"Come on, come on! Betting for the New Blood Competition is open!"
"Zhuge Long, the new top disciple of Elder Chen Hai! He reached the Qi Cultivation Third Layer after just one month of training. A year has passed, and now he's at the Half-Step Foundation Establishment Realm!"
"Zuo Fenghua, the personal disciple of the Nishang Peak Master! She has mastered the Ni Chang Sword Technique, is at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, and is the absolute favorite to win!"
"Xiao Yan, the personal disciple of the Yunhai Hall Master! He obtained the ancient legacy of the 'Anomalous Fire' Sword Technique on a journey. His strength increases a tier with every Anomalous Fire he absorbs! He's at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer after only half a year, but he definitely has the power to defeat foes of a higher realm!"
"Nan Wen, son of the Cloud Dragon Peak Master, whose Thunderfire Sword Technique is simply sublime..."
「Longquan Town, the central hub of the Longquan Sword Sect.」
As the New Blood Competition drew near, the major betting houses began their hawking, attracting disciples from the Longquan Sword Sect to place their wagers.
When you placed a bet, these establishments would also sell you information on the contestants, making you more confident in your wager, even making you feel like you were the one pulling the strings.
Little did they know, everyone else had the same information.
You thought you were pulling the strings, but in reality, you were just another sheep ripe for the shearing.
「This day, Xiao Mo walked into the largest casino in the Longquan Sword Sect.」
Inside the casino was a dedicated area for the upcoming New Blood Competition.
The names of some contestants were written on placards and hung on the wall. The betting odds were listed below each name and were updated every two hours, making it convenient for the disciples of the Longquan Sword Sect to place bets at any time.
Xiao Mo searched and searched but couldn't find the name he was looking for.
"Excuse me, friend," Xiao Mo asked a nearby staff member, "why can't I find the name I'm looking for here?"
"Well now, you must be a Cultivator who joined the sect recently, right?" said the Deacon, whose name was Xu Xin. "If the name you want isn't on the wall, it means they're not one of the favorites to win. I don't know which name you're looking for, but I can check for you."
"Lingqian Peak—Jiang Qingyi," Xiao Mo said slowly.
"Ah, Jiang Qingyi from Lingqian Peak. Let me see." Xu Xin took out a box and scanned its contents with his Divine Sense.
"Found her."
Xu Xin pulled a placard out of the box.
"Jiang Qingyi of Lingqian Peak, Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer. She struggled to even begin her cultivation for a long time, but she must have stumbled upon some fortuitous encounter. She advanced to the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer within this past year. Her strength is decent, and she has a shot at making the top fifty. But as for winning the whole thing? She's a long way off."
"What are the odds?" Xiao Mo asked coolly.
"As for the odds... making the top fifty is two-to-one. Top thirty-two is three-to-one. Top sixteen is ten-to-one. Top eight is..."
"Just tell me the odds for her to win it all," Xiao Mo interrupted.
"Hahaha, friend, nobody has bet on Jiang Qingyi to win. Let me explain our house rules. We have several different betting pools. One of them is the Champion's Pool, where you only bet on the final winner. And you can only place your bet before the New Blood Competition begins. If this Jiang Qingyi of yours wins the championship, and you're the only one who bet on her, our casino takes a one-percent fee, and the rest of the Spirit Stones in the prize pool are all yours. But you should also know, friend, this is a big pool. If you want to bet on such a long shot, you'll need to wager at least fifty top-grade spirit stones. That's a huge amount of money. I know you want to support your friend, but friendship is one thing and money is another. No one wants to throw their money away. Don't you agree?"
Xiao Mo gave the Deacon a cool glance, then, without wasting any more words, tossed out a bag of top-grade spirit stones. "Fifty top-grade spirit stones in total. All on Jiang Qingyi to win."
...
When Xiao Mo returned to Lingqian Peak, it was already noon. The aroma of a home-cooked meal wafted from the courtyard.
As Xiao Mo stepped into the courtyard, Jiang Qingyi was just coming out of the kitchen with several dishes.
Ever since Jiang Qingyi had arrived on Lingqian Peak, she had taken it upon herself to clean Xiao Mo's courtyard and room, and she cooked all three of his daily meals.
At first, Jiang Qingyi's cooking really wasn't anything special.
But she was a fast learner, and slowly, her culinary skills improved.
After nearly a year, her cooking was now on par with the chefs at some of Longquan Town's finest restaurants.
"Master, you're back! The food is ready. Please, sit down and eat." Jiang Qingyi's eyes lit up when she saw him.
"Alright." Xiao Mo nodded and sat on a stone stool.
The ingredients for these dishes were, of course, not ordinary food from the Mortal World. They were made from the flesh of Spirit Beasts and vegetables rich in Spiritual Power, all of which were highly beneficial for cultivation.
Jiang Qingyi brought out a final dish of water spinach and served Xiao Mo a heaping bowl of rice.
The master and disciple sat facing each other, eating their meal.
Before long, a crow arrived at the summit of Lingqian Peak, calling out as it flew, "Elder Xiao, you have a letter!"
With that, the crow dropped a letter from the sky.
Xiao Mo caught it, opened it for a look, and then tucked it away.
"Master, what does the letter say?" Jiang Qingyi asked.
"It's nothing. Just the receipt for a bet I placed."
"A bet? A receipt?" Jiang Qingyi blinked, then it clicked. "It's for the New Blood Competition, isn't it? It seems like a lot of people are placing bets. Master, who are you backing to win?"
Xiao Mo chuckled, looking at his disciple with a smile. "Who do you think?"
"Huh?" Jiang Qingyi froze.
"No, no way... Master, how could you bet on me? I can't possibly win..." Jiang Qingyi waved her hands in a flurry.
'I'll definitely do my best in the New Blood Competition for Master's sake, but I really have no confidence that I can win...'
"You're my disciple. If I don't bet on you, who would I bet on?" Xiao Mo chuckled.
"Then... Master, how much did you bet?" Jiang Qingyi asked, looking at him nervously.
"Not much." Xiao Mo picked up his bowl and took a bite of rice.
"Oh, good."
"Only fifty top-grade spirit stones."
"What?!" Jiang Qingyi yelped, jumping to her feet. "Master, your monthly Spirit Stone stipend is only twenty top-grade spirit stones!"
"That's true," Xiao Mo said, smiling at Jiang Qingyi. "But how could I let my disciple go unsupported?"
"But Master... that's... that's way too much..." Jiang Qingyi was already sounding like a worried steward.
"It's fine, it's fine." Xiao Mo patted her gently on the head. "My stipend for the month will arrive in another ten days. We won't starve. Besides, when the competition starts, I'll have to go to the other betting pools and wager another half-month's stipend to support my disciple."
"Master..." Jiang Qingyi's exasperated voice echoed through the mountains. "You really can't bet any more..."