Behind the curtain, Hua Cheng only snorted. “Very well.”
Xie Lian couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but he could sense coldness in that response. But then he added mentally, San Lang said he always has good luck, and all his fortune sticks came up as the best of luck. If he bets against this man, won’t he win for sure and take ten years of life from that man’s daughter?
He was just thinking this when the croupier announced sweetly by the long table: “Even is a loss, odd is a win. Once the cup is tipped, there is no turning back. Now, please.”
As it turned out, Hua Cheng wouldn’t be involved in the betting after all. That man shook the gambling cup haphazardly, both hands grasping hard, and the hall quieted down. The sounds of the dice rattling could be heard, loud and crisp. A long while after, his movement came to a sudden stop. Then, everything was still.
It was a long while before the man slowly—very slowly—lifted a corner of the gambling cup and peeked through the gap. Those bloodshot eyes suddenly widened.
He flipped open the cup and shouted with mad joy. “Odd! Odd! ODD!! I win! I’ve won! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA, I’VE WON! I’VE WON!!”
This was certainly not the outcome the crowd of humans and ghosts around the long table had wanted to see, and they started booing the man down, slapping the table and shouting their discontent.
One of the croupiers smiled and said, “Congratulations. Your business will soon see a turn for the better.”
The man laughed uproariously and cried, “Wait! I want to bet again!”
The croupier smiled. “You are welcome to. What do you want this time?”
The man pulled a long face, and he said, “I want…I want everyone competing with me in my trade to drop dead!”
Hearing this, the crowd started muttering and clicking their tongues. The croupier raised a hand to cover her smile.
“If that is what you desire, it is much more difficult to fulfill than your previous wish. Will you not consider something else? Asking for your business to flourish further, for example?”
Yet the man replied, his eyes red, “No! That’s the only thing I want to bet on! That’s what I’m betting for!”
“Then, if that is your wish, ten years of your daughter’s life may not be enough,” the croupier said.
“I’ll add more if that’s not enough, I’ll bet twenty years of her life! And…and the fate of her marriage too!”
The ghostly crowd was in an uproar, and they burst out laughing.
“This dad’s lost his mind! He’s selling his daughter!!”
“Wow, just wow!!”
The croupier announced once again, “Even is a loss, odd is a win. Once the cup is tipped, there is no turning back. Now, please!”
That man once again took up the gambling cup, trembling as he shook it. If he lost, his daughter would lose twenty years of her life and a perfectly good marriage, which was obviously not ideal…but if he won, all his competitors would drop dead? Although Xie Lian didn’t think Hua Cheng would ever let such a thing happen, after much hesitation, he stepped a little closer. He was just debating whether he should cast some small trick when suddenly, someone grabbed hold of him. He turned his head to see and found Shi Qingxuan.
Shi Qingxuan had returned to his male form, and he whispered, “Don’t be rash.”
Xie Lian whispered back, “Lord Wind Master, why did you transform back?”
“It’s a long story,” Shi Qingxuan sighed. “That group of girlies and aunties dragged me around saying they were going to introduce me to good beauty parlors. I finally escaped, but they caught me again, so I had to change back. They dragged me to a place that smeared so much stuff on my face, pulling, stretching, slapping, smacking—quick, check my face! How is it? Anything wrong? Do you see anything off?”
He pushed his face right up to Xie Lian for inspection, and Xie Lian dutifully scrutinized it before replying truthfully, “I think it looks even smoother and fairer than before.”
Shi Qingxuan brightened immediately. “Really? Oh, good! That’s wonderful! Ha ha ha ha! Is there a mirror? Where’s a mirror? I want to see!”
“Look later,” Xie Lian said. “Ghost City is blocking our spiritual communication, so let’s not lose each other again. By the way, how did you know I was here, Lord Wind Master?”
“I didn’t!” Shi Qingxuan replied. “I came because Qianqiu and I had already agreed to meet here. When we lost each other earlier, I just came here instead, but when I walked in, it turned out you were here too!”