Chapter 419: Calculations

“Old Yu, what do you think?”

Wang Lai addressed the elderly, dark-skinned, stick-thin cultivator.

Old Yu jumped in fright and waved his hands repeatedly.

“No, no! The Lu Clan’s mine—I wouldn’t dare steal from it…”

Wang Lai sneered. “What’s there to be afraid of? The bold get fed, the timid starve. The Lu Clan sits on our heads, making us toil and bleed for them. They enjoy wealth and glory, while we can’t even fill our stomachs. Stealing a little ore—what does that amount to?”

He spoke as if thinking for Old Yu’s sake.

Old Yu’s eyes held a hint of wariness, and he still shook his head.

Wang Lai’s expression soured. He tried to be patient. “Relax. The Lu Clan won’t find out.”

“How do you know?” Old Yu asked cautiously.

“We go at midnight—silent and unseen.” Wang Lai lowered his voice. “Besides, I’ve bribed a Lu Clan cultivator to look the other way…”

“That’s a secret mine—Lu Clan’s private stash. Who knows how many good things are hidden in there.”

“We won’t dig much. Just a piece or two. Sell it, and we’ll get a hefty amount of spirit stones…”

Wang Lai dangled temptation before him, piece by piece.

Old Yu was clearly moved, but after a glance at Wang Lai, he still shook his head.

He didn’t trust Wang Lai’s character.

He knew very well what kind of person Wang Lai was.

Wang Lai pressed on. “Aren’t you short on spirit stones?”

Old Yu nodded. “Everyone working in these mines is short on spirit stones.”

“You’re different,” Wang Lai said. “Your grandson has an excellent spiritual root, but no stones to cultivate. What a waste…”

“Think about it. If he succeeds in cultivation, he can leave the mines. His future in the Dao would be bright.”

“But you’re so poor. Without spirit stones, no matter how good his talent is, he’ll be just like you—stuck in the mines his whole life. Buried in these rotten rocks, working a bitter life, and someday dying in a shaft…”

Wang Lai sighed. “If his spiritual root were bad, then fine—everyone’s life is equally worthless here. Rotting in the mountains would be expected.”

“But your grandson is different. If he doesn’t cultivate—if he doesn’t gamble for his future—his talent will be wasted.”

“Spiritual roots are heaven-given. Your grandson’s root is a blessing rare in a hundred years—not just anyone can give birth to a child like that…”

Wang Lai’s tone was earnest, filled with regret.

Old Yu’s eyes grew distant as he listened.

Wang Lai noticed and his gaze flickered. He leaned in, voice bewitching:

“Don’t you want to earn a stash of spirit stones—for your grandson, for the Yu family—and give him a chance to rise above all this?”

The words struck straight into Old Yu’s heart.

Guilt and pain flickered across his face. His bony hands clenched tightly, his hunched frame trembling.

His life was bitter, but he didn’t want his grandson to live the same misery.

Miners like them were doomed to rot in the mountains all their lives, never able to lift their heads.

But stealing ore… Old Yu still hesitated, too afraid to agree.

Seeing this, Wang Lai sneered:

“Getting older just makes you spineless. Half your body is in the ground already, yet you still flinch at every shadow.”

“Forget it.” Wang Lai sighed. “I only thought your grandson had good talent, so I gave you this chance. If he succeeds one day, I might bask in some reflected light.”

“But since you’re such a useless grandfather, then there’s nothing to be done.”

“With Wang Er and Tang Wu, it’ll be enough.”

Wang Er and Tang Wu were miners from nearby, children from large families who never even got names—just numbers in order of birth.

Old Yu’s heart tightened. “They’re going too?”

“Of course,” Wang Lai said. “Everything’s arranged. I can’t rely on just one old man—you couldn’t dig much anyway.”

He stood and made to leave. “If you won’t go, then forget it. But don’t you dare tell anyone. Otherwise, you won’t have a good end.”

He turned as if to walk off.

Old Yu panicked and grabbed his sleeve. “I… I’ll go!”

Wang Lai’s expression remained reluctant.

Old Yu softened his voice. “Wang-ye, thank you for giving me this chance. I’ll take fewer spirit stones—it’s fine. When my grandson succeeds, he’ll never forget your kindness.”

Only then did Wang Lai smile widely.

“That’s what I wanted to hear!”

He patted Old Yu’s shoulder. “Don’t blame me for being practical. There’s no goodwill without benefit. I just want a bit of hope for myself too…”

“Of course,” Old Yu echoed, forcing a smile.

Wang Lai nodded, whispered a few instructions, then left the Yu family home. Turning a corner and seeing no one around, he spat viciously:

“Old fool. Dreaming at his age—believes anything he hears…”

“Success in cultivation? Go dream your mother’s dreams.”

“Born in the mines, doomed to a cheap life. Even with good spiritual roots, you’re still cheap!”

…

Wang Lai snorted coldly and strutted away.

On a nearby rooftop, three little cultivators lay hidden under cloaks, peeking down with their heads pressed together.

“This guy’s a bastard,” Bai Zisheng declared.

Bai Zixi nodded.

Mo Hua did too.

“Should we just kill him now?” Bai Zisheng asked eagerly.

Bai Zixi glanced at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua shook his head. “Not yet. Let’s see what they’re planning.”

Bai Zisheng thought for a moment and nodded.

“Alright. You’re the younger one—I’ll listen to you.”

The three crept after Wang Lai.

Strutting down the road, Wang Lai was completely unaware that every move he made was being watched closely by three little shadows behind him.

He left Old Yu’s home and met with the other miners.

Wang Er and Tang Wu.

“Old Yu agreed. Are you two coming?”

Wang Er frowned. “He agreed?”

“Fortune favors the bold—how could he not understand that?” Wang Lai snorted, looking down on them.

“He’s an old man, yet braver than you two. You’re still young and already cowards?”

Tang Wu bristled, ready to agree on the spot.

But Wang Er tugged him back, signaling caution.

Wang Lai’s eyes rolled, and he asked, “You two haven’t found wives yet, have you?”

Their expressions turned awkward.

Wang Lai lowered his voice. “Old Granny Li who sells pastries in the city—she’s got two or three daughters. Young, pretty, and soft as fresh dumpling dough…”

“You come steal the ore with me, earn some spirit stones, and I’ll make the match for you.”

Wang Er and Tang Wu were tempted, faces reddening. “But…”

“But what?” Wang Lai scoffed. “If you don’t earn spirit stones while you’re young, how will you marry? How will you support a family? You want to bring a wife home to suffer?”

Tang Wu immediately said, “I’ll go!”

Wang Er still hesitated. “You could steal the ore yourselves—why bring us?”

Wang Lai sighed. “Old Yu’s old and weak. My men… well, they’ve dug ore a few times, but they’re unreliable and don’t know the mine well. That’s why I need you two…”

He then grew solemn and warned:

“Don’t you dare speak of this. Otherwise the Lu Clan won’t spare us…”

Wang Er and Tang Wu straightened up and nodded.

“Brother Wang, rest assured.”

Wang Lai nodded. “Then it’s settled.”

“Tomorrow night at midnight, east side of the mine, under the half-broken willow. I’ll be waiting.”

After giving instructions, he left.

This time, instead of his usual routine of drinking, gambling, and brothels, he returned home honestly and went to sleep—seemingly to prepare himself.

Mo Hua and the others returned to their cave abode as well.

Once inside the courtyard, the three removed their cloaks and revealed their figures.

“That was fun!” Bai Zisheng said enthusiastically.

Mo Hua shot him a glare. “This isn’t for fun.”

“…Alright…” Bai Zisheng paused, then asked,

“What do you think Wang Lai really wants to do?”

“Kill them,” Bai Zixi said.

Mo Hua nodded. “I think he plans to lure the miners into the mine, kill them, and then go to the Lu Clan for compensation…”

“First deceive them, then kill them, then profit off the dead…”

His voice turned slightly cold.

Bai Zisheng frowned. “So evil!”

He clenched his fists. “Should we kill them all first? Scum like that shouldn’t be left alive.”

But Mo Hua seemed thoughtful.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Zixi asked.

“I feel something’s off.”

“What’s off?”

Mo Hua pondered for a moment.

“Logically, they kill miners, make their disappearance look mysterious, then ask the Lu Clan for compensation—what they’d get is the compensation spirit stones…”

“But the Lu Clan has rules: without bodies, no compensation.”

“So if you put it that way, just killing miners won’t necessarily get them compensation.”

“Even if it did, it wouldn’t be easy.”

“It’s unlikely Wang Lai would risk murder for spirit stones he might not even get…”

“So there must be something else…”

Bai Zisheng cupped his chin and stared at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua blinked. “What?”

“How does that tiny brain of yours twist out so many thoughts?” Bai Zisheng muttered.

Bai Zixi also nodded faintly.

Mo Hua raised a small finger, righteous and serious.

“Master said: ‘If you plan ahead, you stand firm; if not, you fail. Think deeply, act cautiously, always prepare before trouble arises.’”

“Alright, alright…” Bai Zisheng surrendered. “I can’t argue with you.”

“What do we do next?” Bai Zixi asked.

Mo Hua shook his head. “I’m not sure. We’ll act according to circumstances tomorrow.”

…

The next day, at dusk.

Sunset faded, and the night deepened.

The three donned their cloaks again, hid their figures, and lay on a small dirt mound near the mine, peeking out while waiting for Wang Lai and the others.

As night grew darker, Wang Lai’s group arrived first.

Four of them—all Nanyue City thugs. They gathered, nodded at each other with strange smiles, but said little.

Near midnight, Old Yu, Wang Er, and Tang Wu arrived together.

Under the twisted, eerie half-broken willow by the desolate mine—

The two groups met.

In the darkness, Wang Lai’s eyes gleamed coldly:

“Tonight, I’ll make you rich!”