Chapter 169: The Gambling Agreement

Jiang Qingyu's personal attendant Jiang Rong suddenly pushed the door open and entered, his face looking miserable. He looked at Ximen Kankan and said, "Young Master Ximen, please go and check on my young master. That Luo Zhoucheng is no good bird; the seven or eight thousand taels of silver notes my young master is carrying are about to be lost..."

Upon hearing this, Ximen Kankan's gaze tightened. He jumped off his seat and rushed out. "This guy really doesn't let anyone rest easy."

Duan Rong's gaze flickered, and he immediately followed. He had felt something was wrong before, and sure enough, something had happened.

Ximen Kankan and Duan Rong walked into the Gui Zi Room private box. They saw the oval rosewood table piled high with silver notes and scattered tiles. Jiang Qingyu was sitting with his back to the door, while Luo Zhoucheng and a burly middle-aged man sat diagonally across from him.

That burly middle-aged man had a fair face without a beard, and his hair was groomed very neatly and cleanly, but a cold light flashed in his eyes.

As soon as Ximen Kankan saw this setup, he felt it was bad. His intuition told him that Jiang Qingyu had fallen into someone's trap. Although he sometimes won some silver from Jiang Qingyu, it was only a thousand or two thousand taels at most. Moreover, he knew Jiang Qingyu's gambling nature wasn't strong; he always believed in gambling for fun. How could he let himself lose seven or eight thousand taels of silver notes, and still be gambling here?

Something is fishy!

At this moment, on the table, the burly middle-aged man had already folded. Only Jiang Qingyu and Luo Zhoucheng were still betting, and quite a few silver notes were already piled in the middle of the table.

Luo Zhoucheng said with a cold expression, "One thousand taels, not opening!"

Jiang Qingyu's expression was hesitant. He clutched the silver notes in his hand, seemingly unable to make up his mind, but he had already bet so much that he didn't want to retreat now. Just as he was about to put the bet down, Duan Rong suddenly grabbed his hand and said, "Fold!"

The muscles on Jiang Qingyu's face twitched, and he looked at Duan Rong with some annoyance.

Ximen Kankan stood behind Jiang Qingyu and said, "Qingyu, listen to Duan Rong."

If it were before today, he would also feel that Duan Rong was messing around. The two of them had just entered the door without even looking at the tiles, and since the other party had already bet so much, wasn't it insane to tell someone to fold the moment you opened your mouth?

However, he was now completely convinced of Duan Rong's gambling skills.

Ximen Kankan believed that Duan Rong must be right.

Jiang Qingyu turned his head to look at Ximen Kankan. He often gambled with Ximen Kankan and basically never won; he still trusted Ximen Kankan when it came to gambling skills. Furthermore, he actually felt that something was wrong in his heart, but he had always held onto a fluke mentality.

Now that the two of them had spoken, he finally calmed down. He had been unable to make up his mind because he had already bet so much and the sunk cost was simply too high.

It seemed that the arrival of his two friends allowed Jiang Qingyu to regain some reason. He put down the silver notes in his hand and said, "Fold!"

Luo Zhoucheng was slightly stunned, then smiled as he stood up and swept the silver notes on the table toward himself, saying, "Oh my... won again... I don't know what kind of play this is, betting so much and not even opening the tiles... truly an eye-opener, truly an eye-opener..."

Luo Zhoucheng was clearly mocking Jiang Qingyu. Jiang Qingyu was angry in his heart, but he also realized that he had indeed lost his reason while losing just now.

"Qingyu, I see you are a bit tired. How about I sit next to you and help you advise, how about that?" Duan Rong suddenly said.

Jiang Qingyu's gaze flickered. His mental energy was indeed scattered, but he had a gambling agreement with Luo Zhoucheng, so Luo Zhoucheng had to agree to it.

Jiang Qingyu looked at Luo Zhoucheng with an inquiring gaze.

Luo Zhoucheng looked at Duan Rong. He was certain he had never seen this person before; this person must not frequent gambling dens and Huaying Pavilion often. He smiled and said, "This brother looks a bit unfamiliar. Forgive my poor memory, what should I call you?"

"I am Duan Rong, an Escort from the Yuanshun Escort Agency," Duan Rong said.

Luo Zhoucheng felt happy in his heart; so he was just an Escort. Only then did he recall that the clothing on Duan Rong was the style often worn by Escorts who traveled the world.

Although being an Escort was considered a decent job in this world, that was only for the general public. To a scion of a noble family like Luo Zhoucheng, wasn't an Escort just someone who traveled the world to deliver goods?

With these matters in a gambling den, could an Escort like you understand them? How much silver do you make in a month?

Seeing that Duan Rong was an Escort, Luo Zhoucheng's guard had vanished. If it were Ximen Kankan who wanted to step in, he certainly wouldn't have agreed. He knew that this short, fat man had been obsessed with gambling since childhood and had polished his gambling skills quite a bit; an average person really couldn't beat him.

"Fine. Since Brother Qingyu is tired, it is only right to find a friend to advise," Luo Zhoucheng smiled.

"Then, does the previous gambling agreement still count?" Jiang Qingyu asked in a deep voice.

"Of course!" Luo Zhoucheng said, "Whoever loses all the silver notes on their person must stop harassing Lady Lan Ying. However, Brother Qingyu, it seems you only have two thousand taels left..."

As Luo Zhoucheng spoke, he laughed heartily.

Jiang Qingyu glanced at the silver notes on his table, his expression somewhat ugly.

When Ximen Kankan heard Luo Zhoucheng's words, his heart stirred. He understood why Jiang Qingyu had been gambling so crazily; he had been held by his fatal weakness!

Ximen Kankan looked at Jiang Qingyu's back and shook his head.

Duan Rong pulled up a chair and sat beside Jiang Qingyu. As he sat down, he placed his hand on Jiang Qingyu's shoulder and whispered, "It's fine, you won't lose! Two thousand taels is enough!"

The three words "is enough" that Duan Rong said were gentle in tone, but they carried a certain irresistible momentum. Jiang Qingyu couldn't help but feel his heart stir. He looked at Duan Rong, and his expression instantly improved.

Next, the gambling continued. After Duan Rong shuffled the tiles for Jiang Qingyu, Luo Zhoucheng sat as the dealer to deal the tiles.

Jiang Qingyu took the tiles and showed them to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said coldly, "Fold!"

In the second round, Duan Rong still said, "Fold!"

In the third round, Jiang Qingyu felt his tiles were good, but Duan Rong still said coldly, "Fold!"

The tiles in this round were clearly very good. Jiang Qingyu was somewhat hesitant, but Duan Rong said, "Listen to me. Fold."

Duan Rong's voice carried a powerful sense of certainty and confidence. Jiang Qingyu no longer hesitated and followed instructions to fold.

Fourth round. Duan Rong said, "Fold!"

"Do you know how to play? Are you gambling or just stalling for time?" Luo Zhoucheng was somewhat annoyed to see Duan Rong fold four rounds in a row.

"What? Can't you fold in Pushing Pai Gow?" Duan Rong asked in return.

"You..." Luo Zhoucheng was speechless. Of course, you can fold in Pushing Pai Gow, but no one folded like Duan Rong.

In the fifth round, Duan Rong continued to fold.

After folding six rounds in a row, in the seventh round, Duan Rong suddenly bet five hundred taels.

Seeing Duan Rong suddenly bet five hundred taels, Luo Zhoucheng smiled and said, "I fold."

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

In the seventh round, Duan Rong bet another five hundred taels directly. Luo Zhoucheng hesitated for a moment but still folded, though his expression was already somewhat unpleasant.

In the eighth round, Duan Rong again bet five hundred taels directly. The muscles on Luo Zhoucheng's face twitched, and he said angrily, "Five hundred taels every time, are your tiles that good?"

"Why don't you open them and see?" Duan Rong said.

Luo Zhoucheng's nose twitched, but he still folded.

In the ninth round, Duan Rong again bet five hundred taels directly.

Seeing that Duan Rong had bet five hundred taels directly for four rounds in a row, he finally couldn't hold back and said, "Five hundred taels, I'm opening you!"

The tiles were flipped over. Jiang Qingyu won and won back five hundred taels.

In the tenth round, Duan Rong again bet five hundred taels directly. Luo Zhoucheng folded.

In the eleventh round, Duan Rong again bet five hundred taels directly.

Luo Zhoucheng's expression turned ugly, and he said, "I'll match five hundred taels!"

Jiang Qingyu looked at Duan Rong, and Duan Rong said, "Match!"

"Matching five hundred taels!" Jiang Qingyu slapped the banknote onto the center of the table.

"I'll match!" Luo Zhoucheng said viciously, the muscles on his face appearing somewhat twisted. "I don't believe it. Betting five hundred taels every single hand, playing these tricks, what kind of evil sorcery are you pulling?"

In truth, Luo Zhoucheng's loss of composure this round was feigned; he had finally drawn a strong hand and wanted to give his opponents the illusion that he was acting out of impulsive rage and could no longer tolerate it, all to lure them into the trap.

But unfortunately, no matter how good the acting and scheming, before Duan Rong's Proficiency-level Thousand Arts and Divine Sense Projection, it was all trash!

"Continue to match!" Duan Rong said coldly.

Jiang Qingyu's heart trembled slightly; if he lost this round, the banknotes in his hand would be gone. Although his hand was not small, it was not a guaranteed win, and judging by Luo Zhoucheng's posture, his hand certainly wouldn't be small either.

"One thousand taels, I'm not showing!" Luo Zhoucheng suddenly shouted.

At this moment, Jiang Qingyu only had one thousand five hundred taels in banknotes left in his hand.

Jiang Qingyu's breathing hitched slightly.

Duan Rong sighed and said, "What a pity!"

Luo Zhoucheng sneered, "Regretting it now? Too late!"

"It's a pity there isn't enough money, only enough to match one round," Duan Rong said. "Forget it, let's win a little less. One thousand taels, call his hand!"

The cards were revealed, Jiang Qingyu won!

Ximen Kankan stood to the side watching the battle; at this moment, he was like a chess player obsessed with the Dao of chess, having seen a brilliant and exquisite game, and the excitement in his heart was beyond words.

Ximen Kankan understood Duan Rong's strategy.

First, folding six rounds in a row to directly crush the opponent's rhythm, dragging them firmly into the rhythm he had laid out.

Next, it was a decisive kill every single hand!

"Truly, high skill makes for a bold heart!"

"A marvelous fusion of psychological warfare and superb gambling skills!"

(End of this chapter)