"Her surname is Yao, and her family is affiliated with Yaoguang Holy Land. Is this little girl the future Holy Maiden of Yaoguang-Yao Xi?" Luo Yue raised an eyebrow and studied the little girl a while longer.
Her gaze lingered particularly on the little girl's chest...
Hmm, the future Heavenly Emperor Ye hasn't stolen her undergarment yet.
Luo Yue mused with interest, though her face remained the picture of innocent ignorance.
The little girl, however, was unusually perceptive and noticed the glance Luo Yue had just directed at her chest.
"Hmph!"
The little girl proudly thrust out her small chest and gave Luo Yue a challenging look.
Luo Yue was rather speechless. What's there to show off about that completely undeveloped landing strip of yours?
It's not even worth a glance!
Wait until you've grown up, at least.
Rather than arguing with the little girl, Luo Yue returned her attention to the stones in the courtyard.
The brief commotion caused by the Yao sisters' arrival naturally caught the attention of Li Huan and his companions across the way.
A trace of wariness flashed through Li Huan's eyes when he saw Yao Li. Although the Yao Family was less powerful than the Luo Family, it had Yaoguang Holy Land behind it and was not to be provoked lightly.
"Brother Li, who is that lady in blue? She's quite beautiful."
Li Huan was wary of the Yao Family's influence and did not approach them, but the eyes of a young man in white beside him suddenly lit up at Yao Li's arrival. He asked the question with keen interest.
"Oh? Are you interested in her, Brother Kong?"
Seeing the young man's interest in Yao Li, Li Huan gave an amused smile and explained, "You may not know this, Brother Kong, but those two are a famous pair of beauties here in Qingyun Province. The younger sister is still a child, but the elder is a peerless beauty of delicate grace-Fairy Yao Li, known as the most beautiful woman in Qingyun Province."
"As for the Yao Family, it's a small family affiliated with Yaoguang Holy Land. It has some influence in southwestern Qingyun Province, but..." He deliberately drew out the word, then lowered his voice with a hint of contempt. "It's still a far cry from our Fire Cloud Palace."
"Of course, it's somewhat better off than the Luo Family, now that they're being tossed about by wind and rain."
"Fairy Yao Li has plenty of suitors in Qingyun Province. Winning her over might prove rather difficult, Brother Kong," Li Huan said with a smile.
At these words, the young man in white whom he called Brother Kong let his gaze roam even more freely over Yao Li's graceful figure, his eyes carrying the habitual brazenness of an aristocratic scion.
"No matter. A graceful, virtuous lady is a gentleman's fair pursuit. How would I know without trying?"
"Just watch how I win her over." A confident smile curled the young man's lips.
"Brother Li, who exactly is this Brother Kong?"
Their party included more than a few of Yao Li's suitors from Qingyun Province. Upon hearing the young man's words, a man in yellow immediately asked in displeasure.
He was clearly unhappy with this excessively confident young man in white, because he, too, was one of Yao Li's suitors in Qingyun Province!
The Yao Family's fairy was renowned as Qingyun Province's greatest beauty for her exceptional looks. She had no shortage of suitors there, and a crowd clustered around her wherever she went.
Li Huan gave a meaningful smile. First, he glanced toward Luo Qingluan's group in the distance. Then, making sure everyone around them, including Luo Qingluan and Yao Li, could hear clearly, he deliberately raised his voice.
"Everyone, allow me to make a proper introduction. This is an honored guest whom I specifically invited from the Holy City at the heart of the Northern Region: an outstanding disciple of the Kong Family, one of the great Source Arts families-Young Master Kong Yuan!"
The instant his words fell, the entire Earth-Ranked Stone Garden erupted.
"The Kong Family!"
"The Kong Family of the four great Source Arts families? The legendary family whose mastery of Source Arts is profound enough to rival the Source Heavenly Master Lineage?"
Of course, while some were amazed, others were unimpressed. The man in yellow from earlier, for instance, snorted and muttered:
"So what if he's from a Source Arts family? The waters of stone gambling run deep. Sooner or later, you'll overturn your boat and lose your money."
Whether displeased or astonished, everyone began talking at once. Almost every gaze, favorable or otherwise, converged on the young man in white.
Even Yao Li, Qingyun Province's greatest beauty, who stood surrounded by followers in the distance, turned her shining eyes toward the young man upon hearing this.
Seeing the beauty he fancied looking his way, the young man in white grew even more haughty, seemingly relishing the attention of the entire crowd.
"Heavens, Li Huan actually managed to invite a disciple of the Kong Family!"
"No wonder he's so confident today, daring to challenge the Luo Family's eldest young lady to a wager with tenfold stakes!"
"With a Kong Family disciple here in person... sigh, the Luo Family's eldest young lady is probably in trouble."
"He's a disciple of a Source Arts family. Their ability to examine stones and identify source isn't empty boasting. Miss Luo has kicked an iron plate this time!" The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion.
The Kong Family, one of the four great Source Arts families.
To cultivators of the Northern Region, especially stone gamblers, that name rang like thunder in their ears.
The Source Arts families were ancient clans that truly held the secrets of source stones. Legend had it that their Source Arts had been passed down from antiquity. Though not as unfathomable as those of a Source Heavenly Master, they were still unquestionably towering powers at the pinnacle of the field.
Luo Qingluan's expression changed in an instant.
She could disregard Li Huan, trade barbs with Yao Li, and even come to make trouble at a Gambling Stone Workshop backed by the Great Evolution Sacred Land. But gambling against a genuine heir of a Source Arts family did leave her uncertain.
"Little Yue, I'm counting on you now."
The arrow was already on the string and had to be loosed. Luo Qingluan could only pin all her hopes on Luo Yue.
Luo Yue nodded lightly. She was not frightened in the least. So what if he's a disciple of a Source Arts family?
Could he possibly outdo the Yellow River Chart and Lo Shu?
The Yellow River Chart and Lo Shu could even deduce parts of the [Dao Scripture]!
If the other party had the [Source Heaven Book] in hand, Luo Yue might be a little wary.
But right now, the Source Heaven Book is still lying at that "Divine King Taixu's" feet. Who would dare retrieve it besides Heavenly Emperor Ye, that newborn calf unafraid of tigers?
Even if someone obtained the Source Heaven Book, Luo Yue did not believe it could compete with her Yellow River Chart and Lo Shu.
By then, the wager had officially begun.
Seemingly at random, Luo Yue pointed to one of the three stones they had bought-a dull gray, irregularly shaped piece with a somewhat pitted surface-and told the stone cutter:
"Cut this one first."
The stone had been priced at nine hundred and eighty jin of source. Luo Yue had used her aura-reading
technique, together with the Yellow River Chart and Lo Shu, to sense a strand of intensely radiant yet restrained azure light within it.
According to the feedback from the [Yellow River Chart and Lo Shu], that azure color signified abundant vitality and considerable value.
The establishment's stone cutter was highly experienced. Taking up a specially made jade knife, he carefully began shaving away at the edges. Stone flakes fell in a rustling shower as every eye fixed on the unremarkable rock.
On the other side, with the young man in white's help, Li Huan had selected a crimson stone the size of a bucket, marked with unusual patterns. He was directing his own stone cutter to begin, clearly hoping to score an opening victory and crush Luo Qingluan's morale.
For a time, only the rasp of blades against stone rind could be heard in the Earth-Ranked Stone Garden. The atmosphere grew extraordinarily quiet and tense.
The stone Luo Yue had chosen had a very thick outer layer. After several cuts, there was still nothing but grayish white, with no sign of source. Low murmurs and derisive chuckles began rising around them.
"Sure enough, Luo Qingluan loses every bet."
"Over nine hundred jin of source, tossed straight into the water."
"I told you. What could she possibly know about Source Arts...?"
Luo Qingluan's face turned slightly green at their words, but seeing Luo Yue beside her remain calm, her eyes fixed intently on the stone, she forced down the urge to speak.
A smug smile curled Li Huan's lips. The very first cut into his crimson stone had revealed crimson rosy source containing fire-aspected Spiritual Power.
Although this sort of variant source was less precious than divine source, it was still extraordinarily valuable. A dozen or so jin was enough to equal two thousand jin of ordinary pure source.
"A stone bought for twelve hundred jin of source, yielding a profit of eight hundred! What luck, Young Master Li. Congratulations!"
"You truly have an eye for pearls, Brother Li."
"Not at all, not at all. All the credit goes to Brother Kong."
Seeing the stone yield such a handsome profit, the surrounding group immediately showered them with flattery.
Li Huan and the young man in white basked in it as though bathed in a spring breeze, unable to hide the smugness on their faces.
"Luo Qingluan, I'll be taking this first round!" Li Huan declared with a chuckle.
Luo Qingluan looked deeply displeased, but she refused to lose in spirit and retorted bluntly:
"What are you so smug about, Li Huan?"
"This is only the first round! Don't think you can sleep easy just because some shitty disciple of a Source Arts family is helping you. I haven't lost yet!"
Luo Qingluan had always been fiery and sharp-tongued. A single short remark offended both parties...
Both Li Huan and the young man in white darkened. They were about to retaliate when, just then, something changed in Luo Yue's chosen stone.
The stone cutter made another cut, peeling away a thin layer of stone rind.
In an instant, a warm, gentle azure glow burst forth, seeming to pulse with the rhythm of life itself.
"Huh? It actually yielded source!"
"It's variant source too! Such pure azure spiritual energy. That color... could it be greenwood source crystal?"
The glow intensified, accompanied by a refreshing fragrance of grass and trees that spread through the air.
The stone cutter perked up and worked even more carefully. Soon, he extracted an intact source crystal the size of a human head, emerald green throughout, as though carved from the finest jade. It rested quietly in his palm, azure radiance flowing over it, brimming with vitality.
"It's greenwood source crystal!"
"Heavens, it's even bigger than that piece of crimson rosy source!"
"A flawless piece this large, containing such pure wood spiritual essence, is worth at least three thousand jin of pure source!" There were knowledgeable people in the crowd, and they immediately cried out.
Exclamations rose one after another. Those who had been sneering moments earlier instantly widened their eyes.
Three thousand jin of source!
The nine hundred-odd jin Luo Qingluan had invested had instantly more than tripled!
The mocking laughter abruptly ceased, and the onlookers' gazes changed at once.
They looked at Luo Qingluan with astonishment and disbelief.
Heavens preserve them!
The stone Luo Qingluan had bought-had actually turned a profit!
Luo Qingluan, who lost every bet, Luo City's illustrious "Gambling Saint," had actually seen her fortunes turn today.
The sun had risen in the west!
"Alas, this vast Luo City has lost another Gambling Saint. What a pity, what a pity!"
The crowd included several owners of smaller Gambling Stone Workshops who had come to join the excitement. At this bizarre sight, they all gaped, beating their chests and stamping their feet, declaring that they simply could not accept the result.
For a moment, it was as though their faith had crumbled...
The smile on Li Huan's face froze as well. Looking at the crimson rosy source he had just cut out, his expression grew ugly.
"Ha ha ha! Wonderful! My wonderful Yue!"
Luo Qingluan instantly lit up with joy, so excited she nearly jumped. She threw an arm around Luo Yue's shoulders and could not resist planting a big kiss on her cheek. "You're your aunt's lucky star!"
Watching quietly from a distance, the Yao Family's fairy from Moon City also showed a flicker of surprise, and her gaze toward Luo Yue grew more searching.