“Take a look! Come see! Don’t miss it if you’re passing by! The Young Palace Lord of Shenxiao Palace, Li Chengfeng, versus the rogue cultivator Hua Yan’er! Come watch!”
“They say the Xiaoyao Sword Sect’s Chief Disciple, Yun Xuechang, is as pure-faced as a fairy, and the talented beauties are all fighting over her! Who truly deserves to stand by her side?”
“Will the infatuated man finally succeed in his marriage theft? Or will the original beauty drive away the rotten peach blossom? Today’s battle will reveal all!”
“The Hehuan Sect and Xiaoyao Sword Sect have jointly set up a betting scheme—absolutely fair and just! Transparent odds, instant payout! Come hurry and see!”
By the time Yun Xuechang hurriedly rode her sword to the sea area south of Yuxin Island, she hadn’t yet seen Hua Yan, who was about to fight someone, but she first spotted a dense crowd of cultivators gathered around—some watching from afar on swords, others from boats, all craning their necks in anticipation, surrounding the central stretch of sea so tightly it was impenetrable.
Among the crowd, graceful female cultivators wove in and out.
A fox-eared girl with a fluffy red-brown tail, and a seductive woman in a red-gold qipao, each held an Amplification Artifact, hawking with all their might.
Yun Xuechang flew straight toward the figure in the red-gold qipao:
“Junior Aunt-Master Yue, why are you here?”
She stopped in front of Yue Jue, her face puzzled.
“Heh, what else could it be? Can’t you tell?”
A slightly gloomy female voice sounded behind her.
Yun Xuechang quickly turned around and saw Ji Ling in a black robe, holding a girl in each arm—one with pink hair, one with gold hair—smirking as she taunted:
“Isn’t it obvious? She’s set up a betting scheme with the Hehuan Sect, raking in spirit stones left and right.”
“Oh, little Lingling, it’s not easy for me to accompany you on this trip to the South Sea, is it? What, I’m not allowed to earn a little side cash?”
Yue Jue shot back quickly, then resumed hawking energetically with Su Feiyao beside her.
Graceful Hehuan Sect disciples occasionally returned to them, but more often wove among the watching cultivators, deftly collecting bets.
“Rongrong, are you okay? Where’s Yan’er?”
Yun Xuechang took Hua Xiangrong from Ji Ling’s arms, asking urgently.
“Don’t worry, little Xuechang, your little Yan’er will be out soon. Look, that’s where they’re fighting.”
Before Hua Xiangrong could speak, Yue Jue pointed into the distance.
A massive floating platform was slowly rising from the sea.
Beside it, a petite figure carrying a large wooden crate was busy directing arrangements, looking somewhat familiar.
“Once the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion finishes setting up the arena for her and Li Chengfeng, the fight will start. She should be resting over there with the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion right now.”
“Thank you, Junior Aunt-Master Yue. I’ll take Rongrong over—”
“Mother, wait a moment!”
The Hua Xiangrong in her arms gently tugged at Yun Xuechang’s sleeve, interrupting her.
“Mother, don’t you find it strange? Why are so many people gathered here? How did Mother’s match with Li Chengfeng suddenly spread to everyone’s knowledge, and become so lively?”
Yun Xuechang blinked in slight bewilderment.
Right… how did Yan’er’s fight with Li Chengfeng get so blown out of proportion?
Even she, who had just fished the debt-ridden Junior Aunt-Master Yue out of the Hehuan Building and was on her way back, heard the rumors on the street and rushed over in a hurry.
Wait… the debt-ridden Junior Aunt-Master Yue in the Hehuan Building…?
Anxious about Hua Yan and her daughter’s safety, Yun Xuechang only now belatedly realized this.
Holding the pink-haired girl in her arms, she slowly turned around, her gaze falling on Yue Jue, who was counting spirit stone notes with a smug grin. Her tone was calm but probing:
“Junior Aunt-Master Yue, why are you here? Weren’t you just in debt at the Hehuan Building? How are you now running a betting scheme with the Hehuan Sect?”
“Ahahaha… what are you talking about, little Xuechang? I don’t understand…”
Yue Jue tried to bluff with a laugh.
But meeting Yun Xuechang’s red eyes—those eyes that usually lacked extra expression but were piercingly sharp—she finally caved and told the truth:
“Uh… it’s just that I heard yesterday that that reckless kid from Shenxiao Palace likes you and was planning to pester you. I thought, why not help you and little Yan’er solve the problem, hehe…”
“Junior Aunt-Master, if you wanted to help Yan’er and me solve the problem, why would you let Yan’er personally go up and fight someone?”
Yun Xuechang looked at her calmly, her voice without ripples.
“Uh… well… you young people are hot-tempered. If little Yan’er can beat that guy herself, he definitely won’t keep bothering you. And on the side… I can earn a little pocket money, hehe…”
Yue Jue stammered, laughing sheepishly.
“So, Junior Aunt-Master, you weren’t actually in debt at the Hehuan Building earlier. You deliberately lured me away, just so Yan’er would fight that Daoist friend Li?”
Yun Xuechang’s thoughts became clearer, her brow slightly furrowing.
“Uh… t-that’s about right…”
Yue Jue nodded guiltily, then quickly added:
“Oh, but little Xuechang, don’t worry! You and I both know little Yan’er’s strength! She’ll beat that kid from Shenxiao Palace black and blue; she definitely won’t lose!”
“At worst, after it’s over, I’ll cut you in on some of the dividends!”
“That’s right, that’s right, Fairy Yun. Since things have come this far, don’t argue with the spirit stones.”
Su Feiyao, shaking her tail, added with a charming laugh, her Jade Abacus clicking rapidly:
“Young Master Li of Shenxiao Palace is famous far and wide, but your Fairy Hua is not well-known. The odds right now are quite high. We’re sure to make a good profit today.”
“So you were already certain Yan’er would win?”
Yun Xuechang asked softly, a hint of understanding dawning in her eyes.
“Hehe… Fairy Yun, don’t joke.”
Su Feiyao’s fox eyes narrowed into slits, her tone full of pride:
“You and I both know the true strength of your Fairy Hua. It’s completely different from what everyone here thinks~”
In this betting scheme, Su Feiyao had undoubtedly played a key role—the information about Li Chengfeng and the others had come from her.
And the whole scheme was clearly a joint setup between her and Yue Jue.
Originally, Yue Jue had worried about how to convince Su Feiyao of Hua Yan’s strength.
In her view, getting Su Feiyao—who had never seen Hua Yan fight—to believe an unknown rogue cultivator could defeat Li Chengfeng wouldn’t be easy.
But what she didn’t know was that Su Feiyao had long been aware of Hua Yan’s true identity, and thus knew her strength.
So, after pretending to hesitate briefly, the two had quickly agreed and set up this lucrative business.
“The current odds are 0.3 to 2.2. After I and Senior Yue make our profit, we’ll give you thirty percent, how about that?”
Su Feiyao paused, then added:
“Of course, the ransom I gave Senior Yue earlier will be returned to you as well.”
As she spoke, she handed over a bag of spirit stones.
But unexpectedly, before Yun Xuechang could respond, Hua Xiangrong in her arms spoke first:
“No need! Elder Yue, Aunt Su, you don’t need to return those spirit stones to us!”
Under Su Feiyao and Yue Jue’s bewildered gazes, the pink-haired girl leaned close to Yun Xuechang’s ear and whispered something.
Yun Xuechang first blinked in surprise, then nodded.
Then, under the two women’s puzzled eyes, Yun Xuechang took a bulging storage pouch from her sleeve:
“Add these spirit stones, plus the ones I have on me, all to bet on Yan’er winning. Use the current odds.”
She paused, her cool eyes blinking:
“If Junior Aunt-Master Yue and Daoist Friend Su refuse… then I’ll have Rongrong play back what you said to everyone here.”
As she spoke, Yun Xuechang’s face remained cool, calm and unruffled.
The Hua Xiangrong in her arms pulled a recording mechanical toy from her pocket, grinning brightly.