Chapter 30: You Even Make Money Off Your Own Brother?

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: You Even Make Money Off Your Own Brother?

"Fine, I’ll bet three hundred taels! I bet you won’t master the Nine-Star Linked Beads within a month, or even half a year!"

Jianng Hongfei slapped three silver notes directly in front of Lu Yuan.

"Heh, I’ll bet two hundred taels!" Yu Qiuyang quickly followed suit. "Forget about a month—if you can master the Nine-Star Linked Beads within two years, I’ll consider you impressive!"

"Like I need your approval?" Lu Yuan rolled his eyes.

"You..." Yu Qiuyang desperately wanted to slap Lu Yuan across the face, or throw down another two hundred taels.

However, he couldn’t steal the spotlight from Young Master Fei. Besides, he genuinely didn’t have that much money left.

"I... I..." Liu Zhi gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I’ll pass. You guys go ahead."

He couldn’t kick a man when he was down and harm Brother Lu.

"Are you broke? Don’t tell me you don’t even have fifty taels?" Lu Yuan looked at Liu Zhi in astonishment.

The Hedong Liu Family was incredibly wealthy, boasting assets well over several hundred thousand, or even millions, of taels. Was Liu Zhi out of favor, or perhaps an illegitimate son?

"I..." Liu Zhi quickly stepped behind Lu Yuan and whispered, "I don’t want to win your money!"

"You think I’m afraid you’ll win?" Lu Yuan was instantly displeased.

What kind of nonsense was this? It was obvious that Liu Zhi simply didn’t believe in him.

"Place your bet! If you have the money, bet it. You don’t need to spare my feelings!"

"Ah?" Liu Zhi was taken aback. After a moment of silence, he reluctantly pulled out a silver note. "Alright, then I’ll bet fifty taels."

"Just fifty taels..." Lu Yuan thought. "Whatever, it’s fine. I’ll just assume he’s not favored by his family."

He shook his head and looked at Mu Lingche. "What about you, Young Master Su? Aren’t you going to place a little bet for fun?"

"Can you afford to pay up if I bet?" Mu Lingche asked.

"It’s only a few hundred taels. I, Lu Yuan, am not so broke that I can’t afford that much!" Lu Yuan couldn’t help but smile.

He still had one Bone Tempering Pill and one Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill, which were worth five or six hundred taels. Alternatively, he could easily make several hundred taels just by putting his mind to it. But the main point was that this was a guaranteed win.

"Besides, I have absolute confidence. Why else would I play along with you guys?"

"Heh." Mu Lingche couldn’t help but chuckle.

Truth be told, he hadn’t been interested at first. However, Lu Yuan’s arrogant, ignorant demeanor had piqued his curiosity.

"Fine, I’ll bet three hundred taels! I bet that it’s impossible for you to master the Nine-Star Linked Beads within a month!"

"Three hundred taels! Excellent!" Lu Yuan was overjoyed.

Three hundred, three hundred, two hundred, and fifty—that made a total of eight hundred and fifty taels. It was a pity it fell just short of a thousand. Still, it would be enough for now.

He smiled as he rolled up the silver notes and stuffed them into his robes. "We’ll settle the score in a month."

"Wait, hold on. You’re just going to take the money like that? Why does this feel off? If you lose, what are you putting up as collateral?" Jianng Hongfei suddenly realized something was wrong.

"I’m the dealer. Isn’t it only natural that I hold the money first? What’s wrong with that?" Lu Yuan shot Jianng Hongfei a speechless glance. "If I happen to lose, I’ll just pay you back double. I’m a living, breathing person—you think I can’t pay you back a few hundred taels?"

"You... this..." Jianng Hongfei still felt something was amiss, yet he couldn’t put his finger on it.

"It’s fine," Yu Qiuyang nodded firmly.

That was how the rules worked in gambling houses.

"Oh, alright." Jianng Hongfei breathed a sigh of relief.

Three hundred taels was by no means a small amount; it was his allowance for two whole months.

"I’ll be waiting for you to pay me back six hundred taels in a month," Mu Lingche sneered.

He just wanted to teach Lu Yuan a lesson.

"Don’t worry," Lu Yuan replied, brimming with confidence.

"Brother Lu, are you really that confident?" Liu Zhi asked him cautiously.

"A little, but not entirely," Lu Yuan sighed.

"Ah? Then why did you..." Liu Zhi was dumbfounded.

How could he dare to bet so big without absolute certainty?

"Isn’t it because I’m short on money?" Lu Yuan said helplessly.

"You..." Liu Zhi was completely speechless.

Even if he was broke, he couldn’t just do this! It was practically playing with fire!

"By the way, the Liu Family runs a Pill business, right?" Lu Yuan suddenly looked at Liu Zhi.

"Yeah." Liu Zhi nodded. His family ran many businesses, and Pills were among them. "We have a few medicinal estates."

"Well then, look here. We’re brothers. If a brother goes to your place to buy Pills, shouldn’t there be a discount?" Lu Yuan slung an arm around Liu Zhi’s neck and asked with a grin.

"Naturally. I’ll give you a ten percent discount," Liu Zhi smiled and nodded.

"Only ten percent? We’re brothers! We’ll be fighting back-to-back, entrusting our lives to each other in the future, and you’re only giving me a ten percent discount...

"Making a profit off your own brother—don’t you feel guilty?"

Lu Yuan was somewhat dissatisfied. The Pill business was incredibly lucrative, yet Liu Zhi was only offering him ten percent off. Rich people were truly stingy.

"Ah? Then... twenty percent?" Liu Zhi’s smile faded, his mouth twitching slightly.

He didn’t dare bear the reputation of profiting off a brother. While the profit margins on Pills were substantial, it largely depended on whether they were refined by their own Pill Masters or sourced externally. Different sources meant different profit margins. For common ones like the Qi Nourishing Pill and Bone Tempering Pill, the market was highly transparent, leaving very little room for profit. Twenty percent off was essentially selling at cost.

"That’s more like it." Lu Yuan still wasn’t entirely satisfied, but it was acceptable.

He pulled out four silver notes and shoved them into Liu Zhi’s hand. "Then have someone deliver ten Qi Nourishing Pills to me at noon."

"Ten Pills..." Liu Zhi stared at the silver notes in his hand, momentarily stunned.

That seemed like a lot. He had just lost a hundred taels in an instant...

"What, is there a problem?" Lu Yuan frowned.

"No, no problem!" Liu Zhi pocketed the silver notes. "I’ll have someone send them over shortly."

Not far away, Jianng Hongfei’s mouth twitched.

He finally realized what felt so wrong. This Lu Yuan kid was short on Pills, but because he lacked money, he had...

This kid was completely scamming them to get something for nothing! Of course, the one-month bet would definitely have to be honored in the end!

"Once he cultivates True Gang and advances to the Eighth Grade, all his physical attributes will indeed improve significantly," Jianng Hongfei thought. "But it’s still impossible for him to master the Nine-Star Linked Beads in just a month...

"Many Eighth Grade Martial Artists practice Archery Skills, but how many can actually master a top-tier Archery Skill like the Nine-Star Linked Beads? He’s too naive! Archery Skills are tied to Cultivation, but they rely far more on innate talent..."

Yu Qiuyang also came to this realization, his fists clenching slightly.

Regardless, it didn’t matter. The money had to be repaid in a month anyway. Still, it just pissed him off!

"Too clever for his own good!" Mu Lingche thought, silently passing judgment.

Lu Yuan would have to pay it back sooner or later! He might be reaping the benefits today, but he’d be crying in a month. Paying double in interest for a month’s loan was far too steep a price. It wasn’t worth it.

"Good brother!" Lu Yuan patted Liu Zhi on the shoulder.

He knew joining the Demon Suppression Bureau would come with plenty of perks.

Soon, it was noon, and the Demon Suppression Bureau served lunch. The meal consisted mainly of various types of meat, and it was all-you-can-eat.

"Eh? Has our Demon Suppression Bureau added a newcomer? Who is this? He looks fresh, still wet behind the ears. Could this be that useless pretty boy with a mere Ninth Grade Cultivation recommended by Wu the Cripple, the gatekeeper?"

Suddenly, a young man in his early twenties with thin lips and a mean face stood up, glaring at Lu Yuan as he spoke in a shrill voice.