"Young Master, please rest assured, this lowly one... this lowly one was not robbed."
Fei Kui knelt on the ground, looking rather self-reproachful. He took out a storage bag and handed it over, saying, "Young Master, these are the spirit stones you asked me to exchange. The shopkeeper inside the mountain villa deliberately lowballed the price, offering only eight hundred thousand per piece. The price was truly too low. I originally intended to exchange them all, but I was worried you might urgently need spirit stones, so I only exchanged ten pieces first. The exchanged spirit stones are all inside, and the remaining Blue Nurturing Frost Crystal shards are there as well. Young Master, please count them."
Gu Qingfeng took the storage bag without even bothering to glance at it. He asked, "Then how did you get that injury on your face? Were you beaten by someone?"
"This lowly one hit himself."
Gu Qingfeng carefully examined the slap mark on Fei Kui's right cheek. Indeed, from that angle, only he himself could have delivered it. This puzzled Gu Qingfeng greatly. Why would he hit himself for no reason?
Upon inquiry, Fei Kui hesitated for a moment before cautiously explaining, "Young Master, it's like this... The shopkeeper inside the mountain villa deliberately lowballed the price, and this lowly one harbored some resentment. On the way back, I muttered a couple of complaints, and then... I happened to run into Young Master Bai, Young Master Jin, and a few others. They thought I was cursing them."
"And then?"
"This lowly one tried to explain, but they wouldn't listen. So I could only slap myself. Only then did they let it go."
Gu Qingfeng rubbed his chin, squinting at him. "You don't strike me as someone so cowardly. What's the deal? Is that so-called Young Master Jin someone of significant background?"
"They are all second-generation rich kids from the Liujin region. This lowly one can't afford to offend them."
Indeed, Fei Kui was originally just an outer gate deacon of Yunxia Sect. Without any significant background and with cultivation that wasn't particularly high, he hadn't fared well even in the Qingyang region, let alone in the Liujin region. Especially in this famously prestigious Crimson-Letter Manor, how would he dare cause trouble?
Of course, that was secondary. The most important thing was that several groups from the Nine-Hua Alliance, Lingdu Sect, and Bingxuan Sect were currently searching everywhere for Gu Qingfeng. At such a critical moment, he didn't want to cause any trouble for Gu Qingfeng.
"Get up. Let's go take a look."
"Young Master, let's just forget it. The situation is tense right now..."
"Idle time is idle time. Might as well find some amusement."
Find some amusement?
Fei Kui opened his mouth, words caught in his throat, feeling utterly bewildered inside.
So many people are looking for you outside, and you still have the mood to seek amusement?
Fei Kui truly didn't know what kind of person this master was. He wanted to say more, but Gu Qingfeng had no interest in listening further.
Crimson-Letter Manor, hailed as the largest and most luxurious manor in the surrounding regions, naturally had an impressive scale. Surrounded by four mountains, all of which were spirit mountains, beneath them lay a very rich spiritual vein.
Within the manor, there were hundreds of gardens, large and small. In addition, all kinds of trading houses were available, and every type of pleasure establishment one could imagine was present. Ordinary people couldn't afford to come here; at least, someone like Fei Kui wouldn't dare. A single visit would likely wipe out decades of hard-earned savings.
Those qualified to play here were mostly prominent figures from the surrounding regions, especially second-generation rich kids and young masters who loved to gather here. Whether from this major family or that great sect, they would cluster together, idly praising performers, gambling, admiring flowers, or creating paintings.
Gu Qingfeng might be an idler, or perhaps he genuinely wanted to find some amusement. But most importantly, he truly felt sorry for this kid Fei Kui.
Having followed him for so many days—practically since entering Yunxia Sect—Fei Kui had been serving him diligently, fetching tea and pouring wine in the mornings, standing guard outside every day, always trembling with caution.
Gu Qingfeng had seen all of this. He had originally planned to find time to guide him properly, so the kid wouldn't have followed him in vain.
Before he could even settle down, this kid had already spent all his savings for his sake. And now, he had actually slapped himself in the face because he didn't dare offend a few second-generation rich kids.
To be honest, it was a very minor matter.
However, those who knew Gu Qingfeng were aware that he had a flaw: he couldn't stand seeing people close to him suffer any grievance, not even the slightest bit. If they were wronged, regardless of who the other party was, he would definitely seek retribution.
This was his principle in life, and also a flaw.
This flaw had always existed and had never changed, whether during his cultivation in this world or later when he roamed the Nine Heavens.
If you called it being protective of his own.
Yes, that's exactly what it was.
Gu Qingfeng had never denied that he had this flaw of being overly protective.
Fei Kui led the way ahead, while Gu Qingfeng followed behind, eating spirit fruits and admiring the manor's scenery. Indeed, whether it was the pavilions or towers within the manor, they were all exquisitely crafted, clearly the work of masters.
"Young Master, they... should be inside."
Gu Qingfeng stopped. When he looked up and saw the two characters for 'gambling house,' he couldn't help but smile.
"Young Master, perhaps..." Fei Kui wanted to say something, but Gu Qingfeng had already walked in.
Inside was a rather luxurious hall, entirely carved from glazed jade. At a glance, there were hundreds of various formations, large and small, within the hall, most of which were for entertainment: Minor Spring Breeze Formations, Minor Resonance Formations, Minor Illusion Formations...
Without exception, these formations were either for physical comfort or mental relaxation.
The hall was bustling. Crowds surrounded each gambling table, and around every table stood several seductively dressed young women, apparently serving girls of the gambling house. They held trays with fine wine and spirit fruits...
"Not bad, not bad."
Gu Qingfeng nodded in approval while squinting his eyes, a sense of nostalgia washing over him.
To speak of his hobbies in life, there truly weren't many. Fine wine counted as one. Women? Couldn't really be called a hobby. As for gambling, while it couldn't be considered a hobby, he would still play a few rounds every now and then to satisfy the itch.
Truth be told, whether it was fine wine or gambling, these two bad habits were cultivated from childhood. He was an orphan, wandering the streets since young. Deception, fraud, theft—there was nothing he couldn't do. Gambling was practically a basic survival skill.
Later, after entering Yunxia Sect, he met that old gambler Huode. Gu Qingfeng had indeed been swindled quite a bit. Of course, he later swindled back, once winning Huode down to his last pair of underpants.
Speaking of gambling, during his cultivation days in this world, he hadn't played much. Constantly fighting and killing left little leisure for such games. What truly got him hooked on this thing was during his time in the Nine Underworlds.
What kind of place was the Nine Underworlds?
It was reputed to be the great land of sin between heaven and earth, filled entirely with ancient demonic heads who had lived for who knows how many years, and every single one of them was a damn old gambler. Back when Gu Qingfeng was cast into the Nine Underworlds, the first thing he did upon opening his eyes was gamble—and he gambled with souls. He had lost his own soul and won the souls of others.
Thinking back carefully, during his time in the Nine Underworlds, aside from fighting and undergoing trials, gambling with those old demonic heads seemed to be the thing he did the most.
So, seeing so many gamblers now filled him with a sense of nostalgia, as if he had returned to those days of roaming in the Nine Underworlds.
The fifth update was over ten minutes late, but at least it made it...
Nothing more to say, my apologies!
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