Chapter 549 - 268: Striking It Rich

Chapter 549: Chapter 268: Striking It Rich

"Of course, it counts." Just then, a rather portly middle-aged man in a long silk robe stood up, smiling as he cupped his hands at the crowd.

"Everyone, I am Jiang Rongxuan, the Shopkeeper of Ronghe Restaurant. No matter how many silver taels you wager, this establishment will pay out at odds of ten to one."

Hearing this, the patrons began to murmur amongst themselves again.

"Ronghe Restaurant has been on this street for over a decade, and business has always been booming. With Shopkeeper Jiang personally running the book, it should be legitimate."

"So what if it’s legitimate? Do you dare bet on that great personage to win?"

"It’s true, it’s hard to bet on him. After all, the strength of the disciples from the Four Major Sects is undeniable. No matter how incredible that great personage might be, he doesn’t stand a chance!"

"But it’s ten-to-one odds. If, by some miracle, that great personage wins, wouldn’t the bettors make a killing?"

"That’s true! Besides, nothing in this world is guaranteed. Since that great personage dares to challenge the disciples from the Four Major Sects, he must have an ace up his sleeve."

"Now that you all put it that way, I’m actually tempted to bet on him to win!"

"Exactly. If you bet on the disciples from the Four Major Sects, you only make a ten percent profit, and the house still takes a cut. There’s really no point.

But if you bet on that great personage, you win ten times your stake. If a miracle really happens, you’ll strike it rich."

...

"I’ll bet on that great personage for ten... uh... just one tael of silver!" a red-faced man in his thirties shouted, pulling out a piece of patterned silver.

Seeing how he wanted to show off but clearly lacked the nerve, the crowd erupted in another round of laughter.

"Master Meng, your Yang Family is a respected name on these streets. How can you not even dare to put up ten taels of silver?" an acquaintance taunted him.

Yang Meng glared at the man and snapped, "Master Chen dares to face four opponents alone. I, Yang Meng, admire that kind of spirit from the bottom of my heart. I’m betting one tael of silver to show my support for Master Chen.

What, you got a problem with that, Sun Erlv?"

The long-faced Sun Er was instantly furious. He hated it when people used his nickname!

Sun Er sneered mockingly. "Hah, what’s the use of just paying lip service?

You’re making such a show of placing your bet just to suck up to that great personage, aren’t you? You don’t even have the guts to put up ten taels of silver. What fucking good is that?"

Yang Meng was not one to back down from a taunt. He immediately pulled out a gold coin, slapped it on the table, and said:

"Fine! I’ll bet ten taels of silver on Master Chen to win!

What do you have to say to that, Sun Erlv?"

Sun Er snorted, pulled out a stack of silver notes, counted out ten of them, and slammed them onto the table.

"I’ll bet one hundred taels of silver on the disciples of the Four Major Sects, just to win your miserable ten taels!"

"You son of a bitch..." Yang Meng was livid, his red face turning purple with rage.

But he obviously couldn’t take back the gold coin now. He could only call out gruffly to Jiang Rongxuan, "Shopkeeper Jiang, get over here and draw up the betting slip!

"Right away, right away!" Jiang Rongxuan chuckled and quickly ordered his bookkeeper to count the silver coins and draw up the slips. Afterwards, he pressed his own thumbprint on them and signed his name.

As the bookie, Jiang Rongxuan wasn’t worried about people betting on Chen Cheng to win. After all, the odds of Chen Cheng winning were practically zero.

Besides, Jiang Rongxuan had already secured the backing of a powerful figure: Zhang Daozong of the Great Dao Sect. He only dared to act as the bookie because Zhang Daozong had given him the go-ahead.

Zhang Daozong was one of the biggest bookmakers behind the scenes, so he certainly wouldn’t throw the fight to let Chen Cheng win.

Therefore, anyone who bet on Chen Cheng to win was basically just handing money to Jiang Rongxuan.

As for those who bet on the disciples from the Four Major Sects, they would be on the winning side, and Jiang Rongxuan, as the house, could still collect a twenty-percent commission from their winnings.

Either way, Jiang Rongxuan was guaranteed to turn a profit, so he naturally hoped that as many people as possible would place their bets.

After collecting the silver coins from Yang Meng and Sun Er, he eagerly encouraged the other patrons in the hall to place their bets.

With Yang Meng and Sun Er leading the way, the other patrons eagerly joined the excitement, some betting on Chen Cheng to win, and others on the disciples from the Four Major Sects.

In the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Jiang Rongxuan had already collected several hundred taels in silver coins.

Of that amount, the majority was bet on Chen Cheng to win.

Some, like Yang Meng, were certainly thinking of supporting Master Chen. After all, Master Chen was a Martial Artist from Linji City. A victory would be glorious, but even in defeat, his reputation would not be tarnished!

Most people, however, were driven by a gambler’s mentality. They wanted to risk a little to win a lot, chasing the possibility of a massive payday on those ten-to-one odds!

"And you, sir? Would you also like to place a bet?" Jiang Rongxuan said with a chuckle, walking over to the rough-featured man of the Jianghu.

This Jianghu man was dressed in a fine silk martial uniform, looking every bit the big spender who threw money around like dirt. Furthermore, he had previously shown his displeasure when Guo Degao called Zhang Daozong ’Daoist Master,’ so he was very likely a supporter of Master Chen.

How could Jiang Rongxuan possibly let such a fat sheep, one who had walked right in to hand over his silver coins, get away?

"Shopkeeper Jiang, I’ve heard all the other Jiang Family businesses have failed, leaving only this Ronghe Restaurant. If I were to place a large bet, could you afford to pay up?" the Jianghu man said coldly, glancing at Jiang Rongxuan.

Jiang Rongxuan’s eyelid twitched involuntarily. He had risen to prominence by relying on a marriage connection to the Zhou Family, whose network had helped the Jiang Family’s restaurant business flourish.

After the Zhou Family was annihilated, Jiang Rongxuan’s restaurant business suffered a major blow, and now only Ronghe Restaurant remained.

However, Jiang Rongxuan firmly believed this was just another dip in a volatile career and that, sooner or later, he would make a comeback.

He had been secretly waiting for an opportunity, and that opportunity had indeed arrived when he managed to get in with Zhang Daozong, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Great Dao Sect.

In just over a month, he had already made a fortune.

’The Jiang Family will soon rise again, even surpassing its former glory to become a family far beyond any ordinary gentry!’