Taking a Gamble

Lin Qi's boots clattered rapidly against the bluestone road.

The midday sun blazed overhead, and sweat streamed down his temples, soaking his collar. But he didn't dare slow down. As he raced toward the city lord's residence, he rapidly sorted through the suspicious details of the matter.

Why would the bandits on Stone Iron Mountain come down at a time like this? Could my inside man have been found out?

The moment the thought occurred to him, Lin Qi's heart sank.

There were only a few businesses reselling goods in Stone Iron City to begin with. The Wonderful Tales Shop had managed to maintain its record of never being raided entirely thanks to the bandit he had paid a fortune to buy off years ago.

The man would tip him off before each raid, allowing him to avoid the danger in advance.

But this time, not only had no word come, Lin Feng had been taken too. Something had clearly gone wrong without his knowledge.

The gates of the city lord's residence drew closer, flanked by two majestic stone griffins.

The guards at the entrance wore silver armor, their hands resting on the swords at their waists as their sharp gazes swept over the passersby.

Lin Qi had barely reached the foot of the steps when two guards blocked his path.

"Stop! The city lord's residence is a restricted area. Unauthorized people are not allowed near!"

The icy rebuke struck him, and Lin Qi hurried to a halt. His chest heaved as he forced a smile that was as friendly as he could manage.

"Sir, I'm not just some passerby. I'm here to bring Miss Alicia some pink fluorite."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Miss Alicia."

Lin Qi knew full well that if he said outright that he had come to report a crime, the guards would simply take him for a commoner making an unreasonable fuss. They might even beat him away with sticks.

But mentioning the city lord's daughter was a different matter.

Sure enough, the guard's tense expression eased somewhat when he heard Alicia's name.

He looked Lin Qi up and down, though his tone remained stern. "Wait here. I'll go announce you."

"All right, sorry for the trouble, sir!"

Lin Qi nodded quickly and stood where he was, not daring to move, though his mind raced as he considered what to do.

The city lord's residence sent an expedition against Stone Iron Mountain half a year ago, but every time they only win a minor victory. They never wipe the bandits out completely...

Ordinary commoners couldn't see what was going on, but Lin Qi understood it perfectly.

The bandits of Stone Iron Mountain were the city lord's treasury. Sending an expedition against them every six months meant not only collecting an anti-bandit tax from the city's people, but also seizing some spoils from the bandits' den on Stone Iron Mountain.

Those officers and soldiers were, in a way, more like bandits than the bandits themselves.

But they represented the side of justice, leaving people with no grounds to object.

Even if I report it, there's no way they'll send troops. Now I can only gamble on the young lady needing a large amount of pink fluorite.

Before long, the guard who had gone to announce him strode back out and jerked his chin at Lin Qi.

"Come with me. The young lady is waiting at the manor."

Lin Qi followed the guard into the city lord's residence. The bluestone path beneath his feet had been swept spotless, and precious evening primroses grew in flower beds on either side, their fragrance drifting to his nose on the breeze.

He kept his head lowered the whole way, following respectfully behind the guard, not daring to look around.

Even so, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that most of the people passing by had steady auras. They were clearly all card masters, and a few even had much stronger auras than his father, Lin Feng.

It made Lin Qi's desire for power burn even stronger. If he were strong enough, his father wouldn't be bullied by bandits, and he wouldn't have to watch other people's expressions the way he did now.

"Miss, I've brought him."

Before long, they arrived at a breathtakingly beautiful manor.

Groves of cherry trees grew on the grounds, and their petals drifted down in the wind, settling on a crystal rockery in the middle of the courtyard.

Beside the rockery stood a young woman in a long Lolita dress. She looked about Lin Qi's age, with fair skin and delicate features. She was none other than Miss Alicia, the city lord's daughter.

In front of her, a half-meter-tall lark stood on the rockery, preening its feathers.

Lin Qi's gaze swept quickly over the lark. When he saw that its tail was pink while the feathers elsewhere were grayish white, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you the one who said you had pink fluorite for me?"

Alicia's voice was clear and bright, with a touch of girlish charm. She regarded Lin Qi with a hint of scrutiny.

Lin Qi immediately stepped forward, placed his right hand over his chest, and bowed slightly, his manner respectful without going too far.

"Yes, beautiful Miss Alicia. I happened to obtain a piece of pink fluorite and heard that you had been looking for some, so I brought it here especially. I hope it can be of help to you."

As he spoke, he held the small piece of pink fluorite out in his palm.

Sunlight fell on the stone, bringing out a faint pink glow so lovely it was hard to look away.

Alicia's eyes lit up, and she nodded gently.

The maid beside her immediately stepped forward and took the pink fluorite. She then raised her hand and summoned a card glowing with white light.

The maid was a One-Star Card Apprentice, and her tool card was a magnificent comb.

She tapped it against the pink fluorite, and the hard stone turned to powder. Then she combed the powder into the lark's wings.

In just a moment, one of the lark's wings turned a pale pink that complemented its tail, making it considerably prettier.

"Miss, there still isn't enough pink fluorite. We need at least ten more pieces this size to turn the lark's feathers pink," the maid said softly, putting down the comb.

Alicia frowned.

"Um, you..."

Seeing that she wanted to address him, Lin Qi quickly spoke up. "Miss, you can just call me Lin Qi."

Alicia nodded slightly, her tone softening. "Lin Qi, can you find me more pink fluorite?"

Hearing this, Lin Qi nodded without hesitation.

"Of course. It would be my honor to serve the beautiful Miss Alicia. As long as you need it, I'll do my utmost to find it."

A smile appeared on Alicia's face.

"Good. As long as you find me the pink fluorite, you'll be well rewarded."

Lin Qi bowed again. "Rest assured, Miss. In a month or two at the earliest, or three months at the latest, I'll find enough pink fluorite for you."

"A month or two?"

The smile that had just appeared on Alicia's face froze instantly.

"I have to prepare for the card beast beauty contest in two weeks. That's far too long. It won't be in time at all. I can give you two weeks at most."

"Well..."

Lin Qi deliberately put on a troubled expression, his brows tightly furrowed, as though he were making a difficult decision.

"Miss, before this, I could actually have found it in two weeks, but now..."

When Alicia heard that he could find it, she was immediately delighted.

"What's wrong now? If there's a problem, just tell me. If it's Ka'en, I can give you an advance. Any amount is fine."

Lin Qi sighed and spoke as though he had made up his mind.

"Miss, it isn't Ka'en I need. It's just that the person who can find this pink fluorite has been detained by the bandits of Stone Iron Mountain. If I search on my own, it'll take much longer."

Lin Qi's tone took on a note of helplessness as he spoke.

"But don't worry, Miss. I'll do my best to find a way and try to get the pink fluorite within a month."

Alicia paid no attention to the latter half of what he said and asked urgently, "You mean that as long as that man is rescued, you can find the pink fluorite I need within two weeks?"

Lin Qi nodded firmly, his tone utterly certain. "As long as he can be rescued, I guarantee I'll gather ten pieces of pink fluorite within two weeks. I won't delay you from entering the beauty contest!"

"That's wonderful!"

Alicia's eyes lit up. She couldn't wait a month.

"Xiao Lan, have Kala go with him. Make sure he brings the man down from Stone Iron Mountain."

Xiao Lan nodded and led Lin Qi outside.

Following behind Xiao Lan, Lin Qi finally felt his tension ease.

Even if they won't show me respect, they'll have to respect the city lord's residence. The bandits of Stone Iron Mountain don't have the nerve to challenge it.

Before long, they found Kala training at the martial arts ground.

He was a tall, powerfully built middle-aged man in black armor, with a scar across his face and eyes as sharp as a hawk's. One look was enough to tell he was not to be trifled with.

After Lin Qi briefly explained the situation, Kala merely gave him a cold glance and uttered two words.

"Lead the way."

Lin Qi hurried back to the shop with Kala.

"Sir, sorry to trouble you, but please go with my employee here."

Lin Qi had already prepared a carriage outside the shop. He had even made preparations in case his father had been beaten so badly he couldn't walk, laying soft cotton cushions in the carriage.

Kala glanced at Ruilian, who hurried into the carriage, not daring to waste a moment.

Watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance, Lin Qi finally felt half his worries lift.

Father's saved. Now there's something even more important to do!

Lin Qi began searching the city's restaurants and taverns again.

He had to find the middle-aged man who had sold him card beast meat. Otherwise, if he couldn't complete Alicia's task, he probably wouldn't escape death either.