Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in Cliché Cultivation World

1.48 Gambling~

“Gambling?” Sun Jing blinked. “You mean spirit ores?”

"Yes." Ning nodded, then he turned to Xiao Fan, "How about it?"

When one talks about gambling in this world, most of the time it was about gambling on spirit ores.

Xiao Fan also stopped walking.

“Spirit… ores?” He frowned slightly. “What are those?”

Sun Jing nearly stumbled.

“You don’t know?” he blurted out. “These things exist in almost every major city. I thought someone from the Xiao Clan would frequent these pavilions. Young masters like us usually come here all the time.”

Ning watched Sun Jing’s shocked reaction. In truth, he was surprised as well, but he quickly recognized it as yet another cliché.

Xianxia protagonists were usually like this, clueless as hell, lacking even the most basic common knowledge. More often than not, it wasn’t ignorance at all, but a convenient excuse for exposition and explanations to unfold.

“It’s not that I haven’t heard of them before,” Xiao Fan said quietly, a hint of reminiscence in his voice. “But back then, I was simply focused on other things.”

His thoughts drifted back to his time in the Xiao Clan. The first few years had been peaceful, even happy, while his parents were still around. But after they vanished, everything changed.

From that point on, his attention had been consumed by two things alone: repairing his damaged meridians and searching for any clues to his parents’ disappearance. Compared to that, matters such as spirit ores had never seemed worth his time.

Seeing the sudden sadness flicker across Xiao Fan’s expression, Sun Jing recalled the rumors he’d once heard, the disappearance of the Xiao Clan’s heir, who should have been Xiao Fan’s father.

Realizing he might have stirred up painful memories, Sun Jing quickly decided to change the subject and began explaining instead.

Spirit ores were things of infinite possibility.

This world had existed for an immeasurable length of time, and in that vast span, countless treasures had been lost to history, buried beneath earth and dust, forgotten by all living beings.

Those lost treasures came from many sources.

Some belonged to cultivators who died in places no one ever found. A few of them had the foresight, or leisure, to establish inheritance sites, waiting for a destined successor to claim their legacy. Others were less fortunate, dying abruptly or without preparation, leaving everything behind with only heaven and earth as witnesses.

There were also the ruins of ancient sects. No sect, no matter how glorious, could escape the erosion of time. When such sects collapsed, they often left behind techniques, artifacts, and wealth. 

There were even divine beasts that delighted in hoarding treasures, hiding themselves away in isolated corners of the world. When such beings died unnoticed, their vast collections vanished with them, swallowed by the land.

Xiao Fan listened quietly, arms crossed.

“And you’re telling me,” he said slowly, “none of that simply rots away?”

“Not exactly,” Ning replied this time. “Those things are somehow petrified, sealed into stone-like shells. Those shells are what we call spirit ores.”

What Ning didn’t say was that he’d also read theories suggesting this was the world’s way of preserving its own heritage. If that was true, then did something like a Will of Heaven really exist?

That was a question Ning didn’t have an answer to.

With a protagonist standing right beside him, concepts like fate and destiny suddenly felt far less abstract. Thinking back to how he’d obtained a recoverable spirit stone from Xiao Fan, and how trouble had immediately followed, trouble that should have fallen on Xiao Fan instead, Ning couldn’t help but wonder.

Maybe the Will of Heaven and fate truly did exist.

While Ning was lost in such deep, existential thoughts, Sun Jing nodded enthusiastically and continued, “They usually form in places with dense spiritual energy, especially spirit stone mines. The higher the grade of the mine, the greater the chance spirit ores will appear, and the better the odds that something valuable is hidden inside.”

Xiao Fan let out a short laugh. “So the world hoards its own junk and sells it back to cultivators.”

“…When you put it that way,” Sun Jing hesitated, then admitted, “yes.”

“I see. Then where are we going?” Xiao Fan asked.

Ning also looked at Sun Jing with curiosity. After all, this was his first time in the inner city as well.

“You’ve asked the right person.” Sun Jing patted his chest confidently. “Just follow me.”

Wherever profit could be made, various interest groups and businesses would inevitably spring up.

The Treasure Abundant Pavilion was one such group, specializing in collecting spirit ores and selling them.

Sun Jing said brightly. “If I remember correctly, a new batch of goods should’ve arrived by now.” Then he went to talk about his various gains in this place.

Shattering a spirit ore did not guarantee a reward.

Some spirit ores radiated dense spiritual energy, yet contained nothing more than fragments of ordinary spirit stones. Others were worse, releasing dangerous energies or sealed entities.

There were stories of cultivators who shattered a spirit ore only to be afflicted by an unknown curse. Others had unleashed ferocious magical beasts that attacked the moment they emerged.

High rewards came with equally high risks.

On the other hand, some spirit ores looked completely unremarkable, dull and lifeless on the outside, yet revealed ordinary artifacts, or even spirit artifacts, once broken open.

Those were worth a fortune.

Sun Jing explained these, not forgetting to add, "But I am an old hand at this. In these recent years, I have never really lost too much."

Ning quietly tuned out the bragging.

Sun Jing might be rich and born a young master, but he wasn’t arrogant in the slightest. If anything, he was a chatterbox, completely different from the cold, aloof young masters that seemed to be all the rage these days.

“So?” Ning turned to Xiao Fan, who had been silent the whole time. “What do you think?”

“Sure.” Xiao Fan nodded calmly. Aside from Fatty Hao, few people ever invited him out like this. He didn’t mind joining them, especially since he was already familiar with both Ning and Sun Jing.

“Then it’s settled.” Ning gestured for Sun Jing to lead the way.

Running into Xiao Fan so soon had been a surprise, especially now that Ning had personally witnessed the strange trouble-attracting aura surrounding him.

Still, Ning quickly adjusted his mindset.

At this point, all he could do was adapt and let things take their course. Worrying endlessly would achieve nothing. Just like in those transmigrator novels, no matter how hard the protagonist tried to avoid the plot, they always ended up tangled in it anyway.

Since escape was pointless, he might as well go with the flow… and squeeze out whatever benefits he could along the way.

With things like inner demons existing in this world, Ning was becoming increasingly adept at adjusting his mindset, setting aside excessive negativity before it could take root.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the spirit ore shop, accompanied by Sun Jing’s nonstop chatter.

“This is it, the Treasure Abundant Pavilion!”

Unfortunately, despite it being early morning, the place was already packed. A sea of heads filled their vision, bodies pressed tightly together.

“Let’s move forward!” Sun Jing said eagerly.

“Eh? But there are so many people.” Ning hesitated. “Don’t we need to line up?”

“Relax,” Sun Jing waved it off. “Most of them are just here to watch the excitement.”

If there was one thing cultivators were famous for, it was their love of spectacle. At the slightest hint of drama or action, they would swarm over without hesitation.

Ning wasn’t surprised. He followed Sun Jing deeper into the crowd.

“Damn it, what shitty luck! I shattered ten Iron Grade spirit ores and only one had anything inside, and it was just a lump of low-grade spirit stone!”

“You’re still luckier than that guy over there. He cracked five Silver Grade ores and got nothing but a torn shoe sole.”

“Hey, did you hear? Someone earlier shattered a Gold Grade ore, but it turned out to be a Hellfire Ant nest. He’s being treated by a spiritual doctor right now.”

“…I guess I was luckier.”

Ning paused and silently offered a moment of prayer for that unfortunate soul.

“?” Sun Jing glanced back at him, puzzled.

As the noise of the crowd grew louder and more chaotic, the three finally reached the front of the pavilion.

Before them lay countless stones of every shape and size, some no larger than a fist, others as big as a human head, and a few massive ones that towered over an adult.

Staring at these rocks, which looked no different from ordinary stones, Xiao Fan couldn’t help asking, “Those… are spirit ores?”

“That’s right,” Sun Jing replied without hesitation.

“Really?” Xiao Fan frowned. “They just look like normal rocks. Mm, no, I do feel spiritual energy fluctuations, but they’re very faint…”

As he focused, he sensed something else as well, a subtle, mysterious power lurking within.

Sun Jing smiled. “Don’t just look at their shape. Look at the patterns on the surface. That’s what distinguishes them from ordinary stones.”

Ning also leaned closer, trying to match what he had read about in books.

Sure enough, each spirit ore bore unique, intricate markings. None were the same.

“The more complex the pattern,” Sun Jing continued, “the higher the grade of the spirit ore.”

Spirit ores were divided into several grades: Iron, Copper, Silver, and Gold.

The Treasure Abundant Pavilion priced them accordingly.

Iron Grade spirit ores were the lowest quality, priced at twenty spirit stones.

Copper Grade went for fifty.

Silver Grade costs two hundred.

Gold Grade was the highest. Even if it didn’t contain anything truly priceless, it was guaranteed not to leave the buyer empty-handed.

Because of that, each Gold Grade spirit ore was priced at a full five hundred spirit stones.

The quality and prices varied, but as long as customers felt the cost was acceptable, they could purchase a spirit ore and shatter it open using a special tool.

Just as Sun Jing finished explaining this to Ning and Xiao Fan, a man approached them.

Judging by his attire, he was none other than the shopkeeper.

“Well, if it isn’t Young Master Sun,” Shopkeeper Feng said with a flattering smile. “It’s been a while. Are you here to try shattering some spirit ores again?”

Ning subconsciously glanced at the young man beside him as Sun Jing stepped forward.

“It has indeed been a while, Shopkeeper Feng. I’ll be picking a few spirit ores today as usual.”

“Well then, Young Master Sun,” Shopkeeper Feng replied warmly, “you’ve been our customer for many years. This time, we’ve reserved a fine spirit ore for you. While we can’t guarantee a priceless treasure, we can at least ensure you won’t suffer a loss.”

The two of them chatted enthusiastically, as if they had known each other for years.

Even Ning couldn’t help raising an eyebrow in surprise. Earlier, he’d assumed Sun Jing’s talk about being familiar with spirit ore gambling was just empty exaggeration, but judging by this scene, Sun Jing was genuinely well-acquainted with the trade.

As expected of someone who had lived in the inner city before entering the sect.

“Haha,” Sun Jing laughed. “Then I’ll have to thank you, Shopkeeper Feng. Don’t worry, I’ll play my part well, just like before.”

“That’s a relief.” Shopkeeper Feng nodded. “Without further ado, let’s head inside. Please follow me, Young Master Sun.”

He personally escorted Sun Jing inward.

As they walked, Sun Jing noticed Shopkeeper Feng’s slightly sour expression and couldn’t help asking, “What’s wrong, Shopkeeper Feng? You don’t look too well.”

Shopkeeper Feng sighed. “Business hasn’t been good today. You must’ve heard the crowd outside, nothing but complaints, hardly any cheers.”

He shook his head. “None of them managed to obtain anything worthwhile after shattering spirit ores. Naturally, their reactions turned sour, which in turn discouraged other potential buyers. Now they’re just watching instead of spending.”

“But,” he added, his tone lifting, “now that Young Master Sun has arrived, we can certainly turn things around! Please follow me, I have something prepared especially for you.”

As he spoke, his chubby cheeks flushed faintly with excitement.

Sun Jing shook his head modestly. “Shopkeeper Feng, you place too much expectation on me. Still, since the pavilion has prepared so thoroughly, I’ll do my best not to disappoint.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master Sun. Everything is ready…”

The two continued talking and laughing as they headed deeper into the Treasure Abundant Pavilion.

Ning glanced at Xiao Fan, who seemed slightly distracted, his gaze lingering on the spirit ores.

Ning nudged him lightly with his elbow.

“Did you notice something?” Ning asked.

“No,” Xiao Fan shook his head. “Just… a feeling.”

Ning narrowed his eyes.

A feeling? Damn it, Xiao Fan was probably about to hit something good.

Cultivators who interacted closely with heaven and earth were prone to such sudden impulses. Most of the time, they meant nothing. But Ning knew better. When that feeling came from the protagonist, it usually wasn’t without reason.

Oh well. There was nothing he could do. Xiao Fan himself didn’t even know which stone he was sensing; the ores were all piled together.

As Ning was about to follow the trio, a sudden exclamation from the crowd caught his attention.

“Oh! This is an egg of a Red Whisker Cat! Even though its limit is usually only early stage, this is still better than getting nothing!”

“Yes,” a man holding a crimson egg nodded proudly.

Ning froze for a moment.

A cat… laying eggs?

Even after living in this world for some time, there were moments when its absurdity still surprised him.

As expected, this world is completely unscientific, Ning thought, before quickly following after the others.

He soon reached a closed room, the same one he’d seen the three enter earlier.

Without much thought, Ning pushed the door open.

And stopped.

He’d only been gone for a minute or two.

So, can someone tell him why Shopkeeper Feng is holding a sword against Xiao Fan?

...

A minute earlier…

Shopkeeper Feng took out a spirit ore and presented it to Sun Jing.
“Young Master Sun, this is the spirit ore we prepared for you. Though it’s only Iron Grade, we mixed something special into it. As for what exactly it contains, I don’t know; my manager handled it. But he assured me there’s something equivalent to a Normal Artifact inside. See? I told you, you wouldn’t suffer a loss.”

“Haha, I trust your words, Shopkeeper Feng,” Sun Jing replied. “So what should I do next?”

“Come now, Young Master Sun,” Shopkeeper Feng said with a sigh. “We’ve done this for years. Surely you haven’t forgotten.”

“Haha… of course I remember. I just get nervous every time.”

“Aiya~” Shopkeeper Feng shook his head helplessly. “Very well, I’ll explain again.”

“I’ll mix this spirit ore among the other Iron Grade ores. You’ll pretend to buy several and make sure this one is included. When you shatter it, put on an excited act, shout, make a scene. Draw everyone’s attention.”

“Let them see you obtain a treasure from an Iron Grade spirit ore. Once their confidence returns, they’ll dare to spend again. Even if they only buy Iron Grade ores, we’ll still make a hefty profit.”

“I understand,” Sun Jing nodded seriously. “I won’t forget.”

“Good. Remember the shape and pattern carefully so you don’t pick the wrong one later.”

“That’s easy…”

Xiao Fan, who had been silently listening from the side, felt his scalp tingle.

He really wasn’t supposed to hear this.

Was it still possible to quietly leave?

For someone who got dragged into trouble almost every other day, his instincts screamed danger. Even shattering spirit ores had somehow landed him in something shady.

What shocked him most, however, was Sun Jing.

The cheerful, seemingly naïve Sun Jing… was actually working with the shopkeeper to deceive customers?

With his personality, how could he be so bold?

It had to be this fat shopkeeper’s doing. He must have persuaded Sun Jing into this underhanded scheme.

Alas, don't tell him his new friend is going to walk the path of corruption.

No. Since he was already here with him, Xiao Fan had to warn him; he couldn’t let Sun Jing stray any further.

With that thought, Xiao Fan’s eyes blazed with determination.

Most people thought of Xiao Fan as hot-headed or sharp-tongued, but that didn’t change the fact that he was responsible. Otherwise, he would have long since stopped taking missions that always came with unexpected complications. Once he decided something was wrong, he would see it through to the end.

“Sun Jing. Shopkeeper Feng,” Xiao Fan said firmly, “isn’t this cheating the customers?”

Shopkeeper Feng snapped back without even turning around.
“What nonsense are you spouting? This isn’t cheating, this is strategiz!”

He cut himself off mid-sentence.

Turning around, Shopkeeper Feng froze, his face draining of color.

“Who are you?!” he exclaimed in horror. “How did you get in here?!”

“…” Xiao Fan.
“…” Sun Jing.

The hell? You only noticed now?

Sun Jing coughed awkwardly. “Shopkeeper Feng, this is my good brother Xiao Fan. He’s been follow, no, we let him follow us from the start.”

Shopkeeper Feng continued staring at him in disbelief.

Impossible.

How could he have let a third person witness their dirty business?

What if this got out? If word spread among the customers, his shop would be deserted overnight. The losses would be catastrophic; his manager might even fire him from this branch.

No.

The thought of being kicked out and reduced to selling fake pills on the streets made Shopkeeper Feng’s face turn ghastly pale.

Such a bleak future… he didn’t want that!

What should he do with this young man?

Silence him?

But the man was only mid-stage, yet he was a disciple of the Pure Qi Sect, the most influential force in the city.

If he made him disappear, the consequences would be unimaginable, wait, Young Master Sun was here too…

What should he do?

As his thoughts spiraled wildly, Shopkeeper Feng’s eyes darted around. Then, in a sudden burst of panic, he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a sword.

“Wait, calm down, Shopkeeper Feng!” Sun Jing shouted, startled. “Let’s talk this out! Don’t do anything rash!”

Sun Jing had known Shopkeeper Feng for many years. The man was paranoid to a fault and just as careless.

When cornered, he always became irrational and extreme.

Just like now.

It was at that moment that Ning slipped inside quickly.

“What happened?” Ning muttered. He’d only been gone for a second.

How the hell did things escalate to this?

Xiao Fan immediately explained, “Sun Jing and the shopkeeper were discussing cheating customers. He didn’t expect me to be here listening, so now he’s pointing a sword at me.”

Ning instantly understood.

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Such underhanded tactics were nothing new. Casinos in his previous life used similar tricks all the time.

After all, gamblers might win once or twice, but the house always won at the end.

Meanwhile, Sun Jing had grabbed Shopkeeper Feng by the shoulders, gently patting his back as he coaxed him into a corner.

“Shopkeeper Feng, calm down. Xiao Fan is my good brother, he wouldn’t leak our little secret, right, Brother Fan?”

He turned his head and froze.

Xiao Fan was there.

So was Ning.

Xiao Fan: “…”
Ning: “…”

Sun Jing: “…”

When did Ning appear? He didn’t sense his presence at all…

Sheath!

Seeing yet another person, Shopkeeper Feng panicked and immediately pointed his sword at Ning.

“How is there another one?!” he shouted. “I, I need to finish them!”

“Don’t worry,” he added shakily, “I-I’ll be gentle… it won’t hurt.”

Ning’s mouth twitched.

How about you try it on yourself first and see if it hurts?

At that moment, Xiao Fan snapped as well. Not only was he cheating others, but he also tried to beat them time and again. “You old man! I was already tolerating you. Why are you trying to fight me now?!”

With a sword pointed at him, Xiao Fan’s temper flared instantly. He was usually calm, but his breaking point was always getting threatened.

Seeing the two about to clash, Sun Jing hurriedly shouted, “Can everyone calm down and talk for a second?!”

Ning’s lips twitched at the scene. If this continued, Xiao Fan and the shopkeeper would definitely fight, drawing even more attention. It might even alert the pavilion master, and that would only make things worse.

Clearing his throat, Ning spoke up calmly.

“Shopkeeper Feng, please relax. Let’s handle this properly. We have no intention of harming your interests. How about this, let Xiao Fan and me act as the second and third participants. We’ll do it together.”

“Ning, you!” Xiao Fan stared at him in disbelief.

Shopkeeper Feng paused.

…That actually sounded reasonable.

Seeing this, Sun Jing quickly moved in, whispering to Xiao Fan.

Ning could vaguely hear phrases like ‘This kind of thing can’t be stopped anyway’ and ‘At least if we’re involved, we can limit the damage’ as Sun Jing worked on him.

At the same time, Ning turned back to Shopkeeper Feng.
“If only Sun Jing acts, some people will still doubt it. But if three people obtain rewards, won’t it look far more convincing?”

Shopkeeper Feng hesitated, clearly tempted.

Ning continued, “Just give my friend and me spirit ores similar to Sun Jing’s. Surely the Treasure Abundant Pavilion didn’t prepare only one fake Iron Grade spirit ore, right?”

Shopkeeper Feng grimaced. “Do you think creating fake spirit ores is that easy? Regrettably, I only have one.”

Ning pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Then let us choose two genuine Iron Grade spirit ores instead.”

“Yes, that works!” Sun Jing chimed in loudly, then turned to Xiao Fan with a wink. “What do you think, Brother Xiao?”

Ning: “…”

Seeing that wink, how could Ning not understand?

This guy was dragging them into the mud.

No wonder Sun Jing hadn’t mentioned any of this earlier. He’d even taken advantage of Shopkeeper Feng’s carelessness to rope Xiao Fan into coming here.

Ning shook his head helplessly, smiling faintly.

This guy planned everything from the start.

Xiao Fan thought the same.

Did this guy mature that much after traveling with me? Xiao Fan couldn’t help wondering, recalling how sheltered Sun Jing used to be.

He’d only intended to warn him, who knew he’d end up tied to the same rope?

Sun Jing had even managed to squeeze extra profit out of Shopkeeper Feng along the way.

At this point, what else could Xiao Fan say?

Especially when Shopkeeper Feng looked ready to slash him at any moment.

Besides… he’d be getting something for free.

It was just an act.

Just… helping a friend.

Yes. Helping a friend was a good thing.

Xiao Fan sighed. “You weren’t going to consider my opinion anyway, were you? I don’t like doing shady things like this, but since Brother Sun has helped me before, I’ll give him face.”

“Haha! What are you saying, Brother Xiao?” Sun Jing laughed shamelessly. “We’re brothers, it’s only natural we help each other.”

“…Yeah,” Xiao Fan muttered. “Helping each other.”

Ning watched as Sun Jing persuaded the well-intentioned Xiao Fan. He was quite impressed.

"Alright, Young Master Sun, quickly pick one of the Iron Grade Spirit ores and then get out of here. We've spent too long here." Shopkeeper Feng rushed the trio.

...

Thanks for reading~