In the gambling house's back room, the steward poured the tea himself and got straight to the point.
"Young brother, how do you manage to win every bet? I've run a gambling house for so many years; I still have an eye for people. The moment you came in, your bearing caught my attention. I knew you were someone who would draw every eye, so I kept watching you.
"There were no fluctuations of Soul Power, no sleight of hand, yet you kept winning. Can you tell me how you did it? I'll offer a price that satisfies you."
Jing Shanshan did not touch the tea the steward offered him. His tone was natural and calm, as though he were stating something perfectly obvious.
"Isn't it only natural that this king's wealth should eventually flow back into this king's hands?"
The steward immediately turned his head, blinking at Jing Shanshan as he asked, word by word.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean those gold coins belonged to this king in the first place. They were merely being kept in your gambling house for a while. What's so strange about returning something to its rightful owner?"
The smile on the steward's face froze for an instant, and his hand paused as he drank his tea.
He stared at Jing Shanshan for several seconds, confirming that the child was utterly serious when he said this, not joking.
He took a deep breath, suppressed the sense of absurdity inside him, and began fishing for information, trying to uncover the power behind Jing Shanshan.
The result was predictable: he learned nothing useful.
Having spent half his life in gambling houses and encountered plenty of oddballs, the steward immediately judged the boy before him to be the sort who could not be reasoned with.
"I've taken up so much of your time. Please accept this small token as a gesture of friendship."
The steward rose and gestured toward the exit.
An exquisite little necklace lay on the table before Jing Shanshan.
Its fine chain was extremely short, and the pendant consisted of a gold-and-white crystal the size of a thumbnail. At a glance, it looked grand and thoroughly aristocratic.
"This little trinket is called the Held Pearl. It can speed up the wearer's Soul Power recovery. I wonder if it catches your eye."
Jing Shanshan immediately grew somewhat interested.
In the Star Dou Great Forest, he had blown up quite a few Martial Souls, and repairing them had been continuously consuming his Soul Power.
His Soul Power recovery could now be described as extremely slow. When other Soul Masters exhausted their Soul Power, they might need only a night's rest to recover completely, whereas for him now, recovering all his Soul Power in twenty or thirty years would count as fast.
"How much?"
Hearing Jing Shanshan's question, the steward hastily shook his head.
"No charge, no charge!"
The steward did not doubt in the slightest that if he demanded an exorbitant price, or if Jing Shanshan did not have enough money, the boy would definitely return to the gambling floor to get more!
He would rather not have someone use his own money to buy his own things!
"If possible, please refrain from visiting our establishment in the future. You could try the gambling houses elsewhere. They'll give you a warm welcome!"
The middle-aged steward's reasoning was simple: since they had encountered someone so lucky, they ought to introduce him to their neighboring "brothers" so they could all experience and appreciate him together.
This counted as a reasonable deal. Jing Shanshan put the Held Pearl into the Gate of Babylon and nodded calmly.
When he reached the door, Jing Shanshan thought of something to pass the time while he waited for Qian Renxue to get things done, and turned back to ask a question.
"Where in Heaven Dou City do nobles and royalty gather?"
The steward froze for a moment, then answered reflexively.
"Moonlight Pavilion."
"Moonlight Pavilion?"
"The Heaven Dou Empire Court Etiquette Academy. It's called Moonlight Pavilion."
As the steward spoke of it, his tone grew somewhat more serious.
"It's an academy that specializes in teaching aristocratic etiquette. To study there, you must at least hold a noble title and be no older than thirty. It only accepts a hundred students each year. Noble children from across the country practically crack their heads open fighting to get in."
Jing Shanshan nodded thoughtfully.
Perhaps he ought to visit Moonlight Pavilion.
Thus far, his path as a "king" had been something he worked out alone after studying The King's Cultivation and Character on his own.
Acting as his own teacher and his own examiner, he was bound to have blind spots.
With others as a point of comparison, he could quickly discover problems and continually improve himself, ultimately becoming a flawless king!
The next day, after Jing Shanshan visited quite a few gambling houses, his little treasury had grown considerably richer!
His little black cat's belly had grown somewhat larger. It seemed to have enjoyed its meals.
Jing Shanshan reached out and stroked the head of the little black cat in his arms. The cat lazily stretched its head out and rubbed against his hand.
"Come on, let's have a look at Moonlight Pavilion."
Moonlight Pavilion stood in the most prosperous part of Heaven Dou City, a sprawling complex of buildings.
Its gray-white stone walls towered high, with a golden plaque hanging in the center bearing the words "Moonlight Pavilion." The strokes were vigorous and powerful, clearly the work of a master.
Four guards stood before the main entrance, all in Soul Master uniforms with Moonlight Pavilion badges pinned to their collars. They stood straight as javelins, giving off a presence that warned away the unauthorized, leaving few passersby near the entrance.
Jing Shanshan walked up to the entrance. Before he could speak, the nearest guard had already stretched an arm across his path.
The guard looked him up and down, taking in his swept-back golden hair and the little white robe that, though clean, was clearly made of ordinary fabric.
A black cat lay on his shoulder. Its breed did not seem like that of a common pet house cat, but overall, no matter how one looked at him, he resembled a neighborhood child who had taken a wrong turn.
"Where did this kid come from? This isn't a playground. Take your mongrel cat and hurry home to play in the mud."
The guard waved a hand, impatience in his voice.
"Moonlight Pavilion is restricted ground. Unauthorized people may not approach. Where are your parents?"
Jing Shanshan's brows drew together slightly. Before he could speak, the little black cat in his arms bristled first.
The little black cat looked very cute now, but at its core, it was the infamous Dark Demon Evil God Tiger!
Although the A Dou Spiked Club had beaten the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger into an idiot, the savage instincts in its bones remained.
The little black cat leaped from Jing Shanshan's arms. As it landed, its body swelled slightly, a vicious gleam flashed through its dark red slit pupils, and a low growl rumbled in its throat. The hook at the tip of its tail unconsciously tilted upward.
The guard's expression changed, and he instinctively retreated half a step. Three Soul Rings swiftly appeared, and a plain spear materialized in his hand!
That savage presence was certainly not something an ordinary house cat possessed!
Someone actually dared to challenge Moonlight Pavilion's authority.
Jing Shanshan reached out and caught the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger by the scruff, smoothed the fur on its head, and spoke to the guard without expression.
"This king knows your empire's prince, Xue Qinghe."
Jing Shanshan could force his way inside, but if he did, the people within would definitely be frightened away.
If he scared everyone off, what would he have left to observe?
The guard stared blankly for a moment, then could not hold back a snort of laughter!
"Not only do you know Prince Xue Qinghe of the empire, we know him too. It's just that Prince Xue Qinghe doesn't know us."
The guard's words made his colleagues beside him lose their composure, and they all burst out laughing.
Their laughter had barely sounded before it abruptly stopped. The guards all turned their gazes toward the entrance.
"Oh, little fellow, you know me?"
A refined, easygoing voice came from within, and a figure slowly walked out of Moonlight Pavilion.