Chapter 120: Celestial Vault Betting Hall

Hu Qingqing was rendered speechless. She could not fathom how Xin Lang possessed such vast wealth, casually producing five hundred thousand gold coins without a second thought. What she understood even less was Murong Yueyin’s confidence in him; could it be that the two of them were secretly involved? Back at the teahouse, Murong Yueyin had spoken of money with such an ambiguous tone. "Could it be that I’ve lost to Murong Yueyin, that she’s beaten me to the punch? No, I must find an opportunity to probe them both. I would rather lose to anyone else than to Murong Yueyin!"

As Hu Qingqing sat in silence, calculating her own schemes, Fatty Gu, who had overheard the conversation, felt his eyes light up. He rubbed his greedy hands together and asked, "Boss, um, could I perhaps put up some money too?"

"Put up money? What are you planning?" Xin Lang asked with a smile.

"Heh heh, with such a golden opportunity to get rich, I’m talking about placing bets, of course!" Fatty Gu replied.

"That's right, Boss! I want in on this too! This is the perfect chance to rob the rich to help the poor!" Qian Bai-Du chimed in from the side.

Knowing full well that Xin Lang would win, placing these bets felt just like seizing money from the wealthy.

Xin Lang nodded at Fatty Gu and Qian Bai-Du, then pulled a large stack of gold vouchers from his robe and smiled. "I’ve already prepared for this! But you must be discreet. There is nearly a million in gold vouchers here. The two of you must place the bets gradually. Do not drive down the odds all at once, or it will arouse suspicion among the bookies and other gamblers. If too many people follow our lead and the odds drop, we won't make much of a profit!"

"Boss, you can count on me to handle this," Fatty Gu assured him.

"By the way, Boss, how will we split the winnings?" Qian Bai-Du asked.

"The usual rule: we split it equally!" Xin Lang replied. To him, money was merely an external possession; the bond of brotherhood was the most valuable thing of all.

Hong Jingang leaned in, his face flushing as he whispered, "Boss, let me discuss something with you. Could you lend me some money? I want to place a bet, too!" Seeing such a lucrative opportunity, even Hong Jingang could not resist.

Xin Lang retorted, "If I lose, how will you pay me back?"

"Heh heh..." Hong Jingang chuckled honestly. "Even though that guy Ling Tian is third on the Golden List, I absolutely believe in your strength, Boss! Besides, you’ve wagered so much against him, and now you’re betting on the side—it’s obvious you have absolute certainty of victory!"

*This big gorilla is starting to catch on,* Xin Lang thought. *Good, he has potential.*

"How much do you want to borrow?" Xin Lang asked.

Hong Jingang pondered for a moment before asking, "How much can you lend me, Boss?"

"As much as you want to borrow," Xin Lang replied.

Not knowing exactly how much wealth Xin Lang possessed, Hong Jingang finally said, "I’ll borrow ten percent of the money you gave to the second brother!"

Xin Lang was surprised; despite Hong Jingang’s rugged appearance, there was a keen mind beneath the surface. Instead of naming a specific number, he opted for a percentage of the total.

"Very well," Xin Lang laughed. "But Fatty must handle the betting, and once the money is won, you’ll get your share."

Xin Lang’s duel with Ling Tian had attracted many dignitaries of the Summer Capital. After all, the stakes were incredibly high, and Ling Tian was not only the eldest son of Prime Minister Ling Zhantu but also a strong contender for the hand of the Princess of the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Who is this Xin Lang? Has anyone heard of him?" asked one of the wealthy gamblers present.

"Never heard of him. But word is he offended the Eldest Princess, Huangfu Huijing. This kid from the Ling family is just trying to curry favor with her," replied another.

"Hmph! Ling Zhantu is already powerful enough to sway the imperial court, yet he remains unsatisfied, letting his precious son set his sights on becoming the Prince Consort!" the first gambler remarked with indignation.

"Don't underestimate that position! The Emperor values the Eldest Princess highly and intends to pass the throne to her, making her Empress. With Ling Zhantu’s ambition, how could he not covet that role?" the second gambler countered.

"You mean to say..."

The first gambler was about to continue, but was cut off. "Shh, don't say it out loud. We both know what's going on."

The Sky-Dome Gambling Arena featured many VIP suites designed for the wealthy and powerful. In one luxurious room, Shangguan Ningyu—fifth on the Martial Arts Academy’s Golden List and a woman as delicate and fair as a white jade—was leaning against a man, feeding him grapes.

"Ningyu, you went to investigate Xin Lang. What did you find?" the man asked.

"I cannot read him! I can only say that, on the surface, he is incredibly arrogant," Shangguan Ningyu said after catching the grape skin and seeds spat out by the man. "He is only a first-tier master, several levels below Ling Tian, yet he is supremely confident in this duel. I truly cannot understand where his confidence comes from. And... from his eyes, I can tell he is a man with a story."

As Shangguan Ningyu recalled Xin Lang’s sorrowful gaze, her thoughts drifted away.

"Hmm?" The change in her expression did not escape the man’s notice. With a hint of jealousy, he asked, "Ningyu, you haven't taken a liking to him, have you?"

The question flustered her. "Ah! Not at all... I’ve only met him once, how could I possibly fancy him?"

In another VIP suite of the Sky-Dome Gambling Arena sat the Third Prince, Huangfu Shaoqi, and the Headmaster of the Martial Arts Academy, Huangfu Sheng.

"Shaoqi, I heard you had some trouble with this Xin Lang. What is this about?" Huangfu Sheng’s demeanor shifted from the kindly elder seen by the students to a stern, majestic patriarch.

"Returning to you, Thirteenth Grandfather, it was just a minor dispute. It has already been resolved," replied Huangfu Shaoqi, whose playboy demeanor had been significantly tempered since the beating he received from Xin Lang.

"Sigh..." Huangfu Sheng let out a long sigh. "Shaoqi, you are the brightest of our Huangfu generation! I know that everything you usually do is to mask your true talents. You do not wish to be embroiled in the struggle for the throne, so you pretend to be a reckless, arrogant youth. It has been hard on you."

"Thirteenth Grandfather..."

Huangfu Shaoqi’s expression turned solemn, and as he began to defend himself, Huangfu Sheng cut him off. "Enough, say no more! I will not speak of your affairs to anyone. Now, let us discuss this Xin Lang. What is your impression of him?"

The shift in topic suited Huangfu Shaoqi, yet the mention of Xin Lang made him hesitant.

"This Xin Lang is arrogant and inscrutable, and furthermore..."

"Furthermore what?" Huangfu Sheng pressed.

After a long hesitation, Huangfu Shaoqi said, "When he sparred with me, he used our royal legacy, the 'Imperial Fist of the World.' I suspect he and..."

The final words were so soft that they were nearly impossible for anyone else to hear.

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Sheng was shocked. "Are you certain?"

"Yes! Although I cannot be one hundred percent sure, he himself implicitly admitted it," Huangfu Shaoqi replied.

"It seems there is a high probability. I have also made inquiries, and the results are much the same," Huangfu Sheng paused, then continued, "Regardless of whether it is true or false, our family must treat this with caution. We cannot allow a moment of negligence to destroy the legacy our family has built over generations!"