Chapter 174 Not a Little Short, But a Billion Short

"I..."

"What, as a student, you're not even willing to help your dean with this small favor?"

Before Xin Ci could speak, he was met with Dao Yuanming's glare.

Mu Qingqing, observing from within the consciousness space, couldn't help but complain, "Old gambler, can you get any more shameless? What kind of dean asks students to repay debts!"

But in the current situation, it was difficult for Xin Ci to refuse. After all, Dao Yuanming, that old scoundrel, happened to be the Dean of the Four Symbols Academy.

Xin Ci glanced at Miao Qing and the others before him, sighed helplessly, and slowly asked, "Tell me, how many spirit stones does the dean owe your casino?"

Miao Qing and the others were a bit surprised to hear this. They hadn't expected this young man to actually intend to repay the old man's debt.

Miao Qing's red lips curved into a smile, and she said softly, "Little brother, you intend to repay this old man's debt? You should know that he owes our Miao Shi Casino a full three million mid-grade spirit stones."

Three million mid-grade spirit stones!

Upon hearing the amount of spirit stones, Xin Ci was stunned. He turned to Dao Yuanming and said, "Dean, didn't you just say you only owed them a little spirit stones? Why is it three million mid-grade spirit stones?!"

"It is a little. Are three million mid-grade spirit stones a lot?"

"This isn't a little, it's a lot. And it's not like you're the one paying it back, so of course you don't think it's much."

Xin Ci was speechless when it came to this guy.

This old gambler was truly something. The three million mid-grade spirit stones he had painstakingly earned from selling elixirs earlier.

They were all squandered by Dao Yuanming in an instant.

When Xin Ci took out a spirit stone pouch from his Sumeru Ring and threw it to the Miao Shi Casino personnel, Miao Qing finally agreed to leave with his subordinates.

Dao Yuanming chuckled, "Little fellow, don't be so dejected. As the dean, I must teach you that wealth is external. Besides, out with the old, in with the new."

"As an excellent student of my Four Symbols Academy, are you afraid you won't be able to earn a mere three million mid-grade spirit stones?"

Xin Ci was left speechless and could only glare resentfully at Dao Yuanming.

"Why are you looking at me like that, kid? Besides, I went to Miao Shi Casino for something important!"

"What important matter?"

Hearing Dao Yuanming say this, Xin Ci and Mu Qingqing became curious.

Dao Yuanming continued to explain, "Do you know that this Miao Shi Casino is owned by Madam Miao, and that Miao Qing just now is Madam Miao's sister?"

"So?"

"What so? You know nothing, having just arrived in Jingchen Country. When Madam Miao held a boatload of slaves on the Jingchen, I sensed something was off about her."

"So I went to Miao Shi Casino to investigate, and found out that the slaves in the casino's dungeon had already been transferred by Madam Miao, and these slaves had never reappeared on the slave market."

Hearing Dao Yuanming's words, Xin Ci began to feel puzzled.

What was Madam Miao doing with so many slaves?

"But... what does the dean investigating the situation have to do with losing three million mid-grade spirit stones in gambling?"

"This... I gambled a little out of boredom in the meantime, just a little, hehe..."

Xin Ci looked at Dao Yuanming with disbelief. It was clear the dean's gambling addiction had flared up.

Dao Yuanming chuckled awkwardly, then noticed Yue Chujie beside Xin Ci.

Seeing the bloodstains on Yue Chujie's neck, clearly caused by an iron collar, Dao Yuanming immediately frowned and asked, "Xin Ci, this little fox cub, did you buy him as a slave?"

"No, I rescued him during the Flower Investment Festival."

"Flower Investment Festival? Is there such a festival in Jingchen Country?"

Although Dao Yuanming was unaware of the Flower Investment Festival, he could clearly recognize Yue Chujie's race.

This porcelain doll-like exquisite little fellow before him was from the Heavenly Spirit Fox clan.

The Heavenly Spirit Fox clan was extremely rare and powerful, even in the Beast God Valley, a gathering place for demon beasts in the Central Continent.

Why would he appear in Jingchen Country?

Out of concern, Dao Yuanming quietly warned Xin Ci, "Do you know that the little one beside you is from the Heavenly Spirit Fox clan? This clan possesses innate divine abilities that can understand heaven and earth, and their combat power is not weak."

"Moreover, the Heavenly Spirit Fox clan is extremely united. Once they discover one of their own has been captured, other Heavenly Spirit Foxes will inevitably be dispatched to rescue them."

Just as Dao Yuanming finished speaking, Elder Han's voice echoed in Xin Ci's mind.

"Xin Ci, Dao Yuanming is right, and I've also detected someone secretly watching you."

Who?

Xin Ci immediately became alert upon hearing this. He used his soul power to scan his surroundings and found that a trace of soul power fluctuation was so close to him.

He looked down and saw that the soul power fluctuation was coming from Yue Chujie.

Yue Chujie's eyes suddenly flashed with white light, but quickly returned to normal.

"This is...?"

"This is a divine ability of the Heavenly Spirit Fox clan, allowing them to attach soul power to their kin to spy on others."

Hearing Elder Han's explanation, Xin Ci now understood that he was being targeted by the Heavenly Spirit Fox clan. He just didn't know when they would come to rescue Yue Chujie.

Mu Qingqing, in the consciousness space, transmitted, "Isn't this good? When Yue Chujie's clansmen come to find you themselves, won't that be a way to send Yue Chujie home?"

"Qingqing, you're right. But I'm afraid the Heavenly Spirit Fox clan will consider us bad guys who captured Yue Chujie, not give us a chance to explain, and secretly attack us before taking Yue Chujie away."

Mu Qingqing paused slightly upon hearing this.

Xin Ci thought for a moment, then crouched down and asked Yue Chujie, "Can you use your soul power to inform your clansmen of your current situation like they can?"

Yue Chujie blinked his large, watery eyes and shook his head, "Brother, I can't do that. The ability of the Heavenly Spirit Foxes requires a soul imprint to be left on a clansman beforehand; otherwise, it's useless."

Yue Chujie's voice sounded very childish, but Xin Ci could tell he was not lying.

Since that was the case, he could only be cautious and guard against the Heavenly Spirit Foxes' assassination attempts in the coming days.

Xin Ci mused inwardly, then looked up to find Dao Yuanming had disappeared again.

"Uh... the dean didn't run off to gamble again, did he?"

"Given that old gambler's nature, it's very likely," Mu Qingqing also complained helplessly.

This Dao Yuanming was indeed as described in the original work, addicted to gambling. He had just lost three million mid-grade spirit stones and couldn't resist running off to the casino to gamble again. He was truly a gambler.

Fine, he would find an inn to rest.

If that old gambler lost more, he could deal with the debts himself.

Late at night, several dark figures quietly appeared on the rooftop, gently lifting a corner of the tiles to peek inside.

Xin Ci's room door was tightly shut, and the window was slightly ajar. Xin Ci, wrapped in a quilt on the bed, seemed to be fast asleep.

The three figures peeking from the rooftop exchanged glances, a cold smile appearing on their faces.

One of them took out a green bead from his sleeve and threw it towards the lump of quilt on the bed.

The green bead emitted a faint fluorescence, instantly transforming into a large, eerie green net that enveloped the person wrapped in the quilt on the bed.