My Master Knows It All

440: Chapter 171: Famous Across the Four Seas_5 440: Chapter 171: Famous Across the Four Seas_5 Five hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones, he lost five hundred thousand in one go!

Five hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones – losing them was bearable, although it did pain his heart, it wasn’t crippling.

The key issue was that it allowed Cao Zhen and the people of the Hundred Peaks Sect to win!

Cao Zhen had stopped looking at Elder Xue and instead addressed the crowd, “Everyone, the Spirit Stones just lost…”

“Five hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones, I can still afford to lose,” Kou Shaoyuan huffed coldly and promptly took out several Spiritual Stone Tickets with a flick of his hand.

Below the platform, Lan Pili, who had no sense of responsibility as the main envoy of the Hundred Peaks Sect’s delegation, ran straight to the crowd and said, “Everyone, Peak Master Cao and Elder Xue’s debate isn’t over yet, and it’s not convenient to collect the Spiritual Stone Tickets.

You can give them to me.

By the way, Elder Xue, what will you discuss next with Peak Master Cao?”

On the platform, Elder Xue’s face instantly darkened.

What was Lan Pili implying?

This was a clear sign of disrespect to him.

He didn’t believe that if Cao Zhen’s mastery of the Calligraphy Dao was so high, his skill in the Painting Way could be equally high.

“Peak Master Cao, you claim to have said, ‘The Dao of Painting and Calligraphy last eternally like a lengthy night.’ Next, I would like to see for myself Peak Master Cao’s mastery of the Painting Way.”

“Very well, then, Elder Xue, please go ahead,” Cao Zhen put away his own rice paper and stepped back to the side.

Below the platform, Lan Pili proactively looked to the crowd and said, “Everyone, is there anyone else who wants to place a bet?

Same rules – however much you bet on Elder Xue, we of the Hundred Peaks Sect will match on Peak Master Cao.”

At his words, there was an unusually silent reaction from the crowd.

Continue betting?

They had just lost, to bet again and lose even more?

Traditionally, those proficient in one aspect of the calligraphy and painting arts tended not to be too bad at the other.

Of course, there are exceptions, and there are those who are only skilled in one aspect.

But with the people of the Hundred Peaks Sect being so confident, they really didn’t dare to bet casually.

“No one else is betting?

What’s the matter?

All scared?” Lan Pili provocatively stared towards the Divine Occurence Sect’s direction and asked, “Dao Companion Kou, adding stakes was your idea, aren’t you going to place a bet?”

Kou Shaoyuan, singled out, showed a look of hesitation and after a moment of silence spoke again, “I still favor Elder Xue; I’m betting one hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones that Elder Xue will win.”

He simply didn’t believe that Cao Zhen was also so adept in the Painting Way.

However, he dared not bet as many Spirit Stones as before.

Lan Pili looked down on him and curled his lip in disdain, “Only one hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones?

What, did losing five hundred thousand leave you broke?

Is everyone in the Divine Occurence Sect this poor?”

“You!” Kou Shaoyuan immediately became furious, his cold voice replied, “I just don’t want to win too much from the Hundred Peaks Sect and make things awkward for you when you return.”

Surrounded by so many people, he couldn’t admit that seeing Cao Zhen’s previous victory, he still had some misgivings in his heart and didn’t dare to bet too much.

“Win too much?” Lan Pili shook his head, “No worries, Dao Companion Kou, you don’t have to be concerned.

We’ve just won five million taels of Spirit Stones, we’re not afraid.

Bet as you wish, however much you want.”

Kou Shaoyuan, however, did not speak again.

The various other members of the Immortal Sects around hesitated as well.

They were genuinely afraid that Cao Zhen was also proficient in the Painting Way.

But some of the Immortal Sects, after some hesitation, still began to speak up.

“I bet one hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones that Elder Xue will win.”

“I bet fifty thousand taels of Spirit Stones, also on Elder Xue’s victory.”

“I bet…”

This time, there were clearly fewer people betting than before.

These people were probably skeptical that Cao Zhen could reach such heights in the Doctrine of Calligraphy and also possess equally profound skills in the Painting Way, or maybe because they lost earlier, they were eager to win back their losses so they placed bets.

However, in the end, the total amount of Spirit Stones wagered by everyone didn’t reach two million taels.

Above the platform, Elder Xue began his painting.

The time required for painting was naturally longer than that for writing.

Elder Xue took a whole two incense sticks of time to complete his painting.

Then, he watched as Chang Tiance, who had just come out of enlightenment, took the stage again, readying his pigments and brushes.

After the time it takes for one incense stick to burn.

Elder Xue looked at the painting on the desk before him, about to collapse.

What he had painted was the scene of the debate at hand, including all the people present.

And Cao Zhen, he actually painted the same debate scene, with all the people present, but Cao Zhen’s painting portrayed everyone with more vividness, each person with a different expression…

His painting was already of a high standard, but when compared to Cao Zhen’s, it seemed that his was far, far worse.

Cao Zhen was speechless too, why would you paint these people, when Zhao Ji’s strongest suit was various portraits…

Below the platform, face after face of those who hadn’t placed bets revealed expressions of ‘just as expected’.

They knew that someone skilled in the Dao of Calligraphy wouldn’t be bad at the Painting Way either.

And since people from the Hundred Peaks Sect were so confident, it was obvious that Cao Zhen was also adept in the Painting Way.

Those who dared to bet on Elder Xue to win, what were they thinking?

On the side of the Four Extremes Sect, the disciples had already fallen silent.

The name of their sect originated from the four grand arts, and now, three had been lost, all to a Mixed Clan Immortal Sect like Hundred Peaks.

What would people say when this spread out?

Both being one of the top ten Immortal Sects, while Hundred Peaks Sect was still a Mixed Clan, practicing all manners of arts, they could still best the Four Extremes Sect in the arts they were known for.

Would others think that the Four Extremes Sect did not live up to its name?

Elder Xue, looking down from the platform, started collecting the Spiritual Stone Tickets with a heart full of unwillingness.

He couldn’t believe that he couldn’t surpass Cao Zhen in calligraphy, painting, poetry, and not even in musical rhythm.

Calligraphy and painting have little to do with musical rhythm!

How old was Cao Zhen, how many years had he lived?

How many years had he lived?

He had spent his lifetime devoted to calligraphy, painting, poetry, and the ways of musical rhythm.

If he couldn’t outdo Cao Zhen in the first three, there was no way he could lose to him in musical rhythm!

Even if Cao Zhen spent his entire life doing nothing but mastering these four grand arts, he couldn’t possibly surpass him in every one!

Considering this and that, how could Cao Zhen possibly be just a Peak Master of the Hundredth Peak!

He addressed Cao Zhen, “Peak Master Cao’s painting is indeed formidable, but I also excel in the Musical Rhythm.

I wonder if Peak Master Cao dares to debate musical rhythm with me?”

Cao Zhen did not agree immediately.

Earlier when painting, he had agreed too eagerly, resulting in few betting on him, causing him to lose a considerable amount of money.

Now that he had won twice consecutively, if he agreed hastily again, those people weren’t fools; what if they all decided not to bet?

Wouldn’t he be at a great loss!

But how should he appear to agree half-heartedly?

His gaze drifted towards Lan Pili.

Lan Pili seemed to have realized the problem of too few bets just now and, without waiting for Cao Zhen to speak, irritably shouted, “Elder Xue, isn’t that a bit excessive?

Whatever you’re good at, you make Peak Master Cao debate with you on that subject.

This isn’t how you hold a debate.

Why don’t you see what Peak Master Cao is good at and challenge him to debate on that?”

Elder Xue’s face turned red instantly.

Lan Pili was right; that was not the proper way to debate.

But he had already lost three matches in a row.

If he didn’t win this one, where would he put his old face, where would the Four Extremes Sect put theirs?

That’s why he was so eager to suggest a debate on musical rhythm.

But as Lan Pili said, one cannot only debate the paths that he excels at; one must also debate what Cao Zhen is good at.

Before, because a disciple from Hundred Peaks Sect had proclaimed, “Heaven would have been eternally in darkness without the birth of Cao Zhen, for the way of calligraphy and painting,” Cao Zhen couldn’t refuse to debate him.

But now, no one from Hundred Peaks Sect had claimed, “Without Cao Zhen, the way of musical rhythm would be eternally in darkness.”

With a sigh, he asked, “Then what does Peak Master Cao excel in, and what would you have me debate with you?”

“I…

I don’t suppose I excel in anything special,” Cao Zhen said, showing a troubled expression on his face.

He wasn’t lying; he truly didn’t excel in anything special.

He was an all-rounder, after all!

From below the platform, Li Qinglei called out upon hearing this, “Since Peak Master Cao doesn’t excel at anything in particular, he has automatically given up the right to initiate a debate.

Therefore, the debate on musical rhythm should continue.”

With that, fearing Cao Zhen might find another excuse, he urgently goaded, “I’ll bet five hundred thousand taels of Spirit Stones on Elder Xue’s victory.

Of course, if you from Hundred Peaks Sect are scared, you can choose not to bet.”