Chapter 10: Gambling!
/ KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas
A month’s time passed quickly.
Today was the day of the battle between Duan Ling Tian and Li Jie.
Daybreak, in a clean and tidy room.
Duan Ling Tian stood up and walked out of the bath barrel.
He had just finished the last portion of the Seven Treasures Body Tempering Liquid.
As he lightly shook his numb body and felt the strength contained within it, there was an indistinct smile in the corner of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth.
This entire month of hard work was not wasted!
After going through bitter cultivation for a month, the immatureness on Duan Ling Tians face had faded slightly.
Prolonged hours of body tempering caused Duan Ling Tian’s body to become robust and sturdy.
His dark purple close-fitting clothes showed off his perfect physique.
Compared to that sickly appearance he had one month before when he hadn’t yet completed body tempering and became a martial artist, he now looked like another person.
Just then, he heard a light knocking sound coming from outside.
“Young master, have you woken up yet?”
A pleasant voice like that of an oriole bird singing caused a hint of gentleness to flash by Duan Ling Tian’s tranquil expression.
After properly putting on his clothes, Duan Ling Tian walked out from behind the screen, slowly made his way to the door, extended his arm, and opened it.
As the door opened, rays of soft and warm sunlight poured into the room and onto Duan Ling Tian’s body.
Outside, a slim and graceful young girl locked eyes with Duan Ling Tian. When their eyes met, she lowered her head in panic as a slight trace of rosy red emerged on her face.
The young girl was wearing light green clothes that showed off her developing figure.
A pair of budding flowers that unintentionally released the temptation of youthfulness.
A slender waist that could be embraced with one arm was tied with a light blue belt that fluttered with the wind....
Gazing at the young girl outside, Duan Ling Tian was absent-minded for a moment.
“Ke Er, you woke up so early.”
Coming back to his senses, Duan Ling Tian smiled slightly.
He sighed lightly in his heart. In this past month, since she completed her body tempering, her body was becoming more and more hot.
As Duan Ling Tian continued to size her up, her face was so red that it seemed that blood might drip out.
“Young master, madam said that she will be going ahead. She asked me to come wake you up and come together with you. I didn’t expect young master to be awake so early.”
The young girl blinked her eyes. Her willow leaf eyebrows curved into the shape of a crescent moon as she lightly nodded.
What the young girl said caused Duan Ling Tian to laugh bitterly.
“Ke Er, you....broke through to the second level of the Body Tempering stage?”
Suddenly, Duan Ling Tian gazed at the young girl with a shocked expression when he noticed that she had broken through.
“It’s all thanks to young master and the medicinal liquid that you concocted for me. If not for that, Ke Er’s progress would not be so quick.”
The young girl’s clear eyes slightly moved and her willow leaf eyebrows lightly rose. She lightly nodded her chin and the corners of her mouth held a moving smile.
“The medicinal liquid is just a secondary factor; the most important point is that you have good innate talent. It seems like Frost God’s Sword Technique is very suitable for you....Ke Er, you will need a sword since you’re cultivating a sword cultivation method. Later in the afternoon, I’ll take you out to go buy a sword.”
Duan Ling Tian shook his head and smiled.
“Young master, didn’t you say that the body tempering section of Frost God’s Sword Technique didn’t contain any matching sword skills?
The young girl blinked her clear eyes.
“I’ll teach you other sword skills. Do you want to learn?”
Duan Ling Tian playfully asked.
“Yes!”
She hurriedly nodded, seemingly afraid that Duan Ling Tian might go back on his word.
“Ke Er, let’s go.”
After walking out of his room and closing the door behind him, he naturally extended his hand and held the tender and delicate hand of the young girl. His actions seemed extremely natural and smooth, as if he had practiced countless times.
“Yes, we can’t let madam wait for us for too long.”
The young girl’s face had a smile of happiness as her little hands exerted force to hold the youth’s hand tightly.
The young couple held hands as they walked out of the courtyard and towards the Li Family Martial Arts Practice Hall.
On the way, they attracted many gazes that contained jealousy, admiration, and hatred.
The way some Li Family disciples gazed at Duan Ling Tian made it seem as if their eyes would spit fire at any moment. They wished they could push Duan Ling Tian aside and take his place.
There were also some young girls who had expressions of jealousy when they looked at Ke Er, who was beautiful enough to resemble a little celestial maiden.
......
The Li family Martial Arts Practice Hall was an enormous greenstone arena.
The terrain outside the arena had a slightly higher elevation. Right now there was a stream of people going there. These people were all Li family disciples that were gathering together. They were bustling with so much noise and excitement that the force of the sound shot up to the sky.
“It’s only two youths having a battle, but nearly all the elders of the family have come. What a spectacle!”
“Yeah, even the family’s marketplace managers have returned from Fresh Breeze Town. The size of the occasion today can be compared to a coming of age ceremony.”
“In my opinion, the reason that all the elders have returned is because Seventh Elder invited the Grand Elder and the Patriarch to bear witness. They have no choice but to come or it would be disrespectful.”
......
At the front of the Martial Arts Practice Arena, there was a high platform on which seating had been laid. Many people were already sitting there enjoying some scented tea.
These people were the higher-ups of the Li family.
The Li family Patriarch, Li Nan Feng, sat in the middle.
Besides the empty seat beside him, the other seats had all been taken. Behind each of these Li family Elders stood a few youths and young girls.
As the Ninth Elder of the Li family, Li Rou sat at the edge. Her face was tranquil as if her expression would not change even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of her.
“Ninth Elder, you have good self-control.”
Seventh Elder Li Kun and Li Rou were separated by the Eighth Elder. Li Kun leaned his head over to look at Li Rou and smiled faintly.
Li Kun had an expression of utter confidence in victory.
Li Rou acted as if she didn’t hear him and completely ignored him, causing the Eighth Elder who was in the middle to be unable to refrain from revealing an odd smile on his face.
“Humph!”
Li Kun grunted out of anger.
He wanted to see how long Li Rou could continue putting up her act.
Today, his son Li Jie will surely cripple Duan Ling Tian and take revenge for that kid who will be unable to recover from his injuries.
“Grand Elder!”
“Grand Elder!”
......
The stream of people split apart.
Along with respectful greetings full of reverence, an aged figure walked up the high platform.
It was the Li Family Grand Elder, Li Huo!
“Grand Elder!”
Including Patriarch Li Nan Feng, all of the Li family elders stood up and respectfully saluted the old man.
This old man was not only the strongest person in the Li family, he was also a respected Grade Nine Alchemist.
In the Cloud Continent, only a graded alchemist could be considered to be a real alchemist.
Becoming an alchemist required one to meet extremely stringent requirements.
It can be said that out of a thousand Core Formation stage martial artists, there was a chance that not even one would be capable of becoming an alchemist.
In Fresh Breeze Town, the three families each had one Grade Nine Alchemist.
But only the Li Family’s alchemist was of their own kin, whereas the alchemists of the other two families were invited into the family by paying hefty sums. Those alchemists could leave at any moment.
The old man lightly nodded and sat at the seat beside the Patriarch Li Nan Feng, then he closed his eyes and rested his mind.
“Little Jie, since Grand Elder has already arrived, go enter the arena.”
Seventh Elder said to Li Jie, who was standing behind him. After nodding his head, Li Jie walked off into the spacious Martial Arts Practice Hall.
“Even Grand Elder has arrived and Li Jie has entered the arena, but why hasn’t Duan Ling Tian arrived yet?”
“What haughty manners Duan Ling Tian has!”
“He isn’t afraid to come, right?”
......
The Li family disciples surrounding the Martial Arts Practice Hall started to talk to each other. Some of them were even feeling contemptuous toward Duan Ling Tian.
“Ninth Elder, even Grand Elder has arrived; why hasn’t your son Duan Ling Tian arrived yet? He isn’t afraid to come, right?”
Seventh Elder purposely said loudly on the high platform.
“Don’t worry, Seventh Elder. Since my son has agreed to the battle, he will naturally come.”
Li Rou made a light “humph” sound.
“Ninth Elder, I feel there is no reason to conduct today’s battle. Why don’t you concede on behalf of your son? At least this way you can avoid him getting injured and prevent the relationship between you and Seventh Elder from getting hurt.”
Sixth Elder Li Ping, a man with a knife scar on his face, said coolly as he was on good terms with Li Kun.
“Sixth Elder, according to what you said, do you think that Li Jie will win for sure?”
Fifth Elder could not refrain from asking.
“That is a publically acknowledged fact.”
Li Ping smiled.
“Then Sixth Elder, let’s make a bet....If Li Jie wins, I’ll pay you five hundred silver, but if Duan Ling Tian wins, you will pay me five hundred silver. What say you?”
Li Ting looked deeply at Li Ping before slowly saying this.
The Li family elders were only paid no more than twenty silver each month. Li Ting unexpectedly used a few years’ worth of his salary to make the bet!
The Li family higher-ups at the scene, including the Patriarch Li Nan Feng, looked at Li Ting in shock. Never could they have imagined that he was so confident towards Duan Ling Tian.
Even Grand Elder Li Huo opened his eyes and looked deeply at Li Ting.
After hearing what Li Ting had said, Li Ping’s eyes shone brightly.
He was originally a person who liked to gamble; he could be considered a gambling addict. In his mind, Li Ting was gifting him free money.
The only problem was that he did not have five hundred silver at the moment.
His money was mostly spent at the gambling den.
“Are you afraid, Sixth Elder?”
Seeing that Li Ping was quiet, Li Ting laughed.
Li Ping’s face instantly turned red. He leaned over and looked toward Seventh Elder Li Kun.
“Sixth Elder, I can lend you five hundred silver. Furthermore, I will take out another five hundred silver to bet with Fifth Elder. Are you willing to bet with me, Fifth Elder?”
Li Jie said, after noticing Li Ping’s difficulties. He looked at Li Ting with a keen gaze.
Li Ting frowned.
Although five hundred silver was only a few years’ worth of salary, once the expenses for these few years were taken into account, Li Ting only had around eight hundred silver saved up.
Li Kun, who could collect a savings of a thousand silver, could be considered to be rich amongst the Li family Elders.
It could be said that Li Kun was risking his entire fortune and going all out!