TGCFNM -Chapter 468 Fishing in Troubled Waters

Right after Ghost Scholar suggested using poisonous smoke to drive people out, Su He directly asked if they could just poison them to force them out.

Chu Ling shook her head, thinking it probably wouldn’t work. After all, they still didn’t know the exact terrain there, nor where would be the easiest point of entry.

Wan Sanjin also felt a headache coming on—seems like there really was no easy way to get close.

Su He then suggested, “Then… scare them out?”

Wan Sanjin looked at him, puzzled. “How would we scare them?”

“Make some ghost fire, or use some snake-attracting powders?” Su He put a box on the table. “Any kind of poison will do—I’ve got it all.”

Chu Ling suddenly remembered a problem. “If our guess back then was correct, Chu Yue probably recruited quite a few beggars. These beggars aren’t afraid of snakes, insects, or rats, and they’ve been trained. If they try to escape…”

“The Si Family’s villa!”

Wan Sanjin froze. “How did you think of the Si Family just now?”

Su He reminded him, “The actors who ran off from the Si Family disappeared after entering a villa. At that time, Wan Xing and the eldest young master said they couldn’t find them.”

Wan Sanjin recalled it. “And you even suggested there might be secret tunnels… tunnels running all over the mountains?”

Chu Ling nodded. “Very likely. That’s why it’s impossible to pinpoint their location.”

Ghost Scholar then said, “No need to pinpoint the location. Just aim for this Half-Moon Mountain and catch them off guard.”

Chu Ling rested her chin on her hand and secretly looked at Ghost Scholar, who didn’t speak further but simply smiled at her.

Chu Ling understood—they were leaving it for her to figure out.

“Master! Master!” Xiao Hua ran in happily, carrying a bamboo basket. “Master, Big Brother says he doesn’t know if there are any mushrooms on the mountain and wants to take a look.”

“Which mountain?” Chu Ling jumped slightly.

“The small mountain straight ahead. Steward Liu said we could go check.” Xiao Hua replied.

Chu Ling breathed a sigh of relief. “Then go take a look. If there aren’t any, come back… I think I’ve figured out a way.”

Wan Sanjin blinked. “You mean… we’ve found an excuse to go up the mountain? To pick mushrooms?”

Would anyone believe that?

“No.” Chu Ling’s eyes sparkled with mischievous excitement. “We’ve discovered that there might be a gold mine in Half-Moon Mountain!”

“Ah?” Wan Sanjin was dumbfounded. “Master, are you crazy? Where would a gold mine in Half-Moon Mountain come from?”

Su He patted Wan Sanjin. “Master’s just joking.”

Wan Sanjin nodded, then frowned as he looked at Chu Ling. “Master… maybe that’s not something we should say carelessly.”

Chu Ling gathered everyone closer, then lowered her voice. “Step one: find someone who knows everything in the world to play a beggar, take some impure gold to the money house, and make a scene—claim that the money house wants to steal their gold.”

“Step two: act cautiously and afraid. Someone will inevitably come to question and trick them.”

“Step three: let a rumor spread that a gold mine has been discovered outside the capital, without specifying the exact location—because we need to watch out for Chu Yue and the others.”

“Step three happens while Wan Sanjin often sends people out at night, secretly and mysteriously.”

Wan Sanjin raised his eyebrows. “So… this basically shows that we already know the location of the gold mine, so anyone who follows us can find it?”

“Exactly!” Chu Ling’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “If someone later asks questions, you can just say you don’t know. You were up the mountain collecting herbs for me, and you don’t know why a crowd followed along.”

Wan Sanjin gave a thumbs-up. “Master, you’re amazing!”

Su He quietly remarked beside him, “Since it’s a gold mine, even if the court hasn’t confirmed it, they’ll definitely get involved. And once they do, they’ll bring people along.”

“Where there are more people, the water gets muddied,” Chu Ling squinted slightly. “And muddied waters are just right for us to fish in.”

—

The next day.

Outside the grand Qian Bank in the capital, a beggar stumbled out, cursing and yelling at the bank’s manager, spitting wildly as he muttered incoherently.

As he cursed, a roughly made gold ingot suddenly fell from his pocket. Startled, the beggar hurriedly picked it up, stuffed it back into his coat, and ran off.

Uncle Hong stood at the door, clenching his anger, and slammed the bank door shut with a loud bang.

Soon enough, someone had spotted the beggar…

In a dark, narrow alley, the beggar crouched in a corner. Seeing a few people slowly closing in, he tossed the gold aside and tried to escape.

“Where did this come from?!” The approaching figure snarled, raising a stick to strike.

The beggar grimaced, dodging clumsily, narrowly avoiding the blows. “A-ah! Stop! Stop! Half-Moon Mountain! The patch where I dig wild vegetables—I found it there! I picked it up!”

He wailed, then seized a gap in the crowd and bolted.

At that moment, a figure wearing a fearsome ghost mask suddenly appeared, raising a hand to block the beggar’s path.

The voice from behind the mask was low and muffled, impossible to tell male or female—but it sent chills down the spine.

“Half-Moon Mountain? Who told you to lead people there?”

The beggar panicked, blurting out instinctively, “I-I was ordered by Lord Chu!”

“Her?” The masked figure sneered coldly. “What could she do by sending you there? She would know… so it’s actually… someone else.”

With the last word, the masked figure struck.

The beggar, already prepared, endured the attack despite injuries, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and bolted from the alley in an instant.

The eyes behind the mask were icy, immediately giving chase.

But right before them, the beggar suddenly vanished. At the same time, Heir Xiao’s carriage turned the corner from a nearby street.

“Persistent as a ghost,” the masked figure snorted coldly.

“Master, shall we give chase now?”

The masked figure raised a hand. “No need. One strike from me, and survival isn’t an option.”

“Master, then what shall we do now?”

“Prepare to act. Draw everyone over.”

“Yes, sir!”

The people in the alley dispersed completely. The masked figure removed the mask and cloak, revealing his true face.

“I never imagined… your fates could actually be swapped,” Chu Yue sneered, turning and walking away.

Meanwhile, the beggar who had been hiding on the main street wiped the grime from his face, revealing his true appearance.

When Uncle Hong hurried over to take him away, worry flashed in his eyes. “Young Master, how are you?” He handed over the divine elixir he had brought.

Wan Xing inhaled sharply, took the elixir, and drank it all. “If they hadn’t brought back enough, I’m not sure I could’ve survived that strike.”

Uncle Hong looked helpless. “Wouldn’t it have been fine to just follow Lord Chu’s instructions? Young Master, why act on your own?”

“No. Only this way is safest,” Wan Xing said, slowly standing against the wall, a cold smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Contact Chu Rou, tell her to be careful. Chu Yue’s taken the bait.”

Uncle Hong nodded in acknowledgment.