Knowing that Qin Xing’er did not trust him, Fang Xing came close to her and surreptitiously held out a beast core with a smirk. “You think I can’t pay you back? These types of beast cores are worth quite a small fortune. How about this, you lend me the Spirit Stones now, and if I really lose, I’ll just pay you back with this beast core?”

　　Qin Xing’er took a quick glance. “Fifth-tier beast core. It’s not exactly worth a thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, is it?”

　　A little angry, Fang Xing said, “Look again!” With a quick movement of his hand, this time another four beast cores appeared in his right palm, all of them shimmering brightly.

　　This left Qin Xing’er amazed, her eyes widening as she unconsciously drew in a deep breath. “Tier six… and tier seven beast cores…. Wood element, metal element…. My god, where did you get them all from?” All of these were high-quality beast cores that could be directly exchanged with the sect for Spirit Stones or sold to disciples in the Danxia Valley.

　　Beast cores typically had set exchange rates for Spirit Stones, with third-tier beast cores worth 50 Stones; fourth-tier cores worth 150; fifth-tier cores, 450; and sixth-tier cores going up to 1350. With every increase in tier, the value would increase three fold. Put simply, the total value of these beast cores Fang Xing had in his hand was quite an astonishing amount of wealth, even in the inner court.

　　The impression of Fang Xing being a poor wretch who could not even afford three hundred Spirit Stones disappeared completely when Qin Xing’er was presented with so many valuable beast cores at once. It was as though a beggar had suddenly taken out a few priceless jewels, and Qin Xing’er could not help but stand in shock.

　　“I got them from killing beasts, duh. So are you lending or not?” Fang Xing asked impatiently and put the beast cores away. These cores were meant to be used for his cultivation rather than for money, but Fang Xing had no other choice right now.

　　Qin Xing’er gave a long sigh and looked to Fang Xing seriously. “You really killed all those beasts?”

　　“Who else? Did you kill them?”

　　“Then why don’t you bet with these beast cores?” Qin Xing’er asked, still suspicious.

　　Fang Xing answered with growing impatience, “I’m going to use them for something else. Why else do you think I’d even ask you if I could have just used them to make my bet?”

　　Speechless, Qin Xing’er stopped her questioning and instead cut straight to the point, “Fine. I don’t have a thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, but I do have ten of the mid grade. One more thing we need to establish…. If you win, we split it fifty-fifty!”

　　Fang Xing paused for a brief moment before arguing, “Why? Just give me the Stones and I’ll bet with them!”

　　Qin Xing’er snorted at this idea. “If you want the Stones, we’ll have to split. Otherwise, no deal!”

　　Fang Xing began to grind his teeth. He stared at Qin Xing’er while she simply looked to the side and behaved as though her proposal was perfectly normal.

　　It took a good while before Fang Xing scowled, “Twenty-eighty!”

　　“Forty-sixty!”

　　“Humph. Thirty-seventy, and I take the seventy!”

　　Qin Xing’er replied after a quick thought, “Fine. I’ll let you have your way this time, but you’ll have to give me back all these Stones if you lose!” With a grin, she was ready to leave to place her bet, but just as she turned around, she felt a sharp pain on her bottom as though it had just been roughly slapped.

　　“What….” Red-faced, Qin Xing’er turned around and glared angrily at Fang Xing.

　　Fang Xing himself, however, acted as though nothing had happened. “I don’t like to be taken advantage of. Since you took advantage of me, I just have to return the favor. Now we’re even.”

　　With this, Qin Xing’er truly wanted to give this brat a good beating. Instead, she merely gritted her teeth with a fierce glare before turning away. “I’ll go and bet on your loss…” she muttered.

　　“You do that. It’s your money you’d lose anyway.” Fang Xing did not care, while Qin Xing’er was left to tighten her teeth even more. Of course, she was not truly upset at him. Fang Xing was much younger and only looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years of age—a good seven to eight years younger than herself. If he had happened to be the same age as her, she would have likely wanted to tear a piece out of him for what he’d done.

　　It had to be said that Qin Xing’er had always been smart and only did things that would benefit her. This was also the reason why she had decided not to get on his bad side during the first meeting at the black bamboo forest, and had even tried to befriend him now. She had also voluntarily lent him the nine Spirit Stones at the Grand Hall of Scriptures because she could tell who could become useful to her in the future and who couldn’t.

　　After seeing Fang Xing so confident and with a handful of beast cores, she suddenly recalled the incident of the black bamboo forest and how this boy was not someone who was willing to be disadvantaged. Perhaps he already had a plan in mind and had thus dared to block the path of Shen Hujun, all without a trace of fear.

　　Furthermore, Fang Xing had been beside the sect’s legendary Grand-Shishu Bai for such a long time, and to say that Grand-Shishu Bai had not taught him a single thing was not at all convincing! She thus concluded that Fang Xing couldn’t be what the rumors painted him to be and that there was a possibility of winning.

　　When Fang Xing—using a secret skill he had learned from his fourth uncle—slapped Qin Xing’er’s bottom, it was fortunate that Shen Hujun did not see it or he would assuredly have wanted to cut Fang Xing up right then and there. He did see that Fang Xing seemed to be having a nice chat with the girl of his dreams, but right before his anger surfaced, the two seemed to break into a heated argument and his muscles relaxed.

　　“Brother Hujun, I heard this boy has connections with the core disciple Shijie Xu Linyun. It’s best that you don’t beat him too hard,” the man with the purple headband calmly reminded.

　　Shen Hujun smirked. “I know. I won’t take his life, I’m just going to give a quick lesson!”

　　As the pair spoke, a noisy outcry of surprise could be heard from behind. When Shen Hujun curiously asked one of the disciples what was going on, the disciple stuttered out, “Shijie Qin… wants to bet ten mid-grade Spirit Stones on… on that boy’s win….”

　　Shen Hujun’s expression changed and his eyes moistened. “Xing’er… Xing’er wants me to lose that badly?”

　　The man with the purple headband was also confused and advised low, “Do not be depressed, Brother Shen. I actually think Shimei Qin has done this on purpose to upset you. It’s going to be fine; with the both of us here, I doubt anyone would really dare to take her up on that bet for real. How about I go bet against her, and when I win, you can return all of her Stones back to her? Who knows, she may actually thank you for that….”

　　Calmed, Shen Hujun repeatedly nodded his head. “Thank you, Brother Murong. Thank you so much….”

　　The purple-headbanded man smiled and walked towards the bookmaker, only to see Qin Xing’er had already taken out her ten mid-grade Spirit Stones. The disciple acting as the bookmaker, however, did not dare to accept it despite his confidence in his certain win. It was ten mid-grade Spirit Stones after all; if he actually accepted this amount and won, Shen Hujun would surely skin him alive.

　　As the purple-headbanded man walked closer, he smiled. “Why is Shimei Qin doing this just because she’s having a lover’s quarrel with Shixiong Shen? Ten mid-grade Spirit Stones is not a small amount!”

　　Upon hearing the words “lover’s quarrel”, Qin Xing’er grew a little annoyed. Such words referring to a male and female disciple would naturally only be used when they weren’t engaged in a romantic relationship, yet she had never once wanted to be in any sort of relationship with Shen Hujun. “I bet for my own reasons. What does that have to do with him?” she replied, frowning.

　　This left the man in the purple headband speechless, and he shook his head with a sigh. “You might think it has nothing to do with Shixiong Shen, but he doesn’t want you to lose all of your Stones. That’s why I’m here; he has asked me to bet against you so that even if you lose, I can be lenient with you.”

　　The way he spoke was like an elder brother scolding a younger sibling that was intentionally trying to annoy someone. The fact that he was treating her like Shen Hujun’s girl made Qin Xing’er even more aggravated, and she laughed coldly in response. “Shixiong Murong wants to play with me? Sure, let me add my Cercis Hairpin of Three Phoenix to the bet as well!” She took down a purple hairpin from her neatly coiled hair. It was unadorned but delicate and covered in traces of Qi, and if someone were to feel its aura, it would seem as though there was a whirlpool around it. It was actually a spirit tool that contained a formation that had the ability to draw in surrounding Qi, increasing the reserves of its wearer.

　　‘Looks like Qin Xing’er is truly annoyed if she’s taken out an item so valuable it’s hard to buy with money. The ten Stones I can return, but the hairpin…. Heh, let me just take this chance to keep it for myself.’ As the man with the purple headband was thinking to himself, he let out a sly smile and took out a wooden box the size of a palm. “Since Shimei Qin is in high spirits, I shall then wager my Saber of Azure Dragon, which I’d bought for a hundred mid-grade Spirit Stones. Heh heh, I bought this specifically to prepare for the test at the Hall of Heaven’s Tribute. Something like this wouldn’t be inferior to your Cercis Hairpin, now would it?”

　　When the box was opened, a saber eight and a half feet long was revealed, with the same ratio of blade to handle as an ordinary saber. An azure dragon was carved into its hilt, and on the back of the blade was a pattern of raging flames in contrast to its bright and frosty tip.

　　Qin Xing’er blinked her eyes as though they had been pierced by the saber’s splendor. ‘This weapon has excellent quality!’

　　Although she hesitated, Qin Xing’er once again remembered how confident Fang Xing had been at the bamboo forest, the large number of high-grade beast cores he had now, and the mouthful of pearly whites he had shown when he smiled. She clenched her teeth and replied, “Fine, let’s bet!”