Chapter 6 - High Stakes

"How about we make a bet?" Feng Qian said with a wide smile reaching across his face. He tried to look friendly, but his smile made him look like a bandit pretending to be a monk.

His beaming grin gave Guo Pang shivers. Fatty realised that this guy was definitely going to raise extremely high stakes, and from the looks of it, his condition wouldn't probably be a good thing.

Fatty turned to look at the faces of Huo Zhong and his group with pity as if they were little maidens who were soon going to be taken advantage of by the perverted ghost.

Fatty wasn't some good for nothing who didn't know about the ways of the world. Even though he was quite lackadaisical, he was born in a Major family and knew the hardships of being in one.

Being the sole son of the Guo family head and a third generation descendent of a major family that specialised in trading, he was taught from a young age how to judge any situation and utilize the opportunity that comes with it to its utmost.

Even though he didn't have much talent when it came to cultivation and was beaten by his old man to work hard, he was quite a money minded and could smell a money making opportunity from far away.

His only goal in life was to accumulate a great amount of wealth and enjoy a life of leisure and freedom, hugging beauties left and right in his arms in a big mansion.

And right now, it was as if he was in the middle of a money garden where you could make huge loads of money. He understood his brother too well, you could say they were birds from the same feathers. But to be sure, he once again glanced at him with an inquiring gaze, to which Feng Qian nodded with full assurance.

Nobody seemed to notice this little eye dialogue between them except two people.

"If you win, I'll be at your beck and call and be your servant for a week but if I win, you'll have to pay me two low grade spirit stones." Feng Qian continued with the conditions while the iron was hot.

Many onlookers sucked deep breaths after listening to his condition, whether it was being a servant for a week or the two low grade spirit stones both sides had very high stakes.

If he became Huo Zhong's servant, then Huo Zhong will definitely find a hundred reasons to torment him and make his life worse than hell.

"Two low grade spirit stones? Do you even know its value before opening your big mouth? Do you think it grows on a tree that anyone can pluck whenever they want? Sure enough, peasants could never know the value of gold," Someone from the Major family mocked from the sides. The person was under the impression that Feng Qian was from a minor family since he sat at the last bench during the lecture.

"If you don't have money then shut up. Do you think my services are cheap? See that kid over there? I solved his excessive flatulence with a single punch, that alone determines my worth." Feng Qian pointed at the lackey proudly. Hearing this, the lackey who was going to stand up once again pretended to be unconscious to save whatever face he had left.

"Are all the kids from Noble and Major families so poor? Or is it just you?" Feng Qian's dragged both noble clans and Major families in his remark which offended almost everyone present in the mess hall.

Huo Zhong knew that this kid was just trying to fan the flames, but his crude remark worked. When other kids from noble families heard this, they too were filled with rage towards this poor peasant who didn't know the immensity of heaven and Earth.

"Brother Huo, just accept the bet. Who does he think he is to look down upon us!" A pampered kid from a noble clan yelled.

"Yes, agree with him, brother Huo! I will lend you one spirit stone to you." Another kid chimed in when he saw Feng Qian's proud expression and was filled with indignance.

Huo Zhong was under immense pressure, feeling as if he had thrown a rock at his own foot. It would be great if he could win, but by any off chance he lost, not only will he lose his image but will also have to part with two low grade spirit stones. It was worth his two months of allowance by being the direct descendant of the main family.

Generally, the branch members and even the people from the main branch don't usually get this much. It was all because his father was an elder at a relatively high position that he got such benefits.

He looked at these idiots who were chiming in. He was hot headed but by no means was he an idiot. These nobles talked like a good brother when they said they would lend him spirit stones, but the truth was they had no strings attached and had nothing to lose.

If he won, they'll bathe in his glory and use it to their advantage, but if he loses, they would ask it back because they only had lent it to him.

Huo Zhong was confused whether this kid was trying to raise the stakes to get out of the situation or plotting something else? Was he sure that he would win? Otherwise, why would he put forth such stakes himself? Nonetheless, he had already ridden on the back of a tiger, and it was now impossible to get down.

Feng Qian's smile stretched wider and wider as he looked at the turn of the event. The more the merrier, he thought.

All kinds of fights and matches were permitted by the Institute in order to provide real fighting experiences to the students. However, these matches were to be carried out at the battle stage created especially for such occasions under the supervision of an instructor, such that no permanent damage happens to any party.

Any fight outside the battle stage without supervision was strictly prohibited. But since the stage was quite far away and the gambling stakes were managed by others, Feng Qian decided to fight inside the mess so that they can make the best out of the situation.

Guo Pang realised that this was the time to proceed to the second phase.

To stop wasting any time, he cleared multiple benches and set up a gambling house. Making it enticing for the currently angry crowd, he set the betting odds to 1:2, that is, if Huo Zhong won they would double the bets placed but if Feng Qian won, people who bet on him would get four times the amount.

Looking at the disparity between the cultivation levels of Feng Qian and Huo Zhong, it was almost certain that Huo Zhong would win. Therefore, even with these odds, many people placed their bets on Huo Zhong.

Some even placed their bet against Feng Qian just because they were sick of his snobbish attitude and wanted to see him lose miserably.

Soon the table was filled with so many bets against Feng Qian that Fatty had to close the counter fearing that he would not be able to pay back.

Fortunately, there were few students from the minor family who placed all their savings to bet on Feng Qian's win. Some of them wished for miracles while others were sick of the high and mighty attitude of Noble children and saw Feng Qian as someone who had stood up for them.

Even with the help of these students, Guo Pang found himself short on funds. He didn't know what to do when he saw two people coming towards him from opposite directions.

One was a cold faced teenager from a minor family, Jiang Wuji, who was known for being unsocial and proud. This person was also at the third level of the Qi Accumulation realm which was quite incredible for someone with his background.

He came to the counter, placed his bets on Feng Qian, and then slowly walked back to his initial position.

The other person to the other's shock was none other than the class Goddess Yan Xiuying who also placed her bet on Feng Qian.

Seeing her place bets, Huo Zhong's face turned sour and now he only wanted to beat the crap out of this kid and show Yan Xiuying how wrong her judgement was.

Many people present, especially the ones from the noble clans and major family sighed for the poor judgement of the beauty. They 'knew' that it was impossible for Feng Qian to win with his weak cultivation and poor background.

Unbeknownst to them, both Jiang Wuji and Yan Xiuying were the only ones who had noticed the little interaction between Feng Qian and Guo Pang. Their instincts told them that Feng Qian wasn't someone brash or ignorant. Instead, he was more like a shrewd merchant or a silent predator lying in ambush to hunt down its prey.

Seeing everything ready, everyone surrounded Feng Qian and Huo Zhong in a circle.

Feng Qian jumped into the circle.

It was time to fight.