Chapter 7: Bottom Fishing
Inside the Stone Gambling House, there was a hidden world, with decorations that were refreshingly novel and luxurious, rivaling even the imperial court.
Every attendant was carefully selected: the men were handsome, towering over seven feet, exuding masculine charm; the women were beautiful, with slender waists that could be grasped in a hand and voluptuous curves. It could be said that this was a gathering of earthly beauties, all high-quality dance partners.
“Ah, Miss Jiang, the wind has blown you in today, bringing radiance to the Stone Gambling House!”
A steward with a poised figure and swaying waist approached with a flattering greeting. To Jiang Qingyue, the words were pleasing to the ear. Three years ago, Li Xuan had never set foot in such high-end venues, so he had appeared uncultured and awkward.
However, in his previous life, Li Xuan had been well-versed in the pleasures of the world, so he quickly adapted.
Yet the steward glanced at Li Xuan with a smile that seemed forced. “This young man looks unfamiliar… could it be that…”
Jiang Qingyue furrowed her brows slightly and shot the steward a sharp look, then coquettishly said, “Aunt Luanfeng, what are you saying? This is Li…”
Li Xuan quickly interrupted, “You must be Aunt Luanfeng! I've heard much about you.”
Then, Li Xuan opened his Qiankun pouch and lavishly displayed a dazzling stack of crystals, grinning broadly. “Aunt Luanfeng, I’m new here. Please allow me to treat you to some tea!”
Luanfeng, a worldly woman, was shocked by Li Xuan’s boldness. Crystal stones were hard to come by; even the wealthiest seldom squandered them so extravagantly!
She looked at Jiang Qingyue, whose face turned pale, and politely declined, “Li Xuan, guests come and go, but the Stone Gambling House operates fairly. I could never accept your tip! I will just make the arrangements.”
Coming from a powerful family, Luanfeng had no worries over crystals, and from Jiang Qingyue’s expression, she sensed there was more to this situation.
Jiang Qingyue patted her snowy white chest and gave Li Xuan a fierce glare. “Thank you, Auntie.”
Li Xuan, seemingly clueless, said, “Auntie, with your family’s status, you surely disdain these vulgar crystals. How about this instead?”
He pulled out a brocade box and slowly opened it. “These are Jade Everlasting Pills to help preserve your youthful beauty forever!”
At this, not only did Luanfeng beam with delight, but Jiang Qingyue’s eyes widened, staring at the pills inside the box.
“I can’t refuse such kindness. Auntie will reluctantly accept!”
Luanfeng hesitated, glanced at Jiang Qingyue, then took the box with a pleased smile. “Then, I shall take my leave. Follow me!”
Along the way, Li Xuan endured some corporal punishment but held back. Luanfeng just smiled and led the way.
“The stone gambling will start around nightfall. You can rest now; I won’t disturb you further.”
Luanfeng was efficient and left Jiang Qingyue and Li Xuan alone in the VIP room.
It was Li Xuan’s first time in such a VIP room. Observing the situation, he quickly sensed the underlying intentions and immediately tried to make a good impression. “Sister, let me massage your legs. If you like it, you can tip me a few.”
With a cheeky grin, Li Xuan began to rub Jiang Qingyue’s legs, causing her to burst out laughing, dispelling her previous gloom.
“Behave yourself! Where are you touching? I’m only here to see returns on investments. If you keep squandering like this before the day is out, you’ll probably have to marry into the Jiang family just to pay off the debts!”
Jiang Qingyue’s cheeks flushed red. Thankfully, the dim lighting concealed her embarrassment.
Li Xuan confidently said, “Don’t worry. You must believe in my ability. Tonight will be one sleepless night.”
In his previous life, Li Xuan had made his fortune this way. Now, with the “Holy Emperor’s Azure Lotus Manual” in hand, his insight into the patterns of raw stones and his ability to sense their power made success a sure thing.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three bronze drums sounded, and the Stone Gambling House burst into lively uproar, filled with voices and whistles from noble young masters.
Jiang Qingyue adjusted herself, cheeks rosy, and pushed Li Xuan away. “Enough with the fooling around. Get to work! I came here to see profits, and if you keep this up without permission, it’s forbidden!”
Jiang Qingyue seemed somewhat agitated. This magical place could make one rich overnight, but also reduce one to utter poverty.
Soon, the sound of the auction gavel echoed as piece after piece of raw stones were sold, but Li Xuan showed no intention to bid.
Until a particularly unattractive stone appeared in the display case, starting at a thousand crystals.
Li Xuan unceremoniously shouted, “Ten thousand crystals!”
Immediately, a ripple of shock swept through the crowd. The noble young masters were stunned and turned to look at where Jiang Qingyue and Li Xuan sat.
“Ah, Miss Jiang, you’re in high spirits today!”
Jiang Qingyue merely smiled and nodded, tucked her hair behind her ear, and with a truly captivating glance, made the young masters restless. They all wished to kick Li Xuan aside and sit beside the beauty themselves.
“One hundred thousand crystals!”
The price of the crude stone was once again raised. The bidder was none other than Tang Xuan, eldest son of the Tang family, known for his reckless spending—once blowing through ten million crystals in a single night. His extravagant lifestyle was unimaginable.
Jiang Qingyue pinched Li Xuan’s thigh, signaling him to stop bidding. Everyone knew Tang Xuan was just flattering her; there was no need to compete seriously here.
Li Xuan seemed unyielding, ignoring her signal. “Two hundred thousand crystals!”
Whispers erupted. Who had the nerve to challenge Tang Xuan?
“Who is this fool, daring to go against Tang Xuan?”
“I’ll beat the idiot senseless!”
“Everyone knows Tang Xuan’s temper. How dare this insolent brat!”
Yet, when the crowd realized this penniless young man was by Jiang Qingyue’s side, they felt a sudden urge to kill him. But seeing Jiang Qingyue’s expression, their anger deflated, and no one dared to make a move.
“Damn shameless pretty boy! I’ll ruin your face someday! How dare you shamelessly sit beside Xiao Yuezhen!”
“Brother, do you have a problem with me?”
Tang Xuan looked angry but composed as he glared at Li Xuan and nodded affectionately at Jiang Qingyue.
Jiang Qingyue smiled and squeezed Li Xuan’s thigh harder, causing bruises. She whispered, “You’re courting death, wasting my money like it’s nothing. If you don’t stop, I’ll send you to the imperial court to repay the debt!”
Li Xuan gritted his teeth in pain but remained calm. “The fish is about to bite. Can you stay quiet for a moment?”
Jiang Qingyue grew angrier. “That’s my dowry you’re squandering! Do you know who he is? He’s Tang Ruoxian’s brother, Tang Xuan!”
Li Xuan couldn’t take the pain any longer and yelled, “Easy! Whether I or Tang Xuan wins this stone, it’s still yours. Look at the way he’s gazing at you—he must have some unspeakable intentions!”
He continued, “If it doesn’t work out, we’ll use a beauty trap. Tang Xuan or Ku Xuan will be easy to handle!”
“What did you say, you brat!”
Jiang Qingyue stopped indulging Li Xuan and unleashed her source power on him, making him cry and tremble.
The crowd watched, envious yet jealous, itching to deal with the shameless Li Xuan.
Tang Xuan glared at Li Xuan fiercely. How dare he flirt with Jiang Qingyue in the Stone Gambling House?
“Usually so cold and aloof, all a show!”
“Heh, I’m glad to see this—sometimes innocent, sometimes alluring!”
Furious, Tang Xuan shouted, “Five hundred thousand crystals!” His tiger-like eyes swept the whispering crowd into silence.
But a decisive voice echoed back from the hall: “One million crystals!”
Li Xuan’s bid shocked everyone. Judging by his attire, he couldn’t possibly have a million crystals. Who had given him such courage?
Jiang Qingyue suddenly stood up, pounced on Li Xuan, and scratched him fiercely. “You bastard! How dare you cheat me!”
Her actions stunned everyone. As rumored, the eldest Miss Jiang was fierce and cunning. This scoundrel was about to suffer greatly.
Yet, in Tang Xuan’s eyes, the two were merely playfully bickering in public. His anger surged as he roared, “Two million crystals!”
Li Xuan held Jiang Qingyue’s tender wrist tightly, signaling her silently, but she was wild, continuing her onslaught. Li Xuan finally said, “The fish has bitten! No more bidding!”
Jiang Qingyue sat down, adjusting her clothes, quietly staring at him like a scorned woman. If not for the rules of the Stone Gambling House, she would have already taught him a lesson.
“Two million crystals, once!”
“Two million crystals, twice!”
“Two million crystals, thrice! Sold!”
The gavel fell. The host asked, “Young Master Tang, shall we open the stone now?”
Tang Xuan felt his heart sink. Some unknown nobody had tricked him into bidding such a high price for a crude stone. What was his plan?
“Li Xuan, you’ll pay for your actions. Tang Xuan’s methods are beyond your imagination!”
Jiang Qingyue was worried. The Li family had declined, and Tang Xuan could crush Li Xuan as easily as crushing an ant.
Li Xuan, however, was somewhat smug. “He won’t open the stone. It’s a gift for you—a token from your little brother.”
Jiang Qingyue was puzzled. “Li Xuan, what exactly do you mean?”
Li Xuan took a breath, eyes fixed on the stone in the host’s hand. “A worthless rock can win a beauty’s smile—isn’t that worth it? If you accept the stone from Tang Xuan, it means you acknowledge your relationship with him. If you reject it, to him it’s just a worthless rock, and he won’t care. He’ll quickly resell it to the Stone Gambling House, disgracing himself!”
Sure enough, Tang Xuan waved his hand. “Please deliver it to Yuezhen as a plaything.”
Li Xuan smiled knowingly, confident as he looked at Jiang Qingyue.
The stone was brought before Jiang Qingyue. It was coarse, even shedding stone flakes, with a chaotic pattern—anyone could see it was worthless. Tang Xuan’s gesture was clearly a slight to the lady.
Though worthless, Tang Xuan had spent two million crystals on it. Such lavishness was a sign of deep feelings. Even a worthless stone was worth wasting so much.
His gaze toward Jiang Qingyue conveyed: “You are the only one in my eyes.”
As Li Xuan predicted, Jiang Qingyue glanced at it and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Tang, but this worthless thing doesn’t suit my status. Please take it back.”
A mysterious smile curved Tang Xuan’s lips. “Consider it charity. Host, please make an offer to buy it back.”
The host hesitated and glanced around at the young masters.
The rules of the Stone Gambling House were strict: once sold and decided, no revoking unless someone was willing to buy at any price. Otherwise, it would be seen as breaking the rules.
The stone was like a hot potato for the host. The Tang family couldn’t be offended, but the rules must be upheld—a dilemma.
None of the noble young masters would foolishly buy a worthless stone; they’d rather enjoy drinks and entertainments.
The atmosphere in the hall grew extremely awkward. The host was embarrassed.
At that moment, Li Xuan suddenly stood and shouted, “Ten thousand crystals!”
Jiang Qingyue angrily kicked Li Xuan’s rear. “You brat, you really know how to do charity!”
Li Xuan stumbled forward, catching the stone in his hand.
The crowd cursed him shameless and foolish.
Of course, there were some twisted souls who wished they could trade places with Li Xuan, even wanting that kick themselves—after all, beating and scolding is a form of love.
The host’s pressure immediately eased. “Young master, shall we open it?”
Li Xuan shook his head. “I’ll keep it.”
He clenched the stone tightly, channeling his source power into it. The chaotic runes twisted, and white light burst from the stone. The flakes instantly turned to dust, revealing a dazzling Ancient Ice Domain Crystal Jade.
The crystal jade was about the size of a goose egg, glossy and smooth, with clear patterns and faint source energy swirling like divine mist.
Li Xuan knelt on one knee and sincerely said, “Little brother has not failed his mission. As a token of greeting, I humbly ask sister to accept it.”
At that moment, everyone in the Stone Gambling House was dumbfounded, all eyes on Li Xuan and Jiang Qingyue. Such a grand romantic gesture was usually performed by heroes and great men, yet here it was from a toad.
Jiang Qingyue accepted the Ancient Ice Domain Crystal Jade with both hands. The radiant light and ethereal mist made her look like a goddess, truly envy-inducing.
Crystals held little appeal to princesses and ladies, but fine jade was a weapon of beauty—no chaste maiden could resist such a charm.
Jiang Qingyue gently helped Li Xuan to his feet, smiling brightly. “Get up. I appreciate this. I misunderstood you before. After the Stone Gambling finishes, I’ll reward you well!”
Jiang Qingyue’s smile was innocent and genuine. Tang Xuan watched with hatred in his heart, finally understanding that Li Xuan had baited him into bidding high. What the crowd saw as worthless was actually a treasure.
Tang Xuan’s resentment burned, and the many admirers of Jiang Qingyue wished to tear Li Xuan apart. This pretentious act was truly bizarre.
Li Xuan returned her smile. “Glad you like it.”
“Shameless!”
“Oh, I recognize you. Aren’t you that worthless scoundrel from the Li family? The one Prince Fan crippled three years ago?”
Jiang Qingyue’s face darkened as she released a powerful aura, silencing the entire hall.