Events had twisted and turned: vicious mockery from two households, the Pill Treasure Pavilion's mysterious intervention, and then Xue Yu's threats. Every step had been thrilling and perilous.
All of this was because of one man, Liu Wuxie!!
With Xue Yu stepping in, everyone thought the dust could finally settle. The mighty Xue Household could crush the Xu Household like an ant.
At that critical moment, Xu Lingxue stood up, took out a token, and slammed it onto the table.
A nine-footed bird was carved on the token, representing the Imperial Academy. No one could counterfeit it.
"She was admitted to the Imperial Academy, and Baili Qing even took her as a disciple."
The crowd erupted. The Imperial Academy was the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty's highest institution of learning, gathering elite geniuses from across the nation. Its annual intake was extremely limited, and there were still several months before admissions began. Where had her token come from?
Baili Qing's name had long since spread throughout the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty. She was one of the Imperial Academy's three deputy deans. Anyone who became her disciple would surely soar into the clouds and become a regional powerhouse.
Joining the Imperial Academy was a lifelong honor, a goal countless people pursued their entire lives.
A trace of astonishment crossed Liu Wuxie's face. Even he did not know when Xu Lingxue had joined the Imperial Academy.
Rapid breathing came from all around. How they wished they could become members of the Imperial Academy too. Its brutally demanding examinations eliminated countless geniuses every year. It accepted only the elite among elites, not trash.
"So you're the new disciple Dean Baili Qing accepted."
Xue Yu's expression shifted from shock to surprise. Word had already spread through the imperial capital that Baili Qing had accepted a new disciple, but no one had known who it was.
Being accepted early as a deputy dean's disciple without taking the examination was not unprecedented. Every such person had been a monstrous genius, issued an Imperial Academy token ahead of time.
Baili Qing was extremely proud. Few people could catch her eye, and Xu Lingxue was one of them.
"I was rash just now. Please don't take offense, Miss Xu. As it happens, I've also been admitted to the Imperial Academy. We'll be fellow students in the future. I apologize to you for what happened today, Miss Xu."
Xue Yu's attitude changed very quickly. He also took an Imperial Academy token from his robes, identical to the one Xu Lingxue had produced.
Once they were at the Imperial Academy, there would be plenty of ways to approach Xu Lingxue. Why worry about lacking opportunities?
Wan Butong, Tian Yequan, and the others looked as though they had swallowed rotten duck eggs. Their expressions were exceedingly ugly, and their hatred for Liu Wuxie grew even stronger.
No one had expected the farce to end this way, including Master Huo, whose gaze held a trace more reverence as he looked at Xu Lingxue.
The disciples of the Wan and Tian households took their seats, returning to their respective areas. The little fatty from the Song Household, however, sat casually beside Liu Wuxie.
"Thank you for speaking up for us just now."
Liu Wuxie smiled slightly. The little fatty's willingness to step forward had surprised him. Someone like that was worth befriending.
"I didn't help much. Big Sister Xu is the impressive one, becoming an Imperial Academy student. When you soar to great heights in the future, remember this little brother of yours."
Song Ling acted as though they were already old friends and quickly hit it off with the two of them.
The Xu and Song households were relatively close. Xu Lingxue and Song Ling had met several times, and they had always addressed each other as elder sister and younger brother.
A beast's roar from the center of the beast-fighting arena interrupted everyone. The beast fights were beginning.
"Young Master Liu, why don't you sit with us? The view is better over there."
Master Huo walked back over. His seat was very close to Xue Yu's, among three separately arranged tables. Xue Yu, Tian Yequan, and the others were talking quietly, occasionally glancing their way.
"No need. I'm quite comfortable here."
Liu Wuxie did not rise. He had little interest in today's Hundred Demon Gathering.
At the last moment, the heads of the Wan, Song, and Tian households arrived together and sat at the tables beside Master Huo. All three tables were now full.
The beast-fighting arena resembled a gigantic cage. The spectators sat around it, looking down at the ground, where one beast-fighting platform after another lay before them.
An old man stood on the central platform, holding a megaphone. "Welcome, everyone, to the Hundred Demon Gathering hosted by our Wan Household. As usual, the gathering has two parts: beast fighting and beast taming."
Beast fighting, as the name suggested, involved placing two Demon Beasts on a platform to fight each other. The survivor was the victor.
Demon Beasts fought with extreme bloodshed. For martial artists, bloody scenes could strengthen their mental resilience, so that when they faced such situations in the future, they would not be frightened to death.
Beast taming was different. Participants challenged themselves to tame or subdue Demon Beasts as a form of practical training.
The Wan Household was the wealthiest of the four great lineages. Business at its beast-taming grounds was booming, and it provided all kinds of Demon Beasts for martial artists to train with.
Hunting Demon Beasts in the mountains was far too dangerous. A single mishap could cost someone their life.
The beast-taming grounds were different. Not only could they simulate real environments, but the Demon Beasts were also completely real. If danger arose, a beast tamer would appear immediately.
Of course, there were exceptions, when Demon Beasts went berserk and devoured those attempting to tame them.
Comparatively speaking, the danger at the beast-taming grounds had already been reduced to a minimum, so it was only natural that business boomed.
"We'll arrange ten beast fights for everyone to enjoy. As usual, we'll open a few betting pools. If you'd like to bet on the beasts, there are detailed instructions on each of your tables. If you don't wish to participate, we won't insist. All that matters is that everyone enjoys themselves."
The Hundred Demon Gathering was a promotional event, allowing more people to learn about beast taming and beast fighting and thus take part, while the Wan Household raked in money by the bowlful.
The booklet on the table contained detailed information. There would be ten beast fights in total. The first pitted an Extreme Wind Leopard against a Rhinoceros Beast, one skilled in offense and the other in defense-a contest between spear and shield.
The betting odds were one to one for an Extreme Wind Leopard victory, while the Rhinoceros Beast's odds were as high as ten to one.
Judging by the odds, the Extreme Wind Leopard had a very high chance of winning. It was practically a nail hammered into a board, though there were exceptions to everything.
"Young Master Liu, interested in placing a bet?"
Wan Butong suddenly spoke, looking at Liu Wuxie with a smile as he invited him to bet on the beasts.
There were two types of wagers: betting through the official pool or betting privately among themselves, with no involvement from the Wan Household.
"Let's not make things difficult for Young Master Liu. Can he even produce any gold coins?"
Tian Yequan wore a mocking expression. Everyone knew the Xu Household's current situation. Problems had arisen at its weapons workshop, leaving its finances stretched thin and no extra gold coins to spare.
The two sang in harmony. Refusing to bet would amount to admitting he had no gold coins and did not dare wager against them.
Agreeing would mean falling into their trap. What a fine scheme indeed.
Everyone's gaze settled on Liu Wuxie, waiting for his answer. Would he bet or not?
"How do you want to bet?"
A faint smile appeared at the corners of Liu Wuxie's mouth. His answer surprised everyone. They all knew perfectly well that Wan Butong and Tian Yequan were provoking him to force him into agreeing.
If he refused, he would suffer some mockery at most, and the matter would end there. Neither of them expected Liu Wuxie to actually participate. They merely wanted to seize the opportunity to ridicule him.
"Betting through the pool is dull. Why don't we make a private wager? It's more direct."
The pool's odds were too low to make betting particularly interesting. With private beast wagers, they could set the stakes themselves.
"Good suggestion."
Liu Wuxie nodded, finding Tian Yequan's words quite reasonable. Betting privately was more convenient, as well as more straightforward and exciting.
Xu Lingxue stamped hard on Liu Wuxie's instep, making him suck in a breath from the pain, though he pretended nothing had happened. She was warning him that this was a trap, yet he was still walking into it.
Xu Lingxue puffed out her cheeks in anger and stopped paying attention to him.
"I wonder how much capital you can put up, Young Master Liu?"
Wan Butong asked with a grin, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, as though telling him not to embarrass himself by producing a mere few thousand gold coins.
"I didn't bring any money when I went out today."
Liu Wuxie shrugged. He was telling the truth. He did not have a single gold coin on him. Even the spirit medicine he had bought last time had been paid for in advance by the Pill Treasure Pavilion.
"Pfft!"
Laughter erupted all around. He had amused them. What was he betting with if he had no money?
"Young Master Liu truly is a dragon and phoenix among men. I admire you, truly. If you need it, I could lend you some."
With mockery all over his face, Wan Butong took out a stack of cards. Amounts exceeding ten thousand gold coins were inconvenient to carry, so the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty had created cards to facilitate exchange. White cards could store ten thousand to a hundred thousand gold coins, while green cards could store a hundred thousand to a million. The cards bore their owners' soul imprints, preventing anyone else from using them fraudulently.
"I'll cover Young Master Liu's stake." Master Huo stood up at that moment. "Here are five hundred thousand gold coins. Use them as you please, Young Master Liu. There's no need to repay me. If that isn't enough, I can have someone bring more."
A trace of astonishment appeared on the faces of the Wan, Tian, and Song household heads. What had happened?
Five hundred thousand gold coins, given away so casually. How many people could never earn that much in their entire lives? Xu Lingxue's small mouth parted slightly as she looked at Liu Wuxie in surprise.
Liu Wuxie showed no sign of gratitude, accepting the card quite naturally. At this sight, the three household heads exchanged glances and shuddered. Could Master Huo have colluded with this trash?
"I have my stake now. Where's yours?"
It was Liu Wuxie's turn to mock them. Unable to produce five hundred thousand gold coins at once, Wan Butong looked toward his household head.
Someone immediately brought over several cards, totaling well over a million gold coins. In their eyes, Liu Wuxie's defeat was certain.
While they had been talking, two Demon Beasts had appeared on the platform: the Extreme Wind Leopard and the Rhinoceros Beast.
"I bet five hundred thousand gold coins on the Extreme Wind Leopard!"
Wan Butong placed his bet first, a wicked smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. Many of those present voiced their disdain.
"Wan Butong, you're utterly shameless! You're the host. You should let the guest choose first. What do you mean by placing your bet first?"
The little fatty jumped up again, unable to stomach Wan Butong's actions. He was blatantly setting Liu Wuxie up.