Chapter Forty-Eight: Placing Bets

Upon returning to the Mu Yu Hall, Li Mu had not yet stepped inside when a noisy commotion drifted out from within—it was Li Ying and Sun Qi in the midst of a quarrel.

Li Mu found it rather odd. Usually, Li Ying was an obedient child, while Sun Qi was always steady and composed. How had the two of them managed to cause such a ruckus?

But after listening in for a few moments, Li Mu felt a headache coming on.

"Ha! Brother Sun Qi, you and Brother Sanjiu are both terrible!"

"How are we terrible?"

"Terrible is just terrible. Today, so many people came to the shop to buy spirit pills, and they all spoke ill of Big Brother. You didn't even try to stop them, and instead, you cheerfully sold them pills. You don't want Big Brother to win, do you? That's just awful."

"Ying'er, they're customers too, you know. It's not right to mess with them. Sanjiu and I both want Mu-ge to win—we even placed bets with a lot of spirit crystals!"

"I don't believe you."

Li Mu entered the shop, pulled Ying'er over, and smiled at Sun Qi. "How much did you wager? Are you placing another bet?"

Seeing Li Mu return, Sun Qi relaxed. "Mu-ge, you're back. Ying'er and I were just playing around. But it's true, we've placed our bets at a shop in town—dozens of mid-grade spirit crystals at five-to-one odds. We’re sure to make a fortune this time!"

"That's still not much," Li Mu teased, pinching his little sister's cheeks. She looked so earnestly upset that he couldn't help but laugh. "Ying'er, let's place a bet ourselves."

Ying'er looked up at him. "Big Brother, what is a wager?"

"It's a way to win spirit crystals—safely and soundly," Li Mu explained, grinning as he led his sister out.

Not far from Mu Yu Hall was a betting house, run with proper authorization.

This sort of establishment was also operated by the Jade Iron Sect. They handled intermediary matters for cultivators—hiring guards, distributing supplies, leasing spirit crystals. But whenever the Jade Iron Society hosted an event, the sect would use its influence to set up gambling, turning it into a lucrative business.

Standing outside, they could see the interior was vast and crowded with cultivators, all staring intently at the central betting board.

On the board, rows of matchups were listed, each with their odds displayed.

"The first round is tough to call," a bearded cultivator remarked.

"What's so tough? Just look at their ranks. Is there really a chance for an upset in these top matches?"

An older man scoffed and spoke up loudly, "Young man, keep going—I'll bet ten mid-grade spirit crystals on Mutong Feng to win!"

"Very well! Mutong Feng for the win, ten mid-grades at three-to-one odds!" the attendant shouted, taking the man's crystals with a cheerful grin. Moments later, he handed over a jade token. "Here's your receipt, sir. Keep it safe."

Witnessing this, the bearded cultivator nodded in approval. "Better to earn more than less. Young man, I'll bet thirty mid-grades on Gu Rong to win."

"Certainly! Gu Rong to win, thirty mid-grades, five-to-one odds. Here you are."

The attendant's face was all smiles as he accepted the crystals and promptly handed over a token.

"So quick?" the bearded cultivator asked, a little surprised.

The attendant laughed. "You might not know, sir, but there've been so many bets on Gu Rong in the past few days that we've prepared all kinds of receipts. We can process them instantly."

The old cultivator nodded, though a hint of doubt appeared on his face. "Still, it’s hard to imagine Gu Rong losing, right?"

The attendant replied with exaggerated confidence, "Sir, surely you must be joking. Who is Gu Rong? A prodigy of the sect, the pride of the Twofold Gate, a man who’s slain two heretics in a row! And who is this Li Mu? I know him well—no background, just the shopkeeper of a pill store, just built his spiritual foundation, barely any combat experience. What's there to worry about?"

Feeling reassured, the old man pocketed his token. "Good, good. I scraped together these crystals from all over—can’t afford to lose!"

"Rest easy, sir!" The attendant turned to serve another customer.

Nearby, Li Ying’s face was flushed with indignation. "They’re all awful!"

Li Mu only smiled, taking out a pouch of spirit crystals. "Little sister, take these to the counter. Bet them all on your big brother."

"Okay!" Li Ying replied without hesitation, taking the pouch.

The bag was heavy with spirit crystals—more than Li Ying, a girl of barely ten, could easily carry. Yet she persisted, staggering to the counter and moving them bit by bit.

Bang! The counter was tall; only a tuft of her hair showed as she tiptoed and poured the crystals out.

The attendant hurried over, seeing it was a delicate, fresh-faced child—not a cultivator—and grew wary. "Little girl, what are you doing with all that?"

Li Ying mustered her strength and heaved the spirit crystals onto the counter with a loud thud, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

The pile of crystals glittered under the lights, catching every cultivator’s eye.

"Heavens, that's not just two hundred mid-grade spirit crystals!"

"In my whole life I’ve never seen so many at once. I wish... I wish..."

Several of the guards tensed up, eyes fixed on the scene, standing ready to protect the establishment.

The attendant, experienced in such matters, quickly swept the crystals into a storage pouch. "Little girl, why do you have so many?"

"It’s a bet. On my big brother to win."

"Excellent!" the attendant grinned, delighted by the sizable transaction. "Who’s your brother? What’s his name?"

Ears pricked up all around, everyone eager to hear who this little girl would name, to be wagering such a sum.

"Li Mu!" Li Ying’s answer was clear and bright as a songbird; the whole hall heard her.

"What?"

"Li Mu? Did I hear that right?"

"Isn’t that the same person? She’s just showing off!"

Hearing "Li Mu," the cultivators inside were completely stunned.

The attendant, too, was briefly frozen. "Li Mu? Are you sure, little one?"

"Li Mu. He’s my big brother," Li Ying declared, standing tall, her delicate face glowing with pride. In her heart, her big brother was the greatest—there was nothing he couldn't do.

Outside, Li Mu watched his sister, a warm smile spreading across his face. His heart swelled with emotion—what more could he wish for, having such a sister?

The attendant glanced from Li Ying to the pile of spirit crystals, then to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper pointed at the crystals, covering her mouth to whisper, "Hurry up and accept it, idiot. Who would refuse such a gift?"

The attendant quickly counted the crystals; his surprise showed plainly as he called out, "Very well! Li Mu to win, five-to-one odds, three hundred mid-grades!"

"Wait, little one, let me get your receipt." He bent down and whispered to her.

Li Ying nodded, pretending to understand.

A moment later, the shopkeeper handed over a jade token, and the attendant passed it to Li Ying. "Here you go, little one. Keep it safe."

Li Ying took the token, beaming as she skipped out to Li Mu’s side, reporting proudly, "Big brother, I placed the bet!"

Li Mu scooped his little sister into his arms. "Good girl. Come on, let’s go eat."

As Li Ying left, the hall erupted in heated discussion.

"Truly wealthy."

"Still, you shouldn’t throw spirit crystals around like that. If it were me, I’d have dropped dead from the shock."

"Feels like something unexpected is coming... Hey, attendant, come here. I’ll have five on Li Mu as well."

The attendant and the shopkeeper counted the crystals, faces beaming with satisfaction.