I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 463 - 257: Time to Slaughter the Pig After It Gets Fat_2

Chapter 463: Chapter 257: Time to Slaughter the Pig After It Gets Fat_2

So now there were only two ways. One was to find a son-in-law, have a grandson, and then worship Gu Shanhai as a master.

The other was to do it himself, but no matter which method, the difficulty was extremely great.

The class system of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants had always been there. Even if he had become the wealthiest man, his social status was not high, and it was unlikely that the other party would think highly of him.

Therefore, at the table, Li Yu was constantly probing Gu Shanhai’s attitude.

At the very least, he needed to know whether the other party harbored goodwill toward him.

This was the only place where he could obtain the inheritance of military tactics.

Gu Shanhai understood Li Yu’s thoughts too; the man indeed had it tough, but he himself didn’t even have military tactics at hand, so where could he get them for you?

After all, he had been studying the Goddess system for the past two years. As for military tactics, he wasn’t in a rush. Once Jiang Lu gained momentum, there would definitely be no shortage; thus, there was no need to fret over this trivial matter.

"Enough, cut the crap. I know what you are thinking, but I think you should solve your own problems first," Gu Shanhai didn’t want to continue with the pleasantries, too troublesome, so he spoke directly.

The smiling Li Yu was stunned for a moment. Problem? What problem?

"Please enlighten me, Mr. Gu." At this point, Li Yu couldn’t care too much and had to ask Gu Shanhai despite his reluctance; he had no clue about these matters.

"Your daughter’s illness is not an illness, but a poison derived from a certain type of Daoist Soldier," Gu Shanhai said unabashedly.

Upon hearing this, Li Yu’s face slightly changed. He had suspected as much, although he had been investigating and hadn’t expected Gu Shanhai to puncture this window paper.

"Does Mr. Gu have evidence?" Li Yu knew what the consequences of his daughter’s death would be.

Simply put, it would be the end of his lineage.

His vast family fortune would definitely be divided by the various forces in Wen’an Prefecture City.

But what really mattered was that someone was trying to kill his daughter.

This could confirm that someone was becoming impatient because as long as his daughter lived, he could still find a son-in-law and thus still have a chance to turn things around.

This indirectly showed that the opponent had not given up. If she was alive, there would be a subsequent targeting plan.

At this moment, Li Yu also felt powerless. Only a Family Head with a Daoist Soldier could take such action.

Within Wen’an City, there were three Family Heads with Daoist Soldiers, forming three forces. Besides Lord Wen’an who represented Dalong, the rest were two prominent families.

’Toxic class... It’s Lord Wen’an’s Green Lizard Daoist Soldiers...’ Li Yu thought helplessly.

This was truly a desperate situation. If the two prominent families were moving against him, he might still maneuver through Lord Wen’an, but if the Lord himself was acting, he truly had no power to resist.

This even meant that the three forces were preparing to divide the Li family, and without corresponding power, the wealthiest man was just a fatter pig.

’No, there is still a chance!’ At this time, Li Yu thought of Gu Shanhai’s presence; perhaps he could save him.

But it was difficult to ask for help. Why would the other party help him? It was already good enough that he was not blaming him for the burden.

"Evidence? What do you need that for?" Gu Shanhai commented, and then there was no follow-up. He was not familiar with the situation of the Li family, only knowing about it through thought detection.

Since it’s requested by the highest leader of Wen’an Prefecture City, you can’t refuse.

However, Gu Shanhai was not without solutions. Perhaps maneuvering a bit could make his future more comfortable.

Considering Jiang Lu’s situation, when the time came to raise local militia, funds were tight, but if he received support from the Li family, relying on the reputation to gather people and financial support, he could become a power sooner.

Adding his identity as a relative of the Royal Family would allow him to overtake others in a short period.

Now, how to make the Li family firmly follow him was what Gu Shanhai needed to contemplate.

"I would like to request Mr. Gu to be my daughter’s tutor, to teach her some life lessons," Li Yu said through gritted teeth, considering it a way to keep Gu Shanhai around.

Gu Shanhai glanced at his daughter and then said, "Mr. Li, your daughter is old enough to not need my teachings anymore. Besides, it wouldn’t be appropriate."

"After all, in Wen’an Prefecture, there are only the Green Lizard Daoist Soldiers..."

Gu Shanhai didn’t finish his sentence. It seemed like he was hinting something to Li Yu, but actually, he was forcing him to make a choice.

Of course, this choice was not about choosing between the Wen’an Prefecture’s military and the major families; instead, it was about choosing between these three powers and Gu Shanhai.

Choosing to pledge loyalty to the major families might keep you alive, but you’d have to be a lapdog for the families forever.

Serving Lord Wen’an, it’s possible that not only would he take over your business but use your entire family to boost his political achievements.

As for following Gu Shanhai, it was an unknown; one did not know what the future held. However, there was one thing for sure: one would most likely be safe.

But it seemed that Li Yu hadn’t grasped the meaning behind Gu Shanhai’s words, thinking that Gu Shanhai did not want to get involved.

This was also quite normal, after all, not everyone dared to stick their hand into what was essentially snatching food from a tiger’s mouth.

Fortunately, Li Yu knew that it hadn’t reached that point yet; Lord Wen’an had not yet torn off all pretenses, and there were still opportunities as long as he could break the game. Continuing until Lord Wen’an was transferred would be ideal. More immediate crises could be dealt with later.

"Mr. Gu has reservations, which is my fault," Li Yu stated, not daring to express resentment or any inappropriate emotions towards Gu Shanhai, as it was a normal human reaction.

"Ha, reservations? Perhaps," replied Gu Shanhai, who did not say that he had considered helping him, just a nominal expression of stance.

This matter was not urgent; it could be dealt with slowly. This year at least, the Li family should not face any problems.

If something really went wrong, it wouldn’t matter, since this was just a backup plan. The other party was just an embellishment in his plan, not the key.

After this incident, Li Yu’s spirits were also not high. After ensuring everything was in order, he arranged for his servants to send gold and fabrics as a thank-you gift to Gu Shanhai before having someone escort him back to Cansang Village.

Once everything was settled, he then sat down to rest, looking quite haggard.

"Why didn’t father ask Mr. Gu for help?" Li Yu’s daughter, Li Hui, asked, puzzled.

"Mr. Gu clearly does not want to get involved in this matter. Speaking up would just cause unnecessary trouble and ruin our relationship," Li Yu replied, considering his daughter inexperienced in worldly matters.

"No, I think Mr. Gu wanted to help, but you did not speak up nor show any stance, so naturally, Mr. Gu was very uninterested and displeased," Li Hui immediately argued.

"This... you’re just a young girl, how would you know about these matters?" Li Yu expressed that his daughter was too young to understand.

"Father, you also have a plan in mind. No matter which side we choose, we can’t preserve our family’s fortune. But what if we turn to Mr. Gu?" Li Hui spoke abruptly.

"What?" Li Yu was a bit slow to respond.

"Father, what kind of major family do you think would allow Mr. Gu to have such capabilities to reach heaven and earth?" Li Hui did not give a direct reply but instead posed a rhetorical question.

At this moment, Li Yu also realized, indeed, not just anyone could read and write, let alone possess the extensive knowledge like Gu Shanhai. If there wasn’t a powerful family behind him, how could he be so leisurely?

From this, one could infer that this matter could potentially be solved with just a word from him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to get involved; he simply didn’t care.

However, before this, he needed to show his stance and prove his position. Otherwise, why would the major family behind him make an effort for his sake?

"If Mr. Gu doesn’t mind, I can become a retainer for him." Li Yu realized then that it was time to switch allegiances.

The way of becoming a retainer bound him even more tightly, at least to the extent of sharing both glory and loss together.

He had thought about becoming a retainer for Lord Wen’an, but he was looked down upon as a mere rustic merchant by Lord Wen’an, who was of noble birth and set his sights high, only seeing him as a pig to be fattened.