Chapter 131: I’ll Give You One Chance—Can You Turn the World Upside Down?
The royal gem market has five designated spots where guests can have their stones cut open. Naturally, these places are public and set in a relatively large area.
Qian Mo held Ling Xuan closely as they walked ahead. Jian Xin and another companion looked on with sour expressions, their faces full of anger.
Qian Mo glanced at them, a teasing smile curling his lips. “What if you lose and refuse to admit it later?” he teased.
Hearing this, their anger flared, especially Jian Xin, who had just spent five thousand gold coins for no apparent reason, feeling the sting deeply. The words from Qian Mo only fueled his fury further. “Bastard! What do you mean by that? I, Jian Xin, honor my bets! If you lose, just wait and see!”
Qian Mo grinned mischievously. “Haha, then just wait.”
Jian Xin’s veins bulged on his forehead, furious enough to want to throw a stone at him. So arrogant! Far too arrogant!
The four of them arrived at one of the cutting spots and requested a master to assist with the opening. A crowd had gathered around, as many who couldn’t afford to buy stones would watch the spectacle here, hoping to see a dazzling gem revealed.
“Who goes first, you or me?” Qian Mo asked.
“Hmph! I’ll go!” Jian Xin snapped, his voice sharp.
Jian Xin picked up a stylus and drew a horizontal line circling the stone. He handed it to the master, who began cutting along the marked line.
The crowd surged forward as soon as they saw another stone about to be opened. Qian Mo held Ling Xuan’s waist, watching nearby.
Ling Xuan asked softly, “Husband, do you think his stone will yield a gem?”
Qian Mo smirked. “It might, but just a small one. Mine, however, is a large piece of blood-red flesh—far more valuable than his.”
“Hmph, people who love stirring trouble deserve a lesson,” Ling Xuan said, clearly displeased.
Qian Mo nodded in agreement. “I feel the same. Our private moment got ruined by those two dogs. Even if I win, I’ll take it to the royal combat arena and teach him what it means to look down on others and what it means to play the fool and be the tiger.”
He also planned to use this opportunity to promote the Hellfire Prison.
“People from the Sword Profound Sect aren’t bad, just some are restless,” Ling Xuan remarked.
“There’s always one rotten apple spoiling the whole barrel. Using the Sword Profound Sect to pressure me? They’re clueless,” Qian Mo scoffed.
“By the way, do you know the cultivation level of the Sword Profound Sect’s leader?” Ling Xuan asked.
Qian Mo sneered disdainfully, then inquired.
“Seems like an Eight-Star Dou Sheng,” Ling Xuan guessed after some thought.
“That’s too weak. If the Sword Profound Sect were truly as strong as you say, I wouldn’t mind helping them clean out the rats,” Qian Mo shook his head.
Ling Xuan laughed. “You’re reckless. If the Sword Profound Sect’s leader hears this, he might be furious and come after you. An Eight-Star Dou Sheng is generally considered a mighty existence.”
“Naturally, he wouldn’t provoke me. I prefer peace and don’t like starting trouble... but I do enjoy a good robbery,” Qian Mo smiled, flashing his white teeth.
“You!” Ling Xuan tapped him gently.
“Watch closely,” Qian Mo said, kissing Ling Xuan. She returned the kiss.
Ling Xuan had only returned to the sect a year ago, so many people didn’t recognize her, and thus no one gossiped. But how did Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin know each other?
Nearby, Ling Tianba and Ling Sheng watched them. Ling Tianba, in particular, felt uneasy.
“That brat is even kissing!” Ling Tianba grumbled, jealous.
“Calm down, Sect Leader. What do you think of the royal princess’s husband?” Ling Sheng coughed to change the topic.
“Hmph, he looks decent—not just a pretty face. But I wonder if his power is truly as formidable as you say,” Ling Tianba snorted.
Ling Sheng knew the Sect Leader was too proud to admit anything.
“Just wait and see for yourself,” Ling Sheng said.
“Hmph, if it weren’t for courtesy, someone here would have acted already. I’m not even sure when they’ll finish,” Ling Tianba said coldly.
“Let’s just watch how they gamble on their stones,” Ling Sheng suggested.
“Yeah, I’m curious what tricks Qian Mo will pull,” Ling Tianba admitted.
Meanwhile, Jian Xin’s stone finished cutting. When the machine opened, a greenish hue appeared.
“This is green! Green gold!” Jian Xin laughed loudly.
“What? Green gold?”
“Yes, green gold!”
“Really green gold!”
The onlookers from various families watched intently. Gems extracted from these stones were valuable, but more importantly, these stones could aid in cultivating Dou Qi, as they contained spiritual energy.
Each use of the gem would consume it until it was gone. That’s why these gold stones were highly sought after in the Western Continent.
Jian Wuxin came beside Jian Xin, laughing heartily.
The master asked, “Young master, do you want to continue cutting deeper?”
“No more cutting. It’s fine like this,” Jian Xin said, startled as he ran his hand over the stone, which was entirely green on the surface.
They laughed confidently and approached Qian Mo.
“See? Green gold! Still so arrogant! Admit defeat now!” Jian Xin boasted.
“Hahaha! Exactly!”
The two laughed arrogantly.
The crowd realized these two had a bet, which explained their behavior.
“Heh, you’re celebrating too soon. That’s just one side—the left, right, and back haven’t been cut. Only this front part is green. Do you dare bet the rest is the same?” Qian Mo chuckled and shook his head.
Both fell silent, struggling to respond.
Jian Xin snapped, “You’re clearly jealous! Cut all sides if you have the guts!”
“Exactly!”
“Exactly!”
“It’s jealousy, plain and simple.”
The crowd’s mood shifted, and many began jeering at Qian Mo.
He could only respond with a faint chuckle. Jian Xin smiled widely, seeing so many backing him.
Qian Mo looked at him and said, “Relax. Watch closely. I’ll cut all sides for you. Don’t regret it later.” Then, “If you get slapped in the face, don’t cry.”
“Haha, laugh all you want. We’ll see,” Jian Xin sneered.
Qian Mo was determined to teach this fool a lesson about who could be provoked and who couldn’t.
He took Ling Xuan’s hand, picked up the stylus, and marked all surfaces of the stone.
The stone was a quadrilateral, with the remainder a solid chunk of blood-red flesh—a true treasure.
Qian Mo handed it to the master: “Thanks for your hard work.”
“Young master, are you sure about cutting all sides?” the master asked, clearly thinking Qian Mo was being arrogant. In this line of work, no one dared to cut all sides.
“Absolutely. Follow the lines I’ve drawn. Trust me, you’ll be surprised,” Qian Mo said with an innocent smile.
The master, seeing his confidence, wondered if there was truly something special inside. He nodded, warning, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Outside, the crowd thought the boy was too arrogant and should be more modest. Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin stood by the railing, watching Qian Mo prepare for his potential embarrassment.
Jian Xin smirked coldly. “If he fails, we’ll give him a proper scolding.”
“That’s right. He’s too arrogant. I wonder if Miss Ling is blind to have chosen such a pretty boy. I really worry for Ling Tian Sect,” Jian Wuxin added.
“We’re friendly with Ling Tian Sect, but let’s not go too far. If it comes to the arena, we’ll teach him a lesson and show he’s unworthy of Miss Ling. Also, we’ll help the sect eliminate a troublemaker,” Jian Xin said darkly.
“I’ll handle it,” Jian Wuxin promised.
The two whispered, waiting for Qian Mo to make a fool of himself.
Nearby, Ling Tianba and Ling Sheng overheard their conversation. Ling Sheng glanced at the two youths—one a Seven-Star Dou Zun, the other a Five-Star Dou Zun—and sneered. A mere Dou Zun thinking they could teach the royal young lord a lesson? Ridiculous. The arrogance now would soon be their fear.
Ling Tianba’s expression hardened. Ling’er was Qian Mo’s daughter, and Qian Mo her biological father. These two were bold indeed. Matters of their sect were not for two low-level Dou Zuns to meddle in.
But Ling Tianba did not act, merely watching silently. He felt Qian Mo would not act without confidence, especially having defeated his own sect elder, a Five-Star Dou Zun. He dismissed the two Dou Zuns as inconsequential.
Back to the cutting machine, it continued slicing through the stone.
After five minutes, the machine stopped. The master was stunned by what he saw.
A scarlet hue appeared—a piece of blood-red flesh! With years of experience, the master immediately recognized its rarity and was shocked.
Even more astonishing, the entire stone was blood-red flesh!
And it was huge—at least the size of two palms combined.
He stared blankly, doubting his eyes as he glanced at Qian Mo.
The crowd began murmuring excitedly.
Qian Mo, who had anticipated this, looked at the stunned master. “All done? Surprised?”
“Ha!”
The crowd didn’t understand his amusement.
“That kid must be crazy,” Jian Wuxin sneered.
The master, still dazed, stammered, “Blood... blood-red flesh!”
The words echoed around.
“No way! Blood-red flesh? Master, are you sure?”
“What? Blood-red flesh?”
“Blood-red flesh!”
The crowd gasped. Blood-red flesh was the rarest of all! Its appearance was almost unbelievable.
“Impossible!”
“Absolutely impossible!”
“We haven’t even seen it yet—how can you be sure it’s blood-red flesh?”
“Hurry! Open the box!”
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin’s faces paled as they shouted. They refused to believe it was blood-red flesh!
They went into a frenzy, refusing to accept it without proof.
Watching their wild reaction amused Qian Mo. They clearly couldn’t handle losing.
“Thanks for your efforts. Please open it to give these two a reality check,” Qian Mo smiled at the master.
“Right away!” The master carefully opened the box.
A radiant red stone glimmered before everyone’s eyes.
“By the heavens, it really is blood-red flesh!” Ling Tianba and Ling Sheng gasped, shocked by its size.
Even a piece the size of a pinky finger was precious, yet this was so large! This was extraordinary!
“Wow, truly blood-red flesh!”
“Such a vivid red! It’s really blood-red flesh.”
“To witness blood-red flesh in my lifetime!”
The crowd erupted in excitement. Those who had thought Qian Mo arrogant were now stunned, their eyes shining with awe.
Especially Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin.
“No, no, impossible!”
“How could it be blood-red flesh?”
“It’s unbelievably precious—there’s no way!”
Jian Xin went mad, shouting.
Yet reality was undeniable—blood-red flesh, and so large. If taken back for cultivation, it could easily elevate one to Dou Sheng level!
Their eyes were filled with greed. Not just theirs, but the crowd’s as well, craving to snatch it away.
Qian Mo held the massive blood-red flesh before Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin, taunting, “How about that? This is blood-red flesh. How can your little green gold compare to mine?”
“You’ve lost,” he declared.
The words “You’ve lost” echoed endlessly in their minds.
“No! Impossible!” Jian Xin roared.
“You must have cheated!” Jian Wuxin shouted angrily.
Qian Mo frowned, snorting coldly. “Ridiculous. So many eyes here, and the master cut it himself in front of everyone from start to finish. No cheating at all. You just can’t stand losing.”
“Exactly!”
“You just can’t accept defeat!”
“Exactly!”
The crowd turned hostile toward Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin, shouting at them.
“Shut up!” the two yelled, veins bulging as they unleashed the aura of a Seven-Star and Five-Star Dou Zun, threatening to slaughter everyone. But this was the royal domain; killing someone here meant their own doom.
“How dare you cause harm in the royal compound? Do you think I’m blind?” A stern voice rang out. A middle-aged man in royal robes stepped forward, radiating authority.
Qian Mo glanced at him, thinking, “A Four-Star Dou Sheng?”
The master bowed respectfully. “My lord.”
The middle-aged man looked at the source of the Dou Zun aura, then sternly scolded, “You dare unleash Dou Zun energy here? Don’t you know fighting is strictly forbidden in the royal grounds? You have no idea if those with lower cultivation can endure such power! You’ve insulted the royal dignity!”
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin were shocked to see a Dou Sheng before them—there was no doubt.
“M-my lord, we meant no harm to the people,” they quickly softened but gritted their teeth in anger. “We just won’t admit defeat!”
“Hmph! Explain your defiance!” the Dou Sheng sneered.
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin were at a loss for words but eventually accused Qian Mo, “He cheated! Blood-red flesh can’t come from his stone!”
Qian Mo laughed coldly. “I think you just can’t accept losing.”
Ling Xuan snapped angrily, “Enough! Jian Wuxin, you’ve gone too far. My husband has been patient repeatedly. Don’t push him. Do you really think you’re so great? Cheating? Ridiculous! We didn’t even touch the stone—how could we cheat?”
“Are you accusing the master here? Do you think the crowd is blind?”
“Pathetic!”
Ling Xuan’s voice rose in anger.
Among the crowd, Ling Tianba’s eyes blazed with killing intent as he glared at Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin.
Ling Sheng tried to calm him. “Sect Leader, calm down. Rest assured, the prince won’t let the princess suffer injustice.”
Ling Tianba snorted darkly. “If you provoke my daughter, you’re courting death.”
Before Ling Xuan regained her memories, the families of the Kingdom of Jiamo who had harassed her were all wiped out by her father once he discovered the truth. Seeing his daughter so angry now pained him deeply.
“Calm down, calm down,” Ling Sheng urged.
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin, now facing the crowd’s hostility and having angered Ling Tian Sect’s young lady, began losing control.
They were merely prodigies and could not compare to Ling Xuan’s status, but their target was Qian Mo, the man at her side.
Qian Mo’s killing intent was already unleashed, his eyes cold and sharp. These two had angered his wife—there was no turning back.
The royal middle-aged man frowned deeply and commanded, “Everyone, quiet down.”
The crowd fell silent.
He then asked the master, “Do you believe anyone cheated?”
The master quickly replied, “My lord, I can testify that this young master did not cheat. I personally cut the stone in front of everyone, from beginning to end. No switching of stones happened, and the onlookers can all vouch for this.”
“That’s right!”
“We can all testify!”
The crowd nodded in agreement, signaling that Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin were slandering.
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin trembled.
The middle-aged man smirked at them. “So many witnesses—are they all blind? If you’re deliberately causing trouble, then you’ve insulted the royal dignity and must be confined to the royal prison until next year.”
“I... I...” Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin were speechless.
Qian Mo’s gaze was icy as he addressed the royal man, “Since there is a bet between us, why don’t they fulfill their end first? They clearly can’t afford to lose again.”
The royal man’s brow furrowed upon hearing Qian Mo’s respectful address. Then he looked at Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin. “Very well. Since there’s a wager, fulfill the bet.”
Qian Mo sneered, “Come on, fulfill your promise. Kneel and admit you’re mere ants.”
Jian Xin’s face flushed with rage. Kneeling before so many people was humiliating. Gritting his teeth, fists clenched so tightly the sound of cracking bones could be heard.
Qian Mo’s voice rang out again, “What? You came looking for us, stirred up trouble, and now you’re the ones who can’t back your words? Are you the ones from Sword Profound Sect who speak but can’t admit? Two rotten apples ruining the sect’s reputation.”
“Since you’re from Sword Profound Sect?!”
“You’re just cowards who say but don’t admit!”
“Haha, today I’ve seen it. The Sword Profound Sect isn’t so great after all.”
“Especially these two!”
The royal man frowned, realizing these were members of the Sword Profound Sect. The sect’s reputation was good, so why did it have these rotten apples?
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin’s veins bulged with fury.
“You bastards, just wait!” they snarled darkly.
Suddenly, in front of the crowd, both dropped to their knees, gritting their teeth, “We are ants!”
After saying this, they quickly stood and tried to flee.
“Hey, wait.” Qian Mo smiled.
“You bastard, what else do you want?” Jian Xin roared.
“I know you’re unhappy and want to kill me. How about this: I’ll give you one chance to fight me on the royal combat arena. But you must sign a death pact—if you die, don’t come looking for trouble.” Qian Mo tossed his hair back, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.
Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin burst into laughter. “Haha! You agreed to this, we didn’t force you!”
“You’re finished,” Jian Xin said darkly.
“Sign the death pact. No death, no retreat!” Jian Wuxin shouted.
Qian Mo nodded. “Fine. How about this royal man here be the witness?”
“That’s your business, but since it’s a death pact, I’ll bear witness,” the middle-aged man said. He didn’t understand Qian Mo’s motives—he seemed ordinary, with no visible Dou Qi. The two opponents were mid-level Dou Zuns and could be taken down in one move. But he didn’t interfere; this was their affair.
“Heh, this will be entertaining,” Ling Tianba said excitedly.
“I can’t wait to see the royal lord crush them,” Ling Sheng said eagerly.
Thus, news spread through the royal court: a death pact between one and two men, to be settled on the royal combat arena.
Crowds gathered below to watch.
Ling Xuan watched Qian Mo from the sidelines.
On the arena, both sides appeared.
One side was Qian Mo; the other, Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin.
Some spectators immediately recognized them.
“Look! Isn’t that Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin from the Sword Profound Sect?” a disciple shouted.
Among the crowd were also senior disciples, some watching from a royal teahouse.
One man asked, “Who do you think will win?”
“Jian brothers, what’s your opinion, since they’re from your sect?” a woman asked.
“They’re arrogant. Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin are both mid-level Dou Zuns. That man shows no sign of Dou Qi—he’s just a mortal. They’re courting death,” a Sword Sect disciple scoffed.
The woman said, “Not necessarily. Don’t you know of artifacts that conceal cultivation? Maybe he has one.”
“Besides, it’s a death pact,” another man said, sipping tea.
“Let’s watch. Though Jian Xin and Jian Wuxin look lofty, they’ve done some dirty deeds behind the scenes, insulting our sect. If they die this time, it’s their own fault,” the disciple said, shooting a glare at Qian Mo and then at the two Sword Sect members.
“Haha, let’s enjoy the show,” the crowd laughed.