Chapter 006: The Rogue's Gamble

Lu Tao said, "If you run out of money, you can win it back." Zhu Wuzhao replied with a苦 face, "I don't even have the capital to bet again." "Who says you don't?" Lu Tao reminded him, "Don't you still have a teleportation jade talisman?" Zhu Wuzhao suddenly felt troubled, "This..."

On the table, there are two stacks of copper coins, each containing a dozen or so coins. Among these stacks, there is a small ant. The little ant sways its head from side to side, unsure of which direction to crawl. A circle of people sits around the table, holding their breath and staring intently, their eyes wide open, fixated on the small ant on the table. Under the gaze of so many people, the ant seems unable to move; it remains there, merely waving its two antennae, yet it does not take a single step forward.

Zhu Wuzhao's eyes widened with bloodshot intensity, and his lips moved slightly as if he were about to cast some curse. His actions indeed bore fruit, as the little ant suddenly sprang into motion, lowering its head and charging straight ahead, but it was not heading in his direction; instead, it was running towards Lu Tao.

Zhu Wuzhao hurriedly apologized: "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Brother Lu..." Lu Tao was furious: "Who put this here? It wasn’t here just now..." Zhu Wuzhao said: "It’s fine, just wipe the table clean, and we’ll start right away." "No way!" Lu Tao insisted: "Wait until I dry the coins." "No need, if they’re wet, they’re wet; it doesn’t matter." However, Lu Tao remained adamant: "No way!" He insisted on drying the coins before starting. Zhu Wuzhao looked at him sideways: "Brother, aren’t dry and wet coins still just coins? What’s the difference with books?" Lu Tao’s expression became awkward: "What difference could there be..." Zhu Wuzhao said: "It’s fine, just wipe the table clean, and we’ll start right away." "No way!" Lu Tao insisted: "Wait until I dry the coins." "No need, if they’re wet, they’re wet; it doesn’t matter." However, Lu Tao remained adamant: "No way!" He insisted on drying the coins before starting. Zhu Wuzhao looked at him sideways: "Brother, aren’t dry and wet coins still just coins? What’s the difference with books?" Lu Tao’s expression became awkward: "What difference could there be..." He reluctantly said: "Alright then, you can start whenever you say so."

The reward that Daoist Jiu Xian received surprised him greatly, to the point that he was somewhat incredulous. However, after he discreetly went to observe once, he discovered that Gu Sheng was indeed cooking, and had unknowingly fallen asleep next to the stove while steaming a pot of rice. From that moment on, he was convinced that Gu Sheng had truly become a sleepyhead

These servants also receive their own wages. Although working here does not pay as much as in the taverns at the foot of the mountain, it is not insignificant either. Practitioners of the Dao, especially those from prestigious sects like the Wuwei Sword Sect, tend to have some degree of generosity. Not all of these servants can become disciples, so their labor is indeed valued. If they are not selected, they will not be left without food and clothing when they descend the mountain.

Between the large water bucket and the mountain spring, between the pots, bowls, and the waste of rice grains, he transformed into the Bone Saint of Ancient Ascension, unknowingly spending three months in the Wuwei Sword Sect. During these three months, he has become accustomed to the rhythm of life here, dressed in coarse blue garments, eating simple food, and engaging in diligent labor, completely transforming from the foremost figure of the demonic path into a servant of the Wuwei Sword Sect. The only aspect in which he does not synchronize with others is his frequent dozing off, or rather, his drowsiness. Over time, he has earned a nickname: Ancient Drowsy. This is because he often falls asleep without realizing it.

These servants took the money in vain, how could they be forced down the mountain? They have long been skilled individuals, so why would they worry about not having food to eat? Therefore, they usually spend freely, and there aren't many places to spend money in the upper regions, which is why they opened such a gambling game

Lu Tao raised his eyelids and said, "No more gambling, then that's it." Zhu Wuzhao quickly grabbed him and exclaimed, "Gamble, gamble! I'm all in!" With determination, he took out the pure white jade talisman and slapped it down on the table with a loud clap, saying, "How much is it worth?"

Zhu Wuzhao had already lost twelve rounds in a row, depleting all his savings. He looked at the cheerful Lu Tao and said somewhat sheepishly, "Senior Brother Lu, could you lend me a little?" Lu Tao rolled his eyes and replied, "No way!" Zhu Wuzhao felt quite embarrassed, saying, "But how can I buy wine without money? You know..." Zhu Wuzhao could not enjoy himself without wine, and after a while, he would secretly go down the mountain to buy some.

Those who descend from the mountain are already top experts in the martial arts world of the mortal realm, yet no one knows their origins. If there are any leaks, naturally, the sects of the cultivation world will intervene to address the matter

Sitting at the very front, the two most anxious individuals were Zhu Wuzhao and Lu Tao. At this moment, Gu Sheng had already settled on the edge of the bed, becoming somewhat dazed. His type of sleep is quite peculiar; he cannot hear much of what others are saying and does not pay attention to many things, yet he does not miss a single important word or significant event; he is fully aware of everything that matters.

Zhu Wuzhao's expression grew increasingly grim, while Lu Tao could not hide his joy. Finally, the antenna of the ant touched the stack of copper coins on Lu Tao's side, and Lu Tao exclaimed, "I won again!" He reached out with his large hand and swept across the table, causing both stacks of copper coins to fall into his embrace. It turned out to be a gambling game.

Gu Wuxi received the report, stroked his beard for a long time, and suddenly laughed: "Forget it, forget it! The ancestor has bestowed upon us a muddled one who is not a talented individual; what does that even mean? Let it be..." From that point on, Gu Sheng no longer received any special care from the sect leader

Good! Four hundred wen is just four hundred wen! Lu Tao seemed extremely eager to obtain that jade talisman, and with a determined bite of his teeth, he staked all his possessions. "Wait for me a moment." He dashed out, retrieved the two hundred wen he had saved under his bed, and combined it with the two hundred wen he had won today, making exactly four hundred wen.

Zhu Wuzhao has become the closest person to him. This fellow's father is a businessman, and it is said that their family has a substantial enterprise. The entire continent at the foot of the mountain has branches of their family’s stores. He has been influenced by this environment and has inherited his father's legacy—just as he himself says, he will never engage in a losing business! He will never undertake anything that does not offer a bargain.

This suddenly left everyone at a loss; everyone looked at each other in silence, with no one speaking up. How much is such a rare jade token worth? There was no certainty. Lu Tao thought for a moment and gritted his teeth, saying, "One hundred wen!" Zhu Wuzhao snorted through his nostrils and took the jade token back. Lu Tao immediately said, "Two hundred wen!" "Four hundred wen, not a single wen less; otherwise, forget it!"

He angrily kicked the chair aside and walked out, while Zhu Wuzhao laughed triumphantly behind him

Even the Daoist Jiu Xian cannot visit the place where the servants reside every day; he can only occasionally use an invisibility spell to take a look or summon Wei Ming, who is responsible for managing the servants, to inquire about the situation. When Wei Ming first went to see the Daoist, he was genuinely excited for a while, thinking that the sect leader was summoning him to impart some profound magical formula, believing he had finally made a breakthrough. However, after returning, he fell into a state of despondency for several days, but it wasn't long before he recovered, diligently continuing his morning and evening lessons every day. The Bone Saint also noticed that Wei Ming could not retain any true energy within him; no matter how vast the natural energy of heaven and earth was, it could not be stored within his constitution, at most it was merely a fleeting experience.

However, it did not take long for Lu Tao to come to a realization, and his inner anger was naturally understandable. A person like him, who resorts to deceit himself, cannot tolerate others acting in the same manner. From that point on, the three of them harbored animosity, and Lu Tao regarded these two as thorns in his flesh and nails in his eyes. On the very first day that Gu Sheng arrived, he did not like him, and now he has developed a hatred for Zhu Wuzhao.

As for how the Wuwei Sword Sect could afford to pay their wages, it is like this: periodically, some senior disciples from the sect go out to wander and seek out wealthy merchants, noble sons, and aristocrats who have performed good deeds but are afflicted by illness. They demonstrate their abilities and heal their ailments, which naturally leads to generous rewards. Thus, the considerable expenses of the Wuwei Sword Sect are not a burden.

Once, on the way to fetch water, he unexpectedly snored while walking! Since then, Lu Tao took the lead, and the nickname "Confused" spread widely.

With a sudden clatter, four hundred copper coins clinked onto the table, forming a small pile. Just as Zhu Wuzhao placed the jade talisman on the table, his elbow accidentally nudged, causing a water bowl to topple over with a crash, spilling its entire contents across the table, water flowing everywhere, and the copper coins also became wet

In the afternoon, Zhu Wuzhao recalled the gambling match from the morning and couldn't help but grin. He reached out and nudged Gu Sheng, who was on the verge of falling asleep: "Do you know why I was able to win?" Gu Sheng yawned and shook his head. Zhu Wuzhao continued, "I will only tell you one person, but you must not share it with others." Gu Sheng nodded, but as he did, his head drooped lower like a chick pecking at rice, and he was about to doze off. Zhu Wuzhao slapped his shoulder hard: "Stay alert! Do you know why Lu Tao was able to win consistently at the beginning? Because the lowest copper coin he had was smeared with honey, so the ants always crawled over it. I wasn't unaware; I deliberately let him win, and in the end, I used the jade talisman to trick him. He thought I was just like everyone else, a fool who couldn't see through his tricks, haha..." In the final round, he intentionally knocked over the water bowl, washing away the honey from the copper coin, while he himself had smeared a layer of honey under the jade talisman.

Soon, a junior disciple caught an ant and placed it between a pile of copper coins and a jade talisman. The ant turned around twice and then bumped into the jade talisman! Zhu Wuzhao exclaimed with joy, "Haha, I won!" Lu Tao's face turned extremely pale; he had originally intended to win the jade talisman but unexpectedly ended up losing his own stake as well.