Chapter 118 The Charm of Poker
Elio looked at the beautiful woman who had embarrassed Moster and asked, "Captain Simu, can you explain now?"
Yesterday, after being tricked by Hobner, Sim and the chorus were filled with righteous indignation, ready to tear Hobner to pieces. But overnight, their attitude had undergone a complete 180-degree change, not only acquiring a luxurious carriage but also taming the arrogant Master Most.
A subtle flicker of guilt flashed across Sim's narrow eyes. "The thing is, early this morning, Master Hobner sent someone to discuss this with me, wanting me to take Master Moster and these two guests to the Royal City. I originally refused, but he offered a hefty commission, so I reluctantly agreed."
However, the truth is not so.
After returning to the hotel in the early morning, she became more and more unwilling to give up. She changed into light clothes, took protective gear to resist magic, and her old friend - a high-level bloodthirsty scimitar, and rode to the grove near Hobner's mansion. She then climbed over the wall, avoided the guards patrolling at night, and accurately sneaked into Hobner's bedroom.
She was confident and swung her scimitar at Hobner who was sleeping in bed, just like she had assassinated those profit-seeking nobles in the past.
However, this time, her attack was blocked.
Hobner seemed to have anticipated her coming. He quickly turned over and sat up, drew out the long sword lying on the bed with his right hand, and blocked her scimitar with a "bang".
I never expected that he was actually a swordsman.
When he unleashed his full sword energy, every move was decisive, and she was forced into a corner.
Sim gritted his teeth. She had miscalculated.
In the past, she would carefully investigate the strength of the target of assassination, then make an elaborate plan to avoid all risks and make her move without anyone noticing.
This time, time was short and there was no time to make preparations. Based solely on the impression he had made at the banquet, he roughly judged that Hobner was a nouveau riche who had been drained by alcohol and sex. He acted rashly and ended up failing due to his carelessness.
She has no fear of death.
As early as when he decided to assassinate Hobner, he told Bart that if she did not return before dawn, he should immediately take the chorus and the Al Amo brothers out of Daoto City.
Sim was ready to die, but Hobner stopped short of delivering the final blow.
"I know who you are, and why you tried to assassinate me," Hobner said enigmatically, pointing his sword at her. "If you had assassinated me before the banquet, I would have been powerless to retaliate. But unfortunately, that musician named Al helped me resolve the inner demons that had plagued me for years. After overcoming that obstacle, I regained the courage to take up the sword and even broke through the ranks, ascending from greatswordsman to greatswordmaster."
Upon hearing this, Ximu almost vomited blood and died.
Hobner added, "Although our Hobner family is a bit overbearing, we are not unforgivable. If you don't act arrogantly in Daoto City, you will be swallowed up by other forces long ago."
"I should thank you and Mr. Al for helping me improve my strength and increasing my leverage in my fights with other forces. That's why I won't kill you today. I'll even give you money so you can leave safely."
Sim listened with growing rage, and looked at him coldly.
Hobner put away his sword and said something that made Simu's pupils shrink.
"Cooperate, the fugitive princess of Cecilia."
Sim didn't respond for a long time, and the dim room was eerily quiet.
After an unknown amount of time, Ximu asked coldly, "How do you know my identity?"
Hobner said slowly, "Others may not be able to guess your identity, but I once met the Queen of Cecilia, and you are as beautiful as she is now."
Sim remained silent, gripping the scimitar tightly in his hand.
"I know what you want and I have the ability to help you realize your wish. There is no loss in cooperating with me." Hobner threw out the bait.
Ximu knew that the other party was a ruthless person who would eat people without leaving any bones. He had been caught in a weak spot and had no choice but to agree to his request and cooperate with him.
So, early this morning, the Hobner family's carriage stopped outside the hotel, carrying three people going to the royal city.
Two wanted criminals, plus an arrogant young master who looks down on everyone.
Hobner was really going to give her a hard time.
Perhaps he had said hello, or perhaps he had been warned, but in any case, Master Moster restrained his arrogance in front of her.
She was also very blunt and told them that they had to follow her instructions along the way. If they dared to speak rudely or act without authorization, they would be beaten!
As a result, as soon as Mr. Al and little Amo got in the car, this young master who never learned his lesson started to talk rudely. Isn't he asking for a beating?
There were so many twists and turns in the story that Simu was determined not to tell Mr. Al, so he could only make up an excuse to get away with it.
Hobner did offer a generous commission, she wasn't lying about that.
As an elf who had lived for more than 500 years, Ilion could see at a glance that Sim was hiding part of the truth.
He didn't expose it.
It is the same whether you bring one person or two or three people.
As long as Ximu is willing and capable, it doesn't matter how many people she brings.
After all, he and Xiao Amo were also passengers who ate and drank for free.
Shu Li looked at the princess with an awkward expression, and then at the arrogant young master from a wealthy family, and felt that this journey would be very lively.
After the chorus was reorganized, the motorcade slowly drove away from the hotel. Old Sam stood at the door and waved goodbye reluctantly.
When the convoy arrived at the gate of Otto City, the guards saw the Hobner family emblem on the luxurious carriage and skipped the inspection and let it pass.
After leaving the city gate, the convoy sped up and headed north.
In the luxurious carriage, Shu Li and Moster stared at each other.
The interior of the carriage is spacious, more than enough for four people, with a fixed square low table in the middle.
Moster sat alone on one side, while Shuli, Ilio, Senluo, and Nasha sat on the other side.
With no one in his place, Most was happy to be free. He stretched his limbs, lay down casually, crossed his legs and whistled.
It's a pity that Ximu went to the carriage in front to lead the team and was not here. Otherwise, with his annoying look, he would probably get beaten again.
It was a bit crowded for four people to sit on one side. The road was bumpy, the carriage was shaking, and the people inside were staggering.
Seeing Shu Li hit Nasha three times, Ilio moved to the opposite side and kicked Most who was occupying the seat twice.
"What?" Moster looked up and glared in dissatisfaction.
Elio smiled and said, "Make way."
Most stretched his legs in a vicious manner, raised his eyebrows provocatively, and was extremely arrogant.
Elio was not angry either. He stretched out his hand and snapped his fingers, making a "click" sound.
Half a minute later, Most was tied up and curled up in the corner of the carriage, his own smelly socks stuffed in his mouth, his eyes wide open, looking at the black-haired young man in horror.
Elio took a soft cushion, placed it beside him, patted it, and motioned for the elf to sit over.
Shu Li happily moved to the cushion and grinned at the tied-up Moster, making Moster so angry that he almost fainted.
Senluo and Nasha, who witnessed the whole process: ...
For a moment, the carriage was filled with a strange atmosphere.
"Mmmm!" Moster made an angry sound.
Damn it, when we get to the royal city, I’ll see if he doesn’t find someone to kill them!
Ilio ignored his anger, took out a deck of cards from his backpack, put it on the table, and asked the greatswordsman opposite with a smile.
"Can you play?"
Sen Luo glanced at Most and nodded: "Yes."
Shu Li was bored, but when he saw the cards, his eyes lit up. "Add me in!"
This deck of cards is completely different from modern playing cards. It has exquisite paintings of plants, numbers and letters, no human figures and no four suits. The gameplay is even simpler, mainly flipping cards.
Whoever turns over more matching cards wins.
Nasha said she wanted to join too.
So, the four people divided into two teams and played cards.
"Mr. Al, your playing cards are antique, right?" Sen Luo asked.
This deck of cards has a retro style in both its patterns and colors. The paper is hard and feels good, but it is slightly yellowed and looks a bit old.
"Probably." Ilio shuffled the cards deftly with his fingers. "I bought this deck of cards at a shop when I was passing through a small town. I've kept it in my backpack ever since and haven't used it much."
Playing cards that are more than 300 years old are indeed old. Although they are a little different from the playing cards of today, it’s fine as long as they can be played.
"I see." Sen Luo watched him place the cards face up on the table one by one.
Shu Li sat quietly by the side and observed how they played.
Ilio laid out the cards and let Senluo and Nasha turn over the cards first.
As a little princess, Nasha is also an expert at playing cards. She reached out and turned a card over, revealing a red flower.
Sen Luo then turned over a card.
Unfortunately, it is a green vine and cannot be paired with the red flowers.
It was Shuri and Ilio's turn.
The two flipped the cards one after another, but failed to pair them up.
Four cards are invalidated and taken out and put aside. Then everyone takes turns turning over the cards. The process goes back and forth very quickly. After a while, all sixty cards have been turned over.
Shuli and Ilio had three pairs of cards, and Senluo and Nasha had four pairs of cards.
Senluo's side wins.
There is no reward for winning and no punishment for losing.
It's so boring!
Shu Li watched Ilio shuffle the cards, rolled his eyes, and poked his arm. "Argo, let's try something different!"
Ilio tilted his head and asked, "Any other tricks?"
What else can you do with cards?
"There are so many!" Shu Li blinked her gray-green eyes. "Flipping the cards is purely based on luck. It's so boring."
Nasha disagreed, "Cards are the most popular game among the nobility."
"That's it? The most popular one?" Shu Li felt extremely sympathetic towards the nobles from the other world, who could enjoy playing even such a monotonous game.
Elio asked with a smile, "What suggestions does little Amo have?"
Shu Li rubbed his hands and said, "Give me a pen."
Give him a pen and he can change the deck of cards.
He had just observed it carefully. There were a total of sixty cards in this deck, minus six, which made fifty-four. According to the patterns and colors, they could be divided into four suits. As long as he used a pen to draw diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs on the cards, he could use them as modern playing cards.
There aren't too many ways to play modern poker.
Shu Li took the pen from Ilio and asked beforehand, "Argo, can I draw on it?"
Ilio made a casual gesture.
Even though it’s an antique deck of cards, who can refuse a goblin’s request?
With permission, Shu Li rolled up the sleeves of his magic robe and began to paint on each card.
The others were confused.
Nasha held her chin and saw him smearing and ruining a good hand of cards. Her violet eyes were full of disapproval.
Shu Li has good painting skills and is very fast, finishing the painting in just ten minutes.
A real deck of playing cards fresh from the oven.
He spread the drawn cards on the table, sorted them by type, and then explained the rules and gameplay in detail.
There are many ways to play poker. He didn't teach the complicated ones, only the simplest ones: three, six, and nine.
Ilio and Senluo were both smart people and understood everything immediately, but Nasha had to listen to it twice before she understood.
"Little Amo's way of playing seems very interesting." Ilio put the drawn cards together and shuffled them neatly.
Shu Li grinned, "I just figured it out when I was bored, hehehe..."
Elio looked at his guilty smile but didn't point it out.
The little guy was busy studying every day in the Elf Kingdom, and he had to purify the mother tree in the middle of the night. He had almost no time to relax. Only when he returned to the sacred tree in the Fairy Forest did he have some free time.
Nasha said excitedly: "Let's start!"
She wanted to see if the game of 369 was really more interesting than flipping the cards.
Soon, the four of them were engaged in a card game.
At the beginning, I was a little unfamiliar with the rules and made a lot of mistakes. After playing three games, I mastered the skills and found the fun instantly.
The four of them spent the whole morning playing cards, while Moster, who was tied in the corner, watched with red eyes.
He wants to play too!
As Master Hobner is proficient in eating, drinking and having fun, just seeing others playing cards happily makes him feel eager to try it.
Damn it!
If he had known there was such a fun thing, he would not have deliberately provoked her.
Most regretted it so much that his intestines turned green. He huddled in a corner depressedly, his hands and feet numb from being tied. He was not rescued until noon when Sim came and asked them to get off the carriage for lunch.
Sim taunted him mercilessly as he untied the ropes.
In order to regain his freedom, Moster was depressed and silent, but kept complaining in his heart.
Laugh, laugh, laugh as much as you can!
After entering the royal city, he asked his uncle, who was the captain of the royal guards, to arrest them all, throw them into prison, and torture them severely!
He was extremely reluctant to go on this long journey, but he had no choice but to go because his father asked him to deliver an important letter to his aunt who lived in the royal city.
However, what made him depressed was that his father did not allow him to bring servants with him. He had to obey the arrangements of Simu, the leader of the song and dance troupe, throughout the whole process. If he disobeyed, Simu had the right to punish him.
When Most heard this request, he thought he was being kicked out by his father.
Her knees went weak and she knelt on the ground, hugged her father's calves, and cried loudly.
Unfortunately, his father was hard-hearted and asked the servants to pack his luggage and ruthlessly threw him into the carriage.
The matter was settled, and Moster had no choice but to accept his fate. Facing the two hitchhikers, he arrogantly asked them to behave themselves or get off the carriage.
The two guests remained silent. Most felt very proud and acted like a rich young man.
But then two more people got on the carriage.
When enemies meet, they are especially jealous of each other.
Merst wanted to give them a show of force, but Simu ruined his plan. Even more abominable was that the guy named Al, who was not at all like a musician weakened by playing elven poetry, was incredibly strong and subdued him with one move.
"Come on, stop looking so bitter and resentful, and get down to eat." Sim slapped him hard on the back and urged him to get out of the car.
Most staggered and almost fell off the carriage.
Shu Li was laughing with glee on the side, and Moster was so angry that he waved his fist at him threateningly.
What a young master who never learns his lesson.
Shu Li raised the black magic wand in his hand, pointed it at Moster, and opened his mouth to chant a magic spell.
Most was stunned for a moment, then ran away.
He forgot that this brat is a magic apprentice!
The brothers Al-Amo, one is extremely powerful in martial arts, and the other can do magic. They are very secretive and hateful!
Shu Li smiled cunningly, silently reciting the constraints of wood magic in his mind. In an instant, Moster was tripped by the grass on the ground and fell flat on his face.
"Ha ha ha ha--"
The skinny Boone pointed at Moster on the ground and laughed exaggeratedly.
Moster's face turned red with anger, and he raised his head and glared fiercely at the child who was laughing at him.
Mary was startled and quickly covered her brother's mouth and dragged him away. After all, Most was a rich young man. If she offended him too much, she would be afraid of his revenge.
Shu Li put down the Mother Tree Magic Wand and hid his achievements and fame.
A hint of doubt flashed in Senluo's eyes.
The grass on the ground was not lush, so how did Moster trip and fall?
"Dinner is ready, dinner is ready--" the chorus's exclusive chef called out, and everyone sat down at the dining table.
Shu Li saw the hard black bread, resignedly broke it into small pieces and threw it into the thin batter soup.
Nasha has been on the run for several months, often sleeping in the open air. Her quality of life has dropped sharply, and it is a luxury for her to have a peaceful meal.
She expertly broke the bread and dipped it into the soup.
Everyone ate with gusto, except for the rich young man, Most, who threw down his spoon heavily and complained to Sim.
"You took all those gold coins from my father, and you're giving me this pig food?"
Without even looking up, Sim said, "If you don't want to eat, then go hungry."
Most was furious and walked towards the carriage like a rampaging Tyrannosaurus Rex.
No one paid any attention to him.
Everyone ate their meal attentively, cherishing every piece of bread and every mouthful of batter.
Halfway through his walk, Most felt bored and stared at the unfamiliar wilderness, gnashing his teeth in anger. He turned back to the dining table, picked up the black bread with an expressionless face, and stuffed the whole piece into the batter.
Shu Li glanced at him and chewed slowly.
In fact, today's lunch is richer than yesterday's, with more bacon, boiled eggs, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Life is not easy, it’s good enough to have something to eat.
After lunch, everyone returned to the carriage and continued on their journey.
Shu Li and the other three continued playing cards. Moster was itching to join in, and after they played four or five rounds, he finally couldn't help but speak.
"I want to play too!"
Elio shuffled the cards gracefully and looked at him with a smile: "Is this the attitude of asking for help?"
Most was arrogant and was about to retort, but he saw Shu Li pick up a rope from under the table.
Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anger and said with his head down, "Please let me join you."
Elio asked, "Isn't this able to speak?"
Moster almost had a heart attack, but in order to play the game, he had to swallow his anger.
Shu Li looked at his frustrated expression and chuckled. It seemed that this rich young master was not beyond redemption.
Sen Luo admired Mr. Al even more in his heart.
He possesses a priceless purification stone, plays the harp to perfection, has extraordinary skills, and is as fast as lightning. Even the young master Moster is under his control.
I don’t know what his purpose in going to the royal city is.
Senluo's eyes swept over the magic robe on little Amo and the magic badge on his chest.
Seven types of magic.
A genius among geniuses, simply incredible.
Perhaps, they went to the royal city to visit a famous magic mentor.
The boring journey became interesting after playing poker to pass the time.
After a full day, all the members of the troupe had learned how to play. They took out their own cards and, after learning the rules, adapted them to match Shu Li's. They had a blast playing, even inventing new ways to play.
For a moment, the entire team was addicted to playing poker.
When they encountered robbers on the road, Simu thought they were in the way and was too lazy to say anything. He just asked Bart and other orcs to teach them a lesson.
The orcs were also anxious to play their cards, and they made a quick decision and showed no mercy, so that the robbers fled in fear.
After killing two groups in a row, no robbers dared to block the road anymore.
The robbers who escaped death spread the story of the brutality of the dance troupe and successfully scared away other robbery teams.
That luxurious carriage looks very arrogant and rich, which makes people want to rob it. However, compared with money, one's life is more important.
Shu Li felt surprised that the rest of the journey was so smooth.
As expected, the closer to the royal city, the better the security.
Four days later, the chorus's convoy finally arrived at Dialan, the capital of the Dalia Empire.
Compared to Daoto City, Dialan City is more prosperous.
On the drawbridge in front of the city gate, all outsiders who wanted to enter the royal city lined up in an orderly manner and were checked before entering the city.
A song and dance troupe competition will be held at the Vientiane Festival. Song and dance troupes from all over the mainland have flocked to the festival, crowding the open space in front of the suspension bridge.
Shu Li leaned against the car window and looked out.
Judging from the situation, I’m afraid it won’t be their turn until dark.
Nasha nervously tugged at the corner of Sen Luo's clothes. They were wanted criminals. They had passed through several small cities along the way without getting into trouble. Now that they had reached the final stage, they wondered if anything would happen.
Sen Luo patted her back soothingly. "Don't be afraid."
The badge of Hobner was hung outside the carriage, which was a good pass. With Master Moster as a cover, no one would suspect them.
Simu entered their carriage and said to Most, "Find a way for us to get to the city before dark."
The longer she stayed outside the city, the more things would change. She had finally managed to get him to the royal city, but she didn't want to get into trouble.
Moster had lost a lot of his temper along the way, and he had developed a close relationship with the players through playing poker, so he became much easier to talk to.
"No problem, leave it to me!" He patted his chest proudly.
His uncle is the captain of the royal guards, so he has to give his nephew some convenience when he comes to visit.
"Wait for my good news."
Merst jumped off the carriage and squeezed through the crowd all the way to the city gate. He was stopped by the guards. He took out a shiny sign and showed it arrogantly: "Open your dog eyes and see what this is!"
When the guard saw the family emblem on the card, his attitude immediately changed and he treated Most with respect.
Half an hour later, the carriage of the Millia Dance Troupe successfully entered the royal city amid the envy and hatred of other dance troupes.
After arriving at the destination, it was time for the group to go their separate ways.
Shuli and Ilio sat in Hobner's carriage, motionless.
Merst glared: "You guys won't get out of the car?"
Although playing cards created some friendship, there is no way to wipe out the grudges of the past.
Elio looked at him with deep eyes. "Is your uncle the captain of the royal guards?"
Most raised his chin: "Yeah, what, are you scared?"
Elio smiled and said, "Very good, then we will go visit your uncle together."
Shu Li blinked her gray-green eyes.
With the introduction of the captain of the royal guards, they will definitely be able to meet the queen, hand over the magician's letter to her, and lift the curse.
Really good.
Most found the smile on the black-haired young man's face extremely annoying. He clenched his fists, veins popping out of his forehead, and roared, "Bullshit!"
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