He held a sword in his arms, his pupils a noble deep blue, and frost surrounded his body. Even when he spoke, he gave off a chilling aura.
In Quan Buluo City, there was only one such person.
That was Yan Yu.
Jin Jiao's eyes suddenly became serious.
Yan Yu, twenty-one years old, the fastest second-stage異人 (yi ren) in Gui Ye Zhi Yu.
He had awakened ice attributes, swordsmanship, and three psychic abilities in the perception category, and was universally recognized as the next governor of the Demon Extermination Division.
And this person had gambled all his fortune on Xu Mu winning.
If Yin Shui'er had irrationally lost her gold, then for what reason had Yan Yu done the same?
"Big brother, I have a bad premonition." Kuai Shu Ge.
Yin Jiao sighed heavily next to the bald man.
Although he was the second-in-command of the Jin Yin Merchant House, he was different from Jin Jiao, who managed the business.
Yin Jiao was primarily responsible for the safety of the Jin Yin Merchant House in Gui Ye Zhi Yu. He was powerful and had frequent contact with异能者 (yi neng zhe) from various factions.
Yan Yu, on the other hand, was the most efficient operative in the Demon Extermination Division, and Yin Jiao understood him very well.
Yin Jiao knew exactly how terrifying this junior second-stage异人 (yi ren) was. His success rate in missions for the Demon Extermination Division was an astounding one hundred percent.
This required not only immense strength but also the acumen and ability to seize opportunities.
Therefore, when Yan Yu gambled all his fortune on Xu Mu, Yin Jiao knew that things had become very bad.
"Ten days ago, he went to Feng Qing Village. Perhaps he saw something there."
"It's because he saw something that he's so sure Xu Mu will win!"
Yin Jiao laid out his analysis. Jin Jiao's mood plummeted, his eyes flickering.
It was too risky. He suddenly regretted setting up this betting pool.
Because if Xu Mu really won, he would have to pay out nearly three hundred thousand gold ingots, and the remaining bets on Wang Jue were only a hundred thousand. This would result in a loss of over two hundred thousand!
Should he go back on his word now and pay out at a one-to-one ratio, returning all the bets?
"Liang Jue, you've seen Xu Mu in action before. What do you think of their death match?"
Yin Jiao suddenly remembered that Liang Jue and Liang Chen had also seen Xu Mu in Feng Qing Village and quickly asked.
"This... this..."
Liang Chen's face was pale. The moment Xu Mu appeared on the high platform, his mind was completely shaken, and all his previous guesses were overturned.
He was almost one hundred percent certain that the swordsman who had nearly kicked his father to death that night and the night watchman he had mistaken for a first-stage异人 (yi ren) were the same person!
What master and disciple? Xu Mu was Xu Mu, he was that third-stage swordsman!
"The second-in-command is asking you, speak whatever you know!"
Liang Jue, enduring severe pain, had also guessed Xu Mu's identity. He no longer transmitted his thoughts and spoke directly, enduring his injuries.
He was truly anxious, as he was certain that Xu Mu did not want his identity exposed.
If Liang Chen said anything he shouldn't have, not only would Jin Jiao blame them for not informing him earlier, causing the merchant house to suffer losses, but Xu Mu might not let them off either!
"Say whatever you know..." Liang Chen stammered, "Replying to the second-in-command, who will win between them... I don't know."
"Because that day, Xu Mu only acted at a critical moment, killing the Sable Demon. This guarantees he has top-tier first-stage combat power, stronger than me, but whether he's reached second-stage... I'm not sure."
Hearing this answer, Liang Jue breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. After suffering so many setbacks, his foolish son was finally becoming smarter.
...
"Mm," Yin Jiao nodded, somewhat dejected. The question was as good as not asking.
"Forget it. I, Jin Jiao, have been a bookie my whole life, and there hasn't been a bet that made me voluntarily collapse."
The bald man expelled a mouthful of turbid air from his body and raised his right hand, preparing to control the quicksand to seal the treasury.
But at that moment, a somewhat cold palm suddenly rested on his arm. It was like a corpse in a barren mountain, emitting an abnormal whiteness.
"I bet one hundred thousand silver notes on Xu Mu to win!"
The person's voice was old and refined, yet full of vigor.
Jin Jiao looked up at the elder and found him unfamiliar. How could he have one hundred thousand silver notes to bet on Xu Mu winning?
This converted to ten thousand taels of gold, which was not a small sum.
But then, the man realized that his attention should not be on the amount.
It should be on this hand resting on his arm.
He was a third-stage异人 (yi ren), yet before this hand touched him, he had absolutely no sense of the other's presence. How strong must that person be?
Jin Jiao turned his head and saw an elder without eyebrows. His face was kind, his build robust, and he appeared very powerful.
Well... he only looked powerful. He couldn't sense any fluctuation of psychic energy from the elder.
"Hidden away, perhaps," he shook his head slightly, not taking it too seriously.
Since the Heavenly Tome appeared in Gui Ye, countless people had come to capture Vilitan. There were many new faces in Quan Buluo City.
It was normal to occasionally encounter someone he knew.
...
Seeing that Jin Jiao did not object, Nan Gong Mao Guan appeared calm, but his heart was blooming with joy.
He hadn't expected to encounter such good fortune before leaving.
One hundred thousand, multiplied by nine times, would be nine hundred thousand! He hadn't seen Xu Mu's abilities, but who was that kid?
He hadn't slept for ten consecutive days during their cohabitation!
He studied math and science during the day and cultivated lightning magic and sword techniques at night. With such diligent effort, how could his strength be lacking? That Wang Jue, still wanting to defeat him?
It was simply a daydream!
"It's truly a disgrace to the Nan Gong family."
From a distance, the woman in the white dress covered her face with her hand, seemingly ashamed.
The Nan Gong family was a super-major clan. They had never lacked worldly possessions. Before she was eighteen, she had no concept of money; she just spent it!
But now, a fifth-stage Domain Lord elder of the Nan Gong family was using their travel expenses to gamble with these people?
It was like a wealthy landlord taking a lollipop to gamble with children on the street. What was the point of winning or losing?
"If you were truly short of money, that would be one thing. Finding a way is understandable," Nan Gong transmitted her voice from hundreds of meters away, "But the two of us, from the moment we left the family until now, have spent less than a hundred taels of silver. What are you gambling with them for?"
Nan Gong Mao Guan waved his hand dismissively, chuckling,
"Miss, this is where you misunderstand. This one hundred thousand taels, if you don't spend it all and return home, it has to be handed over. But if I win, the remaining eight hundred thousand will belong to us!"
The elder chuckled, feeling as though his saliva was about to drip out. Eight hundred thousand taels of silver, how many pots of yellow wine could that buy him...
The woman was helpless and said no more.
"Let's just consider it cheering him on," she thought.
...
"Since there are no more bets, I will close the pool."
Jin Jiao placed the one hundred thousand tael silver notes handed to him into the quicksand-built warehouse.
Then he looked up towards the front of the plaza.
Xu Mu in plain clothes, Wang Jue in red robes.
Would he make a fortune from this bet, or would he lose a year's profit for the merchant house?
"You may begin."
Jin Jiao said loudly, and Wang Jue's hands moved in response.
Grass elemental psychic energy surged around him, and the earth trembled, as if something terrifying was about to grow from it.
This prodigy from the imperial city grimaced. He intended to eliminate Xu Mu immediately!
"Wait a moment, stop for now!"
But at that moment, Xu Mu suddenly shouted.
"Stop?" Wang Jue laughed heartily. He wasn't that foolish. This was a death match!
Did he want to play tricks and ambush him?
Impossible!
Rumble!
The youth's psychic ability was unleashed, and a deafening roar echoed across the plaza. Two massive vines erupted from the ground.
They were like the tentacles of a giant octopus monster from the Pacific Ocean, covered in suction cup-like circles, from which a foul grass juice flowed.
These two mutated vines, a hundred meters long, were intimidatingly thick. Up close, looking up at them was like looking up at celestial pillars, exerting immense pressure. It was hard to imagine the consequences of being struck by them.
Yin Shui'er couldn't help but start to worry about Xu Mu.
She wasn't sure if she could even control these two vines with her water prison. Did Xu Mu have a way?
"If you have anything to say, you can say it in your next life!"
Wang Jue roared with a contorted expression. The two vines had fully grown and began to sway, as if they would smash the young man on the ground to pieces in the next second.
At this moment, Xu Mu simply shook his head.
He had actually wanted to ask the other party if he had any last words.
Movie protagonists on Blue Star always did that. It was very cool, and he had wanted to do it for a long time!
But unfortunately, Wang Jue didn't give him the chance.
So the young man gently pulled the trigger on his right index finger.
Bang!
With a loud bang, a dazzling spark flashed from the muzzle of the AWM.
Then, a linear turbulence appeared in space.
*Pfft!*
A tenth of a second later, the Magnum bullet pierced the red robe's chest.
"Huh?" Wang Jue was confused. He felt something touch his chest, cool and icy.
"Drip."
Like viscous water falling to the ground, it made a clear sound as it hit the stone bricks of the plaza.
This was strange. Where was the water coming from?
So he stopped the descending vines and lowered his head along the sound.
His vision blurred, and after a few moments of focus, Wang Jue saw a bloody hole.
A bloody hole, right on his heart!
...