Chapter 345: The Tournament Concludes
The moment Chi Jinchen spoke, Ye Lu’s expression darkened.
After all, he was a prince of Dongfeng, and he wasn’t that familiar with Chi Jinchen.
How did this guy already assume he was short on money?
“Young Master Chi, let’s be a bit more optimistic, shall we? Besides, it’s not over yet—there’s still a chance that Young Master Ye could be the one making a fortune.”
Seeing Ye Lu’s face nearly blacken, Yu Luo quickly stepped in to ease the tension.
Chi Jinchen simply smiled and nodded.
“I was merely joking. Young Master Ye’s businesses in Luo City—especially the casino—must have already made him a fortune. How could he possibly be short on money?”
“Haha, but I’m nothing compared to Young Master Chi, who so effortlessly purchased twenty storefronts in a single stroke.”
“And on your very first day in Luo City, too—without a shred of hesitation. If one didn’t know better, they might think you understand this city’s future better than the rest of us.”
As soon as Ye Lu finished speaking, he turned his attention back to the competition, no longer in the mood to exchange barbs with Chi Jinchen.
But Chi Jinchen’s expression subtly shifted.
Indeed.
If he hadn’t already anticipated Luo City’s future, how could he have confidently invested so much?
Meanwhile, Yu Luo furrowed her brows, recalling Chi Jinchen’s actions since arriving.
Come to think of it, his behavior had indeed been suspicious.
Yet, when she glanced at his perfectly composed expression, she knew—a man as shrewd as Chi Jinchen wouldn’t give himself away so easily.
BANG!
A loud gong sounded, followed by an explosion of cheers from the audience behind them.
The Luo City guards beat their massive war drums like rolling thunder, pushing the tournament’s atmosphere to its peak.
Yu Luo, startled, snapped her head back toward the stage—only to see Chen Sanhao standing victorious.
Her gaze subtly shifted to Ye Lu, who was completely slumped in his chair.
His once handsome and confident expression had transformed into one of utter defeat—as if the sky had collapsed on him.
“Gambling is always a risk. Wins and losses are part of the game. It seems everyone who placed their bets knew Chen Sanhao was a dark horse.”
“He kept a low profile throughout the tournament, but in the end, he truly proved himself the champion.”
Chi Jinchen and Yu Luo both stood up, joining the crowd’s applause for Chen Sanhao’s victory.
Meanwhile, Yu Luo patted Ye Lu’s shoulder reassuringly.
“Exactly, this is just gambling. Maybe next time, you’ll have better luck. It’s probably wiser to focus on steady business anyway.”
Ye Lu, hearing her comforting words, seemed to revive almost instantly.
Even though he had just lost an enormous amount of silver, he quickly shook off the despair and announced a bold decision.
“Xiao Luo, I’ll order another 200,000 taels’ worth of sweet melons and tomatoes from you!”
Yu Luo: …
“No stock left. The last batch was already sold.”
Ye Lu: !!!
As Ye Lu sat there, too stunned to speak, on stage, Hu Liu and Tao Ming stepped up to present the tournament’s grand prize to Chen Sanhao.
It was a crystal trophy—something Yu Luo had specially purchased from her system’s inventory.
She had also made sure to engrave it with the title: “Champion of the First Luo City Martial Art Tournament.”
Under the glow of the torches, the transparent crystal gleamed brilliantly, leaving everyone present in awe and envy.
Even Chen Sanhao himself was stunned—he had never expected to receive a prize of this caliber.
Materials like crystal were only seen in noble households.
For wandering martial artists like himself, something like this was unthinkable.
Even beyond the 10,000 tael silver reward, just this trophy alone could fetch an incredible price if sold.
But with the engraved words, it wasn’t just a trophy—it was a symbol of his victory, status, and recognition.
Tao Ming, representing Luo City, congratulated Chen Sanhao before expressing gratitude to all participants and spectators.
He also invited them all to return in a month for the upcoming grand auction.
As music and celebrations filled the air, the tournament finally came to a successful conclusion.
With this event, Luo City had made a name for itself across the martial world.
Though it was still weaker than Feng City, the city’s welcoming and inclusive atmosphere left a strong impression on many wandering fighters.
Even Feng City’s Third Master, who had come to observe the event, couldn’t hide his jealousy.
“Third Master, in all these years, Feng City has only held auctions. We’ve never organized a tournament like this.”
“With our financial resources, if we publicly offered a grand prize of 100,000 taels for our champion, imagine how many martial artists we’d attract!”
“Luo City only gave out a mere 10,000 taels, yet it still drew thousands of participants. If we did it our way, we’d outshine them in an instant.”
Another subordinate chimed in.
“Exactly! Even if we offered 200,000 or 300,000 taels, Feng City could afford to hold a tournament every month!”
“With all the spectators paying to attend, plus the added business from inns, gambling, and merchants, we could make millions in just a few days!”
Hearing these words, Third Master’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
Looking at the massive crowd leaving the venue, he realized that not even Feng City’s auctions had ever attracted so many people.
“Alright. I’ll bring this up with the City Lord.”
“But first, let’s find an inn and rest. Tomorrow, I want to meet with Luo City’s ruler to gather more information.”
Having made up his mind, Third Master and his men fought through the crowds and finally exited the tournament grounds.
But the moment they stepped out—
A wave of delicious aromas hit them from all directions.
All across the bustling streets, vendors were grilling skewers, selling steaming hot soup, and calling out to potential customers.
Since many had stayed at the tournament all day, some had eaten meal boxes, while others had survived on dry rations.
Now, with the competition over, the smell of freshly cooked food was irresistible.
“The food stalls are still open this late at night?”
One of Third Master’s men rubbed his stomach.
“We’ve barely eaten today. Why don’t we grab something before heading to the inn?”
Even Third Master himself couldn’t resist swallowing a mouthful of saliva.
“Fine. Let’s eat first, then find lodging.”
With that one order, his entire group eagerly dived into the street food.
Skewers, stews, roasted meats, and fried pastries—they ate their way from one end of the street to the other.
But when they finally finished—
And tried to find a place to stay—
They were shocked.
Every single inn in Luo City was fully booked.
