The carriage continued its journey, the coachman utterly unaware of the events transpiring within the compartment.

In the tranquil lives of many ordinary folk, they might unwittingly brush shoulders with tales of tempestuous upheavals, remaining oblivious, believing their days to be peaceful. From this perspective, perhaps ordinariness is indeed a form of bliss.

Jiang Wang glanced at the Silence Array disc left behind in the carriage, casually pocketing it. While it likely wasn’t a treasure of immense quality, selling it might still fetch a few hundred Dao Yuan Stones. The esteemed Lord Jiang was, at present, utterly penniless.

He certainly didn’t believe a word of Su Xiuxing’s blatant drivel, but that didn’t stop him from seizing the opportunity to let Su Xiuxing go. After all, they had fought side-by-side in Green Ram Town; there was no need for constant life-or-death struggles.

Furthermore, he wanted to see if he could use Su Xiuxing to connect with Yin Guan. Chong Xuan Sheng had long coveted the No-Return Hell faction, but lacked any chance to make contact.

One wave subsides, another rises.

Having just dealt with Su Xiuxing and about to resume cultivation, a warning bell suddenly rang in Jiang Wang’s mind. Without hesitation, he slammed backwards, shattering the carriage’s rear wall and catapulting himself out.

Right before Jiang Wang.

An enormous golden ingot descended from the heavens, crushing the innocent coachman, horse, and carriage into an unrecognizable pile of mangled debris.

The golden ingot arrived with terrifying speed.

Neither man nor beast had time to utter a cry.

Everything unfolded so suddenly, the peacefully traveling carriage instantly obliterated, leaving only Jiang Wang standing on the official road.

Jiang Wang raised his eyes and saw a Confucian scholar-like figure standing atop the golden ingot, his robes fluttering in the wind.

It was Su She!

Jiang Wang’s first thought was, “Su She has gone mad! The Treasure Gathering Commerce Guild is finished!”

No matter what, he was still a baron, personally bestowed by the Qi Emperor himself. Attacking him for no reason was tantamount to severing ties with the Qi Kingdom!

When he left Linzi, the Treasure Gathering Commerce Guild’s situation was already teetering on the brink.

Chong Xuan Sheng had told him to set his mind at ease, and he did trust Chong Xuan Sheng’s abilities.

But Jiang Wang truly hadn’t anticipated that during his time participating in the Seven Stars Tower secret realm, the Treasure Gathering Commerce Guild had actually been driven to the brink of destruction!

Chong Xuan Sheng was truly admirable; he’d handled this matter brilliantly.

But he’d done too good of a job, forcing Su She, a dignified Guild Master, to personally leave the city and seek trouble with Jiang Wang.

Consider a desperate Su She; what choices would he have for revenge? He wouldn’t have any opportunities to assassinate Chong Xuan Sheng in Linzi. Therefore, Jiang Wang, just leaving the Great Marsh Prefecture and heading towards Linzi, was undoubtedly the best choice.

Perhaps even luring Chong Xuan Sheng out of Linzi through Jiang Wang wasn’t entirely impossible.

Jiang Wang hadn’t concealed his journey; he openly hired a carriage, and his route back to Linzi was no secret. Su She could easily find out. But his “openness” was actually intended to prevent Lei Zhangan from doing something foolish; he hadn’t expected it to give Su She an opportunity instead.

But these things could wait. Right now, the most important thing for Jiang Wang to consider was… how to survive!

Yes. To survive under the hands of Su She, a powerhouse at the peak of the Outer Building realm.

He had once killed Ji Cheng of the Outer Building realm, but that was with the combined efforts of himself, Chong Xuan Sheng, and Fourteen, and by commanding the powerful Autumn Kill Army to activate the power of the military formation. And at that time, Ji Cheng was already old and weakening, with three of the four Holy Towers collapsed, and too much energy expended on the battlefield…

The current Su She, however, was at his peak!

“I heard that after breaking through to the Inner Mansion realm, you planned to visit Vice Guild Master Cheng. Seeing that you’re about to knock on the doors of the Inner Mansion realm, to save you the trouble of a young man’s travels, this Guild Master will come and find you first.”

Su She had always presented himself as a Dean of the Academy, rather than referring to himself as Guild Master.

Perhaps it was because the Treasure Gathering Commerce Guild was about to disappear that he began to cherish this title.

He stood on the enormous golden ingot, looking down at Jiang Wang, his expression not displaying much hatred, but his killing intent resolute.

And Jiang Wang held his sword before his eyes and uttered a single word—

“Come!”

The Everlasting Yearning leaped from its sheath of Divine Dragon Wood, drawing a free and unrestrained horizontal line.

On a whim, a sword crossed the sky.

The Second Stance of the Way of Humanity, Fallen Scholar!

He actually attacked first!

Leaping into the air, the sword already horizontal.

This sword was like a scholar wielding a brush, its temperament elegant and unrestrained, undeniably swift and undeniably powerful.

However, Su She was calm and composed, simply raising a single finger.

“Lacking one coin, hungry and destitute.”

Between the Fallen Scholar’s sword and Su She, a barrier seemed to have arisen.

Before Jiang Wang’s sword had finished its arc, he clearly realized that no matter how hard he tried, this sword would ultimately miss its target by a hair’s breadth.

Fighting against a powerhouse like Su She, who was two levels above him, he dared not waste any opportunities.

Thus, *peng peng peng peng peng*.

In an instant, he transformed into a flaming meteor, soaring into the sky. If one strike failed, he would flee far away.

But Su She shook his head.

“Lacking two coins, caught in a dilemma.”

Jiang Wang’s escape technique instantly crumbled, revealing his form in mid-air. For a moment, neither escaping nor turning back to fight was an option. Indeed, he was caught in a dilemma, and had lost his chance!

The situation was entirely in Su She’s hands.

Jiang Wang certainly wasn’t willing to give up. With a thought, he unleashed Five Qi Binding Tiger! At the same time, he rapidly formed hand seals, following Five Qi Binding Tiger with the Dao technique, Jealousy Flame!

Su She sneered, extending his right hand flatly, then immediately flipping it over.

“Lacking three coins, facing life and death.”

Five Qi Binding Tiger vanished without a sound, and Jealousy Flame had no visible effect. But Jiang Wang’s entire being was struck as if by a heavy blow, slammed to the ground by a single palm!

Perhaps it was because his anger had been suppressed for too long, with nowhere to vent his resentment.

Facing a mere peak Tenglong realm Jiang Wang, Su She didn’t even bother with a test. He unleashed his ultimate techniques from the very start, displaying his peak strength, giving him no chance whatsoever.

Su She wasn’t an ordinary Outer Building realm expert. He had forged his own path and had the potential to reach the Divine Proximity realm.

And his Way of Commerce, his will, was fully reflected in the series of attacks just now.

“Lacking one coin, hungry and destitute.”

“Lacking two coins, caught in a dilemma.”

“Lacking three coins, facing life and death!”

He clenched his right hand fiercely, as if clutching Jiang Wang’s heart.

“A man must not be without coin, for the world shuns me like a venomous snake!”

Jiang Wang, who was struggling to leap towards the Dao Meridian soaring dragon of his First Inner Mansion, suddenly plummeted to a desolate island.

He could clearly feel his Dao Yuan dissipating, his strength draining away, he was becoming a truly, thoroughly “poor” man in every sense of the word.

And the world’s disdain, scorn, alienation, and indifference – all the negativity associated with true poverty – entangled themselves within Jiang Wang’s body, causing boils to rise, blood to congeal… as if a myriad of venomous snakes were gestating!

Life and death were beyond his control!

Before long, Jiang Wang would disappear from this world, dissolving into the myriad of “venomous snakes” that the world avoided.

Just then, a clear and melodious voice asked, “Treasure Gathering Commerce Guild, Su She?”

Accompanied by this voice, a handsome long-haired man descended from the sky, facing Su She directly, while simultaneously reaching out with his hand.

The negativity within Jiang Wang’s body, associated with true poverty, found an outlet at that moment and was instantly absorbed.

Jiang Wang felt as if he had been granted amnesty, his entire body convulsing as he stood up. He had truly escaped death this time!

He recognized him instantly. Yin Guan, who had appeared at this moment to save him. He had let Su Xiuxing go precisely to meet Yin Guan.

But he truly hadn’t expected that he would need Yin Guan to save his life.

He had even less anticipated that Su She would be so strong, so strong that he had absolutely no chance to resist. He couldn’t even temporarily knock on the door of the Inner Mansion and pluck a supernatural ability ahead of time!

Had Yin Guan arrived just a bit later, he would have already died today.

Su She’s expression turned grim. He felt that things had slipped out of his control at this moment. Could that hateful little fatty from the Chongxuan family have laid down other contingency plans? Was he truly so impeccable?

“Who are you?” he asked.

“There’s no need to ask that question.” Yin Guan’s long hair fluttered as he flew forward directly. “Seeing me means you are about to die!”

ps: “Lacking recommendations, hungry and destitute.”