Chapter 1331: Setting the Trap

Shi Min and his companions had originally been waiting to watch the show, anticipating a good laugh. To their surprise, every sentence this fellow uttered invoked their names, turning them from spectators into the butt of the joke themselves.

[System message: Rage value from Shi Min +444+444+444...][System message: Rage value from Shi Min +444+444+444...][System message: Rage value from Shi Min +444+444+444...]

The butler was somewhat bewildered. His first thought was that he must have misheard, perhaps missing the word "ten thousand." However, keen hearing and sharp sight were fundamental requirements for his position, and he quickly realized he hadn't misheard; the man had indeed said one hundred Yuan Stones.

That meager amount of Yuan Stones wouldn't even be enough to purchase a single stone in the Heavenly or Profound rooms, let alone the Immortal-tier chamber. Only in the lowest-tier Yellow room might one manage to buy a few pieces, and they would have to be of inferior quality.

On any other day, he would have long since had such individuals thrown out. But remembering that they had been brought by the Lion Clan's princes, he instinctively glanced towards them, only to be met with their contorted expressions.

At that moment, Zu An brazenly chimed in, "Hurry up and take us to the Immortal-tier chamber! What's wrong? Are you looking down on the Lion Clan princes?"

The butler chuckled nervously, "Esteemed guest, you jest, of course not..." For a moment, he was at a loss, wondering why the Lion Clan princes would bring such companions. Were they intentionally trying to cause a scene?

Fortunately, at that moment, Shi Rong snorted, "Stop embarrassing yourself. Your hundred Yuan Stones are only enough for two rounds in the lowest-tier Yellow room."

"Don't you all have money?" Zu An asked, looking at them with disdain. "Can't you afford the Immortal-tier chamber?"

The commotion gradually drew the attention of other guests, who began to look over. Some recognized Shi Min and his companions, quietly pointing and whispering behind their backs.

The faces of the Lion Clan princes flushed purple; they wished they could strangle Zu An on the spot and even began to regret their decision to bring him.

Watching the rage values constantly accumulating in the background, Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. These young lions were still too naive.

"Let's just start with the Yellow-tier room to get some practice," Shi Min suggested, abandoning any pretense of saving face. If they truly went to the Immortal-tier chamber, their wallets might not be able to withstand the cost.

The people around them looked on with peculiar expressions. Distinguished princes of the Lion Clan, playing in the Yellow-tier room? Could the Lion Clan really have fallen to such a state?

Hearing the murmurs around him, Shi Min's face twitched. He blamed everything on Zu An and vowed that he wouldn't be able to quell the hatred in his heart until he made the Serpent Clan lose everything they had.

The butler, well-trained, showed no sign of surprise, still smiling as he said, "This way, please, esteemed guests."

They soon arrived at the ground floor of the pavilion, whose exterior was constructed of jade. Though designated as the Yellow-tier section, its interior was elegantly arranged, showing no trace of cheapness.

They had expected the place to be deserted. After all, everyone who could enter Azure Garden was either wealthy or noble; how could they bring themselves to visit such a low-tier place?

To their surprise, it was quite lively inside. Many people were gathered in small groups, staring intently at the raw stones on the tables, their faces flushed and eyes wide with tension, clearly caught up in the excitement of gambling.

Zu An's gaze swept across the room, and he quickly understood why it was so crowded. It turned out that when important figures visited Azure Garden, they were often accompanied by attendants and younger family members. These individuals would be bored waiting outside and lacked the funds to patronize the more expensive upper floors. Thus, Azure Garden thoughtfully provided the Yellow-tier section for their entertainment.

Zu An and his companions quickly drew the attention of everyone in the room, and many even recognized Shi Min and his group. After all, the Lion Clan was a powerful and prominent family, and these particular princes were well-known figures.

Many people even put down what they were doing and approached with fawning smiles, trying to curry favor. "Are the princes here to enjoy themselves too?"

"We brought these people to have some fun," the Lion Clan princes haughtily replied, showing slightly more favorable attitudes towards only two individuals. One of them had a shifty, weasel-like appearance, with his exposed skin on his arms, neck, and other areas clearly displaying various black-brown spots, resembling patches of ringworm, which was quite unsettling to look at.

Xing Nu's whispered message resonated in their ears: "This is a prince of the Hyena Clan, named Ban Ka."

As a competent secretary, she had been diligently gathering intelligence on the various factions within the royal court. Her efforts thus far had been quite commendable, earning approving glances from Yu Yanluo and the others.

"Ban Ka?" Zu An silently scoffed. What a terrible name, absolutely hideous. Is he a spotted hyena, so his surname is "Spot"? By the way, is this Hyena Clan related to the ferocious jackals he encountered outside Bright Moon City? And their signature combat skill isn't still anal evisceration, is it?

The other individual didn't require an introduction from Xing Nu, as his fawning smile revealed a mouth full of black teeth, a clear sign he was from the Black Tooth Clan. Judging by the names mentioned in their conversation, this individual seemed to be named Hei Chi Gu, a young master from a collateral branch of the Black Tooth family.

Zu An's expression was peculiar. 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 the teeth of this lineage became darker the purer their bloodline.

By this point, the group also understood that Shi Min and his companions were only here because they were accompanying Zu An and his party. Everyone present was astute and immediately understood that the Lion Clan and Zu An's group were not friends, but rather in contention. So, one by one, they began to chime in:

"Oh dear, to think the Serpent Clan was once a great family. How have they fallen so low that they can only play in the Yellow-tier room now?"

"Indeed, they only have a little over a hundred Yuan Stones. How many pieces can that buy? Do you want us to lend you some?"

...

Some individuals sought to curry favor with the Lion Clan, while others harbored animosity towards the Serpent Clan. Hei Chi Gu, for instance, resented them not only because of the incident involving the Crown Prince within the Serpent Clan but also due to yesterday's assassination attempt, which led to Hei Chi Ran's capture and severe beating, causing suffering for the entire Black Tooth family. They had only recently resolved the misunderstanding and regained their freedom. As all of these misfortunes seemed connected to the Serpent Clan, Hei Chi Gu naturally harbored deep resentment.

"Oh, perfect! We're a bit short on funds right now," Zu An said with a cheerful grin. "So, I'll trouble you all to lend us some. Who knows, perhaps with your Yuan Stones, we might pick out some treasures later! Hey, don't try to hide behind others! Weren't you just offering to lend us money?"

Ban Ka and Hei Chi Gu's expressions turned as if they had eaten something vile. They had only spoken casually, never imagining that the other party would actually seize the opportunity so brazenly. It was well known that in a casino, lending money to others to gamble was highly taboo. Even if the borrower won, it was essentially winning back one's own money; and if they actually managed to turn their luck around, it would be even more infuriating. Therefore, lending money in such a setting was considered quite inauspicious.

Yet, since they had already spoken in front of so many people, neither of them could retract their words. With grim faces, they could only ask, "How much do you want to borrow?"

[System message: Rage value from Ban Ka +155+155+155...][System message: Rage value from Hei Chi Gu +155+155+155...]

"Just a hundred thousand or eighty thousand," Zu An said nonchalantly. "Looking at you two, you don't exactly seem like wealthy individuals."

The two almost coughed up blood. Zu An only had a little over a hundred Yuan Stones himself, yet he was complaining that others' hundred thousand or eighty thousand wasn't enough?

"Hmph, seeing how pathetic you are, here are 500 Yuan Stones. Don't even call it a loan; consider them a gift," Ban Ka said grandly, tossing over a bag. However, his heart was bleeding. While five hundred Yuan Stones wouldn't bankrupt him, it was still a significant expense. The Hyena Clan had always been rather poor, and he, not being a favored prince, had limited resources at his disposal.

[System message: Rage value from Ban Ka +555+555+555...]

Hei Chi Gu's face at that moment was even darker than his teeth. "Since that's the case, I'll also give you 500 Yuan Stones. No need to repay them." Comparatively, he was more financially comfortable, but he couldn't endure such squandering, especially when providing funds to the rival Serpent Clan. It felt like aiding an enemy.

[System message: Rage value from Hei Chi Gu +444+444+444...]

From the side, Yun Jianyue chuckled, "This boy truly is a talent. If he had joined our Holy Sect years ago, our influence would likely be several times greater by now."

Yan Xuehen's expression subtly shifted. "He still has a promising future ahead. Don't try to pull him into your sect."

"I know!" Yun Jianyue retorted, quite annoyed. "Look how nervous you are; one might think he's your man." Her unintentional words caused Yan Xuehen's heart to skip a beat, and she guiltily turned her face away. Fortunately, Yun Jianyue didn't dwell on it.

At this moment, Shi Min chuckled, "Since you now have 1,000 Yuan Stones, why not choose these four raw stones right here? I see their total price is just about 1,000."

Yun Jianyue quickly sent a private warning: "Don't choose these. That guy definitely has ill intentions."

Yu Yanluo, however, had a peculiar expression. "On the contrary, these few pieces are actually the most likely to yield something valuable."

Zu An frowned and looked at Shi Min, whose expression was an ambiguous half-smile. Was he genuinely well-intentioned, or was he... deliberately misleading them?