Chapter Thirty-One: I, Chen Zhi'an, Shall Also Carve My Name Upon the Tablet of Fledgling Tigers

Chen Zhi'an posed a question to Xu Xiyue, who looked back at him with a sense of helplessness.

"Young Master Chen, are you planning to use these medicinal herbs to break through to the True Essence realm?" Xu Xiyue thought to herself, "So those herbs weren't for someone else after all; they were for his own use."

Just as Xu Xiyue was about to answer, a round of applause suddenly echoed from the distance. A clear, resonant voice reached their ears.

Both Xu Xiyue and Chen Zhi'an looked up to see a noble-looking young man emerging from a private box on the second floor of the pleasure boat. He was tall and slender, dressed in snow-white robes with hair as black as ink. His eyes were cast downward, observing Chen Zhi'an with great interest.

"I truly misjudged you. Back in the courtyard on Qihuang Street that day, I failed to see your true self."

The young noble's voice easily cut through the spring breeze and the surrounding noise, landing distinctly in their ears: "As expected of the Li family bloodline. Even growing up away from home, you possess many extraordinary qualities."

Chen Zhi'an looked up and recognized the face immediately. It was Si Hougui of the Si family from Xuantian Capital.

Si Hougui was visibly intrigued, his eyes even betraying a hint of surprise. "Chen Zhi'an, since you were able to deceive me, I refuse to believe you are some fool throwing his life away on a whim! I only came to the Jiangnan region for a casual tour, never expecting to encounter someone as interesting as you!"

Chen Zhi'an looked up at Si Hougui—who was draped in elegant, expensive silks and possessed a strikingly handsome face, yet whose every movement felt calculated—and felt a sense of speechlessness.

*This guy is even better at putting on an act than I am.*

He shook his head, having no intention of engaging with this noble from Xuantian Capital. Besides, their past was far from pleasant; Chen Zhi'an simply chose not to mention it, but that didn't mean he had forgotten. He turned to leave the boat.

However, Si Hougui, still leaning over the railing of the private box, remained amused. He laughed, "Chen Zhi'an, while I don't believe you are dying on a whim, it is truly unwise for someone at the Qi Refining stage to challenge a practitioner of the True Essence level. You have no reputation on the 'Tiger Cub Roll,' nor are you from a great clan or a renowned sect. The sloppy, unorthodox techniques you use to practice Qi—let alone a True Essence cultivator, even a typical martial artist from a prominent household could crush you with ease. Upon reflection, this is clearly a result of your narrow perspective, leading you to misjudge both yourself and a True Essence practitioner."

Hearing this, Chen Zhi'an suddenly became interested. He looked up and asked, "Young Master Si, can anyone on the 'Tiger Cub Roll' truly kill a True Essence practitioner while still at the Qi Refining stage?"

Si Hougui’s lips curled upward. "You gave me a good show today, sparing me from boredom, so I don't mind answering you."

"Though the 'Tiger Cub' is young, it remains the king of beasts; it has its own extraordinary nature. Those who earn a place on the Tiger Cub Stele are the elite of the younger generation. It is not impossible for them to slay an ordinary True Essence practitioner even while at the peak of Qi Refining."

"Are you aware of our Great Yu's 'Kuixing'? He was once ranked first on the Tiger Cub Roll. He attained a Dao-descended divine ability and once killed a Jade Palace master while still in the Innate stage—and not just any ordinary Jade Palace master at that. That should tell you exactly what kind of genius is engraved on that stele."

*Is he praising himself?* Chen Zhi'an shook his head, suddenly recalling a principle he lived by: *When you encounter an idiot, fleece him for something.*

A smile broke out on Chen Zhi'an's face. Ignoring Xu Xiyue’s bewildered expression, he looked up at Si Hougui and said, "Since Young Master Si has enjoyed the show, why not add a little incentive to it?"

Si Hougui watched him intently.

"Young Master Si is a name on the Tiger Cub Stele, so your judgment of people must be impeccable," Chen Zhi'an continued. "But I, Chen Zhi'an, refuse to believe it. How about this? Let us make a wager. If I win this death match in seven days, Young Master Si shall provide me with a reward."

Si Hougui raised an eyebrow. "And if you lose?"

"If I lose, it’s nothing more than death," Chen Zhi'an said, his expression unchanged. "Young Master Si would surely be delighted to see my head roll. If I die, that in itself should be reward enough to keep you entertained for several days."

Xu Xiyue’s gaze drifted between the two. She didn't know the history between them, but from their conversation, she had vaguely deduced Si Hougui's identity. *There are few families in Great Yu with the surname Si, and only those related to the 'Slaughter Buddha' Hou Si Yuanzhao appear on the Tiger Cub Stele... This Young Master Si is from the Si family.*

*But Young Master Chen has lived on Qihuang Street since he was a child. How did he get entangled with a Tiger Cub from the capital's Si family?* She wondered silently.

Si Hougui’s smile only deepened at Chen Zhi'an’s words. "That makes some sense. But Chen Zhi'an, I am not Zhou Xiujing. It won't be easy to trick me out of my belongings. If you die in a death match, I gain absolutely nothing. Yet if you happen to survive, I have to give you a prize? You are quite the schemer."

Chen Zhi'an was unfazed by having his intentions laid bare. "Young Master Si is indeed extraordinary and cannot be compared to ordinary people. In that case, let us add another wager alongside the death match. We can count the reward for the death match as the stakes for this second bet. How about that?"

"Still trying to get something for nothing," Si Hougui shook his head. "If you are dead, how could there be a second bet?"

He saw through Chen Zhi'an’s ruse, yet he leaned forward, saying, "However... I am quite interested in this 'second bet' of yours. Why don't you tell me: what could someone like you, who had to leave the capital in disgrace with your father and hide away here in the Su Nan Prefecture, possibly have to wager against me?"

A flicker of light crossed Chen Zhi'an’s eyes. "Young Master Si mentioned that those on the Tiger Cub Stele are true geniuses and the elite of the younger generation. I, Chen Zhi'an, am untalented, and I only learned of the existence of the Tiger Cub Stele a few weeks ago. But I believe that the stele is not an unreachable peak, and one day, my name, Chen Zhi'an, will be engraved upon it!"

As soon as Chen Zhi'an spoke, both Xu Xiyue and Si Hougui fell silent.

After a full eight breaths of time, Si Hougui let out a low laugh. "What a wonderful bit of entertainment."

"For the sake of this entertainment, what does it matter if I give you a prize? If you don't die, I will give you a sword forged a hundred times over! It will be far more precious than the two hundred taels of gold Zhou Xiujing promised you."

"But Chen Zhi'an, if you die at Zhou Xiujing's hands, that's one thing. But if you survive and fail to make it onto the Tiger Cub Stele, what then?"

Chen Zhi'an said casually, "If I don't make it onto the Tiger Cub Stele, then I shall no longer bear the surname Chen!"

Si Hougui’s eyes lit up, as if he felt this was a perfect opportunity to humiliate Chen Shui-jun.

At this, Chen Zhi'an asked, "And if I do make it onto the Tiger Cub Stele, what will Young Master Si wager?"

Si Hougui thought for a moment. "If you can make it onto the Tiger Cub Stele, I will give you a sword forged a thousand times over!"

Chen Zhi'an’s smile widened. "A thousand-fold forged sword is too precious. Why doesn't Young Master Si join me in a wager: if I succeed, you shall also give up your surname?"

—

Chen Zhi'an and Xu Xiyue walked side-by-side along the banks of the Qingshui River.

Xu Xiyue remained silent for a long time before finally unable to suppress her curiosity. "Young Master Chen, do you really have the confidence to make it onto the Tiger Cub Stele?"

Chen Zhi'an shook his head. "I don't even know what the threshold for the Tiger Cub Stele is, so where would I get such confidence?"

Xu Xiyue was astonished. "Then why did you agree to the wager with Young Master Si?"

Chen Zhi'an didn't care at all. "I'll just swindle him out of his prize first. How much is a hundred-fold forged sword worth?"

"At least three to five hundred taels of gold," Xu Xiyue replied, then asked, "But what if you don't make it onto the stele and Young Master Si comes to hold you accountable?"

"Then I'll just change my surname to Li," Chen Zhi'an said nonchalantly. "My mother's surname is Li. My father used to say he wanted me to take her name, but she wouldn't allow it. Since my father didn't mind, I certainly don't either."

"It’s just a pity that Si Hougui only agreed to a thousand-fold forged sword and didn't agree to give up his own surname. Otherwise, if I ever did make it onto that stele, it would be a sight to behold."

Xu Xiyue was left speechless. After a long while, she said softly, "Young Master Chen, those nineteen herbs will be gathered within three days at most."