When Chen Menglong saw the stones Song Changsheng had selected, a trace of disdain flickered in his eyes.
"You're getting worse with age. I suggest you just hand over that Jade Linglong Pagoda and save us all some time."
At this moment, Chen Menglong was overflowing with confidence. The person he had hired possessed a unique stone-gambling technique and had never walked away empty-handed.
As for his opponent? She was famously unlucky, a money-loser from the start. Ever since she began gambling on spirit stones in the black market, she hadn't made a single profit. There was no way she could win this.
Besides, the stones he'd picked were from the top-tier batch, costing nearly 100,000 lower-grade spirit stones in total. In contrast, the other side had spent barely 40,000.
They weren't even on the same playing field.
"Enough nonsense. You'd better start thinking about how you're going to fulfill my conditions when you lose," the young woman shot back sharply, her tone just as forceful.
But the tightly clenched fists behind her back betrayed her anxiety.
She couldn't deny it. Song Changsheng had claimed he could see through the stones, but whether it was true or not… she had no idea. All she could do was hope she hadn't placed her trust in the wrong person.
Compared to her nerves, Song Changsheng appeared completely at ease. Just moments ago, he had already examined Chen Menglong's three stones.
The man's hired expert did know a thing or two. All three stones contained treasures, radiating strong spiritual light, clearly valuable.
But when compared to the stones Song had picked? They still fell short. If nothing unexpected happened, this round was in the bag.
With a mischievous thought, he deliberately handed over the least valuable stone, the one he'd picked at random, to the stone-cutter first.
Under the cutter's practiced hands, the stone was quickly sliced open. Inside was a lump of second-tier high-grade Azuresteel, about the size of a fist.
The cutter estimated its value at 6,000 spirit stones. After all, Azuresteel was one of the most common Tier 2 materials, nothing special. A minor loss.
Chen Menglong nearly burst into laughter. Shaking his head, he mocked,
"Classic, you consistently underwhelm."
The young woman bit her lip, the pressure in her heart mounting. Still, she refused to admit defeat.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. Who knows, yours might turn out worse than mine!"
"I wouldn't count on it," the short man beside Chen Menglong replied in a raspy voice.
Just then, the first of Chen Menglong's stones was fully cut open. It, too, contained ore, but this time, it was third-tier low-grade [Mysttear Stone].
Though barely the size of a pinky finger, its value was a whopping 25,000 spirit stones. Still a slight loss, but far more valuable than Song Changsheng's Azuresteel.
"Hahaha! This young master has it in the bag!" Chen Menglong crowed.
"Hmph. Don't be so smug, we still have two more chances," the young woman snapped, though her heart had already sunk.
That said, she had no regrets. She knew her capabilities. Song Changsheng's pick had cost less than 10,000 spirit stones, and yielding 6,000 wasn't terrible.
Soon, it was time to cut the second stone.
This was one of Song Changsheng's carefully chosen ones, and he was rather hopeful. After all, once they won, the treasure would be his.
The stone shrank rapidly under the cutter's hands, until it was about the size of a soccer ball. Then, a crack in a network of spiderweb-like fractures appeared on its surface, glowing with a faint green luminescence.
The cutter gasped, even his hands freezing mid-motion.
All around them, spectators drawn by the wager cried out in astonishment.
"Spiritual light leakage? Damn, it's been at least half a year since we've seen that! What kind of treasure is in there?" someone exclaimed, eyes filled with envy.
"Last time we saw something like this, it was a [True Essence of Fire] worth over 100,000 spirit stones! Damn it, why does this kind of luck never come my way?" someone else groaned, clutching their head in frustration.
The woman, whose heart had fallen into despair moments before, suddenly lit up with renewed hope. If this continued, she might not lose after all.
The cutter's hands grew even more delicate, carefully working around the glowing fractures. Soon, the treasure inside was fully revealed, and every eye in the crowd locked onto it.
Even Chen Menglong was starting to sweat. He had been so sure of victory that he hadn't anticipated such a dramatic turn of events.
In the cutter's hand now lay a spirit plant, just over three inches tall, its entire body a vibrant crimson.
It had three oval-shaped leaves, each about an inch long, roughly the size of a baby's palm. The leaf edges were serrated, and within the veins of each leaf glowed a mysterious, radiant pattern resembling a phoenix spreading its wings, radiating intense heat.
"Is that... Phoenix Blood Grass?" someone in the crowd cried out.
"Phoenix Blood Grass? The one that went extinct over a thousand years ago in the outside world?"
"This is incredible! With this, we might win!" the woman exclaimed with joy.
Phoenix Blood Grass had been extinct in the outside world for a millennium; nowadays, only sects at the Golden Core level or above had even a slim chance of owning one.
"It's worth no less than 100,000 spirit stones!"
At that moment, Siying looked at Song Changsheng with eyes full of envy, jealousy, and admiration.
If only I could see through spirit stones too…
But Song Changsheng, the man of the hour, was focused on something completely different from the others. Stroking his chin, he muttered in confusion,
"Phoenix Blood Grass is an excellent spirit plant for body refinement below the Purple Mansion stage. But it requires a tremendous amount of spiritual energy to stay active once removed from the soil. How did it manage to remain alive sealed within this stone?
This ancient battlefield is getting more and more intriguing..."
"One hundred and twenty thousand lower-grade spirit stones," the cutter finally announced a figure that left the crowd stunned. Unless something dramatic happened, the outcome of the gamble was now beyond doubt.
Chen Menglong stumbled back a step. If not for the short man beside him catching him, he would've fallen.
"Th-this… this is impossible!" he exclaimed in disbelief.
His second stone had only produced a piece of Violet Phosphor Sand, worth 30,000 spirit stones, a valuable find, yes, but utterly eclipsed by the Phoenix Blood Grass.
"Nothing's impossible," Song Changsheng said calmly. "Only one left. Let's open them together, shall we?"
He wasn't surprised by the result. This was the most radiant of all the stones on the second floor. If this couldn't secure the win, then his ability would be worthless.
The seasoned cutter quickly regained his composure and began slicing open the final stone.
Inside was a third-tier low-grade spirit plant, Bleeding Orchid.
Though in the same tier as Phoenix Blood Grass, the Bleeding Orchid was worth far less, only 60,000 spirit stones. Still, it was a respectable haul.
After all, among all the gamblers present, most of them couldn't have unearthed something of that value even if they bet their entire fortune.
Meanwhile, on the other side, a dejected Chen Menglong cut open his final stone, revealing a second-tier top-grade Iris Spirit Flower, valued at just over 30,000 spirit stones.
Looking at the results, it was clear:
Chen Menglong had lost utterly and completely. There was no contest.
"Chen, you lost!" Siying finally relaxed, hands on her hips as she loudly declared his defeat.
"Hmph, just dumb luck. Let's go!"
Chen Menglong shot her a venomous glare and stormed off. Having lost to her twice, he no longer had the face to stay.
After they left, Siying handed the three newly uncovered treasures to Song Changsheng. Slapping him on the shoulder with a beaming smile, she said,
"This time, I owe you one. If it weren't for you, that annoying guy would've gotten his way. Now, tell me what you want? As long as it's within my power, I'll make it happen!"
Song Changsheng weighed the storage pouch in his hand and smiled politely.
"These items alone are already quite valuable. I'm more than satisfied. To ask for more would be overstepping."
Of course, that wasn't the whole truth.
He could tell at a glance that this woman came from a major power. Even the scraps from someone like her could be a windfall for someone like him.
Saying he wasn't tempted would be a lie.
But these were just minor benefits, mere crumbs.
What Song Changsheng wanted was to cast a long line to catch a big fish.
He had revealed part of his true strength and inserted himself into a conflict between two powerful factions. Was it just because he didn't like Chen Menglong?
Of course not. He wasn't a child who acted on whim or emotion. Everything he did came down to one thing: profit.
Building rapport with someone from a powerful background could only bring him advantages, just like when he'd saved Xia Qingxue before.
As for offending the Chen family?
From beginning to end, he had only spoken a single sentence. They had no idea the stones were selected by him. Why would they blame him?
Besides, he'd never revealed his identity. That minor risk was negligible.
As expected, his modest reply made the girl's impression of him skyrocket. She pulled out a silver token and casually handed it to him.
"You helped me save face, so I can't be stingy. This is a Silver VIP Token from the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce.
Anywhere under their banner, this gets you a 30% discount. If you ever need anything, go to one of our branches, ask for the person in charge, and give them my name. They'll take care of you."
"Wanlong Chamber of Commerce?"
Song Changsheng was stunned. He had guessed she was from a big family, but hearing that name still caught him off guard.
The Wanlong Chamber of Commerce was a massive commercial alliance spanning multiple cultivation realms, Yu Nation, Gusu Nation, Great Qi Nation, and more.
Its power rivaled or even surpassed that of major sects like the Golden Crow Sect.
"That's right," she said proudly. "I'm Peng Siying. The current president of Wanlong is my father."
"You're the heir to the Wanlong Chamber of Commerce…"
Song Changsheng was left speechless.
Although Wanlong was technically a coalition, the Peng family had controlled it for years. It was essentially their private domain.
From what he knew, the current president had only one daughter. If she wasn't bluffing, then this girl had to be Peng Siying.
Which meant that unless something unexpected happened, she was the heir apparent.
But who would've thought that the next head of the mighty Wanlong Chamber of Commerce… would be a gambling addict with a terrible win record?
If you told someone that, they wouldn't believe it.
Holding the VIP token in his hand, Song Changsheng still felt like it wasn't real...
...
"A Silver VIP Token… who the hell is this guy?"
A tall man in a black robe said in a hoarse voice.
"What's a Silver VIP Token?" someone asked, puzzled.
The man who spoke earlier explained,
"Wanlong Chamber of Commerce issues VIP tokens to win over local powers and influential rogue cultivators. The tier depends on the recipient's strength or background."
The VIP waist tokens were divided into five ranks: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Jade.
Each level symbolized a different status and position. A silver token was usually only granted to cultivators at the Purple Mansion stage. Over the years, the Wanlong Merchant Guild had issued only a few dozen of them.
Anyone holding such a token not only received a 30% discount on purchases but was also entitled to support from the guild corresponding to their token level."
"But that person is only at the Foundation Establishment stage; how could he possibly have a silver token?"
"Exactly why I said his identity must be extraordinary," the hoarse voice spoke again.
For a moment, everyone's gaze toward Song Changsheng was filled with respect and seriousness.
Hearing the surrounding murmurs, Peng Siying blinked, unable to admit that she'd simply brought that one token with her.
"This fellow cultivator, would you be interested in selling your Phoenix Blood Grass?"
Just as everyone was busy speculating about Song Changsheng's true identity, a man in black robes stepped up with a flattering smile, rubbing his hands.
"Damn, he beat me to it."
"Fellow Daoist, I'll offer 130,000 spirit stones."
"I'll give 150,000…"
In the blink of an eye, a familiar scene repeated itself. A dozen or so black-robed figures surrounded Song Changsheng, all drawn by the Phoenix Blood Grass he held.
The bidding soared rapidly.
Tempting as the offers were, Song Changsheng shook his head and declined the deal.
Normally, a third-grade low-tier spiritual herb would only fetch ten or twenty thousand spirit stones.
But the Phoenix Blood Grass was different and for good reason.
First, it reproduced extremely fast. As long as it had sufficient spiritual energy, it could grow into a lush field in no time.
Its effect was simple but powerful: once refined into a pill and consumed, it could subtly enhance a cultivator's physical body.
Of course, it only worked for cultivators below the Purple Mansion stage, and each person could only benefit from it once.
For Song Changsheng himself, because he practiced the Five Beast Body Refining Technique, the herb wasn't particularly useful. But for the rest of the Song Clan, its value was self-evident.
After dispersing the crowd, Song Changsheng finally decided to wrap up his visit to the black market.
While his ability made him a veritable cheat code when it came to gambling on spirit stones, some things could be done once or twice, but any more would be pushing it. He'd already gained more than enough today. If he kept going, he might draw unwanted attention from the black market's higher-ups. Best to quit while ahead.
He could always come back and stir up some action after things cooled down.
As he descended the stairs, he suddenly remembered something and cupped his hands in a polite gesture. "Fellow Daoist Peng, could I trouble you to keep an eye out for any information regarding Flood Dragon Scales?"
"What do you need that stuff for? Fine, give me a day, I'll ask around," Peng Siying readily agreed.
"Much appreciated," Song Changsheng said with a smile. So the favor's already paying off.
Just as the two were about to step out of the pavilion, a black-robed man blocked their path.
"Fellow Daoist, the Pavilion Master wishes to see you."
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