Chapter 86: Chapter 85: Great Fire (Two-in-One Chapter)_2 Very quickly, his eyes lit up as he heard the echo in the vast silence. "Here it is!" He carefully felt around again, and suddenly a hidden compartment appeared on the wall. Gu Sheng, standing not far behind him, watched cautiously. Thankfully, Du Jiangbo had some sense, valueing his own life and not pulling any tricks. Seeing Du Jiangbo place a small pile of gold on the ground with both hands, Gu Sheng’s eyes couldn’t help but brighten. A rough estimate. There were as much as ten taels. This equates to nearly a hundred taels of silver! "Sir, everything is here." Du Jiangbo stared at the small pile of gold with envy in his eyes. He was living in poverty now, but he dared not harbor any schemes. Otherwise, he would be the next one to die! But in his heart, he couldn’t help cursing the late Li Yu. "Damn wretched woman, hiding so much money!" He knew a small portion of this money was secretly stashed by Li Yu behind his back, while the majority must have been rewarded to her by Han Lu. Han Lu had recently been showering Li Yu with affection and giving generously. Perhaps Han Lu thought the money would eventually return to his own hands, so he didn’t mind rewarding her temporarily. Gu Sheng collected the gold, feeling a trace of joy in his heart. This venture had been anything but fruitless; his wealth had surged significantly! At least for the time being, he didn’t have to worry about resources and could focus on developing himself steadily. "Let’s leave. Use Corpse Dissolving Water to destroy the evidence later, and set everything ablaze," Gu Sheng said coldly. After hesitating, Du Jiangbo’s eyes gradually grew fierce. The red pavilion before him was destined to be etched into his soul as a lifelong humiliation! "Sir, let me do it. After all, I’m the one who handled everything here, so it’s only right that I finish it myself!" Du Jiangbo’s eyes burned with unrelenting hatred. Under Gu Sheng’s astonished gaze, he picked up a short blade and slashed, severing Li Yu’s head, holding it in his hand. Blood dripped steadily. Li Yu’s eyes still carried resentment, making her look horrifying. Afterward, he used Corpse Dissolving Water to completely destroy several bodies. Du Jiangbo strode out and, in a distant pavilion, nailed Li Yu’s head onto it. The scene was sinister and terrifying. With the short blade, he carved words onto a stone pillar with deliberate strokes, his eyes blood-red. "Han Lu, you treacherous cur, I will kill you one day!" It was Du Jiangbo’s usual handwriting. This act was Du Jiangbo venting his hatred, a final attempt to disgust Han Lu while departing, and also an effort to reassure Gu Sheng. By doing this, there was no reason for him to betray Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng observed everything but remained silent. With the firestarter ignited, Du Jiangbo didn’t hesitate for a moment before tossing it into the red pavilion. Soon after. The red pavilion was engulfed in flames that blazed toward the sky. Gu Sheng and Du Jiangbo disappeared into the night, their figures fading away. In the distance, the panicked shouts of the Li family’s members echoed through the air. "Fire! Fire!" ... On a distant hilltop. Gu Sheng and Du Jiangbo gazed at the firelight towering into the sky, painting the night red. Faintly, they could see the Li family frantically working to extinguish the flames. But with such a raging fire. The red pavilion was certain to be reduced to ashes, and all that their efforts could achieve would be to prevent the fire from spreading further. Du Jiangbo stared at the distant scene, the flames seemingly burying his humiliation and hatred within them. He sighed deeply and said to Gu Sheng: "Sir, from the very beginning, were you never planning to kill me?" Gu Sheng remained noncommittal. Two plans prepared, all depending on Du Jiangbo’s choices. "That depends on whether you’re smart. Now, it seems you’re not foolish." Du Jiangbo smiled and said: "I’ve always thought I wasn’t foolish, but unfortunately, my luck wasn’t good. Back when I practiced martial arts at the Li family’s fortress, I was always overly cautious. But how could someone from an outside family ever earn trust? If not for this, I wouldn’t be stuck in this miserable situation today." "Now I’ve realized. Being overly timid and fearful of death isn’t necessarily a good thing. Perhaps back then I should’ve fought Han Lu with my life, even if it meant dying. At least I wouldn’t have suffered this unbearable disgrace!" His gaze became deep. "Thankfully, it’s not too late. If I can escape Canghe County, then one day, I’ll fight for my future. I must not repeat my past mistakes, only to end up being trampled underfoot." "And if you can’t escape?" Gu Sheng asked in return. Du Jiangbo replied firmly: "Then I’ll take poison and kill myself before being captured. What happened tonight was entirely my doing, and it has nothing to do with you, sir." Gu Sheng suddenly chuckled. "If you are killed by Han Lu, then someday, once my martial arts are perfected, I’ll kill Han Lu and avenge you." With this promise, Du Jiangbo had even less reason to betray Gu Sheng. It held no benefit for him, and the humiliation Han Lu had inflicted upon him was something no man could endure. Du Jiangbo laughed heartily and bowed deeply. "Thank you, sir!" With that, he turned and strode away. He needed to seize precious time to escape. The Black Sand Gang held great influence, and fulfilling his agreement with Gu Sheng while leaving behind some clues in White Stone Town without being captured would be no easy task. Gu Sheng watched Du Jiangbo’s departing figure, his gaze showing subtle fluctuations. From Du Jiangbo’s final words, Gu Sheng had no doubts. Some emotions simply couldn’t be faked. It was evident that after this incident, Du Jiangbo’s formerly timid and cautious will to survive at all costs had undergone some change. "I hope you can escape," Gu Sheng muttered. Strictly speaking, he and Du Jiangbo didn’t share any irreconcilable hatred. In fact, they even had common enemies. Gu Sheng believed Du Jiangbo’s chances of survival were fifty-fifty. But considering Du Jiangbo’s hatred for Han Lu, even if Du Jiangbo failed to escape, it was unlikely he would expose him. With this, Gu Sheng had finally resolved this lingering issue. Despite a few twists and turns, the outcome had been favorable. Not only had he completely dealt with Li Yu—the source of the problem—but he had also thoroughly concealed his involvement. Though not flawless, it was discreet and comprehensive enough. The only potential flaw was Du Jiangbo. However, based on their brief interaction and Du Jiangbo’s hatred for Han Lu, it seemed this worry was unfounded. Now. Gu Sheng only needed to quietly wait for the matter to come to a close. Gu Sheng glanced again toward the Li family’s fortress. The fire seemed to be under control now, showing no signs of spreading further. Taking his spoils, he quietly made his way toward Gu’s Manor. ... By the time Gu Sheng returned to Gu’s Manor, the night was still shrouded in darkness. On the way, he had already dealt with his night clothes and all traces, leaving no evidence behind. Activating his Shapeshifting Power, his joints produced a series of cracking noises. Gu Sheng’s body returned to its original form, and even his triangular eyes disappeared completely. This appearance was one Gu Sheng was determined never to use again, ensuring there wouldn’t be any traceable leads. "Shapeshifting is truly useful. In the Great Achievement Realm, I can even alter facial features. Though I can’t replicate someone else’s appearance completely or mold my face as desired, the extent of the transformation is remarkable." "Once Shapeshifting reaches the Perfect Realm, its effects will surely be phenomenal." Gu Sheng grew increasingly satisfied with this unexpectedly obtained martial art. Reflecting on the events of the night, he reviewed every detail to confirm no trace had been left behind. He then began inventorying the spoils of the evening. First were the gold and silver jewelry. The major gain naturally was Li Yu’s ten taels of gold and her jewelry. If he could manage to sell the jewelry, it would bring him over a hundred taels of silver. However, the jewelry was too distinctive to sell at this time. That would have to wait. The ten taels of gold, though, posed no such issue. Additionally, the belongings of the four Black Sand Gang martial artists had also produced quite a haul. Combined, there were over twenty taels of silver, along with a number of bottles and jars of medicines and powders, including ten portions of Body Refining Ointment. With these calculations. Gu Sheng’s wealth had skyrocketed! His usable assets had suddenly surged to over a hundred taels of silver—a fortune unparalleled in his experience. Gazing at the gold and silver before him, he felt a mild sense of nostalgia. A year ago. He still had to worry about mere copper coins and painstakingly save to afford the silver tael required for martial arts tuition. But now, he could casually produce over a hundred taels. Yet wealth was just a means. Ultimately, it needed to be converted into strength. With strength, wealth would become a continuous stream. "Once this matter settles, I can focus on training and aim to reach the Jade Skin Realm by next year’s spring. Then, I can begin preparations to break through to the Blood Refining Realm!" Gu Sheng looked forward to it. Upon reaching the Blood Refining Realm, he would finally gain a foothold. In Canghe County, the Blood Refining Realm is already considered a form of expert. Gu Sheng gradually calmed his thoughts, listening to the chirping insects and rustling wind outside. His mind slowly found peace as he drifted off to sleep.