Chapter 617

Regardless of whether the money promised by the Chen family actually reaches them, the Wu Lin Alliance and the Zhang Tian Shi Fu must prepare a compensation fund.

Pan Yun didn't take any, and Seeing Miao Zhen and the others followed suit; Xue Shao certainly didn't—he carried the bride's gold and visited every household on the island, even hauling out beds and tables and chairs: "All valuable wood—this set of huanghuali furniture, shipped back to the mainland and sold in Jiangnan, is worth at least eighty taels!"

Eighty taels are enough to support a family of three with food and clothing for four years.

The heroes immediately followed behind them, hauling things away.

He was clearly not someone who cared for wealth, yet he knew the value of every object by heart, remembering them with perfect clarity.

If the stones hadn't been so hard to move and transport, he would've pried up the rocks in the courtyard too.

"This marble must have been shipped from our mainland—in Jiangnan, one slab sells for two taels; shipped here, the cost of one slab won't be less than five taels. The entire courtyard's marble is worth a fortune."

The heroes had zero interest in shipping back a five-tael marble to sell for two taels, so they pretended not to hear.

But Pan Yun circled the marble slabs, suspiciously asking: "Do you think the Japanese pirates hid their gold and jewels beneath these marble slabs?"

Upon hearing this, the heroes immediately swung their tools and dug into the stones, turning the entire courtyard upside down—but found not a single piece of gold.

"What a pity~~" Pan Yun shook her head and sighed, then turned and ordered Qu Le to force the bound Japanese pirates to carry the marble bricks onto the ship.

The heroes, always eager for excitement and with nothing better to do, followed along, hauling several more slabs with cheerful enthusiasm.

Xue Shao watched silently, saying nothing.

Li Wenying looked at them with a look of utter exasperation, turned away, and couldn't help whispering to Chen Battalion Commander: "No wonder they were tricked by the imperial court—they never use their brains."

Chen Battalion Commander pretended not to hear—he was one of the court's men too.

But the ones who tricked them certainly weren't this group.

Thinking that he himself had been tricked, nearly dying at sea, Chen Battalion Commander's gaze turned deep, and once out of sight, he went to find Pan Yun: "When do you plan to go to the island to retrieve the treasure?"

Pan Yun's eyelid twitched slightly.

Chen Battalion Commander: "I dared not approach that island before, but I've kept men patrolling its perimeter. It's strange—the island often vanishes in sea mist. There are so many small islets nearby; without the map you gave me, I never could've found it. I patrolled to prevent the Japanese pirates from reaching and taking the treasure. For over half a year, only three ships ever came near that sea area—but strangely, they seemed unaware of the island's location, wandering aimlessly…"

"At first I thought they were trying to confuse us, but after observing them longer, it seems they're searching for something—not specifically for that island."

Pan Yun: "They came specifically for that island."

Pan Yun sized up Chen Wen and asked: "You didn't know?"

Chen Wen's heart leapt; his face turned serious: "Know what?"

"It seems the Japanese pirate family that hid the treasure had internal strife—the one who knew the island's location died, and the only map ended up in our hands. Juichi Wu Bei is dead too, so…"

Chen Wen's mouth hung open—he didn't know.

Pan Yun looked at him with pity and shook her head: "Chen Battalion Commander, you're not up to this~~"

Seeing Pan Yun doubt his ability, Chen Wen immediately said: "Master Sanzhu, I've been at sea my whole life, isolated on islands, rarely setting foot on land even once a month. Every time I'm ordered back, I only report to the naval command post—my information is always delayed. But my abilities are sound. To retrieve the treasure, you absolutely need cooperation from the navy…"

In the past, that might've been true—but isn't she now able to fly, and doesn't she have the Three Treasures Cauldron?

But seeing Chen Wen's honest, loyal old face, Pan Yun couldn't bring herself to abandon him. She lowered her voice: "The treasure isn't urgent. Since they don't know the island's location, we have time. Wait until I return from Japan—then we'll go straight by sea to retrieve it."

Chen Wen looked at her skeptically: "You have a ship now…"

Pan Yun snapped: "But isn't my helmsman still your man? Chen Battalion Commander, I trust you this much—and you doubt me?"

Chen Wen: … He never agreed to Li Wenying giving her A Xin, did he?

He clearly refused!

But now that she mentioned it, it did make sense.

His men and ships were unavoidable in her sea operations.

If she truly picked another crewman as helmsman and went off alone to retrieve the treasure…

Could he really tear up their relationship and expose the matter publicly?

She was a martial artist—the sea's treasures belonged to whoever could claim them.

He was an imperial official—if this got out, he'd be accused of hoarding Japanese pirate treasure and plotting treason.

Chen Wen took a deep breath and nodded: "Fine. I'll send A Xin, Chang Wenzhuan, and Guo Dashan with you."

Pan Yun's eyes lit up with a smile.

Pan Xiaohei couldn't help lifting his head and meowing. Once Chen Wen left, he couldn't resist saying: "I felt your emotional tug-of-war. He's been so honest, given you so much—doesn't your conscience hurt at all?"

Chen Wen has men, has a ship, has the map. Six months ago, perhaps he didn't retrieve the treasure because he hadn't fully won over his men—but now, even A Xin follows him blindly and would lay down his life for him—why is he still just patrolling the sea and not taking the treasure?

Because he keeps his word!

He promised to split it with Pan Yun—and he's been waiting for her all along.

Pan Xiaohei shook his cat-head and quoted: "Alas, he cherishes the bright moon, but the bright moon shines on the ditch."

"Shut up!" Pan Yun said. "I only thought it in my heart—I never actually abandoned him. Don't you know the saying: judge by deeds, not intentions?"

She grinned at him, baring her teeth: "If we judged by intentions, I'd have diced you into eight pieces eight hundred times already."

Pan Xiaohei: …

Pan Yun closed her eyes and formed a hand seal: "Fusheng Wuliang Tianzun. Almost broke the precept against killing. Sinful, sinful!"

Pan Xiaohei turned around, presenting his fat rump to her.

The heroes rested on the island for two days. After Li Wenying and Seeing Miao Zhen carefully calculated the weather, they immediately decided to depart at the third watch of the next morning.

Pan Yun's group needed to leave even earlier—at the second watch.

Li Wenying led a group to see them off, while their three large ships nearby were being loaded with goods and personnel.

Locking eyes with a line of bound Japanese pirates, they were shoved forward by the heroes escorting them, then turned away and boarded the ship.

Pan Yun also turned her gaze away and said to Li Wenying: "Don't kill the people I mentioned—wait until I return."

Li Wenying nodded and asked softly: "How confident are you?"

"It won't hurt to try," Pan Yun said. "If it succeeds, we eliminate a major threat. If it fails, we still hold their lives in our hands, don't we?"

Li Wenying: "But I'm just a Daoist Priest—even the Zhang Tian Shi Fu can't make final rulings. Ultimately, judging and sentencing is the magistrate's duty. I can only hold them until autumn—by autumn, you must return."

"Understood, understood. Japan isn't far from Great Ming—I can just fly back."

Li Wenying: "……"

He pointed to the group behind her and asked, "Take them with you?"

Pan Yun was speechless.

Li Wenying raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Ah~~ Leave them behind!"

Pan Yun thought he was annoying. (End of chapter)