"Everything went according to Pavilion Master Xia's plan. In previous years, the open-market Treasure Pavilion Alliance on the Tianfang side had always been the one to open the betting pool, and this year was no different. They had prepared a huge amount of liquid Heavenly Crystals long ago. After the merger and acquisition, they felt they had so many Heavenly Crystals that they could sway the balance of Tian City. Once we entered the market this time, a bloody battle between us and them was inevitable. I heard they were secretly saying they would settle things with us in the Mountain Masters' Grand Competition." The female shopkeeper spoke with an excited look on her face.
I nodded and said, "That's inevitable. This time, they can only lose, not win. Otherwise, they'll rise from the ashes. So my plan must be carried out exactly as intended. Diluting their funds with a massive flow of capital and drawing their betting pool in the direction we want is essential."
"Yes, everything is being arranged according to the Pavilion Master's plan!" the female shopkeeper hurriedly replied.
To prevent any accidents, I had made plenty of arrangements during the preparations. The Mountain Masters' Grand Competition concerned the rankings of the seventy-two peaks, but that was only what appeared on the surface. In truth, not many people cared. The rankings had barely changed in previous years, after all. Of course, upsets were hard to avoid, because Tian City likewise had market manipulators controlling the gambling pools.
The early morning of the Mountain Masters' Grand Competition arrived soon enough. I looked at the stack of contracts on the table, and a cold smile crept across my face. They were all IOUs for borrowed Heavenly Crystals, originating from the various Treasure Pavilions, the various marketplaces, and even the