A sleepless night.
In the early morning, Gu Lin headed to Shiyang Academy, exhausted.
With only the strength of Meridian Opening Seventh Layer, there was absolutely no way he could pass the Seed Selection Trial!
Only nine days left.
What should he do?
Arriving at the Huang Character Class Hall, he chatted with Wang Mu for a while, then asked in a low voice:
"Could you lend me three taels of silver? I'll return it in seven days!"
He planned to go to the neighboring Youxi County and Xiajiang County to see if there were any Bounty Notices, but he was penniless and needed to borrow travel and lodging expenses for now.
"This..." The little fatty furrowed his brows. Thinking of their friendship, he still took three pieces of broken silver from his Silver Pouch and urged:
"You must return it!"
Gu Lin nodded, and was just about to leave.
A group of people walked into the Study Hall.
The leader was eighteen or nineteen years old, exceptionally burly, with eyes glaring like bronze bells, scanning the Study Hall.
"Zhuang Wei from the Heaven Grade Academy, also one of Li Qingwu's followers." The little fatty said in a lowered voice.
The burly youth's gaze locked onto Gu Lin. He strode over with the bearing of a dragon and the step of a tiger, and demanded point-blank:
"Goddess Li said you were treasonous and outrageous—how dare you insult her? Who gave you the courage?"
Seeing this, the little fatty stepped forward with a chuckle. He had always been well-liked, and he proactively draped an arm over Zhuang Wei's shoulder, trying to smooth things over:
"Zhuang Wei, give me some face. I'll treat you to a meal at the Five Phoenix Tower later."
Who would have thought Zhuang Wei would shove the little fatty to the ground, furious:
"You fat-headed, pig-eared thing, who do you think you are? If I don't teach that Gu bastard a harsh lesson today, I swear I'm not a man!!"
The Huang Character Class Hall fell into dead silence. Many students wore smiles, happy to watch the show.
The little fatty's face was full of embarrassment. He got up, dusted himself off, and stood to the side with his head lowered.
Gu Lin watched the newcomer, his eyes without the slightest ripple.
Facing the snarling barks of a wild dog, he currently had no interest in flaunting his power, fighting fiercely, or showing off.
"Scared, you coward? Don't dare go to the Martial Training Platform?" Zhuang Wei pressed closer step by step, his finger almost poking Gu Lin's forehead, and said condescendingly:
"You're a cripple whose meridians aren't even open. I won't use my inner force..."
His voice was cut off.
"Get out!" An old man with graying temples stepped into the Study Hall, his voice like rolling thunder as he roared:
"The Seed Selection Trial is imminent. If you worms and maggots dare to provoke trouble and disrupt the academy's order again, at the least you'll be confined, at the worst expelled!"
The newcomer was none other than Teacher Zhao of the Huang Designation Study Hall.
In these nine days, whoever dared to cause trouble would face severe punishment!
Zhuang Wei didn't dare disobey. As he turned to leave, he glanced back at Gu Lin, a dagger hidden in his smile:
"After the Selection Tournament ends, I'll come catch up with you."
The threatening intent was laid bare.
Gu Lin didn't respond.
Li Qingwu must die.
This fellow should also be added to the must-kill list.
In his eyes, there was no such thing as "teaching a lesson"—only death.
After the Study Hall returned to quiet order, Teacher Zhao stared at Gu Lin and said with deep anguish:
"Gu Jingming, your parents spend dozens of taels a year to send you to the academy, and they've raised an utterly foolish thing. Wasting silver, wasting your parents' painstaking efforts—stupid and unfilial. If you have even half a conscience left, withdraw early!"
The Huang Designation Study Hall was already ranked dead last in the academy, and Gu Jingming's coursework in the Study Hall was also at the bottom. Staying at the academy would only add to the laughingstock.
The little fatty could hear the goodwill in Teacher Zhao's words. He too had repeatedly advised Jingming to withdraw early and stay away from conflict.
Take the Zhuang Wei incident, for example—if he withdrew, would Zhuang Wei still dare to go to the Gu Family to cause trouble? Did he think the Government County Office was a clay statue?
Seeing Gu Lin didn't answer, Teacher Zhao couldn't be bothered to say more. He opened a basic martial arts text and explained qi and blood, Hidden Force, and Bright Force to the students.
There was no helping it—the trash of the Huang Designation Study Hall could only understand common, run-of-the-mill knowledge.
Two hours later, the lecture ended.
Gu Lin, however, listened with unending interest.
Judging from Teacher Zhao's related explanations, his own qi and blood reserves absolutely far surpassed those of the same realm!
Leaving the Huang Designation Study Hall, someone blocked his path.
"Gu Lin, want to take a loan?"
The newcomer got straight to the point.
This person was dressed head to toe in silk, elegant and distinguished.
Gu Lin had a deep impression of this fellow.
His own family had fallen to this state precisely because of endless borrowing, and the lender was none other than the Shen Family.
Shen Xun waved his Folding Fan, unhurried:
"The Heavenly Character Room is all madly snatching up medicinal ingredients and pills on the market, just to make a final sprint. Your Li Qingwu is far behind. At this critical moment, if you can offer timely help, you'll surely win her heart and carry off the beauty."
"Borrow three hundred taels of silver. Old rules—Nine Out Thirteen Return."
Gu Lin sneered.
Nine Out Thirteen Return: borrow one hundred taels, receive ninety, repay one hundred thirty, with heavy interest for overdue payment.
Simply a bloody maw, ruthless usury.
The original owner had fallen step by step, his family business destroyed!!
Seeing the other unmoved, Shen Xun continued to bewitch him:
"Goddess Li is noble and peerlessly beautiful, and Young Master Gu is generous with his money—truly a match made in heaven. If Goddess Li can obtain the Seed Quota as she wishes, she'll soar to the heavens, and Young Master Gu will also make a name for himself in Shiyang County. Out of gratitude, Goddess Li might even enter a Marriage Engagement with you."
Shen Xun's face was taut, and as he spoke, the corner of his eye twitched slightly—he himself nearly burst out laughing.
Li Qingwu was proud and ambitious—how could a piece of trash ever be worthy of her?
Gu Lin was about to leave when a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Dare he take the risk?!
Compared to the unknown Bounty Notices, he could almost be certain that one person was steeped in evil, and killing him would absolutely yield Merit.
That person was Shen Xun's own elder brother, Shen Chi!
Every time he borrowed from the Shen Family, Gu Lin signed the Loan Contract with Shen Chi.
This Shen Chi—mediocre talent, only at Qi Condensation First Layer in his thirties, yet relying on the Shen Family's power to do evil, lending money everywhere.
He had been thrown into Prison on charges of forcibly seizing and raping civilian women alone, once bearing a five-year sentence. The Shen Family spent enormous effort to fish out their Legitimate Eldest Son and paid the victims a large sum in compensation.
And that was only the crimes that came to light.
Shen Chi had absolutely committed crimes beneath the tip of the iceberg!
Shen Chi's head absolutely had Merit.
"Think it over carefully." Seeing the loan had potential, Shen Xun was neither impatient nor restless, waiting quietly.
Gu Lin smiled and nodded.
He did need to think carefully—about whether he should kill your elder brother!!
The risk of assassination was too great.
First, whether he could even succeed was a question.
Although Shen Chi's body had been hollowed out by wine and lust, he was still at the Qi Condensation Realm—Inner Qi External Release would crush Bright Force and Hidden Force!
Second, murder was illegal!
A mere commoner daring to assassinate—did he have any regard for the law? Even if the other party was steeped in evil, was it your place to act? Are you a Divine Dynasty official? Even a County Office official would have to fabricate a very convincing charge. Unless you're a Holy Land Disciple, drafting your own documents—killing someone is just a stroke of the pen.
If he were exposed, everything would be ruined!
The moment he acted, traces would appear. Don't underestimate the County Office's coroners—even if they're incompetent, they can still apply upward for investigation experts from the commandery city, as well as Knife Catchers skilled at solving cases!
But Gu Lin also had one greatest advantage—
His Xuanming Divine Palm was unique; only he in the entire world could use it, and even the best investigators would have no way to trace it.
As long as he didn't use it again in the future, it would be fine. Of course, if he had the chance to join the Four Great Holy Lands, then he'd have no scruples at all.
This wasn't a problem—gaining Merit would also reward him with more martial arts.
Shen Xun lost his patience and pressed:
"Thought it through yet?"
Gu Lin came back to his senses and nodded:
"I'll borrow thirty taels first."
Thirty? Shen Xun nearly flew into a rage—all that talking for just thirty taels?
But he also knew Gu Lin's nature well. Beneath this fellow's servile, fawning exterior, in a couple of days he'd be borrowing three hundred taels again!
"Please." Shen Xun made a gesture.
The two left the academy. Shen Xun invited Gu Lin onto the horse carriage, and together they headed to the Shen Family Pawnshop.
......
Shen Family Pawnshop.
At this moment, quite a few young people dressed in ruqun skirts and blue robes had gathered—all students of the Heavenly Character Room. Although their chances of obtaining a Seed Quota were minuscule, facing a turning point in life's fate, who wouldn't want to take a gamble?
Martial arts, pills, medicinal ingredients... all required silver.
Short on money? Borrow!
In the center of the shop, a man with sunken eye sockets wore a smile all over his face. He was none other than the Shen Family's Legitimate Eldest Son, Shen Chi. Facing such a booming loan business, how could he not be delighted?
Shen Xun and Gu Lin walked in. Shen Xun smiled and remarked:
"I just don't have the talent for cultivation. Otherwise, I'd also throw money around desperately to nourish myself."
As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Gu Lin, finding it more and more absurd and laughable.
Even a top-tier piece of trash came to borrow money. Truly as the saying goes—better a thief in the family than a good-for-nothing!
"Help yourself." Shen Xun said, then went to help his elder brother.
Gu Lin looked around and saw two Shen Family lackeys chatting idly in a corner, so he found a seat nearby and sat down.
Seeing the two look over, Gu Lin smiled:
"I'm borrowing a small amount. I'll sit here and wait."
The older, horse-faced lackey glanced sideways at him:
"I recognize you. You're a regular at the pawnshop."
Then he paid him no more attention and continued chatting softly.
Gu Lin looked at the counter, but was actually listening with full concentration.
A full half-hour passed. The pawnshop had a steady stream of people, yet Gu Lin still hadn't gotten any useful information from the idle chatter.
Until—
The horse-faced lackey said in a voice barely audible:
"The Liu Family girl from the East Market is getting married the day after tomorrow. Do you think the Young Master will go to dote on her?"
The other lackey, with a hooked nose, revealed a lewd smile and nodded in agreement:
"The night before the wedding, of course the Young Master has to properly conquer her. What a sense of accomplishment."
The two looked at each other and smiled, a tacit understanding between them.
Their voices were extremely low, but since breaking through, Gu Lin's hearing and eyesight were extraordinary, so he naturally committed it to memory.
This was a perfect opportunity!
He waited another One Incense Stick's worth of time before it was finally Gu Lin's turn.
Shen Chi raised his eyelids and said with a light laugh:
"Young Master Gu, how much this time?"
Gu Lin: "Thirty taels."
Shen Chi's attitude was stiff. He picked up two copies of the Loan Contract and urged:
"Sign and make your mark. One month term, repay forty-two taels of silver!"
Gu Lin immediately retorted:
"By rights it should be thirty-nine taels."
Shen Chi raised his eyelids and scrutinized Gu Lin for a long while. This foolish, spendthrift Gu boy actually knew how to do arithmetic. He said carelessly:
"If you borrow three hundred taels, it's Nine Out Thirteen Return; for thirty taels, you repay fourteen. Think it through yourself!"
Gu Lin deliberately gritted his teeth in deliberation, and after a long while signed and made his mark.
Shen Chi handed over the loan contract and waved his hand:
"Old rules—if you don't repay on time, bear the consequences yourself!"
Then he arranged for the shopkeeper to hand over a money pouch.
Gu Lin counted it—there were only twenty-seven taels of silver inside.
In other words, one month later, he had to repay forty-two taels.
A net profit of fifteen taels a month—truly a black-hearted jackal!
......
Back at the Gu Residence.
Taking advantage of his parents' absence, Gu Lin hurried to his father's bedroom.
His father, as an Escort and Bounty Hunter, kept some Human Skin Masks at home. After all, taking bounty work carried the risk of retaliation, so wearing a mask was safer.
Of course, Gu Lin wouldn't buy one on the market—that would leave traces too easily.
Searching through the drawer, he took out a piece of skin as thin as a cicada's wing. Back in his own room, he trimmed and fiddled with it in front of the bronze mirror. The mirror reflected a face with wretched, drooping eyebrows.
After all this, Gu Lin carefully removed the mask.
Next, he made five insole boards according to the length of his boots.
This was for height increase.
A full half-head taller.
......
Evening, East Street of Shiyang County.
A pole-carrying man with drooping eyebrows selling liangfen went from street to street, peddling his liangfen.
Without needing to go to great lengths, he easily inquired about the Liu Family marrying off their daughter.
According to the common folk of East Street, the Liu girl was the most outstanding-looking woman within ten li, and gentle in temperament too. Whoever married her must have had their ancestors' spirits watching over them.
The drooping-browed pole-carrier continued peddling his two basins of liangfen, "unwittingly" arriving at the Liu Family residence.
With the daughter's wedding the day after tomorrow, the residence was bustling inside and out. Many merchants were peddling their own goods, so one more liangfen seller didn't attract the slightest attention.
The drooping-browed man stayed for over an hour, until the liangfen was sold out, before he shouldered his pole and left.
......
At the end of the hai hour, Gu Lin returned home.
He entered his room, took out brush, ink, and xuan paper, and began drawing a topographic map of the area near the Liu residence, meticulous in every detail—not only the heights of the houses, but even which household's dog barked loudly was annotated.
"I bet this Shen Chi, who's addicted to lust, will definitely sneak over to the Liu Family!"
"For something like this, he definitely wouldn't dare use the front door. If word got out, the Liu Family would be utterly disgraced."
"If it's the back door, where's the ambush point?"
Gu Lin stared at the map and circled an abandoned firewood shed.
This is the place!