"Good child, get up quickly..." The old man wiped away his cloudy tears, "This ti, thanks to you two gathering enough redemption silver, let's go bring Qingqing ho. I'll pick a day..."
Before the words were finished, Xiaohu blushed from ear to neck, but his face was full of anticipation.
Su Mu reached out and embraced Xiaohu, and the three headed towards the gambling house on the west side of town.
On the west side of town stood a three-story vermillion building with flying eaves and wooden arches, outside were two bronze pixiu statues glistening in the sunlight, and on the rosewood plaque were gold-leafed large characters: Guo Family Gambling House.
Seeing Su Mu and the others approaching, the guard at the gambling house whispered a few words, and soone imdiately turned and ran inside.
"Oh, old man, did you manage to gather the money?"
Several sturdy n crowded around a young master in splendid attire, just over twenty years old, with a pale complexion walking out. Beside him was an elder dressed in black, silver-haired, standing with hands behind his back.
The speaker was the scar-faced man who smashed up the bun shop that day.
As the black-clad elder stepped out, he scanned the four newcors with disdain and quickly withdrew his gaze, as all he saw were ordinary commoners.
"Young Master Guo, Xiaohu owed you silver coins a while back, and we're here today to repay it. Young Master Guo, please be gracious and release Miss Qingqing."
Li Tie stepped forward and bowed respectfully, then took out a stack of silver notes with both hands.
Upon hearing this, the scar-faced man showed stunned disbelief; did this old fellow really gather the silver in one night?
At that mont, he turned to look at the pale young master behind him, whose eyes flashed with surprise. Instantly, the scar-faced man understood and snatched the silver notes from Li Tie's hands, counted quickly, and then spoke loudly.
"The amount is incorrect."
"Incorrect?"
"That's right, your son Li Xiaohu owed us one thousand five hundred taels three days ago, and now you've delayed for three days. The interest for a day is one tael, so for three days it's four hundred and fifty taels, making a total of one thousand nine hundred and fifty taels."
"You're lying, it was clearly yesterday, how could it be three days ago..."
"Hmm? You claim it was yesterday, do you have witnesses, do you have physical evidence?"
Before finishing speaking, the scar-faced man cut him off with a cold snort, and several n behind him revealed three inches of their long sabers from their scabbards, and cold gleams flashed.
"This, this..."
For a mont, Li Tie, Yang Shan, and Li Xiaohu were silent, and the angry crowd attracted by the commotion were also furious but dared not speak out. It was clear Guo Lie was extorting in broad daylight.
One tael interest a day, where in the world does such logic exist!
Su Mu's gaze passed over the crowd and landed on the young master standing on the steps, overlooking everyone with a light smile.
"That must be Guo Lie without a doubt... My silver, you can take it today, but I'm afraid you won't have a life to spend it tonight."
Su Mu thought to himself that tonight Guo Lie would pay back tenfold.
Thinking of this, Su Mu suppressed his killing intent, stepped forward and spoke loudly, "May I ask Young Master Guo, if we manage to gather this four hundred and fifty taels of interest today, will you release people?"
This statent surprised everyone including Li Tie, thinking Su Mu was too impulsive; where could he easily gather these four hundred taels?
"Xiaomu..." Before Li Tie finished speaking, Guo Lie responded with a smile, he most liked watching these ants dare not speak up, struggling bitterly.
"Naturally."
But as soon as the words fell, Su Mu took out a stack of silver notes from his coat, "Well, here's five hundred taels, Young Master Guo, please verify."
For a mont, Guo Lie's face changed slightly, and the scar-faced man hesitated as he counted, "Boss, there's indeed five hundred taels here..."
"Useless, why are you still standing here, release people quickly, don't let anyone say the Guo family doesn't keep its word."
Guo Lie took a deep look at Su Mu, waved his hand, and before entering the gambling house, he whispered, "Elder Zhou, bring him to see tonight, I want him alive."
"Guo Lie is sowhat interesting..."
With keen senses, Su Mu heard this and coldly smiled inside; he hadn't gone to find Guo Lie, yet Guo Lie sent people looking for him.
Not long after, a young girl appeared with a graceful face, disheveled hair, and wearing a light cyan gown.
"Grandpa, Xiaohu, Uncle Li!"
The girl dashed into Yang Shan's embrace, tearful like pear blossoms.
"Good child, it's over, let's go ho... We'll go ho first."
When they returned to the bun shop, seeing the ss from the previous destruction still not tidied, Yang Qingqing lowered her head, full of guilt.
After hearing from Xiaohu that Su Mu paid for her ransom, she imdiately wanted to kneel to thank him, but Su Mu reached out to stop her.
"No need for that, Uncle Li is my elder, Xiaohu is my brother, their matters are naturally my matters too... If you want to thank , just pour a few more cups of wedding wine on your big day."
Ah!
Instantly, Yang Qingqing turned red, her cheeks blushing, stole a glance at Xiaohu beside her, and then ran into the firewood room, "Benevolent sir... I, I will help Uncle Li cook."
After dinner, under the fading sun, Su Mu bid farewell and stood up.
"Uncle Li, Xiaohu, Grandpa Yang, Miss Qingqing, I'll return to Cyan Cloud first."
The four escorted Su Mu out of Donghe Town before leaving.
Su Mu walked three miles out of town, stopped and slowly turned around, "Your excellency is quite enthusiastic to see off."
Under the setting sun appeared the figure, precisely the black-clad elder by Guo Lie's side during the day, now showing a touch of astonishnt amid his teasing expression.
"Good kid, tell the old man how you noticed the clues, if you satisfy I might spare your life."
"Your Stealth Technique pales in comparison to Bai Yi."
"Bai Yi?!... You, you are that Hero Li..."
The elder's pupils suddenly contracted to pinhole size and he was about to flee, when lightning flashed, and thunder roared behind him.
"It's too late to flee now, stay."
"No, Hero Li, it's all a misunderstanding, it was Guo Lie who instructed..."
Amid the thunderous roar and cicada chirping, the elder turned around in horror, his terrified face illuminated by purple lightning, reflecting a figure looming close.
"rcy, spare ..."
The pleading abruptly ceased, purple lightning sliced through, the head caved in and shattered, a head exploded under the setting sun.
With a rciless punch, Su Mu swiftly scavenged the area, then his bones crackled as he instantly changed his form and appearance.
"This is just the appetizer... The real show begins now."
Su Mu gazed towards Donghe Town, the setting sun dyed the clouds into a blood-red brocade, and at this mont a pair of eyes burned brighter than the evening glow.
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