"You aren't a cultivator," she said. Her tone was flat, just stating a fact. "Running a shop on the edge of the Black Ridge Forest is dangerous for an ordinary person. Those mercenaries ran away today because we were here, but others will come. You have no cultivation to defend yourself."
She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small, heavy token made of dark wood. A silver cloud was carved right in the center. She walked over to the counter and set it down in front of Lin Hao.
"Hang this outside your door," she said. "It is an outer sect token. Anyone who sees it will know this shop is under the protection of the Cloud Peak Sect. If someone causes trouble here, it is the same as declaring war on our sect. No mercenary or rogue cultivator in the Azure Wind Empire will dare touch you."
Lin Hao stared at the wooden token. He knew exactly how valuable this was. It was a literal shield. With this hanging outside, he wouldn't have to worry about random thugs breaking his legs over a pot of green tea.
"Thank you, Young Master," Lin Hao said, giving a deep, genuine bow. "I will not forget this."
She watched him for a second. "What is your name?"
"Lin Hao."
"Lin Hao," she repeated softly. She gave a small nod. "Keep your shop open. I will visit again the next time I want a good cup of tea."
With that, she turned and walked out the door. The elder and the disciples followed her, stepping out into the bright afternoon sun. Within seconds, they disappeared down the dirt road leading toward the forest.
The shop was dead quiet again.
Lin Hao stood alone behind the counter. He picked up the heavy silver coin from the table, then picked up the dark wooden token. He looked at the empty teacups, then down at his hands.
"Well," Lin Hao muttered to himself. "That could have gone a lot worse."
He walked over to the front door, found a small iron nail on the frame, and hung the Cloud Peak Sect token right below his wooden shop sign.
As he stepped back inside, the mechanical voice rang in his head again.
[Ding. Host has successfully influenced a major fate-bearer.]
[Target: Zhao Yue. Status: High. Impression: Positive.]
[Reward: 50 System Points.]
Lin Hao stopped. He looked at the silver coin in one hand and the empty teacups on the table. He walked over to the nearest chair, the one the elder had just used, and collapsed into it. The adrenaline was finally wearing off, leaving him feeling drained and confused.
"Alright," Lin Hao muttered, rubbing his temples. "System. Talk to me. Explain exactly how this works. No riddles."
A translucent blue screen popped up in the air above the table.
[Host: Lin Hao]
[Cultivation: None]
[Current Balance: 55 System Points]
The screen shifted, bringing up a block of text.
[The Gambling System allows the Host to wager points to upgrade items. To use the System, the Host must possess two things: System Points, and a physical item to risk.]
[Rule 1: Earning Points.]
[Points are earned by influencing the world. Changing fates, leaving strong impressions, or altering the paths of others will generate points. The higher the status or 'karmic weight' of the person influenced, the higher the payout.]
Lin Hao nodded slowly. That made sense. He hadn't just sold tea; he had impressed a former princess and a major sect heir. If he had just poured tea for a random farmer, he probably would have gotten zero points.
"Okay, so I get points by messing with important people," Lin Hao said. "Got it. Now, how does the actual gambling work?"
The screen text scrolled down.
[Rule 2: The Wager and The Multiplier.]
[When the Host wagers points on an item, a random multiplier will be applied upon winning. The possible multiplier ranges from 1x (No change) to 1,000x (Mythical Upgrade).]
[Note: The multiplier is randomly generated upon a win. Most successful wagers will land in the 1x to 20x range. The probability of hitting a 100x multiplier or higher drops exponentially.]
"Wait," Lin Hao frowned. "So earlier, when I upgraded the tea leaves by 100x..."
[Answering Host: The first gamble utilized a one-time 'Novice Protection Bonus' to ensure survival. All future gambles will follow standard casino probability rules.]
Lin Hao sighed. "Of course. The first hit is free."
He read the next line.
[Rule 3: The Odds and The Risk.]
[Every standard wager has a fixed win/loss ratio. Chance of Winning: 49%. Chance of Losing: 51%.]
[If the wager is lost, the wagered System Points are consumed, and the target item is permanently destroyed and unrecoverable.]
Lin Hao stared at the glowing blue words. The reality of his situation settled in. This wasn't a magic wand that just gave him whatever he wanted. The house always had the edge. A 51% chance to lose meant he was statistically more likely to fail and turn his items to ash than he was to upgrade them.
"Okay, but what stops me from just throwing all my points into one massive bet to guarantee a good item?" Lin Hao asked. "Why don't I just wager 50 points right now on this silver coin and turn it into gold?"
The System flashed in response.
[Rule 4: Wager Limits.]
[The Host cannot wager unlimited points. The maximum wager limit is tied to the Host's Cultivation Base. As a Mortal with no cultivation, the maximum wager allowed per item is 5 System Points. Increasing your Cultivation Realm will unlock higher betting limits.]
Lin Hao leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms.
"I see," he muttered. It was a failsafe. If he could bet 50 points right now, he could just spam the system until he got an overpowered god-tier weapon and walk out of the shop like a boss. But the System was forcing him to play the long game. With only a 5-point limit per bet, he could only take small risks. He had to rely on luck, build up his inventory slowly, and actually figure out how to cultivate if he wanted to place the real high-roller bets later on.
Lin Hao let out a long breath and pushed himself up from the chair. His back popped as he stretched his arms over his head. The lingering tension in his muscles finally started to fade.
He walked back over to the front door and looked at the dark wooden token hanging on the frame. The silver cloud carving looked intimidating, even to him. It was a literal free pass to stay alive.
But as he stared at it, an itch started in the back of his mind. He had 55 points. A maximum bet was only 5 points. If he won, what would a cultivator's token turn into? A high-tier defensive artifact? A magic weapon? The possibilities made his heart beat a little faster.
"Forty-nine percent chance to win," Lin Hao muttered to himself. "That's basically fifty-fifty."
Before he could talk himself out of it, he reached up and pulled the token off the nail. The wood felt heavy and smooth in his palm.
"System," Lin Hao said. "Wager five points on this token."
The blue screen flashed.
[Item Selected: Cloud Peak Sect Outer Token.] [Wager: 5 System Points.] [Chance to Win: 49%.] [Do you want to toss the coin? Yes / No]
"Yes," Lin Hao thought. "Toss it."