Chapter 52: The Fish-Gatherer Is Not Picky

The four Mo brothers, who had always shared weal and woe, stared blankly at Ye Jiuyao’s actions, their faces full of confusion, yet none dared to ask a single question.

“All right,” Ye Jiuyao said at last.

The four brothers’ gazes fell upon him, looking every bit the obedient children.

“Aren’t you curious?” he asked.

“Don’t you want to know?”

“Yes, yes, yes...” The four nodded furiously, and seeing this, Ye Jiuyao smiled, nodding in satisfaction.

“Very well, then I shall...”

His words instantly piqued their curiosity. The four of them looked as if they were eagerly awaiting an answer, like a group of model students finally about to have a perplexing question explained by the teacher.

Such was the state of the Mo brothers now, perhaps even more desperate to know than any model student, their eyes brimming with anticipation.

“I’m not telling you,” Ye Jiuyao suddenly declared with a laugh, just as his solemn demeanor had made it seem as though he was about to announce something important. The next moment, the four brothers were left wishing the earth would swallow them whole.

No one should be toyed with like this.

He said he’d see them fed and watered, unlike others who would be left hungry and thirsty. But now, was he planning to abandon them?

Bitterness filled the faces of the Mo brothers, but none dared complain. Fixing their eyes on Ye Jiuyao’s next movements, they watched him intently as if trying to uncover the reason for his actions.

But disappointment was inevitable.

Ye Jiuyao made no attempt to hide what he was doing. After placing down the tokens, he quickly set up a sign, then sat beneath the tree.

“Tokens for sale, highest bidder wins?” the Mo brothers echoed in unison, their voices full of doubt.

“Exactly as it says,” Ye Jiuyao replied, noticing their intelligence was on vacation and couldn’t help but remind them, yet this only deepened their confusion.

Exactly as it says? If not for all the recent despair, perhaps they’d have believed it.

Ever since meeting Ye Jiuyao, the Mo brothers’ worldview had changed. They would sooner believe in ghosts than trust a word out of his mouth.

While Ye Jiuyao and the Mo brothers rested and prepared to cast their net and fish for tokens, the trials within the light screen grew ever more intense.

The sounds of battle erupted ceaselessly. The deeper into the mountains, the fiercer the fighting became, especially among the more powerful cultivators whose battles shook the very earth.

Naturally, the tokens deep within the mountains were more plentiful, but also far more dangerous. The logic was simple: the greater the risk, the greater the reward.

Outside, Jian Yunzi glanced at the sky, suddenly stood, and performed a hand seal.

“Half an hour left. When time’s up, exit through the entrance. The top three thousand advance to the next round,” Jian Yunzi’s voice suddenly rang out like the summons of a death god. Inside the trial, panic flashed across many faces.

Those of weaker cultivation had all but abandoned hope, a meager one or two tokens dangling from their belts, despair gnawing at their hearts.

Those of greater strength, on the other hand, were utterly untroubled. Their belts were heavy with hundreds of tokens, some even tying strings around their waists to hang yet more tokens—an act bordering on madness.

Each time Jian Ming and Lin Yibai met, a battle would erupt. Jian Ming always triumphed, yet Lin Yibai never gave up, growing braver with each defeat.

Su Wuquan and Cao Youshi suddenly joined forces, sweeping across half the trial grounds. Their tokens now piled up, not hung with string but measured by the sack—three sacks in total.

“When we find that bastard, we must smash his face in. If we can’t beat him, we’ll humiliate him and show him our strength.” It was Cao Youshi who spoke, her jade hand clenched tight, burning with fury, her eyes ablaze with fighting spirit.

Never before in her life had she suffered such humiliation.

This was a grudge she was determined to repay.

Meanwhile, Ye Jiuyao remained blissfully unaware that he’d caught the attention of a vengeful woman. He lounged comfortably beneath the tree, legs crossed, dozing contentedly.

The Mo brothers, honest and loyal, continued to puzzle over the four characters Ye Jiuyao had written, turning them over and over in their minds, yet finding no answer.

“Master Yao, time’s nearly up. If we don’t go collect some tokens, I’m afraid we won’t even make the top three thousand...”

“Don’t worry. It’s no big deal. Just remember, if we can’t make it, others will have an even harder time. Besides, soon enough, people will be bringing tokens straight to us.”

The Mo brothers were full of disbelief. Why would anyone hand over hard-won tokens to you? Unless they’d lost their minds.

And now, with this ‘highest bidder wins’ scheme, what if someone actually offers money? Would you renege? No—more likely, you definitely would.

They suddenly felt that, knowing Ye Jiuyao’s temperament, there was nothing he wouldn’t do, so they all fell silent in tacit agreement.

Soon, people began to gather at the entrance. Ye Jiuyao didn’t even open his eyes, sleeping just where he was.

“Isn’t that Ye Jiuyao? The one who killed Ye Qi? Why is he selling tokens? Has he realized he can’t survive, so he’s trying to make a quick profit during the Three Sects’ election, then hide away in the Xuantian Restaurant for good?”

Once the speculation began, it spread like wildfire. More and more people arrived, and Ye Jiuyao’s hundreds of tokens were simply too conspicuous.

Those who arrived early either already had enough tokens or had failed to collect any. The latter group began to stir, preparing to compete for Ye Jiuyao’s tokens.

“Um... Are the tokens for sale?” someone finally ventured to ask. But Ye Jiuyao’s snoring only grew louder, clearly uninterested in their nonsense. The Mo brothers could only look on in bafflement, unable to fathom his plan.

“Hey, kid, give me your tokens. I want to take first place!”

A burly figure stepped forward. The Mo brothers looked up, and at the sight of the newcomer they instinctively took several steps back.

“Xing Juexing?!”

The Mo brothers spoke in shock, their lips trembling, evidently terrified of this formidable youth.

“A big fish has arrived. Cast the net wide, gather as much as you can, take everything that comes. Since everyone is here, I’ll gladly accept all your tokens!” Ye Jiuyao suddenly sprang up, his drowsy eyes snapping open as a thunderous force exploded outward, sending shockwaves through the crowd.

His aura erupted, filling the sky. A great demon seemed to tower over everyone’s heads, the oppressive force making it hard to breathe. Only Xing Juexing’s eyes burned with wild fighting spirit.

“A worthy opponent!” Xing Juexing roared, his fist like a boulder as he charged forward, his punch thundering through the air.

Ye Jiuyao stepped forward, his right hand forming a fist as he met the blow head-on, the force of ten thousand horses behind him.

Boom!

Ye Jiuyao staggered back two steps, while Xing Juexing was sent flying, gouging two deep furrows in the ground. The onlookers quickly scattered.

Crash!

Xing Juexing crashed into the mountainside, the impact echoing like thunder. The crowd rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

“Are you going to gather the spoils or wait for me to kill them all?” Ye Jiuyao suddenly shouted at the Mo brothers, startling them into action. Their faces twisted into fierce expressions.

Watching them, many realized the Mo brothers were born to be lackeys. But seeing Ye Jiuyao’s overwhelming presence, everyone’s hearts quailed, and they had no choice but to toss their tokens beneath the “highest bidder wins” sign.