Chapter 15: The Wager

The one shouting insults was Lan Jiànshè. Chen Xian had blatantly slapped him in the face—he had just declared that the only way to save the orchid was to cut away the leaves and roots, and in the next breath, this young man was making wild claims.

Lan Jiànshè glared at Chen Xian, his eyes blazing. “Boy, aren’t you afraid of biting your own tongue, bragging like that?”

“Chen Xian, you know nothing about orchids, so stop spouting nonsense,” Lan Chao sneered coldly. Chen Xian was his “rival in love,” and now the man was causing a scene in his uncle’s shop, which irked him to no end. If Chen Xian weren’t so unreasonably tough, immune to beatings, Lan Chao would have thrown him out and given him a sound thrashing long ago.

The other orchid enthusiasts nearby turned their curious gazes toward Chen Xian.

Chen Xian ignored Lan Chao entirely and looked at the rotund Lan Jiànshè. He smiled and said, “Just because you can’t do it, doesn’t mean others can’t.”

“Well, well, you impudent brat!” Lan Jiànshè was furious at his words, cursed, and turned to Zhang Xingtián. “Sir, that kid’s a swindler. Don’t trust him.”

“Young man, if you can really revive the Golden Sand Chrysanthemum and save the mother plant, I’ll pay you one million,” Zhang Xingtián replied, ignoring Lan Jiànshè and addressing Chen Xian directly.

“I can do it,” Chen Xian replied with certainty.

“Hmph! Ridiculous. That’s simply impossible!” Lan Jiànshè snapped. “Boy, this Golden Sand Chrysanthemum is worth three million. What if you ruin it?”

“If I ruin it, I’ll compensate you,” Chen Xian said.

“Chen Xian, you live in government-subsidized housing. Don’t say three million—you couldn’t even come up with a hundred thousand. How would you pay? Sell yourself? Even then, you wouldn’t fetch three million,” Lan Chao mocked.

Learning this, Zhang Xingtián hesitated. He was concerned that if Chen Xian was bluffing, not only would the orchid not be saved, it could end up dead.

“Chen Xian, can you really save the Golden Sand Chrysanthemum?” At that moment, Zhang Xin stepped up to Chen Xian and spoke softly, “This orchid means a lot to my grandfather.”

Chen Xian nodded, then turned to the hesitant Zhang Xingtián. “Sir, if you’re worried, let’s draw up a contract. If I fail to keep my promise, you can sue me for fraud.”

He wanted that million, so he had to dispel the old man’s doubts.

Seeing the young man’s confidence, Zhang Xingtián sighed and finally made up his mind. “Very well, I’ll give you the Golden Sand Chrysanthemum. We’ll draw up a contract.”

“Sir, you’re grasping at straws!” Lan Jiànshè shook his head. “That kid is a fraud!”

The onlookers around shook their heads as well, all thinking the old man was simply desperate.

“Zhang Xin, persuade your grandfather! Chen Xian will definitely ruin the orchid!” Lan Chao urged.

To his surprise, Zhang Xin replied, “I believe in Chen Xian!”

Lan Chao’s face darkened.

Chen Xian looked at the uncle and nephew, his eyes gleaming with a sly smile. “Since you’re so sure I can’t do it, do you have the guts to bet with me?”

He was ready to make the pair pay dearly for their arrogance.

“What right do you have to bet with me and my uncle?” Lan Chao said coldly.

“If you’re afraid of losing, forget it,” Chen Xian replied, goading them. “But that just proves everything you said before was nonsense!”

The crowd’s eyes all turned to the uncle and nephew.

“Boy, tell us, what’s the wager?” Lan Jiànshè couldn’t back down.

“It’s simple,” Chen Xian replied. “Let’s bet fifty thousand. If I fulfill my promise, you pay me fifty thousand.”

“And if you fail?”

“Whatever you want to do,” Chen Xian replied.

“If you fail, I’ll see to it you rot in jail,” Lan Chao threatened.

…

Half an hour later, Chen Xian walked out of Orchid Hall holding the diseased Golden Sand Chrysanthemum, planning to take a look around the antiques market.

He had already signed a contract with Zhang Xingtián, Lan Jiànshè, and Lan Chao, agreeing to return the orchid to Orchid Hall in three days.

If he could save the Golden Sand Chrysanthemum without removing the mother plant, he’d earn a total of 1.5 million—a most substantial sum.

Of course, almost everyone doubted Chen Xian could accomplish such a feat in so short a time, including Zhang Xingtián, who was simply grasping at straws.

“Chen Xian!”

A melodious female voice called from behind.

Chen Xian turned to see the beautiful Zhang Xin.

“This Golden Sand Chrysanthemum was left to my grandfather by my grandmother… Please, you must restore it,” Zhang Xin explained the reason her grandfather cherished the orchid.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it done!” Chen Xian flashed the striking young woman a confident smile.

After bidding farewell to Zhang Xin and the others, Chen Xian headed for the antiques area.

Zhang Xingtián, with his two granddaughters, also left the flower and bird market.

“Sis, do you really have such faith in Chen Xian?” Zhang Mei asked her cousin with interest.

Zhang Xin nodded. “I don’t know why, but I just feel he can do it.”

Zhang Mei grinned mischievously. “Sis, don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to Chen Xian?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“But sis, you’ve never…”

…

Chen Xian carried the orchid into the antiques area—more precisely, the market stalls—where hundreds of booths offered old coins, jade, and so on. He didn’t bother with the boutique shops; he only had a little over two thousand yuan, nowhere near enough for high-end antiques.

Buying antiques was all about having a discerning eye. There were so many fakes that even veterans with years of experience could easily be ruined by a single mistake.

Chen Xian was here on a whim, hoping to find a piece of jade with spiritual energy. He’d read online that some jade contained such energy.

Whether it was true or not, Chen Xian wasn’t sure.

But as a spiritual cultivator, he figured he might be able to sense it. And if not, he had the Mother Spirit Thief Worm in his mind; if the jade truly held spiritual energy, it would surely react.

Thinking this, Chen Xian strolled through the stalls, communicating silently with the Spirit Thief Worm in his mind.

At the first booth, he picked up a “simple and elegant” jade pendant and examined it carefully. He sensed nothing, and the Spirit Thief Worm was utterly unresponsive.

“Young man, you’ve got a sharp eye. That jade came straight from the Ming dynasty palace… If you really want it, I’ll let you have it for just 8,888 yuan,” the stall owner began to boast, seeing how young and easily fooled Chen Xian appeared.

But seeing no reaction from the Spirit Thief Worm, Chen Xian put the pendant down. He didn’t believe a word of the owner’s spiel.

The pendant felt like jade, but his instincts told him it was almost certainly fake.

He examined the other “jade” items at the stall, but still the Spirit Thief Worm showed no sign of interest.

Chen Xian moved on to the next booth.

“Young man, prices are negotiable! I can knock another thirty percent off that last piece of jade, and it’s…” the boss called after him.

Chen Xian ignored him and went to the next stall.

An hour passed. He had browsed nearly every stall, but the Spirit Thief Worm remained dormant.

He himself sensed nothing unusual in any of the jade or antiques.

“Could all those online stories be lies?” Chen Xian muttered to himself.

He decided to leave the market and return to school to deal with the Golden Sand Chrysanthemum.

Buzz—

Just then, the Spirit Thief Worm, floating beneath the mysterious tree in his mind, suddenly grew agitated—as if a starving vagrant had caught the scent of an exquisite feast.