Volume 5 Chapter 10: The Tianjing Gamble
I followed the person who delivered the invitation to Zhaixinglou, the largest restaurant in Ziwei City.
In front of the Zhaixing Tower, there were eighteen warriors wearing tight clothes and white scarves on their heads. There was a flame symbol embroidered on the scarves, which was the symbol of the Mingjiao followers. The eighteen people were in high spirits and lined up in two rows. When they saw me coming, they all bowed and saluted, and said loudly: "Welcome to the leader of the Jinglei Alliance!"
There is a red carpet on the steps at the entrance of the restaurant, leading directly into the lobby!
Wow, I’ve never seen such a grand ceremony except at my own wedding!
Stepping into the inner hall, the downstairs hall was empty except for a few receptionists standing there. It was obvious that Master Suifeng had booked the entire restaurant. You have to know that it was noon when business was booming, and this expense was not a small amount. The master was really generous!
Led by the receptionist, I came to the elegant pavilion on the fourth floor. When I entered the door, I saw that the walls were made of silk and satin, decorated with pearls, with a silk screen in the middle. I could see shadowy figures behind the screen, and sweet voices and erotic words coming from inside. For a moment, I had a strange feeling. I didn't come to a restaurant, but a brothel!
At this time, the welcoming maid bowed slightly to the screen and said, "Sir, the leader of the Thunder Alliance, Bloody Sky, has arrived!"
A clear voice came from behind the screen, "Alas, I didn't know Brother Tiankong had arrived. I was so rude for not coming out to greet him. Please don't take it as an offense, brother. Please come in!"
I was slightly angry. How rude of you! Since you invited me to meet you, it would be fine if you didn't go out to greet me in person. But now that I have entered the inner room, you don't even stand up and ask me to come over? Do we know each other well? I almost turned around and left on the spot.
However, a question flashed through my mind. Just from the words used in the post, I can tell that this Mr. Suifeng is definitely not a person who doesn't know etiquette. Could it be that he deliberately treats me like this and has ulterior motives?
At that moment I laughed loudly and said, "Since you have invited me, sir, how dare I not obey your order?" I walked proudly behind the screen.
Turning the screen, my eyes were dazzled. I saw a large round table with several delicacies and a pot of good wine on it. But there was nothing special about it. What was important was the people sitting at the table!
Beauties! Dozens of beauties with different postures and charming looks were sitting around the round table. These beauties were all stunningly beautiful, and they would be able to enter the finals even if they were put in the Oiran Contest. Opposite me sat a handsome young man, who must be the young master Suifeng. I also understood why he couldn't come out to greet me in person - he was holding a beautiful woman in his arms, and the woman was pouring a glass of wine to his lips. There were also two beauties pulling his sleeves on the left and right, whispering and teasing. In such a gentle crowd, which man would be willing to stand up?
The young man stretched out his hand and beckoned me, "Brother Sky, please be polite. Please sit down, please sit down!"
I sat down at the guest seat, clasped my fists and said, "I have heard that you are a dashing and charming young man , and your reputation is well-deserved!"
Gongzi Suifeng's face was slightly flushed, I don't know if it was because of the wine or because of my slightly sarcastic words, he said: "I am frivolous, but Brother Tiankong laughed at me! Ziqi, Lu'e, why don't you serve wine to our distinguished guest?"
Then two beauties stood up, one holding a pot and the other holding a cup. The one holding the pot held the handle with her right hand and supported the bottom of the pot with her left hand. She tilted the pot slightly, and a line of silver light spurted out of the spout of the pot and poured into the cup. The water flow was very thin, and the spout of the pot and the mouth of the cup were at least three feet apart. The wine collided with the jade cup, making a faint ding-dong sound. After a while, she put away the pot and the water flow stopped. The cup was full of wine about an inch higher than the mouth of the cup, but not a drop was spilled. This skill of pouring wine was extraordinary. The girl holding the cup made an orchid gesture with her hand and brought the glass straight to my lips, but not a single drop of wine spilled. Obviously, these two people were well-trained maids, and such people could not be found temporarily in the game. They should be the servants of the young master in reality brought into the game to serve him. Combined with the information in my mind, the statement that the young master is the heir of a large consortium is most likely true!
I have come into contact with many wealthy people. Regardless of the fact that Xiao Yi Wanxing is a woman, I have never seen Minge act with such pomp and circumstance. Moreover, according to various gossip news reports, it is rare to find people with such style in modern society. I had an idea in my mind that there is only one person who fits this image. Could it be him?
Although I was thinking a lot, I managed to keep my face calm and said with a smile, "Beautiful woman and good wine, enjoy it sir!" Then I drank the light silver wine in the jade cup in one gulp.
After taking a sip, I was stunned. This wine tastes light on the tongue, with almost no alcohol taste. But after drinking it, there is a fragrance on the tip of the tongue. The fragrance is like flowers and grass, pure and natural, making people feel as if they are in the embrace of a big forest. Moreover, it is only a faint feeling at first, but it becomes more and more mellow and fragrant, lingering on the teeth and cheeks for a long time!
This kind of fine wine is only comparable to the monkey wine I tasted before, and it is definitely not an ordinary product on the market!
If I were an old drunkard, I would have recognized that this was the "Elf's Tears", one of the four great wines, and I would have been even more surprised, because the Elf's Tears were produced in the Western Continent, and it would be extremely difficult for people in the Cang Continent to get it. This shows how wealthy and powerful the young master is!
Although I didn't know this was the Elf's Tears, I felt something was wrong. I checked secretly and found that my MP and magic defense had increased. I immediately realized that this was indeed a treasure of the same level as the Monkey Wine. I quickly thanked him and said, "Sir, such a generous gift, I am ashamed to accept it!"
Young Master Suifeng shook his head and said, "I should be the one who is ashamed. Brother Sky is a hero, so he should be served with a big bowl of strong liquor. Although this Elf's Tears is a good product, it is too weak and is a favorite of girls. Unfortunately, there has been no nectar or devil temptation produced in the dream so far, so I have no choice but to use it to make a fool of myself. Brother Sky, please don't be offended."
I was startled at this, because the young master's words were meant to be a demonstration. He was showing off his strength to me: as long as it exists in dreams, there is nothing I can't get.
I said solemnly, "I am not a wine lover. What matters is the intention. I have already appreciated your generosity, but I don't know why you invited me here this time."
The young master smiled and said, "Wait a minute, wait a minute. At the banquet, we are only talking about romance. We can talk about business later. Ziqi, Lu'e, you two should focus on serving Brother Tiankong. Don't be negligent and make sure the distinguished guest feels at home."
After hearing this, the two maids wanted to sit next to me, but I quickly stretched out my hand to stop them and said, "Wait! Sir, I don't like this tone. Please don't serve me!"
The young master asked curiously, "Could it be that Brother Kongkong is not satisfied with these two people? It doesn't matter. The maids around me are all carefully trained, nimble and each has her own style. You can pick whichever one you like. Even my favorite Xiaoru can be given to you. I wonder which type Brother Kongkong likes?" The woman in his arms twisted her body a few times after hearing this, as if she was acting coquettishly.
I rolled my eyes and thought of an excuse to decline, "Sir, you should know that I'm married. If you don't want me to go home and kneel down to take the blame, then you'd better let me go!"
A strange look flashed across Gongzi Suifeng's eyes, and he waved his hand and said, "If that's the case, I won't force you. You two can leave!"
Ziqi Lu'e bowed to me and then, without saying a word, she retreated among the maids and sat down.
I suddenly felt something was wrong. This young master Suifeng imitated the ancients in his words and deeds. According to ancient etiquette, it was a very high standard for the host to entertain guests with a personal maid. I rejected it, which was a great disrespect. Even if the young master didn't get angry, he would at least look dissatisfied. But at this moment, he acted as if nothing had happened and just ordered the maid to leave. Could he really be so cunning? If he had such cultivation at his age, this man must be very scary!
But what did his eyes mean just now? It seemed to be full of admiration... and envy!
At this time, the young master had returned to his cheerful and talkative state, pointing to a dish on the table and saying, "Come, Brother Sky, please try this water shield and silverfish soup - this is a specialty of the south of the Yangtze River, and it is not sold in the cities of the northwest."
I was responding verbally, but I felt more and more uneasy in my heart. I couldn't explain where this feeling came from, so I was a little absent-minded, thinking desperately, trying to catch that ray of inspiration.
At this time, the young master picked up a dish with chopsticks and fed it to the maid Xiaoru in his arms. Xiaoru smiled and said something, turned her head away and was unwilling to eat. During the fight, Xiaoru accidentally touched the chopsticks with her hand and knocked the ivory chopsticks in the young master's hand to the ground.
The young master did not take it as an offense. He turned around and told another maid, and the maid went to get another pair of new chopsticks.
This was a very ordinary scene, but suddenly I had an idea and I knew something was wrong!
Momentum! This Young Master Suifeng lacks a certain kind of momentum!
Not to mention the identity of the young master that I speculated about in reality, even if he led more than 100,000 followers in the game, he would naturally have the aura of a superior over time, just like me. Ah Wei once said in casual chats with me that since the establishment of the Thunder Alliance, I have gradually gained some majesty. I don’t feel it when I’m laughing and joking with my brothers, but when it comes to serious business, that majesty will be revealed, making people obey my orders unconsciously.
Maybe the young master was used to flirting with these maids, but I always felt that his attitude towards those maids was neither like a master treating his servants nor like flirting between men and women, but more like a fight between brothers and sisters. There was not the slightest respect or fear in the eyes of those maids when they looked at him, which was not consistent with the intelligence that his character was "clearly distinguishing rewards and punishments, with generous rewards and heavy punishments". You know, a person who severely punishes others for small mistakes is always feared!
Just now, when he ordered Ziqi and Lu'e to leave, he did not reprimand them. You know, it is very common for the master to vent his anger on the maids for the sake of face. Xiaoru looked nonchalant after knocking the master's chopsticks away. Even if she is very favored, this is not the behavior of a normal maid. Although I don't like this style and don't like to divide people into different levels, if I really use "servants", I can't tolerate such a spoiled maid (because either everyone is equal, or the class system is strict, and this kind of seemingly right and wrong situation makes people feel awkward)!
The more I analyze, the more doubts I come up with. At first, out of politeness, I did not use my gaze skill on the young master. Now that I have doubts in my mind, I don't care about being rude and I immediately look at him with my gaze. Of course, if he is really the young master, then I have also prepared an apology.
I found nothing at a glance. All the information is? Impossible! Unless this young master is 20 levels higher than me!
Unconvinced, I stared at him again, and this time I finally saw the other person's name: Yishanfeng!
The fake young master had already noticed it, but he didn't get angry. He looked at me calmly. At this time, there was a few claps of applause from the side, and a young but very attractive man said, "Brother Tiankong is worthy of his reputation. He is not only skilled but also very smart. He even exposed my subordinate's trick so quickly."
I turned around and saw that there was a suite inside the elegant pavilion. The door curtain was opened and a man walked out of the suite. He looked exactly like the fake young man on the seat, but his face looked more childish. He looked no more than twenty-one or twenty-two years old, which was inconsistent with the intelligence that he was twenty-four or twenty-five.
But I am sure that he is the young master! His demeanor is far beyond the reach of ordinary people. Although he is smiling, I can faintly feel a kind of pressure coming. There are only a few such wonderful people in the whole fantasy world, and the leader of the Mingjiao is definitely one of them. The others are much older.
Gongzi Suifeng walked up to me and said, "I know Brother Tiankong doesn't like this kind of ceremony, so I'll ask them to leave."
After saying this, he waved his sleeves, and the maids stood up one after another, bowed, and lined up to leave the room. Every move they made was very cautious, without making any sound, and their expressions were extremely respectful. Shanfeng was the last to leave, and he was the only one who turned back to look at the young master before leaving.
The young master saw me looking at Yi Shan Feng strangely, and knew that I was puzzled by the similarity between the two of them, so he smiled and said, "My subordinate knows a little bit of the art of disguise, and I asked him to play a joke on Brother Tian Kong, please don't be offended."
I suddenly realized that in fantasy, thieves and assassins can learn the skill of Disguise, and this skill can not only change one's appearance at will, but also hide one's information attributes when it reaches a certain level. Unless the opponent's identification skill level is higher, it is not easy to detect. However, this skill can only be learned at level 60, which means that the level of the fan is also quite high, and the young master's words seem to protect him, so it seems that he is an important subordinate of the young master.
I said coldly, "Your Excellency invited me here, but teased me like this. Is that fun?"
The young master bowed to me and said, "I apologize to Brother Sky. I did this to test your ability. Fortunately, Brother Sky did not disappoint me this time."
I frowned and said, "So, have I ever disappointed you before?"
The young master smiled and said, "Why did Brother Sky come to Ziwei City? And do you know who the original owner of the crystal column that day was auctioned off?"
I was surprised and asked, "Is it you?"
"That's right. I accidentally learned that Brother Sky had three fragments of the divine weapon Heavenly Crystal. I guessed that you must be well aware of the legend of Heavenly Crystal and probably wanted to collect all the crystal pillars to obtain the divine weapon. So I held this auction to lure you here to see me."
I was even more angry and said, "If you want to see me, you can just come to the Thunder Alliance and pay a visit. Everyone in the Alliance will welcome you with open arms. Why do you have to resort to such means and set a trap for me?"
Gongzi Suifeng said solemnly, "I live in the southeast, and you live in the northwest. It seems that we are unrelated, but I know that the Jinglei League has great ambitions and will march eastward one day. Although I am not talented, I also have the ambition to compete for the Central Plains. In the future, you and I will become great enemies. Before the day when you and I fight, I will naturally observe you, my enemy in my mind."
I sneered, "There are many hidden dragons and crouching tigers in the fantasy world. There are countless ambitious people, and there are countless people who are better than me. You insist that I am your enemy. Don't you think it's ridiculous? Maybe before the day when you and I meet in the Central Plains, the Thunder Alliance or the Ming Cult will have disappeared, or even both of them will be defeated. Although people who do not think about the future will have immediate worries, you are thinking too far ahead!"
"Hehe, Brother Sky is speaking from the heart. Others may look down on your Jinglei League, but I, Young Master Suifeng, am not so narrow-minded. Just look at how Jinglei League started from scratch with no money and power and has grown to its current size, and how it is invincible and growing stronger day by day. You can see how powerful and potential it has. Brother Sky is also confident that he can accomplish something big, right? Otherwise, how could Beibei be the chief leader of the Pojun Dalian League? To borrow a saying from the ancients: The only heroes in the world are Tiankong and Suifeng!"
I felt a chill in my heart. The Grand Alliance was only established the day before yesterday, and Young Master had obtained first-hand intelligence. This was nothing, but he could actually see through my inner thoughts at once. This person will really become my rival in the future!
The young master continued, "But when I met you today, I was a little disappointed at first. During the auction, you clearly guessed the seller's intention, but you raised the price just to make the other party lose some handling fees. You hurt others but not yourself, which is not what a great man should do. But when you came to the banquet, you spoke in a measured way, you were not angry when you were insulted, you were not surprised when you were favored, you were not confused when you saw your beauty, and you were as careful as dust. This changed my opinion, so I showed up to meet you, which means I recognize you as my opponent!"
What a young man! He is so arrogant! If you don't meet his standards, you won't even be recognized as his opponent! His analysis is so insightful that one cannot help but be convinced.
A surge of pride surged in my chest, and I clasped my fists and said, "It is an honor for me to be considered an enemy by you! And it is also a great pleasure in life to have an opponent like you! Today I admit defeat, and if we meet on the battlefield in the future, we must do our best and see who will win! Goodbye!"
"Wait a minute!" The young master said, "There is something else I want to discuss with you. I know you already have three crystal pillars from that day. If you bid for one today, you will have half of them. Don't you want to know the whereabouts of the remaining crystal pillars?"
I asked in confusion: "Your Excellency means..."
"But I have three more in my hand!"
I was shocked. So, the young master already had four of them, but I was completely unaware of it. Meanwhile, the other party knew everything about me. I lost again in this battle of intelligence!
"Brother Sky, I really don't want to hide it. I am in need of a handy weapon, so I have put a lot of effort into collecting sky crystals."
"Haha," I said with a slightly pleased smile, "Your Excellency, do you want me to give up the crystal column in my hand? But since you and I are destined to be enemies, why should I strengthen your strength?"
"I don't dare to have such unrealistic thoughts. But the situation is very clear now. If you and I don't give in, the divine weapon Heavenly Crystal will never appear in the world. There is a rumor that 'Tiger Soul is restored, the world is the emperor, who can rival it, only Heavenly Crystal'. Brother Sky's weapon is Tiger Soul. Don't you think it will lose a lot of fun if you don't have an opponent who controls Heavenly Crystal? And I have a feeling that this is referring to something else. Brother Sky's Tiger Soul is not complete. I am afraid that the restoration of Tiger Soul and the appearance of Heavenly Crystal are also closely related. However, I don't dare to ask Brother Sky to hand over the crystal column. Why don't we make a bet."
I never expected that the young master would make such a proposal, but his statement made sense, and I was also interested, so I asked, "What bet?"
The young master smiled and said, "Both you and I have tried our best to search for the whereabouts of the Heavenly Crystal Pillars, but so far there are only seven in total, and one has disappeared without a trace. I am 100% sure that the remaining one has not appeared in the dream. Let's make a bet to see who can find the last crystal pillar first. The first one to find it wins. However, this mostly depends on luck, so the party who gets the crystal pillar first should give the other party a chance to make a comeback. After finding it, notify the other party immediately, and then carry the crystal pillar with you for ten days. During this period, no matter whether the other party steals or robs the crystal pillar, if they take it away, you will be considered to have turned defeat into victory. However, if the original owner can still keep the crystal pillar within ten days, the victory or defeat is determined, and the losing party must hand over all the crystal pillars in his hand. How do you think?"
I found this bet quite interesting. And with the young master's status and position, he would never cheat me when he has already collected the remaining four crystal pillars or knows the whereabouts of the remaining crystal pillar. In other words, this bet is fair. The most important thing is that his point of view in the previous paragraph touched me. With Tiger Soul in hand, you are invincible. It is really lonely without a person or weapon that can match you! In particular, it makes sense that the appearance of the Heavenly Crystal and the restoration of Tiger Soul are related. Otherwise, why did the NPC keep repeating that sentence before he died (NPC death, I have only seen this one case - of course, it refers to the character NPC, not the monster NPC)? If I insist on not agreeing, not only may Tiger Soul never reach perfection, but also let the young master underestimate me.
I immediately said, "Okay! I'll make a bet with you. It's a deal!"
The young master nodded with a smile and said, "It's a deal! But since the bet is done, the crystal column itself is actually worthless. The previous auction made a lot of money for Brother Sky, but it was just a joke. Now I will return the money, and I hope Brother Sky will not refuse."
I was about to refuse it, but then I thought, the Thunder Alliance is in urgent need of funds, how can I get more than one million in such a short time? Moreover, it was my own fault that the gang's funds were lost. Now that I have the opportunity to make amends, how can I ignore the interests of the gang for my own face?
So I said, "I am ashamed! Since you are so generous, I will not be polite. I really don't want to hide it. I am in urgent need of funds. However, I should still pay for the loss of system fees. You only need to return me 1.2 million."
After completing the transfer procedures with the young master, I felt ashamed to stay any longer, so I said goodbye and turned away.
I didn't know that after I left, Gongzi Suifeng showed a serious look on his face, muttering to himself: "You can advance and retreat, endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, bloody sky, it seems that I didn't choose the wrong opponent!"
