Chapter 513: Against the Bet

The guard went to the backyard and found a helper, asking: "Did you deliver water to the guest upstairs?"

Having taken his money, the helper answered openly: "Yes, the guest wanted to bathe."

"And then? Was there anything unusual in his room?"

"No, he took a bath, and we carried out the dirty water to dump it. That's all."

"No one else came or went?"

"No, it was just him and that Lord Tiger Demon. They hardly left the room."

Only then did the guard feel relieved. Could he truly have been overthinking things?

The next morning.

Though there was no sunshine, the continuous rain of many days had finally stopped, allowing Baishajue to breathe a sigh of relief.

If there had been a downpour, the Lotus Fragrance Festival would have lost all its appeal.

Their livelihood depends on the water. After this festival each year, Baishajue's local specialties are shipped by merchants across the country, making a good start crucial.

He Lingchuan woke early to meditate and practiced with his saber for nearly half an hour before Jiao Yu came to find him:

"We should set off."

Hearing this, He Lingchuan sheathed his saber. The blade of the Floating Life saber turned, reflecting its master's resolute face.

Today was key to breaking the deadlock.

After today, this case was destined to become a thunderclap, shaking even the distant Lingxu City.

It would become increasingly difficult for him to extricate himself.

Well then, let the tumultuous waves come even more violently.

"Let's go." He stroked the tiger's head. "Don't keep them waiting."

Jiao Yu flicked its tail, feeling that He Lingchuan's saber technique was unusually menacing and full of killing intent.

Power comes from the heart. What was wrong with the special envoy today?

The sky gradually brightened.

He Lingchuan, Jiao Yu, and Commander Lu were all invited to observe the ceremony from Tide Lake Pagoda, whose renovated structure appeared even more magnificent.

Unlike festivals elsewhere, the Lotus Fragrance Festival always began with a lotus-picking competition. Therefore, festival guests would first ascend Tide Lake Pagoda to observe the progress.

Even though Tide Lake Pagoda was reinforced, its capacity was limited. Only powerful nobles and specially invited guests like He Lingchuan and Zhongshen Mou could go up to watch the ceremony that day.

He Lingchuan also saw Xiang Yan. The old man smiled at him from afar, and He Lingchuan nodded in return.

When He Lingchuan went up Tide Lake Pagoda again, he saw that a large expanse of green had appeared in the southwest corner of the great lake, occupying a full third of its surface.

Tide Lake was a vast body of water whose edges couldn't be seen even from afar, so one-third of its surface was still incredibly wide.

"Are those lotus leaves and... duckweed?" That entire section of the water was completely covered in green, and He Lingchuan wondered how the event was supposed to start.

The last time he climbed the pagoda, that area of water had been empty. How could so many plants have suddenly grown in just a few days?

Someone nearby interjected: "These plants are all cultivated by lotus spirits. After the competition begins, the duckweed will disappear on its own, clearing the waterways."

He Lingchuan looked back and saw Cen Boqing. Wu Kai stood behind him.

"Lord Cen, is your household also sending a boat to compete?"

"Of course, my family participates every year and has won the lotus stakes at least twice." Cen Boqing spoke with an easy demeanor, as if making casual conversation. "Won't the special envoy try it? Outsiders participate every year."

He Lingchuan gazed at the dense expanse of lotus leaves. Their broad leaves were like umbrellas, and their stems were thicker than any he had seen elsewhere, rising at least four or five feet above the water. If a boat were to sail into them, it would be no different from entering a maze, with visibility completely obstructed.

"No, it's much better to stand here and watch others exert themselves. Why bother participating personally?" He Lingchuan said with a smile. "What do you think, Lord Cen?"

Cen Boqing replied, "Indeed, the principle of looking out for oneself isn't something everyone understands."

The two exchanged smiles.

He Lingchuan thought, *This fellow is very composed, coming here to show off. Does he truly believe I can't find his weakness?*

Commander Lu, with four or five subordinates, stood around He Lingchuan. Hearing the conversation, he interjected: "My subordinates are participating too. Look, right there! Number ninety-seven!"

Following the direction of his finger, over a hundred small boats were moored by the lake, each with two people, all standing ready.

As the hour approached, Tide Lake Pagoda was packed with nobles, and commoners filled the area below the pagoda.

As everyone eagerly anticipated, the Baishajue County Magistrate stepped forward and personally rang the large copper bell hanging from the pagoda eaves.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, the lake breeze carried the gentle, pleasant bell sound to the pebble beach.

In Yanguo, such public festivals typically begin with a string of firecrackers, which truly signifies a lively atmosphere.

However, in Beijia, only bells or clappers could be struck; fireworks and firecrackers were prohibited.

The official explanation was that these items could easily cause fires, burning down houses and leading to accidents.

But of course, everyone knew that the ban on fireworks was mainly because monsters disliked them.

Humans enjoyed liveliness, but most monsters, especially smaller ones, would only feel aversion and fear when hearing sudden loud bangs.

Beijia, after all, was known as the Demon Kingdom, and thus had to respect the general sentiments of its monstrous inhabitants.

If a minority vehemently opposed something, and the majority were indifferent, that thing would likely end up being prohibited.

Therefore, festivals within Beijia, including New Year celebrations, did not feature fireworks.

He Lingchuan had known this for a long time, as Second Boss Shi had complained to him on the road that in such a large demon kingdom, hardly anyone conducted fireworks business with him.

After the sound of the eaves-bell spread, He Lingchuan watched as the vast expanse of duckweed on the lake surface began to sink into the water.

"Eh?" How was that done?

"Before the competition, the duckweed covers the water, preventing anyone from seeing the path to the Lotus Palace," Commander Lu explained. "Before the start, the fish spirits in Tide Lake will direct schools of fish to bite off the duckweed and pull it to the bottom. This quickly clears waterways for the competing boats. The tradition of collecting lotus stakes has continued for nearly a century, and the fish spirits are experienced and know how to cooperate."

He Lingchuan marveled. Perhaps only Beijia, among all the nations, truly understood how to 'make the best use of demons.'

He squinted into the distance and indeed saw the water surface churning as if boiling. He couldn't tell how many fish were swarming below, but occasionally large fish would leap out of the water. If he could still discern their forms from such a distance, they must have been at least five feet (1.6 meters) long.

Before long, the duckweed across that entire water area was largely cleared, with efficiency far surpassing human effort.

All that remained standing on the water were countless lotus leaves.

From the perspective of those on the pagoda, they could see countless winding paths among the lotus field, forming the shape of a maze.

He Lingchuan asked, "How does one win?"

"Whoever finds the 'Overlord Lotus' hidden within the lotus field is the winner," Commander Lu chuckled. "This is the prize placed by the lotus spirits in the maze; it only grows out just before the competition begins. Its location, well, only the lotus spirits themselves know. Once someone finds it, the festivities on shore can continue."

"Will it definitely be found?"

"With over a hundred boats, someone is bound to find it," Commander Lu coughed. "Though there was one unlucky year when everyone searched from dawn till dusk, and it was almost dark before someone finally found it."

Jiao Yu said, "Could it be that the lotus spirits went easy on them?"

"Who knows?"

Listening to their conversation, He Lingchuan suddenly felt a warmth spreading in his chest.

Hmm, no way?

The divine bone hadn't made its presence felt in a long time. Did this lake also hold a treasure it was interested in?

"You just said the Overlord Lotus just grew out?" That was the only change. Could the divine bone be interested in it?

"Yes, it only grows out just before the competition, to prevent anyone from accidentally picking it beforehand," Commander Lu added. "The boat race is about to start. We can place our bets now."

"You can bet on this too?"

"Why not?" Commander Lu took five taels of silver from his pouch and called over a bookie: "Bet on boat number ninety-seven to win."

"Alright, number ninety-seven!" The bookie was quite tactless, adding, "The odds are very high."

Commander Lu's face immediately darkened.

At this time, people on and below the pagoda also began placing their bets.

Listening to the waves of sound rising from below, He Lingchuan understood: any activity even slightly related to gambling was bound to be incredibly lively.

It's about communal enjoyment.

Cen Boqing also smiled and bet one hundred taels on his own racing boat.

In fact, one could also bet on number ranges, for example, betting on boats fifteen through thirty. If the winning boat was within that range, one would win money.

However, this kind of betting didn't yield much profit. Wealthy nobles, to support their own boats and also display their generosity, usually bet directly on specific numbers, just like Cen Boqing.

He was asking He Lingchuan, "Special Envoy, aren't you going to try your hand at this?"

He Lingchuan thought, *There are a hundred boats here, and I know nothing about any of them. Wouldn't throwing money in be a waste?* But facing Cen Boqing's challenging gaze, he didn't want to back down.

Just then, over a dozen more people approached. Among them, surrounded, were Zhongshen Mou and Fan Sheng.

He Lingchuan then belatedly realized that Zhongshen Mou really liked to be surrounded by an entourage; every time he appeared, it was quite a spectacle.

Heh heh, very good.

He smiled and greeted Zhongshen Mou: "Lord Zhongshen, have you placed your bet yet?"

Zhongshen Mou, whose ability to feign a smile was inferior to Cen Boqing's, immediately darkened his expression upon seeing the annoying He Lingchuan.

"No."

"How about we bet against each other?" He Lingchuan turned to ask the bookie, "Can we do one-on-one here?"

"Well..." The bookie was also clever. "As long as the esteemed nobles wish it, anything is possible."

"Good, good, I like that phrase, 'anything is possible,'" He Lingchuan laughed loudly. "Brother Zhongshen, do you dare to bet?"

Zhongshen Mou scoffed, "Fine, how do you wish to lose?"

Fan Sheng stood silently to the side, merely staring coldly at He Lingchuan.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment: "I'll also compete, joining Commander Lu's boat—" He turned to ask Commander Lu, "—is that alright?"

"Of course, no problem!" Commander Lu was startled, then overjoyed. "I'll pull someone off, and you can get on."

"Then I'll bet on myself to win."

He Lingchuan turned to leave, but Zhongshen Mou called out to him: "Wait! What's your stake?"

"Oh, right!" He Lingchuan slapped his forehead, turned back towards Zhongshen Mou, and took out a turtle pearl from his pouch, placing it in his palm: "A spirit turtle pearl with three hundred years of cultivation. What about you?"

"Is that all?" Fan Sheng suddenly spoke. "For a special envoy of your standing to only offer a single turtle pearl as a stake is a bit too stingy."

He Lingchuan stroked his chin: "Lord Fan, you're speaking with such bravado. Could it be that you intend to place the bet for Brother Zhongshen? How truly fraternal."