Chapter 831 Spirit Beast Gambling Event?
Even though Ye Xuanyue felt the squirrel and the young man from earlier were strange, she had a vague feeling in her heart that she might see that young man again. This feeling had no basis, but it lingered.
Ye Xuanyue turned her face toward Hou Xiaoyong beside her and spoke.
“When we entered earlier, it seemed we heard those people mention something about a Spirit Beast Gambling Event. Do you know what this is about?”
Her voice was faint. Hou Xiaoyong scratched his head. The middle-aged man chuckled twice, then began to explain.
“This, I also asked about. The Spirit Beast Gambling Event is unique to this Third District. What they gamble on are Spirit Beasts. They make Spirit Beasts fight—cultivators themselves are not allowed to participate. This gambling event is not always open. I heard that to participate, certain conditions are required.”
Hou Xiaoyong thought for a moment and continued,
“This is a major taboo of the Beast Alliance. In ordinary districts, who would dare to play so big? If discovered by the Beast Alliance, it would be terrible. But gambling with Spirit Beasts… you need to have Spirit Beasts to do it. If you don’t have Spirit Beasts, then there’s no playing. Only truly tough figures engage in this gambling. Those who can form pacts with strong Spirit Beasts are either individuals of considerable strength themselves, capable of escaping Spirit Beast pursuits, or people with immense backgrounds. Anyway, this thing is very high-end. Those who dare to play are all powerful characters.”
Ye Xuanyue nodded. She originally had no interest in the Spirit Beast Gambling Event, but a voice transmission from Little White suddenly came to her mind.
“Master… that little squirrel from earlier, if you see it next time, be careful.”
Ye Xuanyue was somewhat speechless.
“Be careful?”
Little White’s voice was very low. Earlier, it hadn’t even dared to make a sound in Ye Xuanyue’s Consciousness Sea. It was afraid of being detected by that squirrel. That squirrel… was not ordinary at all, and was certainly not some common Spirit Beast.
Little White took a deep breath, then finally spoke.
“Master, you just need to know it is very dangerous.”
Ye Xuanyue’s brow furrowed slightly. That squirrel from earlier? She had thought it was quite cute, looking like some kind of adorable pet, without any lethality. But since Little White spoke like this, it probably wasn’t wrong.
Ye Xuanyue nodded. Earlier, when she entered the Third District, the person who gave her the Passage Token had said that if she wanted to gather information, she could go to shops with blue cloth hung at the door.
Ye Xuanyue was now searching for the so-called shop.
She had already stepped onto the street.
Passersby hurried back and forth. Judging by cultivation strength alone, none of them were weak.
Ye Xuanyue pressed her lips together, her gaze fixed ahead.
She finally found the shop she had been looking for.
Inside, it was somewhat empty. No one tended the shop, yet it was very clean—unlike other shops that neatly displayed goods for sale. This shop was simply bare.
Ye Xuanyue stood inside, hesitating slightly as her gaze fell on the landscape painting hanging on the wall.
The painting looked distinctive. The brushstrokes were light, the black-and-white washes spread softly, yet it carried a unique charm, full of artistic conception. Hanging on the white wall, it occupied nearly half the space.
Ye Xuanyue’s gaze remained fixed intently on the painting.
Leng Moran spoke softly, asking,
“Shall we leave?”
But the next second, he was surprised to find that the girl beside him had become completely still. Her eyes were locked on the painting, as if she had sunk into it, not hearing him at all.
Leng Moran did not hurry to shake Ye Xuanyue awake. He glanced at her focused eyes and instead stood quietly by, waiting. When Hou Xiaoyong wanted to speak, Leng Moran stopped him with a look.
Ye Xuanyue continued staring at the painting. After quite a while, she slowly let out a puff of turbid breath.
Leng Moran’s eyes turned toward her.
Ye Xuanyue blinked, then spoke.
“Help me look. See if there is paper and a brush here.”
Leng Moran looked at her calm expression. Her eyes shone slightly, appearing brilliant. He knew her too well—this girl must have discovered something. Without hesitation, he gently opened a drawer. Inside were ink and a brush.
Only the ink had not yet been ground.
He began grinding the ink himself, his movements light, his expression carrying a faint trace of a smile. He had never ground ink for Xuanyue before, but when he did, the feeling was unexpectedly pleasant. On the contrary, it felt very warm.
Ye Xuanyue’s gaze remained fixed on the painting.
Hou Xiaoyong was slightly stunned. He still didn’t know what she intended to do. These two seemed to be speaking in riddles, leaving him completely in the dark.
His expression grew dazed. After a good while, he couldn’t help but ask,
“What are you two up to…”
Ye Xuanyue’s expression stayed unperturbed. She waited quietly for Leng Moran to finish grinding the ink, appearing extremely patient.
After a while, the ink was ready. She dipped the brush and, without hesitation, prepared to bring it to the paper.
Hou Xiaoyong immediately grew anxious. Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Was this girl crazy?
This was someone else’s painting, hung here with great care, obviously treasured. If she scribbled on it randomly and was discovered, wouldn’t it be disastrous?
Ye Xuanyue’s expression showed no hesitation. She held the ink-dipped brush, poised to touch the painting. Just as the brush tip was about to make contact, she heard a low voice beside her ear.
“Stop!”
Ye Xuanyue’s finger stopped in mid-air.
She turned her face, her eyes holding a hidden trace of a smile. Then she spoke.
“Hm? This painting… couldn’t be altered?”
An old man walked down from the stairs. He wore a gray robe and had rather regular features, his eyebrows already white. At this moment, however, his expression carried hidden anger. He stared at Ye Xuanyue, his voice almost a roar.
“What are you doing? Little girl, do you know the value of this painting? If you ruin it, you couldn’t even afford to compensate!”
He was clearly furious, his chest rising and falling. His gaze fell on Ye Xuanyue’s hand holding the brush. He snorted, and a surge of Spiritual Power shot out, aiming to knock the brush from her hand.
Although the old man’s aura was imposing, Hou Xiaoyong was, after all, on Ye Xuanyue’s side. He hurriedly stepped forward, blocking the attack for her. His tone, however, was humble and submissive, carrying an apologetic note.
“She is young and doesn’t understand… Please, venerable elder, don’t take it to heart…”