Chapter 28 - 14: Sword Cultivators Value Their Word Over Life and Death

Chapter 28: Chapter 14: Sword Cultivators Value Their Word Over Life and Death

Guo Shaoshang was just a pawn pushed to the front. The one truly pulling the strings from behind was Zeng Jun. Dong Hao, of course, saw this with perfect clarity.

He could even guess Zeng Jun’s thoughts—it was nothing more than an attempt to use this matter to solidify his reputation as a poor judge of character and viciously damage his prestige in the dojo.

’Besides that, he must also be thinking of using the bet to provoke me, making me waste a large amount of resources on Jiang Xuan, and in turn fall behind in my own cultivation.’

Glancing at the seemingly impartial Zeng Jun, Dong Hao sneered inwardly.

’Quite the little scheme. Too bad I’m the one who orchestrated all of it.’

As a merchant, Dong Hao’s ability to read people and discern their intentions was outstanding, and his control over a situation was masterful.

He had naturally sensed the jealousy and envy the Sons of the Lower Classes in the back rows felt toward Jiang Xuan. Meanwhile, the Descendants of Noble Families in the front looked down on him from the bottom of their hearts, as his Spirit Root Grade was a mere Profound Middle.

Under these circumstances, if he had truly wanted what was best for Jiang Xuan, he could have taken his Maid, Nan Zhi, and the food box to the back corner to eat with him. That way, Jiang Xuan wouldn’t have been pushed into the spotlight, and even if Zeng Jun and the others wanted to cause trouble, they would have had no excuse.

However, Dong Hao was a merchant, not a purely benevolent soul.

He befriended Jiang Xuan and gave him resources because he had sensed Jiang Xuan’s Talent and wanted to claim this fine sword for his own use.

And after a moment of consideration, he had realized that eating in the corner was far less advantageous to him than pulling Jiang Xuan to the forefront.

’By bringing Jiang Xuan into the open, everyone will know he’s my man. In that case, it will be difficult for others to win him over, and it would be troublesome for Jiang Xuan to switch his allegiance—no Descendant of a Noble Family likes a traitor.’

’More importantly, only by pushing him into the eye of the storm and giving others an excuse to make a scene will I have a legitimate reason to step forward and protect him. Step by step, I can weld this debt of gratitude shut and make this sword’s Heart completely mine.’

All these schemes and calculations meant that Dong Hao wasn’t angry at all at Zeng Jun and Guo Shaoshang for jumping out; on the contrary, he was delighted.

Of course, he didn’t let a hint of these thoughts show on his face. At this moment, faced with Zeng Jun’s words about a bet, he put on an enraged expression and said directly, "Fine. I accept this bet."

He agreed readily, and on the other side, Guo Shaoshang was even more impatient.

This was his and Zeng Jun’s plan from the start, and he didn’t think he would lose to a student from the Lower Classes with a Profound Grade Spirit Root, so he also agreed quickly.

"I agree too!"

And to angle for some personal gain, after agreeing, he added with feigned anger, "Not only that, but I’ll add one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones to the prize pool! You believe this mud-legged peasant can win, don’t you? Do you dare to take the bet?"

"..." Dong Hao said, "Of course I dare!"

And so, with Zeng Jun as a witness, the "disputing" Dong Hao and Guo Shaoshang made a bet.

The stakes were that if Jiang Xuan won, he could join the team and no one else could object, plus the prize of one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones.

However, just as they were about to finalize the bet, Jiang Xuan, who had been calm the entire time as if the matter had nothing to do with him, suddenly spoke up.

"As for the first part of the bet, forget it. I have no intention of joining your team."

"Huh?!"

The moment he said this, Zeng Jun froze on the spot. He never would have imagined that Jiang Xuan would so unhesitatingly give up what he considered a heaven-sent opportunity to join the team.

’Is he acting on impulse, or does he know his own limits and feel he’s not qualified... Never mind. Either way, because of his own foolishness, he’s thrown away the greatest opportunity of his life.’

Sneering to himself, Zeng Jun couldn’t be bothered with Jiang Xuan anymore. He turned to Dong Hao and said, "In that case, the stakes are a bit unfair. I’ll add another two hundred Spirit Stones—if you win, all three hundred and eighty Spirit Stones are yours. If you lose, you only need to compensate Shaoshang one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones."

He said this for two reasons. First, he was afraid the stakes weren’t high enough to bait Dong Hao and that the whole scheme would fall through, robbing him of the chance to make Dong Hao lose face in public. Second, he believed from the bottom of his heart that there was absolutely no chance Jiang Xuan could win. Thus, adding the Spirit Stones was just for show, like moving money from one hand to the other, which naturally made him appear generous.

"Fine," Dong Hao still agreed crisply.

In just a few words, the bet was finalized. Zeng Jun then dragged away Guo Shaoshang, who was still putting on a show of indignation, and they left.

After they left, Dong Hao looked apologetically at Jiang Xuan and cupped his hands. "Brother Jiang, my apologies. You must have been frightened."

"It’s nothing." Giving Dong Hao a deep look, Jiang Xuan said calmly, "This isn’t your fault. On the contrary, it is I who might cause Brother Dong to needlessly lose a sum of Spirit Stones."

"Hahaha..." Dong Hao burst into a hearty laugh. "Brother Jiang, I’ve said it before: I believe in your abilities. I never thought you would lose. Who knows, maybe this time Brother Jiang can help me win big."

"If we really win, we’ll split the Spirit Stones fifty-fifty."

"Of course, even if we lose, it’s no big deal. I, Dong Hao, can still afford to lose one hundred and eighty Spirit Stones."

With that, he took a step forward, gently draping an arm over Jiang Xuan’s shoulder like a dear friend of many years, and said in an earnest tone, "But I really do want to win this bet. The Spirit Stones are a small matter, but I don’t want to see the smug faces of Zeng Jun and Guo Shaoshang if they get their way. So, I’ll be preparing some cultivation resources for Brother Jiang later. You absolutely cannot refuse them this time."

"Alright."

This time, Jiang Xuan’s agreement was exceptionally crisp, without a hint of refusal.