Chapter 900: Earning everything without any effor (2/2)
Mu Linger immediately blanched. “You’re all jackals from the same lair. Scram!”
Manager Jin was a little astounded as he looked at Mu Linger’s huffy face. He wanted to laugh, but fortunately held it in. This was the first time any woman had told him to “scram.” He really did turn to leave, but walked so slowly that it looked like he was waiting for something. Unfortunately, Mu Linger didn’t throw him any pleas even when he reached the exit.
Strange. Don’t all women pester and harass others to get what they want? Isn’t she supposed to try multiple times? Is she only going to ask me once?
Manager Jin could only backtrack. For the sake of his freedom, he was going to give it his all. With Mt. Yue suffering explosions, it was clear that Ning Cheng had already succeeded. He had also managed to keep Gu Qishao back from the chaos. Now all he had to do was gain this girl and Ning Cheng would return his indenture certificate. He had been sold to the Three-Way Black Markets as a child and purchased by Myriad Merchant Hall. Over the past 20 years, he’d suffered his share of bitterness to monopolize the markets’ sales of usury loans and establish his own private bank. But even then, he was still considered a servant to Myriad Merchant Hall. He had once considered giving all of his bank’s wealth to Ning Cheng to buy back his freedom, but Ning Cheng had never lacked for money.
He wanted to leave this dark place and return to his homeland. All he knew was that he hailed from the Wintercrow Clan, but nothing else. Ning Cheng wanted him to deal with Mu Linger, mostly likely because he was interested in the girl’s Mu Clan. From what he understood, Medical City’s Mu Clan had fallen onto bad times, but Long Feiye and Han Yunxi had since pressured its Council of Elders to relax many restrictions against them. Moreover, once Han Yunxi’s identity was revealed, the Mu Clan had been highlighted as a relative to the royal clan. Many factions in Medical City were already starting to accept them anew.
Manager Jin could guess that something must have happened between Ning Cheng and Han Yunxi for the man to move against Mu Linger. However, he was only responsible for tricking the girl into his hands and nothing more.
Mu Linger looked doubtful as Manager Jin returned. He began by saying, “Lass…”
Mu Linger was quick to interrupt. “Who allowed you to say whatever you want? You’re not the one who calls me ‘lass!’”
That was reserved for Qi gege!
Once again, Manager Jin looked at Mu Linger with increased respect. He rarely paid attention to females, much less call them such intimate names, but this was his first time getting rejected.
“Miss Linger, I have no ill intentions. I only want to tell you that I have no way to take you out of Three-Way Black Market. But I can take you to the East Valley Private Bank and temporarily assure your safety. Once Ning Cheng returns, I’ll have to give you up to him,” Manager Jin said seriously.
“You...where did you get such good intentions?” Mu Linger blurted out.
Manager Jin felt defeated. Just then, she had been pleading with him to let her go, but now she was demanding answers from him? And there were even thorns in her tone! Manager Jin had never suffered so much before a woman! But he endured despite his dissatisfaction and smiled faintly. “It’s not any good intentions. I just can’t bear to see Ning Cheng bullying girls.”
He lowered his voice and added, “Don’t blame me for reminding you, but those men outside are all waiting...to bully you more!”
Mu Linger was so scared that goosebumps rose on her flesh. “I never thought Ning Cheng was such a jerk! That’s disgusting! I have to tell my big sis!”
Manager Jin only laughed inwardly to himself. After years of being frenemies with Ning Cheng, he had finally gotten a blow against the other man. Although Mu Linger didn’t completely trust Manager Jin, she still left the gambling house with him. On the way, she asked him repeatedly about the status of Blacktower, but Manager Jin only said he wasn’t sure. She held no hopes that Qi gege would come back and save her, but she only hoped that he could get to Blacktower fast enough to salvage the situation.
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Currently, Gu Qishao had just left Myriad Merchant Hall. He couldn’t find Bai Yuqiao or anyone who knew what was going on at Blacktower. All he could do was leave as fast as possible for the location himself. The people of Myriad Merchant Hall all feared his poisons too much to stop him. Meanwhile, he’d clear forgotten about Mu Linger. However, he’d hardly exited the Three-Way Black Markets when servants from the Golden Wing Hall came to find him with a letter.
“Master, urgent news from Pill Fiend Valley!”
What kind of emergency could Pill Fiend Valley be facing at a time like this? They’d even sent a secret missive to Golden Wing Hall. Gu Qishao opened the envelope doubtfully, only to realize it contained two letters within. Once was from the steward of Pill Fiend Valley, while the other came from Gu Beiyue!
Gu Qishao’s heart skipped a beat at the man’s familiar handwriting. As it turned out, Gu Beiyue had used a flock of flying hawks on the verge of shedding their beaks to deliver the message to Pill Fiend Valley and ask him for help. When hawks grew to a certain age, their beaks would get longer and longer until it reached their chests. If they didn’t grind or break them down, then it’d be harder and harder to survive. Thus, most hawks would find an overhanging cliff to snap their beaks and stay for awhile to recover until new growth replaced it. Some hawks gained new life from the change, while others ended up dying.
There was an overhanging cliff in Pill Fiend Valley that was full of medicinal grasses that could aid in the hawks’ recovery. Huge flocks of the birds would gather there every year. Pill Fiend Valley’s young apprentices would go up to collect the fallen beaks as medicinal ingredients for rare medicines.
Gu Beiyue was under house arrest, but had ran into an old hawk there and bet his odds on the bird. Fortunately, his gamble paid off! A young apprentice who had gone to collect bird beaks had saw a letter tied to one of the hawk’s legs. Gu Qishao broke into a foolish smile at the sight of Gu Beiyue’s letter. He threw his head back and laughed.
“This is earning everything without any effort!”
Gu Beiyue’s letter said…