The night was already at its peak, with the moon s.h.i.+ning brightly from its perch up above in the skies. But Casino Jin was still taking in plenty of patrons, but a group of people were just then coming out from the inner rooms.

It was Bai Yunfei, Zheng Kai, and Jin Manlou.

“No need to send us off, fourth brother. Hurry back to your place, I’ll bring brother Bai back home. He has cla.s.ses tomorrow.” Zheng Kai waved to Jin Manlou.

“Have a safe trip,” Bai Yunfei smiled, “let’s have Huang Bin and Chen Qiantan come next time together.”

A smile cracked onto Jin Manlou’s face, “Haha, sounds good! I’ll see you off here then, brother Bai! Take care of yourself, and come back when you want to have some more fun! Seeing you win so much tonight was extremely satisfying to watch, haha!!”

“Haha, I’ll be coming back here quite frequently, I’m sure.” Bai Yunfei bowed before leaving with Zheng Kai onto the roads leading to the right.

“Brother Bai, one moment.”

Just two steps down the steps, Bai Yunfei and the others were stopped by someone calling out after Bai Yunfei. Turning his head, Bai Yunfei watched as the laid-back gray-robed uncle from before came walking after him.

“Is there something I can do for you, uncle?”

“Haha, nothing really. Just wanted to get to know you, brother Bai.” He laughed, “Your gambling today has broadened my horizons, brother Bai. It’s simply amazing how lucky you were. I don’t come here often, but I’ve never seen anyone with that kind of luck, so I wanted to see if we could be friends.”

Sensing the oddity in his words, the man hurried to say, “Ah, but don’t misunderstand me, brother Bai. I’m not someone wanting after something of yours. I am but only a shopkeeper of a teahouse near Tianhun Academy. I like to think myself as a rather laid back person who’d rather make friends than power. Since you’ll be an instructor at the academy, please feel free to come on by my teahouse, the Soothing Heart, on North Seventh Street. It’s a quaint teahouse, but I’m proud of it.”

Zheng Kai’s ears perked up at the name, “Ah? So you’re the shopkeeper of the Soothing Heart?”

The man nodded, “Haha, indeed, master Zheng. The Soothing Heart is a teahouse I opened.”

Noticing the confused look on Bai Yunfei’s face, Zheng Kai explained it to him, “The Soothing Heart is well-known in Tianhun Academy. They don’t serve ordinary tea, but ones that have therapeutic effects. Many soul cultivators that are in a bad state of mind can come here and be soothed. It also helps with training….”

“Oh?” Bai Yunfei uttered, he hadn’t thought that such a place would exist. Politely cupping his hands to the other man, Bai Yunfei smiled, “Might I ask for your name, uncle? The heavens must have decided it that we sit at the same table tonight. If your teahouse is next to the academy, then I will definitely come by soon enough.”

“You are always welcomed to my teahouse, brother Bai. Of course, the very best Soul Forming Tea will be served for you!” He laughed before introducing himself, “My family name is Dan, and my given name is ‘Teng’, as in the character to ‘soar’.”

“……”

Noticing the astonished look on Bai Yunfei’s face, Dan Teng looked curiously at him, “Is there something the matter?”

“Ah, No, not at all…” Bai Yunfei wiped any emotions of his face before replying.

This uncle’s name was very ‘strange’.....Dan Teng….?

TL Note: Character’s name is 旦腾 (Dan Teng), which is a h.o.m.onym to 蛋疼 (Dan Teng), meaning pain in the a.s.s.

This of course, was a fact only Bai Yunfei knew. This world didn’t have slang like ‘pain in the a.s.s’ here.

……

After saying goodbye to uncle ‘pain in the a.s.s’, Bai Yunfei and Zheng Kai continued on their way back to Zheng manor.

Bai Yunfei’s relative silence had been picked up on by Zheng Kai, who asked, “What’s wrong? Brother Bai, you seem to be thinking about something.”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Bai Yunfei shook his head, “Just thinking about what I won today. I never thought that in just a short few moments, I’d be able to win this much….”

“Haha! I see!” Zheng Kai barked with laughter, “It is a little ridiculous….but that’s just your luck, brother Bai. People who have more money than brains like Wu Yang are hard to come by, so it’s not a bad thing. You definitely don’t see stuff like this happening every day, man….three heaven-tier soul armaments! If it was me, I’d die of joy.”

Zheng Kai was looking very pleased at the loss Wu Yang had incurred.

“Hey, brother Bai, I’ve a question actually.” Zheng Kai suddenly remembered something. “That last guy, why did you agree to bet with him? The stuff he brought out weren’t even good, winning against him was pointless….”

“Haha, just felt like it, I guess. That guy basically lost it all, but did you see how he wasn’t willing to give up? That look of as if he became enlightened? I hoped he learned his lesson from this, that you can’t be too excessive when gambling….”

“Tsk, I see. You’re a shrewd one, brother Bai. But there’s no saving people like those who try to win back what they lost, only to lose even more. They won’t even give up until all their valuables are gone…..that’s just human nature, no matter if they’re commoners or soul cultivators….”

Zheng Kai shrugged, “Well, whatever. Brother Bai, you really gave it to Wu Yang tonight. With all those treasures he lost to you, and then the previous grudge he has with you, he’s not going to live that down. You’d better watch your step, brother Bai. Angering a person like him isn’t something many people can get away with and live. Aside from me, that is, haha!!”

“Oh, really?” Bai Yunfei smirked back, “What, you think Wu Yang’s going to send people to a.s.sa.s.sinate us?”

Zheng Kai waved his hand absentmindedly, “Well...nothing that extreme. But in the end, he’s still the fourth prince. He has plenty of people at his command, a.s.sa.s.sination’s just one of tho—”

“Watch out!!”

Before he could even finish speaking, Zheng Kai was pulled into the air by a very grim-looking Bai Yunfei!

“Pcht! Pcht! Pcht….”

No sooner than a second later when Bai Yunfei leapt into the air with Zheng Kai, the ground where they had been standing on was impaled by over a dozen black stone spikes!!

If either of the two had been even a second late, their bodies would’ve had even more holes than a hornet’s nest….

The blue-eyes wyrm and permafrost mastiff had been traveling just far enough behind the two to safely dodge the spikes.

With the ground beneath him filled with spikes, Bai Yunfei was prepared to use his elemental energy as platforms to kick off from. But before he could do so, the surrounding area began to s.h.i.+ne orange before locking Bai Yunfei in place, preventing him from moving!

The solidification of the elemental earth in the area had been quick enough to stop Bai Yunfei from escaping into any direction!

Panic filled Bai Yunfei’s eyes as he felt the elemental energy lock his feet in place. Right besides him, Zheng Kai’s eyes narrowed, but his right arm had been touching Bai Yunfei’s shoulder before they could stop moving. Concentrating, Zheng Kai’s eyes flashed with light before Bai Yunfei felt himself back on solid ground again. Looking around himself, Bai Yunfei realized they had somehow escaped the elemental prison and were back on the ground next to the blue-eyes wyrm and permafrost mastiff!

Teleportation!!

At the moment they teleported away, the elemental earth gathered above them revealed the silhouette of a person that then leapt towards the two!

Seeing the figure appeared out from nowhere, Bai Yunfei’s eyes widened in shock, “A Soul King!!”