Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 44: On the Eve of Chaos

If Su Mu had been completely unprepared, he would certainly be feeling immense pressure right now. Taking down a few ringleaders didn’t have much of an effect; the group as a whole still resented him. They were the newcomers, yet Su Mu and his three companions ended up looking like the newcomers instead. According to Zhong Da, this group had been transferred from a small mine not far from the Tianfu Mine. The work there was light and easy; while the rest of the workers here were on a communal ration system, this group was treated like they were on a special diet, receiving special attention from the Supervision Team. They had indeed been a great help to the Supervision Team in the past; whenever Song Dachui encountered a tough opponent, he would call on these men for backup. Here, no matter how strong an individual might be—even if capable of taking on ten opponents alone—a group of over fifty people acting in perfect unity was a different matter. No matter how skilled Su Mu was, he couldn’t possibly handle that many people. Moreover, most of these men were at the Postnatal Realm. The Erhu General watched everything unfold right before his eyes; things were proceeding exactly as he had anticipated. When should they strike? That depended on when Guo Yan would succeed. As soon as it was time to rest for the night, Guo Yan approached him on his own. Su Mu didn’t rush to expose him. If Guo Yan really had slipped something into his drink, that would be a betrayal of trust—after all, Su Mu had treated him quite well, even going out of his way to stand up for him when he was being bullied. When dealing with ungrateful people, there’s no need to go easy on them—so it all depends on which side he ultimately chooses. “Brother Mu, I’ll need your protection for the rest of my time here,” Guo Yan said, offering a toast. “No problem at all. As you’ve seen, the new batch of people transferred here doesn’t really respect me. Whether I’ll still be the one calling the shots here in the future is anyone’s guess,” Su Mu said deliberately. “Pfft, pfft, pfft! Don’t talk like that—it’s bad luck. We’re only here for a month. Half a month has already passed; just hang in there a little longer and it’ll be over. Man, these past two weeks have been a real struggle for me.” “That’s exactly why I urged you to come to the Heavy Industry Zone.” “Exactly, exactly. I didn’t even think twice—I applied for the transfer right away. It pays to listen to good advice, and Brother Mu has always put loyalty first!” Chen Li, of course, knew why Guo Yan had come here, so he played along, “Come on, let’s have a drink! Junior Brother Guo, I joined the sect a year before you—I’m really envious that you guys can still go back.” Guo Yan was naturally friendly with everyone, and as the group got into the spirit of the drinking, they chatted about this and that for quite a while. When Guo Yan felt the time was right, he hesitated for a moment before suddenly saying, “Brother Mu, I have a personal matter I’d like to discuss with you. Would you mind if we stepped aside for a moment?” “I can’t. I’ve really had too much to drink today. I’m going to bed.” Zhong Da stood up and left. Black Hand and Chen Li also took the opportunity to slip away. “Ran into trouble again?” Guo Yan lowered his voice and said, “Brother Mu, do you realize that a major disaster is about to befall you?” “Are you trying to scare me? Don’t talk nonsense.” “I’m not lying! The Supervision Team is out to get you. These guys were all specially transferred here by them, and they even ordered me to sabotage you behind your back! Screw that—would I ever do something like that? A man needs his dignity, just as a tree needs its bark. They really think I, Guo Yan, am that much of a coward!” Su Mu’s dazed eyes suddenly cleared. Guo Yan had confessed on his own—he hadn’t let him down. “Actually, I’ve known this for a long time.” “What? You knew?” Su Mu whispered, “We’re on the same side. I’m telling you the plan now because we need your cooperation. Just follow Erhu’s instructions—we’ll back you up when the time comes.” Su Mu explained the plan to turn Sun Datou against his own side, and Guo Yan’s blood boiled with excitement as he listened! “Did you remember everything I told you earlier?” “Got it. Don’t worry, Brother Mu. This is going to be a real show. That idiot Erhu has set a trap for himself—let’s wipe out this bunch of scum!” “Tomorrow night, come see me a little earlier for a drink. We don’t need them to start a fight—I’ll be the one to pick the fight.” The two chatted for a few more minutes, then Guo Yan loudly declared he was drunk and walked off, reeking of alcohol. Not long after Guo Yan returned, Tang Kuan sent someone to summon him. “How’s it going?” “Su Mu won’t be on his guard against me. We can make our move tomorrow night!” “Well done. Once this is done, you’ll certainly be rewarded.” “I wouldn’t dare accept any reward—I just want to return safely to the sect. That’s all.” “I promise you this: for the next half-month, you can just lie back in bed and sleep soundly. You won’t have to go to the mine—you can do whatever you want.” “Thanks, Brother Kuan!” “I’ve known for a long time that you’re a sly one—a selfish person. That’s not shameful; it’s called knowing when to adapt. Go back now.” Tang Kuan immediately shared the good news with Erhu, and he was absolutely thrilled. “Boss Song’s been getting more and more timid lately. What’s there to wait for? If he wants to crush Su Mu, there are plenty of scapegoats to choose from. He just doesn’t have the same backbone as before—maybe it’s because he’s lived too comfortably these past few years.” Tang Kuan wouldn’t dare badmouth the boss behind his back, much less offend this hot-tempered second-in-command. “Right, right. Brother Hu cuts through the red tape. It’s not that Brother Shang’s schemes don’t work—it’s just that sometimes you’ve got to take a hardline approach!” “You’re the one who understands me best, kid. Old Shang… well, he’s just too calculating. If I’d been there at the time, he wouldn’t have ended up getting killed by that demon beast.” “The way I see it, Zhong Da has completely become Su Mu’s lackey. I thought he was just paying lip service, but apparently not.” “Anyway, he’s going to die tomorrow night. If he’d come to us on his own and been willing to kowtow to Boss Song to admit his mistake, he might’ve been able to come back—especially since the Supervision Team is short-handed right now. He just doesn’t know when to back down; he’s got absolutely no sense of the situation. Don’t blame us for not giving him a chance.” “Exactly, exactly. He’s so obsequious now he’s practically licking Su Mu’s shoes. What a good-for-nothing—he deserves to die!” “Here’s to Brother Hu! You’re the person I admire most in the Supervision Team—you solve Boss Song’s problems and get things done with lightning speed. We really can’t do without you, Brother Hu!” The two of them began to eat and drink heartily, quietly awaiting the spectacle that would unfold tomorrow night.