Master, You Really Can't Bet Any More

"Come on, come on! Betting is now open for the New Blood Martial Arts Competition!"

"Zhuge Long, the newly accepted eldest disciple of Elder Chen Hai, reached the Qi Cultivation Third Layer after only a month of cultivation. Now, a year later, he's already at the Half-step Foundation Establishment Realm!"

"Zuo Fenghua, the personal disciple of Nishang Peak's Peak Master, has mastered the Nishang Sword Art to perfection. At the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, he's an absolute favorite to win!"

"Xiao Yan, the personal disciple of Yunhai Hall's Hall Master, obtained an ancient inheritance called the 'Exotic Fire' sword art while out on a trial. Each time he absorbs an Exotic Fire, his strength rises by a whole level. After half a year of cultivation, he reached Qi Cultivation Level 7, but he can definitely kill enemies above his level!"

"Nan Wen, the son of Yunlong Peak's Peak Master, has mastered the Thunder Fire Sword Art."

Dragon Spring Town lay at the heart of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

With the New Blood Martial Arts Competition drawing near, betting houses across town began calling out to attract the sect's disciples and draw them in to place their bets.

When you placed a bet, these betting houses would also sell you information about the contestants, giving you more confidence in your wager and even making you feel like you were the one calling the shots.

Little did you know, though, that everyone else knew the same things you did.

You thought you were calling the shots, but in truth, you were just another leek waiting to be harvested.

That day, Xiao Mo walked into the biggest gambling house in the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.

The gambling house had set aside a special area for this year's New Blood Martial Arts Competition.

The names of some of the contestants were written on placards and hung on the wall, with the odds listed below. They were updated once every hour, so the sect's disciples could place bets whenever they wished.

Xiao Mo searched and searched, but couldn't find the name he wanted.

"Fellow cultivator, may I ask why the name I'm looking for isn't here?" Xiao Mo asked a staff member nearby.

"Ah, fellow cultivator, you must be a new disciple, right? If the name you're looking for isn't on the wall, that means the person you have in mind isn't a favorite to win," said the steward, Xu Xin. "Which name are you looking for? I can check for you."

"Jiang Qingyi of Linggan Peak," Xiao Mo said slowly.

"Jiang Qingyi of Linggan Peak? Let me have a look." Xu Xin took out a box and probed its contents with his Spiritual Sense.

"Found it."

Xu Xin took a placard out of the box.

"Jiang Qingyi of Linggan Peak. Qi Cultivation Level 7. She struggled to get started at first, but she must've come across some kind of opportunity later on. She reached Qi Cultivation Level 7 in the past year, so she's pretty capable. She might make the Top 16, but she's still a long way from winning the championship."

"What are the odds?" Xiao Mo asked coolly.

"For making the Top 50, the odds are one to two; for the Top 32, one to three; and for the Top 16, one to ten. For the Top 8—"

"Just tell me the odds for winning the championship," Xiao Mo interrupted.

"Haha, fellow cultivator, no one has bet on Jiang Qingyi to win.

"Let me explain how our betting house works.

"We have several different pools.

"One of them is the championship pool, where you bet only on the winner.

"And you can only place your bet before the New Blood Martial Arts Competition begins.

"If you bet on Jiang Qingyi to win, and you're the only one who does, the gambling house will take a one-percent fee, and you'll get all the Spirit Stones in the pool.

"But you should know, fellow cultivator, this pool is huge. If you want to bet on such an unlikely contestant, you'll need to wager at least fifty High-grade Spirit Stones.

"That's a lot of money.

"I understand that you want to support your friend, but friendship is one thing and money is another. No one wants to throw money away.

"Wouldn't you agree, fellow cultivator?"

Xiao Mo gave the steward a cool glance. He didn't waste his breath arguing, and simply tossed over a bag of High-grade Spirit Stones. "Fifty High-grade Spirit Stones. Put it all on Jiang Qingyi to win."

By the time Xiao Mo returned to Linggan Peak, it was already noon, and the aroma of food wafted out of the courtyard.

Xiao Mo entered the courtyard just as Jiang Qingyi came out of the kitchen carrying dishes.

Ever since Jiang Qingyi had come to Linggan Peak, she had cleaned Xiao Mo's courtyard and room, and prepared all three meals each day.

At first, Jiang Qingyi's cooking really hadn't been very good.

But she learned quickly, and little by little, her cooking improved.

Nearly a year had passed, and Jiang Qingyi's cooking was now as good as the chefs at some of the restaurants in Dragon Spring Town.

"Master, you're back! The food's ready, so come sit down and eat." Jiang Qingyi's eyes lit up when she saw him.

"Good." Xiao Mo nodded and sat down on a stone stool.

The ingredients in the dishes on the table were naturally nothing like the ordinary food of the mortal world. They were made from Spirit beast flesh and vegetables rich in Spiritual Energy, both of which offered plenty of benefits for cultivation.

Jiang Qingyi brought out one final plate of water spinach and filled a bowl with rice for Xiao Mo.

Master and disciple sat facing each other, eating their meal.

Before long, a crow arrived at the summit of Linggan Peak, calling as it flew, "Elder Xiao, you've got a letter!"

With that, the crow dropped a letter from the sky.

Xiao Mo caught it, opened it for a look, then put it away.

"Master, what does the letter say?" Jiang Qingyi asked.

"Nothing much. It's just proof of my bet."

"A bet? Proof?" Jiang Qingyi blinked, then suddenly understood. "You mean a bet on the New Blood Martial Arts Competition, right? It seems like lots of people are betting lately. Who do you think will win, Master?"

Xiao Mo smiled and looked at his disciple. "Who do you think?"

"Huh?" Jiang Qingyi froze.

"No, no, no. Master, how can you bet on me? I can't do it." Jiang Qingyi hurriedly waved her hands.

She certainly intended to do her best in the New Blood Martial Arts Competition for her master's sake.

But she genuinely had no confidence in winning the championship.

"You're my disciple. If I don't bet on you, who should I bet on?" Xiao Mo said with a smile.

"Then how much did you bet, Master?" Jiang Qingyi asked nervously.

"Not much." Xiao Mo lifted his rice bowl and took a bite.

"Good."

"Just fifty High-grade Spirit Stones."

"What?" Jiang Qingyi jumped up in fright. "Master, your monthly allowance is only twenty High-grade Spirit Stones!"

"That's true." Xiao Mo smiled at Jiang Qingyi. "But how could I not support my own disciple?"

"But, Master, that's way too much." Jiang Qingyi was already starting to take on the air of a household manager.

"It's fine, it's fine." Xiao Mo gently patted her head. "My allowance for this month will arrive in ten days, so we won't starve. But once the competition starts, I'll have to go bet half a month's allowance in the other pools to support my disciple."

"Master." Jiang Qingyi's helpless voice drifted through the mountains. "You really can't bet any more."