Although Hua Cheng's words were filled with contempt and were extremely impolite, once he opened his mouth, the man allowed others to laugh at him without daring to argue. The maid who had brought Xie Lian said, "Young Master, you are truly lucky today."
Xie Lian's gaze remained fixed on her. "What do you mean?"
The maidservant said, "Our city lord rarely comes here to play. He just suddenly felt like it these past few days. Is this just bad luck?"
Judging from her tone, it was clear that she admired and respected this "city lord" very much. Just being able to meet him would be a great blessing. Xie Lian couldn't help but smile slightly.
The curtains were made of gauze, casting a hazy crimson shadow. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful. Before the red curtain stood several attractive women, manning the gambling tables. Xie Lian had initially planned to simply stand outside and watch, but upon hearing Hua Cheng's voice, he began to try to squeeze in, though he remained silent. He squeezed his way to the third level and finally spotted the man placing bets at the gambling table.
It was a living person. Xie Lian wasn't surprised. He'd been told long ago that the Ghost Market wasn't just populated by ghosts, but also by numerous mortal cultivators. Sometimes, the dying, or those harboring suicidal thoughts, would stray in. This man, too, wore a mask, revealing two bloodshot eyes, so red they looked as if they were about to bleed. His lips were pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in days. Although he was a living person, he looked even more like a ghost than the others present.
He held a black wooden gambling cup on the table tightly with both hands. After a moment's hesitation, he seemed to have given up everything and said, "But... then why was that person allowed to bet his legs?"
A young woman in front of the curtain laughed and said, "That man just now was a swift thief. His legs were so powerful that he could travel far and wide. They were the foundation of his livelihood, so those legs were worth using as leverage. You're neither a craftsman nor a famous doctor, so what's the point of your one hand?"
The man gritted his teeth and said, "Then I... I'll bet my daughter's life span for ten years!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Lian was stunned. He thought to himself, “How could there actually be a father in this world who would gamble with his own child’s life? Is this even acceptable?”
Behind the curtain, Hua Cheng laughed and said, "Okay."
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Xie Lian heard a hint of coldness in the word "OK".
He thought to himself, "Sanlang said he's always lucky and always draws the best lots. If he gambles with this guy, won't he definitely win ten years of his daughter's life?"
Just as I was thinking this, I heard the girl at the long table shout in a delicate voice, "Even numbers lose, odd numbers win. Once you open the cup, there is no regret. Please!"
It turned out that Huacheng had no intention of gambling. The man trembled violently, his hands tightly gripping the gambling cup. He shook it violently, and the hall quieted down a little. The sound of the dice clattering in the gambling cup became even more crisp. After a long moment, his movements came to an abrupt halt, and then there was a dead silence.
After a long time, the man slowly pried up a corner of the gambling cup, took a peek through the crack, and his bloodshot eyes suddenly widened.
He suddenly flipped up the wooden cup and said ecstatically, "Single! Single! Single! I win! I win! Haha ...
The people and ghosts gathered around the long table didn't want to see this result. They all slammed their hands on the table and started to boo, expressing their dissatisfaction. A girl smiled and said, "Congratulations. Your business will soon improve."
The man laughed for a while and then shouted, "Wait! I want to bet again."
The girl said, "Welcome. What do you want this time?"
The man's face darkened and he said, "I want it. I want all my rivals in the same business to die suddenly!"
Hearing this, the hall erupted in tuts of delight. The girl covered her mouth with her hand and laughed, "If that's what you're asking for, it's a bit more difficult than what you just asked for. Would you consider asking for something else? Like, maybe something to take your business to the next level?"
But the man said with red eyes: "No! This is what I want to bet on. This is what I want to bet on."
The girl said, "If that's what you're asking for, ten years of your daughter's life might not be enough."
The man said, "If it's not enough, add more. I'll bet my daughter's twenty years of life, plus... plus her marriage!"
The ghosts were in an uproar, laughing loudly, "This father is absolutely mad! He's selling his daughter!"
"That's amazing, that's amazing!"
The girl said, "Even numbers mean loss, odd numbers mean victory. Once you open the cup, there is no going back. Please!"
The man began shaking his gambling cup again. If he lost, his daughter would lose twenty years of her life and her marriage, which was naturally bad; but if he won, would all his colleagues really die suddenly? Xie Lian felt that Hua Cheng would not let such a thing happen, but after some hesitation, he stepped forward a little. He was still debating whether to take action and try a little trick when someone grabbed him. He turned around and saw that it was Shi Qingxuan.
Shi Qingxuan had returned to his male form and whispered, "Don't be impulsive."
Xie Lian also whispered, "Master Fengshi, how did you change back again?"
Shi Qingxuan said, "Oh, it's hard to put it into words. That group of aunties and girls dragged me away, saying they wanted to recommend a good shop to me. I finally managed to escape, but I was afraid of being caught by them again, so I had to change back. They dragged me to a place and smeared a lot of stuff on my face. They pulled, tugged, slapped, and hit me. Look at my face, is there anything wrong? Is there anything wrong?"
He brought his face close to Xie Lian, who took a closer look and said honestly, "It seems to be smoother and whiter."
Upon hearing this, Shi Qingxuan's face lit up and he said, "Really? That's great, hahahaha. Where's the mirror? Where's the mirror? Let me see."
Xie Lian said, “We’ll see later. There’s no way to communicate with spirits in this ghost market, so we must not get separated again. By the way, Master Fengshi, how did you know I was here?”
Shi Qingxuan said, "I had no idea you were here. I came here because Qianqiu and I had an appointment to meet here. I came here first after we got separated a while ago. Who knew I would see you when I came in."
Xie Lian asked, “You made an appointment with Qian Qiu? Meet up here?”
Shi Qingxuan said, "Yes, Qianqiu is Lang Qianqiu, Your Highness Taihua, you should know this, right? He is the Martial God who guards the east. Since we are here, it is better for us to meet him. The Ghost Gambling House is one of the most bustling and mixed places in the Ghost Market. It is a landmark building with many people and ghosts coming and going. It is not easy to arouse suspicion, so I told him before that we should meet here."
Xie Lian nodded slightly. Turning back, the man hadn't even started yet. His eyes were rolled back, and he was mumbling something, just like any other ghost dancing around in the casino. He sighed, "This guy..."
Shi Qingxuan touched his face and said, "I know what you're going to say, and I agree. However, the Ghost Market is Huacheng's territory, and the rules of the Ghost Gambling House are based on mutual consent. If you dare to gamble, you can play. The Heaven Realm has no right to interfere. Let's wait and see what happens. If it doesn't work, we can find another way."
Xie Lian pondered for a moment, thinking that San Lang wouldn't let such a thing happen. It would be best to wait and see what would happen, so he didn't move. The man at the table seemed to have finally mustered up the courage and cracked the gambling cup a little, about to reveal the result. But at that moment, someone suddenly rushed out and smashed the black wooden gambling cup with a palm, shattering it to pieces!
This palm strike not only broke the gambling cup, but also shattered the man's hand that was covering the gambling cup, and even created a crack on the entire table.
The masked man, clutching his shattered hand, rolled on the ground and screamed. The ghosts also cried out, some applauding, others shrieking in shock. The man then attacked, shouting, "You are such a vicious person! You seek wealth and glory, that's fine, but you're asking for someone else's sudden death?! You want to gamble? Why not gamble your own life, your daughter's lifespan and marriage? You're not worthy of being a man, not worthy of being a father!"
This young man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, and was full of heroic spirit. Although he was only wearing a simple black robe and no fancy clothes, his noble air could not be concealed. Who else could it be but His Royal Highness Lang Qianqiu, the Crown Prince of Yong'an?
Seeing him, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan, who were among the ghosts, simultaneously covered their faces.
Xie Lian groaned, “…Master Fengshi, didn’t you… tell him… to be careful here and keep a low profile…”
Shi Qingxuan also groaned, "...I...I said it, but...he is just that kind of person...I can't help it...If I had known earlier...we should have made an appointment with him to come down together..."
Xie Lian said, “I understand… I understand…”
At this moment, Hua Cheng behind the curtain chuckled.
Xie Lian's heart also hung in the balance.
This young man would often laugh when he was with him. By now, Xie Lian could almost tell when he was being sincere, when he was being sarcastic, and when he was murderous.
He just said leisurely, "You're quite brave to come to my place and cause trouble."
Lang Qianqiu turned over there, his eyes piercing as he asked, "Are you the owner of this gambling house?"
The ghosts on all sides sneered, "You ignorant little brat, do you know who you are talking to? This is our city lord."
Some people also sneered: "It's not just this ghost gambling house. This entire ghost market belongs to him!"
Hearing this, Lang Qianqiu showed no reaction, but Shi Qingxuan was startled and said, "Oh my god, that person behind there, could it be that person?! Blood Rain Tanhua???"
Xie Lian said, “Hmm…it’s him.”
Shi Qingxuan said: "Are you sure?!"
Xie Lian said, “I’m sure.”
Shi Qingxuan said: "Dead, dead. What should Qianqiu do now?!"
Xie Lian said, “…I hope he won’t reveal his identity…”
Lang Qianqiu looked around, becoming increasingly angry. "This damn place is filled with smoke and foul smells, filled with demons and demons. What kind of creatures come here, and what kind of things do they do? You guys are completely devoid of humanity, running a place like this!"
The ghosts booed and said, "We are not human to begin with, so why should we ask for humanity? Whoever wants that thing can take it!"
"Who the hell are you, coming here to tell us what to do?"
Hua Cheng laughed and said, "My place is originally a carnival hell. There is a road to heaven but you don't take it, there is no door to hell but you break in, so what can I do?"
Upon hearing the word "heaven", Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan instantly understood.
Huacheng had indeed figured out where Lang Qianqiu came from!
However, Lang Qianqiu didn't understand the meaning behind these words at all. He struck the long table again with his palm. He was standing at the end of the table. Everyone around the table dodged, and the long table rushed straight towards the red figure behind the curtain. But the figure behind the curtain remained seated and waved his hand slightly, and the long table rushed back in the opposite direction, crashing into Lang Qianqiu.
Seeing the long table's counterattack, Lang Qianqiu first tried to hold it with one hand, but then, realizing it wasn't enough, he switched to both. As he held on, a faint vein began to appear on his forehead. The once bustling hall was dodging and running. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan were undecided about whether to help. After all, they were still relatively unexposed and could assist from the shadows. If they really jumped out to help, they would be in for a surprise.
Lang Qianqiu shouted, finally pushing the heavy table back again. Behind the red curtain, Hua Cheng's shadow still leaned sideways, gently clenching his fingers and then releasing them. The table instantly shattered into countless pieces of wood, which flew towards Lang Qianqiu.
These sawdust carried an extremely sharp blade-like wind, more terrifying than any hidden weapon. If Lang Qianqiu still concealed his magical power and maintained his human form, he would be unable to evade it. The next moment, a faint spiritual light emanated from him. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan immediately understood, thinking: Oh no, this is about to transform into a Dharma body!
However, this faint aura quickly faded. Perhaps Lang Qianqiu finally remembered that he couldn't reveal his identity on this trip, so he quickly withdrew the aura at the critical moment. However, Lang Qianqiu withdrew, but Huacheng would not. The red-clothed figure sat behind the red curtain and changed his gesture, pressing his five fingers together and slightly raising them upwards.
With this lift, Lang Qianqiu suddenly rose into the air, in the shape of a big letter, floating above the ceiling of the casino lobby!
After being trapped, Lang Qianqiu seemed to have not yet figured out how he had suddenly floated up, and struggled a few times with a confused look on his face. Xie Lian said with a headache, "His magic power has been locked up. Now he can't transform into a Dharma body."
Shi Qingxuan said, "The Ghost Market is Huacheng's territory, and it can be locked up if needed."
Although Lang Qianqiu was currently under someone's control, there was one upside: his true identity was likely kept a secret. Otherwise, if he had transformed into a Dharma body during the fight and let anyone know that the Eastern Martial God Taihua Zhenjun had come to the Ghost Market to cause trouble, it wouldn't have been so easy to resolve. After all, for so many years, except for some special events, the heavenly realm and the ghost realm had remained relatively isolated.
The uninvited guests who had caused trouble in the gambling house were locked up. The people and ghosts who had escaped had all returned and gathered in the lobby. They pointed and laughed at Lang Qianqiu who was chained in the air above. Lang Qianqiu had probably never been in such a predicament before. His face flushed slightly. Without saying a word, he secretly exerted his strength, trying to break free from the invisible binding. Ghosts below would jump up from time to time and try to pat his head. Fortunately, Huacheng hung him very high and could not pat him, otherwise it would be a great humiliation. Huacheng smiled behind the red curtain and said, "We caught something like this today. You can play with it. Whoever is lucky enough to win a big bet will take it back and cook it."
Upon hearing this, the hall erupted in cheers and screams: "Bet on big or small! Bet on big or small! The one with the highest points gets taken back and cooked!"
"Oh my, this little guy looks very healthy, hehe..."
"Hahahahahahaha, you're so stupid! I'll tell you whose territory you're causing trouble on!"
Four masked men brought in a new long table. No one paid any attention to the masked man, who was writhing on the ground with his hands folded, wailing. Everyone and everyone gathered around the table again, and the next round of gambling began. This time, the stakes were on Lang Qianqiu, who hung in the air. Seeing the gambling going on, Shi Qingxuan paced back and forth, shaking his hands anxiously. "What should we do? Should we go up and bet him back? Or should we just start a fight?"
Xie Lian asked, “Master Wind Master, how’s your luck?”
Shi Qingxuan said, "Of course it's sometimes good and sometimes bad. How can you say for sure about luck?"
Xie Lian said, "Yes. For example, I've never had a good life."
Shi Qingxuan asked, "So miserable?"
Xie Lian nodded solemnly and said, "I rolled the dice, and the maximum is two."
Shi Qingxuan frowned, then immediately came up with an idea. He clapped his hands and said, "How about this? Since your maximum is two, you can compete with others to see who rolls the lowest number. I'm sure no one can roll a lower number than you."
Xie Lian thought about it and said, "That makes sense. I'll give it a try."
So, he came over to the long table and said, "How about we change the rules and see who rolls the lowest number? Whoever rolls the lowest number wins. How about that?"
The table was in a commotion, with some saying it was good, others not. Xie Lian then grabbed two dice and tried rolling them.
He muttered to himself, "Small, small, small." After he threw the dice, two people came over to take a look - two sixes!
Xie Lian: “…”
Shi Qingxuan: “…”
Xie Lian rubbed his brow and said, "It seems that good or bad luck doesn't change just because the rules change."
Shi Qingxuan also imitated him and rubbed his eyebrows, saying: "Why don't we just start fighting directly."
At this time, a girl approached the red curtain and leaned forward slightly, as if listening to what the person behind the curtain said. She nodded, then raised her head and said in a loud voice, "Please be quiet, everyone. The city lord has something to say."
As soon as she said the City Lord had something to say, the ghosts immediately stopped and became extremely quiet. The girl said, "The City Lord said that the rules should be changed."
The ghosts all said: "The city lord is the rule!"
"Whatever the city lord says is what it is!"
"What will it be changed to?"
The girl said, "The city lord said he's in a good mood today and wants to play a few games with everyone. You can bet with him, and the winner can carry this thing up there. Whether you steam it, boil it, fry it, stir-fry it, or pickle it, it's all up to the winner."
Upon hearing they were about to bet with the City Lord, the ghosts hesitated. It seemed Hua Cheng was a man who never played. A few bolder ones were eager to try, but none dared to be the first to step up. Lang Qianqiu, who had been struggling above them, angrily shouted, "What do you mean by this thing? I'm not a thing. Why are you using me as a bet?"
He shouted, "I'm nothing," and many of the female ghosts chuckled. They stared at Lang Qianqiu with blatant eyes, their blood-red tongues swiping across his lips, as if they were eager to devour him. Xie Lian thought to himself, "Ah... this kid. You better keep your mouth shut."
Sighing silently, he stood up and said gently, "If that's the case, then please let me give it a try."
Hearing this, the figure behind the red curtain paused, then slowly stood up.
The girl in front of the curtain smiled and said, "Then please ask this gentleman to come forward."
Inside the hall, everyone, including the ghosts, automatically made way for the warrior. Xie Lian stepped forward, and the woman held out a shiny black gambling cup with both hands, saying, "You go first."
She had previously addressed the other gamblers with the term "you," her words gentle but not polite. But now, addressing him, she used the term "you," her tone remarkably deferential. Xie Lian took the black wooden gambling cup from her, thanked him, and coughed softly.
He had barely touched anything like this before, so he started shaking it around, pretending to be quite skilled. As he did so, he looked up at Lang Qianqiu, who was hanging high above him. Lang Qianqiu's eyes widened, staring at him eagerly, but he managed not to yell. Seeing his expression, Xie Lian felt an inexplicable urge to laugh, but he suppressed it. He shook it for a long time before finally stopping.
Countless eyes were fixed on the cup in his hand. Xie Lian felt the small cup grow incredibly heavy, unsure how to open it properly. Just as he was about to reveal the result, the girl said, "Wait a minute."
Xie Lian asked, “What’s the matter?”
The girl said, "The city lord said that the way you shake the cup is not right."
Xie Lian thought to himself, "So there really is a correct posture? Could it be that my previous bad luck was all due to the wrong posture?"
He humbly asked, "Then may I ask, what is the correct posture?"
The girl said, "The city lord said, please come up, he is willing to teach you."
Upon hearing this, the ghosts in the gambling house hissed and gasped.
Xie Lian heard a ghost mutter, "The City Lord needs to teach him a lesson. This is truly unprecedented. Is this guy going to die?"
"What does the City Lord want to do??? Who is this person??? Why should I teach him???"
"Isn't that how you shake a cup? Is there a correct way to do it???"
Xie Lian was also pondering this question when the girl, with her hand extended towards the red curtain, said, “Please.”
So, Xie Lian, holding the black wooden gambling cup, walked to the red curtain.
The veil fluttered, and a red shadow loomed. The person behind the curtain stood opposite them, only half an arm's length apart.
After holding his breath for a moment, a hand parted the layers of red curtains, reached out from behind the curtain, covered the back of Xie Lian's hand, and held up the gambling cup.
It was a right hand, long and pale, with distinct knuckles and a red string tied around the third finger.
Against the backdrop of the dark, shiny wooden bowl, the white seemed paler and the red more vibrant. Slowly, Xie Lian raised his eyes.
Behind the red cloud-like veil, a young man of eighteen or nineteen stood silently.
It's Saburo.
His clothes were still as red as maple leaves, his skin as white as snow. He still had that uncommonly handsome, unapproachable face, only his features were more defined, his youthful immaturity fading, his expression more composed and steady. He could be described as a boy, but he could also be described as a man.
The wild and wild spirit between his brows remained undimmed, but rather arrogant. His eyes, still as bright as stars, were fixed on Xie Lian with a deep gaze.
However, it has only one left eye, as bright as a star.
A black eyepatch covered his right eye.
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