novelraw Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“A bet on me.”
Her reason was somewhat logical, other than that, he simply could not think of any other reason to pour this much resources into him.
But a blind gamble? Especially for someone of her caliber made it hard for him to believe.
“A gamble, on a mere humble scholar such as me?”
“Aren't the stakes too high?”
“Losing such a bet would be quite a loss, no matter what won't it?”
No matter how wealthy one was, Nascent Soul eyes were still a treasure everywhere, and when her eye was on the table, it only made it harder to understand.
A gamble she can afford…
A mocking smile crept up his face, the blindfold that obscured his eyes only made his expression even heavier.
“That would be the case.”
She dangled her legs, swiping back and forth like a pendulum.
Qi Chen frowned at the word ‘would’, what exactly is she planning?
“But isn't that the nature of gambling?”
“The bigger the bet you place, the bigger the payoff.”
“The risk and reward is equal.”
Her words made sense, the bigger the risk you take, the bigger the reward.
Yet in such a bet, there was simply no reward he could give.
Leaving Qi Chen questioning just what exactly was the reward she wanted?
Even when ignoring this obvious flaw in her reasoning, it was nonetheless a foolish move.
“Placing it all on one bet is always a foolish move.”
He spat, his voice dripping with contempt, looking down on the gamble she took.
A calculated risk?
This is ‘gambling’ in its purest form.
Putting priceless treasures on a piece that had laughable winning odds, no matter how one sees it, no matter the payoff, it was simply a gamble no intelligent person would take.
No matter how much he despised his situation, he had to admit she was the most dangerous and intelligent person he had met in his life.
Just her intelligence alone would make him respect her.
You can hate someone while appreciating the way they shine.
That is how one improves, by even appreciating those you detest.
Yet for her to do such foolish actions were more than confusing to Qi Chen.
Right.
Thrill seekers.
People who live for the thrill of gambling, the bigger the odds, the more excited they feel.
Looking at her again, Qi Chen mentally characterised her as one of them.
“Well you can see it that way.”
“But I see that my odds of winning are quite high.”
She stood up, lazily stretching her back and giving an attractive smile.
Seeing his confused expression, she added on.
“I think you are a winning piece.”
“While you might be in a disadvantageous position on the go board now, a simple move is enough to flip the tides.”
“I think that my choice has a very high chance of winning.”
Stolen story; please report.
“A decisive move can change everything, for the better, or for the worse.”
“Winning?”
“Mhm.”
A crisp ‘crack’ sound appeared the same moment she replied, a look of relaxation appearing on her face.
Do even cultivators crack their backbones now?
A thought appeared in his mind, yet it was the wrong place and the wrong time for it.
“Care to explain?”
“Hmm.”
“Let me keep it a secret, it is more fun that way.”
“You will find it out one day.”
“Should my gamble be the winning ticket, you would know.”
“The day my bet is correct, you too would know.”
“Treat it as a special connection between us.”
She flashed an enigmatic smile, coupled with her ethereal face, the smile made even Qi Chen freeze for a bit.
“A winning ticket, huh?”
He silently muttered, yet a smile was slightly growing on his face.
“That should be fun.”
“Mysteries are always more fun when you uncover them yourself.*
“So well, my dear miss, what would your prize of this gamble be?”
“Would I also know it when you win?”
“Maybe, but it is a great prize.”
“Is that so?”
Despite the fact she did not answer his question, the smile did not fade one bit, it grew even wider.
He didn't resent being a piece on her board, even when everything was in her palm, there was beauty in it.
Everything is beautiful, after having experienced so much in a bit of time, even the most unlikeable circumstances held a trace of beauty in it.
“A wager or a gamble, they are similar.”
“Since I am already on the betting table, shall we make a wager of our own?”
“A wager? Sure, what can you bet?”
“I doubt you have anything of value.”
“Indeed.”
“But as you said, for someone like me who could have nothing of great value, would this dear Miss’s amusement be enough?”
“Oh? Amusement you say?”
“How about your body?”
Her fingertips tilted his chin, locking eyes with him, or at least, his blindfold.
“After all you have quite the pretty face.”
Qi Chen rolled his eyes instinctively, before shrugging off her hand.
“Your words might work on an idiot, but I fear that I am not one.”
Spitting out those words, he took another glance at her.
“Boring.”
Pouting, she fell back down on the bed, with her arms stretched out, making Qi Chen wonder why she even stood up in the first place.
“A wager you say?”
“Let's hear it.”
She showed a rare look of genuine interest instead of the foolish smile she plastered on her face all the time.
“While it may not be an actual wager, allow this poor scholar to place his first gamble of his life.”
With his increasingly wide smile, he continued.
“How long do you think it will take me to make it out of this sect?”
It was a long moment of silence between the two, before her laughter broke the hard fought silence.
“Oh ho!”
“Bold aren't you.”
Her eyes lightly narrowed, but they were drenched in amusement rather than hostility.
“Not afraid I am going to kill you right now? After all, I am an elder of the sect.”
Her words were threatening, yet her face betrayed any trace of hostility.
Seeing this, a smirk grew on Qi Chen’s face.
“You don't even care about this sect do you?”
He glanced at her, while his eyes were covered, they were undoubtedly a serenely calm gaze.
“What makes you think that?”
She held a finger to her cheek, causing it to lightly sink in, turning her finger in place.
“A hunch.”
“Really?”
Her eyes were skeptical as she moved from her cheek to rolling her fingers around her hair, twirling them into curls around her finger.
He gazed at her yet again, despite it clearly being obscured it was unmistakably the kind of look you directed towards someone of obvious idiocy.
“Sarcasm is a thing.”
“When you are this blatant, ‘a hunch’ is not going to cut it.”
Qi Chen has always found himself as someone with impeccable temper, yet every moment spent with her is driving him to his edge, of course, that was the whole point she asked something like that.
Like a damn fool, he fell for it every time.
“So are you interested or not?”
He tried his best to suppress his annoyance, trying his best to not show it as to give her the satisfaction.
Yet she obviously senses it as her smile widens.
“I am, but what ‘amusement’ can you give me?”
“A great show. That is something I can promise whether you win the wager or not.”
“A grand show, a show befitting of a demonic sect furnace escapee.”
“Would you take it my dear lady?”
“A grand show…”
“That is indeed an irresistible offer.”
“You really know me don't you?”
Her gaze was seductive and suggestive, yet after a while of being around her, he had more or less gained certain immunity towards her flirting and teasing.
“For such a prize, I suppose if you win, I must give you a one of equal value in return?”
“That is for sure.”
“After all, it is a wager, and both sides should have equal prizes.”
“I prefer to view wagers as less of a gamble, but more of an exchange.”
“Rather than a wager, it would perhaps be more accurate to call this a trade.”
“Whether I win or not, whether you win or not, unless I die in the process, a great show is due.”
“Prize is a poor description, rather you should see it as a further investment, after all when you are already this deep in, a bit more won't hurt would it?”
His words had obviously gone through, chuckling she replied.
“What do you want?”
A question that he previously directed towards her, had now come back to him.
“I will be direct.”
“I want the Seven Kill Strings to be connected to my soul.”
“I want you to engrave it into my soul.”
Soul engraving is a rather unique method of cultivation.
Just like you can carve arrays into your soul to gather qi, thus forcefully breaking into Qi Condensation, you can also carve techniques into your soul, making it into an extension of your existence.
The carved art becomes your ‘life bounded art’, essentially allowing you to use it at near perfect accuracy and efficiency due to it being closely connected to your soul.
Yet, carving arrays and techniques into your soul is essentially damaging it.
Moreover, when you have a ‘life bounded art’, it becomes much harder to learn new techniques.
A trade off for those who want to specify a single cultivation technique, most common in sword cultivators who spend their whole lives on the sword.
They who dedicate only themselves to the sword, while limiting themselves in entirety, can achieve unparalleled power in the path of the sword.
To even think about treading the path of the sword, is to have that conviction, the unfaltering resolve, the will to dedicate every single bit of your existence to the sword.
His request was essentially trading his whole future for an art he has yet to fully understand.
Yet her perceptiveness caught his fleeting, underlying meaning that would have slipped past otherwise.
“You want me to give you your ‘prize’ now don't you?”
The grin widened on his face, a conversation between smart people is ever so efficient.
Seeing his grin, a matching smile appeared on her face.
“Arrogant aren't you?”
“I haven't even placed my guess yet, are you so sure you would be faster than it?”
“Not exactly, but rather, I believe you would give me a time that I would be able to succeed in.”
Her smirk widened, his guess what exactly on spot.
That was exactly what she planned to do, yet a bit more teasing would never hurt.
“Confidence is not a bad thing to have. But too much is poison, you know?”
“Moreover your wager is full of loopholes, you can't expect me to sign a deal like that.”
Hearing her words, Qi Chen had similarly caught the undercurrents of her words.
“Don't speak in riddles, just say your condition.”
A soft laugh escaped her throat.
“I am asking you to sweeten the deal for me.”
Her hands rested on his cheeks, tracing it with much focus.
“I suppose I shall state my conditions first.”
“A generous time frame huh?”
“One year should be a good enough time.”
“I am sure you would be able to escape in the time frame.”
“I have already given you a free engraving that you wanted, is it not time to get into the details of your grand show?”
“After all, in a trade, both sides should be equal.”
She whispered into his ears, her head dangerously close to his.
To which, he replied.
“A show, an unforgettable one, a stir up that will be recorded in the history of the Demonic Sect.”
“Is that a good enough trade for you?”
It was merely a wager in name, both parties knew it was a trade
In return for her amusement, he would receive the engraving he sought.
A win-win game in the costume of a wager.
“That is a bold claim.”
“A historical stir-up that has never happened in this history of the demonic sect…”
She muttered softly.
“But I am sure you would be able to.”
“Therefore, I accept this ‘wager’.”
A full rewrite will be coming, under a new book, I have been very displeased with the confusing writing upon revising it, will be rewriting in full, and hopefully come before the end of January.