Chapter 23 Beauty Market: Gambling

The place where beauties are buried is called the Beauty Ruins.

Xie Xingzheng handed the intelligence that his subordinates had just delivered that morning to Tang Yu.

She unfolded the letter; the ink was still wet on the paper, and three large characters came into view: "Ruyi Fang".

“He doesn’t have a fixed place to stay,” Xie Xingzheng explained in a deep voice. “He usually hangs out in various gambling dens. When he wins, he sleeps in an inn; when he loses, he sleeps under a bridge. Ruyi Fang is a well-known gambling den in Zhongjing. I heard he’s been there for two days. If we go there now, we should be able to catch him red-handed.”

Tang Yu lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "It would be really inappropriate to capture someone rashly."

Looking up again, she smiled most sincerely. "Now that we are getting closer to the truth, we should be even more careful. I happen to know a little about disguise, so why don't I disguise myself for you all and go sound out what they think?"

"Excellent!" Wang Shanyue perked up upon hearing this and excitedly replied, "Let's bring the person back together first. We'll have plenty of ways to deal with him then. We're not afraid he won't talk."

“But how could A-Liang let you go?” Xie Xingzheng’s indifferent words instantly extinguished his enthusiasm.

Xiao Fangliang was born into a prominent family with strict upbringing. He was proud, picky, and self-disciplined, showing no tolerance even towards Wang Shanyue. The fact that the two, with such contrasting personalities, could become such close friends has always intrigued Tang Yu.

She couldn't help but tease, "Music houses are out of the question, and gambling dens are out of the question too. It seems that Brother Wang was easily led astray when he was young, which is why Brother Xiao is so strict with him."

Wang Shanyue deflated, his eyes darting around nervously. Embarrassed, he could only slink away to prepare the clothes the two of them needed.

Although he wasn't going with her, Tang Yu didn't let him sit idle. She instructed him and Xiao Fangliang to investigate the patrons who had dealings with Yueying.

Having something to do immediately gave Wang Shanyue more energy.

After disguising themselves, Tang Yu and Xie Xingzheng headed straight for Ruyi Fang.

Even though this is one of the top gambling dens in Zhongjing, seemingly bustling with activity, it is still a place filled with smoke and grime. The clattering of dice cups mixed with the shouts of gamblers, making the air thick and murky.

There were so many people betting at each gambling table, and even more watching from all sides, that the entire gambling den was packed to the brim. No one was willing to give way to others; some, blinded by their losses, even shoved aside Tang Yu, who was pushing through the crowd to find him.

She lost her balance and stumbled backward half a step, but her back was firmly supported by a pair of large hands, which belonged to Xie Xingzheng.

The man was still engrossed in the game when Xie Xingzheng grabbed his wrist, causing him to cry out in pain. Those around him glanced at him briefly, then returned their attention to the gambling table.

Xie Xingzheng had no intention of making things difficult, and finally let go. The man immediately glared at him angrily, his eyes fierce, but when he met Xie Xingzheng's cold and chilling gaze, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Even with his disguise, Xie Xingzheng's intimidating and murderous aura still sent a chill down the other party's spine, causing them to slink away in shame.

It was just a minor incident and didn't hinder their search for the person.

After weaving through the crowd, the two finally found their target at a betting table.

The man was disheveled and dressed in rags, but his eyes shone with a frightening light, like a starving jackal, eager to devour all the gold and silver on the table.

Xie Xingzheng approached, subtly taking his hand as it reached for the gambling table, and whispered, "May I speak to you in private?"

The man abruptly shook off the two men surrounding him, ignoring them completely. He hurriedly placed all his coins on the "small" hand, grinning and closing his eyes in a prayer-like gesture, muttering, "I always win at gambling, I always win at gambling..."

Xie Xingzheng's eyes darkened, and he raised his hand to drag the person out by force, but a folding fan lightly pressed down on his wrist.

"Wait a minute." Tang Yu smiled and leaned closer, tossing a silver ingot onto the "big" character, which was the complete opposite of Shi Wuduo.

"Why don't we try our luck with a bet?"

Seeing the smile in her eyes, Xie Xingzheng knew she had other plans, so he stopped and took a step back.

Place your bets, the dice cup is set, six, five, six—big!

When he saw the result, he first clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, then his eyes were fixed on the money that Tang Yu had taken away, filled with jealousy and longing.

Bao Guan urged everyone to place their bets, but he frantically searched his entire body and couldn't find a single coin.

Tang Yu generously pushed a piece of silver ingot in front of him, her smile bright: "How about another round?"

Shi Wuduo's eyes gleamed, he licked his chapped lips, and nodded hurriedly.

“Ordinary gambling games are too boring…” Tang Yu said, as he casually produced a strand of Thousand Silkworm Spider Silk from his fingertips and let him glance at it.

Although Shi Wuduo looked like a street ruffian, he was definitely knowledgeable and knew his stuff, recognizing the item at a glance. It was quite valuable on the black market, and there was practically no market for it.

"If you win, it's yours." Tang Yu put away the spider silk, her smile kind. "If you lose, you only need to answer one question for me."

At that moment, Shi Wuduo didn't care whether he could answer her question or not. Driven by his gambler's instincts, he immediately nodded in agreement.

He swallowed hard, cautiously reaching out his hand, intending to bet on "small" again. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a faint, enigmatic smile on Tang Yu's lips, and his heart tightened. He gritted his teeth and placed his bet on "big".

Tang Yu, however, paid no attention to his hesitation and calmly pushed all the chips onto the "leopard" in the middle.

"You!" Shi Wuduo's eyes widened.

Even Bao Guan was stunned, repeatedly asking, "Sir, are you sure?"

Tang Yu remained calm and showed no worry whatsoever; instead, she nodded confidently.

Seeing his expression, Bao Guan felt uneasy and checked the dice again. After confirming that there was no problem, he shook the dice more carefully than usual.

The dice cup slammed onto the table with a resounding "thud," striking everyone's hearts. Instantly, the crowd at the gambling table fell silent, a stark contrast to the noisy casino.

The lid is lifted—six sixes! A leopard!

Everyone gasped, and cold sweat trickled down Bao Guan's forehead.

If it's a leopard, the casino will have to pay out ten times the amount.

Tang Yu was not surprised, and simply instructed in a low voice: "Exchange the silver for silver notes and send them to Wangyuan Escort Agency."

She wasn't worried about the gambling den making things difficult for her. She hadn't bet much to begin with, and even if she lost ten times her stake, it would be nothing more than a drop in the ocean in the eyes of the gambling den.

Shi Wushu stood there dumbfounded, his eyes almost popping out.

Having spent decades in the casino business, he could naturally tell that this person was not a gambler. He also knew that casinos always only profit and never lose; even if you win today, as long as you gamble again tomorrow, you will eventually lose it all.

How did this person manage to ensure that he would win?

Tang Yu leaned closer at that moment and asked in a low voice, "A very simple question: Where is the Beauty Ruins?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Shi Wuduo's eyes, but he quickly composed himself and forced a smile: "Beauty Ruins, Beauty Ruins, the place where beauties are buried, is called Beauty Ruins, so naturally... it is underground in Zhongjing."

"Alright, then I've finished asking." Tang Yu's smile remained unchanged as she turned and pulled Xie Xingzheng out, her movements swift and decisive, without a trace of reluctance.

Xie Xingzheng frowned slightly. The other party's answer was practically nothing. Why did she give up?

Before he could take more than a few steps, Shi Wuduo hurriedly caught up, "Oh dear young master! This is such a bad deal!"

He rubbed his hands together, his gaze fixed on the cloth bag at Tang Yu's waist, his eyes gleaming with greed. "I know quite a bit about it, even which deities are inside... How about we make another bet?"

"No." Tang Yu sighed, casually toying with her folding fan, her tone languid: "Asking more questions won't get me in, and I won't be able to see what it's like. It will only make me more itchy."

Before she finished speaking, she magically produced the Thousand Silkworm Spider Silk. With a flick of her fingertip, several copper coins were tossed up and dropped, instantly caught by the silk. With a gentle hook of her little finger, the coins flipped over, all facing up.

Shi Wuduo's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and he was drooling. He even coveted the idea of ​​reaching out to touch it. But Tang Yu had already put away the silk thread, turned around, and pulled Xie Xingzheng away.

"I can take you in!!" Shi Wuduo grabbed her sleeve urgently, his voice cracking with excitement, "As long as... you... gamble with me one more time!"

"Oh?" Tang Yu stopped, feigning helplessness, but a sly smile curled at the corner of her lips. "Then I... will reluctantly agree."

Xie Xingzheng stood by with his arms crossed, clearly seeing the deep smile in her eyes.

She could have just pressed him directly, but she chose to lure him into begging her; she had the upper hand, but she pretended to be helpless.

Really... loves to play pranks on people.

He sighed inwardly, unaware of the fleeting, faint smile that crossed his mind.

*

Shi Wuduo followed the two back to the escort agency, rambling on and on: "For ordinary people to enter this Beauty Market, they either need to have connections to the highest levels or have spent all their money. The identity checks in that place are extremely strict, after all, it's not a legitimate business. If we're talking about Zhongjing, who can bring you in? It has to be me, Shi Wuduo!"

"Oh?" Tang Yu smiled gently, her eyes full of curiosity. "If it's as strict as you say, how are you going to get us in?"

“Of course, there’s a small condition.” Shi Wuduo, with his shifty eyes, lowered his voice and said, “You need to find a woman from another race.”

After saying that, he glanced at Xie Xingzheng and chuckled, "I suppose it won't be a difficult task for Young General Xie?"

Xie Xingzheng frowned slightly upon hearing this, not expecting that even with disguise, Shi Wuduo still recognized him.

His cold gaze swept over them, as sharp as snow and frost. "You don't mean to try and buy our way into the Beauty Market, do you?"

"Oh my, General Xie is truly clever!" Shi Wuduo flattered, completely oblivious to the fact that Xie's face was gradually darkening, and he continued to offer terrible advice, "There are so many criminal women from the Southern Frontier in Zhongjing, just grab one at random..."

"absurd!"

Xie Xingzheng's low growl carried a rare hint of anger. His gaze was like a knife. "This criminal woman is also an ordinary citizen. Even if she is of a different race, she has already been judged and imprisoned by the laws of the Great Xia. Even if she is imprisoned, she is by no means something you can control at will!"

Women from other ethnic groups already faced extremely harsh living conditions in Zhongjing; if they were also criminals, they had absolutely no human rights. But in Xie Xingzheng's eyes, they were still "people," not objects to be bought and sold at will.

Moreover, the situation within the Beauty Ruins is still unknown. Even if they are of a different race or sinners, they should not disregard the wishes of others and trample upon and exploit them at will.

Shi Wuduo was forced to retreat repeatedly by this fierce aura, cold sweat pouring down his forehead, and his previous slick demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

His lips trembled, he opened his mouth but couldn't speak, not knowing which sentence he had said wrong, and stood there awkwardly.

The atmosphere became as still as a stagnant pool.

Tang Yu leaned casually to the side, her gaze falling on his brows where his anger had not yet subsided, a slight smile playing on her lips, revealing a hint of amusement.

This person is probably a soft-hearted stone.

[Author's Note]

Xie Xingzheng: How come you're proficient in eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring?

Tang Yu (smugly): I'm awesome!

Xie Xingzheng: ... (What's there to be proud of?)