CHAPTER 312
Xiao Ai's Work
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Need any help?
Would Xiao Ai dare ask you for help?
Xiao Ai was truly terrified of poverty. Even without fighting, she could barely afford to feed this entire army!
If she were to ask for help, wouldn't they fleece Xiao Ai completely?
"Lady Gu Ai, you're utterly adorable~"
"General, Xiao Ai is truly desperate for money."
With the main business discussed, it was time for "small talk."
"Xiao Ai, I hear you brought Su Cheng's personal First Disciple to the mansion?"
"Mhm. She's quite the vixen—Xiao Ai finds her utterly delightful."
"Well, Lady Gu Ai, that's a bit…"
Xiao Ai chuckled, her expression as calm as a cloudless sky, seemingly unconcerned.
"Xiao Ai can tell that bitch is trash. She'll end up dead at Su Cheng's hands sooner or later."
"Is that so?"
"General, why not go see for yourself?" Xiao Ai grinned mischievously, resting her head on the big fox's chest. Her little nose twitched rhythmically, as if savoring the scent clinging to the big fox.
"I'm afraid I might get killed if I'm not careful."
Xiao Ai nodded solemnly.
"True enough. This world is barely hanging on. The so-called prodigies it produces are nothing special."
"Xiao Ai scanned her with her divine sense. Her individual value isn't high—she's no match for you, General."
"But that Shangguan Rou… her individual value seems remarkably high…"
As Xiao Ai spoke, she observed the Great Fox's expression, though the Great Fox remained mostly expressionless.
The great fox nodded, its expression unreadable.
"Hmm, that's precisely why I entrusted the Blade of Retribution to her."
But Xiao Ai wasn't stupid.
"General, it seems you're saying one thing but meaning another~"
"What do you mean?"
"You keep saying you want to kill the master, yet you handed over the Blade of Sanction as an anchor point. What does this move mean?"
"I want to see Su Cheng's despair. I want to see his regret."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Xiao Ai smiled but said nothing, instead turning her attention to the vase beside her.
"Did Heng'ai Hall bring this? Xiao Ai didn't see such a beautiful vase last time she was here!"
The big fox was tempted to curse!
Last time Xiao Ai got drunk and clung to her vase like it was her life, managing to swipe a vase and two bottles of fine wine from her!
"No, put it down! I really like that vase!"
"General, don't be so stingy!"
"No, Xiao Ai, stop coming over here to snatch things from me!"
Xiao Ai just grinned like always—that's just her style!
"How can you call it stealing between Xiao Ai and her big sister?"
"Hey, Xiao Ai, this vase is really expensive. Pick something else!"
"How expensive?"
"Xiao Ai, if you're done here, please leave. I have some things to take care of."
Even the sly fox was getting flustered. This wasn't coming to play at all!
This was a robbery!
"Xiao Ai's iron pot plan is already taking shape. I'm just short on funds right now. Big Sis wouldn't stand by and do nothing, right?"
Xiao Ai's eyes lit up. She lacked nothing now—except money!
After all, she'd already taken down nearly every corrupt official worth targeting!
The ones left were all Su Cheng's "good friends"—each holding high positions and commanding their own armies!
Ordinary charges couldn't shake these gods from their thrones!
Since Xiao Ai couldn't use force, she'd have to resort to persuasion!
Who said confiscating property required an army?
Of course, Xiao Ai didn't take that vase. But as the saying goes, thieves never leave empty-handed—Xiao Ai certainly wouldn't walk away with nothing.
At the foot of the Tian Dao Pavilion, Xiao Ai didn't head straight back to the mansion. The three Valkyries were waiting for her here.
"Amber, take these for now. The plan's execution mustn't be disrupted."
She casually handed Amber the documents stamped with the Great Fox seal before sitting down at her desk.
"But, Master… this isn't enough."
Xiao Ai nodded. Still, the Great Fox giving this much was already generous!
After all, aside from herself and the late Lord Xunye, no one had ever managed to extract money from her!
Not even Su Cheng, that revered figure, could!
The fact that the Great Fox wasn't robbing Su Cheng was already generous!
"I know. Help me find that old lecher. Since we're already here…"
Meanwhile, a letter arrived from Ku Mu's maid and bodyguard!
"My Lord, Lady Gu Ai says she'll come later. I hear she just visited the Lady."
Ku Mu sat upon his throne, pushing aside the pile of documents on his desk as he pondered for a moment…
"What's she doing with my wife? Isn't she in that Pavilion or whatever?"
"Lady Gu Ai seems to be raising funds for some mysterious project."
Ku Mu bit his nails, thinking to himself: Little Ai needs to raise funds too?
A mysterious plan? What mysterious plan?
How come he'd never heard about it?
The known Sand Sifting Project was already nearing completion, and the Heavenly Palace Project was progressing steadily. How could there suddenly be another damn mysterious project…
Wait a minute…
Something feels off…
"Secret plan? Don't tell me it's that Iron Pot Project again. Holy shit!"
"This is bad! Get someone here, damn it!"
Ku Mu also hurriedly gave orders!
"Quick! Get everything valuable out of this room!"
"Hurry up! That bastard's here to raid the place!"
"Roll up the carpet and take it too. Yes, the chairs—move everything out!"
A maid spoke up, "Master, should we take your liquor cabinet too?"
"Take it away! Lock everything up!"
"Replace every piece of furniture in this grand hall! Make it match Old Master Qingcang's style!"
"Mark my words, if she finds anything valuable, you'll all be sorry!"
Before long, Xiao Ai, the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, arrived and couldn't help but laugh upon seeing the scene.
"Hey, General Ku Mu, where's your work? Why are you all sweaty? Just moving things?"
Ku Mu was all about playing dumb. The women around Su Cheng? Not a single one was easy to deal with!
"No, no, I just love exercise. Sweating is good for the body~"
"Oh, I see."
Xiao Ai looked around the place. To deal with her, Ku Mu really had gone to…
…gone to great lengths!
"General Ku Mu, has your life always been this… austere?"
"Not at all. It's not poverty—this is simply how I've always lived."
Xiao Ai thought to herself: Acting?
Then let it be an act!
"Had I not witnessed it myself, Little Love would never have believed it. Lord Ku Mu, as the God-Slaying King, drove out invaders, pacified chaos, and devoted himself entirely to the people, achieving remarkable feats."
"To think a general who spent his entire life in military service is so frugal in private—Little Ai is truly impressed!"
Kumu played along: "Lady Gu'ai flatters me. This is simply my duty."
Xiao Ai's eyes flashed as she began to strategize.
"There is one matter I find unclear, however. I hope Lord Kumu might enlighten me."
"Please speak, Lady Gu Ai."
"Lord Kumu, like Xiao Ai, has a fondness for beautiful girls. Xiao Ai also knows that Lord Kumu has his own Valkyrie squadron."
Kumu nodded. That was true—it wasn't a secret. They were her personal guard maids, essentially her bodyguards. Like Xiao Ai's Valkyries, they were an assassin squad loyal only to her. As for serving tea and water, that was considered their day off, when they didn't have to go out on missions.
Truthfully, Ku Mu didn't need them to serve tea and water much. The real issue was that these women constantly clung to him. He had no choice but to have them take turns.
"Xiao Ai wonders, Lord Kumu, how can you afford to keep so many beautiful attendants while living so frugally?"