Chapter 23: Lord Rat

Within the room, sunlight dared not enter, and an inexplicable chill lingered in the air.

Gazing at Jiang Chen, who sat composed and unruffled, Wang Yuan realized he had no choice but to speak the truth. Though this was their first meeting, after this brief encounter, he found Jiang Chen to be anything but ordinary.

“This matter is shameful, but there is no point in hiding it,” he began, his expression grim as frost. Wang Yuan recounted the hidden truth in detail.

At this, a trace of curiosity flickered across Jiang Chen’s face. Nearby, Shi Tou, who was pouring tea, pricked up his ears; judging by Wang Yuan’s demeanor, much was being concealed within this tale.

“Qian Wen is a beast in human guise. One night, drunk, he violated my wife. She could not bear the disgrace and drowned herself in the well. Though he tried to cover his tracks, making it seem she fell by accident, my investigation uncovered subtle clues. By then, Qian Wen had already won the Third Chief’s favor and, having mastered the Five Poisons Palm, he had risen among the third-tier fighters. I had no chance to avenge my wife, so I kept silent and bided my time,” Wang Yuan confessed in a low voice, unburdening a secret that had long weighed on his heart.

Shi Tou, usually taciturn, could not hide a flicker of anger. In his mind, Wang Yuan and Qian Wen were sworn brothers, and Wang Yuan had even saved Qian Wen’s life. For Qian Wen to commit such a deed was beneath even the basest of beasts.

Jiang Chen, however, remained unmoved. In the years of the apocalypse, he had witnessed the darkest recesses of human nature; to him, this was but a familiar tale. Far darker things had occurred in that black forest of a world.

Yet, despite his lack of emotional response, Jiang Chen accepted the explanation. He reached out and took the ledger from Wang Yuan’s hands.

The moment Jiang Chen accepted the ledger, a surge of excitement flickered in Wang Yuan’s previously lifeless heart. When he had recounted his secret, he had watched Jiang Chen’s expression closely; seeing no reaction, his hopes had begun to sink. But now, this gesture meant that Jiang Chen was not aligned with the Third Chief and might even be inclined to purge the old powers entrenched in Golden Sands Valley.

“They’ve certainly grown fat off this place,” Jiang Chen remarked with a cold laugh as he skimmed through the records. At least half the gold dust mined in the valley had fallen into Zhao Meng’s faction. Zhao Meng took his share, his underlings took theirs, and what little remained was hardly worth mentioning.

“Is Zhao Meng truly so sure that Tieren Tu will remain blind to this? Or has he already prepared a way to cover his tracks?” Jiang Chen shook his head and set the ledger aside.

“Do you know where Qian Wen hides the gold dust?” he asked Wang Yuan casually.

Wang Yuan’s expression turned grave. “To report, Chief, I know only the location in Golden Sands Valley where Qian Wen temporarily stores the gold dust. Every so often, he transfers it elsewhere. Where it goes after that, I don’t know. He’s exceedingly secretive—perhaps only he knows the full truth.”

Wang Yuan withheld nothing. Having decided to gamble everything, there was no point in holding back now.

Jiang Chen nodded in approval. “The information you’ve provided is valuable. In return, I can offer you something. What is it that you seek from me?”

He knew Wang Yuan must have some desire. Jiang Chen had always rewarded loyalty and assistance. He never expected blind devotion from anyone—he simply lacked that kind of charisma.

At this, Wang Yuan lifted his head at once. “I only want to know why he did it.”

Word by word, Wang Yuan stated his only request.

“That is not a difficult thing. I promise you,” Jiang Chen replied, raising an eyebrow. To him, Wang Yuan’s request was naïve; what did it matter why, now that all was done? Still, since Wang Yuan was fixated on this, Jiang Chen would grant it.

Relieved, Wang Yuan’s tense heart finally settled.

“Chief, the mines in Golden Sands Valley are new, but Qian Wen has been secretly extracting gold dust for some time. The amount must be significant by now, and I doubt it has been sent back to Muyu Island. It must be hidden somewhere; after all, though the Third Chief is powerful, he is still only third in rank among the River Marauders. But the only way to learn the hiding place is to pry it from Qian Wen himself. Yet, knowing him, he won’t speak easily, and he may not know the full details—this batch was meant for the Third Chief after all…”

Wang Yuan had already begun to see himself as one of Jiang Chen’s men, working wholeheartedly for his new master. Still, he worried that Jiang Chen might strike a deal with Qian Wen over the gold and let him go.

But Jiang Chen’s expression did not change. “Rest assured, Qian Wen will tell me everything. And even if he does not, someone else will. There’s nothing to worry about.”

His words were calm, utterly unperturbed, as if everything was within his grasp.

Hearing this, and seeing the man before him, Wang Yuan could not help but feel a chill settle in his heart.

“All right, you may go for now. Do not arouse suspicion. Dealing with Qian Wen and the others is the easy part—the real challenge is to get Golden Sands Valley running again as quickly as possible after they’re gone. That will take some time,” Jiang Chen said quietly, lifting his teacup once more.

Wang Yuan hastily made his exit.

Just as he was about to step out the gate, a rat the size of a plump cat pushed open the door and sauntered in with an air of supreme confidence.

Startled, Wang Yuan stared. “Is this rat about to attain spiritual enlightenment?” he wondered.

At that moment, the newcomer—Rat Tianjiao—glanced sideways at Wang Yuan. “Mediocre blood, no trace of spiritual aura, a useless wretch,” he thought, twitching his nose and continuing toward the main hall.

Wang Yuan almost stopped it, but recalled Jiang Chen’s recent orders to capture rats, and held back.

Meanwhile, Shi Tou quietly murmured beside him, “That’s the Chief’s pet, Master Rat.”

There was a hint of reverence in his tone as he revealed the rat’s identity to Wang Yuan.

At this, Wang Yuan was startled anew, and looked at Rat Tianjiao with a sense of astonishment.

Sensing his gaze, the rat raised its head even higher, strutting with an almost regal bearing.