Chapter 19

Sleeping in and waking up late, I only came online now to update. Hehe, I'm really sorry, ORZ

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No matter what, the Righteous Gang is a powerful force in the Eastern Wasteland. Their underworld business is thriving, making them rich. They can easily afford the most luxurious top-tier inns when they come to Luojing. However, the current "Ruguiju" inn, though clean and tidy, is at best a mid-range establishment. It is completely out of place for someone with the status of one of the Five Dukes of the Eastern Wasteland.

This also indirectly proves that the Righteous Gang's entry into the capital indeed has some secret that cannot be revealed.

Xiao Sheng secretly nodded and stepped into the inn. The innkeeper, seeing a customer, immediately came out from behind the counter with a full smile, warmly welcoming them.

Xiao Sheng casually took out a silver ingot and booked a top room. Then, he subtly probed a few questions, confirming that the Righteous Gang and their group were indeed staying at this inn. Without further ado, he took Xiao Cui and the little pug upstairs to their room.

After the waiter who brought the tea left, Xiao Sheng leaped onto the crossbeam, lifted the tiles, and created a passage, bringing Xiao Cui and the little pug to the roof. The little pug ran back and forth on the inn's roof a few times, then suddenly stopped at one spot and barked loudly.

Based on the little pug's position and the information from the innkeeper, Xiao Sheng deduced that below the little pug was the inn's Room 7, where the leader of the Righteous Gang, Niu Lao, was staying.

Xiao Sheng walked over and carefully lifted half a tile to peek into the room. The room was quiet and empty, with no one inside. He gestured for Xiao Cui to wait on the roof while he leaped down to search thoroughly.

The room in the inn was not very large, about seven to eight steps long and five to six steps wide. The furnishings were simple, just a bed, a wardrobe, a table, and a few chairs.

On the bed were two bulging bundles. When opened, they contained not only some clothes but also large stacks of gold and silver bills.

These gold and silver bills were issued by the central bank of the Da Hao Dynasty's branch in the Eastern Wasteland. Each bill was worth 100,000 taels of gold or 500,000 taels of silver, and they were bearer instruments, valid throughout the Da Hao Dynasty. As long as these bills were taken to any branch of the central bank, they could be immediately cashed in full.

To put it in perspective, even the highest-ranking officials in the Da Hao Dynasty, the Grand Marshal and the Grand General, receive only 10,000 shi of white rice as their annual salary. With the stable grain prices in the Da Hao Dynasty, 1 shi of white rice is worth 1 tael of silver, so 10,000 shi of white rice is equivalent to 10,000 taels of silver.

500,000 taels of silver, theoretically, would take a high-ranking official like the Grand General or the Grand Marshal 50 years to accumulate, even if they didn't eat or drink. And there were also 100,000 taels of gold. Together, this amounted to over one million taels, a truly enormous sum.

Earlier, Yu Xuanyi had told Xiao Sheng that to uncover the truth about Empress Mu's death, he needed his own power base. And the most essential element for building a power base was money.

Xiao Sheng, through the Kala Hall, had entered a parallel universe for training. Although he had collected many valuable treasures, he had very little in terms of gold and silver, as he had never needed it. The amount required to build a power base was far from enough.

Now, obtaining this wealth worth one million taels was like a timely rain. After all, the Righteous Gang had done countless evil deeds over the years, and this money was ill-gotten gains. Xiao Sheng felt justified and righteous in using it.

He put the gold and silver bills into his wooden bracelet, then looked around the room again, finally focusing on the wardrobe in the corner.

Actually, he didn't think the wardrobe contained anything valuable. But since he was already there, he had to open it and check. He reached out, grabbed the handle on the wardrobe door, and pulled it open.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the wardrobe door opened, a black shadow fell straight out, landing precisely in Xiao Sheng's arms. A faint fragrance immediately filled the air, and his hands felt a softness.

Xiao Sheng was immediately startled. He focused and saw that the black shadow in his arms was a girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years old, with a face like a painting, exquisitely beautiful and pitiable.

Xiao Sheng, who had practiced the Ripple Immortal Dao technique to the level equivalent to a Master of the Disturbance Realm, could hardly be deceived by any slight movement or sound.

But strangely, until the moment he opened the wardrobe door, he had not sensed that anyone was hiding inside.

There were two possible explanations for this. First, the girl in the wardrobe had cultivation surpassing Xiao Sheng. Second, the girl was dead. A corpse, of course, would be undetectable by any expert.

However, in the blink of an eye, Xiao Sheng ruled out both possibilities.

First, the muscles and bones of the girl in his arms were not finely developed. An expert could immediately tell that she had never practiced martial arts and was just an ordinary person. Second, her face was rosy, her skin warm, and her breathing and pulse, though faint, had not disappeared. Clearly, she was alive, not dead.

The key was her breathing and pulse. Xiao Sheng placed his hand on her wrist and carefully examined her. She seemed to be in a state similar to hibernation, with her vital energy dormant and hidden, like wood or stone. No wonder he hadn't detected her earlier.

The Righteous Gang must have hidden this girl in the wardrobe for some sinister purpose, and her identity was certainly extraordinary.

Xiao Sheng pondered for a moment, then picked up the girl and placed her on the bed. He raised his right index finger, and with a breath, a brilliant light appeared at the tip. This was the "Life Field—Ripple Sprint," which could activate the human body's magnetic field.

The girl was in a hibernation-like state because a master had skillfully pressed her "sleep point."

Xiao Sheng didn't know the specific technique, but it didn't matter. The essence of pressing points was to block the body's nerves and blood vessels to achieve various effects. As long as these blocked areas were released, the points would be unblocked.

The Ripple Immortal Dao technique used the principle of resonance to gain power. Under the ripple vibrations, unblocking the blocked points was as easy as turning over one's hand.

In the next moment, Xiao Sheng pressed a point on the girl's forehead, transmitting the ripple energy. Instantly, the girl was jolted as if struck by lightning, her body trembling violently. Then she slowly opened her eyes, meeting Xiao Sheng's gaze.

A wave of fear immediately surged. The girl instinctively opened her mouth to scream. But Xiao Sheng had anticipated this reaction and quickly covered her mouth with his hand. He smiled and gently reassured her, "Don't be afraid. You're safe; no one will hurt you. Relax, okay?"

Xiao Sheng's smile was like the warm and bright sunshine of spring, capable of melting all the ice in a person's heart. Under the comfort of this warm smile, the fear, panic, vigilance, and unease in the girl's eyes quickly disappeared.

Xiao Sheng smiled again, pleased. He said warmly, "Good, that's right. Now, I'll let go of your mouth. Don't scream, okay?"

Seeing the girl nod obediently, Xiao Sheng released his right hand. The girl sat up, took a few deep breaths, and looked at Xiao Sheng carefully. She asked, "Who are you?" Her voice was soft and sweet, like a child's, making one feel as if a kitten was scratching their heart, very comfortable.

Xiao Sheng smiled and said, "I'm Xiao Sheng. What about you, little sister?"

"I... I'm surnamed Ling," the girl stammered, softly uttering a few words but refusing to give her name. She paused, looked around, and trembled, "Where... where is this place? What about that big bad man surnamed Niu?"

Xiao Sheng said, "This is an inn in Luojing. The big bad man surnamed Niu? Who is he?"

The girl clearly showed fear again. She instinctively moved closer to Xiao Sheng. She said timidly, "That big bad man is called Niu Lao. He kidnapped me and wanted to... wanted to... sniff, sniff..." She started to cry softly before she could finish her sentence.

If Xiao Sheng's smile could melt ice, then the girl's crying could soften the hardest steel. Xiao Sheng gently patted her back, comforting her, "Don't cry, don't cry. It's all over. Rest assured, that big bad man surnamed Niu is already dead and can't hurt you anymore."

The girl's body trembled again, and she suddenly looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. She blurted out, "Really? He's already dead?"

"If the bad man you're talking about is Niu Lao, the leader of the Righteous Gang and one of the Five Dukes of the Eastern Wasteland, then he is indeed dead. Not only Niu Lao, but also the big man called Qiushui Shen and the scholar with the fan are all dead."

As Xiao Sheng looked at the girl, he found her increasingly adorable and pitiable. Though she was still young and her body had not fully developed, it was clear that she would grow into a rare beauty. In a few years, no one would know how captivating she would become.

"Are they all... all dead? Did you... did you kill them? You... you're not afraid?" The girl blinked, with a few tears still hanging from her long eyelashes. She guessed the truth right away.

Xiao Sheng smiled and said nonchalantly, "Those who commit heinous crimes deserve to die. There's nothing to be afraid of."

The girl's eyes lit up, and she grabbed the corner of Xiao Sheng's clothes, shaking it pitifully. "Big brother, you said this is Luojing? But... but my home is in the Eastern Wasteland. It's so far away, how... how can I get home? Sniff, sniff, sniff..." She started crying again after a few words. Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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