Chapter 108: The Bet

Pointing at all the young warriors around him, he showed no intention of hiding anything. Though his voice was quiet, every cultivator present could hear him clearly.

“Negative emotion value from Infinity, +333!”

“Negative emotion value from Daylight, +333!”

“Negative emotion value from Night, +333!”

“From...”

At that very moment, hundreds of negative emotion values surged up, expressing strong dissatisfaction with Lin Fan’s words. One after another, they cracked their knuckles, ready to strike.

“Come on, come on, hurry up! The atmosphere’s just right now—it’s your turn!”

Seeing this, Lin Fan immediately backed down… hastily pulling Xiao Shuihan and the others before him to shield against the murderous glares.

Xiao Shuihan and the others shook their heads with bitter smiles. Was this something to cheer up? Usually, cheering was for gatherings of close friends falling into awkward silence. But here, with thousands of young warriors itching to tear each other apart, what was there to cheer about?

“Negative emotion value from Wang Yu, +666!”

“Negative emotion value from Wu Hao, +666!”

“From...”

Seeing Lin Fan so cowed, countless young warriors’ resentment flared up. “If you’re so scared, why say all those tough words? If you’ve got the guts, come fight us head-on.”

No matter what the young warriors thought, Xiao Shuihan and his comrades understood the challenge Lin Fan faced—there was no choice but to accept. Xiao Shuihan was the first to step forward.

“That’s right. We are here to challenge all the young warriors in the Four Seas Restaurant. I say it again—you are all trash!”

A cold smile curled at the corner of Xiao Shuihan’s mouth. Having been cornered to this point, there was no turning back now. If he showed fear, he wouldn’t be spared.

“Fine, then let me test the Wind and Rain Sword!”

Hearing Xiao Shuihan, a youth clad in black martial attire suddenly rose, leaping onto the stone bridge in the blink of an eye. Turning around sharply—

Clang!

The sword at his waist was drawn, emitting a faint hum.

“Good!”

Such a sharp movement, such style, immediately drew cheers from the diners. Some female guests even had a sparkle in their eyes.

“Truly flamboyant!”

Just then, an inappropriate whisper echoed—a low murmur that everyone somehow heard, instantly drawing their attention.

Wasn’t this the boy who had infuriated everyone earlier?

He had somehow brought over a small table, upon which sat two small dishes and a pot of Drunken Breeze wine. Drinking casually, he watched the figure of the Wind and Rain Sword.

“Negative emotion value from Zhu Hong, +333!”

Lin Fan hadn’t noticed earlier, overwhelmed by the rapid surge of negative emotion values from hundreds of people. Now, seeing this support, he smiled. Looking up, he caught the gaze of Zhu Hong, the Wind and Rain Sword, who sneered:

“The name Wind and Rain Sword is decent, but the name Pig Monkey is a bit lacking!”

“Are you looking for death—!”

Zhu Hong’s eyes flashed fiercely. His greatest taboo was having his name mocked. Hearing Lin Fan’s words, he immediately pointed his toe, thrusting his sword toward Lin Fan.

Clang!

The sword blades clashed, sparks flying. A black iron sword suddenly blocked Zhu Hong’s path. Turning his head, he saw the resolute face of Xiao Shuihan.

“You’ll have to get past me first!”

Xiao Shuihan lifted his head. The faint smile at the corner of his mouth vanished as he drew his sword. In its place was a mountain-like steadiness, as if a sharp mountain of swords had settled.

At that moment, though Xiao Shuihan unleashed no visible aura, everyone present could feel the overwhelming sword momentum slowly unfurling, pressing down on the Wind and Rain Sword, Zhu Hong!

“This guy’s swordsmanship is strong!”

That was Zhu Hong’s first reaction. Then his blood began to boil—nothing was more exciting than meeting a sword master of the same age.

“What use is passing your gate?”

Zhu Hong retorted, leaping back lightly. Upon landing, he bent his knees and charged again toward Xiao Shuihan.

“Sword Opens a Thousand Rainbows!”

The long sword in Zhu Hong’s hand swept out like a peacock spreading its feathers. In an instant, countless sword shadows enveloped Xiao Shuihan.

“Peak Falls on Nine Provinces!!!”

Facing the flood of sword shadows, Xiao Shuihan raised his sword and advanced. Not retreating, he took a step forward and swung his sword—not with dazzling light, but a simple, ordinary stroke. Like a mountain settling, it pressed directly toward the sea of sword shadows.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed as Zhu Hong’s sword shadows were shattered. Many sword images fell away, and a black long sword thrust straight, stopping just before Zhu Hong’s throat.

“You’ve lost!”

Xiao Shuihan said nothing, merely gazing at Zhu Hong. Yet his eyes conveyed an unspoken message.

Zhu Hong stood frozen, his eyes somewhat vacant. He was a mid-stage Qi Initiator, yet he lost in one move—not even able to launch a second strike. The gap was too great.

“I lost…”

Zhu Hong said bitterly, saying no more as he sheathed his sword and turned to leave.

“That guy’s strong. Even if Zhu Hong is a mid-stage Qi Initiator, and fairly formidable despite just recently entering that stage, he lost with a single move?”

“Yeah, his strength is truly great. I’m not as good as him!”

“Though I’m confident I can beat Zhu Hong, I can’t do it in one move. I’m not as good.”

Countless young warriors around whispered among themselves. Those slightly weaker than or equal to Zhu Hong’s level grew pale.

Among these youths, some began to take interest in Xiao Shuihan’s single sword defeating Zhu Hong. After all, the mid-stage Qi Initiator rank was low for them, but Xiao Shuihan’s sword move was extraordinary enough to pique curiosity.

Standing on the stone bridge, Xiao Shuihan looked around. When no one stepped forward, he said, “Who else dares to challenge? Step up for a fight!”

“Arrogant! You think you’re invincible just because you defeated Zhu Hong? Know this—Zhu Hong isn’t even ranked here!”

Originally hesitant, a burly youth suddenly stepped from the crowd with disdain. As his words fell, he strode onto the stone bridge.

“Celestial Absolute Fist, I’ll teach you!”

The burly youth roared as he stepped onto the bridge and charged at Xiao Shuihan like a tiger pouncing.

“Bets are open! Wager on Xiao Shuihan defeating Celestial Absolute Fist in just a few moves! Victory beyond twenty moves pays five times the odds! Victory between ten and twenty moves pays ten times! Victory between five and ten moves pays fifty times! Victory within five moves pays one hundred times!”

“Minimum bet is one thousand silver taels!”

Suddenly, a shout rang out, drawing the attention of young warriors and diners alike. Even Celestial Absolute Fist paused to look.

It was him again!!!

All the young warriors and diners were speechless. Wasn’t this the white-robed youth who first declared all young warriors trash and challenged them to a fight?

When Wind and Rain Sword Zhu Hong appeared, he asked if it was he who wanted to challenge the youths. Startled, he stepped back twice, denying it, saying he was just speaking on behalf of the youth on the stone bridge.

After those youths stepped out, he provoked them, claiming it wasn’t his fault but because his own cultivation was too strong and he feared crushing their confidence. When everyone was displeased, he pulled the youth on the stone bridge in front to shield him.

Then, smugly, he brought out a feast from a room, praising Zhu Hong’s flamboyance and mocking his name as Pig Monkey, nearly provoking Zhu Hong to cut him to pieces.

If not for the upright youth on the stone bridge once again blocking Zhu Hong, he might have been ripped apart. Who could be this shameless?

Now Zhu Hong was defeated by the youth on the stone bridge, and the stronger Celestial Absolute Fist stepped up. And this white-robed youth dared to open bets right before his eyes?

Wait!

Some noticed that the white-robed youth only offered bets on how many moves Xiao Shuihan would need to defeat Celestial Absolute Fist. He made no mention of how many moves Celestial Absolute Fist would need to defeat Xiao Shuihan.

What did that mean? That Celestial Absolute Fist was certain to lose?!

It was known that although their match hadn’t yet been settled, Celestial Absolute Fist was somewhat renowned among the youths.

A few youths approached Lin Fan, curious.

“Why don’t you offer bets on how many moves Celestial Absolute Fist Luo Ying would need to win? What if he wins? As the bookmaker, wouldn’t you clean up? Besides, we want to bet on Luo Ying’s victory!”

These youths all came from Wild Wind County along with Celestial Absolute Fist Luo Ying, including Zhu Hong. Zhu Hong ranked around eightieth among Wild Wind County’s young warriors, while Luo Ying was within the top fifty.

So, they had great confidence in Luo Ying.

“Oh, no worries. He won’t win!” Lin Fan waved his hand nonchalantly. “If you want to bet on him, I’ll open another counter. Hmm, Luo Ying’s victory pays two hundred times. But I advise you not to bet on him—really, he can’t win. Honestly!”

“Negative emotion value from Luo Ying, +666!”

Suddenly, the system’s notification sounded. Lin Fan looked toward the stone bridge just as Luo Ying glared at him fiercely. Obviously, Luo Ying had heard every word.

Lin Fan felt a bit embarrassed. After all, openly declaring someone can’t win is somewhat rude.

Thinking it over, he decided to comfort Luo Ying. So he suddenly stretched out his hand toward Luo Ying in the distance, shaking it as he called out:

“It’s okay, Luo Ying. Don’t lose heart. Victory and defeat are common in war. You’ll get used to losing after a while. Keep it up—hold out a few more moves!”

Finally, he encouraged Luo Ying, even pounding his own chest with a fist and pointing his finger at Luo Ying, as if saying, “I believe in you.”

Pfft!

Countless young warriors couldn’t hold back their laughter. Some outright burst out laughing. How infuriating!

Luo Ying: “???”

“Negative emotion value from Luo Ying, +999!”

Are you crazy? Seriously crazy?!

If looks could kill, Lin Fan would be riddled with holes. Luo Ying’s glare seemed to devour him. Luo Ying wanted to approach Lin Fan but was blocked by Xiao Shuihan ahead. Luo Ying’s eyes flickered as he looked toward Xiao Shuihan.

Xiao Shuihan’s lips parted slightly: “Don’t disturb Brother Fan.”

“I bet one thousand silver taels on Luo Ying’s victory!”

“I’ll bet two thousand!”

“I’ll bet one thousand five hundred on Luo Ying to win!”

“Me too...”

Ignoring Luo Ying and Xiao Shuihan’s tense standoff, seeing Lin Fan open the counter for Luo Ying’s victory, several youths immediately took out silver taels, betting on Luo Ying.

One reason was their confidence in Luo Ying; another was that they came from the same county. Though rivals, they were hometown folks and wouldn’t back down, so naturally, they bet on their own.

Most importantly, they had faith in Luo Ying, and his counter’s odds were as high as two hundred, unlike Xiao Shuihan’s which was based on how many moves.

If Luo Ying won, their one thousand silver taels would turn into two hundred thousand—an enormous fortune!

With so many watching Lin Fan, they weren’t worried about him running off. At the same time, many others came forward to place bets on Luo Ying’s victory.

They believed Luo Ying and Xiao Shuihan were evenly matched. Betting a thousand silver taels for two hundred thousand was a worthy risk. Losing a thousand wasn’t even enough for a meal at the Four Seas Restaurant.

In a short time, bets on Luo Ying’s victory had reached over two hundred thousand silver taels.

Those betting on Luo Ying won’t less than a thousand silver taels, some up to seven or eight thousand. Over forty people gathered quickly.

Of course, some bet on Xiao Shuihan too, but combined, their wagers totaled only about twenty thousand silver taels, mostly betting on victory beyond twenty moves.

“Bets closed, bets closed!”

Lin Fan shouted, spitting as he spoke. Since having Xiao Jin as a big spender, he had to find ways to make money. Seeing over two hundred thousand in bets made him quite pleased.

At that moment, Li Ji, Ou Hu, Qian Jin, and even the usually silent Shangguan Feihong stepped forward.

“Uh, Brother Fan, can we bet too? We won’t bet much, just a few hundred silver taels each!”

Qian Jin rubbed his hands, wanting to join in. Others might not understand Brother Fan, but they did. When did Brother Fan ever fight without confidence?

Besides, though they parted ways after their training, Xiao Shuihan’s strength in Qingxue County alone could easily defeat Luo Ying. Why not earn some sure money?

“Go away!”

Seeing them approach, Lin Fan hurriedly grabbed the silver tickets before him, pulling them close and stuffing them into his storage ring, eyeing Qian Jin and the others warily.

“...”

Watching Brother Fan’s reaction, Li Ji, Qian Jin, and the others were speechless. Was it really necessary? They were all grown men; it wasn’t like they needed their spare silver.

“Negative emotion value from Li Ji, +333!”

“Negative emotion value from Qian Jin, +333!”

“Negative emotion value from Ou Hu...”

“Negative emotion value from Shangguan...”

A wave of negative emotion values surged. Slightly displeased, Lin Fan shook his head and said, “Fine, fine, bet if you want, but don’t blame me if you lose!”

“We bet Xiao Shuihan will defeat Luo Ying within five moves!”

Hearing Brother Fan suddenly agree, though Li Ji, Qian Jin, and the others didn’t understand why, each took out a few hundred silver taels to bet on Xiao Shuihan, all betting he would end it within five moves.

Lin Fan pocketed their silver taels.

“Brother Fan, the match hasn’t even started yet. Why are you putting the silver away now?”

Seeing Lin Fan’s action, Qian Jin and the others asked, puzzled.

Since Brother Fan had taken their silver taels, they understood. Xiao Shuihan was sure to win against Luo Ying, and their bets were on victory within five moves. There was no chance for surprise.

Lin Fan said nothing, instead raising his hand to stop others from making noise, signaling he had something to say.

Once the crowd quieted, Lin Fan suddenly shouted toward the tense Xiao Shuihan:

“Shuihan, win him in more than twenty moves!”

“Damn, Brother Fan, you’re cheating!”

Li Ji, Qian Jin, and the others shouted, black lines appearing over their heads. They had thought Xiao Shuihan could easily defeat Luo Ying within five moves, which was why they bet that way.

They never expected Brother Fan to forbid Xiao Shuihan from going all out, instead making him win beyond twenty moves.

“Negative emotion value from Li Ji, +666!”

“Negative emotion value from Qian Jin, +666!”

“Negative emotion value from Ou Hu...”

“Negative emotion value from...”

The flood of negative emotion values rose again.