Chapter 59: A Nameless NobodyImmortal Guest Inn, second floor.

Lin Yuchu and Bai Luozhou, who were seated by the window, exchanged a glance, then looked away. Aside from themselves, and each other, no one knew what they were thinking at that moment.

And behind them, one table away, Lou Qianxue, who sat alone, also lifted his eyes after hearing Lu Qingyuan’s words. His cold gaze, as if filled with frost, looked deeply at him.

A thoughtful expression appeared on that handsome, icy face.

Lu Qingyuan might become the most troublesome opponent in this Sword Path Grand Competition.

Immediately after, a flash of interest passed through Lou Qianxue’s eyes, like a fierce flame igniting amid ice and snow.

Things were different from what he had expected. They were starting to become interesting!

And at that moment, in front of the betting table.

After Lin Yuchu heard the young, handsome man who had suddenly appeared beside him say those words, his expression also paused.

He is deliberately targeting me.

That was Lin Yuchu’s first reaction after hearing “one hundred thousand and one spiritual stones.” Who is this person?

Although he asked himself that inwardly, in truth, he already had some guesses about the newcomer’s identity. He was merely reserving judgment before his guess was confirmed.

If he wanted to know who he was, wasn’t that simple?

Lin Yuchu thought this, then raised his head and looked toward the person beside him.

And the moment his gaze turned toward him, as if sensing it, the man standing beside him also turned his head. A pair of clear eyes, holding a faint smile, looked at him.

Lin Yuchu’s expression paused. He looked at the man before him and thought that only now, up close, did he know just how outstanding this person’s appearance was.

Bright as the full moon. Lofty as a lone pine on a cliff.

A jade-like gentleman who stood apart from the world, like a clear wind beneath a bright moon.

And at this moment, this handsome man, like a bright moon and a lone pine, was gazing at him with smiling eyes, his expression faintly expectant.

As though he were waiting for Lin Yuchu to ask.

Lin Yuchu paused inwardly. A thoughtful look appeared on his face. Then, after looking deeply at him, he turned his head without another word. Facing the owner of the betting table before him, he took a storage pouch out of his sleeve. In front of everyone on the entire floor, he opened the pouch, poured out a pile of spiritual stones, counted out one hundred, and pushed them in front of the betting owner. His voice was calm and self-possessed, yet somehow carried an unmistakable air of wealth. “One hundred thousand and one hundred!”

“…” The betting owner.

“…” Everyone in the inn.

“…” Lu Qingyuan, who had been waiting expectantly for the little fellow’s reaction.

What else could one say? Lin Yuchu was practically a divine figure.

Even his response was divine.

The moment he saw Lin Yuchu’s action and heard those words, Lu Qingyuan’s expression immediately stiffened.

With his expectations dashed, Lu Qingyuan had no choice but to withdraw the smile in his eyes. He looked at the youth before him and said in a meaningful tone, “Aren’t you going to ask who I am?”

Hearing this, Lin Yuchu raised his head and looked at him. “Oh.”

Then he asked with perfect cooperation, “Who are you?”

Seeing that he had finally asked the question Lu Qingyuan had been waiting for, a faint, refined, jade-gentleman smile immediately surfaced on Lu Qingyuan’s face. In a reserved and understated voice, he said, “This humble one is Steady as a Dog.”

“…” Lin Yuchu.

“Pfft—”

“Pfft—”

“Pfft—”

These were the many people in the inn who knew the truth and knew his identity, all spraying their tea.

Even Qin Chuan, Bai Luozhou, and Lou Qianxue, who had been seated by the window and had remained very steady, composed, and calm from the very beginning until now, found the hands holding their cups becoming somewhat unsteady.

Lou Qianxue directly lifted his eyes, his cold gaze shooting toward Lu Qingyuan ahead like flying knives.

What are you doing!

The expression on his face and the look in his eyes seemed to ask exactly that.

Mischievous. Too mischievous. Truly mischievous!

Everyone in the inn who knew Lu Qingyuan’s identity could not help twitching at the corners of their faces. They cried out speechlessly in their hearts, what kind of act is Young Master Lu putting on?

Surely he isn’t so bored that he came over just to tease a child?

On the contrary, Lin Yuchu, who had guessed Lu Qingyuan’s identity from the start, reacted quite blandly. There was not much surprise in his expression either.

He only looked at Lu Qingyuan before him.

His calm reaction instead made Truly Mischievous Young Master Lu Qingyuan unable to resist wanting to ask him, “Was it not funny?”

Young Master Lu, who rarely told jokes, had finally been mischievous for once, only for the other party to refuse to give him face. He was even stingy with a smile. Lu Qingyuan could not help thinking regretfully that this child was truly too difficult to handle.

After that.

He stretched out his hand toward Lin Yuchu and opened it before him, revealing a fair, slender, well-shaped palm with distinct knuckles. “Pay up.”

“…”

Lin Yuchu looked at him and asked calmly, “Where is the IOU?”

His question instead made Lu Qingyuan ask in surprise, “Do you owe me money?”

Lin Yuchu said without batting an eye, “That is something I should ask you.”

Having been countered, Lu Qingyuan immediately laughed in anger inwardly. He looked deeply at the child before him and thought, I have met an opponent.

Though this child was young, he was a difficult one.

Given time, he would surely become someone great.

“I do not remember lending you money.” Lu Qingyuan spoke in an airy tone, then looked at him and said, “I did not come to collect a debt from you. I came to ask you for money.”

“Is there a difference?”

This time, Lin Yuchu actually said exactly what he wanted to hear.

After finally hearing the answer he had wanted with such difficulty, Lu Qingyuan was nearly moved to tears of joy. It had not been easy!

This child never stepped into the pits he dug.

“Naturally.”

Lu Qingyuan looked at him, raised his brows, and revealed a self-possessed, understated smile. “I performed so diligently just now to amuse you.”

“You have to support me with either applause or money.”

Lu Qingyuan spoke with perfect confidence. “Since you will not applaud, you should at least give money.”

Hearing this, Lin Yuchu looked deeply at him.

“…”

Meeting that familiar-looking gaze, Lu Qingyuan immediately had a bad feeling.

Then…

Then he watched helplessly as the child before him looked deeply at him, turned away without saying a word, and, right in front of the betting owner, opened the storage pouch in his hand without further ado. He then turned it upside down. At once, with a crash, countless glittering spiritual stones poured out in an instant.

They covered the entire betting table.

Piled into a little mountain.

Glittering brightly.

Facing the betting owner, who was dumbstruck, mouth hanging open and unable to close it for a long while, Lin Yuchu said in a light tone, “All of these on Brother Steady to win.”

“…” Lu Qingyuan, Steady as a Dog.

“…” Everyone in the inn, whose hearts were filled with holy crap, holy crap, holy crap crap! There were too many things to roast, and they had no idea where to begin.

“…” And Qin Chuan and Bai Luozhou, whose expressions were subtle and whose hearts were even subtler.

The two exchanged a subtle glance.

At the same time, they revealed expressions of waiting to watch a good show.

As for Lou Qianxue…

On his ice-and-snow-like face, his brows furrowed deeply. He seriously considered whether he should draw a clear line with a certain someone and pretend he did not know him. This was too embarrassing!

You have utterly disgraced us cold and aloof sword cultivators, Lu Qingyuan. Leave the group!

“I think this should be enough.”

After scattering the money, Lin Yuchu turned back to Lu Qingyuan, who was still tongue-tied and stunned by his off-script move. His expression was cold, and his voice was淡淡. “I have bet my entire fortune on you. Don’t disappoint me.”

After saying that, he did not wait for Lu Qingyuan’s reaction.

He turned to Gu Chun, who was bored to death beside him and leaning to one side playing with his own hands. “Let’s go.”

Hearing him, Gu Chun raised his head and looked at him. A smile appeared on his face, and his clear voice was bright with pleasure. “Is it over?”

“Mm.”

“Then let’s go!”

“Mm.”

Gu Chun straightened and walked beside Lin Yuchu. The two left together.

And behind them.

Lu Qingyuan’s gaze remained fixed on Lin Yuchu’s departing figure. For the first time, the handsome face that was like a clear wind and bright moon lost its usual gentle, smiling expression. It became deep and unreadable, making others unable to see through him.

Qin Chuan and Bai Luozhou, seated by the window, raised their eyes and looked at his expression at that moment. The same thought arose in their hearts at once.

The greatest variable in this Sword Path Grand Competition had appeared…

Things were no longer under control. They would no longer proceed according to their expectations.

Lu Qingyuan, this man, seemed to have begun taking things seriously.

But…

Qin Chuan and Bai Luozhou exchanged a glance. Their eyes held the same confusion.

What exactly made him serious?

What had provoked him?

Which part of that youth’s behavior had provoked him?

Was it worth it?

Was it worth making him serious enough to pay attention?

It was nothing more than a careless remark from a youth, an unintentional action.

Was it truly only a careless remark and an unintentional action?

Lin Yuchu and Gu Chun headed toward their lodging room on the third floor.

While going up the stairs.

Gu Chun looked at Lin Yuchu beside him and asked curiously, “Why did you bet on Lu Qingyuan to win?”

Clearly, his odds of victory were not the highest.

“Because his payout was the highest,” Lin Yuchu said in a careless, breezy tone.

“…” Gu Chun.

He was instantly tongue-tied and dumbstruck.

Although he had imagined countless possibilities, he had absolutely never thought it would be this reason.

It was actually, actually because of this?

Unbelievable.

“I lied.”

Lin Yuchu’s淡淡 voice came through the empty, quiet stairwell. “Because that person’s sword is very vicious.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t be fooled by how he looks all mild and gentle, always smiling, as if he has a very good temper. His sword is the most vicious. Even from that far away, I could feel the vicious aura sharp enough to pierce through a person’s skin.”

“Eek!”

“Before I came, my father told me about the sword cultivators worth paying attention to in this Sword Path Grand Competition. So when we were on the second floor, I recognized Qin Chuan, Bai Luozhou, Lu Qingyuan, and Lou Qianxue at a glance. They were too special and stood out too much.”

“Eek, so they were all there at the time!”

“Yes.”

“Then you still said all that. You did it on purpose?”

“Not really on purpose. Everything I said was the truth. Not a single word was false.”

“…”

“…”

Their footsteps gradually grew farther away, and their voices also became more and more distant.

…

The incident that happened today on the second floor of Immortal Guest Inn, to the people in the inn at the time and on that day, might have been nothing more than an interesting and unusual matter, a fun story they could tell others as conversation material.

At least at this moment, most people thought so.

But later, when everyone spoke of today’s events again, they could not help sighing with emotion. So everything had already been foreshadowed, or perhaps it was fate.

When that youth and his companion stepped into that floor of the inn…

Did it feel like the gears of fate had begun to turn?

Their meeting had happened far earlier than the world knew.

It was only that, at the time, no one knew.

A nameless nobody.

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