Myriad Rivers to the Sea

Chapter 859: Price of Desperation

Before Li Yu and Mei could reach the exit, a massive commotion erupted from the other side of the pavilion. A large crowd had rapidly formed around a premium cutting table. Two incredibly wealthy looking youths were glaring at each other and the tension was thick enough to cut with a blade.One was a young man wearing luxurious golden robes and the other was a young woman wearing an elegant silver dress. They both had an entourage of heavily armed guards and a personal stone master standing directly behind them.

"The results will speak for themselves." The young man in golden robes sneered. He pointed to a large stone resting on his side of the iron table. "My master has studied ancient veins for sixty years. He selected this origin stone because the grain patterns form a natural spiral. It is a sign of immense condensed spiritual energy."

The young woman in the silver dress scoffed loudly. "My master has never been wrong. Your master is nothing but an old fraud holding a wooden hammer. Prepare to get on your knees."

Li Yu paused his steps and watched the spectacle. He found himself liking to watching these types of conflicts unfold. He leaned against a stone pillar and crossed his arms. Mei stood nervously beside him but she was also captivated by the drama.

"What are they doing?" Li Yu asked.

"It is a high stakes gambling contest." Mei whispered after she moved around a bit to gather information on what was going on. "They each brought a master to select a single premium origin stone. The person that gets the most valuable thing out of their stone wins the entire contest."

"And what are the stakes?" Li Yu questioned.

"The loser must become the dog of the winner." Mei explained while shivering slightly. "They have to get on their hands and knees and bark in front of the entire pavilion. It is a complete destruction of their face and pride."

Li Yu nodded in understanding. He watched as the premium cutter stepped up to the table. This cutter possessed a much deeper cultivation base than the one Li Yu had used. He wielded a blade forged from some unknown metal.

"We will cut the young master's stone first." The cutter announced.

The crowd fell completely silent as the cutter brought the blade down onto the large spiral patterned rock. The crust was incredibly thick but the cutter moved with practiced precision. He shaved away the grey exterior in smooth sweeping motions.

A bright green light suddenly spilled out from the center of the stone.

The cutter gently pried the two halves of the shell apart with practiced skill. Resting in the center was a jagged chunk of glowing green jade. It radiated a pure and calming aura that washed over the entire courtyard.

"A piece of top grade emerald jade." The cutter declared loudly. "It is a high tier crafting material. An incredibly valuable find."

The young man in golden robes threw his head back and laughed. His personal stone master stroked his beard with a smug expression. The young woman in the silver dress gripped the edge of the table tightly. Her face turned pale but she forced herself to remain standing tall.

"Cut mine." She demanded. Her voice trembled slightly. "My master assured me this stone contains an ancient weapon. It will easily surpass a mere piece of crafting jade."

The cutter moved the emerald jade safely to the side and picked up her stone. It was long and slender. It did somewhat resemble the shape of a buried sword.

The cutter activated his blade and began to peel the long stone. The crust was brittle and flaked away easily. He worked down the entire length of the rock but no light emerged. There was no sudden pulse of energy or sharp aura of a hidden weapon.

The cutter reached the very center and the stone simply crumbled apart.

A pile of dried dark mud spilled onto the iron table. There was absolutely nothing else inside. The natural ambient energy had simply clumped dirt together over thousands of years to form a misleading shape. It was a complete and utter failure.

The entire pavilion erupted into laughter and mocking whispers. The stone master standing behind the young woman turned completely white and took a step back in fear.

"The results are clear." The young man in golden robes laughed arrogantly. He pointed at the pile of dirt. "Your master found a rock filled with dried mud. You lose the contest."

The young woman in the silver dress turned red with fury and humiliation.

"The stakes were agreed upon in front of all these witnesses." The young man continued with a cruel smile. "The loser becomes the dog of the winner. Get on your hands and knees and bark for me!"

"I will never submit to you!" The young woman screamed. She lost all her composure in an instant. She pointed a trembling finger at the young man. "Guards! Kill him right now!"

The cultivators standing behind her immediately drew their sabers. Their auras flared brightly as they prepared to launch a deadly strike right in the middle of the crowded pavilion. The guards behind the young man drew their own weapons in response and it looked like a fight was going to break out.

But before a single blade could be swung or a single technique could be launched, the air in the courtyard cracked like thunder.

A dozen heavily armed city guards descended from the rooftops. They moved like teleporting phantoms through the air. They slammed into the courtyard with overwhelming force and precision.

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The captain of the guard released a suffocating pressure that instantly pinned the young woman, the young man and all of their guards flat against the stone floor. The pavilion arrays flared to life and completely suppressed all hostile Qi in the area.

"There is absolutely no fighting in Gilded Fate City." The armored captain roared. His voice shook the pavilion walls and rattled the tables. "Anyone who disrupts the peace will be thrown into prison without trial."

The swift and overwhelming response was terrifying to behold. The city relied entirely on its wealthy patrons feeling safe enough to gamble vast fortunes. The security here was top notch and the rules were absolute. The guards disarmed the troublemakers while they were pinned to the ground. They dragged the entire group out of the pavilion before the fight could even properly begin.

Li Yu watched them get dragged away and was impressed by how swift the guards acted. It was an impressive display of law and order. A city built on gambling and greed could only function if the threat of violence was kept strictly in check. Everyone had to feel safe in order to spend their wealth.

As the crowd began to disperse from the aborted fight, a figure stepped out from the shadows and blocked Li Yu's path to the exit.

It was a young man wearing tattered grey robes. His face was pale and drawn tight with exhaustion. He looked incredibly desperate and tired. He stepped in front of Li Yu and bowed deeply.

"Please excuse my boldness young master." The man said. His voice was rough and cracked. "My name is Jorik. I saw what you uncovered at the cutting station earlier. I beg you to sell me the Moonlit Frost Root."

Li Yu stopped and looked at the man.

"I need it to save my mother." Jorik pleaded. He kept his head bowed toward the ground. "She is suffering from a lethal fire poison in her meridians. It is burning her life away. That specific frost herb is one of only several things that can neutralize the heat and save her life. I will pay you whatever you ask."

Li Yu analyzed the man’s aura closely. Jorik was at the Core Formation level but his energy was chaotic and frayed. He was speaking the truth and the desperation in his voice was genuine. No one told you how desperately they needed something to get the upper hand on you. Li Yu did not have an immediate use for the frost herb anyway.

"I can sell it to you." Li Yu said calmly. "It is saving a life after all and I have no need for it right now. We can negotiate a fair price."

Jorik looked up. Tears of relief filled his eyes. But then a deep heavy shame washed over his face. He hesitated for a long moment.

"I must be honest with you." Jorik said quietly. "I cannot pay you right now in spirit stones. My family has fallen on hard times and our vaults are empty."

Li Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. The charitable feeling in his chest cooled.

"Why would you ask to buy an expensive herb without being able to pay the price?" Li Yu questioned him. He remained calm but his tone grew cautious.

"I do not have raw spirit stones but I have other items of value." Jorik explained desperately. "I have weapons, armor and other rare materials. My clan compound is not far from here. If you come back with me, we can discuss the trade and appraise my goods. I swear on my Dao that I will compensate you fairly for the root."

Li Yu shook his head slowly. It was exactly as he suspected.

"I do not know you, Jorik." Li Yu said firmly. "Following a desperate stranger back to their secluded clan compound over a rare treasure sounds like a very obvious trap. I am willing to sell the herb but I need to be paid fair value and I am not walking into an unknown estate to get it."

Before Jorik could offer another solution a sharp mocking laugh echoed across the courtyard.

A woman wearing luxurious purple robes pushed her way through the lingering crowd. She wore expensive jewelry and carried herself with arrogance. Several powerful guards trailed closely behind her. She looked at Jorik with a mixture of mockery and possessive desire.

"You always were too proud Jorik." The woman sneered. "Begging a stranger in the street because you cannot afford medicine for your dying mother. How incredibly pathetic."

Jorik tightened his fists until his knuckles turned white. He glared at the woman with pure hatred.

"Leave me alone Vasha." Jorik growled.

"I am just trying to help." Vasha smiled wickedly. She turned her attention to Li Yu and pulled a heavy spatial pouch from her waist. "I can pay for the herb young man. I will give you the full market price right now in high grade spirit stones."

She looked back at Jorik and her smile widened into a cruel smirk.

"I will buy the herb for you, Jorik." Vasha announced loudly. "As long as you agree to become my slave. You must sign a binding soul contract and serve me for the rest of your life. Then your mother will get the medicine she desperately needs."

The surrounding crowd murmured as they listened to the exchange. This was a brutal trap. Vasha belonged to a wealthy rival clan and she had clearly always wanted Jorik. She was using his mother’s illness to force him into submission because he did not return her feelings. It was a vicious and calculated scheme.

"I refuse!" Jorik shouted angrily. "My heart belongs to another. I will never serve you, Vasha. I would rather die than be your dog."

"Then your mother will burn from the inside out." Vasha laughed cruelly. "And you will have to watch her scream."

Li Yu sighed deeply. He did not want to get dragged into a messy local romance drama between rival clans. He just wanted to explore the city and enjoy his newfound wealth. He stepped forward and placed himself directly between the two arguing cultivators.

"Listen." Li Yu said. His voice cut off Vasha's laughter instantly. He looked directly at Jorik. "I will not go to your clan compound under any circumstances. But we can discuss the trade and the value of your items in a neutral public place tomorrow. If the value of your goods matches the herb, then the trade is yours."

Jorik looked incredibly relieved and it was terms he could work with. He ignored Vasha completely and bowed slightly to Li Yu again.

"Thank you, young master." Jorik said with deep gratitude. "I will gather everything I have. We can meet at the central bank in the morning. It is a completely secure location."

Jorik exchanged communication tokens with Li Yu, turned and hurried away with his few followers before Vasha could interject again. Vasha scowled at Li Yu for ruining her leverage but did not press him. She spun on her heel and stormed out of the pavilion with her own guards following closely behind.

With the dramatic conflict finally concluded, Li Yu turned back to his guide.

"Well, that was eventful." Li Yu chuckled. He stretched his arms over his head. "Where to next?"

Mei smiled and pointed down a brightly lit avenue that led deeper into the entertainment district.

"Since your luck is so incredible today, we should go to a place for dice and cards." Mei suggested enthusiastically. "I know a very popular establishment not far from here. It is always packed and the games are very exciting."

"Lead the way." Li Yu agreed.

He followed his guide out of the Stone Pavilion and into the glowing streets of Gilded Fate City. He was completely unaware that his invisible shadows hiding in the sky above were breathing a massive sigh of relief. They finally had a destination where they could actually use their skills and rig the game in his favor.