Ghost Catching System

Among them, a middle-aged Taoist with a spirited gaze smiled slightly and said, ”I have long heard of Master Chu’s formidable reputation. Seeing you today, you are indeed impressive.”

Master Chu? The jewelers were taken aback, wondering who on earth this young man was.

Chu Hao looked at the middle-aged Taoist. He was dressed in black Daoist robes, his hair tied up, with well-defined facial features, exuding an aura of being free from worldly concerns.

Chu Hao said indifferently, ”Are you also looking to meddle in other people’s business?”

The middle-aged Taoist stepped forward, his pace slow. He carried a distinct aura, a presence that instinctively made people clear a path as he moved to the front.

The middle-aged Taoist shook his head, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes, and said, ”I am Taoist Bei Sheng from Qingcheng Mountain.”

Qingcheng Mountain? It was one of the four famous Taoist mountains of Huaxia Country. Taoism was widespread in Huaxia, with its traditions established on all the famous mountains, where followers worshipped various Heavenly Venerables and Taoist Masters. The renown of Qingcheng Mountain was by no means weaker than that of Longhu Mountain or Mao Mountain, perhaps even stronger, because the Taoism of Qingcheng Mountain excelled in offense.

Chu Hao said coolly, ”I’ve never heard of it.”

Taoist Bei Sheng smiled faintly. ”Master Chu’s reputation is indeed illustrious, so naturally, you would not have heard of me. But none of that is important. I, too, gamble on stones, and I wonder if I might challenge Master Chu to a contest? Or perhaps, does Master Chu dare to take on a challenge from me?”

The room fell silent. Is this a challenge?

Moreover, what exactly was Chu Hao’s background? The common folk were completely baffled.

Taoist Bei Sheng might not have been as famous as Chu Hao. However, Chu Hao was now regarded as quite formidable in the eyes of Taoism, especially after his pursuit of the Three Great Ghost Demon Kings, which had shocked the Yin and Yang Realm.

Taoist Bei Sheng was not seeking his own death by challenging Chu Hao to a contest of Yin-Yang Techniques. Seeing that Chu Hao also gambled on stones, he suddenly became interested. If he were to defeat Chu Hao in stone gambling, wouldn’t he gain some reputation in the Yin and Yang Realm?

Indeed, Taoist Bei Sheng had descended from the mountain seeking fame. Since he had encountered Chu Hao here, it seemed a fine choice. In plain language, he was using Chu Hao as a stepping stone to elevate his own renown.

The atmosphere grew exceptionally eerie. This was no longer a confrontation with ordinary people, but with someone from the Yin and Yang Realm.

Chu Hao spoke coldly, ”On what grounds do you challenge me? What makes you qualified to bet against me?”

Taoist Bei Sheng smiled. ”In terms of gambling on stones, I do have some expertise. Twenty years ago, people in the stone gambling circles called me the ’Gambling God.’ However, having left the secular world for twenty years, I wonder if anyone still remembers me.”

Twenty years ago, the Gambling God of the gemstone gambling world?

Master Chen had frowned upon seeing Taoist Bei Sheng, but after the latter spoke, he suddenly realized something, his face showing shock. ”You, you’re the Gambling God Xu Sheng?”

Many were confused. Twenty years ago, some of them had barely begun dabbling in gemstone gambling and had never heard of a Gambling God named Bei Sheng. However, seeing the shock on Master Chen’s face, they became incredibly curious about who this person could be.

An older jeweler named Zhu Baoshan, looking to be in his sixties, was equally astounded. ”Xu Sheng! The Gambling God who dominated the gemstone gambling world twenty years ago! He once gambled with others and won a hundred battles. Then, for some reason, he disappeared. He actually became a Taoist priest?”

A businessman exclaimed, ”Then who is more formidable, him or Master Chen?”

The older businessman said, ”Of course, it’s the Gambling God Xu Sheng. You might not be aware, but at the peak of Xu Sheng’s career, he won every single bet. There was basically no instance where a stone he opened did not contain jade.”

”No way? Is it that exaggerated?” Some were amazed and somewhat disbelieving.

The older businessman sneered, ”Back then, you were all just greenhorns. How could you understand Xu Sheng’s prowess? Master Chen is formidable, but he lost to Xu Sheng—and it was a defeat he fully acknowledged.”

Someone asked skeptically, ”Twenty years ago! Looking at Xu Sheng, he appears to be in his forties. Did he really dominate the gemstone gambling world when he was only twenty?”

At this, the older merchant frowned. ”You’re right! Twenty years have passed, and Xu Sheng still looks like he’s in his forties. He already looked middle-aged back then!”

...

Master Chen was quite agitated, his face extremely expressive as he looked at Xu Sheng. Master Chen had once lost to Xu Sheng. Now, twenty years later, Xu Sheng had reappeared and actually wanted to gamble with this young man!

Unable to contain himself any longer, Master Chen said, ”Xu Sheng, it’s been twenty years since we last met. I want to gamble with you again!”

The crowd burst into a commotion. Were the Gambling Saint and Gambling God of the stone gambling world about to clash once more? This would be a spectacle to behold!

However, Taoist Bei Sheng looked at Master Chen and smiled, saying, ”Chen Lan, I am now known as Taoist Bei Sheng. Besides, I don’t want to gamble with you; you can’t beat me.”

Chen Lan’s face turned incredibly unsightly. Deeply agitated, he roared, ”Xu Sheng, are you looking down on me? This time I’ll gamble all my wealth against you! My companies these years are worth no less than five billion. Do you dare to take the bet?”

Five billion! My goodness! The crowd held their breath. Had Master Chen Lan gone mad, wanting to gamble his entire net worth against Xu Sheng? Five billion... what an astronomical sum! That was money one couldn’t spend in several lifetimes.

Taoist Bei Sheng remained utterly unruffled.

Chen Lan grew desperate. ”Not enough? I’ve had quite a few students over the years. With just a word from me, they could raise more money. Another billion won’t be a problem! Do you dare to gamble with me?”

Six billion! The entire crowd was thunderstruck. What a terrifying figure! This was money that most people could never earn in their entire lifetime. Forget ordinary people; even the jewelers present couldn’t make that much!

Taoist Bei Sheng was slightly moved as well. They had come this time to buy the Emperor’s Love and needed money. If he won the bet against Chen Lan this time, the Emperor’s Love would certainly be in their grasp.

Yet, Taoist Bei Sheng’s target was Chu Hao. He shook his head. ”Chen Lan, you’re still the same after all these years. I told you, you can’t beat me.”

Chen Lan was furious. Pointing at Chu Hao, he demanded, ”Then why would you gamble with him? Who on earth is he?”

Taoist Bei Sheng smiled, glanced at Chu Hao, then said to Chen Lan, ”To think you consider yourself somewhat connected to the Yin and Yang Realm, yet you don’t even know him? He is Chu Hao, Master Chu.”

Taoist Bei Sheng added, ”Though you lost to him, it’s not too embarrassing.”

DING! Host’s subtle act of pretentiousness, the deadliest kind, earned a critical 4,000 Pretentiousness Points.

The crowd was in an uproar. According to Xu Sheng’s words, Chen Lan losing to Chu Hao wasn’t something to be ashamed of, but rather to be expected?

But damn it, he didn’t explain who Chu Hao really was, just that he was a master! What kind of master?!

For a moment, everyone’s curiosity exploded, their gazes burning as they looked at Chu Hao.

”Master Chu!”

Chen Lan frowned. He had not been in touch with anyone from the Yin and Yang Realm for a long time; he truly did not know. It was true that Chu Hao had appeared on the news and television a few times, but the photos were blurry, and the official news had not revealed his name.

Who on earth is this young man?!

”Damn! I want to know too.”

”I—I’m so confused now. Who exactly is Chu Hao? Can someone tell me?” A jeweler’s curiosity had practically exploded.