novelraw Chapter 2220 - 2219: The Great Philanthropist
Chapter 2220 - 2219: The Great Philanthropist
Long Fei raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself that this Shu King seemed a bit frivolous, but his vision wasn’t bad.
He nodded and said, "That’s right, my junior sister and I have just come down from the mountain, and we haven’t roamed the martial world before."
The Shu King was overjoyed and said, "No wonder, it turns out both of you are reclusive experts. If you need any assistance in Shu State, feel free to come to me for help."
He seemed very sociable and knew how to win people’s hearts.
Long Fei asked him, "Does the Shu King know about the demon calamity in Shu State?"
"Oh?"
The Shu King raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you referring to those shrimp soldiers and crab generals in the Southern Ridge?"
"Exactly!"
Long Fei nodded.
The Shu King laughed and said, "They’re just a bunch of rabble. Didn’t expect they would alarm you. The Southern Ridge has always been a gathering place for demons, and every year, some Demon Clan members come down to cause trouble. Rest assured, once our city’s heavenly soldiers arrive, they can easily wipe them out!"
Long Fei’s expression tightened, surprised that the upper echelons of Shu State had such an attitude towards the demon calamity.
These demons had already massacred several cities, yet in their eyes, it was merely a small matter?
He took a gulp of tea, feeling it was unnecessary to continue speaking with this Shu King.
Rather than waste time, it would be better to earn some money here to help the afflicted cities.
He asked the Shu King, "Shu King, how big is your manor today? Can you afford to pay whatever I wager today?"
The Shu King, with interest, said, "Are you looking to place a bet? Go ahead and bet. There’s no bet I can’t afford to cover!"
Long Fei nodded and suddenly shouted to the people on the boat, "Fellow cultivators, I have something to say."
The cultivators quieted down at once, all looking up at Long Fei.
The cultivators on nearby small boats also all turned their attention to Long Fei.
Long Fei clasped his fists and shouted to everyone, "Fellow cultivators, you should all know that the Demon Clan is ravaging our Shu State, causing over a million civilian deaths and injuries, with over ten million refugees fleeing everywhere. I reckon they’ll arrive in Shu State in a few days.
As cultivators, we should act in accordance with the heavens, and we cannot avoid the world, thinking these matters don’t concern us.
The Demon Clan is strong, and ultimately, we’ll be the ones suffering losses.
I’ve just discussed with the Shu King, and I’m planning to wager ten billion Spirit Stones.
If I lose, the ten billion will belong to the Shu King.
But if I win, according to the rules, the Shu King will pay out the Spirit Stones. I will not take a single grain of the profit; it will all be donated to the impending refugees. You all can witness this, and if I break my word, may the heavens strike me down."
His words were powerful, leaving the Shu King and the attending cultivators dumbfounded.
Someone stammered, "Did you just say you’re betting ten billion Spirit Stones?"
"That’s right!"
Long Fei’s expression remained calm.
The crowd erupted into shouts, even the Shu King’s legs started to tremble.
He had some savings, but ten billion was just too much!
The cultivators present came to their senses, all cheering, "Fellow cultivator, you’re magnanimous!"
"Fellow cultivator, you have great benevolence and righteousness, we admire you!"
"Such benevolence and righteousness!"
"We support you!"
"..."
The thunderous cheers left the Shu King unable to back out.
His mouth twitched, and he stood up, addressing everyone, "To have someone so righteous and concerned for the nation and its people in Shu State is indeed a blessing for our Shu State. I also swear here, even if this fellow cultivator loses, I will still take out the ten billion Spirit Stones to donate to the refugees. Let the heavens bear witness, I will not break my word."
Upon hearing this, everyone became even more excited.
The crowd shouted, "Long live the Shu King!"
"The Shu King is bold!"
"The Shu King is righteous!"
"..."
The Shu King waved to everyone, privately cursing Long Fei.
He wore a wry smile, never expecting to be outmaneuvered like this.
Long Fei took out a storage ring on the spot, allowing the cultivators present to inspect it thoroughly.
Ten billion Spirit Stones, piled as high as a mountain.
For ordinary people, it would take a lifetime to count.
But for the cultivators present, they could see it clearly with just a thought.
Some initially thought this was all a charade between the Shu King and Long Fei to gain fame.
Who would’ve thought Long Fei really took out the ten billion.
He handed the storage ring to the accountant, whose fingers trembled as he counted and wrote the receipt.
He asked Long Fei, "May I ask, sir, which faction do you think will win?"
Long Fei calmly said, "Naturally, the Qingcheng Sect!"
The crowd erupted again, instantly creating an uproar.
Even the Shu King’s mouth twitched, not expecting Long Fei’s ambition to be so great, looking to empty his coffers!
If he bet on Mount Shu, the odds were one to one.
But for the Qingcheng Sect, the odds were one to ten!
If the Qingcheng Sect really won, he’d have to pay out 100 billion Spirit Stones.
No matter how wealthy the Shu Royal Mansion was, it wasn’t that rich!
The Shu King’s forehead broke into a sweat, making it hard to stand up.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, just hoping for a draw, or for Mount Shu to win, so he could still profit ten billion.
At that time, the donation would just be a label, and he’d decide how much to actually donate.
This thought flashed by, filling his heart with confidence that Mount Shu could win.
He stopped fretting, raising a hand to the present cultivators, saying, "This is for charity. You can bet on any faction to win. My original intention won’t change; even if I win, I’ll still donate the ten billion!"
Long Fei smirked, having figured out his personality.
This man, like the princes and dukes in their world, gained fame young and loved grand displays.
If not for that, he wouldn’t have been outmaneuvered.
Long Fei knew the Shu King couldn’t pay 100 billion, but he’d have his way by then.
These princes had plenty of fiefdoms here, perfect for exchanging money to settle disaster victims.
He had a premonition that the demon calamity in Shu State wouldn’t end so easily.
There would be plenty of places to spend money when the time came.
The cultivators continued to shout, praising both Long Fei and the Shu King.
This event, as if sprouting wings, quickly spread through the city.
Even the Shu State Governor soon got wind of it.
He was worrying about settling refugees, not knowing a blessing was on its way, such a fortunate event.
Ten billion Spirit Stones, with a payout of 100 billion Spirit Stones if they won.
Those Spirit Stones were equivalent to a century’s tax from all of Shu State!
Swallowing hard, he couldn’t help but marvel at how wealthy the cultivation world really was.
He immediately summoned someone, instructing the Proclamation Bureau to send reporters to publicize the event.
In this world, there were newspapers too.
Those run by officials were managed by the Proclamation Bureau, usually published within official channels.
This good deed needed large-scale publicity to cement the event as fact.
Thus, the bettors were bound by public opinion, unable to retract easily.
Even the Shu King didn’t expect this to become such widespread news.
Not only did the official press get involved, but private press quickly followed suit.
What started as an event in the cultivation world now involved the secular world, filling the lake with little boats.
People came flocking to see what a Bodhisattva with ten billion looks like.
Unexpectedly, the cultivation world had someone so kindhearted to represent and contribute for ordinary people.
Long Fei quickly became a hot figure, and he welcomed all, accepting interviews from any newspaper.
The Shu King, however, was in trouble. Originally wanting to avoid it all, hoping the storm would pass.
Who knew everything Long Fei said included him, praising him as a hero of Shu State, devoted to the people, elevating him to the heavens.
He could only offer forced smiles while exchanging pleasantries with the press, internally cursing Long Fei’s ancestors for several generations.