My Master Knows It All

31: 28 Chapters A Few Happy Families, Many Worried Families_1 31: 28 Chapters A Few Happy Families, Many Worried Families_1 …As the referee’s call rang out, the people of Starshine Peak fell into silence.

They had intended to rush to their master’s rescue, but, being possessed by a demonic path spy, they could only stand at a distance, unable to approach.

The referee knew that after this match, the contest of spells had actually come to an end, but his heart still yearned for a miracle to happen.

So, he cleared his throat and said, “Starshine Peak has lost the first match, is there anyone else who wishes to compete in the second?”

A silence fell over the seats of Starshine Peak, and eventually, all eyes turned to their senior brother, Nie Yunting.

Nie Yunting rose to his feet, gave the referee and Cao Zhen a fist-and-palm salute as he bowed, then straightened up and said, “Starshine Peak, admits defeat…”

Before Nie Yunting’s voice had faded, a deathly silence fell over the spectators’ stands, followed by numerous clusters of red light appearing among them – the eyes of those who had bet in desperation were all bloodshot.

Lost!

Hardly anyone in the spectators’ stands could accept this outcome…

How could Four Treasures Peak possibly win?

How could they win?

The next moment, the spectators’ stands exploded into chaos, as various pieces of trash and balled-up betting slips rained down from different places in the stands.

Along with the deluge of garbage and betting slips came endless cursing.

“Starshine Peak, are you trash?!

I’ve been utterly screwed over by you!”

“People of Starshine Peak!

Are you even cultivators?

We cultivators should fight to the very end!

Get up there!

Don’t be cowards!

A war of attrition might just tire him out!”

“My entire savings have been conned by you, Starshine Peak!”

Cao Zhen used his protective aura to deflect the trash and looked towards the referee in the near distance, saying, “Shall you announce it?”

“In this contest between the two peaks, Four Treasures Peak is victorious.” The referee strained his voice to announce the result and immediately pulled out a worthless betting slip from his bosom and threw it towards Starshine Peak, shouting, “Trash!

I’ve been screwed over by you…”

Elder Copper Plate, since his days have been numbered, had not had a single happy day.

However, watching Cao Zhen employ three thunder law divine skills that he had never seen before to turn the Starshine Peak Master into charred coal, his heart, which had been awaiting death, suddenly came alive!

As Elder Copper Plate’s face blossomed with a smile, the expressions on the faces of the Peak Masters sitting beside him and the Elders of the Immortal Palaces became incredibly animated.

Zeng Yicheng, in particular, looked angrily at Elder Copper Plate next to him.

Although he knew that the Peak Master of the Hundredth Peak was so weak that he was inferior to the disciples of other peaks, the main reason he had bet heavily on Starshine Peak’s victory was because he had seen Elder Copper Plate’s distress over the suicidal actions of the Four Treasures Peak Master, prompting him to place a large bet of spirit stones.

Zeng Yicheng took deep breaths in an attempt to stay calm; he had never expected it – someone as honest-looking and straightforward as Elder Copper Plate had learned to deceive!

To boost Four Treasures Peak, he had even pretended so convincingly!

Right!

It must be Elder Copper Plate!

Zeng Yicheng became more and more certain.

A naïve fellow like the Four Treasures Peak Master could never come up with the idea to keep the odds high continuously!

It must have all been orchestrated by Elder Copper Plate!

A contest awaited by many, and one from which they also stood to make money, had come to an end amidst a situation where a large number had lost their bets.

Eager to collect his winnings from the betting house, Cao Zhen no longer delayed and leaped down from the arena, just in time to see Elder Copper Plate’s tear-streaked face laughing as he ran over.

“We won!

We won!” Elder Copper Plate’s face was alight with excitement as he came up and tightly grasped Cao Zhen’s shoulders.

“My boy, it’s wonderful!

We won!

My boy!

And you’ve distinguished yourself!

Do you know?

We caught a demonic path spy!

A great achievement!”

When the audience saw Elder Copper Plate’s excited demeanor, they immediately recalled his behavior at the betting house the other day, and for a moment, all were stunned.

What?

Wasn’t Elder Copper Plate also supposed to have lost everything?

What was he so happy about?

Could it be that he had set this up?

Could it be…

“Yes, Uncle Master,” Cao Zhen felt like a paper figure being violently shaken, his body swaying with Elder Copper Plate’s vigorous motions as he said, “Uncle Master, we’ve both made a fortune this time.

How much did you bet that I would win?”

Elder Copper Dish’s excited trembling arms stopped, and the stream of tears on his face also paused for a moment, turning his whole being rigid.

In his eyes swelled a tide of frustrated regret.

Cao Zhen understood that look all too well.

It was the same expression he had seen in Macau when betting on big or small; when the dice revealed his bet was right, he would regret not having gone all in.

“Uncle-Master, could it be that you didn’t bet enough?” Cao Zhen asked cautiously, “How much did you bet?

Half of your life savings?”

The face of Elder Copper Plate was hard to read…

“Some 30% of your life savings?” Cao Zhen ventured a guess while consoling him, “30% can still bring quite a few times the return…”

Elder Copper Dish’s expression was filled with a bitter and feeble shake of the head…

“Not even 30%?” Cao Zhen questioned again, trying to probe, “10%?”

“Not even 10%…” Elder Copper Dish’s voice trembled as he said, “I didn’t bet on you winning…”

“Didn’t bet?” Now it was Cao Zhen’s turn to be puzzled, “Didn’t I tell you at the time?

Take out your life savings and bet on me winning.”

Elder Copper Dish felt intense regret at this moment, his face ashen as he said, “How was I to know you were that strong?”

Cao Zhen was rendered speechless by this query from the depths of the soul.

When he first heard the betting news, he was too caught up in the excitement and truly forgot to explain in depth.

However, even if he had explained then, Cao Zhen believed that the elder would not have believed him, since at that time his cultivation base was only as unimpressive as four ordinary Dao platforms.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, there might still be a next time.” Cao Zhen hurried to offer comfort, afraid that the old man might have a heart attack from the thought of not making that much money.

“But the problem is, I also bet on you losing, wagering five hundred Liang of Spirit Stones,” said Elder Copper Dish, his face looking as if his Dao companion of many years had passed away, “I thought, if you lost, and I won some money, I could subsidize Four Treasures Peak a bit, help you ransom the disciple…”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, didn’t you give me a hundred Liang of Spirit Stones?” Cao Zhen quickly said to the elder who cared so much for him, “I bet them all on me winning, at ten times the odds.

I’ll give you five hundred Liang, how does that sound?”

Elder Copper Dish stared at Cao Zhen for a moment, then shook his head, “How can that be right?

That’s what you won…”

“Really, it’s no issue.” Cao Zhen said, steadying Elder Copper Dish’s arm that had gone from excited to weak, and started walking ahead, “I’ll get you five hundred Liang.”

As Elder Copper Dish let himself be led by Cao Zhen towards the betting house, his heart was full of regret.

Why had he given this child only a hundred Liang of Spirit Stones that day?

What if he had given a thousand?

“Peak Master Cao, please wait.”

From the VIP viewing platform, an Elder with a look of profound distress leaped before Cao Zhen, blocking their path.

The previous owner of Cao Zhen’s body didn’t have much memory pertaining to the Hundred Peaks Sect, especially since many divisions and their identifiers within the various Immortal Palaces of the sect were not something he recognized fully.

He could not immediately determine which divine being this Elder obstructing the way belonged to.

“Might I ask for the name of this Elder from the Hidden Dragon Immortal Palace?” Elder Copper Plate asked, recognizing the department of the Hundred Peaks Sect he was from by his attire.

“Hidden Dragon Observatory, serving under Hawk Eye,” the obstructionist female Elder bowed slightly, confirming her identity, “Si Yun.”