Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 111 Sudden Turn, Corpse Exposed

The man who had been groping for money looked rather grim. He slowly put down a beginner's boxing manual on the table and said...
"I had originally planned to scrape together three thousand taels of silver and use it to bribe someone in the county government to redeem Master Jin... but that corrupt official surnamed Wang changed his mind and said he would only release him after five thousand taels of silver!"

Bai Manlou, who was quietly whittling a wooden sword with a knife, was furious when he heard this, and his bright eyes flashed with cold light.

"That damned official! Five thousand taels? Once we've scraped together another five thousand taels, he'll probably demand eight thousand. There's nothing more to say, let's storm the county government office and break them out of prison!"

The Jin family opera troupe was implicated by the Nationalist government and forced to suspend operations for rectification. The troupe leader, Jin, was even imprisoned and placed in a fire cage.

During this time, the Guolu Association is also trying to find ways to provide assistance.

However, the results were minimal, and even after raising enough money, it was to no avail.

The leader of the Xinzi Hall shook his head and said, "Calm down. I suspect that Wang and Rui were setting a trap to lure us in."

"so what!"

Bai Manlou said coldly, "A mere county magistrate, a dog official with no strength to even kill a chicken. The county government office is full of nothing but fast constables who only know how to bully men and women. How many tough guys are there? It's not like we're storming a military camp or kicking down a military academy. We'll join forces for a night raid, break into the county government office, rescue Master Jin, and leave. Who can stop us?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought.

After a moment, Xiao Qingchou frowned slightly and said,
"Do you need my help? Although the Divine Might Purple Thunder Cannon is not to be used lightly, I have a few other handy firearms..."

The man who had been touching the money shook his head and said, "You shouldn't make a move. You finally have a legitimate identity, so you can act as our backup. Even if we're going to break into the prison, the three of us can go."

"I'm not going! Neither can you go!"

The leader of the Xinzi Hall swept his gaze across the crowd, his expression cold and stern.
"This trip to the capital is solely for the purpose of providing medical care. I have been dutiful and have not overstepped my bounds; this is my commitment! If you suffer any losses because of the prison break, that would also be considered a breach of trust!"

"What a ridiculous letter!"

Bai Manlou's eyes were frosty as he quietly tightened his grip on the wooden sword in his hand.

Da da da……

The sound of iron-bridled horses' hooves echoed from outside the wall.

An aura of second-rate cultivation level approached from afar, passing through the alleyway separated by a wall.

"Where did this second-rate expert come from?"

The hand that was touching the money squinted, a look of surprise in its eyes.

Bai Manlou and his companions also became more alert and tense.

"Please wait a moment."

Xiao Qingchou rubbed his stiff face, hurriedly walked out of the back room, lifted the curtain, and left the martial arts hall.

Through the gap in the swaying curtain, Moqianshou, Bai Manlou, and the others saw an old man dressed simply, who still needed a horse-drawn carriage to travel.

The carriage was filled with various fabrics, timber, and glazed tiles.

This is exactly the behavior of a nouveau riche.

Not long after, Xiao Qingchou returned and said,
"The neighbor next door, a water deliveryman who works at the water pit, pushing a cart to deliver water, is named Chen Shunan. He is a mid-stage second-rate cultivator and is almost fifty years old."

Upon hearing this, the head of the Xinzi Hall seemed to have thought of something and couldn't help but sneer.

"He's just a nobody, but he's incredibly wealthy. He's harmed countless innocent people, squeezing them dry."

Xiao Qingchou shook his head and said, "No. I've been secretly observing this person for two months, and he hasn't shown any bad behavior, except for one thing..."

Xiao Qingchou tapped the wooden board unconsciously, carefully recalling his impressions of Chen Shunan over this period, and could only conclude in the end that...
"He's just a little old man who doesn't want to cause trouble. Oh, and he's involved with a widow, I think she's his sister-in-law, his aunt."

Upon hearing this, the Master of Xin's smile deepened.
"Pah, that's even worse!"

"All right."

The hand reaching for the money interrupted their conversation, saying helplessly.
"Let's get back to the main topic and discuss the prison break."

……

"As expected of the Guolu Society, they're really bold, daring to break someone out of prison?"

Chen Shunan eavesdropped for a while, his eyes shifting between light and shadow, before he vanished and returned to his own courtyard.

The coachman helped carry the things from the carriage into the yard.

At this moment, Wan Niang looked at everything in the courtyard.

Several bundles of brightly colored silk fabrics, including brocade from Wu County and cloud-patterned satin from Yuhang, shimmered softly in the setting sun.

There were also many brand-new beams and rafters, exuding the scent of pine, and several heavy camphor wood chests.

As Wan Niang busied herself tidying up, she muttered to herself,

"Brother, why did you buy so much stuff? We already have rice and oil at home... Oh, why did you buy me rouge, face powder, and new clothes? What a waste of money!"

Wan Niang appeared to be complaining, but the corners of her mouth were upturned and her eyes were full of laughter.

She deliberately left the door open, and several neighbors on either side peeked out, their faces full of envy and surprise.

Wan Niang's face suddenly flushed, but her heart felt like it was warming up in a stove, burning hot.

As a result, my back straightened a bit more, and my hands and feet became much lighter.

"Brother, where did you get this money? Did you... steal it by dishonest means?"

During a break from moving things, Wan Niang couldn't help but pull Chen Shun'an aside, her voice low and filled with worry.

Chen Shunan laughed heartily, appearing confident and assured.

"I earned all of this through my own hard work, so you can use it without worry."

As Chen Shunan spoke, he took out a small, exquisite, gold-painted rosewood box from his pocket and handed it to Wan Niang: "Here, this is for you."

Wan Niang took it with suspicion, and it felt heavy in her hand.

She carefully opened the box, and in an instant, a warm and dazzling light almost dazzled her eyes.

Inside was a pair of jade earrings, their color vibrant and their translucency excellent.

"This..." Wan Niang gasped, feeling as if she were dreaming.

"Go try it on and see if it looks good."

Chen Shunan pushed Wan Niang into the room and stood alone in the courtyard, his eyes filled with contemplation.

“There are gangsters from the Khmer Rouge living right next door. Why don’t we sell the house and move?”

Although Chen Shunan held some respect and goodwill towards the people of the Guolu Society.

But I don't want to get involved with them.

"However, Xiao Qingchou is a cautious person. He won't be involved in the prison break, so the risk of exposure is not high... Even if he is exposed, I am just an innocent civilian who is implicated. It won't affect me, will it?"

Chen Shunan muttered a couple of words to himself. He remained noncommittal about the money-stealing gang's prison break plan.

However, Bai Manlou made a good point.

Their strength as chivalrous heroes is indeed that of a powerful outsider, and they are among the top figures in Tongzhou City.

Although Bai Manlou only killed the thief, he practiced the superior martial art "Zhou Tian Liu Qi Sword," which is said to be a secret technique of Shu Mountain and even related to the legendary sword immortal.

A martial artist with considerable strength, who, given the right timing, location, and people, could fight against adversity and slay two thieves.

Xiao Qingchou killed a thief, but he was skilled with firearms.

The remaining two were both highly skilled fighters who had killed two thieves.

Not to mention, who knows if the Guolu Society has any formation methods or techniques to increase strength through concerted attacks?

They joined forces for a night raid, broke into the prison, and rescued Master Jin. They actually had a pretty good chance of succeeding.

After all, what they called a forced entry into the county government office was actually just a subordinate office of the patrol and inspection office where bandits were imprisoned.

It is not a place where all three classes and six rooms gather.

Chen Shunan suddenly thought of the strangely shaped but pure-eyed children in the orphanage, and couldn't help but sigh.

"I hope they succeed."

Chen Shunan carried the camphor wood chest into the bedroom and saw Wan Niang looking at herself in the mirror.

Her face was lightly powdered and rouged, her hair was styled in a glossy black bun, and a pair of jade earrings dangled from her earlobes.

Wan Niang's facial features were just average, nothing particularly outstanding.

But now, against her new clothes and makeup, she exudes a bright, undisguised, and fiery beauty.

atmosphere!

Chen Shunan grinned and said, "Hey! I told you these earrings suit you! They look great! Like an official's wife!"

Wan Niang turned around at the sound, her face neither flushed nor out of breath, showing no embarrassment at being teased, and just kept talking.
"Brother, I don't care about these things. You should spend more money on yourself from now on. I'm an old woman now!"

Chen Shunan smiled but didn't say anything more.

Good days are yet to come!
……

The night is quiet and deep, and the floating light is hazy.

As dusk washed over the towering black walls of the patrol station, a strong smell of blood and murderous intent emanated from within.

In an alley not far from the black wall.

Bai Manlou glanced at the Xinzi Hall Master, who had ultimately followed, and chuckled.

"Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

The head of the Xinzi Hall said irritably, "Who told me to be the most senior! Before coming to the capital, I promised Big Black Hat that I would protect you all. I can't protect Fifth Master Hong, so I can only protect you!"

Upon hearing this, the man who had been touching the money couldn't help but chuckle.

The three exchanged a glance, nodded silently, and moved like willow branches, slipping quietly into the patrol office.

Moments later, the sounds of fierce fighting and the clash of metal suddenly tore through the darkness.

A shrill voice, tinged with a hint of despair, rang out.
"Iron Buddha, you actually betrayed us and became a lackey of the imperial court?!"

In the patrol and inspection department.

Torches blazed brightly, and dozens of constables and archers surged in from all directions.

The three men, Moqianshou, Bai Manlou, and Xinzitangzhu, fought and retreated, each with different injuries and grim expressions.

Master Jin is dead.

They couldn't even retrieve the body.

Opposite them, on the eaves, stood a dark shadow like an owl, revealing only a thin, pale face.

The man's voice was rough, and he said in a deep voice, "As expected, you are a rat that can't stand in the light of day in the gutter. You can't help but show your face after being lured a little."

Having said that, the man pounced down with astonishing speed, his fleshy hands gleaming metallically in the night.

"You all go! I'll stop him!"

The master of Xinzitang was insane. He bit his tongue, and blood boiled, turning his skin bright red.

A violent force suddenly surged within his body, and his meridians broke inch by inch under the impact of this immense power, but were forcibly glued together and widened by the burning blood flames.

In an instant, an aura far surpassing that of the two traitors was unleashed from the main body of the Xinzi Hall.

"Oh!"

The Master of Xinzi Hall didn't even use any moves; he simply relied on pure speed and power to unleash a punch!
The iron Buddha's expression hardened slightly, and he turned back at an even faster speed than before.

He grabbed several constables and threw them at the Master of the Xin Hall, but did not directly face the Master of the Xin Hall's extremely burning attack.

"go!"

Bai Manlou and Moqianshou exchanged a glance, a trace of sorrow flashing in their eyes, but without hesitation, they frantically urged their remaining blood and qi to scale the high wall.

Arrows fell like raindrops.

Corpses, barely recognizable as human beings, lay at the feet of the leader of the Faith Church.

The attackers were terrified and dared not step forward.

The leader of the Xinzi Hall stood still, laughing loudly, blood flowing from his mouth as if it were free.

"I promised Big Black Hat that I would protect my brothers, and that's my promise!"

The next second, an invisible force landed on the head of the Xinzi Hall Master, and it was just a grab!
A perfectly healthy head was instantly severed from the neck.

Fresh blood gushed out like a torrent.

The corpse of the Master of Xinzi Hall stood upright, like a broken spear, unyielding even in death.

The Iron Buddha threw the severed head to the ground and kicked the corpse of the Master of the Faith Hall to the ground.

He then glanced in the direction Bai Manlou and his companion had fled, and said indifferently.
"Even if it's just a pretense, we should still go and hunt them down. You guys go ahead, I'm tired, I'm going back to my room to rest."

"Then the thief's body was displayed in the marketplace as a warning to others."

"I'll sell it to Zhao Guanghui after a while. I want to see just how powerful his 'Dingjia Warrior' really is."

(End of this chapter)