Clink, clink, clink...
A series of crisp sounds echoed from the dice cup, but the rhythm was neither fast nor intense, nowhere near as rapid as the sounds Xiao Long had created earlier.
Yet, the gazes fixated on Hunter Liu suddenly grew tense.
Hunter Liu's movements were neither flashy nor quick. He shook the dice cup methodically, like the gentle swinging of a pendulum.
The simpler his motions, the more curious the onlookers became.
This was especially true for those who had previously dismissed him. These individuals, planning to ambush Hunter Liu and his companions, Liu Qin and Liu Huihui, after they left the Changhong Inn, were now filled with shock. They began to suspect this rural-looking youth might actually be a hidden expert pretending to be weak.
After all, he was facing someone like Xiao Long and still seemed unimpressed.
"Hmph, putting on airs."
Xiao Long sneered, his eyes brimming with disdain. In his mind, the reason Hunter Liu wasn't using flashy techniques was simply that he couldn't. Surely, this country bumpkin could only manage a basic shaking motion.
Though Hunter Liu had accurately guessed the dice total earlier, Xiao Long refused to believe it was because he had heard it. At best, it was just a lucky guess.
Xiao Long's dismissive expression did not escape the crowd's notice. A few bold onlookers even smirked mockingly. They were beginning to realize that Xiao Long might not be as unbeatable as he believed—and that the youth before him wasn't far behind in skill.
"Hey, little brother, pick up the pace! Don't let someone look down on you—someone..."
Out of nowhere, a voice rang out from the crowd. But before the speaker could finish, Xiao Long shot him a glare, and he quickly ducked back into the crowd, not daring to make another sound.
Even so, his words stirred a wave of excitement among the spectators. Their enthusiasm bubbled over as they all silently urged Hunter Liu to prove himself.
"Pick up the pace? Do you think my speed is something an ordinary person could match?"
Xiao Long remained indifferent, his gaze filled with disdain and arrogance.
"Speed? Do you think being fast is such a big deal?" Hunter Liu suddenly smiled faintly, his tone calm as he posed the question.
Xiao Long chuckled. "All I know is that it took me years of practice to achieve that level of speed. Someone like you, a country bumpkin, could never reach it. What's the matter? Not happy with me calling you a country bumpkin?"
"Indeed, I am a country bumpkin..."
Hunter Liu's soft laughter and straightforward acknowledgment left the crowd stunned. They couldn't understand why he would admit to such an insult. Normally, being called a country bumpkin was something to be ashamed of.
But Hunter Liu's face still carried a faint smile, signaling that he wasn't offended at all. So why did he agree so readily?
"However, if this country bumpkin's speed surpasses yours, then what does that make you?"
Hunter Liu's smile remained calm, neither disdainful nor arrogant. Yet, his hand movements gradually picked up speed.
Clink, clink, clink...
The crisp sound from the dice cup suddenly became rapid, and the pace of Hunter Liu's arm motion quickened as well.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At some point, under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Hunter Liu suddenly tossed the rapidly shaking dice cup into the air. At the same time, his left arm shot upward.
Rather than gripping the dice cup, Hunter Liu used the back of his hand to guide it. As the crowd gasped in astonishment, he bent his waist slightly. Amid the chaos of awed exclamations, the dice cup rolled from his left hand onto his back, then across to the back of his right hand.