Xu Mu, with Qiongqi in tow, feasted at the Hidden Dragon Inn, indulging in the most expensive delicacies to celebrate the successful development of his chip. After the meal, a bath, and a satisfying sleep, he awoke to midday the following day.
In the Sacred City, at the Hidden Dragon Inn, Xu Mu was altering his appearance in front of a mirror. His movements were meticulous, leaving no detail unchecked. In a short while, he had transformed himself into a refined young gentleman, twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, with sharp, sword-like eyebrows. Finally, he donned the white robe he had purchased earlier, its gold-thread trim exuding an aura of extraordinary grace and luxurious nobility.
“How is it? Am I handsome!” Xu Mu asked Qiongqi, admiring his reflection in the mirror.
“Can handsomeness fill your stomach? I’m hungry,” Qiongqi replied, rubbing his belly.
Hearing this, Xu Mu patted his deflated wallet and sighed helplessly. “Alas, it can’t be helped. That meal yesterday and today’s clothes have nearly depleted all my savings. I only have less than a million taels of gold left.”
“This million is my stake money. Once I win some later, we’ll have another good meal!”
Qiongqi reluctantly agreed. “Alright.”
On the streets of the Sacred City, the crowd grew denser, filled with floating magical artifacts and spirit beasts. The cultivators wore a variety of clothing and bore diverse appearances, clearly hailing from all corners of the land. Walking along the street, Xu Mu couldn't help but feel astonished as he observed the cultivators passing by him. Every person he encountered, regardless of gender, age, or seniority, emanated a potent aura of power. He even felt a sense of danger from a young, cold-eyed cultivator in black robes, as if he had emerged from hell.
Qiongqi, too, gazed intently at a tall, scholarly-looking middle-aged man nearby, speaking with a serious expression. “That person is a fifth-realm cultivator.”
Xu Mu glanced at the man briefly before quickly averting his gaze. He then stroked Qiongqi's fluffy head and remarked, “There are less than twenty days until the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Races begins. It seems the major families and factions are arriving in the Sacred City one after another.”
“If that’s the case, we must be even more cautious in our actions.”
As Xu Mu spoke, he moved closer to the inner edge of the street, blending with the flow of people. Soon, he arrived at the familiar gambling den. He paid no mind to the two individuals locked in combat on the stage. His eyes meticulously scanned the crowded hall, searching for something. After only a moment, he spotted the young man in plain clothes again.
Xu Mu smiled faintly and was about to approach him when he suddenly paused, as if struck by a thought. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked directly up to a gambling house attendant and asked with a smile, “Brother, can I still place a bet now?”
The attendant looked up at Xu Mu and nodded. “Yes, the fight has just begun.”
“Who are you betting on?”
Xu Mu turned his head and looked at the center of the stage. He saw two figures, one tall and one short. The shorter one wielded a saber with exquisite skill. The taller one, weaponless, fought with cloth-wrapped palms. With every move and stillness, there seemed to be a hidden profound principle, allowing him to narrowly evade and shatter the saber’s intent each time. However, this principle was subtle, integrated into his palms and deliberately restrained, imperceptible to most.
Observing this, Xu Mu, despite the fierce and tense battle, was almost certain that the taller individual fighting with bare hands would emerge victorious against the saber wielder. Knowing who would win, the act of betting became significantly easier.
“I’ll bet thirty thousand taels of gold on the saber wielder to win,” Xu Mu said with absolute confidence and a smile, betting on the opposite outcome.
“Another sucker,” the attendant, privy to the situation, thought gleefully. He then calmly accepted Xu Mu’s gold notes.
But at that very moment, as he looked at Xu Mu's hand, a sense of familiarity struck him. He frowned and asked, “Are you… visiting this gambling arena for the first time?”
Xu Mu’s eyes narrowed. Following the attendant’s gaze to his own hand, his heart clenched. *Damn it, how could I forget to disguise my hands? The attendants in charge of money must have a deep impression of everyone's hands!*
“What? If it’s my first time, am I not allowed to bet?” Xu Mu asked calmly, his expression unreadable.
“Not at all. I just found you somewhat familiar, your voice too, but I can’t quite recall where I’ve seen you before.” The attendant stared at Xu Mu’s features for a moment, then scratched his head in a somewhat bewildered manner. He concluded that he hadn't truly seen Xu Mu’s face before, nor did it feel disguised. Perhaps the familiarity was due to seeing many similar young masters recently, causing an illusion?
Confident in his disguise skills and artifacts, Xu Mu playfully replied, “Everyone who comes to the Sacred City is a hero of the realm. I, this young master, am handsome and dignified. Perhaps you find me familiar because my aura is similar to the heroes you’ve met before.”
The attendant blinked, then replied with a wry smile, “Indeed, indeed.”
“Then I shall place your bet for you. That saber-wielding cultivator is known as Thirteen Ghost Hands, a top genius from the Ghost Domain of the Jialan tribe. He has a high chance of winning. I wish you good luck.” The attendant looked at Xu Mu with an inscrutable gaze, clearly mocking him internally for betting on a guaranteed loser.
He was unaware that Xu Mu was deliberately doing this. He had already analyzed that Thirteen Ghost Hands would lose, yet he still chose to bet on him. His purpose was to lower their guard and prompt them to approach him actively.
As expected, while Xu Mu wasn't paying attention, the gambling house attendant secretly transmitted a message to Xiaoyao Feng within the crowd, informing him that a new big fish had arrived. Upon hearing this, Xiaoyao Feng immediately turned to size up Xu Mu. A glint of joy flashed in his eyes upon seeing Xu Mu’s noble attire. After a brief exchange of telepathic messages, he slowly approached Xu Mu.
Xu Mu glanced at him and said indifferently, “Is there something?”
Xiaoyao Feng nodded, then cheerfully produced a tray-like artifact. “Brother, this is an artifact I developed. It can predict the outcome of matches on the arena with high accuracy.”
“If you wish to bet, you can come to me. Each prediction costs ten thousand taels of gold.”
Xu Mu frowned. “Do I look like an idiot for you to try and swindle me out of ten thousand?”
Xiaoyao Feng remained unperturbed, thinking, *You certainly are an idiot, betting on Thirteen Ghost Hands.* However, he maintained a smile. “I’m no swindler. See for yourself, it’s written right here on the artifact: Gao Kui will ultimately win.”
Xu Mu scoffed. “Is that so? It seems your artifact isn't very accurate, because I’m betting on Thirteen Ghost Hands.”
Xiaoyao Feng unreservedly pointed at Gao Kui on the stage. “You’re betting on Ghost Hand to win, likely because you admire his exquisite saber techniques. Gao Kui, on the other hand, only cultivates palm techniques. They are evenly matched, so you believe Gao Kui will lose.”
Xu Mu nodded. “So what?”
Xiaoyao Feng shook his head, confidently pointing at the artifact. “But, my brother, you might not know that Gao Kui, last year in the Yin Mountain region, comprehended a sliver of the true meaning of the Dao of Severing.”
“With the Dao of Severing, no matter how exquisite Thirteen Ghost Hand’s saber techniques are, they will be in vain.”
Hearing this, Xu Mu deliberately adopted a solemn expression and asked, “Is this true?”
Xiaoyao Feng smiled and nodded. “Of course, it’s true. Just watch the outcome and see.”
Xu Mu fell silent, his gaze fixed on the arena, seemingly nervous. Xiaoyao Feng watched Xu Mu with a confident smile, a flicker of greed in his eyes. As time passed, the battle on the stage neared its conclusion. Thirteen Ghost Hand unleashed his ultimate saber technique, forcing Gao Kui into a corner of the arena. Just as victory seemed imminent, Gao Kui let out a sinister laugh and unleashed the Art of Severing, grabbing Thirteen Ghost Hand’s saber from afar.
*Clang!*
With a forceful heave, Gao Kui’s hands tore through the saber as if it were mere cloth, ripping the finely crafted weapon from left to right. He then turned and kicked Thirteen Ghost Hand off the stage, securing his victory!
“Well done!” A few scattered cheers erupted from the onlookers. More, however, were stunned by Gao Kui’s final move, having perceived an intensely powerful fluctuation of the Dao at that moment. *What kind of Dao is this?*
“The Dao of Severing is terrifying. Even a mere sliver of true meaning can change the course of battle,” Xu Mu exclaimed, feigning admiration and sighing. “It’s a pity I lacked the discerning eye and lost a bit of money for nothing.”
“A bit of money?” Xiaoyao Feng’s eyes lit up at the mention of money. He stepped forward, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry, brother. With me here, I guarantee you’ll recoup your losses tenfold!”
Xu Mu glanced at him, feigning hesitation. “Really?”
Xiaoyao Feng waved his artifact. “You just saw the result. Is there any falsehood in that?”
After a moment of thought, Xu Mu produced five gold notes, each worth ten thousand, and handed them to Xiaoyao Feng. “I’ll try out five matches first to see if you’re truly accurate or just guessing.”
Xiaoyao Feng accepted them with delight, thinking he had indeed encountered a real big fish. While reassuring Xu Mu, he secretly transmitted messages to his accomplices and arranged the upcoming matches. Jialan Lou watched Xu Mu from the side with keen interest, surprised to have landed two substantial catches in one day. He telepathically instructed, “Keep a close eye on him. If this deal is successful, I’ll give you an extra tenth!”
Xiaoyao Feng, ecstatic, replied, “Young Master Jialan, rest assured, this time it’s foolproof!”
Meanwhile, Xu Mu was communicating with Qiongqi. “For the first four rounds, he will definitely let us win. So, we should bet as much as we can in the early stages to fleece them.”
Qiongqi yawned lazily and casually replied, “Whatever you say. As long as you win money and treat me to good food, I don’t mind.”
Xu Mu smiled faintly and said no more. Soon, new contenders stepped onto the arena, arranged by Xiaoyao Feng’s insiders.
“The man on the left is named Wu Zhe. His ability is the Art of Foolishness. Through verbal attacks, he can greatly weaken his opponent’s strength, even turning them into an idiot. His soul power is extremely potent. He is a notorious killer from the Tianhai region.”
“The man on the right is named Lu Fei. He has awakened two abilities: one is the element of metal, his martial arts are extremely powerful and fierce, radiating intense destructive force. The second is the ability to control wooden duplicates, capable of withstanding all sorts of attacks.”
Xiaoyao Feng analyzed, then declared, “These two are evenly matched. However, I can confidently say that Lu Fei will be the ultimate victor. The odds are 0.7, meaning if you bet ten thousand taels of silver on him, you’ll earn seven thousand.”
“That little?” Xu Mu nodded slightly, then with a grand gesture, produced a hundred thousand in gold notes. “Then I’ll bet one hundred thousand taels of gold first, just to test the waters!”