Shen Xun said reluctantly, "Actually, you can go by yourself."

Qinghe: "No, you have to help me."

Shen Xun, as if struck by a sudden thought, looked at her in horror: "You're not going to drag me to beg, are you?"

Qinghe didn't say anything, but walked to a gambling den and stopped.

Shen Xun asked in surprise, "You can gamble?"

Qing smiled mysteriously: "No."

"Then are you still going?"

“I can learn.”

...

The largest gambling den in Luochuan City—Happy Pavilion.

This place is never short of customers; there's a constant stream of visitors from morning till night.

Upon entering, the noise and commotion filled the air, and the atmosphere was quite lively due to the crowd. Qinghe tugged at her collar and scanned the entire room with her bright eyes.

As the largest gambling den, it naturally offers a wide variety of gambling options, including cockfighting, tortoise racing, bamboo dice games, and some other games I've never seen before.

The most eye-catching thing was a long table in the middle of the hall, with a woman sitting in the center of the table. She wore a light pink gauze dress, through which a high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) could be vaguely seen. Her long hair was tied up high and secured with a thin hairpin. A water pipe was attached to her waist. Her phoenix eyes were captivating and alluring.

The men surrounding the table looked at her with greedy eyes, but none of them dared to approach her or flirt with her; they even kept their distance.

Qinghe came to the table and looked at it. On the two sides of the table were two red characters, one large and one small, and next to each character were piles of gleaming silver. A group of people were shouting "Big or small!" and their faces were red and their necks were thick.

The dice cup swung around in the woman's hand again and again until everyone's interest was at its peak, then she slammed it down on the table and said with a slight parting of her red lips, "Place your bets now, big or small, everyone has seen it all."

Upon opening the cup, all three bone dice on the plate showed a three, which equals nine – a big win.

Those who bet big cheered and happily took back their winnings, while those who bet small were unwilling to accept defeat and clamored for another round.

A new game was about to begin. Qinghe stepped forward, flicked her jade finger, and a tael of silver rolled into the large area.

A moment of silence fell over the crowd, followed by a burst of laughter. Someone scoffed, "You dare to come here without even knowing the rules of the Happy Pavilion? You look like a poor wretch. Be careful the boss doesn't throw you out like a beggar!"

Qinghe had disguised himself before entering, and now he looked like an ordinary person, dressed in a gray shirt, and at first glance he really looked like a beggar.

Hearing this, she wasn't angry at all, and patiently asked, "What rules?"

No one answered, but a thin young man next to him took the initiative to explain: "At the Happy Pavilion, no matter what kind of gambling game it is, the base amount cannot exceed fifty taels."

Qinghe raised an eyebrow at the mountain of silver piled on the table and asked, "Can jewelry be used instead?"

Young man: "Yes, but we only accept jade items, nothing else."

Qinghe lowered his head in thought, while the people around him said impatiently, "Never mind her, let's start!"

Just as the beautiful woman began shaking the dice cup, Qinghe took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and said, "Then, what about this?"

The porcelain bottle was opened, and an unusual fragrance instantly filled the entire gambling den. Even those who were gambling enthusiastically in the distance quieted down and craned their necks to find the source of the fragrance.

During the time Qinghe was deep in thought, his divine sense spread out. Most of the people in this gambling den had shallow cultivation levels. They were either not talented or addicted to luxury and unwilling to cultivate. But no matter what the reason, they all had an eager desire for elixirs.

Money can make the devil turn the millstone, but it can't necessarily buy good pills, let alone the sacred pills that Qinghe brought out, which are even more rare and hard to come by.

The quiet atmosphere was quickly broken when the beautiful woman parted her red lips and said, "Young lady, your skill is extraordinary. Isn't it a waste to use such a high-grade elixir for gambling?"

Qinghe stared at her: "In your opinion, what should be done?"

The beautiful woman chuckled, her laughter sending chills down everyone's spines: "It just so happens that my boss is very interested in elixirs. How about you move upstairs, miss?"

With a flicker of his eyes, Qinghe nodded slightly.

"Please continue, everyone. I must take my leave." The beautiful woman stepped down from the table and led Qing and Shen Xun upstairs.

After Qinghe left, the gambling den returned to its noisy state, as if nothing had happened. However, some people still looked up at the second floor with envy in their eyes, but they only dared to grumble a few words. After all, not many people dared to mess with the owner of this pleasure house.

Unlike the noisy first floor, the second floor is elegant and quiet, with a refreshing tea aroma and a unique scent, like incense, in the air.

“It’s Qinzhu Xiang.” The beautiful woman turned around and smiled. “My boss loves to brew tea and set out incense, saying that ‘fragrance can purify the heart, and is the mark of a gentleman.’ I don’t know anything about these things.”

Qinghe: "You're too modest, young lady."

They soon arrived at a room. The beautiful woman knocked on the door three times, and after receiving permission from the person inside, she left, leaving Qing and Shen Xun alone.

The first thing you see when you open the door is not a person, but a square screen with exquisite carvings. Upon closer inspection, you'll find that it's made of the finest Phoebe zhennan wood.

Stepping past the screen, a person was kneeling beside a table, brewing fresh tea. Upon seeing Qing and the other two, he gestured for them to sit down.

Qinghe looked around the room. There were no extra decorations, only two kneeling cushions. She pursed her lips and sat down.

Looking at the boss up close, he was handsome and refined, with smooth skin that was even whiter than a woman's. He wore a red robe with a black belt, and his long hair hung down, exuding a lazy and alluring charm.

Qinghe twitched his nose and caught a whiff of the pleasant scent of ink.

"May I take a look at the sacred-grade elixir in your hand, young lady?"

Looking up, his eyelashes slightly open, Qinghe was surprised to find that his eyes were actually red.

He took out a porcelain bottle and poured out the elixir; its unique fragrance immediately overpowered all other scents in the room.

He took the pill with his slender fingers, and after a moment let out a series of deep, magnetic laughs, saying, "Name your price, young lady, I'll take this pill."

Qinghe smiled slightly: "I like straightforward people. One price, five thousand taels."

Upon hearing this, Shen Xun, who was sitting quietly to the side, almost collapsed.

This guy must be desperate for money. Five thousand taels? He really dares to say that.

The red-clad boss was indeed a wealthy man. Hearing the exorbitant price, he didn't even flinch. With a wave of his hand, five silver notes worth one thousand taels each appeared on the table.

Shen Xun was speechless; one dared to ask, and the other dared to give.

Qinghe's eyes were glued to the silver notes: "Which bank can exchange them?"

The red-clad shopkeeper said, "These banknotes are valid everywhere and can be exchanged at any money exchange."

Qinghe nodded, "That's fine then."

Just as she was about to leave, the red-robed shopkeeper's voice came from behind her: "Although it's a bit impolite, I still want to ask, where did you get your elixir, young lady?"

Qinghe turned around and said calmly, "The boss is a sensible man. Businesses don't ask about the source of the goods; that's the rule of the underworld, isn't it?"

After saying that, he left the room without lingering.

The room returned to calm, and the pill in his hand shimmered with light, containing a rich spiritual energy.

Her red eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of her lips curled into a captivating smile, exuding an alluring charm.