"Are you crazy? If you want to sell, I can buy it from you! Why gamble!" The Fifth Prince excitedly said to Old Liu, "Your Majesty Flower King, just name your terms, and as long as we, the Tang Zang government, can fulfill them, it won’t be a problem!"
"It’s a very interesting wager. I can’t believe a prince from the Continent of Juan can be so extravagant to this extent!" The Jade Emperor’s words were rational, yet there was no hint of rationality in his expression, his beautiful phoenix eyes filled with greedy bloodshot.
"Of course, it’s not such a good deal. As long as you dare to bet the ’God of Wealth Jade Basin,’ I’ll bet! I’ll wager five unrivaled pearls against your bottle of Stone Milk and a Jade Basin!" Liu Zhanshocked pried open the Fifth Prince’s hand, his face full of a gambler’s essence, and provocatively raised his chin at the Jade Emperor.
People who walk on the edge of power have an irresistible greed for overwhelming artifacts within reach.
Whether it is Liu Zhanshocked’s desire to obtain the "God of Wealth Jade Basin" and "Ten Thousand Years Stone Milk" or the Jade Emperor’s desire to acquire the five unrivaled pearls, both are equally intense; rather than saying Old Liu grasped the human weakness, it would be better to say Liu Zhanshocked himself is full of possessive desire. Isn’t he also gambling on tomorrow?
"Fifth Prince, this Qing Emperor Richard came with you from Heru City, right?" The Jade Emperor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suddenly opened his eyes, a fierce light shot towards the Tang Zang Prince: "Don’t lie to me, my Fifth Prince! Although Heru City was under lockdown at the time, people from the martial world saw your ’Cloud Soaring for Thousands of Miles’ within the city!"
"You’re right; I did take a trip to Heru City." The Fifth Prince remained unperturbed: "But that was to see my brother, what does that have to do with you, Jade Emperor?"
"I’ve also heard about the illustrious Fourth Prince finally returning from overseas, and I heard he specifically gave Lishan Gate a ’Five Elements Defense Array,’ saying he fears that on some specific day, someone might attack them, but he didn’t specify who exactly!" The Jade Emperor laughed: "I suppose everyone knows that Lishan Gate at least belongs to the peripheral guild of our Flower Court, so I happen to know about this matter! The Fourth Prince indeed foresaw things accurately, as just two nights ago, Lishan Gate was indeed suddenly attacked by a group of strongmen; at that time, their Fire Talisman for help even reached me! And that night, happened to be the night the Fifth Prince mysteriously disappeared; since Qing Emperor and the Fifth Prince both came from Heru City, then I’d like to ask, who exactly was the powerful army that attacked Lishan Gate that night? The Fifth Prince and Qing Emperor won’t claim they don’t know, will they?"
"I really don’t know." The Tang Zang Fifth Prince pushed away with dismissal: "Prince Richard came with my fourth brother from the Continent of Juan to the Silk Continent for a diplomatic state visit; Jade Emperor, you should also know, our government never gets involved in your martial world disputes, so I don’t know what happened to Lishan Gate, nor am I interested in finding out."
"What is Lishan Gate?" Liu Zhanshocked inwardly damned the Silk Continent’s communication tool "Fire Talisman," yet he still put on a convincing act of ignorance.
"I still don’t know what happened specifically at Lishan Gate, but we won’t stand idly by regarding this blood debt; there will be ample opportunities later to demand retribution from the culprits." The Jade Emperor fixed his gaze on Old Liu: "Qing Emperor, please forgive my small-mindedness; my capital is thin, and I can’t afford to lose much. If there’s another opportunity, we can gamble again, but for today, let’s leave it at that. Please have your two princes quickly drink the ’Thousand-year Jade Bell Milk’ and join the competition!"
The Jade Emperor "pop" pulled open the jade stopper, and four milk-white jade milk droplets gently flew out of the suet jade pure bottle as if held by an invisible hand, leisurely drifting toward Xiao Kong and Ventéclair, emanating a rich, sweet fragrance reminiscent of Big White Rabbit milk candies from the four droplets of Stone Milk.
"It’s a shame you dare not gamble." Liu Zhanshocked shrugged, face full of regret.
After consuming the jade milk, the two princes of Florence stood together in the center of the arena.
Their charming and distinguished figures drew waves of envious and cheering looks.
This fierce competition attracted more and more onlookers, even the three grass-roots emperors, the You Emperor, Dragon King, and True Monarch, couldn’t help but come to watch the lively scene.
"If I added a Zhisheng ring finger from the Golden Figures of ancient Yun Qin, would you gamble?" Liu Zhanshocked received the blood jade ring finger Moer took off, holding it in hand and waving it in front of the Jade Emperor.
The Four Great Flower Fairies and the Jade Emperor almost jumped from their seats.
The Fifth Prince’s eyes emitted a predatory light, unblinkingly staring at Old Liu.
The Golden Figures of ancient Yun Qin were the supreme artistic crystallization of the alchemist culture of Yun Qin’s time; possessing it practically meant being unbeatable in land battles.
"It seems that the Yun Qin alchemists who went overseas to seek medicine back then hid in the Continent of Juan! How interesting!" The Jade Emperor’s handsome face, almost morbidly beautiful, twisted.
Anyone could see that he was struggling painfully within.
"Gamble!" The Jade Emperor finally decided; winning naturally ended everything, but if he lost, hmm, even if it meant braving the world’s scorn, he would seize the treasure.
Seeing such a large gambling game about to take place, the other three grass-roots emperors’ expressions turned a little odd. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveI(F)ire.net
"Your Highness, be the notary; if any unrelated idle people dare interfere with my and the Jade Emperor’s gamble, they will offend you!" Liu Zhanshocked handed the five unrivaled pearls and Zhisheng ring finger to the Fifth Prince, gesturing to the Jade Emperor to quickly place his bet.
The Fifth Prince felt like he was floating, with a strong impulse to turn hostile or run away as soon as he got the Jade Emperor’s bet.
The Four Great Flower Fairies pushed four delicate little girls to the forefront, taking the suet jade pure bottle from the Jade Emperor’s hands and giving it to the Fifth Prince.
"And the God of Wealth Jade Basin?" The Fifth Prince’s voice trembled.
"I don’t trust handing over the Jade Basin to anyone; Qing Emperor, rest assured, if I lose, what identity do I have to deny my debt?" The Jade Emperor sneered inwardly; such a precious thing, how could I carry it around, and what if a divine thief took it?
"Do it!" Liu Zhanshocked realized he had wasted effort again; his words were for both the Ninth and Tenth Princes and for Yi Tiao inside the Bone-linking Treasure Box waiting there.
As soon as the order was given, the well-armed Summer Palace Guards would continuously charge up Cloud Mist Mountain through the Vajra Magic Teleportation Array.
If there were any room for leniency, Old Liu had no desire to be so ruthless, because it would be too blunt; having no enmity or grievance, it’s not worth doing it so extremely; but the situation ultimately forced him to this point.
Liu Zhanshocked could only now curse, curse that the "God of Wealth Jade Basin" would no longer belong to the Jade Emperor.
The Elemental Mermaid lifted the Big Dipper and spun furiously in the sky, ultimately fixing on the brightest main star.