Time trickled by amid the clamor and held breaths. A little over two hours later, Zhou Duoduo, Yun Shan, and Yun Shui sat in a circle on one side of the platform, with Storage Rings and Storage Bags piled into a small mountain before them.
Their fingers flew as they counted, their faces lit with delight. With every figure they called out, the excitement in their eyes grew stronger.
On the other side of the platform, Du Xiangmei, Zhang Lin, Wu Zhifeng, and their companions looked ashen and crestfallen, like plants wilted by frost. They felt as though all the blood in their bodies was sinking toward their feet.
The three spent nearly an hour tallying the astronomical wagers. After checking everything three times and confirming that not a single bit was missing, Yun Shan and Yun Shui exchanged a glance and reached a unanimous decision:
Zhou Duoduo would collect and safeguard everything for now. Once this grand literary contest ended, the three would divide the staggering fortune equally.
At that moment, every Heavenly Prodigy and representative of the various factions in the square watched the center of the platform in silence. No one dared rashly raise a commotion, much less approach and disturb them.
After all, almost everyone present had placed a bet. Their fortunes and lives hung on this, and no one wanted a moment of recklessness to ruin the unspoken understanding throughout the venue.
In everyone's eyes, Zhou Duoduo was no longer the mischievous little girl of the Zhou Family who knew only how to cause trouble. She was a living, breathing "walking god of wealth."
If anyone dared lay a hand on her or secretly trip her up now, even a mighty Great Emperor who struck terror throughout a region would probably find countless murderous