I run a casino in the immortal realm.

Zhao Ling'er put the spirit tickets worth five thousand spirit stones into her storage bag, her face still flushed with embarrassment.

Zheng Yifei took out another stack of spirit tickets and slapped them on the table.

Zhao Ling'er looked down and was stunned.

"Thirty thousand spirit stones."

"Buy me top-grade Spirit Gathering Pills, the more the better."

Zhao Ling'er opened her mouth, "Brother Zheng, are you going to buy all 30,000 spirit stones for Spirit Gathering Pills?"

"Buy them all."

Zhao Ling'er's mind raced. High-grade Spirit Gathering Pills were a regular product of Pill Peak, priced at 120 spirit stones per bottle, with ten pills per bottle.

However, Danfeng disciples can purchase it at a discount, at 108 yuan per bottle.

"The price inside is 10% cheaper than outside. Thirty thousand spirit stones can buy two hundred and seventy-seven bottles, or two thousand seven hundred and seventy pills."

After counting on her fingers, Zhao Ling'er looked up at him and said, "That's enough for you to go from the eighth level of Qi Refining to the ninth level."

"Whether it's enough or not doesn't matter for now. Just buy it for me in batches, don't buy too much at once, or Danfeng will be watching."

Zhao Ling'er nodded: "I'll send over fifty bottles tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

After seeing Zhao Ling'er off, Zheng Yifei did not return to his office, but went directly to the Sutra Repository.

The Qingyun Sect's Scripture Repository is located halfway up the main peak. It is a seven-story spirit wood tower that looks ancient from the outside, but the numerous restrictions inside are enough to make one's scalp tingle.

When an inner disciple enters the sect, they have one chance to receive a free cultivation technique or spell. Zheng Yifei had four chances, and the other three were rewards from the sect, which he has never used.

It's not that I don't want to use it, it's that I don't have the time.

He walked around the martial arts area on the first floor.

The jade slips on the shelf were densely packed, categorized into metal, wood, water, fire, earth, primordial chaos, and the five elements. He went straight to the five elements section.

There aren't many cultivation techniques that cultivators with five spiritual roots can practice, because most techniques are designed for those with single or dual spiritual roots. Cultivating these techniques with five spiritual roots is only one-fifth as efficient as for those with single or dual spiritual roots.

However, there is one exception – the Five Elements Technique.

The Five Elements Technique is a third-tier cultivation method that can be practiced up to the Golden Core stage.

He had previously practiced a censored version of the "Five Elements Technique," this is the authentic version.

Zheng Yifei took the jade slip from the shelf, probed it with his spiritual sense, and confirmed the contents of the cultivation technique.

He carefully put the jade slip away, registered it with the administrator to use up one free chance to claim it, and saved the remaining two for later.

Back to the residence.

He converted the inner room of the three-bedroom apartment into a training room, where he installed a top-grade spirit-gathering array plate. He bought this spirit-gathering array from Xu Jian of the Weapon Peak for three thousand spirit stones. Its effect was several times better than that of a high-grade spirit-gathering array, making it suitable for him, a cultivator with five spiritual roots.

He sat down cross-legged, took out the jade slip containing the "Five Elements Manual," and began to study the operational path of the eighth level.

From that day on, Zheng Yifei's schedule became two-part: during the day, he would handle official business in the inspectorate building, reviewing reports, approving documents, and coordinating the work of various groups;

He returned to his residence at night to cultivate, swallowing spirit-gathering pills and circulating the Five Elements Technique.

The next day, Zhao Ling'er delivered ten bottles of top-grade Spirit Gathering Pills.

His inherent disadvantage of having five spiritual roots is undeniable; while others might absorb the effect of one pill, he would need five.

But he doesn't care.

The way rich people cultivate themselves is by throwing pills at your body until it can no longer contain them.

Sujiafang Market.

A month and a half later.

The middle section of the main street, the site of the former Datong Casino.

A two-story building has been completely renovated. The exterior walls, painted with a glossy finish, gleam warmly in the sunlight. Above the main entrance hangs a plaque with black background and gold lettering.

"Tianyuan Gambling House".

The four characters were written by the best spirit script master in the market, commissioned by Zhao Wenyuan for ten spirit stones. The strokes were vigorous and the style was impressive.

Two spirit lamp pillars, each three zhang tall, stand on either side of the entrance. The pillars are wrapped with red silk and are already lit before evening. The warm yellow light shines on the bluestone pavement and can be seen from afar.

Zhao Wenyuan stood inside the gate, conducting a final check.

The lobby on the first floor is divided into four areas.

The leftmost area is for guessing odd or even.

A long table stood behind which stood two dealers dressed in identical gray robes, leaving a large open space in front of it. There were no seats in this area; gamblers stood to place their bets—a simple and direct approach that could accommodate two hundred people at once.

The largest area in the middle is for Baccarat.

Ten standard gambling tables, their spiritwood surfaces polished to a gleaming shine, are set up. Each table has six high stools for the bookmaker and gamblers placing bets directly, but a perimeter is marked with lines to allow spectators to follow. Theoretically, each table can accommodate more than twenty people betting simultaneously.

The roulette area is to the right front.

A three-foot-diameter wooden wheel rested on an iron base, its thirty-seven red and black sections gleaming under the lamplight.

The roulette wheel is surrounded by a curved counter where gamblers can stand and push their chips onto the corresponding numbers.

This area can accommodate one hundred people.

The Pai Gow area is to the right rear.

Eight square tables, four people playing at each table, the smallest scale.

Zhao Wenyuan walked around and mentally reviewed the route—gamblers enter through the main entrance, and directly opposite is the recharge counter and exchange counter.

Turning left is for guessing odd or even, with the lowest barrier to entry—you can play with just one spirit coin.

Going straight leads to Baccarat, the main battleground for medium-sized gamblers; turning right leads to Roulette and Pai Gow.

People go left for fun, go right for excitement, and go forward for big games.

He nodded in satisfaction.

The second floor.

Zhao Wenyuan pushed open the wooden door at the top of the stairs, and a faint fragrance wafted out.

There are only two games on the second floor – guessing odd or even and baccarat.

There were few tables, but each one was covered with velvet and paired with a cushioned high chair. Several spiritual paintings hung on the walls, and potted flowers were placed in the corners.

A row of windows was set up against the west wall, and below the windows was a row of low cabinets, on which were placed free spiritual tea, spiritual wine and five or six kinds of snacks.

At the far end of the low cabinet is a separate kitchen and dining room where you can order spiritual food, but you have to pay for it.

A wall on the east side was knocked down, creating a closed passageway to the adjacent "Drunken Red Pavilion." Zhao Wenyuan spent five hundred spirit stones to negotiate a cooperation with the madam of the Drunken Red Pavilion—VIPs on the second floor who wanted to find a girl to chat and drink with could simply call her over from the passageway without having to go outside.

This place offers a complete package of food, drinks, and entertainment; gamblers could stay here for a month without leaving.

This floor only accepts spirit stones and spirit tickets, not spirit coins.

Those who can go up to the second floor are not short of money.

Zhang Biao entered through the back door, followed by twelve burly men.

These twelve people were selected by him over a month from Sujiafang Market and the surrounding markets. They were all independent cultivators at the seventh level of Qi Refining, with tough fists and tight tongues, and they would risk their lives for money.

Each person receives a monthly salary of thirty spirit stones, with meals and accommodation provided.

"Everyone's here."

Zhang Biao leaned against the counter: "The dealer training is over. I personally assessed all eighteen dealers—shuffling, dealing, and calculating odds—and they all passed."

Zhao Wenyuan pulled out a piece of paper from under the counter, on which was his draft of the opening notice, and handed it to Zhang Biao to read.

Zhang Biao glanced at it and frowned.

"If gamblers don't take a cut of their winnings, how do casinos make money?"

"Draw the banker's money."

Zhao Wenyuan tapped the counter with his finger: "In other gambling houses, for every ten spirit stones a gambler wins, the gambling house takes one. We'll do the opposite—the gambler takes whatever they win, and we don't take a single spirit coin."

If the house wins, the casino takes a 10% cut of their profits.

Zhang Biao thought for a moment: "Then who should be the dealer?"

"We invite outsiders to be the bookmakers. Our gambling den does not bear the risk of winning or losing; we only charge the bookmaker's fee."

Zhang Biao opened his mouth.

Zhao Wenyuan held up one finger: "The person who runs the gambling den bears the risk of losing money. If they win, the gambling den takes a cut; if they lose, the gambling den doesn't care. The gambling den is guaranteed a profit regardless of the outcome."

Zhang Biao closed his mouth, then opened it again: "Did Yifei come up with that?"

"His exact words in the proposal were: 'Let gamblers and the house gamble against each other, with the casino acting as the referee; the referee will never lose.'"

Zhang Biao rubbed his chin. Although he didn't quite understand the intricacies of the game, he understood one thing: the gambling den didn't have to put up any capital; the person running the gambling den did, and the gambling den only took a cut.

This business is a sure thing, you can't lose money.