C33 The Bet Between the Old Man and the Young Girl

At a table by the window, three people were seated: a burly man with a scarred face and a young couple whose eyes sparkled with intelligence.

Despite his rugged appearance, the burly man exuded an air of maturity and steadiness. Upon noticing Liu Xingchang and his four companions enter, he narrowed his eyes and remarked, "This group must be Cloud Ascending City's delegates for the Hidden Dragon Sect competition."

The woman, clad in a leopard-skin cloak, arched her slender eyebrows and inquired, "How can you tell they're from Cloud Ascending City?"

The burly man replied, "Take a look at the chubby one in their group. He's the young master of the Gong Family Merchant Association, which is based in Cloud Ascending City."

The young man, pride etched on his face, declared, "Cloud Ascending City itself poses no threat to us."

"Be that as it may," the burly man cautioned, "the Gong Family Merchant Association's influence stretches across many nations, and their power is not to be underestimated. We must be cautious when competing for resources and avoid unnecessary conflict with them. As mercenaries, we're paid to serve, and it's in our best interest to avoid trouble while earning our keep."

With a cold laugh, the young man retorted, "We may spare the chubby one, but if the other four hinder our profits, my arrows will show no mercy."

...

At the balcony on the second floor stood an elderly man and a young woman.

The elder, garbed in a robe adorned with crane motifs, radiated the wisdom of a sage, while the young woman, dressed in flowing white, seemed ethereal.

The old man chuckled, "White Rock Town is quite bustling today."

The woman in white responded coolly, "A fully-grown Blazing Giant Rock Lizard rivals a Cultivator of the Heavenly Path Realm. Every part of it is valuable, particularly the Demon Core within its brain. It's no surprise that these fringe powers are clamoring for it. And as it happens, this particular Blazing Giant Rock Lizard is currently... gravely wounded..."

The old man's laughter rang out again, "Even in the heart of the Azure Sky Realm, a Blazing Giant Rock Lizard is a coveted prize for emerging forces, much less for these peripheral groups. Yet, these five individuals heading to the competition seem intent on wading into these treacherous waters. It's an unwise move, practically indistinguishable from a death wish."

The woman in white smiled radiantly, her beauty ethereal, and said, "Right now, this little town has gathered five or six teams heading to the Hidden Dragon Sect's competition. We could try to guess which team will manage to survive and perform the best."

The old man chuckled, "Alright, if I win, you'll have to intercede with your master on my behalf, so I can return to the Inscription Pavilion."

The woman in white laughed, "Martial Uncle, all you need to do is swallow your pride, and you could return to the Inscription Pavilion. Why do you need someone else to plead for you? Do you only feel honored if my master personally invites you back?"

Shaking his head with a smile, the old man replied, "Qing Xi, my dear, you don't understand. Your master and I have had a love-hate relationship for so many years. Even though she's a bit older than me, I've always been the one to yield... This time, I want her to consider my feelings a bit more."

The woman in white burst into laughter, "I never thought someone of your stature could still be so sentimental... But I support you, Martial Uncle!"

The old man smiled and asked, "Which team do you pick?"

Without hesitation, the woman in white pointed to a table in the corner of the ground floor and declared, "I choose them."

The old man gestured towards Liu Xingchang and his companions, "I pick them."

At his words, the woman in white was taken aback, "Martial Uncle, that team seems to lack vitality; they're like a disorganized mess. The team I chose, on the other hand, clearly has seasoned veterans. Are you... intentionally letting me win?"

The old man simply smiled, offering no response.

The woman in white found herself at a loss for words, her nose tingling with emotion. The obstinate old man before her had fallen for her equally headstrong master, and thus, had never taken on a disciple, choosing instead to raise her as if she were their own child.

He was purposefully conceding to her, seeking a graceful way to yield to her master, and to pass on the inscription technique he had mastered at great personal risk.

In the woman in white's eyes, such a man was truly worthy of a lifetime's trust, a venerable elder deserving of admiration. But she wondered, were Liu Xingchang and his group truly not a match for the team in the corner?

In the corner of the tavern, a modestly sized square table played host to a group of five young men and women. They were clearly a team en route to compete at the Hidden Dragon Sect.

The leader, clad in a purple robe, wore a smile that felt like a warm spring breeze, exuding a regal presence. He looked around with a sunny disposition and remarked, "It looks like we've encountered fellow competitors."

A girl with a hairband across her forehead responded with a chill in her voice, "We've already eliminated two other groups on our way here. The competitors for this year's Hidden Dragon Sect are laughably weak... Even though this quaint White Rock Tavern has attracted a few teams, they're hardly worth our attention—nothing but weaklings."

A slender and strikingly handsome young man with a lazy smile chimed in, "Beauty Yang Changqing, you were slower than me when we took out those two five-person teams last time. How about another challenge? I'll handle the team upstairs, and you take on this new arrival."

Yang Changqing let out a cold laugh, "Zhu Zi Yu, are you underestimating me by giving me this group? Look at them: one with a face like a coffin, a clueless fatso, and a woman with an inflated sense of worth. These five are barely audition fodder. Is this your roundabout way of insulting me?"

Zhu Zi Yu, tall and lean, smiled slightly and replied, "Since we were eleven, we've been entering the auditions annually, amassing a wealth of experience to achieve the feat of five of us passing simultaneously, drawing the attention of the great powers to our nation of Bai Shang. This is the final year and the last phase of our plan. With our years of audition experience, you should know that the auditions are unpredictable and unstable. Someone weaker could defeat you, so it's in our best interest to eliminate as many competitors as possible along the way. The auditions are split into four regions—east, south, west, and north—and our southern region has the fewest participants. Taking out a few competitors now could greatly benefit us all in passing the auditions together."

A strapping young man burst into laughter and said, "Besides, killing for loot is all too common in the Cultivation World. Even if they lack strength, surely there must be some treasures in their storage bags, right?"

A young woman clad in a thigh-revealing gauze dress gave a coquettish smile, rose to her feet, and said, "Beauty Yang, if you think handling these five is beneath you, why not hand over these five sitting ducks to me?"

"In your dreams!" Yang Changqing shot the seductive girl a stern look, snatched up the treasured sword from the table, and strode directly toward Liu Xingchang and his companions.

The brawny youth crossed his arms, grinning with anticipation. "Now this is going to be entertaining."

Zhu Zi Yu arched his elegant eyebrows, chuckling, "Let's see how our Beauty Yang fares in this battle. Perhaps I've let a juicy opportunity slip by. Who knows what enviable treasures these fellows have in their storage bags? After Beauty Yang takes care of them, I might just end up thanking her!"

...

At that moment, Liu Xingchang and his group had entered the tavern, ordered their food and drink, and were about to take their seats at the only vacant table.

Suddenly, a young woman with her hair tied back marched over and slammed her treasured sword onto the table, narrowing her eyes at Liu Xingchang and his group. "I've claimed this table. You'd best find somewhere else to dine!"

Yan Tianni, as the daughter of the City Lord’s Manor and the team's leader, was naturally the first to confront the issue.

Yan Tianni responded icily, "Unless I'm mistaken, you came over from your own seat. If you already have a place, why are you trying to take ours?"

Yang Changqing placed a foot on the stool, her voice icy, "Because I feel like it! If you really want this table, fine, but you'll have to crawl under my legs to get it!"

Her words instantly set the tavern abuzz.

In this tavern, filled with a motley crew of patrons, there was never a shortage of those eager for a spectacle, reveling in the chaos.

The white-haired elder and the woman in white robes at the balcony railing were also taken aback, not expecting the two teams they had wagered on to clash so soon.