Ghost Catching System

Actually, Chu Hao was over the moon, but he kept a poker face, maintaining his aloof demeanor. This bout of showboating is truly satisfying, he thought. Indeed, it’s the invisible pretensions that are most lethal.

Pang Zhengguang was also confused. Isn’t Chu Hao just a charlatan and a loser? he wondered. A year ago, he was just a young man struggling with meals. When did he become a master?

Mu Yuxun had stars in her eyes as she looked up to Chu Hao with admiration; she was well aware of his capabilities.

The young man in the Zhongshan suit laughed. ”So, it’s Chu Hao. I’ve long admired your name. It’s no disgrace for my nephew, Chen Lan, to have lost to you.”

Chen Lan turned his head, looking at the young man in the Zhongshan suit with shock. Unable to hold back, Chen Lan asked, ”Uncle Master, who exactly is he?”

The jewelers also looked toward the young man in the Zhongshan suit. His background was clearly extraordinary; he was Chen Lan’s Uncle Master, and they were eager to hear what he had to say.

Stepping forward, the young man in the Zhongshan suit gave a clasped fist salute. ”I am Su Huansheng from Zhongnan Mountain. I too have an interest in stone gambling and would like to have a wager with this young friend.”

Zhongnan Mountain. The name conjured images of another famous Taoist mountain, rumored to be the hiding place of Laozi.

Chen Lan had no idea what the young man’s name was. He had only been told to host this Uncle Master, and now, hearing the name, he was stunned.

Taoist Bei Sheng was also shocked. ”Su Huansheng... you’re Su Huansheng?”

However, Su Huansheng simply looked at him with a smile. Realizing his lapse in composure, Taoist Bei Sheng quickly added, ”I am honored to meet you, Senior Su.”

Su Huansheng is a household name! If I could win against him and Chu Hao in stone gambling, my fame in the Yin and Yang Realm would grow even larger! Bei Sheng thought excitedly.

Why is someone else joining in? Chu Hao was puzzled. A name like Su Huansheng carries an inherent prestige. Is this man stealing the spotlight? Who exactly is Su Huansheng?

Nonetheless, Chu Hao could feel that Su Huansheng had a steady aura, seemingly like an ordinary person. He had not paid much attention to him before, but now, looking at him, this person was clearly extraordinary. Is it because he hid his aura, making him imperceptible to others? If that’s the case, then this man is definitely a master. Being able to blend into the crowd as if he were just another ordinary person—how could such a man not be a master?

Su Huansheng gave a faint smile, his voice light. ”It’s been too long since I last ventured out. I didn’t expect anyone to still recognize me.”

Chen Lan was so excited he almost knelt, but an unseen force supported him, holding him upright. Could this be a master from the Yin and Yang Realm? he wondered.

Chu Hao smiled. ”So, you all wish to challenge me?”

Su Huansheng was blunt. ”Yes.”

Taoist Bei Sheng clasped his hands. ”Master Chu, Senior Su, I am not particularly skilled, but I would like to test my abilities against the two of you in stone gambling.”

Chen Lan, furious, declared, ”Xu Sheng, your wager is with me!”

Taoist Bei Sheng shook his head, smiling without a word.

Su Huansheng chuckled. ”How about this? The four of us gamble together? I don’t have anything better to do right now.”

All four of them gambling together?

Bei Sheng didn’t care; as long as he could gamble with Chu Hao and Su Huansheng, he was fine. He didn’t even consider Chen Lan a threat and quickly said, ”If Senior Su suggests it, I think it’s a great idea.”

Everyone looked at Chu Hao.

Chu Hao smiled faintly. ”Since we are to gamble, there must be stakes involved.”

Su Huansheng smiled. With a flourish, as if performing a magic trick, an item appeared in his hand. ”This is the Three Souls Stone, a specialty of Zhongnan Mountain. Would it suffice as a stake?”

Taoist Bei Sheng was visibly excited, and the Taoist priests around him were equally thrilled.

Chu Hao frowned. ”Let me take a look.”

Su Huansheng tossed it over. Chu Hao caught the stone; it was similar in shape to a pebble, about the size of a ping-pong ball.

The System alerted: ”Three Souls Stone, exchangeable for 10,000 Pretentiousness Points. Do you wish to exchange?”

This thing is worth 10,000 Pretentiousness Points; it’s quite a rare item indeed, Chu Hao noted. He then returned it.

At this moment, Taoist Bei Sheng began to feel troubled. His opponent’s stake was too high; he had actually produced a Three Souls Stone—an extraordinarily rare item. Legend had it that the Three Souls Stone from Zhongnan Mountain could split a person’s soul into three parts. Essentially, it meant that with a Three Souls Stone, a person could have three lives. Just imagine what that entailed!

I’m just an inner-sect Taoist priest from Qingcheng Mountain, Bei Sheng thought bitterly. How could I possibly produce such a treasure?

However, someone behind Taoist Bei Sheng spoke, ”To actually bring out a Three Souls Stone... Bei Sheng, how confident are you of winning?” It was a Taoist priest, around sixty years old, with white eyebrows and hair, exuding an immortal-like aura.

Bei Sheng said, ”Uncle Master, Disciple is eighty percent confident.”

The old Taoist priest nodded. ”Good. Take this and bet with it.” He took out an item—a small sword inscribed with runes. Taoist Bei Sheng’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, ”Qingcheng Sword!”

The Qingcheng Sword, a special product of Qingcheng Mountain, was immensely powerful and engraved with Taoist Sword Arrays.

Su Huansheng laughed upon seeing the Qingcheng Sword. ”The Qingcheng Sword? Playing for such high stakes, are we?”

The old Taoist priest chuckled. ”Senior Su has brought out a Three Souls Stone. If we from Qingcheng Mountain don’t put up something comparable, wouldn’t Qingcheng Mountain lose face?”

The onlookers wore strange expressions. The old Taoist priest is over sixty years old, and yet he called Su Huansheng ’Senior’? they thought, bewildered. What is this all about? Is this some kind of TV drama?

Chen Lan felt a surge of bitterness; he had no magical treasures to offer. Su Huansheng laughed. ”Then just use all your assets.”

Chen Lan took a deep breath. ”Yes.”

The crowd erupted. Master Chen Lan agreed without hesitation! That’s 50 billion RMB! Are these two items really worth 50 billion? However, no one dared to speak out; the stakes of this gamble were simply too high. Some people had even started calling their friends to come witness this monumental gamble.

Now, it was Chu Hao’s turn. What would he bring out?

Su Huansheng smiled. ”Young friend, we’ve all put our wagers forward. What about yours?”

Chu Hao smiled faintly, waved his hand, and a brush appeared. It was seventy centimeters long with pure white bristles and looked quite ordinary. ”The True Word Brush,” he announced, then touched his chin. ”Sorry, wrong one.”

Everyone wiped away cold sweat. Is he trying to scare us to death?

As he spoke, Chu Hao waved his hand again, and a jade seal appeared.

”Holy shit! The Emperor’s Yellow Seal!” Even the sixty-year-old Taoist priest couldn’t help but swear.

Tina’s eyes sparkled upon seeing the Emperor’s Yellow Seal. How does Chu Hao have the Emperor’s Yellow Seal on him? she wondered. Where did he even get it from?

Su Huansheng’s mouth twitched. ”Young friend, are you sure you want to bet with it?”

Everyone looked on with wild anticipation as Chu Hao shook his head. ”No worries. I just wanted to see your expressions; it proves you all deeply desire it.”

”DING... Host has successfully shown off, awarding 2,000 Pretentious Points.”

Damn it! Don’t you know this can give someone a heart attack? the crowd thought. This jerk!