Clear Stream Market's racetrack was located right next to the stables. In fact, it was one of the few gambling activities available in Clear Stream Market.
After all, cultivators could easily use spiritual energy to manipulate various gambling devices, making mundane gambling a total joke in their eyes.
Horse racing, however, was different. It carried imnse randomness, making it difficult for even cultivators to rig. Because of this, horse racing managed to thrive in Clear Stream Market.
Unlike the elegant, immortal-like venues depicted in the cultivation novels Yulou used to read, the Clear Stream Market racetrack possessed a raw, wild beauty.
To put it bluntly, it was unrefined.
It was unrefined both aesthetically and literally.
The rain from the past few days had transford the area into a patchy, muddy field. The edge of the mud was lined with thick stone railings forming a viewing pathway, and inside those stone railings lay the actual racing track.
There was a reason it looked so worn down. Horse racing only occurred three tis a month, and the Green-Steed Horses were re common beasts at the Qi Induction realm. Their destructive power when running was imnse.
No matter how well the grounds were maintained, it would be pointless.
Finding an earthen platform with a relatively good vantage point, Yu'an looked at the Green-Steed Horses rearing to go within the stone railings and gritted his teeth.
"I bet three days that today's champion will be Hulu Gang!"
Hulu Gang was Yu'an's favorite horse, possessing strength around the peak of Qi Induction. Though it was slightly up there in age, its raw capability spoke for itself.
Over the last two years, a third of the championship titles on this track had been claid by it.
"Hulu Gang is old, and you've already been burning charcoal for two months, Yu'an. You can't just hang yourself from a single tree," Yulou reminded him.
The three of them never bet silver or spirit stones; they wagered their chore shifts helping Hongi stoke the forge fires.
The three days Yu'an ntioned ant that if he won, his fire-stoking duty would be reduced by three days.
If he lost, he would have to burn charcoal for three more days.
"Don't listen to your brother, Yu'an. Have so faith in yourself. What child cries every single day, and what gambler loses every single ti? Besides, three days is far too little. Aren't you a real man? Co on, make it ten days at once. I believe you can win."
Zhong Ningyao loved nothing more than stirring up trouble, egging Yu'an on to raise the stakes.
But Yu'an wasn't entirely foolish. As much as he adored his senior martial sister, he was on the verge of vomiting from stoking fires every day.
"Just three days. I'm giving Hulu Gang one final chance. Brother, which horse do you think will win?"
Yulou, who was intently studying the racetrack, was a bit distracted and answered subconsciously.
"Hmm, this place really is spacious... Wait, did you ask which horse would win?"
"Yeah, I'm backing Hulu Gang again this ti. Who are you backing?" Yu'an asked.
Yulou looked over the horses and said calmly.
"I'll also bet on Hulu Gang. Yes, it should be the one."
Yu'an was pleasantly surprised, while Zhong Ningyao looked puzzled—Yulou seed incredibly certain.
Considering Yulou's usual maturity and steady nature, she suddenly grew curious about his reasoning.
"Why do you think the oldest horse can win?"
It certainly wasn't a case of an old warhorse harboring grand ambitions. On the racetrack, if you couldn't outrun the others, you simply couldn't outrun them.
Yulou smiled and began to explain.
"First, Hulu Gang isn't the oldest; it's the second oldest.
Second, it just took the championship last ti, so many people will likely assu it completely exhausted its explosive power and won't be able to win this ti. Yu'an, I don't an to mock you. Although it's unfortunate, I understand the agony you felt when you didn't pick Hulu Gang last ti."
Noticing that Yu'an's face had contorted into a mask of pure agony, Yulou quickly tried to smooth things over.
This kid really was plagued by terrible luck. He had consistently backed Hulu Gang for a long ti, and after being completely exasperated by his losses, he decided to try another horse just once.
As fate would have it, during that exact race, Hulu Gang pulled off an upset and grabbed the championship. Yu'an's ntal state had nearly collapsed—that was just the life of a gambler, repeatedly trampled by reality.
"As for the third reason... the two newcors are both fan favorites, which ans there's a high probability they won't win. The remaining choices were between Hulu Gang and those few title favorites. Since I want Yu'an to win, I chose Hulu Gang."
As the group was chatting, a voice they all recognized drifted over.
"Well, if it isn't Yulou! Your analysis is quite interesting, kid, very logical. Want to buy a few tickets from ?"
The speaker was Lao Gui, who was currently selling horse tickets to the nearby cultivators gathered to watch the race.
There were several gambling operations for the races in Clear Stream Market, and Lao Gui ran one of them—and he was easily the most shaless of the lot.
The only reason anyone was willing to place bets with him was because his payout odds were slightly higher.
"Senior Lao Gui, that purple marten you sold last ti has turned into a giant purple-furred rat. It just keeps growing and growing. What breed is it exactly?"
Zhong Ningyao stared at Lao Gui, asking in an unfriendly tone.
Having his past scams exposed so bluntly, Lao Gui let out an embarrassed chuckle.
He wanted to slip away, but since the crowd here hadn't placed their bets yet, he couldn't bear to leave just yet.
"What do you an giant purple-furred rat? That is a purple marten! The only reason it's so big is because it's a giant breed of purple marten. As for why you think it's a purple-furred rat, that's simply because giant purple martens are incredibly rare!"
When it ca to being an absolute scoundrel, Lao Gui was evenly matched with Gao Jian.
It was only because Zhong Ningyao knew he wasn't simple—being the largest underground information broker in Clear Stream Market—that she gave him so face.
"Compensate with three bottles of beast-grade Vitality Pills, and we'll call it even. What do you say, Senior Lao Gui?"
A purple-furred rat was still a purple-furred rat, but after raising it for so long, she had grown attached to it. Zhong Ningyao just wanted to recoup a little bit of her losses now.
A purple marten was a spiritual pet with a chance to break into the Small Demon Realm, whereas a purple-furred rat possessed diocre talent and would remain a re common beast for the rest of its life.
Considering the massive disparity, Zhong Ningyao didn't think asking for three bottles of beast-grade Vitality Pills was an unreasonable demand at all.
"Three pills at most!"
Yulou instantly felt a surge of profound respect.
Slashing a demand from three bottles down to three pills... could this Lao Gui actually be a deep-cover spy for the Wang Clan?
There were ten pills in a bottle, so Senior Sister Ningyao was asking for thirty pills across three bottles, yet Lao Gui only intended to give three pills.
Bargaining straight down to a ten percent fraction of the price—this man truly understood the Wang Clan's style of managent.
"Impossible! At least one bottle!"
Believing she had right on her side, Zhong Ningyao naturally refused to back down.
Lao Gui's sinister face flashed a wicked smile as he declared decisively.
"Deal!"
With that, the wretched old bastard whipped out a bottle of beast-grade Vitality Pills from his storage bag and tossed it straight to Ningyao.
Good grief, the sheer frustration nearly caused Senior Sister Ningyao to burst blood vessels.
She wasn't even twenty years old yet!
It could only be said that characters like Lao Gui, who could navigate the gray areas of the market so smoothly, were absolute scoundrels through and through.
Fifteen minutes later, just as the spectating cultivators were growing highly impatient, the organizer of the race, a high-stage Qi Refining clan elder from the Foundation Establishnt Yang Clan, stepped forward.
Channeling his spiritual energy, he called out in a loud voice.
"Have all Fellow Daoists placed your bets?"
The race existed to serve the gambling, so naturally, it wouldn't begin until the cultivators finished placing their wagers.
"Hurry up, I have things to do!"
"Old Yang, you guys really know how to drag things out."
"Start it! Start it!"
Hearing everyone's shouts, the Yang Clan cultivator didn't dally. He imdiately stepped onto a shield artifact and flew up into the air.
He raised his hand, and the cultivators holding the horses instantly held their breath.
"Begin!"
Following his command, the horses—including Hulu Gang—shot forward like a release of arrows, accelerating frantically.
Ten horses galloping certainly couldn't match the magnificent aura of ten thousand horses galloping, but the Green-Steed Horses participating in the race were at the very least high-stage common beasts, worlds apart from ordinary mortal horses.
Boundless power seed locked within their massive fras, and as they charged, the ground trembled violently underneath.
Massive clumps of mud were kicked into the air along both sides of the stone-railed track, which was precisely one of the reasons the racetrack always turned into a muddy swamp.
Though the ground was terrible, it didn't hinder the speed of the racing beasts at all.
Within a few breaths, these horses produced an exhilarating sensation of raw speed, causing even Yulou's blood to pump with excitent.
During the first lap, Hulu Gang ran right in the middle of the pack, keeping a low profile and showing absolutely no signs of a champion.
But during the third lap, the two leading horses collided while trying to navigate a sharp turn, crashing down into a horrific, tangled ss.
As the second oldest horse on the track, Hulu Gang possessed imnse racing experience.
Faced with the obstacle ahead, it leaped gracefully, clearing nearly ten ters in a single bound as it soared directly over the two collapsed horses.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
"It's over, completely over! My spirit stones!"
"I curse your ancestors to the eighteenth generation! Rigged! This has to be rigged!"
As ecstatic as Yu'an's laughter was, that was how miserable the losing gamblers' cries were.
Once Hulu Gang broke free from the obstruction, it quickly left the remaining horses dozens of ters behind.
Maintaining its leading advantage, it comfortably claid the title of champion.
Yes, it was terribly old and no longer in its pri.
Yes, it wasn't the fastest runner out there.
But so what? The experience of a veteran was simply peerless.
Hulu Gang's victory once again proved an eternal truth: the opposition would eventually stumble.
There was no need to be the fastest or the strongest; as long as one perford steadily, the opponents would eventually present an opportunity. Victory was truly that simple.
"Brother, Hulu Gang won again! Hulu Gang won again, hahahaha!"
Yu'an pulled at Yulou, rejoicing exactly like a sixteen-year-old child.
"Mm, you two head back first. I'm going to et with that senior from the Yang family."
Yulou remained perfectly composed. Although Hulu Gang's victory was slightly unexpected—he really had just guessed correctly—it was just a race. Wins and losses were entirely normal outcos.
"What are you looking for him for?"
Zhong Ningyao and Yu'an were both thoroughly confused.
The Yang Clan was a Foundation Establishnt Immortal Clan famous for rearing spiritual beasts and mounts. Could Yulou be looking to purchase a spiritual beast or a mount?
"Think about it. This race happens three tis a month, and every single ti, there are at least several hundred cultivators watching, sotis even over a thousand during peak days. These cultivators are all potential custors for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. I want to partner with the Yang family and have them help advertise our pavilion during the races."
After watching today's race, many thoughts had flashed through Yulou's mind. The event itself possessed nurous avenues for deeper comrcial exploitation.
However, he only intended to start with an advertisent for now. The rest could wait until future opportunities arose.
Under the core rules where absolute personal power reigned supre, many aspects of the cultivation world were entirely different from the mundane world of his past life. He had to test the waters first and avoid reckless leaps forward.
Bidding farewell to Yu'an and Ningyao, Yulou located the Yang Clan cultivator who was currently treating the injuries of the fallen racing horses.
"Greetings, Senior. This junior is Yulou from the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom. I would like to discuss a business proposal with you."
Yulou's manner of speech was perfectly polite and proper. The Qi Refining cultivator from the Yang family paused his healing movents and looked up in confusion.
"The Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom? Discussing business with ?"
He naturally knew the reputation of the Wang Clan of Anbei Kingdom, and the Yang family already maintained quite a few business dealings with them.
However, seeing how young Yulou was, he couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
Seeing that the senior was willing to listen, Yulou was delighted and quickly introduced his plan to utilize the horse racing events to promote the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.
"This is certainly possible, but we've never done anything like this before," the Yang Clan cultivator said hesitantly.
"Everyone has a first ti for everything. We can figure it out gradually. I will provide the spirit stones, and you simply need to assist with the promotion. By the way, I have yet to learn your na, Senior."
"Yang Qi. You can just call Yang Qi, young friend. Let finish treating this horse first, and then we can sit down to discuss the specifics of our cooperation."
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