Chapter 191: Another Windfall!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"Why should I be playing? I’m not going to be your gambling associate but I do have a few lads who are in Tiantang City right now – I believe you may have heard of them, the four young masters from the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Family. Besides being terribly wealthy, they have something in common with you - they are extremely free. If you all want to have a game, I can have the four of them play with everyone. Win some, lose some, have some fun. Let's get the rules straight to avoid any additional hostility…"
Yun Yang’s smile was sincere. "Of course, if you don't wish to play or can’t afford to, it's fine as well. Gambling with them needs a certain amount of courage and wealth. Any mistake on your part could end up a catastrophe."
As the generals listened to him – especially some of the seasoned confirmed gamblers - their interest was piqued.
Disregarding Yun Yang’s goading words, just the titles of the four noble young masters alone was a great temptation.
Yun Yang would not play? Gambling with four noble young masters?
Perhaps it wouldn't be a big a problem as they had feared.
As long as Yun Yang did not take part, they did not need to worry about being cheated or scammed. After all, the reputation of these four noble young masters as popinjays was infamous; perhaps they could even make acquaintances with them through the game. Even if they could not forge any meaningful relationships, gambling was a matter of luck. There were so many of them, surely their combined luck would be far more than the four of them?
Against their better judgment, they began to reason that they needn't win all that much, that it would suffice if each of them could earn the money to buy a few hundred pots of wine.
"What harm would it be to have at it for a few rounds? Let’s set this single game tonight, can you arrange it?" A bearded general said; it was the general from Dayuan who had paid for the wine. He was still suffering from the loss of his silver taels. Now that he had a chance to recover his loss, how could he let the opportunity pass?
"Will this single game be set at a proper casino?" another person questioned.
The question was not a surprise. Under normal circumstances, it was simply too easy to manipulate the gambling equipment telekinetically or to interrupt the results since there were so many experts in Tianxuan Continent. Therefore, any gambling den worth its salt would have a Golden Mystical Rock on the premises.
A Golden Mystical Rock was also a Forbidden Mystical Rock; no one could use mystical Qi in the effective range of a Golden Mystical Rock that was kept in a casino.
Of course, a Golden Mystical Rock could only affect a cultivator’s mystical Qi flow on a small scale. It could not entirely suppress the use of mystical Qi. If a cultivator were to channel his mystical Qi into large torrent, a Golden Mystical Rock would then be of no use. However, the mystical Qi used to cheat in casinos would usually be more intricate, so it would be inhibited by a Golden Mystical Rock.
In addition, there was a limit to a Golden Mystical Rock’s restrictions. Once it came across an expert above the ninth peak, it could hardly ever work. However, no experts above the ninth peak would be so silly to use their high-level mystical Qi to cheat in a casino. If they were to enter the casino, it was certain that they were genuinely there to have an honest time.
Besides, larger-scaled casinos would usually use Golden Mystical Rock to completely tile their floors, nipping the problem of cheating in the bud.
By asking this question, it was easy to infer that this person was a regular at casinos.
"You’ll know at once if it’s proper or not by testing it out for yourself." Yun Yang said, smiling, "Even the ceiling of the casino I mentioned is made of Golden Mystical Rock."
As the generals heard this, their worries were instantly assuaged.
There would be no possibility of cheating then, everything would depend on luck and skill. Speaking of the latter attribute, those who had a penchant for gambling would usually think they were the best.
"We will go at night!"
The eyes of approximately thirty to forty people began to shine with avarice.
Generals who were more serious or who held higher positions and were more authoritative would not engage in such activities. Those who reacted as such were basically those in their thirties or early forties; some of them were even exchanging looks of greed and excitement.
In his heart, Yun Yang snorted with disdain.
These punters either wanted to seek some thrills and win some money or they had some other dastardly motive in mind. There had to be plenty of these generals from a handful of countries who had a collusion and had yet to settle it.
They would probably use this chance to resume their communications and discuss the possibility of working together or perhaps they would just conspire something among themselves.
Yun Yang knew full well about these but he still said, "We’re set then. I’ll go arrange it now and bring everyone over after dinner. We’ll meet at the entrance of the Tower To Heaven Inn later. Leave quickly, all of you will have fun tonight. I won’t cause any more trouble for everyone."
The generals rolled their eyes. At least this child knows that he's causing problems for us all.
Han Sanhe replied with a smile, "Don’t forget the Blood of the Hero that we’ve ordered, Young Marquis Yun. Our return date has been altered, do keep track of it and remind the brewery."
Yun Yang answered, "Not a problem. They’re actually rushing with all the resources they have; you’ll have at least the first batch to take with you when you all depart. Oh right, I’ve given the silver taels the other day to the brewery but you’ll all need to clear the remaining sum when you collect the first batch of wine. I can’t help with this. After all, they’ll need to money to be able to continue their business. Just remember to pay it to me by then."
Han Sanhe chuckled easily. "Of course, that is the rightful thing to do. Besides, we’re not afraid that Young Marquis Yun will defraud us."
After an exchange of pleasantries, Yun Yang turned to leave.
"Let’s first run through the four nations’ follow-up plan before going to the casino tonight," Han Sanhe said in a low voice.
He earned nods from the other old marshals.
Perhaps the biggest boon he gained from coming here this time was the four-empire-plan he had come up with the other old men in these past few days…
Other than that, everything else was a total flop.
"If it’s possible… this old man hopes that…"
Han Sanhe’s voice was soft like a buzzing mosquito. "Yutang can be taken down… or completely annihilated… by our hands. My old brothers, we have to keep our spirits up. We afford any careless mistakes on our side."
"Of course."
"Naturally!"
"We feel the same!"
…
Yun Yang had only rested for a short while once he arrived home before he turned into a soft breeze in his room and left hurriedly for the Residence of Nine Supremes.
He could not afford to skip the visit and he could not be late as well.
Too many experts had died inside last night; what was more, there were six high leveled mystical beasts that had also expired. If Yun Yang had tarried in his visit, the mystical pills of these six mystical beasts would be directly turned into refined energy by the Nine Heavens Demesne.
The six mystical beasts, especially those six mystical pills, were a huge source of wealth to Yun Yang, who was as poor as a pauper now! He could not just let them dissolve into nothingness.
As the night fell and darkness swept across heaven and earth, the Residence of Nine Supremes was still engulfed in a fog of clouds. The only similarity between the nightfall and the residence was probably the sense of invisibility they shared.
A soft wind blew; Yun Yang had entered the Residence of Nine Supremes without a sound, stealthy and utterly undetectable.
About nineteen corpses lay scattered on the ground made of unknown material. The cause of death was the same; all of them were burned black, even their bones were charred.
Yun Yang sighed softly.
He had hoped that these people might have carried something valuable with them when they entered so that he might earn an extra windfall. One could not blame Yun Yang’s greed for wealth now that he would not even let the dead ones go; he was truly impoverished. He was dirt poor; even the ground was cleaner than his state of wealth!
It was too bad that by the looks of it, even if the experts from other countries had carried banknotes or other items of value, they had all become charred remains now that their owners had fallen in the Residence of Nine Supremes.
Despite the disappointment, Yun Yang did not waste his effort to come here because there were some glittering items on the ground that would be worth his trip. Yun Yang picked up the glimmering pieces one by one. There were actually a hundred and ten mystical stones, amongst which were a dozen mystical crystals as well...
This would make up a good amount of fortune.
There were also a few weapons that could be of use. These were weapons that the martial artists had carried with them; they must be of extraordinary quality to be able to remain unscathed in the Nine Heavens Demesne’s storm. Yun Yang did not lay a finger on them though – he already had the Divine Edge, no other weapon could attract his interest anymore. Besides, these people had died in the Residence of Nine Supremes. If he took these weapons out to sell or trade, it might give something away, exposing himself to unnecessary scrutiny.
Yun Yang was delighted at his gains over the other side; it was the highlight of Yun Yang’s trip anyway – the six mystical beasts.
Upon checking, the highest level of these six beasts had reached intermediate of the eighth level while there were three beasts that were just beginners of the eighth level. The weakest two of the six were also at the pinnacle of the seventh level. Of course, the real surprise was that the corpses of these mystical beasts remained unscathed as well.
It was obvious that the endurance of mystical beasts towards natural forces was much stronger than that of humans.
The Residence of Nine Supremes’ clouds had gathered over by now, absorbing the spiritual Qi that was sizzling in the air into their fog. It was lucky that Yun Yang had arrived when he did. If he were to be any later, the two corpses of the seventh level pinnacle mystical beasts would have been ravaged by the clouds.
Yun Yang, who knew well about the Nine Heavens Demesne’s force, dared not tarry. He unsheathed the Divine Edge at once, intending to collect the mystical pills, yet he stopped just as he was about to begin his work.
The moment that the Divine Edge appeared and gleamed coldly, the fog around him had somehow swirled away from him as if avoiding the steel's stern gaze.
The area within a hundred feet radius of where Yun Yang stood was clear, devoid of any fog or clouds!