Chapter 26: Two Bets

Zheng Fa looked at the face of the Seventh Young Master; the expression on his face was more of amusement.

Glancing at the silent Zheng Fa and the other, the Seventh Young Master stood up, lazily clapped his hands, and said: "You two discuss it; I'll come back later."

He said "discuss," but Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan both understood clearly: he was essentially saying, "You two fight, and I'll watch."

The Seventh Young Master strolled out of the study.

Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan stood in place, unmoving.

No one spoke either.

Zheng Fa turned his head to look out the window, his mind also pondering the Seventh Young Master's intentions.

Whether it was one book boy or two book boys made no difference to him, but for Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan, the difference between the two would completely tear apart their already precarious relationship.

To him, this matter was probably just like throwing a bone for two dogs to fight over.

Simply for the fun of it.

"You stay."

While Zheng Fa was pondering, he suddenly heard Gao Yuan speak in a low voice.

"Hmm?"

This sentence truly surprised Zheng Fa; he turned to look at Gao Yuan, whose expression on his face held some self-mockery and some dimness.

Gao Yuan did not look at him, but only stared at the shelves filled with books.

"Actually, if one really has to choose a book boy, it should be you." He said calmly: "Your talent is better than mine, whether in practicing martial arts or studying."

Zheng Fa shook his head.

To be honest, regarding talent, if not for the modern era, it would be hard for him to say he was better than Gao Yuan.

Besides, would someone like the Seventh Young Master care about a book boy's talent?

"I am injured." Gao Yuan's next sentence was what made Zheng Fa understand why he suddenly gave up.

"It's quite funny, I actually wanted to compete with you." Gao Yuan's tone held some self-mockery: "You entered the Pine-Crane Post in three days; I practiced cultivation three hours every day, even four hours, ignoring my father's advice. Now my leg meridians are injured; I must rest for half a year before I can cultivate again."

"So, I am not yielding to you; I just don't want to humiliate myself again."

Gao Yuan's gaze truly turned to Zheng Fa; there was some pain in his eyes, but also a hint of relief.

Zheng Fa prepared to speak.

Gao Yuan interrupted him: "Don't pity me; even if I go home, my father has plans for me. If you really go home, then you will have nothing at all."

Zheng Fa:... Very good, you are very persuasive.

When the Seventh Young Master entered, his eyes curiously scanned between Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan.

It seemed he was investigating whether the two had fought.

To his slight disappointment, both men's faces were calm, their clothes neat, and the atmosphere between them was even more harmonious than before.

"How did you two decide?"

"Seventh Young Master, I am shallow in knowledge and learning, and I voluntarily..."

"Stop!"

The Seventh Young Master raised his palm, interrupting Gao Yuan's words.

"Who said I let you decide yourselves who stays and who leaves?"

"..."

"My book boy, of course, I choose myself!"

He looked at the two, his eyes narrowing, seeming to enjoy the pleasure of playing with people's hearts: "Actually, if you two had fought just now, perhaps I would have been happy watching, and let you both stay."

"Now, the good show the Young Master wanted to see is gone; I am very unhappy." He sat on the chair before the desk with his leg crossed: "Why don't you two just get out together!"

"You!" The Seventh Young Master looked at Gao Yuan with narrowed eyes: "You haven't entered the Pine-Crane Post yet, right? No, your leg is injured?"

His gaze swept over Gao Yuan's leg, and he actually saw it at a glance.

Gao Yuan said in a low voice: "Yes."

"You seem to have not bad talent?" The Seventh Young Master turned to look at Zheng Fa: "You practiced the Pine-Crane Post to entry level in three days."

This person usually seemed to say very few words to Zheng Fa and the other.

But regarding matters about the two of them, he truly knew everything.

"Even Xu Jiaotou said you are a talent and wanted to take you as a disciple." The Seventh Young Master tapped his fingers on the desk, smiling brightly: "But the Pine-Crane Post is too weak, and you started practicing martial arts too late; to stay by my side, you are not yet qualified."

Zheng Fa did not even know that Xu Jiaotou had the intention to take him as a disciple.

The Seventh Young Master stood up and walked around Zheng Fa and Gao Yuan once.

"One has an injured leg, the other only knows two or three moves of fist and foot..." He shook his head, then suddenly said: "Gao Yuan!"

"Here!"

"I have no interest in him; you, I will give you another chance! Didn't you get the talisman secretly copied by that fool before? How did you read it?"

"Seventh Young Master..."

Gao Yuan's face turned pale; he never expected the Seventh Young Master to know even this matter.

He might have even known long ago that the book boy secretly copied the talisman he had been researching all day.

Now, Zheng Fa's heart even had a guess: those few diagrams might all have been deliberately leaked by this Seventh Young Master.

"If you can learn something from it, don't say you have an injured leg; even if you were a cripple or an idiot, I would still keep you by my side!"

The Seventh Young Master's eyes held a rare seriousness.

Zheng Fa knew he truly cared about this thing.

The Seventh Young Master picked up the rune book he always carried on the desk, opened it, and placed those few very familiar patterns before Gao Yuan.

He also laid out paper and brush, signaling Gao Yuan.

"You have looked at this for so many days; what have you seen?"

Gao Yuan looked at him, his expression rich with emotion—some longing, but mostly helplessness.

He knew that if he could show even a little talent in this, he could stay.

But...

"This humble one is dull..."

Gao Yuan didn't even pick up the brush; he simply lowered his head.

"Foolish!" Seventh Young Master shook his head, somewhat disheartened: "You two..."

Zheng Fa suddenly stepped forward and picked up the brush in front of Gao Yuan.

"Hmm?"

Seventh Young Master frowned, looking at Zheng Fa.

He knew very well that Gao Yuan had once studied those few diagrams for several days.

But this Zheng Fa... he had only glanced at them a few times!

On the blank paper before Zheng Fa, he lifted the brush and drew the two patterns Master Bai had given him earlier.

Gao Yuan watched from the side; Zheng Fa had merely written two very simple strokes, which, compared to the original complex diagrams, seemed utterly unrelated.

Just scribbling blindly?

But one look at Seventh Young Master's face told him otherwise!

Seventh Young Master frowned, staring at the tip of Zheng Fa's brush as if it revealed something he hadn't anticipated. After a long while, his gaze shifted from the paper to Zheng Fa's face.

"Did you figure it out yourself?" His voice, for some reason, was somewhat sharp.

Even Gao Yuan could see that the two patterns Zheng Fa had drawn must have significant origins. He couldn't help but bitterly smile inwardly: So I truly was a bit self-indulgent... Perhaps Zheng Fa really didn't need me to yield.

"No."

Zheng Fa put down the brush, as if he had drawn it casually.

"Who taught you!" Seventh Young Master asked urgently.

"No one taught me; this is something Gao Xiong and I studied together." Zheng Fa smiled, looking at Gao Yuan beside him: "Right?"

"Ah?" Gao Yuan looked at Zheng Fa, somewhat stunned.

"Oh?" Seventh Young Master narrowed his eyes, staring at Zheng Fa for a long time, then suddenly spoke to Gao Yuan: "Go, bring my lunch to me. Oh, and add an extra portion for him!"

He pointed at Zheng Fa.

Gao Yuan hesitantly looked at Zheng Fa; seeing Zheng Fa nod, he stood up and left the room.