Water elemental became a god, ultimately becoming the master of heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers

Chapter 85 Zhao Guangxi goes bankrupt, shopkeeper position vacant
That night.

A group of skilled fighters drawn from Wanlong Duifang and Shuiwozi patrolled the deserted streets, occasionally raiding suspected hideouts of the Guolu Society or outlaws to arrest people.

Shuiwozi only sent one top-tier expert, led by Jade-faced Duck Zhou Qing, along with Lin Shouzhuo, He Qiqiang, and others.

On the Wanlong Milling House side, Zheng Shicheng spared no expense, deploying troops and even borrowing people from other milling houses, determined to avenge the loss of his ear.

There were hundreds of people in large numbers.

Most of them were in groups of ten, not far apart from each other. As soon as there was any disturbance, a piercing arrow would be sent to warn them, and within seven or eight breaths, the left and right teams would come to their aid.

When the moonlight was at its brightest.

Yue Ting looked at Bai Manlou and Xiao Qingchou, who had brazenly barged into the place.

After confirming several times that there were no members of the Guolu Hui (a secret society) lying in ambush nearby or to his left or right, he paused for a moment.

"Just you two?"

Bai Manlou said, "Two people are enough to deal with you."

After saying this, Bai Manlou's sword flashed, and Xiao Qingchou, wielding a firearm, charged into the crowd like a chilling autumn leaf.

Soon, the sounds of short, sharp clashes of weapons and screams rang out.

Yue Ting, wielding the Hunyuan Umbrella, abandoned it and fled, blood seeping from his shoulder. Without a word, he crawled into the dog hole in the wall.

Bai Manlou ignored him.

Bai Manlou didn't smell that fragrance on Yue Ting, which suggests he's a smart person who values ​​his reputation or understands the dangers of excessive spending.

The arrow pierced the clouds and exploded high in the sky.

A dense multitude of figures swept in from all directions.

Bai and Xiao acted with extreme decisiveness.

The sounds of wailing filled the air at my feet.

But there are only two possible outcomes: minor injury or death by a single blow.

I wonder where those hysterical wails, so heartbreaking to hear, yet those who kept scurrying away like magpies, were hurting or injured.

Suddenly, Xiao Qingchou's eyes lit up, as if he had spotted someone familiar. He pointed to a group of slackers, and said to Shui San'er, who was running at the very back of the group,

"That person looks like He Qiqiang."

Among the group of Shui San'er, He Qiqiang was organizing his weapons and devising tactics, but when he suddenly saw the rest of Shui San'er, their faces all showed expressions of seeing a ghost.

Lin Shouzhou seemed to have thought of something, his expression was strange, he hid in the crowd, and even took a few steps back without going forward.

He Qiqiang's hair stood on end, his blood surged, and his entire body swelled up rapidly as if being inflated. His hair stood on end like steel needles, and the veins on his body throbbed wildly.

It's just like a furious black boar!
He turned around abruptly and saw Bai Manlou and the other two. Though startled, he remained calm. A look of madness flashed in his eyes, and he charged forward!
Damn it!!! Break it for me—

Then he was successfully captured.

Xiao Qingchou held He Qiqiang's left shoulder blade with one hand, while Bai Manlou held his right shoulder blade.

The two simultaneously unleashed their power, rushing into He Qiqiang's body to examine his tendons and bones and confirm his strength and aura.

He Qiqiang immediately deflated like a punctured fish bubble, slumping down and becoming limp and powerless.

Xiao Qingchou's eyes showed a look of relief.
"I knew it! You're not him! Okay, okay..."

Bai Manlou smiled, released his grip, and turned to attack other areas.

"I thought he was some kind of hero, but he's just a good-for-nothing."

The two left.

He Qiqiang's legs went weak, and he almost slipped and knelt down. He stood up, leaning against the corner of the wall, his face turning pale and then red. He gritted his teeth and said...

"Too deceiving!"

Seeing this, the other three girls breathed a sigh of relief and rushed over to check on He Qiqiang's injuries.

As Lin Shouzhou felt the cold gauntlets between his arms, some random thoughts began to wander in his mind.

Just now, I decisively stepped back and shielded everyone with my body.

Doesn't he look a bit like... Chen Shunan?

"Oh no, we've been influenced too much by Lao Chen!"

Lin Shouzhou's heart tightened.

As dawn broke, the screams completely ceased.

The streets were filled with ordinary people, their figures peeking and looking around.

Yue Ting suddenly appeared from somewhere, dusting himself off. The sword wound on his shoulder looked like a medal.

He swaggered up to the group of mortar workers who were carrying corpses and treating the wounded.

Yue Ting said, "Last night, the entire Guolu Society mobilized, along with a group of outlaws, and took advantage of our unpreparedness... We fought a difficult battle, and after paying a heavy price, we finally repelled them. Are you aware of this?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening and responded in unison.

“That’s how it is.”

……

In the backyard of the Zhao residence, in the study.

The door was open, and the sound of the abacus clicking was very clear in the night.

Zhao Guangxi spent the whole night doing the accounting.

The expenses of the Lingguan Jiehui, the interest and principal of various small loans, the accounts for the well's water supply, and the dividends just given by Zheng Shicheng.

"There are still some losses for now, but we will turn a profit in two months and break even in less than six months. This deal is quite worthwhile."

Zhao Guangxi put down his pen and ink with satisfaction, closed the stack of account books, and then took out a water pipe with the shape of a crane's leg.

Being a boss is tough. You may seem glamorous, living in grand halls and living a life of luxury that is different from ordinary people.

But he faces pressure to keep the money flowing, malicious probing from various forces, and his men's livelihood depends on him.

"I, Zhao, am truly a good employer."

Zhao Guangxi sighed silently, a hint of pride in his voice.

Suddenly a cold wind blew in, scattering the candlelight.

Zhao Guangxi's gaze remained unchanged as he said, "The door was open for you, but you wouldn't leave. You just love to scale walls and roofs. You people who live in the martial arts world have no manners."

"Hehe, I'm used to it."

A gentle voice came from inside the study, and another figure appeared.

“Master Zhao, you have quite the refined taste. While others spend long nights with beautiful jade in their arms, you, on the other hand, have been busy with an abacus all night.”

Zhao Guangxi looked up at the newcomer, showing little surprise.
"Could you be the head of the Li Zi Hall of the Guolu Association? May I ask your honorable name and purpose for coming today?"

Just call me Money-Holder.

The head of the Lizi Hall bowed deeply, displaying the demeanor of Confucius and Mencius.

Upon hearing the nickname "Money-Stealing Hand," Zhao Guangxi immediately became alert.

I always felt that his wallet was in danger.

Moreover, the word "礼" (li) also means gift money or presents. The man with the money in his hand smiled and said, "I came here today to ask Master Zhao for some travel expenses."

Zhao Guangxi smiled.

The notorious bandits who roamed the Sichuan region, the local tyrants who lived in the far reaches of the land, and the leader of the Guolu Society were so poor that they had to borrow money from him.
He rubbed his hands together, then chuckled sheepishly.

"To be honest, the brothers' trip to Beijing this time was rushed, so everything was kept simple. We even had to ask for favors a few times to barely cover our travel expenses."

Living in the capital is not easy, and you should be frugal, Master Zhao. Everything requires money: the brothers' medicine and supplements, meals and lodging, and the payment of informants...

Everything costs money. Poor Fifth Master Hong, his jacket is so worn out, patched up again and again, he's practically an old man with a hundred bags of tattered clothes. Wearing it any longer would be beneath him!

Zhao Guangxi shook his head and said, "Alright, how much?"

The hand reaching for money extends a scissor-like gesture.

Two thousand taels?
Zhao Guangxi nodded subtly, but not much.

"Twenty thousand taels," the man who had been touching the money whispered.

Zhao Guangxi couldn't hold back for a moment and almost smashed his cup as a signal to summon dozens of guards from the mansion, who then chopped him into mincemeat.

Twenty thousand taels?

This is going to kill Zhao!
Seeing Zhao Guangxi's expression, the man who had been touching the money quickly explained.
“It’s a loan, not a free loan.”

Ha, throwing good money after bad. The money I lent to your Guolu Society, you think I'd pay it back?

"In return, if Mr. Zhao has any enemies or adversaries he doesn't like, our Guolu brothers are willing to help you out."

Black gloves?
Zhao Guangxi shook his head and said, "Master, you've misunderstood. My Shuiwozi is a local tyrant in the capital, with connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. If I don't like someone, I'll just eliminate them. Why would I need you to do it?"

"I don't think so. Shuiwozi is a large and powerful family, like a dragon trapped in a mud pit. There are all sorts of obstacles. Even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. It's all about human relationships."

"How can we outsiders be so open and carefree? Otherwise, is it that Boss Zhao didn't want to kill Zheng Shicheng?"

"This……"

Zhao Guangxi's eyes immediately showed hesitation.

"Then, send another message to Zhao Dongjia."

Your half-brother, who is also one of the nine major landlords in Shuiwozi, Wuqing County, has recently been flirting with a certain consul of the Wuhe branch and getting quite close to him. This might affect the important matter of Boss Zhao's promotion..."

Zhao Guangxi immediately agreed.

“Okay, deal! But I don’t have that much money on hand, I’ll have to give it to you in installments over the next few months, I’ll give you five thousand taels this time.”

"Easy to say, easy to say..."

The hand that touched the money nodded in satisfaction.

For a time, both sides got what they wanted and were very satisfied.

All that talk of incense and kinship is fake.

Self-interest is what truly matters.

"I'd like to discuss something with you. Before you plan to target Wanlong Mill or Water Pit, could you please inform me privately? Like yesterday's incident where the spirit official intercepted the meeting, it put me in a very passive position."

The man who had been touching the money shook his head.

"We're going to disappoint Master Zhao. 'Big Black Hat' said that this trip to Beijing is all about the big picture, and even our lives and property have to come second. No one can tolerate personal feelings."

"By the way, does Mr. Zhao know how many hideouts Zheng Shicheng has, or what assets he owns in Wuqing County or even the capital?"

Zhao Guangxi said, "There are three or four places, openly or secretly, such as Jinyu Hutong... Wait, could it be that Zheng Shicheng dares to leave the mansion secretly?"

At the end, Zhao Guangxi looked surprised.

The man who touched the money nodded and said, "Zheng Shicheng has already left the mansion. The Holy Maiden Tianxuan is in charge of the Zheng mansion, and there are also immortal treasures disturbing the energy flow."

Fifth Master Hong and I joined forces to break into the mansion, but found no trace of Zheng Shicheng. We assumed he had vanished into thin air, hiding somewhere. We also stormed into several locations in Jinyu Alley, but found no sign of Zheng Shicheng there either.

"Then I'm afraid I can't help you."

A moment later, the hand that had been touching the money drifted away.

Instead of going through the door, they crawled through the window onto the roof, leaping high and low.

None of the guards in the entire mansion noticed.

The maid who was keeping watch outside the study was dozing off, carrying a lantern.

As dawn broke, Zhao Guangxi gradually received news of the horrific incidents that had occurred the previous night, revealing numerous bloodied and mangled bodies.

Even Zhao Guangxi was secretly alarmed.

During breakfast, Zhao Guangxi's family of five gathered together.

Zhao Guangxi said to a plump woman,

"Wife, let's pawn all these coral bonsai, gold plates and jade bowls, all these pretty but useless things in the house."

The woman was taken aback.

Zhao Guangxi looked exhausted, as if he had lost half his life, and sighed.
"Let's eat pickled vegetables for a few months, our family... is about to go bankrupt."

……

In the middle of the night, San Dezi and Liu Daoba from Chaodou Hutong were awakened by screams and arrows coming from the county, and they couldn't sleep all night.

The wife was timid, and the children were afraid.

Fortunately, after they got up in the middle of the night, they saw Chen Shunan sitting at the entrance of the alley, smoking a pipe.

The ditch was filled with fallen leaves and grime, embroidered with green moss. Chen Shunan kept watch alone through the long night, while outside the alley, the fighting and grudges could not be blown in by the wind.

At that moment, in the eyes of Liu Daoba and San Dezi, Chen Shunan seemed like a god descended from heaven.

Having just finished breakfast, Lin Shouzhou returned, still exuding a menacing aura.

He brought news that surprised everyone—

There were many casualties in the county last night. Not only did the black market money swindler Cui die, but Wanlong Rice Mill and even Shuiwozi also suffered heavy casualties!
Among them were figures of the same caliber as Manager Inoue and Manager Li!

"After verification, all the dead shopkeepers were dishonest! They were connected to Cui, the black market money maker, and misappropriated funds from the accounts to buy low and sell high, enticing his subordinate Shui San'er to burn money for food."

Lin Shouzhou did not go inside, lest he frighten the women and children in the courtyard.

Everyone stood in the alleyway.

Now that things have come to this point, Lin Shouzhou no longer hides anything and tells San Dezi, Liu Daoba, and the others about the hibiscus ointment and other matters.

These words startled everyone, including Chen Shunan.

Because the shopkeepers who died were all acquaintances, and they had even shared drinks at the same table!
We are as interdependent as lips and teeth; our fates are intertwined!
Fortunately, when they learned that the Guolu gang members seemed to be genuinely after the money and had not indiscriminately killed innocent people, they were surprised.

San Dezi, Liu Daoba, and the others breathed a slight sigh of relief.

A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist.

Anyway, we didn't touch that stuff, so let whoever wants to kill us do so.

However, Chen Shunan seemed to be thinking about something, and his expression became somewhat strange.

"So, does that mean there are quite a few vacancies opening up? Even managerial positions?"

(End of this chapter)