On the vast, boundless ocean, the Pacific presented its magnificent, breathtaking blue hue—a color that evokes both fascination and a sense of awe with its mystery and vastness. There wasn't a single island in sight, nor a cloud in the sky. It felt as if they were submerged in a massive blue canvas, with no sense of direction or separation between sea and sky. Only the rippling wake behind the boat indicated that they were moving forward.
At first, being out on the sea felt refreshing, but after less than half an hour, it quickly became boring.
Even with bikini-clad girls and others dressed scantily, the boredom remained unshaken.
"Four Ks, declare."
After Zhao Manyan slammed down Mo Fan's card with a two, he arrogantly looked at Mo Fan, saying, "What now? You dare challenge me? Out here, it's all about reading the cards."
Mo Fan glanced at his hand, which contained four fives and a two, and shook his head, saying, "I'll let you off this time."
He wanted to respond, but his hand couldn't back it up.
And seeing Zhao Manyan's smug face, Jiang Yu, who had been waiting for his final move, unhesitatingly revealed his cards: "Four Aces."
Zhao Manyan's expression immediately soured. Seeing Jiang Yu's play, Zhao Manyan knew Jiang had two Jokers in his hand!
How did Mo Fan declare himself the landlord, yet the Jokers ended up with Jiang Yu?
Zhao Manyan's guess was right, but it didn't help his frustration. He was at a loss for words.
"Hehe, Mo Fan, there's no way this round is ending without at least three spiritual fragments." Seeing Zhao Manyan's arrogance, Jiang Yu was delighted, looking at the two Jokers in his hand.
"I advise you to be kind," Mo Fan said, with a twitch of his mouth.
"Joker bomb!"
Jiang Yu threw down the bomb, and Zhao Manyan was rendered speechless, his usual boasting now absent.
"Three," Jiang Yu played a small three, oblivious to Zhao Manyan's mood.
"No response."
Hearing Zhao Manyan's weak "No response," Jiang Yu's face turned grim as he exclaimed, "Dude, I played a three! Don't mess with me!"
"No response!" Zhao Manyan, his face dark, repeated.
"Hahaha!"
Mo Fan burst out laughing. He never expected such a dramatic turn of events to unfold before him.
Even Mu Nu Jiou, sitting beside him, laughed softly. Initially, she thought Mo Fan was going to lose big, but unexpectedly…
Without further hesitation, Mo Fan cautiously laid down a two.
As the final card was placed, Mo Fan turned serious and said, "You see, in life, it's not just about the cards you hold—it's about the teammates you have."
"Zhao Manyan, are you a pig? Why did you hold onto a three? Why not save the four Ks?" Jiang Yu, exasperated, couldn't believe it.
Blowing a bomb only to be left with the smallest card?
What kind of genius play was that?
If Zhao Manyan hadn't been so cocky earlier, Jiang Yu might have thought he was doing this on purpose to sabotage him.
"What could I do when he threw out a two?" Zhao Manyan was just as helpless.
He had been so confident because he thought Mo Fan had two Jokers but wouldn't have enough to win.
Who could have expected Jiang Yu to swoop in?
But in hindsight, it made sense. With a three in his hand, his teammate had no choice but to let it go.
"I'm done, I'm done!" Jiang Yu said, getting up in frustration.
Following Zhao Manyan had cost him half a spiritual seed's worth of money.
Mo Fan didn't mind. He had won a whole spiritual seed's worth with just a bit of thinking and a dash of luck.
With the game at a standstill, Mo Fan leaned into Mu Nu Jiou's soft embrace, his gaze drifting across the endless ocean—a sight that was both overwhelming and desolate.
Mu Nu Jiou, a bit shy, didn't push Mo Fan's head away.
As Mo Fan's brilliance continued to grow, all the barriers between them seemed to be fading. She felt like she could fully accept Mo Fan, and even her family would undoubtedly support their relationship.
This scene made both Zhao Manyan and Jiang Yu grind their teeth in jealousy.
Mu Nu Jiou was truly stunning. Compared to Mu Ningxue, her beauty could rival anyone, including the goddess-like figures in the group.
Mo Fan was such a lucky scoundrel. Not only was he skilled at cards and magic, but even when it came to girls, he seemed to always have the upper hand. The two of them were consumed with envy.
While they could handle him being lucky at cards and powerful in combat, why did he have to excel in romance too?
In their group, Jiang Shaoxu often flirted with Mo Fan. Mu Ningxue also had some subtle ties with him, and Nan Jue held him in high regard. Lastly, Mu Nu Jiou was practically his girlfriend.
Damn!
Though there were two girls left, one had a terrible temper, and the other treated everyone the same.
Mo Fan, not paying attention to their jealous grievances, said, "This is way too slow. Any water mages here? Speed things up, will you?"
"We could, but it's gonna drain a lot of magic," Zhao Manyan, the team's only water mage, replied.
"Consider it part of your training. At this rate, who knows when we'll reach Sakura Island?" Mo Fan said.
"Why the rush?" Zhao Manyan asked.
"Just worried about you getting bored," Mo Fan teased.
Zhao Manyan had to admit—he wasn't wrong!
If he couldn't score with the girls in their team, there were still plenty from other schools!
Sakura Island had its own charm, and just thinking about hearing those familiar voices from certain films got Zhao Manyan energized. He immediately sped up the luxury yacht.
With the boat now moving at a faster pace, almost like a speedboat, Mo Fan leaned closer to Mu Nu Jiou and suggested, "Since it's still boring, why don't we head to the cabin for a bit?"
Despite the faster pace, the journey still felt slow. Nestling into her softness had Mo Fan's mind wandering.
Mu Nu Jiou, though indulgent of him to an extent, still felt shy. She immediately pushed Mo Fan away and stood up, walking toward the deck.
If she went into the cabin with him now, the rest of the team would certainly know what they were up to!
She wasn't about to give them that satisfaction.
But not wanting to outright reject him, she chose to simply walk away. Seeing Mu Nu Jiou slip away, Mo Fan felt a little disappointed but then shifted his gaze to Mu Ningxue at the edge of the deck.
Mo Fan: I'm starting to think I'm a bit of a scoundrel!
But after coming to this world, putting in so much effort in his training, and spending years wandering desolate places for the sake of power, what was it all for?
To gain strength, wealth, and influence was, ultimately, to have more choices in life—to not be treated like a servant just for a meal, to not have to hesitate between pursuing a crush and staying at a job, and to not be forced to abandon something he loved, pretending it wasn't important.
Whether it's Mu Nu Jiou or Mu Ningxue, since they crossed paths, he had to have them both.
He wasn't someone to fall in love with every girl he met, but those who remained close to him for so long—he couldn't afford to miss out.
The mere thought of letting some other man take them from him felt like an insult to all the effort he had put into his training!
(End of Chapter)