Chapter 339: “Pooling Our Wisdom”

“Outrageous! Simply outrageous!”

“What is that Gu acting so arrogant for? He practically insulted us indirectly… Unbelievable!”

“Just because he has the Fifth Prince’s token? He’s not even an official, yet he dares to speak so boldly in front of us!”

“This is intolerable! That Gu doesn’t know what’s good for him. Minister Ma offered him wine and gold, and instead of accepting it graciously, he had the nerve to mock us!”

In a long corridor, the officials who had followed Minister Ma and General Zhong out surrounded them, venting their anger over Gu Ning’an’s words and actions.

“Enough!” Minister Ma bellowed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group as he spoke in a deep voice. “Who told all of you to come out?”

“Are you trying to make it obvious to that Gu fellow that we stepped out just to scheme against him? And that we’re talking behind his back?”

At those words, the chattering officials instantly fell silent.

A county magistrate with triangular eyes hesitated before saying, “We thought that General Zhong and you, Minister Ma, were hinting at us to come out…”

“Hint my ass! I only called for Minister Ma!” General Zhong huffed, glaring with his beard bristling.

The county magistrate chuckled awkwardly. “Please don’t be angry, General. We misunderstood…”

“But the more people we have, the more ideas we can come up with. Let’s all brainstorm how to deal with that Gu fellow!”

“Shut up!” Minister Ma snapped. Then, turning to General Zhong, he asked seriously, “General Zhong, what do you think about what Mr. Gu said?”

General Zhong nodded. “I do have some thoughts… At first, I couldn’t figure out why he came here or why he kept emphasizing that he merely had some interactions with the Fifth Prince.”

“But when he quoted, ‘The grand mansions reek of meat and wine, while bones of the frozen dead lie along the roads,’ I finally understood his purpose.”

“General, that line was spoken by the Blaze Bug on his shoulder, not him,” the county magistrate interjected—only to be met with the piercing stares of both high-ranking officials.

General Zhong gritted his teeth. “Whether that Blaze Bug said it or he did—what difference does it make?”

Seeing the general clench his fist, the county magistrate quickly shut his mouth, forcing out an awkward smile as he lowered his head.

Minister Ma gestured for calm and continued, “That’s right. I am ninety percent certain now—Mr. Gu’s arrival represents the intentions of the Fifth Prince.”

“And given Mr. Gu’s words and actions, we can infer what the Fifth Prince is planning.”

“He is focusing on disaster relief!”

“I came to the same conclusion.”

General Zhong nodded firmly and continued, “The Fifth Prince holds little influence in court, yet the burden of disaster relief has fallen upon him. With the world in turmoil, refugees are emerging in waves.”

“If he fails to handle this crisis well, he will neither gain the support of the immortals nor secure his claim to the throne!”

“Great minds think alike!”

Minister Ma’s eyes gleamed with insight. Smiling, he said, “I suspect the immortals have already met with the two princes, but who they will support is still uncertain.”

“In fact, the immortals may have set them a test—whoever can properly handle the Great Wu’s refugee crisis will earn their favor!”

Clap!

General Zhong slapped his palm in excitement, laughing. “Minister Ma, this is why you’re the Minister of Justice!”

“My thoughts align with yours… So I deduce that Mr. Gu’s real purpose here is to make us cough up money for disaster relief!”

“Exactly!”

Minister Ma grew more animated, clapping a hand on the shoulder of the official beside him. “And we can’t let it be known that the Fifth Prince is the one doing this. It has to be subtle!”

“We need to make it seem like the Fifth Prince is wholeheartedly helping the people—not just vying for the throne!”

“It all makes sense! Everything is clear now!”

General Zhong laughed heartily, his face flushing red with excitement.

“If he wants money, then why doesn’t that Gu fellow just say so directly?”

“He’s being so roundabout—what if we don’t figure it out? Wouldn’t that mean he made this trip for nothing?”

The county magistrate with triangular eyes voiced his skepticism, pouring cold water over the enthusiasm of the two high-ranking officials.

The nearby officials instinctively took a few steps back, silently making a note to keep their distance from this blunt fool from now on…

Minister Ma narrowed his eyes, staring at the county magistrate for a moment before asking casually, “What’s your name?”

The county magistrate bowed and replied, “Your Excellency, my surname is Jia, and my given name is—”

Before he could finish, Minister Ma interrupted, “How old are you?”

“Your Excellency, I am thirty-nine years old.”

Hearing this, Minister Ma gestured for him to come closer.

Seeing the signal, County Magistrate Jia hurried forward.

Minister Ma hooked an arm around his neck with a light chuckle and asked, “You’re nearly forty, and you still can’t keep your mouth shut?”

“I underst—”

Crack!

With a swift movement, County Magistrate Jia’s neck twisted like a noodle, his head slumping unnaturally.

Minister Ma casually pushed the lifeless body to the ground, dusted off his hands, and smiled. “That fool talked too much—and all of it was useless.”

“Rather than risk him running his mouth outside, it’s better to deal with him here. It’s for everyone’s benefit, don’t you think?”

The officials, already intimidated by Minister Ma’s authority, were now utterly terrified. None dared to say a word. Instead, they nodded vigorously, like a flock of quails.

“Since that’s settled, let’s head back.”

“As for whether we donate money, how much, and how we do it—just follow General Zhong and me. Understood?”

“We will follow Minister Ma and General Zhong’s lead!” the officials chorused in unison.

Satisfied, Minister Ma nodded and gestured politely. “After you, General Zhong.”

“No need for formalities!”

General Zhong reached out and patted Minister Ma’s shoulder as they walked, laughing. “Your body-refining technique is quite impressive—you moved so fast!”

Minister Ma shook his head. “You flatter me, General. My skills are not even a tenth of yours.”

“Don’t be so modest!” General Zhong waved dismissively before lowering his voice. “By the way, what if they ask for an exorbitant amount? What’s your plan?”

“My plan?”

Minister Ma answered nonchalantly, “To be honest, after cultivating, I’ve come to see gold and silver as mere worldly possessions. If it helps the Fifth Prince gain power, then so be it—we’ll give it.”

“The Fifth Prince has ties to the Flood Dragon Emperor. If we choose the right side now, we’ll secure more cultivation resources in the future.”

“At this point, gold and silver aren’t our most valuable assets—the most valuable thing is people who can trade them for cultivation resources. Don’t you agree?”

“Mm.” General Zhong nodded in a low voice. “You’re absolutely right. What are fame and fortune compared to immortality? The ability to split mountains and seas with a wave of the hand—that’s the real temptation.”

At these words, Minister Ma burst into laughter. “General Zhong, you think exactly like I do!”