He'd been waiting in the main hall of the Hundred Refinements Hall for less than half an hour when Pei Buwan's booming laughter drifted in from outside: "Where's Brother Yang? Where's Brother Yang?" Before, he'd called the kid "brat," but now that he'd won a fortune, he'd upgraded to "Brother."
Before the words had even fully landed, the man strode in with the swagger of a tiger, his bovine eyes gleaming as he locked onto Yang Kai. He walked straight up and slapped Yang Kai on the shoulder. "Brother, you really are my lucky star!"
Yang Kai snorted. "I'd say I'm more like your lifesaver." He still couldn't quite fathom this fellow's audacity. What had possessed him to place ten million on Yang Kai? What if he'd lost?
"Same thing!" Pei Buwan waved dismissively, then glanced down at Yang Kai's teacup and frowned. "Hey, someone come change the tea! Bring out the best we've got!"
"Enough talk—pay up first." Yang Kai extended his hand without a shred of courtesy.
He had no interest in further entanglement with this lunatic. Settling the accounts and getting out was all that mattered.
"Relax, relax. Every last pill you're owed is accounted for. I had it ready long ago." As he spoke, Pei Buwan sat down and pushed a storage ring across the table.
Yang Kai picked up the ring and swept it with his spiritual sense, counting the contents.
Pei Buwan watched him with a beaming grin. "Brother Yang, I didn't know you were such a fighter. You took down the Jade Rakshasa like it was nothing! Interested in a few more bouts?"
Yang Kai multitasked—continued his count while shooting Pei Buwan a sidelong glance.
Pei Buwan pressed on. "The Jade Rakshasa is only fourth on the People's Board. Not bad, sure, but still a cut below the other three. If you're game, I can arrange a match against one of them. Win, and you stand to make serious money."
Yang Kai held up the storage ring and gave it a shake. "I've got money now. I'm not fighting."
Pei Buwan chuckled. "What's that little bit? Ten million of that has to be handed up the chain—it's not even yours. You're really only keeping a million. Tell you what: you follow my lead, and after I win big, I'll give you a cut—twenty percent!"
Yang Kai couldn't have cared less. He rose to his feet. "Business here is done. Farewell, Manager Pei, please don't see me out." With that, he led Luo Haiyi straight toward the exit.
"Don't leave yet—everything's negotiable! Thirty percent, thirty percent works too!" Pei Buwan scrambled up to persuade him.
"Forty percent!" Seeing that Yang Kai showed no sign of slowing down, Pei Buwan hastily raised the offer. "Forty, max. I'm shouldering the risk of a loss here. You can't expect a fifty-fifty split, can you? Any higher and that's just greedy."
Yang Kai was deaf to it all and vanished from sight before long.
"That kid…" Pei Buwan clicked his tongue. If it were anyone else, he might have resorted to threats or bribes to keep them around—this kid was practically a money tree. With the right maneuvering, pulling cash out of the Asura Arena would be a cinch. But the kid belonged to the First Inn, and that made force a non-starter. If he wasn't willing to fight, Pei Buwan was truly at a loss.
He watched Yang Kai disappear and felt a twinge of regret, but the joy of his winnings quickly washed it away. He sat back down to tally his haul.
He'd bet ten million and won forty million, bringing his total to fifty million Open Heaven Pills. After giving Yang Kai eleven million, he still had nearly forty million left—not only enough to settle his debts but with a hefty surplus to boot. The gloom that had hung over him for days evaporated, and his heart brimmed with delight.
Once outside the Hundred Refinements Hall with Luo Haiyi, Yang Kai handed her a storage ring.
Luo Haiyi looked up at him. Yang Kai smiled. "Returning what you lent me."
Luo Haiyi accepted it and swept it with her spiritual sense, then gasped softly. "This is too much, Your Excellency." When Yang Kai had purchased the Qiankun Map the day before, she'd advanced him fewer than twenty thousand Open Heaven Pills. Now, after only a single day, he was returning thirty thousand. For Luo Haiyi, that was a considerable sum.
Yang Kai smiled. "Consider the extra your commission."
"That's still far too much." Luo Haiyi shook her head. "I can't accept this, Your Excellency. My commission couldn't possibly be worth this much. Please take it back." As she spoke, she actually pressed the ring back toward him.
Yang Kai studied her for a moment. Seeing her expression was earnest and resolute, he couldn't help but laugh. He didn't insist further. "Fine. Deduct what you advanced me and return the rest."
Luo Haiyi agreed and busied herself for a moment, then handed back the surplus Open Heaven Pills.
Yang Kai took them without ceremony. Seeing the hour was still early, he spoke up. "Keep me company on a few more stops."
"Of course. I've nothing to return to anyway, Your Excellency. We can go as long as you like."
The day before, he'd run out of money at the Hundred Refinements Hall and couldn't continue. There were still quite a few shops left to visit, and Yang Kai estimated it would take at least three or four more days to finish them all.
The subsequent shops didn't produce another lunatic like Pei Buwan. Yang Kai presented his calling card, stated his purpose, showed the proprietress's token, and each manager received him with perfect courtesy.
He settled on a one-month deadline at each stop, and before he knew it, night had fallen.
Yesterday he'd been flat broke and had no desire to return to the inn, which was why he'd stayed at Luo Haiyi's place. Now that he'd earned eleven million, Yang Kai was eager to go back and share the good news with the proprietress, so he sent Luo Haiyi home first.
After arranging to continue the next day, Yang Kai strolled leisurely toward the First Inn.
Before long, he arrived at the inn. The First Inn was as packed as ever—a few servants scurried about while the accountant stood behind the counter, abacus clicking away under his fingers.
"We're fully booked, sir. I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere." Without looking up, the accountant spoke the moment he noticed someone approach.
Yang Kai rapped on the counter. "Where's the proprietress?"
The accountant looked up. "Oh, it's you. I thought we had a new guest." He jerked his chin toward the back courtyard. "In her room."
Yang Kai nodded. "Carry on, then."
He headed straight for the rear courtyard.