Chapter 1336: Setting the Trap

Shi Min and his companions had been waiting to enjoy a spectacle, but to their dismay, the man constantly invoked their names, turning them into the very punchline they had hoped to witness.

Rage from Shi Min: 444,444,444...

Rage from Shi Min: 444,444,444...

Rage from Shi Min: 444,444,444...

The butler was momentarily stunned, his first thought being that he must have misheard, perhaps missing a 'ten thousand'. However, clear hearing and sharp observation were fundamental requirements for his position, and he quickly realized he had heard correctly: the man had indeed said one hundred yuan stones. This paltry sum wouldn't even suffice to purchase a single stone in the "Heaven" or "Profound" grade rooms, let alone the prestigious "Immortal" grade. Only in the "Yellow" grade rooms might one acquire a few, and even then, they would be of inferior quality.

On any other day, he would have promptly ordered such individuals to be ejected. But remembering they were escorted by the Lion Clan princes, he instinctively glanced at them, only to be met with their distorted expressions.

Just then, Zu An brazenly declared, "Hurry up and take us to the Immortal grade room! What's wrong? Are you looking down on the Lion Clan princes?"

The butler chuckled awkwardly, "You must be joking, honored guest, of course not..." For a moment, he was at a loss, wondering why the Lion Clan princes would bring such companions and if they were intentionally trying to cause a scene.

Fortunately, Shi Rong snorted at that moment, "Stop making a fool of yourself. Your hundred yuan stones are only enough for two games in the lowest-grade 'Yellow' room."

"Don't you guys have money?" Zu An retorted, looking at them with disdain. "Are you telling me you can't afford the Immortal grade room?"

The commotion gradually drew the attention of other guests. They turned to observe, some recognizing Shi Min and his group, and began quietly pointing and whispering amongst themselves. The Lion Clan princes' faces turned purple with rage. They yearned to strangle Zu An and even regretted their decision to bring him in the first place. Observing the constant surge of rage points in his system, Zu An chuckled to himself, thinking these young lions were still too naive.

"Let's just get some practice in the Yellow grade room first," Shi Min suggested, abandoning all pretense of dignity. Their finances might not withstand a visit to the Immortal grade room. Those around them exchanged peculiar glances. For dignified Lion Clan princes to resort to playing in a Yellow grade room—could the Lion Clan truly have fallen on such hard times? Hearing the murmurs around him, Shi Min's face twitched. He cursed the man inwardly, vowing that he wouldn't be able to appease his resentment until he had utterly bankrupted the Snake Clan.

The butler, however, having undergone rigorous training, displayed no trace of abnormality and simply smiled, saying, "Please follow me, gentlemen."

They soon arrived at the ground floor of the pavilion, which was constructed from jade on the outside. Though designated as "Yellow" grade, its interior layout was surprisingly elegant, completely devoid of any cheapness. He had expected the place to be deserted. After all, everyone who could enter Bi Yuan was either wealthy or noble; who would stoop to visiting a place like this? To his surprise, the place was quite lively. Many people were gathered in small groups, staring intently at the unpolished stones on the tables, their faces flushed and expressions tense, clearly absorbed in their gambling.

Zu An scanned the entire room and soon understood why it was so crowded. It turned out that when important figures visited Bi Yuan, they were often accompanied by retinues and junior family members. These individuals would grow bored waiting outside and lacked the funds to spend on the more expensive upper floors. Thus, Bi Yuan thoughtfully created the "Yellow" grade floor for their amusement.

Zu An and his group quickly attracted the attention of those in the room; many even recognized Shi Min and his companions. After all, the Lion Clan was a powerful and prominent clan, and these particular princes were well-known figures. Many even set aside what they were doing and approached, fawningly attempting to curry favor: "Are the princes also here to play?"

"We brought these individuals here to play," the Lion Clan princes declared haughtily. They showed slightly better manners only towards two specific people. One of them had a shifty, unpleasant look, and his exposed skin on his arms, neck, and other areas was covered in distinct dark brown spots, resembling unsightly patches of ringworm, making him quite disagreeable to behold.

Star Slave's voice, transmitted through vital energy, echoed in their ears: "This is a prince from the Hyena Clan, named Ban Ka." As a competent secretary, she had been diligently gathering intelligence on various factions within the royal court. Her performance thus far was highly commendable, earning approving glances from Yu Yanluo and the others.

"Ban Ka?" Zu An grumbled inwardly. "What a ridiculous name, absolutely dreadful. Is he named Ban because he's a spotted hyena? On a side note, are these Hyenas related to those fierce jackals he encountered outside Brightmoon City? And is their combat specialty still evisceration?"

The other individual didn't require an introduction from Star Slave, as his fawning smile revealed a mouth full of black teeth, clearly marking him as a member of the Black-Tooth Clan. From the names revealed during their conversation, this individual appeared to be Hei Chi Gu, a young master from a collateral branch of the Black-Tooth family. Zu An's expression was odd. He noticed that Hei Chi Gu's teeth weren't as dark as Hei Chi Ran's, whom he had encountered previously. He wondered if perhaps the blackness of their teeth indicated the purity of their lineage.

By this point, the group understood that Shi Min and his companions were present only because they were accompanying Zu An. Everyone present was astute, immediately grasping that the Lion Clan and Zu An's group were not friends, and in fact, were at odds. One by one, they began to chime in, supporting the Lion Clan.

"Oh, the Snake Clan used to be a great clan, didn't they? How have they fallen so low that they're now reduced to playing in the Yellow grade room?"

"Indeed, they only have just over a hundred yuan stones. How many stones can that buy? Do you want us to lend you some?"

Some individuals sought to curry favor with the Lion Clan, while others harbored resentment towards the Snake Clan, such as Hei Chi Gu. This animosity stemmed not only from the incident involving the Crown Prince in the Snake Clan's territory but also from yesterday's assassination attempt, which led to Hei Chi Ran's capture and brutal beating, causing significant trouble for the entire Black-Tooth family until the misunderstanding was recently resolved and they regained their freedom. Since all of this appeared to be connected to the Snake Clan, Hei Chi Gu naturally harbored deep resentment.

"Oh, perfect, we're a bit tight on funds right now," Zu An said with a grin. "Please, do us the favor of lending us some. Who knows, perhaps with your yuan stones, we'll pick out some treasures later. Hey, don't try to hide behind others! Didn't you just offer to lend us money?"

Ban Ka and Hei Chi Gu's expressions were as if they had just swallowed something foul. Their offer had been a mere casual remark, but they never expected the other party to actually seize the opportunity. It's well known that the biggest taboo in gambling is lending money; even if you win, you're merely winning back your own funds. And if the borrower actually manages to turn a profit, it's even more exasperating. Consequently, lending money in such a setting was considered quite unlucky.

Yet, with their words already spoken in front of so many people, the two found it difficult to retract their offer. With dark expressions, they could only ask, "How much do you want to borrow?"

Rage from Ban Ka: 155,155,155...

Rage from Hei Chi Gu: 155,155,155...

"Just about a hundred thousand or eighty thousand," Zu An said casually. "Looking at you two, you don't seem particularly wealthy anyway."

The two nearly spat blood. *He* only had a little over a hundred yuan stones himself, yet he was disdainfully calling *them* poor for having one hundred thousand or eighty thousand?

"Hmph, I pity you," Ban Ka scoffed, tossing a bag over with a seemingly generous air. "Here's 500 yuan stones. Don't call it a loan; consider it a gift." But his heart was bleeding. While 500 yuan stones wouldn't ruin him, it was still a substantial expense. The Hyena Clan was never wealthy, and as an unfavored prince, his available resources were limited.

Rage from Ban Ka: 555,555,555...

Beside him, Hei Chi Gu's face was now even darker than his teeth. "In that case," he muttered, "I'll also give you 500 yuan stones. No need to repay." Relatively speaking, he was more financially comfortable, but he couldn't sustain such extravagant spending, especially when it was benefiting the rival Snake Clan. It felt as though he was funding an enemy.

Rage from Hei Chi Gu: 444,444,444...

Beside them, Yun Jianyue chuckled aloud. "This kid is truly a talent," she remarked. "If our Holy Sect had recruited him years ago, our influence would likely be several times greater by now."

Yan Xuehen's expression subtly shifted. "He has a promising future ahead of him," she warned. "Don't drag him into your sect."

"I know!" Yun Jianyue retorted, clearly annoyed. "Look how tense you are; it's as if he's your man." Her unintentional remark made Yan Xuehen's heart skip a beat, and she instinctively turned away, feeling guilty. Fortunately, Yun Jianyue didn't dwell on it.

At this moment, Shi Min smiled. "Since you now have 1000 yuan stones," he said, "why don't you choose these four unpolished stones here? Their prices seem to add up to around 1000."

Yun Jianyue quickly whispered a warning, "Don't pick those stones. That guy definitely has ulterior motives."

Yu Yanluo, however, had a peculiar expression. "Quite the opposite," she said, "these are actually the most likely to contain something valuable."

Zu An frowned and glanced at Shi Min, whose expression was an ambiguous, knowing smile. Was he being genuinely helpful, or was he... deliberate?