I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Chapter 55 Qingyun City

After settling into his home, Zheng Yifei prepared to set off.

On the morning of the day of departure, Zheng Dashan stood at the gate of the courtyard, saying nothing, just watching.

Wang stuffed three cloth bags full of dry food into Zheng Yifei's arms, her lips moved, but in the end she only said one sentence: "Don't skimp on food on the road."

Zheng Yifei mounted his horse without looking back.

The demon horses they rode were purchased from Chief Escort Zhou for two hundred spirit stones each, and he bought three.

Zhao Yuan saw Zhao Wenyuan off at the south gate of the market. Zhao Yuan patted Zhao Ling'er on the shoulder and said, "When you get to Qingyun Sect, listen to your brother Zheng."

Zhao Ling'er nodded, her eyes a little red, but she held back.

The three riders headed east.

The outline of Heishan Market shrank to a dot behind us and disappeared into the rolling hills.

The route was drawn by Zhou Dazhuang. He had been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for twenty years, and every official road and every supply point in the Southern Wilderness was etched in his mind.

The map marked seventeen markets and inns where people could stay, and all the roads where monsters roamed and which intersections were prone to being raided were circled in red.

One month and three days.

The journey covered 5,400 li, passing through six wastelands, two mountain ranges, and three major rivers.

We encountered two groups of bandits on the way.

The first group of three, all at the sixth level of Qi Refining, turned and ran when they saw Zhang Biao release the aura of the ninth level of Qi Refining.

The second group consisted of a lone cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining who blocked their path demanding "tolls." Zhang Biao cleaved his magical artifact in two with a single strike, and the man, clutching the broken sword, tumbled down the hillside and never reappeared.

The spirit stones were being consumed faster than Zheng Yifei had anticipated.

The three demon horses need to be fed spirit herbs every day, and there are entrance fees to the market. They also need to stay in hotels, eat, and replenish their supplies with pills. All these miscellaneous expenses add up to at least twenty spirit stones a day.

On the twentieth day, Zheng Yifei did some calculations and his expression turned grim.

I brought 1,200 spirit stones with me when I set off, and now I only have a little over 400 left.

There's still a two-week journey ahead.

"Spend it sparingly."

Zheng Yifei cut the daily ration of spirit herbs by 30%, and the demon horse moved slower, but managed to hold on.

For the last seven days, the three of them survived mainly on dry rations and stream water, and they didn't waste a single pill.

Day 34.

As evening fell, the setting sun turned the horizon a fiery orange-red.

The three riders crossed the last ridge, and Zhang Biao was the first to rein in his horse and take a deep breath.

"Holy shit."

Zheng Yifei looked up.

Below the mountain ridge lies a vast basin, and in the center of the basin, a colossal city stretches out in the twilight.

The city wall is twelve zhang high, and is made entirely of dark blue-green Lingyan rock. It stretches for dozens of miles and has no end in sight.

Above the city gate hung a huge plaque with three large characters shimmering with a pale golden light in the setting sun—

Qingyun City.

The city is densely packed with buildings of varying heights, the tallest of which is a tower that pierces the clouds, its spire disappearing into the clouds.

The streetlights were already on, and looking down from the hilltop, it looked like a star map spread across the land.

Zhao Ling'er, riding on her horse, had her mouth agape.

Compared to this city, Heishanfang Market is not even a street.

"Walk."

Zheng Yifei squeezed the horse's belly.

It wasn't until he entered the city that Zheng Yifei truly grasped the sheer size of this market town.

The main street is six zhang wide, with three-story or higher spirit brick buildings on both sides. The shop signs are inlaid with various spirit ores. There are three branches of Wanbaolou on just one street.

The crowds on the street were ten times denser than at the busiest time in Sujiafang Market, and the atmosphere was noticeably different—any passerby had spiritual energy fluctuations of at least the third level of Qi Refining.

Even someone at the seventh level of Qi Refining wouldn't be able to splash a drop of water here.

Zhang Biao subconsciously concealed his aura, realizing that his proud ninth-level Qi Refining skill was not uncommon on this street.

Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Zhao Ling'er suddenly tugged at Zheng Yifei's sleeve and lowered her voice.

A middle-aged man in a dark green robe walked past from the opposite direction, his pace slow, but the pedestrians around him automatically made way for him.

The spiritual pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator spread silently, like a large stone submerged at the bottom of water.

Zheng Yifei didn't even lift his eyelids.

The three of them found a mid-range inn called "Yunlaiju", with three rooms and a price of six spirit stones per night.

When Zheng Yifei took out his money, the clinking sound of the spirit stones in the bag was pitifully faint.

One hundred and thirty-two low-grade spirit stones.

This is all his possessions.

After closing the door, Zheng Yifei poured all the spirit stones onto the table and counted them one by one.

Zhao Ling'er's entrance exam fee for the sect was five hundred yuan.

Zhang Biao cannot enter the Qingyun Sect—the upper age limit for entry is eighteen, and Zhang Biao is thirty-two this year.

This means he needs to buy a place to stay in Qingyun City, the cheapest of which costs over a thousand spirit stones, not including living expenses.

The expenses I need to prepare for starting out are estimated to be over a thousand spirit stones.

In addition, there are daily expenses for food, lodging, elixirs, and talismans.

Total shortfall: tens of thousands of spirit stones.

One hundred and thirty-two spirit stones are needed to fill a gap of tens of thousands.

Zheng Yifei put the spirit stone back into the bag and fastened the button.

He wasn't anxious; he was just hungry.

Early the next morning.

Zheng Yifei changed into a clean gray robe, let Zhang Biao and Zhao Ling'er do as they pleased, and went out alone.

He spent an entire day walking through all three main streets in the eastern district of Qingyun City.

He found three gambling dens, and he would go into each one, buy a cup of the cheapest spiritual tea, sit for half an hour, and observe the dealer's methods, the gamblers' social standing, the size of the bets, and the security arrangements.

The first one is "Hongyunfang".

The game is of medium size, mostly played by independent cultivators, with bets primarily consisting of low-grade spirit stones. The largest table has a single bet limit of fifty stones. The dealer is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and his methods are crude, with obvious signs of cheating.

Security: Four Qi Refining Level 8 and one Qi Refining Level 9 are stationed on the second floor.

Zheng Yifei commented: It's a small pond; scooping up a few hundred spirit stones isn't a problem, but the efficiency is too low.

The second one is "Tongbaoge".

The specifications have been upgraded.

Outer sect disciples from various sects were among the gamblers, and mid-grade spirit stones began to appear in the bets. One mid-grade spirit stone was equal to one hundred low-grade spirit stones, and hundreds of low-grade spirit stones were easily traded on the table.

The dealer was at the ninth level of Qi Refining and his methods were very skillful, but in Zheng Yifei's eyes, they were still full of loopholes.

Security: Six Qi Refining Stage 9 and one Foundation Establishment Stage 1 are in the VIP room on the third floor.

Zheng Yifei commented: You can win, but you need to control the pace and not win more than two thousand in a single round.

The third one.

"Tianji Tower".

Zheng Yifei paused for three breaths when he stood at the door.

This gambling den occupied half a street, and its storefront was more than five times larger than that of the Fulu Gambling Den in Sujiafang Market.

Eight guards stood at the entrance, the lowest level being the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and two of them possessed a deep and restrained aura—the Foundation Establishment stage.

The three characters "Tianjilou" on the plaque above the door were cast in spirit gold, so bright that it was blinding in the sunlight.

Zheng Yifei paid an entrance fee of ten spirit stones—the entrance fee alone was equivalent to several months' worth of food for a family in Heishan Market.

The world inside made his pupils shrink slightly.

A three-foot-diameter luminous pearl floated in the dome of the hall. It was not inlaid, but suspended in mid-air by an array, its light radiating like mercury spilling onto the ground.

The gambling table is divided into three areas.

The outer area is the lowest tier for low-grade spirit stones, but the maximum bet per stone is already two hundred.

The middle area uses mid-grade spirit stones. A mid-grade spirit stone is pushed around on the table, which translates to a thousand low-grade spirit stones. Zheng Yifei counted, and there were at least dozens of mid-grade spirit stones circulating on one table at the same time.

At the very back is a VIP area separated by a sandalwood screen.

The light shining through the gaps in the screen was golden.

Top-grade spirit stone.

One high-grade spirit stone is equivalent to ten thousand low-grade ones.

Zheng Yifei stood in a corner of the outer area, holding a cup of spiritual tea. His gaze swept over the crowd, passing over every gambling table, every dealer, and every figure entering and leaving the VIP area.

He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the rim of the teacup.

Sujiafang Market is a village market, but this is where the real casinos are located.

That evening, we returned to the inn.

Zhang Biao and Zhao Ling'er were both waiting for him.

Zhao Ling'er brewed a pot of spiritual tea, while Zhang Biao sharpened his hunting knife for half a day until the blade was so sharp it could reflect a person's image.

"How is it?"

Zhang Biao asked.

Zheng Yifei sat down and took a sip of tea.

"Work starts tomorrow."

He took out a piece of paper from his pocket, which was covered with dense writing—the layout of the three gambling dens, the information of the bookmakers, the security configuration, and the betting specifications, all of which were recorded in one day.

Zhang Biao leaned closer for a glance and gasped, "This Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, is it run by Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

"more than."

Zheng Yifei put down his teacup and pointed to the VIP area of Tianji Tower.

"In the VIP area of Tianji Tower, the stakes are high-grade spirit stones."

Zhang Biao stopped.

High-grade spirit stones. One stone is worth ten thousand low-grade ones.

"That place,"

Zhang Biao swallowed hard: "Can we go in?"

Zheng Yifei did not answer the question.

He folded the paper, put it in his pocket, stood up, and walked towards the side room.

Go to bed early and get enough rest.

He pushed open the door and glanced back at the two of them.