Chapter 393: Chapter 229: Thick-Skinned and Shameless
Gu Wan was just concerned about Gu Chengyu earlier and didnât notice the corpses on the ground.
At this moment, hearing the sound and looking to the side, she smelled the strong scent of blood and vomited with an "ugh".
Sun Xian quickly supported Gu Wan onto the carriage, as he also found it disgusting to see.
Some corpses had their bellies cut open by sword, with intestines spilling out.
Bloodstains were everywhere on the ground, so it was understandable that Gu Wan felt sick and scared looking at it.
Second Sister Ye and Yeâs mother hadnât gathered their wits yet; they were genuinely frightened. Ye Zhiqiu, seeing that Gu Chengyu wasnât injured, was busy comforting them.
"Mr. Gu! May I have a word with you?" Mr. Han approached the carriage, looking at Gu Chengyu with a fawning expression.
Gu Chengyu, upon seeing Mr. Han, already knew his purpose for coming. Anyway, he wasnât going to agree; he didnât want to place Gu Wan and them into danger again.
"Mr. Han, please speak frankly, there are no outsiders here."
Mr. Han noticed Gu Chengyuâs displeasure and felt that Gu Chengyu might not agree to his request.
"It seems Mr. Gu is a straightforward person, so Iâll get to the point. You see, Mr. Gu, this batch of goods is extremely valuable, and I donât know who leaked the news, but many people are eyeing them. I want to ask Mr. Gu to escort us to the Capital. Of course, the reward would be substantial; how does that sound to you?"
Regardless of whether Gu Chengyu agreed or not, he wouldnât give up this opportunity.
Gu Chengyu shook his head, he wasnât short of money, and he certainly wasnât greedy for a little silver.
"Mr. Han, I really must apologize. If it were just the three of us master and servants, I would consider your request. But as you know, I have quite a few family and friends traveling with me, which could pose many inconveniences."
Gu Chengyu cupped his hand to Mr. Han as a gesture of apology.
Mr. Han wasnât ready to give up; after thinking for a while, he said, "Mr. Gu, youâre a scholar, correct? Letâs not beat around the bush; studying is naturally for high official positions. My master has quite the influence, and if youâd help escort us, I would certainly put in a good word for you, better than fighting alone."
Gu Chengyu was somewhat speechless, not expecting Mr. Han to go as far as revealing his hand to get him to escort them.
Such honesty showed he was quite sincere.
The owners of the boxes were apparently the masters behind Mr. Han; with such big talk, could that person be someone from the court with a significant position?
Mr. Han could only say so much; he couldnât possibly reveal everything to Gu Chengyu. He saw Gu Chengyuâs martial arts skills and thought if he could work for the master, he might become a trusted aide.
Gu Chengyu still refused; who knew which faction Mr. Han was with? How could he rashly enter the other camp? Before entering the court, it was best not to engage with any faction.
"Mr. Han, Iâm just a weak scholar, without such great skills. I only wish to peacefully take the examinations. As for a backing, I know my own abilities, but thank you for your kindness."
After Gu Chengyu finished speaking, he paid no more attention to Mr. Han and instructed Ye Zhiqiu and the others to return to their carriage, as he was preparing to detach his carriage from the escort agencyâs convoy.
Fat Hanâs face darkened slightly; he hadnât expected Gu Chengyu not to take the bait. At this moment, he had no better method and could only return to report to Liu Dong.
Liu Dong and the man in the hat cut off the heads of Liu Da and He Cheng, then undressed the corpses, using the clothes to wrap the heads. These heads were valuable; returning with them would surely earn a reward.
Chief Wu, seeing the manâs actions, gripped his knife tightly, and the dart masters suppressed their anger; how could they say they didnât recognize them while collecting heads of corpses? Wasnât it all to return and claim credit?
Mr. Han approached the two, intending to tell them about Gu Chengyuâs refusal. Who wouldâve thought he would see this scene, almost sickened by it; these martial artists were so crude.
He suppressed the nausea in his heart and lowered his voice to explain the situation to the two of them.
"Oh? You say he refused?" Liu Dongâs gruff voice sounded; Mr. Han was close and found it quite uncomfortable to listen to.
"I said Iâd give him silver, but he wasnât interested. From his attire, he seems not short of silver. Later, I took the liberty to suggest he escort us to the Capital and seek refuge with our master, promising him a bright future, yet he still wasnât interested."
"Did you tell him about our masterâs affairs?"
Liu Dong asked urgently, worrying that Fat Han might be so foolish as to reveal their masterâs affairs to him. Instantly filled with killing intent, if so, he would risk everything to eliminate those three.
"No, no, how could I say that?" Mr. Han shivered with fear; he knew Liu Dong was ruthless!
If he spoke carelessly, he might even be killed. The master trusted Liu Dong greatly, and he couldnât afford to offend him.
"It better be so! If he refuses, so be it; I donât believe we canât reach the Capital without him."
Liu Dong was always proud, and after Gu Chengyuâs repeated refusals, he was out of patience. In his view, asking Gu Chengyu to escort them and agreeing to recommend him to the master already showed tremendous respect.
"Sir, how about this?" Mr. Han came up with another idea, not trusting these two; if another group came, wouldnât his life be at risk here?
"Hmm? Why, are you afraid we canât protect this batch of gold and silver? Or are you afraid of losing your life following us?"
Liu Dong also felt dissatisfied with Fat Han, displeased with his behavior of hiding whenever danger arose, seeing him as a cowardly rat.
"How could it be so? Your martial arts are impressive, and the master often praises you! But two fists canât defeat four hands! Isnât more men more security? The master said he wants it foolproof!"
Mr. Han knew Liu Dong was upset but dared not show it, only mocking him internally for being incompetent and refusing criticism.
Liu Dong was growing impatient, "Then whatâs your good plan?"
Mr. Han leaned in and said to the two of them, "Sir! They surely intend to head for the Capital; if we follow closely behind, wonât that work? After all, the road isnât owned by him; can he really keep us from traveling? If thereâs another attempt to rob the escort, we can just move towards him; I donât believe theyâd stand by idly."
The more Mr. Han spoke, the more he felt his idea was excellent; this way, they could save the silver and safely reach the Capital, killing two birds with one stone.
After all, with Gu Chengyu having women and lots of belongings, they certainly couldnât move quickly, and they could just follow closely behind.
Liu Dong glanced at Fat Han and, although disdainful of such shameless behavior, felt it was the best plan for now.
"No wonder the master values you; your mind certainly works fast."
This manâs martial arts were lacking, and he wasnât scholarly, yet he was very cunning. Liu Dong felt he should be careful, as he might get tricked by him one day without realizing.