Bet

"Brother Yuan, just now at the gate, you were shouting that you needed money to place a bet, and that we'd lose big if we missed our chance. It sounded like you knew who was sure to win."

Xu Yi picked up the copper kettle and refilled Master Zhou's teacup, then asked with a smile.

Yuan Qinghua replied, "Boss, there's something you don't know. Gao Pan, who's fighting this time, is no ordinary man. He's a powerhouse who's fought in the Purple Flag Arena eight times. You have to understand, it's a death arena. The fact that Gao Pan survived eight bouts proves he's terrifyingly strong. By contrast, his opponent, that obscure Divine Constable Yi, may be praised to the skies, but who's ever seen him fight...?"

"Why are people boasting about Divine Constable Yi?"

Xu Yi interrupted him. He'd guessed that Divine Constable Yi was himself, but couldn't understand how he'd earned the title of divine constable for no reason while lying low in Guang'an.

"Boss, you've asked the right person. Ask anyone else and they'll be just as confused. Only an old hand like me, who's spent countless years mixing with every sort of person in Guang'an, knows what's really going on."

"Stop wasting time!" Xu Yi snapped.

Yuan Qinghua gave an awkward smile. "Boss, you don't know the whole story. It's all a smokescreen, a maze of illusions put up by the betting houses. With Gao Pan fighting this time, the outcome is practically decided. Betting houses fear nothing more than a match with a foregone conclusion, because they're all but certain to lose. But they can't refuse to take bets, or they'll ruin their reputations. So when things get to this point, they only have two tricks left."

"One is to slash Gao Pan's odds as low as possible. In this case, even the betting house offering the best odds pays only one to ten if Gao Pan wins. The other is to keep building up the weaker fighter, spreading false rumors everywhere about how powerful he is and how deep he keeps his cards hidden, all to muddle the waters. Of course, these tricks aren't useless. They won't fool the veterans, but they can stir up a storm of rumors across the city and throw people who don't know the truth into confusion. After all, there are plenty of sheltered young ladies and noblewomen who enjoy this sort of thing, though they're short on insight and betting skill. Some get lured in by the rumors and try their luck at a huge payout."

As he listened, a smile spread across Xu Yi's face. "What are Divine Constable Yi's odds?"

"Two to one!"

"What? How can that be? Gao Pan's odds are ten to one, which proves everyone expects him to win. If that's the case, shouldn't Divine Constable Yi's odds be one to dozens? Why are they only two to one? And aren't the betting houses being too crooked by setting the odds like this? How can both sides have low odds?"

Xu Yi was thoroughly annoyed. He'd planned to make a fortune betting, never expecting to run into such crooked merchants and see his dream come to nothing.

Yuan Qinghua said, "When a match is practically guaranteed to make the bettors money, the betting houses only take bets because they're gritting their teeth and forcing themselves to. What right do bettors have to complain that the houses are crooked? As for why the odds on Divine Constable Yi aren't one to dozens, luring the desperate poor into taking a gamble, it's simply to make the rumors they've spread themselves seem more convincing."

"Think about it. If the odds on Divine Constable Yi were one to dozens, that would show on the betting board that the market had no faith in him, and the rumors they'd spread wouldn't last long or draw in any big fish. On the other hand, if the odds were dozens to one, the boasts would seem too outrageous and the rumors would be exposed. After all, Divine Constable Yi is a fabrication, while Gao Pan is the real deal, a ferocious powerhouse. For the rumors the betting houses made up to look convincing and spread as truth, they can't be too far-fetched. That's why two to one is the most reasonable odds."

Yuan Qinghua had spent all these years in the eastern part of the city. He was adaptable and hardworking, yet had never managed to save any money. The reason was his betting. Every month, after covering his living expenses, he poured everything he had left into matches.

He lost far more often than he won, but he'd still gained experience. The betting houses' bag of tricks was as clear to him as daylight.

After hearing Yuan Qinghua's analysis, Xu Yi cursed the crooked merchants under his breath, then could only lament his bad luck.

Xu Yi fell silent, deep in thought, while Yuan Qinghua grew impatient and shouted, "Boss, we can't waste time. If we're betting, we have to do it soon. If things keep going this way, Gao Pan's odds will drop again. Give it a little longer and they might be forty to one, or even fifty to one. Besides, I've already bet myself, so what are you hesitating for? Look, here's my betting ticket. I put in the ten gold you paid me today, along with another twenty gold from my own savings!" As he spoke, he pulled out a red, palm-sized ticket.

"All right, stop spraying me with spit. I'll place a bet!"

Xu Yi had hired Yuan Qinghua precisely to do this sort of work. He pulled a wad of gold notes from his money pouch and slapped them onto the stone table. "One thousand gold in all. Bet the whole lot."

The nine hundred gold he'd extorted from Jiang Shaohuan, together with the three hundred and fifty gold he already had, brought Xu Yi's total assets to one thousand two hundred and fifty gold. Putting down a thousand meant he was staking nearly everything.

Yuan Qinghua had known his boss was generous, but hadn't expected him to be this generous. A thousand gold on a single bet—there weren't many young masters from the Aristocratic Clans in the city who'd dare to wager like that.

"Got it, Boss. Don't worry, I'll be right back. I'll try to get it in while the odds are still thirty to one."

Afraid the odds would change, Yuan Qinghua grabbed the gold notes, clenched them in his fist, and turned to run.

"Hold on. I haven't said who to bet on. Put it all on Divine Constable Yi. Find whichever house is offering the highest odds and bet there."

Xu Yi caught Yuan Qinghua by the wrist and gave his instructions in a low voice.

"What?!"

Yuan Qinghua was so shocked his hair nearly stood on end. "Boss, are you sure you haven't made a mistake? You might as well throw that money into the water! If you think it's burning a hole in your pocket, you could give it to me!"

"Stop wasting time. Do you know who Divine Constable Yi is?"

"Could it be that you know him?"

"Of course. It's your boss!"

Yuan Qinghua's eyes went wide as if he'd seen a ghost. Then he suddenly remembered his boss's name, and the sign hanging outside that read "Furong Town Constabulary Office, Guang'an Branch." Everything suddenly became clear.

"Th-this, how...?"

Yuan Qinghua stumbled over his words.

He truly didn't know what to say. He wanted to urge his boss to flee immediately, but knew that from the moment the betting houses posted the odds, this place had been under close surveillance. He wanted to comfort his boss by saying Gao Pan wasn't unbeatable, but couldn't bring himself to offer such hollow reassurance. Most frustrating of all, he'd just found an employer, and had even given up his place in the eastern part of the city before coming here with all his belongings. He hadn't even officially started work, and already his boss was about to die. Wasn't Heaven playing some cruel joke on him?

Xu Yi was quick-witted and understood what was on his mind. He smiled and said, "Don't just stand there. I know my own limits. Hurry up and place the bet. Don't worry—even if I die in the arena, someone will pay your wages for the year."

Yuan Qinghua's expression shifted, and he said urgently, "Boss! Do you really think I'm acting this way over a mere wage? Enough, enough. A man must honor the trust placed in him. Wait here, Boss!" With that, he plunged into the darkness.