Zhong Shan ordered the finest dishes without even glancing at the menu. The attendant, realizing the status of his guests, eagerly took note and hurried to fulfill the order.
In no time, the food and drinks were served. Tian Ling'er took a few bites before her attention drifted back to the gambling floor below. Every shout from the gamblers seemed to tell her they were having an immensely fun time.
Zhong Shan, noticing her distracted state, chuckled to himself. Everyone's first time at a casino was like this, unaware of the dangers it posed.
"Hurry up and eat!" Tian Ling'er urged, her curiosity barely contained.
Just as Zhong Shan was about to respond, he frowned and glanced towards a nearby table. He had sensed that someone had been watching him intently.
Watching him?
At the other table, the food and drinks were as luxurious as theirs. Seated there was a man in a white robe, around thirty years old, with a strong and heroic demeanor. On the table in front of him lay a long silver spear.
A magical weapon?
Zhong Shan immediately recognized it—this magical artifact was crafted from the Ethereal Pearl.
The man, holding a cup of wine, glanced at Zhong Shan with a slight frown. Suddenly, he spoke uncertainly, "Zhong Shan?"
He addressed Zhong Shan by name? Yet, Zhong Shan now appeared to be in his thirties. Even his adopted sons wouldn't have recognized him just a year ago.
Zhong Shan regarded the man solemnly, a thought flashing through his mind.
Fifty-one years ago.
Zhong Shan had endured countless hardships and finally reached the gate of an immortal sect, begging to be taken in as a disciple. He had knelt there for three days and nights, but no one was willing to accept him.
At that time, it was the once-in-fifty-years Longmen Conference.
People from the sect continuously returned with new disciples, but they all treated Zhong Shan with disdain.
The man before him now, dressed in white robes, had been chosen at the Longmen Conference and was returning with his master. He had noticed Zhong Shan kneeling at the gate.
"Master, has he been kneeling here for three days and nights?" the man had asked.
"This person named Zhong Shan has poor aptitude and will achieve nothing in his lifetime," the master had replied.
"But he has remarkable perseverance. Master, since he has knelt for three days, why not accept him as a disciple and see how he fares?" the white-robed man had suggested.
"Silence, Zhao Suoxiang! This is an immortal sect, not your mortal battlefield. Perseverance alone is not enough," the master had scolded.
"Yes," Zhao Suoxiang had nodded, sighed, and followed his master into the sect.
That day, Zhong Shan had never forgotten. Of all the immortal sects he visited, only this man had once tried to help him, though unsuccessfully.
"Zhao Suoxiang?" Zhong Shan rose immediately, looking at him.
"Haha, it is you, Zhong Shan," Zhao Suoxiang exclaimed, grabbing a spear and walking over. He sat down directly beside Zhong Shan.
"Zhong Shan, who is he?" Tian Linger asked.
"Tieqiang Sect, Zhao Suoxiang," Zhao Suoxiang introduced himself to Tian Linger.
"Kaixuan Sect, Tian Linger," Tian Linger replied. Both followed the etiquette of introducing their sects.
"Kaixuan Sect?" Zhao Suoxiang looked at Zhong Shan with surprise. He couldn't understand how Zhong Shan, who couldn't even enter a lower-tier sect in the past, was now a disciple of the prestigious Kaixuan Sect.
"Congratulations, Zhong Shan," Zhao Suoxiang congratulated sincerely.
"Thank you, and same to you," Zhong Shan replied.
"Tian Linger, you continue eating; I'll go downstairs for a bit," Tian Linger said to Zhong Shan, unable to contain her excitement, and rushed down the stairs.
Watching her leave, Zhong Shan shook his head with a smile, letting her go while he remained upstairs, feeling assured she would be fine.
"Brother Zhao, what brings you here?" Zhong Shan asked.
"I am a general of the Song Kingdom. Fifty-one years ago, I had the fortune to join an immortal sect. Now, I am out training and happened to pass by this city. Encountering some matters, I decided to stay. Today, I came out for a stroll and unexpectedly met you here," Zhao Suoxiang laughed heartily.
"Indeed, it is unexpected. I still remember the day you spoke on my behalf at Tieqiang Sect. Although I didn't join the sect, I have never forgotten your kindness," Zhong Shan said earnestly.
Zhong Shan was a man who remembered both gratitude and grudges. Although Zhao Suoxiang's effort had not succeeded, Zhong Shan had always appreciated his intention.
"Haha, it didn't work out, so there's no need for thanks. Besides, if it had, you might not have had the chance to join Kaixuan Sect," Zhao Suoxiang laughed.
"Let's dispense with formalities. Call me Zhong Shan," Zhong Shan said with a smile.
"Alright, you can call me Suoxiang, or Zhao Suoxiang," Zhao Suoxiang replied.
"Suoxiang, please," Zhong Shan said, raising his cup in a toast.
Zhao Suoxiang lifted his cup, and the two drank heartily.
"This time, your Kaixuan Sect's training mission, is it related to that person called Hao San?" Zhao Suoxiang suddenly asked.
Hearing Zhao Suoxiang's words, Zhong Shan frowned. It seemed that everyone was searching for Hao San. He had thought only Kaixuan Sect was involved, but now he realized it was not the case.
"Yes. Who is this Hao San?" Zhong Shan inquired.
"I'm not sure. But I heard my master mention that all sects became aware of Hao San that day. They are all searching for him, dead or alive, offering substantial rewards. It seems that now, anyone who practices cultivation knows of him," Zhao Suoxiang shook his head.
As the two continued their conversation.
Downstairs, a black-robed man with a sword on his back entered the hall, led respectfully by several guides.
The greeter at the door initially wanted to step forward but froze upon seeing the guides. One of them was the owner of this Golden Brick Building, a person usually domineering. Today, he was being obsequious to the black-robed man.
"Where is Zhao Suoxiang?" the black-robed man asked coolly.
"On the second floor, having a meal," the owner immediately replied.
"Alright." The black-robed man nodded and began to follow the owner upstairs.
Halfway up the stairs, the black-robed man suddenly frowned, glancing at a gambling table in the hall.
Surrounded by onlookers, a young woman in red was engaged in heavy gambling. She was strikingly beautiful, with skin smooth as porcelain. In front of her was a pile of silver notes and ingots, and she was placing large bets against her opponent.
The pile of silver notes alone numbered at least a hundred, each worth a thousand taels, totaling a hundred thousand taels. A massive sum.
Yet, the young woman kept losing, growing more frantic with each loss.
However, she had plenty of money. When she placed that pile of notes on the table, everyone else stopped gambling, watching greedily as the croupier won note after note.
"Gentlewoman, will you bet small again?" the croupier asked.
"Yes, small again," Tian Linger, flushed with frustration, threw another note on the table.
"Bet placed. No more bets. Four, five, six, fifteen—large," the croupier announced, revealing the dice.
"No! I want to see the dice," Tian Linger demanded, examining them closely. Each face was different. Why was it always large?
"Again," Tian Linger, unwilling to give up, threw another note on the table.
On the stairs, the black-robed man's eyes gleamed—not because of the money, but the bracelet on Tian Linger's wrist.
A storage bracelet?
Seeing it, he whispered something to the owner beside him.
"Yes, Young Master Tang, leave it to me," the owner replied excitedly.
"Good." The black-robed man nodded, following the owner back downstairs.
Two incense sticks later, Zhong Shan and Zhao Suoxiang were deep in conversation upstairs. Zhong Shan felt that Zhao Suoxiang was a trustworthy person, someone who valued loyalty and promises, making their discussion enjoyable.
Downstairs, Tian Linger was in a panic. Zhong Shan had given her a hundred thousand taels of silver. Though he hadn't told her its significance, she knew she was losing a lot. She wanted to win it back, but each loss only made her more desperate. Why was she so unlucky?
In her distress, Tian Linger noticed the expressions of those around her—pity, regret, and mockery.
Though naive, Tian Linger was not stupid. She realized something was amiss. They were cheating her, but how? She couldn't catch them in the act.
With only two silver notes left, two thousand taels, while her opponent had ninety-eight thousand taels, she was at her wit's end.
"Gentlewoman, will you continue?" the owner asked, smiling. Beside him stood the croupier and the black-robed man.
Tian Linger looked at the group as if they were all villains, tricking her out of her money. But she couldn't figure out how. What should she do? The money Zhong Shan gave her was almost gone.
Desperately, she considered the owner's suggestion about using valuable items as collateral. Her storage bracelet contained some treasures, but would they recognize their value?
"Yes, if you have something valuable, like your bracelet, it can serve as collateral," the owner proposed.
"Collateral?" Tian Linger hesitated. She did have some good items in her bracelet, but would they know their worth?
"Indeed. I also have an Ethereal Pearl, along with these ninety-eight thousand taels. If you have something valuable, we can have one more round," the black-robed man offered.
His words indicated to Tian Linger that he, too, was from an immortal sect and could recognize valuable items.
Looking at the pile of silver notes, Tian Linger bit her lip. She didn't care much for the Ethereal Pearl, but those notes mattered. Though Zhong Shan had told her to spend freely, she didn't want to lose them so easily.
Should she gamble? She had won a few times before. Perhaps next time, she could win.
Tian Linger struggled internally, anxious about losing her treasures but also wanting to reclaim the silver notes.