Chapter 1335: Places That Match One's Identity

Yu Yanluo was naturally confident in this regard and calmly prepared to agree. However, Zu'an interjected, "No, we don't have that many elemental stones with us."

Having been among the demon race for so long, he knew that stone gambling was a very popular game among the nobles here.

Given their status, ordinary gambling would certainly be undignified. Only stone gambling was both elegant and exciting enough, which is why it was widely favored by young masters and ladies of various noble clans.

Shi Rong sneered, "As dignified clan leaders, surely you didn't leave without even bringing elemental stones?"

Zu'an sighed, "The Snake Clan has been struggling these past few years, so we're naturally a bit short on funds. Of course, we didn't bring absolutely nothing; we have a little over a hundred elemental stones on us."

The elemental stones circulating in this world are often cut into standard shapes, just like gold and silver coins in his previous life, and are counted by the piece.

Of course, they can also be counted by weight, but that's not very convenient and is usually only done for large transactions.

"A little over a hundred?" The Lion Clan princes were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

A little over a hundred elemental stones would be a huge resource for an ordinary cultivator, but for a clan leader, it was truly pitiful.

"Our Lion Clan values chivalry, so we wouldn't want to be accused of bullying women," Shi Min mused for a moment before saying. "How about this: later, you can take a hundred elemental stones to the Azure Garden and pick a few rocks. If you manage to cut anything valuable, I will pay you double its worth."

Shi Rong and Shi Gong, standing nearby, grew anxious. They quickly pulled at his sleeves to remind him, unable to fathom why their usually resourceful Third Brother would engage in such a foolish, seemingly guaranteed losing proposition.

Shi Min transmitted his thoughts via primal qi: "Don't worry. If we don't entice them to participate like this, how can we make them bleed money?"

Shi Rong was somewhat puzzled. "They only have a little over a hundred elemental stones on them. What more can they lose?"

Shi Min sneered, "Right now, they're hesitant, which is why they only dare to bring out a hundred elemental stones. Once they get a taste of success, they won't be able to stop, and at that point, it won't be up to them. Even if they don't have enough elemental stones on them, don't forget they have the Snake Clan behind them."

"The Snake Clan deals in certain minerals and serpent venom; those are profitable businesses. We'll find a way to win those two businesses from them then."

Hearing his explanation, Shi Rong and Shi Gong's eyes lit up. Their Third Brother was indeed brilliant.

At this moment, Zu'an also feigned interest and began discussing with Yu Yanluo, seemingly encouraging her to participate.

Yu Yanluo then reluctantly agreed, "Alright, let's give it a try then."

Yan Xuehen silently observed all of this. Naturally, she understood that Zu'an's actions were all intentional. This guy was truly cunning, calculating his opponents so well that they willingly walked into his trap.

Even Yu Yanluo was learning bad habits from him...

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but be startled. Hadn't she also learned bad habits from him? She never used to lie, but now she could deceive people without batting an eye.

Seeing them agree, Shi Min, fearing they might change their minds, hurriedly said, "Let's go then. The Azure Garden is just ahead; we'll be there soon."

Normally, they would have galloped ahead long ago, but now, they subtly surrounded Zu'an and the others, walking leisurely, as if afraid they might back out.

Yun Jianyue transmitted her thoughts to the group via primal qi: "Are you two really confident?"

Although she was a Grandmaster, the Devil Sect's tight financial situation didn't allow her to indulge in luxurious games like stone gambling.

Furthermore, cultivation was largely useless in stone gambling, because the outer layers of the raw stones seemed to absorb cultivators' divine sense, making it impossible to probe their contents.

But precisely because of this, it brought an unparalleled thrill to those who participated in stone gambling.

Zu'an smiled without speaking. Yu Yanluo, meanwhile, subtly nodded; after all, she used to manage the Yu Clan's elemental stone business and had absolute confidence in her judgment regarding them.

Seeing this, Yun Jianyue also showed excitement. "Good! Fleece them thoroughly! Ideally, make them lose everything but their underwear!"

Clearly, what had just happened had truly angered her. Since she couldn't act directly for various reasons, she would leave it to Yu Yanluo.

Yu Yanluo's face flushed slightly, but she still replied, "I'll do my best."

Soon, the group arrived before the Azure Garden. Even through the main gate, they could feel a vibrant energy wafting towards them. They could faintly see a lush green landscape within the garden, with not only the fragrance of flowers but also the crisp, pleasant chirping of birds.

One must know that the northern lands were bitterly cold and rarely boasted such lush vegetation. To maintain such a sight here, an immense amount of effort must have been expended; it was indeed a grand undertaking.

What was even more eye-catching, however, was the tallest building in the garden. It was truly a magnificent palace, shimmering with iridescent light.

"Are these bricks and tiles all made of jade?" Zu'an exclaimed in surprise.

"What's so strange about that? A bumpkin who's never seen the world," Shi Rong sneered. Seeing the other party's country bumpkin-like reaction to entering the city, he instantly felt a strange sense of superiority.

Shi Min, however, was worried his brother might offend them too much and make them back out prematurely, so he stepped in to ease the atmosphere and introduced, "This Azure Garden is a leisure park built by the Fox Merchant Association, the most renowned merchant association in the demon race, within the royal court. It typically only hosts the royal court and the most prominent figures from various clans. Reservations can be booked up to half a year in advance, and ordinary people, no matter how wealthy, aren't qualified to enter."

There was also a hint of lofty pride in his tone, as if implying that Zu'an and the others were only privileged to enter because of their company.

Zu'an didn't get annoyed. He was now more concerned with something else: so this Azure Garden also belonged to the Fox Merchant Association. He had seen this association in Qingqiu Kingdom last time and wondered if it had any connection to Tu Shan Yu and her group.

He'd have to ask Tu Shan Yu if he got the chance. But he had specifically inquired before, and she didn't seem to have arrived at the royal court yet.

She had said she had something to deal with; he wondered if she had been delayed.

Soon, the group entered the Azure Garden. Clearly, the guards at the entrance recognized Shi Min and his companions. A man who looked like a butler very warmly welcomed the group inside. As for Zu'an and the others, they were assumed to be the princes' friends, so they were naturally not troubled.

Awestruck by Yu Yanluo's beauty, he dared not look too long. "Princes, please come in. The Second Prince and his party have already arrived. I will lead you there now."

Hearing this, Zu'an and the others were startled. The image of the arrogant man from the city outskirts, who had been accompanied by a formidable team of black-armored knights, surfaced in their minds. It seemed he was the one who had organized this gathering.

That Second Prince, associating privately with these high-ranking clan youths, clearly had significant ambitions.

At this moment, Shi Min raised his hand to stop him. "No need to rush. My friends here would like to play a round of stone gambling first."

"Oh?" The butler wasn't surprised; after all, everyone who came here enjoyed stone gambling. "What level of gambling are the esteemed guests interested in?"

"What are the different levels?" Zu'an asked.

The butler was momentarily stunned. How could someone who frequently visited here not even know such basic common knowledge? However, his good professional demeanor prevented him from showing any surprise. Instead, he smiled and pointed to the shimmering pavilion in the distance: "It's mainly divided into four floors: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. As the names suggest, the higher the floor, the more expensive the raw stones within, and naturally, the probability of cutting out something good also increases. For instance, someone once cut out a Heaven-tier elemental stone from the Heaven-level floor."

Zu'an frowned and said with some dissatisfaction, "Is Heaven-tier the highest?"

Shi Min and the others nearby almost burst out laughing. Did this guy even know what Heaven-tier meant? With his little over a hundred elemental stones, he probably couldn't even buy a corner piece of a raw stone on the Heaven-level floor, yet he was complaining.

They originally wanted to see Zu'an make a fool of himself, so they didn't expose him and simply stood there with strange smiles, waiting for the show.

The butler, however, heard the unusual tone in Zu'an's voice and was somewhat surprised. "As expected of the Lion Clan princes' friends, your insights are truly extraordinary. In fact, besides the Heaven-level floor, there's also the Immortal-level floor. Years ago, someone cut out an Immortal-tier treasure from there. It's not just elemental stones inside; there could also be various precious spiritual herbs, weapons, and similar items. Of course, every raw stone in there is astronomically expensive. Are you interested in trying your luck there?"

Seeing the extraordinary tone in Zu'an's voice and Yu Yanluo's stunning beauty, he simply took them for exceptionally distinguished guests and naturally had no doubts.

Zu'an was still somewhat dissatisfied. "Only Immortal-tier? Why no God-tier?"

The butler wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "Esteemed guest, you jest. Cutting out an Immortal-tier treasure is already extremely rare. As for God-tier items, there are barely a handful in the entire world. Each one is owned by a top-tier expert of this era. How could they possibly be cut from these raw stones?"

If a divine artifact truly could be cut out, it wouldn't be a joyous occasion for their merchant association; instead, it would invite disaster. It might even lead to their entire clan being annihilated.

"Oh," Zu'an was immediately somewhat disappointed.

The butler could only cautiously ask, "Then, esteemed guest, which floor would you like to visit?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Zu'an thumped his chest, acting like a wealthy magnate. "I'm a friend invited by the Lion Clan princes. Of course, we'll go to a place befitting their status. We have as many as a hundred elemental stones in our possession, so naturally, we're going to the Immortal-level floor!"

The butler looked utterly bewildered.

He then instinctively looked at the Lion Clan princes standing nearby.

Shi Min and the others were so enraged they almost spat blood on the spot.