Chapter 551: Thousand Soul Gambling Saint

Song Qianhun’s bid was already approaching fifty million. Jin Shunying couldn’t take it anymore; her mind was on the verge of collapse.

She raised her hand and said, "Forty-seven million one hundred and fifty thousand."

This was the highest she could bid. Even though it wasn't her own money, she couldn't bring herself to name a higher figure, fearing she would lose her sanity.

Song Qianhun raised his hand again: "Sixty million."

Jin Shunying scratched her head and laughed.

He didn't even say fifty million, jumping straight to sixty million.

Her boss had indeed instructed her to secure the item no matter what.

The boss had also told her not to look back easily.

But this time, she had to look. She truly felt her mental state was deteriorating.

She needed to confirm her boss's attitude, or at least his mental state, to ensure he was still sane.

If her boss went crazy first and then refused to acknowledge the bid, Jin Shunying, as the bidder, would see her life completely fall apart.

Jin Shunying slowly turned her head and gazed at Li Banfeng's seat for a long time.

"Where's the boss?"

"Where did he go?"

"Why is he gone?"

Jin Shunying trembled all over, almost crying out loud.

"He's gone, what do I do?"

"Where am I going to get sixty million from?"

"My life is ruined, isn't it?"

On stage, the host, Chi Huiyi, shouted, "Sixty million, going once!"

Jin Shunying's vision blurred, and she found it hard to breathe.

"Sixty million, going twice!"

Jin Shunying felt her scalp was about to split open, and she tore out a lock of her hair.

"Sixty million, going three times!"

Jin Shunying closed her eyes, feeling as if she was falling into an endless abyss.

"Congratulations to this gentleman! The item is yours!"

"Gentleman?"

"Why did she call *me* gentleman?"

Jin Shunying looked up and only then realized something.

The sixty-million-dollar bid wasn't hers; it was from the man behind her.

*He* spent sixty million, *he* bought the item. What did that have to do with her?

Under intense stress, Jin Shunying had experienced a cognitive bias that nearly scared her to death.

Seeing that the Demon Fiend had been sold, Jin Shunying let out a long breath, and the heavy weight on her mind was lifted.

If her boss asked later, she'd tell him the truth: that she was terrified and couldn't bid anymore. If he got angry, he could hit her—she'd accept the beating—but there was absolutely no way she could pay a fine!

As Jin Shunying was still lost in thought, Chu Zikai, carrying Shui Yongquan's soul, approached Song Qianhun. The two of them were to proceed to a side hall outside the main entrance for the transaction, as per custom.

Given the immense sum and the size of the deal, the blonde elder responsible for protecting Chu Zikai naturally followed them.

Chi Huiyi, the owner of the dance hall, was also thrilled by the sixty-million-dollar deal struck that night. By rule, she would receive a substantial commission.

Seeing Song Qianhun slowly rise and move with deliberate steps, Chi Huiyi didn't dare to rush him. After all, he was the distinguished figure who had bid sixty million, and she couldn't risk offending him.

Song Qianhun kept looking back, walking with clear hesitation.

He wasn't hesitant because of the sixty million; he was concerned about the next item on the menu.

Li Qi had promised him that the grand finale dish absolutely wouldn't be served.

Only after Song Qianhun had left the hall did Chi Huiyi announce the next item: "For our grand finale, the chef is ready!"

Chang Shigui, the owner of the incense and candle shop, solemnly carried a box to the center of the dance floor.

Having been in business his entire life, this was the most important day for Chang Shigui. Before the grand banquet began,

Chang Shigui had knelt before the Great God's "trousers" and prayed for a full two hours. The speech he was to give on stage today had been rehearsed dozens of times, word for word.

Now, standing before the crowd, he adjusted his breathing slightly and spoke in a rich voice, "The dish I have brought today is the Great God's—"

"I'll buy it!" Li Banfeng raised his hand.

Chang Shigui hadn't even finished his sentence when Li Banfeng declared his intention to buy.

Chi Huiyi chuckled, "Please don't rush, sir. Wait until the chef has presented the dish, then you can bid!"

"No need to present it. No matter what condition this dish is in, I'm definitely buying it!"

Chi Huiyi said, "If you want to buy it, you'll still have to wait for the vendor to announce the price."

"No matter the price, I must buy it."

Chang Shigui replied, "Please bear with me and allow me to finish describing the dish."

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "What do you mean? Isn't this a grand banquet today? I've ordered a dish, and you're not selling it?"

Chi Huiyi was stunned, and Chang Shigui was equally confused. At a grand banquet, it was always the highest bidder who got the item. How could someone just "order" a dish?

The surrounding guests began to murmur, some even scoffing at Li Banfeng for not understanding the rules.

"Is this his first time at a grand banquet?"

"Who does he think he is, buying whatever he wants?"

"He's probably some local tyrant who's used to throwing his weight around and has come here to make a fool of himself."

Jin Shunying had thought her boss might go crazy, but she hadn't expected it to happen almost at the end of the banquet. Was he angry because she hadn't secured the Demon Fiend?

Would he punish her severely afterward?

He could beat her however he wanted, but he absolutely couldn't fine her money.

Li Banfeng looked at Chang Shigui and said, "I'll ask you one question: are you selling or not?"

Chi Huiyi's smile vanished, and she, too, became angry. "Sir, we have our rules. Since you're here to partake in our banquet, you must abide by them."

"Why do you have so many rules?" Li Banfeng snapped. "Are you selling or not?"

Chi Huiyi's eyebrows shot up. "You're intentionally causing trouble!"

The moment she finished speaking, dozens of dark energy users sprang out from around the dance hall.

Daring to host a banquet here, Chi Huiyi was naturally no ordinary person, nor was it her first time dealing with troublemakers.

She wanted to warn Li Banfeng, but he turned out to be even angrier than her. "You refuse a toast and ask for a forfeit, huh? Not selling, are you? Well, I don't feel like paying either!"

With that, Li Banfeng strode to the center of the dance floor and snatched the box from Chang Shigui's hand.

Chang Shigui was stunned for a long time. Li Banfeng's movements were too fast, and Chi Huiyi didn't react in time either.

By the time she reacted, Li Banfeng was already cradling the wooden box, grabbing Jin Shunying, and charging towards the dance floor exit.

The group of guests watched with gleaming eyes. Being well-informed people, they hadn't expected to witness such a spectacle at a grand banquet. If not for the no-phone policy, they would have loved to record it.

"Stop him!" Chi Huiyi roared furiously. "How dare he openly rob in my establishment? Has he not bothered to find out who Chi Huiyi is?

"Catch him and beat him to death! I'll take responsibility if anyone dies. All you guests present, take a good look:

"That's my temper, Chi Huiyi's temper! Today, if someone acts wildly on my territory, I certainly can't, I can't... let him... leave—"

Chi Huiyi's voice trailed off.

She realized the man wasn't actually escaping.

Li Banfeng had only escorted Jin Shunying out of the dance hall; he himself had no intention of leaving. He was eager to test his strength against Chi Huiyi's guards.

There were a total of thirty-five guards in Chi Huiyi's dance hall, all well-known experts.

In the blink of an eye, Li Banfeng had knocked out thirty-three of them, leaving only two.

These two guards retreated behind Chi Huiyi, pointing at her and saying, "Don't hit us; we all follow her orders."

Li Banfeng looked at Chi Huiyi and chuckled, "They all listen to you, so you're the one who doesn't want me to leave?"

Chi Huiyi pursed her lips. "Well, since you're already here, suddenly saying you want to leave... I was hoping to see you off—"

"Alright then, you can see me off later." Li Banfeng set Chi Huiyi aside for the moment and used his Path-Breaking technique towards the side hall.

In the side hall, Chu Zikai was discussing business with Song Qianhun. "Sir, you bid sixty million. How do you intend to pay us? By check, or bank transfer?"

Song Qianhun pondered for a moment and said, "I intend to default on the payment."

Chu Zikai was taken aback. "I don't understand."

Song Qianhun replied, "What's there not to understand? I'm simply not going to pay, and I'm taking Shui Yongquan with me."

Having said that, Song Qianhun grabbed Shui Yongquan and turned to leave.

"Screech!" Chu Zikai let out a sharp cry, and sound waves shot towards Song Qianhun like feathered arrows.

Song Qianhun didn't look back. Three sound-cultivating ghost servants, guarding his rear, roared in unison towards Chu Zikai.

"Roar!"

The roars and sharp cries clashed, cancelling each other out. Chu Zikai was startled, not expecting Song Qianhun to have such powerful sound-cultivating ghost servants.

The blonde man repeatedly shook his head at Song Qianhun. "In the outer states, I've never encountered such a powerful spirit medium.

"You must be from Prolo State, aren't you?

"Prolo State is a barbaric and ignorant place. Its only commendable quality is their respect for contracts. Yet, I didn't expect you to lack even this virtue, openly violating a contract at an auction."

As he spoke, a thick brick wall reappeared in front of Song Qianhun, blocking his path.

Song Qianhun turned and looked at the blonde man. "Are you a craft cultivator?"

The blonde man chuckled, "That's none of your concern. I don't need to answer your questions. What you need to do is fulfill your promise and immediately hand over the sixty million to us."

Song Qianhun shook his head. "I can't give you sixty million all at once. First, tell me which sect you belong to, and I'll give you sixty pieces. Then, if you kowtow to me, I'll give you another sixty. I'm talking about Huan Kingdom currency, not silver dollars."

The blonde man sighed, "Your childishness and stupidity are deeply disappointing. The only reason you're making these outrageous provocations is because you have a seemingly strong helper.

"This helper is a traveler cultivator named Li Qi, who has a high status in both Prolo State and the outer states. But how much help do you think he can truly offer you?

"You were whispering under the dance floor; I saw it clearly. Now the dance floor is in chaos, and I can hear some sounds. Is this your battle plan? If Li Qi truly appeared here, do you think he would leave alive?"

The moment he finished speaking, the wall behind the blonde man cracked open. Li Banfeng, using his Path-Breaking technique, opened a passage.

Just as Li Banfeng rushed behind the blonde man, a mass of cement suddenly fell from above, tightly encasing Li Banfeng's body.

Li Banfeng struggled fiercely within the cement. The blonde man chuckled, "Do you intend to use your wall-piercing technique, or your footwork-changing technique?

"I can responsibly tell you that neither of those techniques will work. This isn't our first encounter in Yanlou Village. Did you think we wouldn't make targeted preparations for you?

"You are too naive. Now it's time for you to pay the price for your arrogance."

The blonde man made a pinching motion with his right hand, a graceful yet oppressive gesture.

The cement rapidly compressed, then solidified, crushing Li Banfeng's body.

Blood splattered onto the blonde man's face, smelling fishy and sweet.

"Fishy" was understandable, but why "sweet"?

The blonde man didn't quite understand. He noticed that the blood flowing from "Li Banfeng" wasn't red; it was white, carrying a unique, refreshing scent.

It was the scent of honeydew melon...

Li Banfeng chuckled, "The taste isn't right, is it? What do you think of *this* taste?"

The Tang blade swung down, opening a gash on the blonde man's body, from which fresh blood gushed out.

This time, the taste was right.

The blonde man clutched his wound, manipulating lumps of what appeared to be cement-like paste to attack Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng found it easy to dodge; the cement was not fast.

"Ah, ya ya ya!" Chu Zikai chanted a melody, attempting to control Li Banfeng's movements.

Song Qianhun summoned five ghost servants who sang harmonies with Chu Zikai, drowning his voice until it vanished without a trace.

After dodging a round of cement attacks from the blonde man, Li Banfeng quickly closed in, hacking at him repeatedly with his blade.

Why use a blade? Why not a technique?

Because Li Banfeng had discerned the elder's characteristics.

This blonde man was highly skilled at creating walls and cement. In a relatively confined environment, using "Viewing Flowers While Riding a Horse" or "Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers" wouldn't be suitable against such an enemy; a slight misstep could lead to Li Banfeng's movements being restricted by the blonde elder's techniques.

In this situation, hacking with a blade was the most practical approach. Li Banfeng, wielding a scythe, a Tang blade, and incorporating his pendulum, continuously slashed at the blonde elder.

The elder was covered in wounds. He tried to unleash his techniques but couldn't find an opening.

"We, we can talk first, talk... We can give you this Demon Fiend for free—"

Under the blade's relentless assault, the blonde elder struggled to negotiate.

Li Banfeng's blade never paused. "Just giving us the Demon Fiend isn't enough. Can you give us your lives?"

"Not our lives—"

"Then there's nothing to discuss."

Chu Zikai tried to come to the elder's rescue, but Song Qianhun gave him no opportunity.

Song Qianhun had many martial cultivators under his command, all proficient with blades, and capable of using any object as a makeshift weapon.

The fight was fierce, leaving many scattered bricks and tiles on the ground. A dozen ghost servants picked up the debris and assaulted Chu Zikai.

Chu Zikai changed his tune and began to sing his most familiar song, "Guokui."

The destructive power of "Guokui" was considerable. Even the five sound-cultivating ghost servants under Song Qianhun, singing together, couldn't withstand it. The martial-cultivating ghost servants, being too close to Song Qianhun, gradually blurred, their souls becoming unstable under the damage of the sound-cultivating technique.

Li Banfeng wanted to use a sound-cultivating technique to make Chu Zikai sing off-key, but the blonde elder was also difficult to deal with. He quickly created a wall and tried to escape with Chu Zikai.

Li Banfeng dared not be distracted. He passed through the wall, carrying his magical artifacts, and continued to battle the elder.

Chu Zikai opened his throat, unleashing the singing of hundreds of people as if he were one. The melody shifted endlessly, and the rhythm was erratic, aiming to completely shatter all of Song Qianhun's ghost servants.

The Thread-Pulling Earrings emitted smoke that plugged Li Banfeng's ears, allowing him to resist for a moment.

On the dance floor side, the banquet guests were suffering. Through the passage Li Banfeng had created, everyone could hear Chu Zikai's singing.

Those with lower cultivation levels bled from their ears and fell unconscious from the song.

Those with slightly higher cultivation levels descended into madness from the song, fighting with those around them.

Chi Huiyi, clutching a subordinate's head, bit off one of a guard's ears.

Jin Shunying was lucky; Li Banfeng had thrown her out of the dance hall before he acted, giving her a chance to escape.

The others didn't even have the presence of mind to flee, all tortured to near death by Chu Zikai's sound-cultivating technique.

But Chu Zikai's goal wasn't to torment them; his objective was to defeat the formidable demonic cultivator before him.

He didn't know the cultivator's origin, but he knew that his "Thousand Sounds Soul Seize" technique was enough to destroy all of a demonic cultivator's ghost servants.

A demonic cultivator without ghost servants would no longer pose any threat. Chu Zikai was confident of victory in this battle.

"I am your Guokui. Even if you forget everything about me, don't forget that familiar aroma—" Chu Zikai sang with increasing fervor. A love song, it was clearly being transformed into a battle hymn by him.

Song Qianhun, on his side, made no special counter-move. He simply released ten more ghost servants, who began singing along with Chu Zikai.

"Sprinkle a handful of green onions, commemorating our fading love,

"The green onions linger at your teeth's root, like your pungent sincerity!"

These ghost servants had altered the lyrics, and the new words were quite evocative.

Chu Zikai paused for a moment. He didn't care about their modification of the lyrics; he cared about the song's penetrative power, or more precisely, the technique's penetrative power.

These ten new ghost servants sent by Song Qianhun all possessed sound-cultivating techniques. Were they all sound cultivators?

How could a demonic cultivator have so many sound-cultivating ghost servants under his command?

Chu Zikai increased his volume, once again overpowering the ghost servants' voices.

Song Qianhun dispatched another group of ghost servants.

Excluding the martial cultivators attacking Chu Zikai, there were now fifty ghost servants present. All fifty possessed sound-cultivating techniques, and they completely drowned Chu Zikai's singing in a wave of sound.

"This is impossible."

How many ghost servants could a demonic cultivator control in total? This man had summoned fifty ghost servants, all from the same sect. This clearly exceeded Chu Zikai's understanding.

Song Qianhun said expressionlessly, "Great singer, let's make a bet. Let's see whose ghost servants are tougher, or whose cultivation is stronger!"

Chu Zikai raised his pitch, interjecting words into his song: "You want to bet against me with just a few ghost servants? You think too highly of yourself."

"These aren't enough?" Song Qianhun sent out twenty more sound-cultivating ghost servants to sing against Chu Zikai.

Chu Zikai's singing nearly faltered. How many sound cultivators did Song Qianhun actually have?

Song Qianhun said, "Still not enough? I have more!"

With that, he sent out another twenty sound cultivators to continue the singing battle.

Chu Zikai choked, but he couldn't hear his own singing; the opposing chorus was too loud.

Song Qianhun declared, "Let's gamble to the end today. No one leaves!"

He released another twenty sound-cultivating ghost servants.

Song Qianhun's battle strategy was as blunt as his bidding method. With the combined singing of these one hundred and ten ghost servants,

he completely overwhelmed Chu Zikai's voice.

Li Banfeng, watching from the side, was also surprised. He was carefully comparing Song Qianhun's strength with Gui Jianchou's.

Song Qianhun was still a local deity, while Gui Jianchou's cultivation had surpassed the realm of local deities. Logically, Gui Jianchou's power should be superior to Song Qianhun's.

But could Gui Jianchou even produce a hundred sound-cultivating ghost servants?

Just how many ghost servants did Song Qianhun possess?

Could it be a thousand?

After drowning out Chu Zikai's singing, Song Qianhun still didn't change his tactics. He summoned another hundred or so martial-cultivating ghost servants to surround and attack Chu Zikai.

The strategy was simple, but it was incredibly effective!

Song Qianhun's resources were simply too vast!

Chu Zikai's sound-cultivating technique was completely negated. Trapped and heavily surrounded, he had no better counter-strategy. He was hacked at by the martial cultivators, becoming covered in wounds, his consciousness gradually blurring, and he quickly lost his combat ability.

Song Qianhun murmured, "Small bets might not yield profit, big bets never lose, and high stakes gambles never fail. Today, I'll show you true skill."

The blonde elder had also been severely wounded by Li Banfeng. In this predicament, he could only use all the blessings the gods had bestowed upon him, unleashing his most powerful abilities.

With a blade, he severed his own left hand from the shoulder down.

The arm fell to the ground, instantly transforming into a mass of sludge.

This was a sacrificial ritual, a technique Li Banfeng had seen described in the Dark Star Bureau's files.

The sludge rapidly increased and layered itself, quickly forming a dark, bluish-black castle.

Though called a real castle, it seemed a bit small, only two meters high, five meters wide, and about three meters deep.

Yet, to call it a model, it was certainly too large.

Furthermore, this was definitely not an illusion; the massive castle broke through the entire side hall and slowly began to break through the dance hall's roof.

The castle lowered its drawbridge and opened its gates, unleashing a surging force.

Li Banfeng and Chu Zikai both retreated simultaneously. Although they hadn't received a warning from the "Averting Misfortune" technique, this was the instinctive danger avoidance of a master.

This force failed to pull in Li Banfeng and Song Qianhun, but it drew Chu Zikai and the blonde elder inside.

Li Banfeng was about to pursue them into the castle, but Song Qianhun stopped him. "Don't be reckless. This castle is too sinister. We'll definitely be at a disadvantage if we go inside."

Li Banfeng also gradually sensed the danger within the castle, but he didn't want to let Chu Zikai get away.

While he was still contemplating how to attack the castle, it closed its gates and raised its drawbridge, with layers of flames protecting its walls.

Under the scorching flames, the castle walls slowly began to harden.

Song Qianhun realized their objective: "They're escaping!"

Li Banfeng took out a music box and played a Western lullaby from the previous century. The gentle melody, combined with the music box's unique timbre, caused the flames around the castle walls to slowly die down, and the hardening process of the walls rapidly slowed.

This was a sleep-cultivating technique. The music box couldn't put Chu Zikai and the blonde elder to sleep, but it successfully put the mud castle to sleep.

At the same time, Song Qianhun dispatched thirty craft-cultivating puppets, who were currently dismantling the castle. A section of the north wall had already been completely removed.

Inside the castle, the blonde elder hoped the castle would awaken soon, but his strength alone wasn't enough. "Child, you must help me. We need to work together to move this castle."

Chu Zikai struggled to speak. "How can I help you? I don't know how to move this castle."

"You don't need to know the method. You just need to do one thing for me: concentrate your mind, and use your will to help this castle evade the Sleeper's control."

Chu Zikai tried to concentrate, but as blood loss continued, his thoughts became more scattered, and he gradually fell into a semi-conscious state.

As a result, he couldn't offer the blonde elder any assistance.

Under Song Qianhun's control, the craft-cultivating ghost servants had already dug through half the castle, and Chu Zikai's form emerged from within.

The blonde elder whispered into Chu Zikai's ear, "Goodbye, child."

The castle broke into two halves. One half remained in place, while the other suddenly vanished.

The blonde elder concentrated all his power on the remaining half of the castle, and its movement speed increased significantly.

After a long period of exploration, Li Banfeng had drawn a conclusion: in neither Prolo State nor the outer states could things vanish into thin air.

What was perceived as vanishing was merely visual invisibility, which could be due to various reasons, perhaps an illusion,

or because the opponent's speed was so extraordinary that it surpassed the visual capture range, or even because they had entered a hidden dimension or even a dark dimension.

Li Banfeng scanned the area with his "Golden Eyes of Autumn Hair" but saw no castle, which largely ruled out the possibility of an illusion.

As for the opponent's extreme speed, that didn't hold true. The castle had a physical form, and a large, tangible object moving at high speed would certainly have a severe impact on its surroundings, most obviously by demolishing buildings along its path.

Since it wasn't an illusion or extreme speed, it proved they were hidden in some other space.

Li Banfeng wanted to use the Greenwater Bow's bowl to check, but the timing wasn't right as Song Qianhun was still there.

He dragged the unconscious Chu Zikai out from the half-castle, took a pill from a ghost servant, and put it into Chu Zikai's mouth.

After swallowing the pill, Chu Zikai quickly regained consciousness, but he couldn't use his techniques and could only move within a small range.

On the dance floor, many guests were still fighting each other, the lingering effects of the sound-cultivating technique yet to dissipate.

Li Banfeng withdrew his Path-Breaking technique, and the wall between the side hall and the dance floor "healed," making the passage disappear.

Song Qianhun lifted Chu Zikai and brought him before Li Banfeng. "Do you want this person?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, he's exactly why I came."

"Since you want him, it's cash on delivery." Song Qianhun extended his hand towards Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand and politely said, "Senior, name your price."

"Don't play dumb!" Song Qianhun snapped. "Where's my item?"

Only then did Li Banfeng remember that Song Qianhun wanted the "trousers," not money.

He quickly pulled out the "trousers" from his pocket and handed them to Song Qianhun. "Do you still want that box?"

Song Qianhun shook his head. "No, I don't need the box. I'll compensate old Boss Chang later; he's had a tough time."

As he spoke, Song Qianhun looked at Shui Yongquan and sighed, "How did he end up like this?"

Li Banfeng said, "He used the 'Cleansing Mind and Soul' technique to erase his own memories. I don't know if they can be recovered."

Song Qianhun unfastened the iron chains on Shui Yongquan. Freed from his restraints, Shui Yongquan instinctively moved his joints.

"There's still a way," this single movement gave Song Qianhun a glimmer of hope. "It wasn't completely erased. There should still be a path to recover them. Old Shui is a smart man; he would have left himself a way out."

"If his memories can be recovered, can his cultivation also be restored?"

"There's a chance, but..." Song Qianhun paused, having something more to say but choosing not to voice it directly.

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you worried that Shui Yongquan might implicate you?"

"Implication isn't the concern, but you know the Iron Gate Fortress region, and you know the people here. I can't afford to be targeted by too many."

Li Banfeng understood Song Qianhun's meaning.

The Iron Gate Fortress region connected Prolo State and the outer states.

The people of Iron Gate Fortress were too simple; those who could fight were a group of home cultivators with very little contact with the outside world.

If Song Qianhun wanted to protect Iron Gate Fortress, he had to act discreetly.

"Senior, don't worry. Leave Brother Shui's matter to me. I'll arrange a suitable place for him."

Song Qianhun nodded slightly. "We do have a good rapport, but there are still some things I'm concerned about."

Li Banfeng said, "Senior, I will absolutely not reveal anything about what happened today, nor about the 'trousers.' If you're truly uneasy, let's have a gamble right here, and I'll do my best to lose to you."

Song Qianhun was displeased. "That doesn't sound right. What do you mean 'do my best to lose to me'? Is it that hard?

"Let's not gamble. I genuinely appreciate the affinity between us. Let's become sworn brothers."

Li Banfeng slapped his chest. "Qianhun, I accept you as my brother! From now on, I'm your elder brother!"

"Why elder brother? How old are you? I'm not messing around; this is a serious oath."

"Alright then, you be the elder brother," Li Banfeng looked around. "I haven't prepared anything here."

Song Qianhun said, "I have everything prepared here—incense, candles, and yellow paper."

The two then swore an oath on the spot, becoming sworn brothers.

Song Qianhun, holding the "trousers," left Yanlou Village, feeling much relieved.

Ban Zhong was somewhat puzzled. "Tell me, what were you thinking? Becoming sworn brothers with such a junior? Wouldn't people laugh you to scorn if they found out?"

"Laugh at me?" Song Qianhun snorted. "Small bets might not yield profit, big bets never lose, and high stakes gambles never fail. This brotherhood is a profitable one. Let's wait and see who the true gambling hero is!"

After Song Qianhun left, Li Banfeng took out his bowl and probed the surrounding dark dimensions, but the bowl remained unresponsive.

Was it a hidden dimension, then? Perhaps Old Luo's equipment could detect it.

Chu Zikai, who had been unconscious, suddenly opened his eyes, ready to activate a technique.

Li Banfeng immediately stomped on his mouth, then opened the door to his portable residence. "Save your strength. Don't rush to speak. I have many questions for you."

Special thanks to Alliance Master sskgg for their strong support. I, Shala, salute you.