Gambling Duel

Liang Bo asked, "Uncle, what grade are treasures above the Heaven tier?"

"How would I know? Even the nine River-Mountain Cauldrons are things said to exist only in legends. No one even knows whether they are real." Liang Wen shook his head.

"Then, Uncle, have you ever heard of a 'Spirit-Nurturing Treasure'?"

"A Spirit-Nurturing Treasure? What is that?" Liang Wen asked curiously.

Liang Bo was somewhat disappointed. It seemed Liang Wen had never heard of Spirit-Nurturing Treasures either. It would take some trouble to uncover the origins of the fragment.

After buying the bronze fragment, Liang Bo purchased nothing else at the trading fair. Meanwhile, the pill formula Liang Wen had prepared ultimately sold for eight thousand taels of silver.

Half an hour later, the entire trading fair came to an end, and the visitors from every faction prepared to depart.

Liang Bo and Liang Wen emerged from their private room and happened to run into people from the other factions.

Liang Wen went up smilingly to greet them. These people were all the foremost figures in Nanyang Prefecture, so naturally they had to exchange a few pleasantries upon meeting.

Liang Bo stood to one side, hesitating over whether to keep waiting or leave first.

Just then, Zhao Zhao walked over, hooked her arm through his, and leaned close to whisper, "Liang Bo, do me a favor!"

Liang Bo froze. This was already the second time Zhao Zhao had asked him for help, yet he still had no idea how exactly he was supposed to help her.

Moreover, Zhao Zhao was holding his arm and standing very close to him. Her delicate, fair face and tiny cherry-red lips appeared especially clear at such close range. Yet no matter how he looked at it, their posture seemed somewhat intimate.

Before Liang Bo could react, a young man walked over and looked at him with disdain. "You're Liang Bo, the one the True Martial Sect admitted early? You don't look like much! Zhao Zhao, is he the one you fancy?"

Liang Bo glanced at the man and realized that he was the very person who had competed with him for the bronze fragment earlier. Thinking of Zhao Zhao's unusual behavior just now, how could he fail to understand what was going on?

Liang Bo gave a bitter smile. One of those absurd scenes from the romance dramas of his previous life had actually happened to him. It left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He had wanted to refuse Zhao Zhao's request, but she kept signaling him with her eyes. On top of that, the newcomer's arrogant attitude rubbed him the wrong way. He immediately sneered, "And who the hell are you?"

"You...!" The young man in a golden crown and brocade robe immediately flew into a rage.

A smile bloomed across Zhao Zhao's face. "Liang Bo, let me introduce you. This is Sima Kai from the Ruyang Prince's Residence. He also took part in this Martial Academy Grand Competition and successfully challenged a fifth-grade demon beast. He is one of the finest martial artists of this competition. Of course, compared to you, Liang Bo, he still falls far short."

Liang Bo could not help rolling his eyes. This girl clearly wanted him to ward off disaster for her. Such blatant provocation was so obvious that even a fool should have seen through it.

But he had still overestimated certain people's intelligence.

After hearing that, Sima Kai immediately said in a fury, "Liang Bo, how could I be inferior to you? If you have the guts, let's have a match right now! Do you dare?"

The moment those words left his mouth, they drew the attention of many people nearby. Even the older powerhouses from the great families noticed the dispute.

Liang Bo looked at him as though looking at an idiot, then shook his head. "Not interested."

"What, you don't dare? If you don't dare, just say so. Don't make excuses. Of course, if you insist on avoiding me, that's fine too. But the arena battles will begin in a few days. Let's see where you can hide then!" Sima Kai shouted excitedly.

Seeing Sima Kai press him step by step, Liang Bo also grew angry. He sneered, "Blades and swords have no eyes. Are you sure you want to fight me?"

Before Sima Kai could answer, an elderly man who looked like a steward hurried over and lightly tugged at him.

Sima Kai immediately calmed down. He took a breath and said, "Yes. But let's not compare weapons. How about we compare our barehanded skills?"

"Oh..." The moment he said that, the surrounding crowd let out a knowing laugh.

The saber technique Liang Bo had displayed last time had reached the realm of man and saber as one. He had even easily slain a fourth-grade demon beast, while Sima Kai had merely defeated a fifth-grade demon beast. The gap in their strength was obvious at a glance.

When Sima Kai had come over to provoke Liang Bo, everyone had been curious. Did this fellow truly have the confidence to defeat Liang Bo? Yet at the critical moment, he wanted to compare barehanded skills with Liang Bo. Wasn't that like calling someone incapable while demanding that they bind their own hands and feet before fighting him?

Sima Kai's face flushed crimson. He clearly knew his proposal had been excessive, but the words had already left his mouth, so he could only pretend not to hear the laughter around him.

Liang Bo smiled at him. "Barehanded skills? Fine!"

"Liang Bo." Zhao Zhao was shocked.

"Oh." Sima Kai revealed a surprised and delighted expression. "Liang Bo, you agree to compete with me in barehanded skills?"

"Of course. But I have no interest in an ordinary match. We need to add some stakes."

"Stakes? Fine! How about one hundred thousand taels of silver?" Sima Kai grew even more excited.

Liang Bo shook his head. "One hundred thousand taels is far too little. If we're going to gamble, let's gamble big. One million taels of silver! If you dare, then play. If you don't, forget it!"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone present was stunned.

One hundred thousand taels of silver could usually buy a Human-tier weapon. For some small aristocratic families, that was already equivalent to several years of income. But for great families like the Liang Clan and the Ruyang Prince's Residence, it was not much.

One million taels of silver, however, was another matter. Even for forces such as the Liang Clan of Wan City or the Ruyang Prince's Residence, one million taels was an enormous sum. Even Liang Wen, as clan head, would have to grit his teeth to produce it.

"Young Master!" The elderly man who looked like a steward immediately pulled Sima Kai aside. No one knew what he whispered to him.

"Liang Bo!" Zhao Zhao looked at Liang Bo in astonishment and whispered, "Don't be rash. Sima Kai's saber and sword skills may not match yours, but in barehanded combat, he may not be inferior to you."

Liang Bo smiled. "It's fine."

He looked at Sima Kai and called out, "If you don't dare to gamble, forget it. Zhao Zhao, let's go."

Zhao Zhao also came to her senses. She had thought Liang Bo had deliberately named such enormous stakes to scare Sima Kai away. Smiling, she linked arms with Liang Bo and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Sima Kai shouted.

"What? You dare to gamble?" Liang Bo asked with his head tilted.

"Fine, one million taels it is. I'll gamble with you, during the arena battles!" Sima Kai said through gritted teeth.

"Good, straightforward! Let's draw up an agreement right now!"

"We need an agreement too?"

"Of course. Otherwise, what if you lose and refuse to pay?"

"You...! Fine, an agreement it is. I refuse to believe your barehanded skills can defeat mine!"