Chapter 418: Scheming

“Old Yu Tou, what do you say?” Wang Lai asked the thin, dark, old cultivator.

Old Yu Tou was startled and repeatedly waved his hands: “Impossible, it's the Lu family's mine, I wouldn't dare steal from it…”

Wang Lai sneered, “What wouldn't dare? The bold are emboldened to death, the timid starve to death. The Lu family rides roughshod over us, making us suffer and toil, risking our lives for them. Yet they enjoy glory and wealth, while we can't even get enough to eat. What's wrong with stealing a bit of their mine?” Wang Lai spoke as if he were considering Old Yu Tou's interests.

Old Yu Tou's gaze was somewhat wary, but he still shook his head.

Wang Lai's gaze was displeased, and he said with forced patience: “Rest assured, the Lu family won't find out.”

“How do you know?” Old Yu Tou asked cautiously.

“We'll go at midnight, completely undetected,” Wang Lai lowered his voice, “Besides, I've bribed the Lu family's cultivators to turn a blind eye…”

“That's a secret mine, it's the Lu family's treasure, who knows how many good things are in there.”

“We won't dig much, just one or two pieces. If we sell them, we can also exchange them for a large sum of spirit stones…” Wang Lai tempted him little by little.

Old Yu Tou was clearly somewhat moved, but he looked at Wang Lai and still shook his head. He wasn't at ease with Wang Lai's character. He knew what kind of person Wang Lai was.

Wang Lai persuaded him again: “Don't you lack spirit stones?”

Old Yu Tou nodded, “In this mine, who doesn't lack spirit stones?”

“You're different,” Wang Lai said, “Your little grandson has a very good spirit root, but he has no spirit stones to cultivate. What a pity…”

“Think about it, if he succeeds in cultivating, he can leave the mine and have a great cultivation future.”

“But you are so poor, he has no spirit stones to cultivate. No matter how good his talent is, he'll still be like you, trapped in the mine for his entire life, burying his head in these rotten stones, living a difficult life, and then who knows when, he'll die in the mine well…”

Wang Lai sighed, “If the spirit root is bad, then so be it. Everyone lives a rotten life, rotten in the mountain, there's nothing to say.”

“But your grandson is different. If he doesn't cultivate, doesn't gamble once on his future, isn't that a waste of talent?”

“Spirit root is heaven-born. Your grandson has this spirit root, it's a fortune hard to come by in a hundred years. Not every family can birth a child with such a good spirit root…” Wang Lai's expression was sincere, and his tone was very regretful.

Old Yu Tou listened, somewhat lost in thought. Wang Lai saw the situation, his gaze flickered slightly, and he whispered enticingly: “Don't you want to earn a sum of spirit stones for your grandson, for your Yu family, to gamble once on an opportunity to rise to prominence?”

These words struck a chord with Old Yu Tou. His expression was troubled, his heart was pained, his thin old hand clenched tightly, and his hunched body also trembled slightly. He had a bitter fate, but he didn't want his grandson to also have a bitter life. These mine cultivators truly spent their entire lives rotting in the mountain, never able to lift their heads.

But stealing from the mine was something Old Yu Tou had scruples about, and he didn't dare agree too readily. Wang Lai saw the situation, and a sarcastic expression appeared on his face: “The older you get, the less guts you have. You're already halfway to the grave, still hesitating and fearing.”

“Forget it.” Wang Lai sighed, “Originally, I saw your grandson had good talent, so I gave you this opportunity, in case he succeeds in cultivating in the future, I can also benefit a little.”

“But since you, as a grandfather, don't strive, then there's no way.”

“Having Wang Er and Tang Wu is also enough.”

Wang Er and Tang Wu were a couple of other mine cultivators nearby. They had many siblings at home and no given names, so they were all counted by rank.

Old Yu Tou's heart trembled, “They are going too?”

Wang Lai said: “Of course, we've already agreed. Otherwise, relying on you, one old man, how much ore can you steal?”

After Wang Lai finished speaking, he stood up and said: “If you don't want to go, then forget it. But about this matter, you must not tell anyone, otherwise, you won't have a good outcome.”

Wang Lai made a gesture to leave. Old Yu Tou panicked, and quickly grabbed his sleeve, “I… I'll go!”

Wang Lai's face showed some reluctance. Old Yu Tou's tone softened, “Wang Ye, you give me this opportunity, I don't mind dividing less spirit stones, and in the future, if my grandson cultivates successfully and becomes famous, he will definitely not forget your great kindness.”

Wang Lai then smiled and said: “That's what I was waiting for!” He patted Old Yu Tou's shoulder, “Don't blame me for being mercenary, we're not relatives, so of course there's no gain without effort. I also want to make a name for myself, don't I?”

Old Yu Tou agreed with a smile: “That's natural.”

Wang Lai nodded, and then whispered a few more instructions, then walked out of Old Yu's house. Turning the corner, seeing no one around, he turned back and spat a mouthful of saliva: “At such an old age, he's still daydreaming, believing anything I say…”

“Cultivate successfully? Go dream your mother's big dream.”

“Born in the mine means a cheap life. No matter how good your spirit root is, it's still a cheap life!”

Wang Lai coldly snorted and strolled away. On the roof on the other side, wearing cloaks and hiding their figures, three young cultivators were secretly lying there, their small heads huddled together.

“This person is a complete scoundrel,” Bai Zi Sheng declared.

Bai Zi Xi nodded.

Mo Hua also nodded in agreement.

“Should we kill him first?” Bai Zi Sheng was eager to try.

Bai Zi Xi looked at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua shook his head: “Not yet, let's see what they want to do.”

Bai Zi Sheng thought for a bit and nodded: “Okay, you're the junior brother, I'll listen to you.”

The three of them then tiptoed and followed behind Wang Lai. Walking on the main road, the arrogant Wang Lai was completely unaware of what was happening behind him. He was completely unaware that his every move was seen by the three young cultivators behind him.

After leaving Old Yu Tou's house, Wang Lai went to see several other mine cultivators. It was exactly the Wang Er and Tang Wu he had mentioned.

“Old Yu Tou has already agreed, are you two going?”

Wang Er frowned, “He actually agreed?”

“Wealth and danger go hand in hand, doesn't he understand this principle?” Wang Lai coldly snorted, looking at Wang Er and the other with a hint of contempt. “He's an old man, and he's more spirited than you. You two are young, yet so timid?”

Tang Wu was somewhat unconvinced and immediately wanted to agree. Wang Er, however, pulled him back, signaling him not to rush.

Wang Lai's eyes darted, and he asked: “You two still haven't found wives, have you?”

Their expressions were a bit hesitant. Wang Lai lowered his voice, “Li Po, who sells cakes in the city, has two or three daughters at home, young and with faces so delicate they could drip water…”

“You follow me to steal from the mine, earn spirit stones, and I'll be your matchmaker.”

Wang Er and the other were a bit tempted, their faces slightly red, “But…”

“But what?” Wang Lai said disdainfully, “If you don't seize your youth and earn some spirit stones, how can you establish a family and marry a wife? Do you want them to come over and suffer?”

Tang Wu then immediately said: “I'll go with you!”

Wang Er was still a bit hesitant, “You can steal by yourself, why bring us?”

Wang Lai sighed: “Old Yu Tou is old, his strength isn't enough. Among my subordinates, although some have dug ore, they are inconsistent and not familiar with the mine. That's why I'm looking for you…”

After finishing speaking, Wang Lai's expression became serious, and he whispered a warning: “You absolutely must not reveal this matter, otherwise the Lu family won't let us go…”

Wang Er and Tang Wu both had serious expressions and nodded: “Brother Wang, rest assured.”

Wang Lai nodded, “Then this matter is settled…”

“Tomorrow night at midnight, at the eastern end of the mine, by the half-withered willow tree, I'll be waiting for you there.”

After giving the instructions, Wang Lai left. After Wang Lai left, he didn't, as usual, go to eat, drink, gamble, or visit prostitutes, but honestly went home to get some sleep, as if he wanted to prepare well and restore his energy.

Mo Hua and the other two also returned to the cave mansion. Upon returning to the cave mansion and entering the courtyard, the three of them untied their cloaks, revealing their figures.

Bai Zi Sheng said, still not satisfied: “Eavesdropping is really fun!”

Mo Hua glared at him slightly, “This isn't for fun.”

“Okay…” Bai Zi Sheng paused for a moment, then asked: “What do you think that Wang Lai is actually planning to do?”

“Kill people?” Bai Zi Xi asked.

Mo Hua nodded, “I guess he wants to trick the mine cultivators into the mine well, then kill them, and then go to the Lu family for compensation…”

“They first trick people, then kill people, and then earn money from dead people…” Mo Hua's voice was slightly cold.

Bai Zi Sheng frowned, “How evil!” He clenched his fist, “Should we just slaughter them all first? There's no need to keep this kind of scum.”

Mo Hua, however, had a thoughtful expression. “What?” Bai Zi Xi asked.

“I always feel like something isn't right.”

“Where isn't it right?”

Mo Hua pondered for a moment, and slowly said: “Reasonably speaking, they kill the mine cultivators, fake the disappearance of the mine cultivators, and then go to the Lu family for compensation. The money they earn is the spirit stones from the compensation…”

“But the Lu family has a rule, no corpse, no compensation in spirit stones.”

“So that means, just killing the mine cultivators purely wouldn't get them compensation.”

“Even if they could get it, it would be very troublesome.”

“It's not very likely that Wang Lai would kill people for spirit stones that are uncertain to obtain…”

“This matter probably has other tricks involved…”

Bai Zi Sheng held his chin, staring at Mo Hua. Mo Hua was slightly startled, “What?”

“How can your little head have so many twists and turns?” Bai Zi Sheng said.

Bai Zi Xi also nodded slightly. Mo Hua raised his little finger and said righteously: “Master said, success comes from planning, failure from not planning. When you encounter something, think more, and prepare in advance for your actions…”

“Okay, okay…” Bai Zi Sheng was a little helpless, “I can't argue with you.”

“What should we do next?” Bai Zi Xi asked.

Mo Hua shook his head, “I don't know either, let's see how things develop tomorrow.”

The next day, in the evening. The sun set over the mountain, and dusk gradually deepened. Mo Hua and the other two put on their cloaks early, hid their figures, and found a small earthen slope near the mine to lie down, peering out with their small heads, waiting for Wang Lai and the others to arrive.

The night gradually deepened, and Wang Lai and the others arrived first. There were four of them in total, all ruffians from Nanyue City. After meeting, they nodded to each other, their mouths containing smiles with unclear meanings, but they didn't speak much.

Near midnight, Old Yu Tou, Wang Er, and Tang Wu arrived together. At the desolate mine, under the gloomy, twisted half-withered willow tree. The cultivators on both sides met. In the night, Wang Lai's eyes slightly flashed with cold light: “Tonight, I'm going to make you all rich!”

(End of this chapter)