Chapter 98: I Will Not Let Any of You Go

To rewind slightly, when Wang Cheng discovered that the Nine-Dragon Pearl-Spitting Formation was funneling all the scattered incense and vows in the vicinity directly toward them, he finally understood why the [Craftsman’s Silver] had been flashing and vibrating so inexplicably.

He had only himself to blame for his "light bone weight"—he simply hadn't been sensitive enough to detect where the business opportunities and wealth were hidden. Had his evil spirit avatar not sold off the corpses of all the Japanese pirates on the main battlefield and obtained a massive stroke of financial luck from the [Four Seas Treasure], he would have missed this fortune, which had been right under his nose.

It wasn't until the Nine-Dragon Pearl-Spitting Formation practically spoon-fed him the opportunity that he finally saw the light. He immediately purchased the fate of the evil spirit [Silver Ghoul: Three Hundred Taels of Silver Not Buried Here] from the eye of the coin. His bone weight increased by another six mace, reaching three taels and seven mace.

"This fate promises little success in worldly affairs; siblings provide little help, and one stands alone. Though ancestral property may exist, it comes and goes in mysterious ways."

The fortune-telling remained mediocre, yet it was a significant improvement over his previous state. His evil spirit avatar grew in strength as well, gaining a new specialty, [The Miser], to complement his existing [Debt-Collecting Ghost].

"Born with an acute sense for all kinds of treasures, he is invincible in his search for them; no valuable good can slip past him. Even the smallest needle or thread cannot escape his grasp!"

Combined with [Star Gazing]—"By observing the auspicious positions of stars and the dimming of their light, one can discern the flow of vital energy and the auspicious locations in heaven and earth, gaining a vague ability to divine fortune"—and the opportunistic [Qi Gazing], Wang Cheng was now a one-man wrecking crew. He could strip a field clean of anything valuable without needing a disguise.

With the raw materials secured, Wang Cheng and Yan Yunxiao, a true local deity, immediately set to work. They constructed an altar, filled it with blank ritual paper money, and placed the [Craftsman’s Silver] upon it. Since this "Three-Thousand Abyss Treasure" had been fished out by the Zhang brothers' father and passed through the hands of the fishing tycoon Xue Da and eventually Wang Cheng, this was its first appearance as a "money printer."

*Clatter, clatter.*

Brilliant light swallowed the vast sea of incense and vows, imprinting them as gold ingots and talismans onto the blank paper. Fresh, steaming incense-money was minted in a constant stream, then deposited into the treasury inherent to the [Craftsman’s Silver]—a vault with no apparent limit, though it could only hold ritual currency.

This batch of incense and vows represented the entire accumulation of the World Trade Center, Yuegang, during the first lunar month, compressed under the pressure of countless evil spirits. The scale was enormous. The [Craftsman’s Silver] ran at full capacity, nearly smoking by the end.

The polluted incense and vows rolled toward the focal point controlled by Ah Xiao. Sheltered by the surrounding dragon energy and with no third-rank [Living Ghosts] present, no one discovered this unlicensed private mint or Wang Cheng, the self-proclaimed "Grand Manager of the Heavenly Treasury."

"Actually, 'Heavenly Treasury' isn't the most prestigious title. I know of an official position from the Han Dynasty that managed the minting of currency; their crowning achievement was the death of Emperor Wu's crown prince. There are two main types of power in this world: political and economic. That position was the pinnacle of the latter, though unfortunately, it never became a formal rank."

Looking at the final tally of over 130,000 units of incense-money, the eyes of both Wang Cheng and Yunxiao glinted with gold.

"Money! Our money!"

How many people in this world had the chance to see so much wealth at once? At a cost of 1,000 taels of silver for a five-hundred-load warship, this was enough to build a massive fleet of over a hundred warships to dominate any prosperous trade route. Seeing even the ethereal Yunxiao glowing with excitement, Wang Cheng finally understood why people said the God of Wealth had taken over the duties of the Matchmaker. Clearly, money had more real-world penetration than love. One only had to replace the word "love" with "money" in any poem to see the truth.

*Beaver!* While vulgar and contrary to the era's mainstream values, it was certainly a more accurate reflection of reality.

Still, at this critical juncture, Wang Cheng knew better than to be stingy. He threw out 100,000 units in one go—a display of extravagance that surpassed even the secret [Heaven-and-Earth Toss] of the high officials.

The fishing lines transformed from nine flood dragons were indeed greedy, but they delivered results when paid. Much like the saying that the Great Zhao army cannot be defeated when fully paid, the dragons were no different.

The [Obedient Dragon Pearl], transformed into a black dragon with a red mane, thrashed in the sky, but was eventually surrounded and bound by the nine lines. The chains pulled taut, dragging it toward the Dragon-Locking Well.

"Roar!" The black dragon, formed by the Noble, roared repeatedly, unable to break free. Dragons were born with cultivation; they were fifth-rank or higher upon reaching adulthood. Even in their weakened state, the remnant power of the nine fused dragons was equivalent to a peak fourth-rank entity within this geomantic node. Plus, today was the "Dragon Raises Its Head"—the moment when the Azure Dragon appeared in the sky and earthly dragon energy was at its peak. Not even a fourth-rank dragon-scion's avatar could hope to defeat them, let alone a mere third-rank entity.

"Audacious commoners! How dare you offend the royal dignity! Open the court and hold a hearing—begone!"

With the Noble's roar, the thunderous sound of the executioner's staff echoed above the Dragon-Locking Well. The talisman within the dragon pearl unleashed a circle of divine light, expanding into a dark, ghostly yamen. Tall bailiffs holding water-and-fire staves appeared on both sides, standing like solid iron walls. A figure in a black robe, topped with a black dragon's head, sat on the bench, exuding an overwhelming and majestic aura that made one dare not look directly at him.

While ordinary mid-rank officials used "burning incense and opening altars" to borrow power, those within the imperial system had the authority to "open the court." Wang Cheng had witnessed this once before, when he was sent off on the King’s Boat.

The Noble slammed the gavel and threw down the command token. "Guards! Capture and execute the evil dragon for me!"

"Yes!"

Armored generals, executioners, and soldiers swarmed out of the yamen. Infused with imperial authority, they manifested with swords, maces, and bows, hacking at the surrounding iron chains. This was the signature technique of high-ranking imperial officials: [The Hearts of the People are like Iron, Official Law is like a Furnace]! By layering their own altars with the dynasty’s authority, they gained the confidence to look down upon all others.

In a realm invisible to mortals, the sky above the Dragon-Locking Well erupted with the sounds of battle. Chains rattled, sparks flew, and soldiers wailed as they fell from the sky, dissolving into wisps of energy. The [Obedient Dragon Pearl] spun, attempting to slip away through the path opened by the soldiers. Clearly, the Noble realized the situation was lost and sought to cut his losses.

But Wang Cheng was not about to let him go so easily. "Another 20,000! Take the pearl down, and show me what you're capable of!"

Without hesitation, he scattered another 20,000 units of incense-money. The nine chains tightened with unprecedented force, ignoring the damage to themselves to pull the defenses back together. With one final push, they drove the Noble into the well mouth, giving him no chance to resist. The power of the [Dragon-Locking Well]—a talismanic anchor—descended. Since the pearl was part of the dragon, it could not escape the suppression.

At the critical moment, the Noble could only choose to "sever the head to survive." An avatar attached to the pearl, a fundamental talisman, and a portion of the dragon energy fled into the void, while the essential [Obedient Dragon Pearl] and the majority of the dragon energy were dragged into the well, destined to replace Yunxiao in suppressing the dregs of history and forever entangled in hatred with the nine demonic dragons.

"Cai Shui Wang family! Once a thief, always a thief! I have remembered you, and I will never let any of you—"

Before the words were finished, he had vanished into the distance. Yet the cruelty and determination in his voice left everyone who heard it shivering. To be hated day and night by an anonymous royal noble? Who wouldn't be afraid?

Wang Cheng had already lifted the national treasure, [Build the Plank Roads Openly, March Secretly to Chencang], and as the ultimate victor, he casually hid the records of the siege against the Noble by "Wang Cheng," Lady Yan, and the Five-Peak Flags from the river of history.

Seeing the grim expressions of the others, he blinked. "What did he say just now? I didn't hear it clearly."

Yunxiao returned to her human form and landed lightly beside him. She looked at the wooden stake in his hand, hesitated, then shrugged dismissively. "Who cares? Probably nothing important."

She then reached out toward Pu Shouying, who lay broken and shattered at their feet, and plucked out his memories and his clay-sculpted divine embryo as if harvesting a pearl.

For officials practicing the "Nurturing Method" to become living ghosts, the most crucial element was a single obsession. The obsession to "nurture the pearl and restore the fallen kingdom" was etched into the marrow of the Pu family—not just Pu Shouying’s, but that of generations of the Pu clan. It had persisted through three dynasties and hundreds of years without wavering. Now, one failure and the loss of [Build the Plank Roads Openly, March Secretly to Chencang] had finished them.

With his obsession broken and no hope of realization, Pu Shouying collapsed, unable to muster even half his strength. Heartbroken and despairing, he was no match for Yan Yunxiao and was easily cut down.

"Done. The secrets of the Pu family are all in this pearl." Ah Xiao opened her palm, flashing a colorful bead in front of Wang Cheng. Aside from the Noble and a few provincial officials, Pu Shouying was the source of the sub-contracting. With [Tight-Lipped] not binding him regarding the Noble's secrets, interrogation was easy. The Pu family had been a wealthy, transnational merchant empire; his memory was a vast treasure vault.

"Little Cheng, I'll provide the intelligence, and you use your [Miser] to handle the looting. Let's go raid them before the White Scale Guards arrive. Old rules: fifty-fifty split."

*Slap!*

A large hand and a small one smacked together. Both faces wore brilliant, matching smiles. Their previous alliance was for survival, but this time, they were the ones going on the offensive. The roles had reversed!

Ah Xiao and Wang Cheng each took three sticks of incense and bowed toward the direction of Citong Port in the north.

"According to the rules of the mountain-roaming (bandit) sect, we're offering incense to the entire Pu family in advance. May you all... stay neat and tidy on your way."