Even those who had come purely to watch the commotion were beside themselves with excitement. This was far more thrilling than watching stone gambling.
The Luo Family really had come to wreck the place!
A single remark from their little princess now packed almost as much power as a strike from a Saint Lord!
It could nail both the Great Evolution Sacred Land and the notorious old monster Ghost Eye to the pillar of shame for counterfeiting.
"Solid proof that the Great Evolution Stone Workshop makes Counterfeit Filled Stone!"
"That little ancestor of the Luo Family... she really dares to say anything! Straight to the heart of it!"
"Heh, old monster Ghost Eye's face has turned green! Exposed to his face by a child-where's he supposed to hide that old face now?"
"The Great Evolution Sacred Land has really fallen flat this time! Its reputation is completely rotten!"
Meanwhile, the uncles and aunts beside Luo Yue who knew her well were biting their lips hard, their shoulders shaking as they struggled not to laugh. Yet their eyes grew sharper as they watched the Great Evolution Stone Workshop's people warily, guarding against them lashing out like a cornered dog.
Luo Qingluan, in particular, looked at Yanlong's and old monster Ghost Eye's twisted old faces, then at her little niece's expression of "innocent curiosity," and felt a rush of satisfaction shoot straight to the crown of her head.
She absolutely adored her little niece's ability to kill without drawing blood, all while looking utterly innocent!
On Luo Qingying's eternally stern face, the corner of his mouth lifted in an exceedingly rare, exceedingly slight smile. It vanished so quickly that anyone watching might have thought they had imagined it.
Jiang Wei froze for a moment, then shook his head with a chuckle. Looking at the innocent-faced, silver-haired little girl, he revised his understanding of her yet again.
What seven-year-old girl? This was clearly a little devil wearing an angel's skin!
His gaze toward Yanlong and old monster Ghost Eye took on a hint of amusement and pity.
"You ignorant brat! Vile slander!"
Old monster Ghost Eye's withered face instantly flushed the color of pig liver.
Green light blazed in his cloudy lone eye, and a terrifying, icy baleful aura erupted out of control. The surrounding temperature plummeted. Those nearby felt as though they had fallen into an ice cavern, their very souls trembling.
He shook with fury, pointing a bony finger at Luo Yue, wishing he could immediately tear apart the little girl who had exposed his dirty secrets.
All his life, the old monster had hated nothing more than having his counterfeiting exposed. Being called out publicly by a child was worse than death. His sinister air of an aloof master had vanished entirely, leaving only the blind rage of someone struck right where it hurt.
"Oh dear~"
Faced with old monster Ghost Eye's furious roar and Yanlong's icy threat, Luo Yue seemed frightened, her tiny body shrinking back slightly.
A mist of innocent, bewildered tears instantly filled her large ice-blue eyes. Her little mouth puckered, and her voice trembled with hurt:
"Wah... did... did I say something wrong?"
"But the 'aura' inside those stones is exactly the same as the 'aura' you deliberately put on yourself! It's all gray and dirty, something used to trick people. Grandpa, you're so amazing, making fake stones that look so real. I only wanted to learn..."
Seemingly frightened, Luo Yue hid beside Luo Qingluan's legs, peeking out with only half her little head.
As she spoke, she gestured with her little hands, as though she truly were studying those murky gray auras.
This "pitiful" explanation, paired with her exquisitely otherworldly little face on the verge of tears, was even more devastating than her earlier blunt accusation.
"You rotten old beggar! You've frightened our Yue'er! Directing killing intent at a child-have all those years of your life gone to the dogs?"
Holding Luo Yue, Luo Qingluan inwardly applauded her little niece's acting while planting a hand on her hip and pointing straight at old monster Ghost Eye's nose as she cursed him.
No one should underestimate the Luo Family's eldest young lady when it came to a fiery tongue!
"Exactly! Bullying a child is going too far. Little Yue is still just a child!" The Luo Family's sixth uncle behind them began shouting too.
"Heh, even threatening a child! The Great Evolution Sacred Land and old monster Ghost Eye really have no humanity!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
The surrounding crowd joined in the uproar.
Hearing their comments and seeing their contemptuous looks, old monster Ghost Eye's vision went black with anger. He nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Yanlong, the man in charge of the Gambling Stone Workshop, felt an even greater tightness in his chest. He was beginning to regret bringing old monster Ghost Eye here at all.
"Everyone, children speak without restraint. Their words shouldn't be taken seriously."
Yanlong drew a deep breath, tugged at the corners of his mouth, and forced a smile.
Facing a seven-year-old girl who had been "frightened to tears," he had nowhere to vent his raging anger and killing intent. Holding it in nearly gave him internal injuries.
After speaking, he shot old monster Ghost Eye a vicious glare, warning him not to say anything else and make matters worse.
It was hardly surprising that he was so mortified.
There were too many spectators, and most had considerable backgrounds: renowned elders of the Desolate Ancient Ji Family, successors of the various sacred lands, veteran cultivators from major sects in the Northern Region, and many cultivators native to Qingyun Province, including the Yao Family's fairy and people from various sects and factions. All had bought stone here before.
The eerie green light in old monster Ghost Eye's lone eye flickered wildly. His stick-thin body shook violently with extreme fury. Never had he imagined that a little girl could enrage him like this. The icy baleful aura radiating from him had almost taken physical form.
He had dominated the Northern Region's Source Arts circles for years. When had he ever suffered such crushing humiliation?
A mere little girl had publicly exposed the counterfeiting secrets he had spent his life guarding, and even stirred the crowd into outrage!
He stared fixedly at Luo Yue, who hid beside Luo Qingluan's legs. She looked timid, but deep in her eyes lay an expanse of icy blue indifference. His withered face twisted hideously.
Yanlong's attempt to smooth things over with "children speak without restraint" only poured oil on the fire, as though mocking his incompetence. At that moment, he cast aside the Great Evolution Sacred Land's rules and Yanlong's misgivings alike.
He no longer cared about any of that. He wanted to win back a round through stone gambling!
Old monster Ghost Eye's voice was hoarse and shrill, like scraping sandpaper. Keeping his gaze locked on Luo Yue, he said:
"What a sharp-tongued little witch! You don't know how high heaven stands or how deep the earth runs!"
"Since you claim you can see through those Source Stones and declare them Counterfeit Filled Stone, do you dare wager against me? We'll use the stones in this garden and let everyone here judge!"
As he spoke, he pointed to the stone in the corner that radiated a foul, dark-red aura. Half a person tall and shaped like a twisted heart, it was the Heart-Burial Stone.
"We'll wager on this ominous stone! I'll buy it and bet that it contains a rare treasure. You may choose another stone. If I win, you must destroy your own eyes in public, kneel and admit your mistake, and acknowledge that everything you said was slander!"
His words shocked everyone present.
Cries of alarm rose from the spectators. They had never expected the old monster to be so vicious.
Destroying one's own eyes was an extraordinarily cruel stake for any cultivator, especially a Source Arts master who depended on keen eyesight.
Luo Qingluan's face darkened, and she was about to rebuke him angrily.
The cloud-robed Jiang Wei narrowed his eyes, while killing intent filled Luo Qingying's gaze.
Before they could act, however, Luo Yue poked her little head out from behind Luo Qingluan. Not a trace of hurt or tears remained in her ice-blue eyes, only clarity and a barely perceptible chill.
She spoke in a clear, bright voice, quiet but carrying distinctly throughout the gathering:
"Grandpa, that wager doesn't make any sense. It's true that you make fakes to cheat people, so why should I admit I was wrong?"
Luo Yue tilted her head innocently, as though pondering a difficult question.
In secret, however, her divine sense swept over the unsettling Heart-Burial Stone. The Yellow River Chart and Lo Shu revolved silently within her sea of consciousness. In her eyes, that foul, dark-red aura revealed far more complex and uncanny patterns, with faint black energy winding around an almost imperceptible speck of gray energy at its core.
A plan immediately formed in her mind, and a smile brighter than sunshine appeared on her face:
"But since you want to wager, Grandpa, I happen to think that green eye of yours looks rather interesting. Why don't we wager on that? And the Great Evolution Sacred Land has to pay me another hundred thousand jin of pure source. I want to find precious medicine to cure Great-Grandfather."
"Hiss-!"
The moment she said this, a collective gasp swept through the entire gathering.
Her stakes were even harsher than old monster Ghost Eye's!
Not only did she want to strip him of the Netherworld Eye that sustained his livelihood, she also demanded a hundred thousand jin of source. She was opening a lion's jaws, driving the blow straight into the old monster's heart and lungs.
Standing nearby, Yanlong turned livid, his heart pounding.
With a single remark, this little witch had not only backed old monster Ghost Eye into a corner, but also bound the Great Evolution Stone Workshop tightly to him in this insane wager. There was no room left to maneuver.
"Little witch of the Luo Family, you have quite a vicious mind." Old monster Ghost Eye sneered.
Luo Yue blinked her large eyes, looking utterly innocent. "What's wrong, Grandpa? Don't you dare wager anymore? Weren't you the one who said you wanted to wager on my eyes?"
Old monster Ghost Eye looked at Luo Yue's "innocent" smile, then at the countless gazes focused on him, some mocking and others simply enjoying the spectacle. A blaze of wicked fury shot straight to the crown of his head.
Luo Qingluan secretly gave her little niece a thumbs-up too.
The old fiend nearly agreed, but Yanlong reached out from beside him and stopped him.
"Brother Luo, is this really necessary?"
Yanlong looked at Luo Qingying with a dark gaze.
If he had initially thought the Luo Family had merely come to wreck the place, now they were clearly driving the Great Evolution Stone Workshop toward a dead end!
Win or lose today, this Great Evolution gambling workshop could no longer remain open in Qingyun Province.
"What do you mean, Brother Yan?"
Luo Qingying looked puzzled, as though he had no idea what the other man meant.
Seeing him feign ignorance when he understood perfectly, Yanlong's mouth twitched hard. He had been forced to the edge of a cliff. One step backward meant plunging into a bottomless abyss; he could only advance.
Yet he truly could not understand why the Luo Family had suddenly grown so bold. Was it simply because they had not paid the Luo Family protection money in Qingyun Province?
Or was Luo Tiangang truly unharmed? Had their alliance with the Jiang Family given them this courage?
Even so, it should not have come to this!
Yanlong could not make sense of it!
"You had better hope Old Master Luo really has recovered. Otherwise, even the Jiang Family won't be able to protect you!" Yanlong drew a deep breath, his tone turning sinister as he finally tore away his mask.
The faint smile on Luo Qingying's face did not diminish, but his eyes became sharp as a hawk's as he looked straight at Yanlong. "You exaggerate, Brother Yanlong. Our Luo Family has stood in Qingyun Province for a thousand years by acting openly and honorably."
"The old master's health is our Luo Family's concern. As for the Jiang Family..." He paused, glancing at Jiang Wei beside him, whose cloud-patterned robes fluttered around his composed, dignified figure, then continued with a smile:
"Brother Jiang Wei is the Saint Lord's eldest grandson. He has come to bear witness to the friendship between our families. Why speak of protection at all? Rather, has the Great Evolution Sacred Land acted openly and honorably here in our Qingyun Province?"
His words carried steel beneath their softness, and once again turned the spearhead toward the Great Evolution Stone Workshop's dishonest dealings.
Yanlong's face was livid. Left speechless for a moment, he knew there could be no peaceful resolution today. The Luo Family clearly intended to use this wager and the Counterfeit Filled Stone scandal to drive the Great Evolution Stone Workshop out of Qingyun Province entirely.
Listening to their exchange, the cultivators who had originally come to watch the excitement gradually brightened with understanding. One suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed in realization:
"Now I understand! The Luo Family never came just to wreck the place today. They're joining forces with the Jiang Family to push the Great Evolution Sacred Land out of the game!"
"They don't even want them at the table for that Divine Source Ancient Mine!"
"Heh, that's only natural. The Great Evolution Sacred Land has been far too active. It has long since displeased both the Luo Family and the Jiang Family!"
"Heh, there's a reason the Luo Family chose them as their first target. After all, ever since Old Master Luo fell ill, the Great Evolution Sacred Land has been the one jumping around most eagerly!"
"True. They opened a Gambling Stone Workshop right under the Luo Family's nose, stealing business and repeatedly setting traps for the Luo Family's younger generation, testing them every which way. It would be hard not to earn their hatred!"
"Still, given the Luo Family's current situation, driving Great Evolution out entirely probably won't be easy, even with the Jiang Family as an ally."
"Either way, there's a good show to watch."
The surrounding people discussed it, each adding a word.
Among them were many renowned elders from Desolate Ancient Families, successors of various sacred lands, veteran cultivators from major Northern Region sects, and people from local Qingyun Province powers such as the Yao Family.
Seeing how things had developed, they were naturally happy to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
Yanlong had naturally thought of this too. His icy gaze turned toward the source of the conflict: Luo Yue, the Luo Family's seemingly innocent little princess.
"What a Luo Family!"
Yanlong's voice was bitterly cold. He snorted. "Since you insist on pressing us so hard, let this wager settle the matter!"
"Senior Ghost Eye, please!"
He stopped paying attention to Luo Qingying and the others, transferring the pressure directly to old monster Ghost Eye.
The wager
had been proposed by old monster Ghost Eye, and he had selected the Heart-Burial Stone himself. Now the old bastard had to shoulder it!
But if he lost, Yanlong would skin the old fiend alive!
Seeing Yanlong's almost cannibalistic gaze, old monster Ghost Eye's heart pounded uneasily. Yet he was already riding a tiger and could not get off.
Having his counterfeiting publicly exposed by a little girl, who then turned the tables on him, was already an unbearable humiliation. He had no choice but to fight. Besides, if he backed down now, the Great Evolution Stone Workshop probably would not spare him either...
His cloudy old eye stared fixedly at Luo Yue, especially those eyes of hers, so clear they seemed able to reflect a person's heart. Doubt and alarm churned within him.
Had this little witch seen through the Counterfeit Filled Stone he had made himself because she possessed heaven-reaching Source Arts, or had a blind cat simply stumbled upon a dead mouse?
He had obtained the Heart-Burial Stone years ago from a deadly forbidden place. Its sinister, baleful energy was extremely heavy. Even his Netherworld Eye could not see through it completely. He could only vaguely sense an exceedingly obscure, ominous fluctuation within. Betting that it held a "rare treasure" was actually an enormous risk.
Old monster Ghost Eye suppressed his unease and forced himself to appear calm. His bony finger trembled as he pointed toward the Heart-Burial Stone in the corner, half a person tall, gray-black all over and covered in eerie dark-red patterns, radiating a chilling aura that made hearts quail.
"This stone-I wager that it contains an extraordinary treasure that will shock the world! If no such treasure emerges, I will hand over these ghost eyes of mine, along with Great Evolution's hundred thousand jin of pure source! If one does..." A vicious gleam flashed in his eye. "Then that little witch of the Luo Family must destroy her own eyes, kneel, and admit her mistake!"
Luo Yue remained the picture of childish innocence, as though she had not understood those vicious stakes. She merely tilted her head and studied the ominous stone curiously, saying in her clear little voice, "Grandpa, you're so fierce."
"But you have to keep your word. If you lose, your eye and the hundred thousand jin of pure source will all be mine..."
As soon as she finished, her third uncle Luo Qingying stepped forward again and said gravely, "Old monster Ghost Eye alone probably cannot produce a hundred thousand jin of source. Will the Great Evolution Stone Workshop witness and guarantee his wager?"
Yanlong wished he could tear them apart alive, but under everyone's eyes, he could only grit his teeth and nod. "...Great Evolution guarantees it!"
Hearing that, Luo Qingying nodded, then addressed Luo Yue:
"Little Yue'er, choose your stone too. Don't worry. Just pick the most expensive one. It doesn't matter if you lose. I'd like to see who dares gouge out your eyes!"
His words brimmed with domineering confidence.
But the Great Evolution Stone Workshop's people were so frustrated by them that they nearly spat blood. Indeed, even if they won, could they really gouge out a little girl's eyes?
If word spread, the Great Evolution Sacred Land's reputation would shatter all over the ground. Its disciples would be pointed at and whispered about whenever they went outside.
Thus, the wager had been unequal from the very beginning. If old monster Ghost Eye lost, his eye really would be gouged out! Yet if Luo Yue won, at most, the matter would end with a public apology to their Great Evolution.
These bastards!
Yanlong cursed inwardly.