“What kind of bet?” Shi Xin looked at Xu Ming curiously.
She didn’t like gambling and had never done it before.
Normally, if anyone else had asked, she would have refused outright.
But this was Xu Ming.
After their earlier debates, Xu Ming’s status in her mind had undoubtedly risen a notch.
If it was Xu Ming making the bet, she believed it wouldn’t be some crude, worldly wager—it might even have something to do with her own Dao.
“Two bets,” Xu Ming said in a low voice. “The first: will they betray me and try to ambush me? You pick first.”
Shi Xin glanced at Xu Ming, then at the four men walking ahead of them. Her elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly. “You’re saying they’ll attack you?”
“Yes,” Xu Ming nodded.
Shi Xin frowned even deeper. “But... aren’t they from the same kingdom as you? You don’t even trust them?”
“I don’t,” Xu Ming smiled. “In theory, apart from a select few people, I never completely trust anyone—especially not them. So, Shi Xin, are you in or not?”
Shi Xin studied the four men carefully. Finally, she nodded. “I’ll take the bet. I don’t think they’ll attack you.”
She turned to Xu Ming. “You mentioned two bets. What’s the second one?”
Xu Ming chuckled. “The second bet only happens if I win the first one. If I’m right and they do try to ambush me, then naturally, I’ll take them down. At that point, they’ll beg for mercy.”
Shi Xin gave Xu Ming a skeptical look, as if to say, Don’t tell me you’re actually going to spare them?
Xu Ming spread his hands. “Come on, aren’t you always advocating giving people a chance to change?”
Shi Xin’s expression clearly said, I’ve lived a long time, but I’ve never seen this before.
Xu Ming continued, “So, the second bet is this: after I let them go, will they try to kill me again? Or will they truly repent and stop? I bet they’ll still try to kill me.”
A smirk appeared on his lips. “So? Want to take the bet? For me to win, I need to be right twice. But for you to win, you only need to be right once.”
Shi Xin lowered her head, deep in thought. After a moment, she looked up. “And what’s the wager?”
Xu Ming thought for a moment. “I haven’t decided yet. How about this—if I win, then if I ever go to the Western Regions and need Leiming (Thunderclap) Temple’s help, you do whatever you can to assist me.
If you win, I’ll go to Leiming Temple and be a monk for half a year. Who knows, I might even like it and stay. What do you think?”
Shi Xin pursed her lips slightly.
After a pause, she nodded. “Alright, I accept.”
Xu Ming: “Deal?”
Shi Xin: “Deal.”
Just then, Bai Zhan turned around with a smile. “Are the two of you still whispering? And Shi Xin keeps glancing at us—could it be that you and Shi Xin are talking about us, Brother Xu?”
“Hahaha,” Xu Ming nodded. “It is about you, gentlemen, but we weren’t exactly discussing you. I was just asking Master Shi Xin—if one were to study Buddhism, which of us would have the greatest spiritual potential?”
“Oh?” Wang Mingshan chuckled, intrigued. “And what did Master Shi Xin say?”
“Heh,” Xu Ming rubbed his nose, looking rather pleased. “Master Shi Xin said that if we were to study Buddhism, I might have the greatest potential.”
“Is that true, Master Shi Xin?” Zeng Rong asked with a smile.
Shi Xin nodded.
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“Hahaha, of course! After all, Scholar Xu is the future of Wu Kingdom’s literary world. Naturally, he has more insight than us common folk, who have barely read a few books and only recognize a handful of characters.”
Zeng Rong let out a breath of relief.
For a moment, he had suspected that Xu Ming had caught on to something.
But judging by the current situation, he had clearly been overthinking it. The so-called Top Scholar was still as foolish as ever.
Then again, it made sense.
A flower raised in a greenhouse—what could it possibly notice?
Besides, monks don’t lie. Since Shi Xin had nodded, it meant the top scholar hadn’t deceived him.
Meanwhile, Shi Xin was silently debating with herself—had she just lied?
Xu Ming’s earlier words had indeed been misleading. But Zeng Rong had specifically asked, “If one were to study Buddhism, who among us would have the greatest potential?”
And she had answered truthfully: Xu Ming.
“So this shouldn’t count as lying, right? I shouldn’t have broken my vow.” Shi Xin reassured herself.
“Haha, you flatter me. But when it comes to Buddhist wisdom, it’s truly hard to say,” Xu Ming said, clearly enjoying the praise. “Besides, we’re not actually joining the Buddhist order, so what use is spiritual potential?”
“That’s not necessarily true. What if Brother Xu is blessed by a Buddhist relic?” Bai Zhan chuckled.
Xu Ming laughed. “Hahaha, then I’ll take your kind words as a good omen!”
As the group continued their ascent, the sky suddenly changed.
One moment, the blazing sun hung high above; the next, it plummeted beyond the horizon. In its place, night descended abruptly.
All the cultivators training in the Rootless Secret Realm froze, caught off guard.
No one had expected this.
How could day and night suddenly switch without warning?
“Could it be that the Rootless Secret Realm is collapsing? Maybe the laws of time are becoming unstable, causing disorder in the cycle of day and night?” Zeng Rong speculated.
Bai Zhan nodded. “That’s definitely possible.”
Wang Mingshan frowned. “The Rootless Secret Realm is extremely dangerous at night. Beasts known as ‘night fiends’ frequently appear, and their cultivation levels are quite high. I suggest we find a cave to rest in. What do you all think?”
“I agree with Brother Wang,” Xu Ming said with a nod.
Before entering the Rootless Secret Realm, Xu Ming had undergone extensive training.
During the day, the beasts here were fairly typical.
But at night, it was a different story.
Powerful creatures, some as strong as Golden Core or even Nascent Soul cultivators, roamed the darkness. They hunted those reckless enough to keep searching for treasures despite the dangers.
In a way, this was a form of self-regulation within the secret realm—a natural safeguard against greed.
“Then let’s hurry and find a cave,” Bai Zhan said.
The group quickened their pace.
Before long, they discovered a cave that could serve as shelter.
However, as Xu Ming stood at the entrance and looked inside, he couldn’t help but think—Tonight, this cave might just be more dangerous than the outside world.