Chapter 78: The Jade Gambling Scam

After leaving Tianwu Academy, Li Xun picked a random direction and set off, eager to soak in the local culture and see if anything here could still surprise him.

After all, it had been a thousand years since he’d last mingled with the mortal world.

In the bustling marketplace of Jin’an Town, a dazzling array of goods caught Li Xun’s eye. Though he’d lived for centuries, the lively scene made him pause in genuine curiosity.

A loud shout rang out not far away.

“Come take a look! Jade gambling stones, fresh stock in today! Three low-grade spirit stones for one—don’t miss your chance! Fortune waits for no one! Hidden among this pile is a priceless Heavenly Spirit Stone! Fate favors the bold, we guarantee absolute fairness!” A shop assistant bellowed from the storefront.

The jarring shout snapped Li Xun out of his reverie.

Behind a banner that read ‘Honest Jade Trade,’ an enormous stall was piled high with stones of every shape and color. The sheer variety was dizzying.

No sooner had the assistant called out than a crowd surged around the jade stall, packed shoulder to shoulder in a frenzy. Li Xun, amusement piqued, wandered over for a closer look.

Those around him stared at the rocks, desires barely restrained. Everyone wanted to be that lucky soul who discovered the legendary Heavenly Spirit Stone and rewrote their fate, elbowing in and calling out bids.

“Boss, give me two stones!” a young man shouted, unable to hold back.

“Hey, boss, I want two as well!” a middle-aged man wasn’t about to let himself be outdone.

“I’ll take those two big ones!” a woman piped up, eager to try her luck.

“Boss, set aside those fancy-looking stones for me, and those few over there too—I’ll take the lot!” declared a man dressed in extravagant fashion, waving his hand generously.

“Hey, don’t cut in line! Give me a shot at those two biggest ones!” The young man glared at the line-jumper, unable to hold back his frustration.

…………….

In a blink, the place descended into chaos. People shoved and argued, nearly coming to blows, desperate not to miss out on a windfall that might never come their way again.

“So many suckers… I’m going to be rich! Haha, they’d never guess I’ve hidden the real stone elsewhere—everything on display is just for show. All they’ll find inside is emptiness!” The shop owner grinned from ear to ear, barely holding back his glee as he watched the frenzied crowd.

“Everyone, please settle down! First off, thank you all for supporting my stall. Second, please queue up in an orderly fashion!” The shop owner coughed theatrically, waving his hands and pretending to keep his cool.

Like magic, the noisy crowd fell silent at his word.

Everyone turned to look at the shop owner, then lined up neatly, not giving an inch. Anyone who tried to cut was swiftly taught a lesson.

Li Xun watched with interest as the pile of stones was picked over. He’d already swept his spiritual sense through them—almost every stone was empty. Only a rare few had anything worthwhile, so no matter how customers bought, the shop owner couldn’t lose.

“No merchants without tricks—this owner really has these people in the palm of his hand,” Li Xun sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile.

“After that brief commotion, let’s continue the Jade Gambling Festival! Step right up, see if Lady Luck smiles on you—don’t miss this chance to strike it rich!” The shop owner, seeing everyone back in line, stifled his excitement and put on an air of seriousness.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot! If you really pull out a Heavenly Spirit Stone, your whole life changes in an instant!” The queue grew restless, everyone caught up in dreams of turning a few low-grade spirit stones into unimaginable wealth. They bought handfuls at a time, no hesitation.

…………………

With each bang and scrape, stones were split open one after another.

“Why are they empty?” a man wailed, clutching his head and dropping to his knees.

“Why are mine empty too? No way!” a middle-aged man growled between gritted teeth.

Several people turned suspiciously toward the shop owner. “Are you cheating us, boss? How come all of ours are empty?”

The assistant sneered at them, “You blame everyone but your own luck—pathetic.”

“Is this really a matter of luck? Every stone has been empty—you’re all swindlers! Let’s just go home.” Some in the crowd began grumbling, ready to leave.

………………….

Just as everyone’s hope died and few wanted to try their luck again, the shop owner’s plant slipped into the crowd.

A middle-aged man, bundled up tightly, pushed in and pointed at a plain, unremarkable stone. “Boss, I’ll take this one!”

The shop owner shot his assistant a meaningful look.

The assistant caught on instantly, accepting the stone and sawing it open with deliberate care. Suddenly, a gleam of color flashed from the cut edge.

A cry swept the crowd—”Emperor’s Green!”—leaving everyone stunned.

“Look, everyone! Let’s congratulate this young man for drawing out Emperor’s Green! It isn’t as priceless as a Heavenly Spirit Stone, but it’s worth a whopping two thousand high-grade spirit stones!” The assistant held the stone high and called out, then threw a mocking glance at those who’d just left, “So who was it saying there was nothing inside earlier? Must be your rotten luck!”

“The shop owner’s got a point. If you lost out, maybe don’t blame the store.” The planted buyer fanned the flames.

“What, it really is Emperor’s Green? Maybe we were too harsh with the owner.” Those about to leave turned back in a flash, jaws falling open as the stone revealed a dazzling green, so bright they could barely look away.

“Two thousand high-grade spirit stones! That’s enough to marry two thousand wives, build fifty houses, and feast every day for five hundred years!” The crowd gasped, glancing at each other. Someone made a break for the stall, hoping fortune might still shine their way.

“Wait, don’t leave without me! Save some for me too!” Cries filled the air as people stared at the stones, each one wondering which might make them rich, struggling to decide whether to gamble or not. What if they lost everything instead?

“Boss, open all those plain ones for me, and the fancy ones over there too—I’ll risk it all!” One braver man gritted his teeth and strode forward, slapping all his savings on the table.

The assistant accepted his stones with a wicked grin, taking his time cutting each one open. The young man’s heart was pounding in his chest, terrified he’d risked it all for nothing.

Soon, every stone he’d picked—ten in all—had been opened. Only one monstrous, ugly chunk was left untouched.

“It’s over, I spent my father’s savings… he’ll kill me for sure. What am I supposed to do now?” The young man fell into despair, burying his face in his hands.

The assistant watched this little drama with a sly, knowing smile, then began slicing the huge, ugly stone. As a sliver fell away, a faint green glimmer flashed inside.

Seeing this, the assistant sped up, and in moments, a massive emerald-green chunk appeared before everyone’s eyes.

A gasp swept through the crowd—”Emerald Green!”—no one could hold back their excitement any longer.

“Who would’ve thought! After Emperor’s Green, now there’s Emerald Green too—and such a big piece! Let’s congratulate this brave young man!” The assistant announced, smiling as he turned to the young man. “We, Honest Jade Trade, are offering you one thousand high-grade spirit stones for that emerald chunk. Will you sell?”

Moments ago the young man had been in tears. Now he wondered if he’d misheard. After the third offer, it finally sank in, and he rushed to the counter in delight.

“I’ll sell! I’ll sell! Hahaha—one thousand high-grade spirit stones! I can’t believe it!” His laughter rang out as he clutched his winnings, overcome with excitement. “Finally fortune smiles on me! I’m going to marry eight wives! No, ten! I’ll buy mansions, hire servants, and treat the whole village to a feast so they all know what a true rich man looks like!”

“If my parents knew, they’d probably pass out from joy.” The young man ran off clutching his spirit stones, his laughter trailing down the street.

“Damn it, why did I hesitate? That should’ve been mine!” Those who’d lingered in doubt were now kicking themselves, haunted by what might have been had they only taken the plunge.

“No, there must still be good pieces left! I can’t miss my chance!” The crowd’s mood flipped in an instant. If there’d already been two winners, surely more treasures remained. Determination replaced hesitation and everyone threw everything they had at the stall.

“Boss, the crowd outside fell for it! But are you sure nothing will go wrong if we keep going like this?” The assistant hurried back to the shop owner.

“What could go wrong? I run a fair business. Tell me, have we shipped out any real goods? And they’re all buying of their own free will. It’s their greed, not my coercion!” The owner set down his teacup, chuckling darkly as he glanced at the assistant. “Back to work! Go on, reap the harvest—don’t let the mood die down.”

“Understood, boss! I’ll make sure to bleed these fat lambs dry!” Grinning wickedly, the assistant strode off.

With a creak, the door closed behind him.

“These suckers are too easy to fool—set the atmosphere with a few shills and keep the crowd fired up with lucky winners. Then just loudly announce the good finds. There’s no way these fence-sitters won’t bite! Haha, let’s see how much I can rake in today! I only left two real treasures mixed in to trick them, the rest is all worthless!” The owner’s grin nearly split his face as he reveled in the thought.

……………….

In just about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the crowd had cleaned out every stone at the stall.

Everyone stared at the assistant as he sliced faster and faster—his knife biting into the stones like it was their own pounding hearts straining in anticipation.

In a flash, every stone had been split open. All that remained were worthless scraps; not a single treasure could be found, just solid chunks of rock.

“Why… why are they all empty?” Shocked faces stared at the opened stones, empty-handed, watching their hopes evaporate. Many fell to their knees, pounding the ground and choking back desperate sobs, unable to believe it had all come to nothing.

Instead of wealth, all they found were broken rocks barely worth a few spirit stones. Tears streamed down their faces as disappointment settled in.

Some even gambled away everything, down to their last scraps and dignity, not winning so much as a single thread. One by one they collapsed in a heap, fists pounding the ground, cursing their luck and the unfairness of fate.

In the end, most walked away empty-handed, souls hollowed out and unable to imagine how they’d ever face their families again.