Chapter 0207

Chapter 207: Zhou Tong: Final Interpretation Rights Belong to Our Shop

Tang Qi gaped and asked, “Make one cut?”

“How do I cut?”

“Pay ten thousand spirit coins and draw again,” said Zhou Tong with a kind smile, while his eyes shone like he had spotted a fat sheep.

“You aren’t tricking me, are you?” Tang Qi’s stare turned cold.

“Pah!” Zhou Tong snapped into character with a hurt look. “You dare suspect me? I can swear by the Heavenly Dao that I do not even cheat children or old folks. You insulted my character, so you must make up for my mental damage; your next cut costs twenty thousand spirit coins!”

“Fair to young and old…” Hearing that, Tang Qi was not angry but pleased. If the man swore by the Heavenly Dao, he could not be a cheat, right? He never guessed Zhou Tong was using a loophole: do not cheat children or old folks, but cheat a fool like him.

“Fine, I’ll make this cut.”

After he paid, he sent energy into the box again. A jade slip flew out and glowed: “Congratulations, honored guest. You won nine pearls. Collect one more pearl to exchange for one life bloodline.”

“What does that mean?” Tang Qi stared hard.

“Simple: you need to cut again. This time the fee is fifty thousand spirit coins.”

“Why did the price go up!”

“Sorry. Those are the rules,” said Zhou Tong, his voice flat like a machine.

“Lies. There’s no such rule in the world. You’re a price-gouging swindler.” Tang Qi shook with anger.

“Honored guest, you do not have the right to define me. All final explanations belong to our shop,” said Zhou Tong calmly.

“Fine, then I’ll draw again!”

“Congratulations, honored guest. You won nine gold coins. Collect one more gold coin to get one pearl…” the jade slip chimed.

“Ahhh!” Tang Qi went mad and smashed the box with one punch. “You cur dare toy with me. Believe it or not, I’ll take your life!”

“You misunderstand, honored guest. I already swore a Heavenly Dao oath. I would not even cheat a dog, so how could I cheat you?”

“Then explain this!”

“Your luck is too poor.”

At that, Tang Qi’s mouth twitched. “My luck is poor? Ha… that’s the funniest joke in a thousand years. Do you know who I am? I am the heaven’s…” He stopped mid-sentence, and Zhou Tong’s eyes turned razor sharp. [He wanted to call himself the Son of Destiny. Who told him that?]

“Don’t be angry, honored guest. Besides the lottery, we have another event that can get you life bloodlines in a steady way,” said Zhou Tong.

“I don’t believe a word. You’re rotten to the core!” Tang Qi cursed and turned to leave.

“Balance of Life and Death!” Zhou Tong struck without hesitation, trying to drain the life force in Tang Qi’s body.

At once, a strong wave of law descended and cut his method by ninety percent.

[I get it now,] Zhou Tong thought. No wonder the former shopkeeper hired thugs. There are law limits here. As long as you sit in this chair, you cannot attack freely. Even so, the Balance of Life and Death still bit down a little, and Tang Qi’s state grew worse. His face turned paper white.

“Huff… huff…” He gripped the doorframe, gasping like he might die any moment.

“This way, honored guest: if you’re going to die, please die outside. Don’t dirty my floor,” said Zhou Tong with disgust.

Tang Qi almost spat blood.

“Find a reason and kill him!” a voice sounded in his mind, making him shiver. It was the Devil King.

[Godfather, you’re not joking, right? If I kill him, I’ll suffer backlash,] Tang Qi thought.

“It’s fine. I’ll bear the backlash this time. Kill him and you become the shopkeeper here. That’s pure profit,” said the Devil King.

[Then I’ll do it!] Tang Qi’s eyes lit up.

He spun back to Zhou Tong and asked, “Tell me… what’s the other event?”

“Good, honored guest. I still like your unruly attitude from a moment ago,” Zhou Tong said, never missing a chance to shame him. Tang Qi almost coughed blood again.

[Just wait. I’ll tear you to pieces soon,] he swore in his heart.

Zhou Tong set a chart on the counter and said, “This makes it clear. It’s our spending rebate plan. As long as you spend enough, you can get life bloodlines for free.”

Tang Qi’s eyes bulged. “Spend twenty thousand spirit coins just to get one life bloodline?”

“Yes. We’re a small business. Please understand our hardship.”

“Fine, give me one bloodline worth twenty thousand spirit coins,” Tang Qi said through clenched teeth.

“Sorry, honored guest… we don’t have anything that cheap anymore. The lowest is a Devouring bloodline for forty nine thousand spirit coins. Look—”

“I’ll buy it!” Tang Qi did not hesitate. He cultivated the Swallowing Heavenly Devil Art, so a Devouring bloodline might help a lot.

“Thank you for your patronage!” Soon, Tang Qi received one Devouring bloodline and one life bloodline. He used the life bloodline at once and finally recovered a bit of spirit.

But when he tried to fuse the Devouring bloodline, something went wrong. No matter what he tried, he could not absorb it.

“What is going on!” he snarled.

“You may not know this, honored guest: the Devouring bloodline comes in Yin and Yang. Only together can they work. The one in your hand is the Yin line.”

“Then where is the Yang line?”

“Seventy thousand spirit coins.”

“Why don’t you just go rob people!”

“You’re funny. Robbing takes too much effort. Is making money like this not faster?”

“Fine, I’ll buy!” Tang Qi’s eyes turned red. He was fully committed now, trapped by sunk cost and unable to turn back.

After he paid again, he finally got the Devouring Yang line.

“Congratulations, honored guest,” Zhou Tong said cheerfully. “You’ve spent a total of one hundred nineteen thousand spirit coins. Spend one thousand more to trigger the one hundred twenty thousand rebate and receive five hundred life bloodlines!”

Blood leaked from Tang Qi’s seven openings from rage, but then he showed a sly smile. [Once I take down this shopkeeper, everything will be mine.]

“Fine, I’ll buy. Bring out your best bloodlines.”

“How generous, honored guest. Feast your eyes on this treasure!” Zhou Tong placed a vial of the blood of a sword spirit on the counter.

“Two hundred thousand. No bargaining.”

Tang Qi took a deep breath. He did not even look at the bloodline. He stared only at Zhou Tong and asked, “I have one question: is this bloodline guaranteed pure?”