Chapter 92: Wish You Two Stay Bound for Life
"Greetings, Daoist Gu, Your Highnesses…"
The Dust Fate Pavilion's Stone-Gambling Hall was an establishment under the Dust Fate Sacred Land, overseen by a mighty cultivator of the Void Dao Realm.
Upon hearing that Gu Qing had arrived, He Guanghui rushed out to greet him, face full of smiles, his posture ingratiating and humble.
Gu Qing gave a quiet acknowledgment, his gaze flickering with divine light as he swept across the rows of raw stones.
"I'll take this one… and that one…"
He selected stones as casually as if shopping for vegetables, choosing more than a dozen in a row. Even the cheapest cost over ten billion high-grade spirit stones, while several were worth tens of billions.
The smile on He Guanghui's face stiffened for a moment. He had been planning to offer Gu Qing a discount or even a free transaction, but after a quick mental calculation, he decided against it.
A small discount here meant tens of billions lost—he didn't have the authority to make that call.
"Daoist Gu, that comes to a total of three hundred and twenty billion high-grade spirit stones," He Guanghui said eagerly, already calculating how large his share of commission would be.
Enough to keep him cultivating comfortably for decades.
"Wait a moment!"
A loud voice interrupted.
Su Chen, anxious and pale, rushed forward.
He knew that half of the stones Gu Qing had chosen contained extraordinary treasures.
The most precious among them were the Divine Essence, a fragment of Divine Iron, and a hundred-thousand-year Earth Heart Fruit.
These were treasures beyond price—things one couldn't buy even with mountains of spirit stones.
Moreover, the Divine Essence was critical for him to change his crippled constitution. He could not afford to lose it.
"Insolence."
He Guanghui's expression darkened. A mere useless brat dared cause a disturbance here?
Even if Su Chen was Su Qingtian's only son, killing him would be no great loss.
Thinking so, he acted without hesitation. His eyes glinted coldly, and two sharp sword beams shot forth.
A booming sound rang out as Su Yi stepped forward to block the attack, his heart sinking.
If Su Chen wanted to act like a wastrel elsewhere, fine—but offending Gu Qing? Even ten lives wouldn't be enough to die for it.
"Young Master, he's a true disciple of the Star Temple—a King Realm cultivator. We can't afford to provoke him," Su Yi urgently sent a voice transmission.
"A mere King Realm…" Su Chen replied with a trace of disdain in his eyes, shrugging indifferently.
He had reached the Divine Fire Realm in each of his nine so-called lives, so he didn't take Gu Qing or the Star Temple seriously.
He had slain countless King Realm experts—Saints and Divine Fire cultivators alike.
Given enough time, Gu Qing wouldn't even be qualified to look up to him.
As he thought this, Su Chen's gaze shifted between Gu Qing and Liu Ruyan, and a dull ache spread through his chest.
The two stood close together—their relationship was obvious at a glance.
They must be lovers.
That treacherous woman Liu Ruyan had hidden Gu Qing's existence from him across nine lifetimes.
If his father hadn't struck him today, he might never have known Gu Qing even existed.
Who knew how much else Liu Ruyan had concealed from him?
But now, everything could be redone.
May that shameless pair of traitors stay bound together for life—forever locked away from him.
In this life, he wanted only Liu Ruyi.
"A mere King Realm?" Gu Qing chuckled softly.
It seemed Su Chen still hadn't realized the truth of his situation.
He still thought himself the Divine Fire Realm god from his illusory worlds.
Liu Ruyan stared at Su Chen in shock.
She had never imagined that the childhood companion she once knew had lost his mind.
Did Su Chen not know that his father, Su Qingtian, had nearly been destroyed by a single finger from Gu Qing?
The others around them were also dumbfounded.
A useless cripple daring to look down on a King Realm cultivator—truly unbelievable.
"Ruyi, long time no see."
Ignoring everyone else, Su Chen's expression lit up as he looked at Liu Ruyi, his heart pounding with emotion.
Finally—he had met the villainess.
This time, he would never again fail her true affection.
Liu Ruyi's smile froze instantly. Her bright, clear eyes turned cold and indifferent as she stared at Su Chen.
[Warning: Target's favorability toward host is negative seventy. Liu Ruyi strongly desires to kill you.] The system's icy voice echoed in Su Chen's mind.
"…"
"Dog system, are you broken? How could Ruyi possibly have negative favorability toward me?"
Su Chen was stunned, questioning it in disbelief.
There was no way that simply greeting her could make her feelings drop from zero to negative.
In the nine supposed cycles of reincarnation, Liu Ruyi had always tried to recruit him, agreeing to any condition he named.
Even when he was executed by Liu Ruyan, Liu Ruyi had always been the first to arrive and collect his body.
Her love for him had been deep, obsessive, and unwavering.
Su Chen would sooner doubt the system itself than believe that Liu Ruyi actually wanted to kill him.
[Idiot. Check Liu Ruyi's initial favorability toward you—it's zero. Zero! Do you understand?]
The system's words struck Su Chen like a bucket of cold water, freezing him from head to toe.
Damn it. He had forgotten—right now, Liu Ruyi didn't know him at all.
Worse still, because he used to follow Liu Ruyan around as a child, Liu Ruyi had even punished him before.
Realizing this, Su Chen began to panic.
He knew exactly what kind of person Liu Ruyi was—ruthless, calculating, and dangerously unhinged.
Once she set her eyes on someone, that person could start preparing their coffin.
Su Chen quickly collected himself and bowed his head sincerely. "Princess Ruyi, my apologies. I was too presumptuous just now."
Calling Liu Ruyi by name directly was itself a serious offense.
In the Great Qing Empire, offending the emperor or empress might still be survivable.
If the emperor and empress died, the royal family could always support another to take the throne.
But to offend Liu Ruyi—there was no chance of survival.
After all, everyone knew she was the reincarnation of a divine maiden, bound for a limitless future, the most treasured jewel of the imperial family.
Her power and prestige far surpassed even that of the emperor.
"Do not repeat it."
Liu Ruyi had already sentenced him to death in her heart, but before so many witnesses, she couldn't act directly.
Later, she would simply have him kidnapped—and erase the entire Su family from existence.
[Warning: Liu Ruyi's favorability is now negative seventy-two. Host, proceed with caution.]
Su Chen's face twitched, his heart in chaos.
This wasn't how she was supposed to act at all.
In his mind, Liu Ruyi should have been thrilled to see him—overjoyed even.
But this was not the time to dwell on it.
Turning to Gu Qing, Su Chen forced a calm smile.
"I've heard that Daoist Gu possesses unparalleled talent. I, though unworthy, wonder if Daoist Gu dares to make a wager with me?"
It was over. Su Yi, utterly hopeless, sent a desperate message to Su Qingtian.
He couldn't control the situation anymore.
"I can."
Gu Qing nodded.
That easy? Su Chen was momentarily taken aback.
Gu Qing seemed unlike any other prodigy he'd met—there was none of that usual arrogance in him.
"Then we each pick three new raw stones. Whoever opens the most valuable one wins."
Su Chen narrowed his eyes, continuing to test him.
"Agreed," Gu Qing replied.
"Good. Very straightforward."
Su Chen grinned broadly, a gleam of triumph in his eyes as he glanced at the stones Gu Qing had already chosen.
He immediately had an idea.
"A simple wager like this lacks excitement. Let's raise the stakes. Whoever wins helps the other buy ten raw stones. What do you say?"
Gu Qing had stolen nine lives' worth of luck from him—if Su Chen had known earlier, he would have never tolerated it.
Now that he did, he would make sure Gu Qing paid dearly.
Besides, he was broke—he only had a few hundred low-grade spirit stones left. Without tricking Gu Qing, he couldn't afford anything.
"Agreed."
Gu Qing nodded again.
Su Chen's excitement overflowed; the way he looked at Gu Qing was practically glowing with glee—as if staring at a walking treasure chest.
Ten raw stones would cost hundreds of billions of spirit stones.
And he wouldn't have to pay a single one. He could get the Divine Essence, the Divine Iron, and eight other rare treasures—all for free.
Moreover, once he displayed his "stone-gambling talent," Liu Ruyi would surely stop wanting to kill him and, just like before, try to recruit him again.
He could humiliate Gu Qing and win Liu Ruyi's favor—a perfect plan.
The more Su Chen thought about it, the more thrilled he became. He pretended to choose carefully among the raw stones Gu Qing had selected.
"These three. I'll take them."
Su Chen's lips curled in a self-satisfied smile, pride radiating from his face as he threw Gu Qing a provocative look.
Hm? Why was the atmosphere suddenly so strange?
Su Chen looked around—why was everyone staring at him as if they were already attending his funeral?
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