Chapter 3

As the night grew deeper, Leon Wei, carrying four points of wishes and a large sum of money, washed his face and hands, preparing to greet the mystical lottery with the utmost respect.

His face was clean.

His hands were clean.

"Lottery."

He hoped that the goddess of luck would always be on his side, helping him draw good things from the roulette.

The roulette appeared, displaying a dazzling array of prizes that made his head spin. In his heart, he prayed, "Please, give me something good."

[Spend one wish point]

[Start the lottery]

[Congratulations on drawing: Proficiency in Wind Thunder Palm - 50]

[Spend...]

[Congratulations on drawing: Proficiency in Wind Thunder Palm - 10]

Drawing proficiency was expected, and it wasn't bad. The increase in proficiency deepened his control over the Wind Thunder Palm, and his internal energy and blood began to grow stronger with the rise in proficiency.

While others needed to train diligently in harsh conditions to make progress in martial arts, he only needed to draw lots.

What more could he ask for?

[Congratulations on drawing: Proficiency in Wind Thunder Palm - 50]

[Congratulations on drawing: Proficiency in Wind Thunder Palm - 30]

[Realm upgrade]

[Realm: Qi and Blood Realm Fourth Stage]

As the proficiency in Wind Thunder Palm increased by half, his realm also advanced.

Feeling the power within his body strengthen significantly, he pondered, "Although the previous owner lived a carefree life, he had some understanding of martial arts realms. Qi and Blood Realm is just that, without multiple stages. Is my 'golden finger' showing a more detailed breakdown?"

After thinking for a while without any clear answers, he moved on to jot down some notes on paper.

1: The Upper Three Gates, Lower Three Gates, and the six martial arts schools control the economic lifeline of Ankang County.

Pondering for a moment, he added below:

2: The six martial arts schools are similar to factions, with collusion between officials and merchants forming a vast network of interests.

3: The trend of challenging other schools is prevalent, with the big six schools taking the lion's share, leaving the scraps for ordinary martial arts schools.

Looking at the three points he wrote down, Leon Wei knew that the world he crossed into was not safe. He was like a small boat in the vast ocean, unnoticed by many. The challenges faced by the San Dao Martial Hall were normal, and even if he won against them, it wouldn't have much impact.

But if he acted arrogantly or recklessly...

Ankang County might not have a place for him, and he could end up in trouble.

What he needed now was time. Wish points required the help of others to obtain, and most ordinary people's wishes were white. When it came to important matters, wish points turned into golden wishes.

Jin Ray's wish was for him, as the hall master, to defeat Ma San Dao, rewarding a golden wish point. This was likely a plot-driving reward.

Ma San Dao's wish was to become one of the Lower Three Gates, rewarding a substantial five golden wish points.

With such a significant reward, the wish was either challenging or indicated a shift in power dynamics, where one of the original Lower Three Gates would disappear if the San Dao Martial Hall truly became one of them.

With the power dynamics shifting, it was time to reassess and plan ahead.

Stay low-key and develop quietly every day.

Smile at everyone.

Of course, the most important thing now was to succeed in the challenge. Otherwise, Ankang County would truly have no place for him, and he would be seen as a scammer, facing ridicule and scorn every day.

The next day, the morning air was fresh.

At the tofu pudding stall.

Leon Wei was having tofu pudding with Jin Ray.

He found Kai Zen's wish to be genuinely simple - selling tofu pudding and nothing else, always just a white wish point, like receiving daily NPC rewards in a game.

Leon Wei had salty tofu pudding, while Jin Ray had sweet tofu pudding.

Kai Zen whispered, "Do you know? Last night, something happened at the San Dao Martial Hall."

"What happened?"

Leon Wei seemed to have an idea of what had occurred but pretended not to know.

Jin Ray also listened intently, most concerned about the San Dao Martial Hall's situation.

Kai Zen sat beside them and whispered, "The senior brother of the San Dao Martial Hall, Wang Meng, was caught having an affair with the hall master's wife, and was beaten to death on the spot. Can you believe this guy?"

"That's morally corrupt."

Leon Wei was surprised and thought to himself, "Wang Meng, you've had your fun, but getting caught like this, you can only blame yourself."

"Indeed, this incident might work in your favor, Leon Wei."

"Oh? How so?"

"Your match with Ma San Dao is tomorrow. Both sides were prepared, but with this incident, Ma San Dao's mind is unsettled, showing weakness. You now have an advantage. Do you see the logic?"

"Yes, that makes sense." Leon Wei nodded.

Kai Zen looked around and leaned closer, "So, Leon Wei, can you give me an honest answer? How confident are you in winning this match?"

Leon Wei looked at Kai Zen and suddenly felt that he was very interested in the outcome, as if he wanted to make a big bet.

"Kai Zen, tell me the truth. Are you planning to gamble on this match?"

Seemingly caught off guard, Kai Zen awkwardly smiled, "To be honest, yes, I am gambling. Last night, Loulan Ge unexpectedly opened betting for you and Ma San Dao. This is not a common occurrence. Both the Lin Martial Hall and San Dao Martial Hall are not usually in the limelight in Ankang County. How could such a place open betting independently? The word outside is that San Dao Martial Hall is sure to win, and Lin Martial Hall is sure to lose. But I think you can win, so I want to bet against the odds."

Leon Wei muttered to himself, "Betting against the odds, living in a villa by the sea."

"Huh?" Kai Zen didn't quite understand.

Leon Wei smiled and didn't say anything. He knew about Loulan Ge, the largest gambling den in Ankang County, a place of extravagance and indulgence. People often spent a year's earnings there on just a cup of tea, a plate of melon seeds, and maybe a cucumber massage.

"Kai Zen, I might know why you've been selling tofu pudding for decades."

"Why is that?"

"Because you've been betting against the odds all along."

"..."

As Leon Wei continued to enjoy his tofu pudding, he noticed that Jin Ray had already finished his, licking the bowl cleaner than if it had been washed.

Then, Leon Wei took out nine taels of silver and sixty copper coins from his pocket and pushed them all in front of Jin Ray.

"Jin Ray, go place a bet for me."

It was all or nothing. He had cut off all retreats.

Kai Zen had already figured out that Leon Wei was ready to go all-in, showing an extreme level of confidence in himself.

"Alright, Hall Master," Jin Ray nodded.

Leon Wei said, "Kai Zen, these two bowls of tofu pudding are on credit for now. I owe you two bowls tomorrow after the match. I'll settle the bill when the results are out. Is that okay?"

"Why pay for it? It's on me, it's not much money."

"No, it's about principles. You eat, you pay. It's only right."

"Alright."

For some reason, Kai Zen had full confidence in Leon Wei, feeling that this time, betting against the odds might just work out.

San Dao Martial Hall:

Since last night, a heavy atmosphere hung over everyone like a thick dark cloud, refusing to dissipate, filled with angry shouts, beatings, and cries of pain.

The ordinary apprentices had no time to practice martial arts; they were all eavesdropping, gossiping about the significant scandal that had leaked out.

They could only say that the Hall Master was truly miserable, and the Senior Brother Wang Meng was indeed fierce. What shocked them even more was Wang Meng's dying words - accusing Ma San Dao of being a failure and not letting his wife be happy, claiming he could do it. Why hold on to her?

Was this all they knew?

At this moment, Chen Liu and Wang Bao exchanged glances.

"Here we go again, fighting and cursing."

"Sigh, I suspected something was wrong but didn't dare to believe it."

Wang Meng's death didn't affect them; instead, it felt like an opportunity had arrived.

With Wang Meng gone, the position of Senior Brother was now vacant.

"Liu Zi, I've been good to you, right?"

"Yes, Bao Ge, you've been very good to me."

Chen Liu's eyes flickered, seemingly thinking of something. He had joined the San Dao Martial Hall a day after Wang Meng, back when there was only the Senior Brother without any ranking of Second or Third Brother.

Now that Wang Bao mentioned this, it seemed like he wanted to become the Senior Brother and hoped that Chen Liu wouldn't compete or challenge him.

But...

"Bao Ge, who do you think will become the Senior Brother next? I think it should be you, but I want to give it a try."

"Liu Zi, can you not try this year and let Bao Ge take the position?"

"But, this..."

Wang Bao reluctantly took out a money pouch from his sleeve and discreetly handed it to Chen Liu. "Here are twenty taels of silver. Liu Zi, you know that I want to become the Senior Brother of our martial hall. Can you not compete with me on this matter? Once I become the Senior Brother, I will definitely treat you well."

Although Chen Liu was ranked below in the martial hall, with dozens of people above him, the sight of twenty taels of silver in the money pouch made his breathing quicken.

To be honest, he had never held so much silver in his life.

By the way, Loulan Ge had opened betting.

Without a second thought, he went all-in, betting everything he had. He placed all his bets on the Hall Master winning, hoping to reach the pinnacle of his life from that moment onwards.

He was ready to take the risk.

"Ge, rest assured, I won't compete."

Chen Liu didn't hesitate at all, promptly accepting the money pouch. He truly felt that Wang Bao was unexpectedly wealthy, offering twenty taels at once.

Little did he know that this was Wang Bao's entire fortune. Despite feeling reluctant, he knew that to become the Senior Brother, learn the true teachings of the Hall Master San Dao, he had to be willing to make sacrifices.

He knew that the Hall Master was still angry, and to bring up the matter now would be like offering his face to be slapped. So, he planned to wait until the Hall Master succeeded in challenging, then volunteer himself when the Hall Master was in a good mood, with the support of the other apprentices, ensuring a stable position.

Thinking about this, Wang Bao's heart raced with excitement. As for the Hall Master's mood, he didn't care; he just wanted to become the Senior Brother.

On the street:

"Leon Wei, you're going to compete with the San Dao Martial Hall tomorrow, and you're out here shopping?"

Someone came to tease him.

Leon Wei smiled, "A competition is a competition, and shopping is shopping. Can't I do both?"

"You're quite bold."

Many people were waiting to see Leon Wei's failure.

Upon reflection, the previous owner had been somewhat arrogant, scamming his way to wealth and often parading around with his disciples, which had garnered resentment. Now that he had weakened, it was inevitable that some would come forward to mock him.

He wondered how the apprentices who had left were portraying him outside.

He needed to defeat Ma San Dao with absolute strength the next day, turning all the negative perceptions around. A person's reputation was like a face, and he needed to present himself positively.

Suddenly, by the river railing ahead, he saw a familiar figure - the woman he had embraced yesterday, feeling her against his sturdy chest. Meeting her again, he couldn't help but take a few more glances.

She had a good figure, with graceful lines. Having crossed into this world not long ago, he found ancient-style women truly charming.

As his gaze met hers, she turned her head as if sensing something, looking back at him.

Their eyes locked.

Leon Wei smiled, thinking of nodding in greeting, but then decided to walk away. You look at your river, and I'll find my wishes.

But...

[Luna Ming's Wish]

[I really hope Leon Wei can jump into the river to retrieve my handkerchief (0/1), reward: white wish points *3]

Huh!

This woman was really something else.

This wish was incredibly simple, something anyone could do, yet it rewarded him with three wish points?

Why?

He pondered, trying to understand, but his pursuit of wish points drove him instinctively towards her.

Seeing Leon Wei approaching, Luna Ming also smiled, her smile enchanting, her red lips fiery, her eyes bright, exuding a captivating charm.

As he reached Luna Ming, Leon Wei's lips curled up, reminiscent of the Dragon King's swagger in Ankang County. Bloodshed was imminent, but before a word was spoken, he clasped his hands together, leaped into the water like a fish leaping over a dragon gate, splashing in.

Luna Ming covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes sparkling.

Moments later, Leon Wei, dripping wet, walked back to Luna Ming, picked up the handkerchief, and sniffed it.

"Really fragrant."

"Lady, here's your handkerchief."

Luna Ming took the handkerchief, curious. "How did you know it was mine?"

Leon Wei pointed to his heart.

"I understand your heart."

With that, Leon Wei shook his wet hair, turned, and walked away, not caring that the water from his hair had splashed onto her face. Luna Ming, equally unfazed, watched his departing figure, unable to snap out of her trance.

Beside her, a young maid looked at Luna Ming's expression strangely, then at the departing figure, whispering, "Big sister, he's a scammer who's been kicked out of town for losing all his money."

"I know, but he's not a scammer."

"Oh..."

The maid's chubby face looked cute as she stood there, mouth agape.

The elder sister seemed different from the one she knew.

[Luna Ming's Wish Completed]

[White Wish Points +3]

Leon Wei hurried towards the martial hall, passing by onlookers. His body was damp, feeling a bit cold, but after his performance just now, he felt like he deserved a 99 out of 100.

As for why not a perfect score, he left that one point for room to improve.

He felt that this woman might not be an ordinary person.

Although Kai Zen had the characteristic of receiving fixed NPC rewards daily, the amount given was relatively large. Leon Wei had a premonition that this was a premonition from a man.

That he was on the verge of pushing open the doors of Ankang County.

He could already see the light spilling out from the cracks.

When he could fully push them open, he would see the whole picture.

Nervous, excited, and impatient.

And Ma San Dao was the opportunity for him to kick open the door.