Chapter 67: The Gambler Immortal

When Xiang Xuanqing arrived at the First Qionglou with the Guide Immortal, he saw over a dozen immortals suspended in midair.

They were all bound in elaborate knots by Zhenwu’s Immortal-Binding Rope.

Xiang Xuanqing stared in shock: “Does Bai Yujing really play this way?”

Does even Honghuang have such strange antics?

The ever-serious Xiang Xuanqing was stunned by this unorthodox scene.

The ginseng fruit tree beside him, however, showed no surprise at all—as if he’d seen this before.

He was utterly accustomed to it: “That’s why I told you, the Gambler Immortal’s place is the liveliest.”

“Indeed, it’s lively.”

Xiang Xuanqing glanced around; immortals from the other two Qionglou had also arrived, drawn by the commotion to watch the spectacle.

“Hey, isn’t that Immortal Changcheng? You’ve been hung up again?” came a voice from the crowd.

The earliest-hung black-robed immortal remained silent.

Another immortal deliberately shouted louder: “Immortal Changcheng must be missing Gui She Immortal’s Immortal-Binding Rope!”

The black-robed immortal widened his eyes: “How dare you slander my reputation out of thin air!”

“What reputation? Every time I see you, you’re suspended by the Turtle Shell Bindings—do you deny missing it? Your heart must be dancing with joy right now!”

The black-robed immortal’s face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his forehead—he refused to suffer such social death.

He protested: “That was forced! How can forced events be called missing?”

“Besides, the Gambler Immortal is definitely cheating—why is my luck always so terrible?”

“I bought a Luck-Transferring Pill and my luck got worse—is that reasonable?”

Then came a string of incomprehensible complaints: “gambling fraud,” “never coming back,” “next time I’ll chop off my hands,” and so on.

The immortals burst into laughter.

For a moment, the air inside and outside the Qionglou was filled with merriment.

The other suspended immortals were in much the same situation—they’d all bought Jing Yao’s Luck-Transferring Pills while gambling.

Their luck turned even worse, driving them to rage and plan a riot to vent their frustration.

And then they were all hung up here to experience social death.

Of course, not everyone felt ashamed.

A few immortals even laughed as they watched the crowd: “Don’t just mock us, immortals—if you’ve got guts, go in and test your own luck!”

“The Seven Treasures Stones today? The Gambler Immortal definitely tampered with them. We’ve never had bad luck before, yet today not one good item was revealed.”

They were clearly trying to trick later immortals into joining the Gambler Immortal’s event.

Yet some immortals simply refused to believe it.

“Is that so? I’d like to see what tricks the Gambler Immortal is pulling—can he really fool our eyes?”

One after another, more immortals entered the Qionglou.

“Xuputi, lay out the Seven Treasures Stones!”

The [Gambler Immortal], wearing a face of compassion, held a lapis lazuli treasure tree and greeted guests with a serene smile.

As he brushed the treasure tree into the air, countless dazzling scenes flashed forth—beautiful and magnificent.

Butterflies lingered among flowers, fish drifted through the ocean, fireflies danced in the night sky, meteors streaked across the heavens…

Gradually, seven rare stones—gold, silver, lapis lazuli, red pearls, agate, and others—were displayed before the immortals.

“I don’t see anything wrong here?”

“Yeah, perfectly normal. Let me open one for you.”

“Oh! A Primordial Geng Metal Sword—what a treasure!”

“I got one too—Pure Lapis Lazuli Pearl! Wow, the Gambler Immortal really went all out today.”

“My luck’s bad—I only got something the size of a fingernail.”

“What’s that? A Bodhi seed? Get lost! You’re a plant! Dao Ye’s here got nothing at all!”

The immortals chattered excitedly—some thrilled, some lamenting—but none were hung up again.

Xiang Xuanqing did not enter immediately; instead, he watched the [Gambler Immortal] from afar.

He understood.

“So the divine tree rooted in the ore vein was none other than the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree—one of the Primordial Ten Sacred Roots.”

“The Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree took form under the alias [Xuputi]—that’s Qianti, my friend.”

“Wait—that’s not right!”

Xiang Xuanqing frowned, studying the [Gambler Immortal] closely—and the more he looked, the stranger it seemed.

He held the Seven Treasures Marvelous Tree, yes, and his primordial aura and appearance matched Qianti’s perfectly.

Even when Xiang Xuanqing used Taiyi Divine Art to calculate, the result was still “[Qianti].”

But…

This was Jieyin, not Qianti!

Once he saw through the [Gambler Immortal]’s disguise, Xiang Xuanqing burst into laughter.

During his travels through the Western Realm, he had met both Qianti and Jieyin.

Back then, both holy beings were utterly innocent—comparable to Minghe—and used their primordial true names when traveling.

Who would’ve thought that upon meeting again, “White Lotus” Jieyin had learned to wear masks—and not just one, but two layers.

Yet he’d only borrowed his brother’s masks. “If Jieyin is using Qianti’s identity, then what identity is Qianti using? Did they swap?”

Xiang Xuanqing was nearly certain the [Gambler Immortal] was Jieyin.

This brotherly trick reminded him of Taiyi and Di Jun on the Sun Star.

In Taiwei Yuan, the mask “[Sun Radiance Supreme Lord of the Sun]” was rotated between the two brothers.

It was as if the Sun Star had a usage quota.

“Same trick, different play—these guys really know how to have fun.”

Upon discovering the [Gambler Immortal]’s true identity, Xiang Xuanqing felt a sudden sense of “I am not alone in my ways.”

“Hey, [Alchemy Immortal], are you buying the Luck-Transferring Pills or not?”

[Alchemy Immortal] Jing Yao Shangzun, seeing Xiang Xuanqing standing before his stall for a long time, finally called out to urge him.

Of course, he recognized Xiang Xuanqing’s identity.

But a friend shouldn’t obstruct his medicine sales!

May Heaven pity him—his Jing Yao Shangzun’s pills had never been this popular.

This trip to Bai Yujing was truly worth it!

Prompted by Jing Yao Shangzun, Xiang Xuanqing finally crouched down and examined his stall carefully.

The ginseng fruit tree, meanwhile, chatted with Zhenwu nearby.

“Immortal Gui She, your technique has become increasingly professional.”

“That’s thanks to the Guide Immortal’s initial advice—I wouldn’t have gotten a stall at the First Qionglou otherwise.”

“Not at all—I merely recommended a stall location because your Immortal-Binding Ropes were so unique. I never expected it to become a Bai Yujing spectacle.”

The ginseng fruit tree whispered mysteriously to Zhenwu: “You wouldn’t believe it—many immortals from small worlds come to Bai Yujing just to see this sight.”

“Some immortals with partners even privately asked me to buy them Immortal-Binding Ropes.”

Zhenwu’s eyes lit up: “I’ll give you a discount.”

“That would be wonderful!”

Meanwhile,

Xiang Xuanqing picked up a gourd of Golden Core Pills and asked Jing Yao:

“Have you joined Bai Yujing?”

“Of course not,” Jing Yao Shangzun shook his head. “Hongjun hasn’t approved my trial of the Hunyuan Pill yet—also because I haven’t even refined it yet.”

“That ‘Primordial Great Dao Ninefold Immortal Hunyuan Pill’?”

Xiang Xuanqing asked in surprise: “What exactly does that pill do? Why haven’t you finished it yet?”

“The effect of the Hunyuan Pill? Obviously, it makes you achieve Hunyuan Dao!”

Jing Yao clicked his tongue: “I’m just missing a few ingredients, and I can’t predict the side effects.”

“So I’m planning to find a fool to test it first.”

Xiang Xuanqing laughed: “You’re refreshingly honest.”

“After all, who else but us?”

Jing Yao winked at Xiang Xuanqing: “Wasn’t it you who sneaked into my furnace last time?”

“Yes, it was me. Something went wrong with a Spirit Treasure.”

“That explains it,” Jing Yao Shangzun suddenly understood.

Xiang Xuanqing said: “I took your pill. Later, I met Xuanyao (Minghe) by chance and gave it to him.”

Jing Yao’s eyes instantly sparkled. He excitedly asked: “How was it? How was it?”

“How did my pill work?”

Xiang Xuanqing recalled Minghe’s evaluation and replied: “Ignoring the side effects, the effect was astonishingly good.”

“Exactly!”

Jing Yao Shangzun selectively ignored the side effects and beamed: “I told you my pills are excellent!”

“Then what about those people who got hung up?”

Beside him, Yu Chendaojun (Li Ming) asked, having just seen the immortals buy Jing Yao’s Luck-Transferring Pills—some had been hanged, others had enjoyed extraordinary fortune.

“This one?”

Jing Yao Shangzun glanced left and right; seeing no immortals nearby, he softly transmitted his voice: “My Luck-Transferring Pill’s full name is: Yin-Yang Balance, Life-and-Death Capricious Luck-Transferring Pill.”

“The pill does indeed alter luck—but I never said it turns luck into good fortune! To balance fate, some who take it gain good luck, while others gain misfortune.”

“But both good and bad luck are dynamically balanced: those now blessed may suffer minor misfortune later—say, dying once or something.”

“Those now cursed have a chance to avoid a death calamity in the future.”

Yu Chendaojun fell silent for a moment.

“Then why didn’t you clarify the side effects?”

“They didn’t ask!”

Jing Yao Shangzun looked utterly innocent. “They were all in such a frantic rush—none of them let me finish speaking before dashing inside. What could I do?”

——

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(End of Chapter)