"King Qin Guang..." Mo Chuan's face was solemn as he watched the Saintess emerge from the side room.
Though he hadn't seen her face, Mo Chuan had already deeply imprinted her figure in his mind.
Furthermore, Guo Dahai's bizarre and arcane techniques likely originated from King Qin Guang. Considering the charlatan Guo Dahai and the half-baked Black Dragon from before, they wouldn't amount to much together.
Mo Chuan mentally elevated the Saintess's danger level to the highest. Seeing the servants begin to enter the side room to clear things away, Mo Chuan also left his room and sat on the rooftop, gazing at the still clamorous front courtyard not far away, contemplating his next move.
Ultimately, this was still an illusion conjured by the White Dragon's soul, perhaps made so vivid by the Black Dragon's true soul being intertwined. Thus, there was no need to be overly vigilant about the suddenly appearing King Qin Guang, merely cautious.
But how should he deal with the true soul next?
Guo Dahai's subsequent actions would likely not deviate from King Qin Guang's side, which would significantly increase the difficulty of defeating the true soul.
Just then, the Jade Pendant, which had been silent for a long time, spoke, "That Saintess will remain in the temple presiding over the rituals. You only need to lure Guo Dahai far away from here."
Mo Chuan frowned at this statement. He then casually noticed some wealthy individuals bowing devoutly to Guo Dahai.
"I've got it," Mo Chuan's eyes lit up. He leaped down from the rooftop and first went to a teahouse across the street. Using his innate illusory charm, he transformed into a wealthy man dressed in a black silk long gown, with a small mustache, golden teeth, and a walking stick. He then ambled to the counter and tapped it with his finger, saying,
"Shopkeeper."
The shopkeeper looked up and, seeing the elegantly dressed Mo Chuan, quickly rubbed his hands with a fawning smile and asked, "Esteemed guest, how may I be of service?"
Mo Chuan pointed to the second floor and said in a low voice, "Prepare the most quiet private room, and serve a pot of good tea. Your service will not be unrewarded." As he spoke, he patted his money pouch, and the pre-placed pebbles inside made a dull clinking sound.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's smile stretched all the way to the back of his head. In those times, gold and silver were much more sought after than government paper currency; they were tangible hard currency. The fact that the other party intended to pay directly with these indicated his considerable wealth. So, he immediately stepped out from behind the counter and led Mo Chuan to a private room on the second floor. After noting the room number, Mo Chuan excused himself to use the restroom, turned invisible, and returned to the backyard of the Deer Immortal Temple.
Mo Chuan observed for a moment, then spotted a servant carrying incense burners outside. He knocked the servant unconscious, dragged him away (action 47), and then transformed, using his innate illusory charm to become the servant. He approached Guo Dahai, imitating the other servants' gestures, and bowed, saying, "Master, a Master Huang from E City wishes to invite you to discuss some matters at the teahouse opposite."
Guo Dahai was momentarily taken aback. While it was common for wealthy people to seek him out, it was rare for them to ask him to find others. Assuming the outsider didn't understand the customs, Guo Dahai simply nodded and said, "Tell him to wait a moment. I'll be there after I finish my current affairs."
Seeing this, Mo Chuan bowed again and said, "The servant mentioned that Master awaits you in the Xia Lan Hall private room on the second floor." Guo Dahai merely let out a cold chuckle after hearing this and said no more.
Observing Guo Dahai's reaction, Mo Chuan immediately turned and returned from the backyard to the teahouse. After reverting to the appearance of Master Huang, he sat alone, sipping his tea.
A short while later, Guo Dahai entered the private room with a sharp and capable-looking attendant. Mo Chuan said, "Master, please..."
Guo Dahai sat down, took a sip of the clear tea, and raised his eyebrows, clearly recognizing it as good tea. He straightened up slightly and asked Mo Chuan, "May I know what business Master Huang has with this rustic fellow?"
Mo Chuan leaned forward slightly, "I, Huang, wish to collaborate with you, Master, to make some money."
"Make money?" Guo Dahai was taken aback. "And whose money do you intend to make?"
"Whoever has money to be made. I, Huang, dislike making money from the poor."
"Then who has money?"
"You have money!"
"Hahahaha! - What has caught Mr. Huang's eye? Take whatever you wish. This humble temple has been operating for many years; we have some gold and silver."
"Hehehehe, I'm not a bandit; I'm a merchant. Merchants make money through legitimate means."
"Well said! I know some major merchants and magnates in the southern Jianzhou region who deal in mining businesses and earn dollars."
"Dollars?"
"Mr. Huang, that's American money!"
Mo Chuan put on a thoughtful expression and said, "Alright, Master, perhaps you'd care to hear the 'Inquiry Plan'?"
Guo Dahai nodded, and Mo Chuan said, "Do you know what is most expensive right now?"
"Grain."
"Precisely, grain." Mo Chuan chuckled. "This afternoon, we'll raise funds from the devotees, claiming we have a way to purchase grain from nearby towns at a low price. Now, what is the government's biggest headache in southwestern Jianzhou?"
"Bandits."
"Exactly. This afternoon, we'll head out with the money towards the surroundings. At night, I'll disguise myself as a bandit and intercept the carts. Then, after the commotion dies down, we'll split the money in the woods beside the town."
"We can do that? Aren't you afraid of being exposed?"
"Hahaha—Master, this method is absolutely foolproof. It all depends on whether you can persuade those believers." Mo Chuan picked up his teacup and asked, "Master, why don't you think about how you'll do it?"
"I can provide the money as bait. However much I contribute, the major merchants must match it."
"Agreed!"
"I've been waiting for your word! That's enough! So, you're putting up eight hundred thousand?"
"I'll put up one million eight hundred thousand. The more I contribute, the more I earn."
"Understood! After the job is done! The one million eight hundred thousand will be returned in full, and we'll split the merchants' dollars."
"Let's talk about making money later... I believe in drinking tea one sip at a time and walking one step at a time. If you take too big a step, *hic*, you might pull something. We should clarify the profit sharing before discussing the plan."
"How about seventy-thirty?"
"You're too unfair. I'm doing all this running around, and you're only giving me thirty percent? We should split it fifty-fifty!" Guo Dahai thought to himself that this profiteer would die tonight anyway, so how they split the money didn't matter; he was just going through the motions.
"Then... then I was wrong..." Mo Chuan appeared hesitant. "I'll listen to you, Master, fifty-fifty it is."
"Ah, alright!" Guo Dahai agreed verbally, but he inwardly thought that this fellow Huang was also a master of feigned ignorance.
"Hahahaha..." Both let out cheerful laughter.
"In that case, Master Huang, we'll split it fifty-fifty. To show my sincerity, I'll raise the one million eight hundred thousand immediately."
"Ah, it's too sudden. It's too early to collect money now. Wait until the opportune moment, then make the request appropriately."
"Master Huang, brilliant!"
"Master, formidable!"
"Hahahaha—"