Chapter 134: The Jade Gambling Pavilion

"Young Master Yang is truly lucky, to have selected a supreme-grade essence stone."

"Indeed, it is my first time seeing anyone unearth a supreme-grade essence stone."

"Look, the owner’s face has turned green. He’s taken quite a loss on this gamble, haha..."

Li Jiansan walked along the street, listening to these murmurs, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "What exactly is this 'stone gambling'?"

"Haha, little brother, this is your first time in the Imperial City, isn't it?"

Damn, is my air of poverty so obvious that people spot it right away?

Li Jiansan smiled and replied, "Yes, it is."

"No need to be surprised. Stone gambling is a unique pastime found only here in our Imperial City. It’s essentially betting on which raw stones contain hidden treasures."

Observing Li Jiansan’s puzzled expression, the man continued, "These raw stones are gathered from ancient battlefields. You see, those battlefields were sites where countless ancient masters clashed, leaving behind an endless array of rare treasures. Over time, these artifacts were buried under soil and rock, gradually forming these raw stones."

"Once these stones are brought back, the industry of stone gambling was born."

"However, these raw stones don't always contain treasures. You might spend a fortune only to cut open a piece of scrap metal, or you might strike gold with a priceless relic."

"In short, stone gambling is entirely a matter of luck. What you find depends entirely on your fate."

The man glanced at Li Jiansan and added, "Young Master Yang just pulled a supreme-grade essence stone from one. Why don't you go and try your luck?"

Li Jiansan asked, "Where can one gamble on stones?"

"For that, you must go to the Stone Gambling Pavilion. There are several in the Imperial City, but the one with the best reputation is the Yuantian Pavilion."

Li Jiansan repeated, "Yuantian Pavilion?"

"Yes, it is the largest and most reputable in the city. That is where Young Master Yang found his supreme-grade stone."

"Many thanks for the information."

Li Jiansan offered his thanks and headed toward the Yuantian Pavilion. Located in the east district, the pavilion occupied a vast area surrounded by high walls. Inside, the grounds were lush with greenery, and raw stones were placed everywhere.

To gamble, one simply selects a stone, pays the spirit stones, and commissions the pavilion to cut it open. After entering and wandering around for a while without finding any stones that caught his eye, Li Jiansan shook his head.

Just then, a young man in green robes approached, fanning himself with a folding fan. Seeing Li Jiansan shaking his head, he sneered with disdain, "You paupers, what good does it do you to come in here? Can you even afford the stones? This place isn't for the likes of you. If you know what's good for you, get out."

"Whether I can afford it or not is none of your business. The owner hasn't said a word, so why are you barking? Truly, the emperor is calm while the eunuch is anxious!"

At Li Jiansan's retort, those nearby burst into laughter.

The young man in green flushed with anger. "What did you say, kid?"

"Quite a temper you have there."

A moment later, the man laughed mockingly. "Ah, I see. You’re just a pauper who has spent generations scraping together a pittance, and now you’re here to gawk at things you could never afford. Now that I’ve exposed you, you’re lashing out in shame."

Li Jiansan’s face darkened. *This guy has quite the flair for drama; he’s a total Oscar-worthy actor.*

Seeing Li Jiansan stay silent, the young man continued his taunts, "I’m telling you, this isn't a place for you. You paupers should learn to stay in your lane."

"Get lost. I want to be here, and it’s none of your business. Don't busy yourself with matters that don't concern you," Li Jiansan finally snapped back.

He looked at the man and challenged, "If you have the guts, dare you gamble with me? The loser pays the bill."

"A pauper like you wants to gamble with me?" The young man laughed. "Hahaha, don't lose your shirt and come crawling out crying later."

"Fine. You decide the rules," Li Jiansan said dismissively.

The crowd was stunned by his words. "Is he crazy to let Yang Ling decide the game?"

"Yang Ling is a veteran gambler here; he's an expert at this."

"By letting Yang Ling choose, he’s already lost."

Yang Ling himself was taken aback. "Hahaha, I admire your courage. Very well, here is the proposal: we each pick three stones to be cut open. Whoever unearths the highest total value wins."

"Agreed."

Li Jiansan finished speaking and began to wander the area. The Yuantian Pavilion had several courtyards, each filled with stones ranging from hundreds of pounds to mere ounces. He was currently in the first courtyard, where the most common stones were kept—some were clearly just filler dragged in to pad the numbers. The chances of finding a treasure here were nearly zero. Anyone with real expertise wouldn't even glance at them.

Watching Li Jiansan patting one stone and tapping another with a serious expression, Yang Ling couldn't help but chuckle to himself. *Truly a simpleton. This first courtyard clearly holds the lowest-grade stones; hardly anyone stays here. It seems I am destined to win.*

Li Jiansan’s actions confirmed to Yang Ling that he was a complete amateur. The onlookers also started to jeer:

"He must be clueless to bet against Yang Ling. He's going to lose everything."

"He’s definitely an amateur. Anyone who knows the rules of stone gambling wouldn't be picking in the first courtyard."

"The stones in the first courtyard are all dregs. They're just for show to trick tourists. We experts wouldn't even look at them. Look at him, he's been at it for so long—such a greenhorn."

"He really doesn't know anything, charging headlong into a bet with Yang Ling. He’s going to get fleeced."

A moment later, Li Jiansan said, "There are no good stones here; it's all a ruse. I’m going inside to choose."

Hearing this, Yang Ling’s body stiffened. *This kid... does he actually have the ability to discern the stones? Could he have been bluffing me this whole time, playing the pig to eat the tiger?*