The matter of your deed of sale will be exposed. At that point, no matter what methods you employ or arrangements you've made in Wukang Mountain, Wukang Mountain will never permit a woman of your brothel background, who belongs to another, to enter. Bian Jixiong would be even less likely to agree, and even Bian Weikang would have no reason to keep you by his side, as you are another man's woman. By the heavenly laws, without the owner's permission, Wukang Mountain, no matter how bold, would not dare to openly take another man's woman! All the effort you invested in Bian Weikang was simply to use his status to enter Wukang Mountain, wasn't it? That's his only purpose."

He spat inwardly, realizing their thinking was exactly like his own. This was why he had immediately guessed it. If, at this point, he still couldn't discern that the opposing party was targeting Wukang Mountain, then his years as the boss of East Nine Plains would have been utterly wasted.

"Hahaha!" Wu Jinliang burst into wildly triumphant laughter after hearing this. "The Boss is brilliant! That's right, just try and lay a hand on us! We're not so easily messed with!"

Upon hearing this, Fenchi also couldn't help herself and called out to Xiang Lan'er, "Miss, didn't you say the deed of sale was destroyed?" She hoped the other party's eyes could give her the answer. Xiang Lan'er couldn't move or speak, only her eyes could, but they moved erratically, unable to give a clear hint, because she herself wasn't sure anymore.

Shi Chun said loudly, "It was destroyed, I destroyed it myself, right in front of your young lady. Jinliang, where did you get the stationery to fake that deed of sale? Tell them the place clearly, so if we die later, they'll at least have a place to verify it."

Wu Jinliang, with his back turned, swung his saber, his mouth stretching into a wide grin, and chuckled, "It was called something like Lin...記, I don't remember the exact name, but the place is easy to find. Stationery is one of their main products, and the shopkeeper is an old man with white hair. There's a large glass cover on the counter, and it's not far from Liyun Tower anyway. I remember the shopkeeper wanted to see what I was writing then. I just tossed him a piece of Tan gold and told him to stand aside. Spring, wasn't I generous? I bet he has a good impression of me; you can find out if you just ask, hahaha!"