Chapter 240: A Big Deal

Wu Tie made no sound, lowered his head and hurried forward.

'Honest and diligent?'

An honest and diligent person, after having almost one jin of flesh cut from his thigh, his whole thigh soaked in blood, could he still grit his teeth and refuse to speak?

Such ruthlessness, compared to the great serpent Yi who wailed when its tail was torn off, is far stronger.

Jin Mancang has a fierce streak in his bones; although his cultivation is low and his strength weak, to call him an honest person, Wu Tie could only laugh "haha" a few times.

"Hey, big deal, do one transaction and you'll have a lifetime of food and drink without worry." Jin Mancang hobbled along beside Wu Tie, sucking in cold air through clenched teeth while muttering incessantly.

Wu Tie still couldn't be bothered with this guy; he lifted his head to look around, at the distant street corner, in a quadrangular fountain flowerbed, a Udumbara tree was blooming and giving off fragrance.

The wind blew over, and Wu Tie also caught the faint scent of Udumbara flowers in the breeze.

That's right; past this fountain flowerbed lies a district exclusively for the Udumbara Clan, where only senior members of the clan can reside. Hua Guang also has a sizable residence in this district.

Wu Tie quickened his pace.

Jin Mancang ignored the blood flowing from his thigh, grabbed Wu Tie's sleeve, and said in a low voice: "I really have a big deal; don't look at how I previously couldn't pay those bastards' compensation—it was just an accident… Sir, hey, hey, I've heard that I…"

A squad of five Udumbara cultivators in golden armor came out from the street corner; presumably bored from patrol, they smiled and stopped by the central fountain flowerbed.

Two cultivators sat on the flowerbed, while the other three stood beneath the Udumbara tree, chatting relaxedly.

After just a few words, a cultivator seated on the flowerbed suddenly spotted Jin Mancang, and noticed the blood on his thigh. The cultivator furrowed his brows, stood up, and pointed in that direction from afar.

Wu Tie pressed his lips, bowed from afar to those Udumbara cultivators, then seized Jin Mancang's neck and roughly dragged him into a side alley.

He slammed Jin Mancang against the alley's side wall, stepped close to his plump, fair face, and sternly warned: "Don't follow me; I have no interest in your big deal…"

Wu Tie produced a natural dog-head gold nugget, gripped it with his right hand, and exerted force.

With a "pop", the nugget exploded into extremely fine gold powder that scattered down.

Jin Mancang's eyes suddenly brightened.

Gold is soft in texture, making it easy to leave various marks on the nugget; wanting to crush it like glass cannot be done by brute force alone—it requires special means, extraordinary abilities.

Wu Tie rubbed his fingers, stared at Jin Mancang and sneered: "A merchant who can't pay his wages, yet claims to be honest and diligent? I don't know what you hired those fellows to do, but since you can't even pay compensation, your credit… hehe!"

Having released Jin Mancang, Wu Tie wiped his hand on his collar and said calmly: "Don't follow me anymore; I've come to Three Link City and have my own matters to attend to… You've delayed my affairs, and I will kill you."

Wu Tie turned and hurried toward the other exit of the alley.

Just now they had already attracted the attention of the Udumbara cultivators; Wu Tie didn't intend to backtrack, lest he cause trouble.

Jin Mancang gritted his teeth, stared at Wu Tie's back in thought, then suddenly said softly: "I didn't come to Three Link City to sell those goods… I'm saying, I've found a clue to enter Three Link City—do you believe me?"

Wu Tie's steps suddenly stalled.

This bastard, found a clue to enter Three Link City?

After a moment, Wu Tie chuckled "hehe" and continued striding forward.

Look at this wretch's previous sorry state—his attendants were all killed, the cultivators he hired are now torturing him, demanding the password to withdraw goods from the warehouse…

Such a miserable loser—could he possibly have a clue to enter Three Link City?

What he says surely isn't the currently exposed surface method of entering Three Link City; it must refer to the underground entrance method.

Wu Tie doesn't believe he truly possesses such a precious clue.

Even if he did… Wu Tie isn't greedy for the benefits inside. He already has a perfect cultivation technique, an excellent instructor, and a perfect auxiliary divine artifact, the Tree of Abundance.

If so, what else could he be coveting?

Without turning back, Wu Tie waved his hand and said coldly: "You can go shout on the street that you've found a clue to enter Three Link City. Hmm, maybe you'll find someone willing to help you?"

Jin Mancang gritted his teeth, tore off a sleeve, hastily bandaged his thigh wound, and hobbled after Wu Tie.

Wu Tie strode swiftly; Jin Mancang would have to sprint with all his might to keep up.

Panting, Jin Mancang urged: "Listen to me, listen to me… Legends say inside are countless rare treasures."

Wu Tie gave a "hehe" chuckle.

"Inside there are divine elixirs for eternal youth!"

Wu Tie gave another "hehe" chuckle.

"Inside lies the world's most powerful cultivation art!"

Wu Tie still gave a "hehe" chuckle.

As Wu Tie was about to exit the alley, Jin Mancang slammed a fist into the side wall, his knuckles splitting open, blood blooming on the stone.

He stopped, clenched his fists, fixed his gaze on Wu Tie's back, and said in a deep voice: "Legends say inside there is the art of death-defying rebirth, the everlasting verdant secret method, the path from mediocrity to sainthood, and the method to achieve sainthood…"

Wu Tie's steps abruptly halted.

Rare treasures, he felt no temptation.

Divine pills and elixirs, he felt no temptation.

Secret divine arts, he felt no temptation.

But the four characters "death-defying rebirth" and the four characters "achieving sainthood" genuinely moved him.

"Death-defying rebirth"—Wu Tie thought of Wu Jin still fighting desperately in the Wa Tribe Ancestral Land.

"Achieving sainthood"—Old Tie also said that upon becoming a sage, one gains the power to resurrect flesh and bone, to transcend death and return to the world.

Wu Tie slowly turned, fixed Jin Mancang with a stare, and said coldly: "If you're deceiving me!"

Jin Mancang exhaled heavily, his blood‑lacerated right hand struggling to stretch, his palm like a blade, he lightly chopped his own neck: "My lord, you may kill me anytime… Before you, I am nothing but an ant you could crush with a pinch, right?"

Wu Tie fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"What do you want from inside?" Wu Tie asked Jin Mancang directly.

"Besides what you want, everything else is mine." Jin Mancang gave a clever reply that satisfied Wu Tie.

"I want the death-defying rebirth art… and also the method to achieve sainthood…" Wu Tie frowned, pondered, then shook his head: "I don't need the sainthood method or those arts, but I'd like to consult them."

"But regarding the death-defying rebirth art—whether divine pills, elixirs, ancient treasures, secret artifacts, or anything else—" Wu Tie stared solemnly at Jin Mancang: "If you dare to seize it, I will kill you."

Jin Mancang burst into laughter, his smile radiant: "Then there really isn't a single problem—between you and me, my lord, there's no conflict at all; I want gold, silver, jewels, and various external possessions…"

Wu Tie stared fixedly at Jin Man Cang for a moment, then flicked his right hand; a dim light flew out from between them and quickly entered Jin Man Cang's body.

"Very good, I'll put a mark on you; that way, 'no matter where you are, I will definitely be able to find you!'" Wu Tie gave a hollow laugh toward Jin Man Cang, deliberately emphasizing his tone.

Jin Man Cang sucked in a breath of cold air, pain making him clutch the wound on his thigh, and he gave a bitter smile to Wu Tie: "Sir, rest assured, I, Jin Man Cang, am confident these eyes of mine aren't blind yet; since I've recognized you…… I naturally won't do anything foolish."

Wu Tie nodded, then said coldly: "Then go find a place to rest and heal your wounds; I need to find a few people. Once I've taken care of things, I'll come back for you."

Wu Tie turned to leave, and Jin Man Cang hastily forced a smile and said: "Sir, sir…… now that the matter is settled…… could you…… lend me some gold coins?"

Wu Tie stared at Jin Man Cang in surprise.

"I'm telling the truth, I don't have a single coin on me." Jin Man Cang let out a heavy sigh, looking embarrassed at Wu Tie: "Actually, I'm not really a merchant…… I brought goods from Three Linked City, but they're not easy to sell—no one wants them!"

"Actually…… the market value of those goods is estimated to be insufficient even to cover the warehouse fees of the Red Lotus Clan."

Jin Man Cang gave an embarrassed laugh: "The reason I didn't give them the password…… is actually for their own good; they took my password to the warehouse, heh, if the Red Lotus Clan people discover, my goods' total value isn't even enough to pay their warehouse fees…… they're as good as dead."

Wu Tie looked at Jin Man Cang speechlessly.

"Those guys are certainly as good as dead, and you, Jin Man Cang, won't survive either, right?"

"This guy isn't stingy or miserly; he simply knows that uttering the password means death, so he's gritting his teeth and holding out, right?"

"You really are an 'honest and upright' person." Wu Tie let out a heavy sigh, pulled out a pouch of gold coins and threw it to Jin Man Cang: "Remember, 'no matter where you are, I will definitely be able to find you'…… uh, what did you hire them to do?"

Jin Man Cang received the heavy beast‑skin bag, shook it satisfyingly a few times, listening to the distinctive clink of the gold coins, and let out a heavy sigh: "Nothing much, just captured a few people, killed a few people……"

"Really, lawless and heinous, this world is truly dark. I'm their employer, just temporarily short on funds, yet they…… they actually committed murder for profit!" Jin Man Cang looked up and sighed long, wearing an expression of 'morals declining, hearts not ancient'.

Wu Tie gave a dry laugh a few times, pointed at Jin Man Cang, then turned and strode away.

Jin Man Cang let out a satisfied sigh, shaking the large beast‑skin pouch, and muttered quietly: "In Three Linked City, it's rare to meet such a 'good person'! Ha, if it weren't for this sir, I, Jin Gui, would truly become a ghost this time."

He gave a dry laugh three times, Jin Man Cang suddenly bowed slightly, speaking respectfully: "Sir, I didn't mean to conceal it from you; my true name is actually Jin Gui, Jin Man Cang is merely a name I made up on the spur of the moment…… after all, that scene just now……"

While speaking, Jin Man Cang cautiously turned his head to glance behind him.

The alley behind him was empty, not a ghost in sight.

Jin Man Cang quickly raised his head again; a glint of gold flashed in his pupils, a flock of birds flew across the sky, and besides that, there wasn't even a half‑person silhouette.

Jin Man Cang let out a heavy exhalation, shook his head, gave a low chuckle a few times, then swiftly turned around, scanned the surroundings, firmly nodded, and then stamped his foot hard.

'Bang!'

A plume of black smoke erupted from the ground; once the smoke cleared, Jin Man Cang had vanished without a trace.

After a full three breaths, a plume of black smoke burst forth at the same spot, and Jin Man Cang emerged from the smoke.

He again looked around, the gold light in his eyes becoming ever more pronounced.

Finally he nodded, gave a somewhat relieved laugh: "Looks like my luck isn't bad this time—I really did run into a 'good person'…… damn it, if it weren't for my reliable brothers dying spotless…… how could I end up in such a sorry state?"

He rubbed the wound on his thigh and muttered: "When I heal, when I heal, you lot of scoundrels, may you all not live…… is the reward for Jin Gui really this easy to come by?"

He gave a cold chuckle, Jin Man Cang's body trembled, strands of gold light swirling around him, and he turned into a thumb‑sized hummingbird, its wings beating lightly as it took off, soon disappearing from sight.

After Jin Man Cang had flown away for a long while, the air rippled and Wu Tie's figure gradually appeared.

"Somewhat interesting, this Jin Gui, heh……" Wu Tie said softly: "His eyes are quite strange; they almost saw through my invisibility technique. However, he is indeed wounded, and the power of those eyes has clearly been greatly diminished."

"Then how strong was his cultivation originally? Life Pool Realm? Or……" Wu Tie nodded while smiling: "Well, he has a lead into Three Linked City; this time I believe him."

Wu Tie turned and walked out of the alley, avoiding the men and women on the main street whose behavior was strange, carefully steering clear of several disputes, avoiding several patrols of the Udumbara Clan cultivators, and finally arrived in front of Hua Guang's private residence.

Wu Tie glanced at Hua Guang's private residence, then walked past the main road in front of the gate as if nothing were amiss.

His pupils shrank to the size of a pinprick.

In Hua Guang's courtyard, eight youths covered in scales and wounds were hung from the branches of a large tree. Their clothes had been stripped clean, their bodies covered in deep whip lashes from which blood continually seeped, dripping drop by drop onto the ground.

Hua Guang told Wu Tie that the reliable subordinates he had left in the city, neither more nor less, numbered exactly eight.

Wu Tie let out a light sigh, walked through the gate with a composed demeanor.