"Hm...?"
He watched Gu Chenfeng swagger out of the crowd with Ouyang Cai in tow.
Zhang You was filled with suspicion.
As far as he knew, the Chancellor's Residence had already been bled dry. Where would Gu Chenfeng get forty thousand taels?
Could his information be wrong?
He immediately instructed several attendants behind him.
"Keep an eye on them. Don't let them slip away."
Meanwhile, Ouyang Cai looked at Gu Chenfeng, his face brimming with gratitude.
"Third Young Master, brothers for life! Consider this money a loan. I'll pay you back in a couple of days."
Gu Chenfeng glanced at him.
"Cut the chatter. Give me some money first."
"Huh...?" Ouyang Cai looked utterly bewildered.
"You don't actually think this young master has the money to pay your debts, do you?"
Ouyang Cai said in astonishment, "Third Young Master, then that promise you just made-principal and interest within the time it takes an incense stick to burn..."
"Obviously, I'll help you win it back. But we need money to bet on the beast fights, don't we? I don't make a habit of carrying money."
"..."
Ouyang Cai was instantly speechless.
As Gu Chenfeng's best buddy, Ouyang Cai knew his skill at betting on beast fights all too well. He was a hopeless loser who lost nine wagers out of ten.
"Third Young Master, why don't I send someone home to fetch some money instead?
Besides, I've already lost every coin on me. I have nothing left to stake."
"Well..."
The imperial capital's two good-for-nothings stared at each other.
Gu Chenfeng scanned the surrounding crowd. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as they settled on two lovely figures.
Earlier, Princess Yaoyin had felt stifled, so she had left the square with Shangguan Bingxin to stroll around the Beast-Fighting District.
During their stroll, the two women heard quite a commotion in the central area and came over to watch out of curiosity.
Unexpectedly, they ran into Gu Chenfeng and Ouyang Cai again.
Seeing Gu Chenfeng suddenly look their way, Princess Yaoyin gave a light snort and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Gu Chenfeng's shout came from behind her.
Princess Yaoyin did not even turn her head.
Then she heard Gu Chenfeng say, "Miss Shangguan, please stay a moment."
"..."
Princess Yaoyin's steps froze.
A trace of surprise surfaced on Shangguan Bingxin's cool, beautiful face.
"Young Master Gu, what is it?"
"Miss Shangguan, I'd like to borrow some money."
"Borrow money?"
Shangguan Bingxin was taken aback. Over the years, countless men had asked her name, age, family background...
But this was the first to come asking for a loan.
For a moment, she did not know how to react.
"Miss Shangguan, do you have ten thousand taels in banknotes on you?"
"Not that much," Shangguan Bingxin answered instinctively.
"Then how much do you have?"
"Five hundred taels."
"All right, five hundred it is!" Gu Chenfeng said as though reluctantly settling for less.
Shangguan Bingxin froze.
When did I ever say I would lend you money?
How can this man be so presumptuous?
Yet when she noticed the gazes gathering around them...
And the hand Gu Chenfeng had brazenly held out for her money...
Shangguan Bingxin, normally so wise and composed, actually felt as though she had mounted a tiger and could no longer climb off.
Clever as she was, confronted with someone as shameless as Gu Chenfeng, she momentarily lost all sense of how to proceed.
After some hesitation, Shangguan Bingxin took a five-hundred-tael banknote from her purse and handed it to Gu Chenfeng.
Gu Chenfeng snatched it up. "Many thanks. I'll repay you tenfold shortly."
Shangguan Bingxin's delicate brows creased slightly.
This man was not only presumptuous and rude but also spouted empty promises. He truly was no gentleman.
The trace of admiration his verse had inspired earlier vanished without a trace.
"Hmph! That Gu Chenfeng even swindles money from women!"
Princess Yaoyin had returned.
"Your Highness, hadn't you left?"
The princess faltered, hiding her embarrassment behind an angry expression.
"Bingxin, I have to watch him and make sure he pays you back!"
A short while later, beneath one of the fighting platforms in the Beast-Fighting District...
Gu Chenfeng crouched before a large iron cage with his arms around his knees, choosing an Origin Beast to enter a wagered fight.
In ordinary beast fights, participants each chose beasts of the same species to battle in the arena.
Contestants could buy or rent Origin Beasts to enter, or bring their own beasts of the same species.
The rules resembled cockfighting and cricket fighting in ancient times in Gu Chenfeng's previous life...
The beasts Gu Chenfeng was choosing from were low-tier Origin Beasts called Leopard Hounds. They resembled tigers and leopards, barked like dogs, and were aggressive by nature.
"Third Young Master, are you really confident?"
Seeing Gu Chenfeng actually begin choosing an Origin Beast, Ouyang Cai grew even less certain.
But Gu Chenfeng answered him with a resolute look.
"Without exaggeration, I could win until the Rare Beast Garden loses everything it owns."
"..."
For a moment, Gu Chenfeng's imposing confidence overawed Ouyang Cai, stirring a little trust in him.
Then Gu Chenfeng pointed at a scrawny Leopard Hound curled up in a corner of the iron cage.
"Let's pick this one!"
The corner of Ouyang Cai's mouth twitched.
"Third Young Master, that's a female Leopard Hound. She's much weaker in combat than the males. She's kept for breeding."
"That doesn't matter."
"Third Young Master, this female seems to have a lame leg, too. She must have been injured."
"That doesn't matter either."
"..."
When he saw Gu Chenfeng rent the female Leopard Hound for a hundred taels and bet all four hundred remaining taels...
Ouyang Cai nearly blacked out.
A short while later...
On the fighting platform, over a dozen Leopard Hounds were released from their iron restraints, and a free-for-all erupted.
"Roar! Roar...!"
But the scene they had imagined-the lame female being eliminated in a flash-did not occur.
Instead, an exceedingly bizarre scene unfolded.
The female Leopard Hound lay lazily in a corner of the arena, letting the pack of males tear into one another.
In the end, the victorious male approached her, trembling with fear, and prostrated himself.
The female impatiently slapped him across the face with a paw.
"Whimper...!"
The male gave a whimper and rolled with the blow, tumbling all the way off the platform before fleeing with his tail between his legs.
"What..."
An uproar swept through the crowd.
Ouyang Cai's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Wh-what is going on?"
Beside him, Gu Chenfeng said calmly, "This female is their Hound Queen. A few days ago, she had a quarrel with the Hound King, and the couple got into a fight.
She injured her leg while slapping her husband.
Even so, the other Leopard Hounds wouldn't dare challenge the Hound Queen's authority."
"Damn, that actually works?"
Ouyang Cai clearly did not believe such an absurd explanation. He simply thought Gu Chenfeng's luck defied the heavens.
And in this round, the female Leopard Hound Gu Chenfeng had chosen was an enormous underdog.
Aside from the other contestants, spectators had also placed outside bets, and the odds had reached ten to one.
In a single round, four hundred taels became four thousand.
"Third Young Master, you're fucking amazing!"
"Come on. Let's try our luck at the other platforms."
Naturally, Gu Chenfeng's victory depended on his ability to understand beast speech after cultivating the Heaven-Opening Creation Art.
He had eavesdropped for a while earlier, which was how he had learned of the female's status as the Hound Queen.
The awkward part was that he could understand but could not speak, leaving him unable to communicate directly with Origin Beasts and ask for information.
To ensure victory, he could only wander around, listening for useful intelligence.
Meanwhile, Zhang You had kept men watching Gu Chenfeng and Ouyang Cai's every move.
At first, when he learned that Gu Chenfeng actually intended to win back tens of thousands of taels in gambling debts through beast fights, Zhang You nearly doubled over laughing.
Does this fellow think he hasn't lost enough already?
But as his men reported back again and again, Zhang You's expression began to sour.
"What did you say? Gu Chenfeng has won three rounds in a row and made over twenty thousand taels?"
"Yes. That fellow's luck is downright heaven-defying. He can win even with a lame Origin Beast.
And he stakes almost his entire fortune each time, so he's recouping his losses incredibly fast."
"What kind of dog-shit luck is this bastard having?" Zhang You's expression darkened.
He had carefully laid his plans today, first to probe Gu Chenfeng's attitude after the incident at Great Wilderness Ridge.
Second, he wanted to lure Gu Chenfeng into a trap so he could plot another major undertaking.
But the situation now showed clear signs of slipping out of his control.
"No. I have to go take a look."
When Zhang You arrived at a fighting platform with his men...
A beast fight had just ended.
Ouyang Cai held a huge handful of banknotes, his mouth stretched into a grin as wide as a chamber pot.
"Hahaha... We won! We won again!
Third Young Master, we've already won fifty thousand taels! You're incredible!"
Gu Chenfeng turned with a smile and happened to meet Zhang You's gaze as he hurried over.
"Oh... Young Master Zhang, an incense stick hasn't even burned down yet, and you're already here to collect?
This young master hasn't won enough yet."
At the sight of that thick stack of banknotes, Zhang You could scarcely believe his eyes.
He absolutely refused to believe a wastrel like Gu Chenfeng knew anything about beast fighting.
But now that things had come to this, he could not let Gu Chenfeng simply repay the debt and leave.
An idea flashed through his mind, and Zhang You immediately spoke.
"The Third Young Master's prowess is truly extraordinary. Since you haven't had your fill yet, would you dare try something more exciting?"
"Oh... How exciting?" Gu Chenfeng seemed intrigued.
"Let's each choose an Origin Beast whose cultivation is no higher than the Body Tempering Realm. No restrictions on species, just a one-on-one duel. What do you say?"
Gu Chenfeng naturally knew he was setting a trap and put on a hesitant expression.
Beside him, Ouyang Cai hurriedly urged, "Third Young Master, this fellow owns the Rare Beast Garden. He's probably got some powerful Origin Beast hidden away. Let's not fall for it."
At that moment, Zhang You deliberately adopted a provocative tone.
"What, does the esteemed son of the Chancellor's Residence, the Gu family's Third Young Master, lack even this little courage?
If you're afraid, Third Young Master, I certainly won't force you."
Gu Chenfeng was arrogant by nature and cared deeply about saving face. Everyone in the imperial capital knew it.
With so many people present, and even Princess Yaoyin watching from the sidelines, Zhang You was certain he would not refuse.
Sure enough, upon hearing this, Gu Chenfeng shot him a glare, stiffened his neck, and said...
"Fine, let's bet. How much do you want to wager?"
Zhang You's heart leaped with joy. The idiot had indeed gotten carried away.
He hesitated, then held up five fingers.
"Five..."
"All right, it's only fifty thousand taels. I'm in!"
Gu Chenfeng cut him off before he could finish.
Zhang You's eyelid twitched.
I clearly meant five thousand taels.
He had intended to start with a five-thousand-tael wager and slowly lure Gu Chenfeng onto the hook.
But now, the crowd was already boiling with excitement.
"Gasp... fifty thousand taels on a single round? Now that's a huge wager!"
"Young Master Zhang certainly bets big, and the third young master has extraordinary nerve too."
"Now we're in for a show!"
With the excitement already whipped up to this point, Zhang You could hardly explain himself. He sneered inwardly.
Heh... since this good-for-nothing wants to go all in himself, that saves me a lot of trouble.
"All right, that's the wager!"
Before you continue