Chapter 181 - 118: Splitting the Gold
Splintered planks of wood and even a few bloated corpses floated on the water, bobbing listlessly on the murky waves.
The thick stench of blood in the air was nauseating.
The reefs along the shore were stained a dark red. Broken barricades and collapsed arrow towers were strewn everywhere.
In the distance, deep within the island, the sky glowed with the light of fires. The fierce cries of battle and the clash of weapons rolled in like muffled thunder.
Just then, a clearly overloaded Treasure Ship came wobbling out from the island’s interior.
A stocky figure stood at the bow—it was Li Lei, the Chief Disciple of the Kun Earth Institute.
Two extraordinary-looking longspears hung at his waist. The ship was piled high with boxes and bundles of all sizes; even the corners of some expensive furniture poked out.
"Nephew Li!"
Shen Xiuyong called out, "What’s it like in there? Are the pickings rich?"
"Junior Martial Uncle Shen! Rich! It’s incredibly rich!"
Li Lei looked over at the sound of his voice, and upon seeing Shen Xiuyong, he quickly bowed respectfully. "The Zheng Family’s ten Treasure Ships were stuffed to the brim, all of it hard currency! Gold, silver, and jewelry? That was just the stuff at the bottom! There were high-quality jade artifacts and entire crates of Treasure Medicine! The Treasure Vault on Nine Waves Island was completely ransacked—the riches piled inside could blind a man! Everyone in there has gone mad with greed! They’re grabbing anything they see!"
"I managed to get a decent haul myself. I didn’t dare get too greedy, so I filled my ship and got out of there. I got three whole crates of high-quality Treasure Medicine alone, plus all this gold and silver... Oh, right! I also got lucky and found two nice items on one of the Zheng Family’s Stewards."
He motioned for a disciple behind him to open a special wooden box. Inside lay a thick-spined cleaver and an ancient-looking Bronze Heart Shield.
"Middle-Grade Treasure Artifacts!" someone nearby cried out in astonishment.
This scene was like throwing fuel on a fire, instantly igniting the hearts of everyone on the Treasure Ship!
Even the most common Middle-Grade Treasure Artifact was worth one hundred thousand taels of silver. If the quality was good, or if it was a piece of Inner Armor, the value would be even higher.
Song Ming felt his heart pound in his chest and his breath quicken. He stared intently at the dazzling chests on Li Lei’s ship, as if seeing a future where he became rich overnight.
Lin Wei’s eyes burned with desire as well. Raising her Profound Water Snake was incredibly expensive, and this was the perfect opportunity to replenish her resources!
Venturing deep into such a dangerous place was risky, but the fact that Li Lei had made it out safely suggested that while the fighting in the core area was chaotic, the deadliest threats had likely been eliminated by the top experts.
"Elder Shen, some of the disciples and I want to head toward the stronghold to mop up the remaining enemies... and see if we can recover more assets for the Sect!"
Song Ming was the first one who couldn’t hold back, cupping his fists to ask for permission.
"I also wish to go!" Lin Wei declared firmly, right after him.
"We’ll go too!"
"And me!"
Aside from Chen Qing and two or three other cautious disciples, the rest of the Stewards and some of the Li Fire Institute disciples all chimed in.
Right now, anything they could grab was pure profit!
Who had the mind to keep guarding the waterway?
Shen Xiuyong looked at their expressions and had no intention of stopping them by force.
He waved his hand and said lightly, "Go if you want. But know your limits and remember what I said. Your priority is to stay safe! Don’t go too deep, and don’t get involved in the struggles between the Core Disciples of the major sects. If you encounter a powerful enemy, signal a warning and retreat immediately."
"Nephew Xiao, take a few people with you and keep them in line."
"Yes, Junior Martial Uncle."
Xiao Ruize replied. Seeing Li Lei’s haul, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted.
Having received permission, Song Ming, Lin Wei, and the others were like wild horses released from their tethers. With faces full of excitement and impatience, they immediately joined the stream of people pouring onto the island.
The docks instantly grew much quieter.
Shen Xiuyong turned to Chen Qing and asked, "Why didn’t you go with them? You heard what Li Lei said. There’s gold lying all over the ground in there."
Chen Qing cupped his fist, his tone steady. "My Cultivation is low, and the island is swarming with experts in the heat of battle. If I were to rush in recklessly, I’m afraid I’d become an easy target, which would be a poor outcome. It is better to remain here and assist Elder Shen in guarding this key route against any stragglers."
That’s what he said, but it wasn’t what Chen Qing was actually thinking.
’The core area of the stronghold has already been taken over by experts from the major sects and the first wave of desperadoes. Going in now would be extremely risky. The fighting is fierce, so I probably wouldn’t gain much and might just get myself into unnecessary trouble.’
A flash of surprise and admiration crossed Shen Xiuyong’s eyes, and he burst out laughing. "Excellent! You’ve got a good head on your shoulders! Much better than those idiots who only know how to charge in blindly!"
He leaned lazily against the ship’s railing, his gaze sweeping over the various ships, all laden with plunder, that were continuously emerging from the island. A playful smile touched his lips. "Just watch. The real show is yet to begin. We, on the other hand, will just wait for the rabbits to come to us and divvy up the gold. Isn’t that much more pleasant?"
’Wait for the rabbits to come to us and divvy up the gold!?’
A thought struck Chen Qing. It seemed Shen Xiuyong had a plan.
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