The words that came out of Hua Cheng's mouth were exceedingly condescending and discourteous. But the moment he spoke, the man in question allowed taunting from all around, and dared not fight back. The attendant who led Xie Lian to the long table smiled, "Young master, you're very lucky today."
Xie Lian never moved his gaze from the long table, "How so?"
"Our lord is here to play," the attendant replied, "It's only these past couple of days that he was in the mood to pass by, so isn't this good luck?"
By her tone, Xie Lian could tell that the attendant had great respect for the 'lord' and very much idolizes him, as if just seeing him was the greatest honor. Xie Lian couldn't help but smile.
The screen curtain was light and fluttering, the red silhouette captivating. In front of the red curtain were a couple of charming women overlooking the gambling table, composing a picture of glamour and sensuality. At first Xie Lian was content to just watch from the background, but the moment he heard Hua Cheng's voice he started trying to push himself through the crowd without raising any awareness that he was there. Finally, he made it through to the table and saw the man who was gambling.
It was a real human. Xie Lian wasn't surprised, since it was already known that within the Ghost City, there weren't just ghosts; there were also many cultivators with considerable skill and sometimes, mere mortals who were looking for their own death.
The gambling man had a mask on, but both his eyes were visible, bulging and laced with red as if bleeding; his lips were pale as if he hadn't seen the sun in days. He was a picture of a ghost more so than any ghosts present.
Both of his hands were pressed tightly on a black wooden dice cup on the table, and after holding back for a moment, he shouted with abandon, "But... how come the other guy was able to bet both his legs?"
One of the croupiers before the red curtain smiled, "The one before used to be an acclaimed bandit who was known for his light footwork and ability to take flight wherever he went. It was the crux of his life, so his legs were worthy as a bet. You're neither an artisan nor a medic; what worth does your arm possess?"
The man gritted his teeth, "Then... I bet my only daughter's ten years worth of life!"
Xie Lian was stunned to hear those words and thought, 'Where on earth is there a father who is willing to bet on the life of his children? Is that even possible?'
Behind the curtain, Hua Cheng only snorted, "Very well."
From that response, Xie Lian couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but he could sense coldness from the words. But then he added mentally, 'San Lang had always said his fortune was good, and all of his fortune sticks came up the best of luck. If he bets with this man, wouldn't he for sure win and take away ten years of life from that man's daughter?'
He was just thinking those thoughts when the croupier announced sweetly, "Even will be a loss; odds will be a win. Once the cup is open, there will be no going back. Now please."
So Hua Cheng himself would not be betting in the pool. That man shook the gambling cup haphazardly, both hands grasping onto it hard, and the hall quieted down. The sounds of the dice rattling could be heard loud and crisply. Then, his movement slowed to a stop. Silence veiled.
It was after a long moment before the man slowly – very slowly – lifted a corner of the gambling cup and peeked through the gap. His red eyes suddenly widened.
He flipped open the cup and shouted with mad joy, "ODD! ODD! ODD!! I WIN! I'VE WON! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I'VE WON!!! I'VE WON!!!!!"
This was not the outcome the crowd of humans and ghosts surrounding the long table wanted to see and they started booing down the man, slapping the table and shouting their discontent. One of the croupiers smiled and said, "Congratulations. The fate of your business will soon see a turn around."
The man laughed uproariously and cried, "Wait! I want to bet again!"
The croupier smiled, "You're welcome to. What do you want this time?"
The man's face dropped, and he said, "I want, I want everyone competing with me in my business to drop dead!"
The crowd started muttering and clicking their tongues. The croupier raised a hand to cover her smile, "If that is your wish then it's much more difficult to fulfill than your previous wish. Won't you consider a different wish like asking for your business to flourish?"
Yet the man replied with his eyes red, "No! I only want that! That's what I'm betting for!"
"Then, if that is your wish, ten years of your daughter's life may not be enough." The croupier said.
"If that's not enough, I'll bet twenty years of her life! And... And the fate of her marriage on top of that!"
The crowd was stunned and burst out laughing, "That dad's lost his mind! He's selling his daughter!!"
"Amazing, amazing!!"
The croupier announced once again, "Even will be a loss, odd will be a win. Once the cup is open, there will be no going back. Now please."
That man took up the gambling cup once more, his hands shaking. If he lost, then his daughter would lose twenty years of her life and a good marriage, obviously not ideal; but if he won, then all of his competitors would drop dead? Although Xie Lian thought Hua Cheng would never let such a thing happen, after much hesitation, he still stepped forward. He was just thinking whether he should join in using some small trick when suddenly, someone grabbed hold of him. He turned his head to see and it was Shi Qingxuan.
Shi Qingxuan had returned to his male form, and whispered, "Don't be rash."
Xie Lian whispered back, "Lord Wind Master, why did you transform back?"
"It's a long story," Shi Qingxuan sighed, "That group of women dragged me around saying they were going to introduce me to good beauty parlours. I finally escaped but they caught me again, so I had to change back. They dragged me to a place that smeared so much stuff on my face; pulling, stretching, slapping, smacking – quick, check my face! How is it? Anything wrong? Do you see anything off with my face?"
He pushed his face right up to Xie Lian to be inspected, and Xie Lian dutifully gave it a detailed look before replying truthfully, "I think it looks even smoother and whiter than before."
Shi Qingxuan brightened immediately, "Really? Oh good! That's wonderful! Hahahaha! Is there's a mirror? Where's a mirror? I want to see!"
"Look later," Xie Lian said, "The Ghost City is blocking our spiritual communication, so let's not lose each other again. By the way, how did you know I was here, Lord Wind Master?"
"I didn't!" Shi Qingxuan replied, "I came because Qianqiu and I had already agreed to meet here. When we lost each other earlier, I just came here instead, but when I walked in, turns out you were here too!"
"Qianqiu?" Xie Lian asked, "Meet here?"
"Yea." Shi Qingxuan replied, "Qianqiu is that Lang Qianqiu, His Highness Tai Hua. You know that much at least, right? He's the Martial God of the East. Since we're here, it's best if he came too. The Gambler's Den is one of the most bustling and the most chaotic places in the Ghost City. It's a landmark. Many people and ghosts alike go in and out, it's much less conspicuous for us to be about, so I told him to meet us here."
Xie Lian nodded. When he turned back to the long table, that man still hadn't opened the cup; his eyes were rolled back and he was muttering, not unlike many of the ghosts there. Xie Lian sighed, "This man..."
Shi Qingxuan said as he felt up his face, "I know what you want to say, and I agree. But, the Ghost City is Hua Cheng's territory, and the rules here were all adhered to willingly. If you dare gamble then you can play. The heavens can do nothing. Let's just observe, and we can come up with something if anything goes out of hand."
Xie Lian hummed, thinking there was no way San Lang would allow anything to go out of hand, so it would indeed be best to just observe. The gambling man finally seemed to gather enough courage and opened just a slither of the gambling cup to reveal the outcome. Just then, another person busted in, shut down the gambling cup with a strike, and crushed it to pieces!
This strike not only crushed the gambling cup, but also the hand that was on top of it, and the entire table splintered with a deep fissure.
The masked man cradled his crushed hand and rolled all over the floor screaming. The crowd of ghosts also started shouting, some cheering, and some crying in shock. The person who struck out yelled, "You! What villainous heart! If you wished for wealth and fortune then no matter, but you wished for others to drop dead? If you wanted to bet then have the guts to bet your own life, and not the life and marriage of your daughter! You're not fit to be a man! Not fit to be a father!"
The young man had sword-like brows and stars for eyes, bursting with heroic aura. Although his clothes were simple and not a bit glamorous, his air of nobility couldn't be hidden away. It was none other than the Crown Prince of Yong'An – Lang Qianqiu.
Seeing him, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan both covered their faces at the same time in the crowd.
Xie Lian groaned, "...Lord Wind Master, did you... not tell him... to be a little more careful when coming here, and keep it low-key..."
Shi Qingxuan whined back, "...I...I told him, but...he's always like that...what can I do...had I known earlier...I would've planned for us to come down together....
Xie Lian sympathized, "I get it.... I understand..."
Just then, Hua Cheng chuckled lightly from behind the curtains.
Xie Lian's heart skipped a beat. The boy had often laughed when he was with Xie Lian, so now Xie Lian was able to tell somewhat whether the laughter was genuine happiness, mockery, or laced with killing intent.
A voice said lazily, "You must have guts of steel to start trouble here in my territory."
Lang Qianqiu turned to face the direction of the voice, fire within his eyes, "Are you the owner of this Gambler's Den?"
The crowd jeered, "Foolish bastard, do you even know who you're talking to? This is our lord."
Some sneered coldly, "Not only does he own this Gambler's Den, this entire Ghost City is his!"
Lang Qianqiu barely showed any reaction, but Shi Qingxuan, on the other hand, was completely taken aback, "My dear god, is that who I think it is behind the curtain?"
Xie Lian answered, "Yes... it's him."
Shi Qingxuan asked again, "Are you sure?!"
Xie Lian replied, "I'm certain."
Shi Qingxuan panicked, "We're dead, we're dead. What do we do about Qianqiu now?!"
Xie Lian said after a while, "...Let's hope he doesn't expose himself..."
Yet the more Lang Qianqiu looked around, the angrier he became, and demanded, "This hellish place reeks of smoke and corruption, and is filled to the brim with demonic chaos. What kind of scums are you? Just what do you think you're doing here? Running a place like this, you guys really don't have a single trace of humanity in you."
The crowd booed in unison, "We ain't humans anyway, what do we need humanity for? That sort of useless notion, whoever wants it can take it!"
"Who do you think you are, coming all the way here to point fingers at us!"
Hua Cheng said amused, "This den of mine had been a mad hellish place to begin with. There's a path for you in Heaven, but you refuse to take it and instead, chose to barge into Hell. What shall we do with you?"
After hearing the word 'heaven,' Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan immediately knew. Hua Cheng had already seen through Lang Qianqiu and knew exactly where he had come from.
Yet, Lang Qianqiu completely missed the meaning behind his words and slammed his hand down on the table once more. He was standing at the end of the table, and with this one strike, he sent the entire table flying towards the red shadow behind the curtains. Those who had originally gathered around the table dodged to the sides. However, the sitting silhouette behind the curtain didn't move. With a wave of his hand, the long table was flung back in the opposite direction, towards Lang Qianqiu.
Seeing the incoming flying object, Lang Qianqiu used one hand to push it back but then realized that it wasn't enough and switched to both hands. Seconds ticked by and blue veins gradually surfaced on his forehead. The once bustling hall now had people and ghosts fleeing and hiding. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan debated whether they should step in to help. Since they hadn't been exposed yet, they could continue to help out in the dark, but if they were to walk in openly, then they'd risk getting caught altogether.
On the other side, Lang Qianqiu exhaled loudly and finally pushed back the heavy, long table again. Behind the red curtains, Hua Cheng's figure was still leaning against the chair. He curled his five fingers into a fist and then released them lightly. Instantly, the table exploded into sawdust and flew towards Lang Qianqiu.
The force of this gust full of splinters was as sharp as knives, more fearful than any kind of weapon. If Lang Qianqiu was to keep his powers hidden and remain in his mortal form, he wouldn't be able to evade the attack no matter what. Thus, moments after, when his body started emitting a faint light, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan understood right away and panicked, "Oh no, he's going to reveal his true form!" But this layer of light suddenly vanished as soon as it appeared. Lang Qianqiu had probably remembered that he wasn't supposed to reveal his identity during this trip and caught himself in the last second before quickly withdrawing his power. Although Lang Qianqiu had taken a step back, Hua Cheng, on the other hand, didn't. The crimson figure sitting leisurely behind the red curtain made another hand gesture. This time, he pressed his fingers together and lightly flicked up.
With this one motion, Lang Qianqiu's body lifted off the ground. Like a starfish, his body was suspended on the ceiling of the gambling hall. Not realizing what had just happened, Lang Qianqiu was still incredibly confused as to how he suddenly started floating and struggled to break free. Xie Lian sighed in defeat, "Now that his power's been sealed, even if he wanted to use them, it'd be impossible."
Shi Qingxuan agreed, "Since the Ghost City is Hua Cheng's territory, if he wanted to seal it, then he could."
Even though Lang Qianqiu had been appended before the crowd, at least there was a merit that could be gained from it, which was the fact that his identity would be protected. If he had continued the brawl back then and released his powers, it would be hard to explain why Tai Hua-ZhenJun, the Eastern Martial God, would come to the Ghost City to wreak havoc. After all, over the course of the years, unless it was something extraordinary, Heaven and Hell all minded their own businesses.
Seeing that the boisterous guest that barged into the Gambler's Den had been detained, the crowd that fled returned and gathered in the hall once more. They pointed at the suspended Lang Qianqiu and laughed. Lang Qianqiu had never experienced this kind of humiliation before, and his face flushed red as he wordlessly struggled against the invisible binds. From time to time, a ghost from below would jump up in an attempt to pat his head. Fortunately, Hua Cheng had hung him fairly high up, far from reach, or else he would end up to be the embarrassment of the century. Hua Cheng chuckled from behind the curtains, "What an interesting catch today, I'll let you guys play with it. Whoever's lucky and wins big can take it home to roast."
The cheers that erupted within the hall were endless, "Bet on the roll! Let's bet on the roll! The highest roll can take him home to roast!"
"Aiyaya, this little gege looks pretty delicious, hehehehe..."
"Hahahahahaha, who's the fool now! That'll teach you to cause trouble around here!"
The four masked bouncers carried in a new long table and the crowd flocked to the area once again to start the next round of bets. The masked man who was clutching his hand and howling on the ground was long forgotten. The bet this time around was no other than Lang Qianqiu who was suspended in mid-air. Seeing that people on the other end were riled up, Shi Qingxuan anxiously paced back and forth, waving his hands around aimlessly, "What do we do? Should we go up and win him back? Or is it better to just fight?"
Xie Lian asked, "Lord Wind Master, how's your luck?"
Shi Qingxuan replied, "It's sometimes good, sometimes bad. There's no certainty in something like 'luck'."
Xie Lian said, "There can be. For example, look at me, I've never had any good luck."
Shi Qingxuan gaped, "Is it that bad?"
Xie Lian nodded gloomily, "Whenever I roll, the most I'd get is snake eyes."
Shi Qingxuan knitted his brows, but an idea came to him in an instant and he slapped his thigh, "How about this: since the most you can get is snake eyes, then you should bet on the lowest number. There can't be anyone who'd roll lower than you." After a moment of consideration, Xie Lian agreed, "You have a good point. Let me try." So, he found a place near the table and threw out a suggestion, "Why not switch the rules up a bit and see who can roll the smallest? The lowest roll wins, how about that?" The crowd around the table was chaotic, some agreed, some disagreed. Xie Lian decided to take two dice and give it a try first. Before he rolled, he chanted mentally, "small, small, small." The dice were tossed, and the two leaned in to take a look.
Two sixes!
Xie Lian: "...."
Shi Qingxuan: "...."
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead in defeat, "It seems that not even a change of rules could change my luck."
Shi Qingxuan mirrored his gestures, "Maybe it's better if we just fight."
Just then, a croupier walked towards the red curtains and leaned in as if trying to hear what the figure behind was saying. She nodded, raised her head and announced, "Everyone, can I have your attention please. The lord has an announcement to make."
Hearing that the lord had something to say, the crowd immediately dropped everything and fell silent. The croupier continued, "The lord said to change up the rules."
Chatter broke out in the crowds, "The lord is the rule!" "The rule is whatever the lord dictates!" "What are we changing it to?"
The croupier responded, "The lord said that he's in a good mood today and wanted to play a couple rounds with everyone. Anyone is free to bet against him. Whoever wins gets to take home the thing above. Whether if you want to steam it, boil it, fry it or pickle it, it's all up to you."
Hearing that they'd be betting against the lord, all the ghosts and demons started to have second thoughts. It seemed that Hua Cheng never really stepped in to gamble himself. Out of all the courageous ones, not one would dare to come up first. Above them, Lang Qianqiu struggled with endless determination. He barked, "What do you mean 'thing'? I'm not a thing! You dare to use me as a bet?"
His proclamation of not being a 'thing' was heard by the many female ghosts in the crowd. Giggling, they sent him lecherous looks while running their bloody sharp tongues across their lips as if they wanted to swallow him whole. Xie Lian thought, 'Sigh...this child. It's better if you speak less.' He sighed, stepped forward, and said softly, "If that's the case, then, please let me have a try."
Upon hearing his voice, the shadow behind the red curtains paused before slowly standing up. The croupier in front of the curtains smiled, "Then, please come forth, young master." Within the hall, demons and ghosts automatically parted for this brave warrior. When Xie Lian reached the end of the path, the croupier presented to him the polished black gambling cup in her hands, "Please go ahead."
To all the previous gamblers, she had always used a casual way of speaking. Despite the ordinary words that were uttered, her tone wasn't polite in the slightest. However, now, to Xie Lian, not only had she switched to using honorifics, but the tone was exceedingly polite and respectful. Xie Lian received the black gambling cup from her with a word of thanks and lightly cleared his throat. Since he never had any experience with something like gambling, he shook the cup randomly for a good while and pretended that he knew a thing or two. As he moved his hands, he raised his head and glanced at Lang Qianqiu who was hanging above. Lang Qianqiu's eyes were wide open, staring at him and thankfully, he didn't make a sound. His expression somehow made Xie Lian want to laugh, but he held it back. After a long shake, he finally stopped.
Countless pairs of eyes zoomed in on the cup in his hands and Xie Lian felt that somehow, this tiny little gambling cup had grown heavier. He didn't know if there was a right way to flip it. However, just when he was about to reveal the outcome, the croupier stopped him, "Wait."
"Is something the matter?" Xie Lian asked.
The croupier replied, "The lord said your cup shaking posture isn't quite right."
Xie Lian thought to himself, 'Was there really a correct way of doing this? Was all my bad luck before due to my bad posture?'
He asked modestly, "May I ask what the correct posture is?"
The croupier responded, "The lord has invited you to go up as he's willing to teach you."
Upon hearing that, the crowd of ghosts within the den voiced their discontent.
Xie Lian heard a ghost mutter, "To think the lord would teach him, does that mean he's gonna die?"
"The lord wants to do what??? Just who is this??? Why teach him???"
"Isn't that how we all shake cups? How is there even a right way of doing this?"
Xie Lian also wanted to ask the same question, but the croupier already motioned him towards the red curtains, "Please go ahead."
Thus, Xie Lian arrived in front of the red curtains with the black wooden gambling cup clutched in his hands. The silk curtain swayed gently, almost giving life to the red silhouette. The person behind the curtains was standing directly in front of him with only half an arm's distance between the two. Xie Lian held his breath as a hand parted the heavy red curtains and landed perfectly under his, supporting the gambling cup.
This was a right hand, white and elegant; the slender fingers had a red thread tied around the third.
Against the pitch black wooden cup, the white looked even paler and the red even more vivid. Slowly, Xie Lian lifted up his eyes. A youth roughly around the age of eighteen or nineteen silently stood behind the silk curtains that looked like red clouds.
It was San Lang.
His clothes were still the same maple red, and his skin white as snow. That same uniquely handsome face with incomparable youthful expression was now slightly more defined. That shyness of boyhood had morphed into one of calmness. He carried an air of wild playfulness that couldn't be tamed. The same eye that twinkled like stars never moved away from Xie Lian.
Although as bright as stars, there was only one left eye.
The other was hidden behind a black eyepatch.