Chapter 50: The Gambling Saint?

Doors and windows were tightly shut; a lone man stood while a lone woman sat.

Princess Changning's demeanor was dignified and noble, her entire person so elegant she resembled a lady in a painting of the national flower; quietly, Xie Jinhuan scrutinized her with his "Heart Eye."

Noticing Xie Jinhuan's serious demeanor, silent for a long moment, his eyes tangled like an old Chinese doctor who had just discovered an incurable disease, Princess Changning couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly:

"What? Can you not see, or have you seen that this Princess's life is near its end?"

No, I have seen that my own life is near its end!

Seeing his ghost wife still refuse to change her tune, Xie Jinhuan's heart was bitter, not knowing to whom to pour out his grievances; after holding it in for a long time, he could only respond:

"The... the soft armor on Your Highness the Princess's body... its texture is quite special."

Princess Changning looked down at the plump-headed Kong Que that bulged out, then raised her eyelids, thought for a moment, and said:

"Ice Soul Silk has a special texture that blocks the flow of Qi. A martial artist skilled enough can judge whether soft armor is hidden by observing the details of a cultivator's Qi circulation. This does not count as a secret art incomprehensible to ordinary people. Is there anything else?"

Xie Jinhuan tried to seek help from his ghost wife, but the ghost wife was becoming increasingly absurd, even bringing up "hairless girl" and "white with a pink glow"!

Xie Jinhuan felt that after saying this, whether he was a great demon of Mount Zihui or not no longer mattered; if he didn't die at the Princess's hands today, he would surely die at the Alchemist King's hands. With no choice, he pressed on:

"The chest wrap is embroidered with a wine gourd. Hmm... a jade pendant hangs on the chest, engraved with the two characters 'Ling Yu', and its texture is extraordinary."

?

Princess Changning sat up straighter, her face turning solemn; her apricot-shaped eyes revealed deep astonishment!

Whether one wears soft armor can be inferred by experts through details such as Qi circulation and temperature differences.

But seeing embroidery through clothes, and even knowing private items tucked between the breasts as clearly as one knows one's own fingers, this belongs to the realm of incomprehensible immortal arts!

Princess Changning had never heard of such a supernatural power; her eyes naturally grew suspicious:

"Have you peeped at this Princess while she bathed?"

Xie Jinhuan shook his head hastily and said earnestly, "How could I possibly peep at Your Highness the Princess? This truly is my unique secret art."

Princess Changning did not believe him for a moment. To verify that Xie Jinhuan's words and actions were truthful, she hid her right hand behind her waist:

"Close your eyes and rub your ears with both hands."

Xie Jinhuan followed instructions, closed his eyes, covered his ears with both hands, and rubbed them back and forth.

Chua-chua-chua~

This act was meant to disrupt the perception of the six senses, making it difficult for martial arts experts to judge an opponent's movements through environmental details or fluctuations in aura.

With her hand hidden behind her waist, Princess Changning very cautiously made two gestures within her sleeve. After confirming that Xie Jinhuan could not possibly see by normal means, she spoke again:

"Good. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three."

Xie Jinhuan gave his response without turning his head.

Princess Changning pulled her right hand out from behind her back, looked at the three fingers, and her eyes naturally became bewildered.

What a powerful supernatural ability; it seems he truly can see through appearances directly to the undergarments...

No, if Xie Jinhuan could see directly the jade pendant tucked between her breasts, then does that mean...

!

Princess Changning's pretty face flushed red; without making a sound, she raised her hand to block the plump-headed Kong Que:

"Then am I not as good as naked in front of you?!"

Xie Jinhuan knew this question would come; he spoke earnestly while making things up:

"The Heart Eye does not see with the eyes, but 'perceives', just as Your Highness could discover that Butler Hou is outside learning to do a handstand like me. The eyes cannot see, but one can judge movements outside the window through various details.

"My secret art perceives details that ordinary people cannot perceive through the invisible and formless 'Qi' of heaven and earth; it does not truly see the jade pendant and undergarments with the eyes.

"If I could truly see a woman's body through clothes, how could I possibly be sitting here now without blushing or my heart racing?"

Princess Changning did not quite believe this explanation; she weighed it slightly, carefully observed Xie Jinhuan's eyes and expression, and then, without making a sound, moved her arm.

Hoo~

The wide outer robe slid down halfway along her shoulder, revealing Bai Xi's shoulder and back and her jade-like arms; her posture was utterly captivating...

?!

Xie Jinhuan's pupils contracted; he hadn't expected his landlady to be a "old shoulder, extremely slippery" Miss; he stood up slightly straighter:

"Your Highness the Princess, you... are you very hot?"

Princess Changning confirmed that Xie Jinhuan had seen a glimpse of spring scenery and that his instinctive reaction of rising blood was not feigned; only then did she sigh in relief, pull up her outer robe, and pat her chest:

"You scared me to death; I thought you could truly see a Miss's body through clothes.

"Your supernatural ability is quite domineering and unique; it truly resembles the strange talents of the Hidden Immortal Sect.

"I have long admired the Hidden Immortal Sect. Can you teach me this supernatural ability? Name your reward; I will give whatever you ask for."

Whatever I ask for?

Xie Jinhuan thought his landlady was indeed generous; if he could truly teach it, he would definitely ask for something the landlady would be too embarrassed to give.

But this was the ghost wife's supernatural ability; he could only show a look of difficulty:

"The Dharma is not lightly transmitted; the Dao is not taught to outsiders. The Hidden Immortal Sect usually transmits only from master to single disciple; the secret arts learned cannot even be easily told to outsiders. Today, Your Highness relieved me of trouble, and you truly have doubts, so I revealed my skills.

"Moreover, with my shallow cultivation, I can only barely perform it at present. As for teaching, my master used to make me watch bamboo to practice, saying 'investigate things to acquire knowledge'; I still haven't investigated it clearly to this day..."

"Investigate things to acquire knowledge..."

Seeing that Xie Jinhuan's words did not seem like made-up nonsense, Princess Changning nodded slightly, did not press further, and settled for a second-best option:

"Since it cannot be taught, this Princess will not force anyone. Hmm... with such a method, wouldn't rolling dice and betting on treasures guarantee victory in every battle?"

Xie Jinhuan blinked his eyes, somewhat bewildered:

"Rolling dice is such a trivial skill; does it require cheating with a supernatural ability?"

Princess Changning usually drank alcohol and liked to roll dice with close friends, but the Gambling God of the Learning Palace was too domineering and had bullied her terribly. Now she stood up, circled around Xie Jinhuan to inspect him, her eyes like those admiring a great general under her command:

"When experts gamble, if the tools are not restricted and both sides play openly, how do you play? Your supernatural ability seems able to bypass restrictions."

Is this asking me to use my supernatural ability to become a gambling god? Xie Jinhuan still has to deal with Zhou He's hidden threat and has no time for drinking; he offered a preemptive excuse:

"This divine art of mine hurts the spirit if overused. Before descending the mountain, my master warned me not to use it lightly unless absolutely necessary..."

The Princess of Changning stepped to the front. Though she was short enough to need to look up, her aura carried a certain domineering, older-sister vibe:

"Will using it a few times be fine? This Princess needs you to help me with something. There will be plenty of benefits for you afterward."

Seeing the Princess of Changning's relentless persistence, Xie Jinhuan could only ask first:

"What help?"

The Princess of Changning clasped her hands at her waist, a trace of worry showing between her brows:

"It's not a big deal. Have you heard of Wang He, the Gambling God of the Academy? She is known as the 'Top Healer of the Chongwen Institute.' Her gambling skills are godlike. In our past several matches, I have always lost to her!

"The day before yesterday at the Peony Pool, she even bested me through seven rounds. I could only leave the table to avoid further battle. The Misses of the Ming River all tremble at the mere mention of her..."

The Gambling God of the Academy...

That nickname really does make one feel breathless...

Xie Jinhuan pondered for a moment and asked:

"Does Your Highness mean you want me to help you win against her once?"

"Yes."

The Princess of Changning was indeed a top-tier landlady; in an instant, she gestured toward the residence:

"If you can apply this divine art to gambling, you will surely leave her utterly defeated at the Mid-Autumn Banquet tomorrow. As long as you help this Princess regain face, this mansion is yours."

No. 6 Courtyard in Qingquan Lane, though its value was affected by the noise, had an impeccable location, size, and decoration; even at half price, it was no small sum.

Facing such a generous gesture, Xie Jinhuan finally understood the benefits of a wealthy woman. Thinking of Lin Wanyi's "Double-Headed Dragon" scheme, he asked:

"Real estate is too precious; let's skip that. My heart is set on the Martial Dao. I have heard the Wang Fu hides a cultivation technique left by the Martial Ancestor. I wonder if I could..."

The Princess of Changning raised an eyebrow: "You are quite greedy. The Dragon Soaring and Dragon Responding Art is far more valuable than a mansion; one banquet cannot win it back. However, as long as you make this Princess happy, not just a copy, but the original in Jingcheng can be borrowed by you."

Xie Jinhuan also wanted to see the divine art manual. Hearing this, he certainly could not refuse the landlady's invitation any longer:

"Your Highness shows such great favor; naturally, I cannot spoil the Princess's joy. However, for a young lady to drink, would it not be inappropriate for a man like me to join in?"

"No problem."

The Princess of Changning patted the fat-headed Kong Que and declared boldly:

"The Mid-Autumn Banquet is a gathering anyway. If this Princess brings a male companion, no one dares to say anything. Just sit beside me and remind me when the time comes."

A male companion...

Xie Jinhuan was somewhat worried about having his legs broken by the Alchemy King, but wealth is found in danger, so he nodded for now.

"The gambling tools are custom-made; you might not be able to see through them. Come to the Wu Wei Pavilion later. I'll first test your skills to avoid suffering another loss at tomorrow's banquet."

While the Princess of Changning spoke, she walked out with graceful steps. Noticing that Meiqiu was still squatting in the room, looking up at the ceiling, she followed her gaze to the roof beam:

"What is it looking at?"

"Looking for a bowl in the sky."

"Oh..."

Shortly after, the Princess of Changning returned to the Princess's Mansion with her attendants.

After everyone had left, Xie Jinhuan closed the door, pondered briefly, and called out:

"Beauty Ye?"

"Hmm~~"

The red-clad ghost who followed like a shadow emerged from behind. Her soul-stealing, captivating eyes showed considerable displeasure:

"I just told you to scold her; why didn't you say anything?"

?

Xie Jinhuan stumbled, spreading his hands: "Do I not value my life? She is the legitimate eldest daughter of the Alchemy King and the Emperor's own niece!"

Ye Hongshang shrugged slightly: "Isn't that perfect? A stunning, wealthy young lady. That is exactly what you lack most right now."

Xie Jinhuan indeed lacked that, but her old man was no small fry. He walked to the wardrobe, took out a change of robes, and asked:

"By the way, how can you see what is under clothes? Can you teach me?"

"Want to learn? Go to the street and look at Misses?"

"How could I? If this supernatural ability is applied to the Martial Dao, it should be extremely powerful."

Ye Hongshang recalled carefully: "This is a 'divine art' my sister was born with. She does not see undergarments, but the essence of heaven and earth. Not just you, but anyone else should be unable to learn it."

Hearing this, Xie Jinhuan felt a stir in his heart:

"Could you be an immortal descended to the mortal world?"

"Possible."

Ye Hongshang straightened her posture, chest out, striking a pose of ethereal immortality:

"What kind of immortal do you think I resemble?"

A fox immortal...

Or Slaanesh...

Xie Jinhuan felt the conversation getting too off-track and changed the subject:

"Can your charm technique control anyone?"

Ye Hongshang came to the front, crossed her arms, and leaned sideways against the wardrobe:

"Lin Wanyi had excessive yin cold qi, which allowed me to easily take advantage of the opening. If I make you experience auditory or visual hallucinations, you will feel dizzy. The Little Princess, the girl Meiqiu, and others, once they realize they are possessed, will inevitably use the 'Awakening Spirit and Expelling Charm' technique to break free; I cannot control them."

"Is that so?"

Xie Jinhuan was quite disappointed.

Ye Hongshang raised her slender eyebrows at the sight:

"What? Do you want to ask your big sister for help to knock out the Princess and break her fast?"

Xie Jinhuan took out his robe and shook his head:

"Do I need such crooked ways to knock out Miss? Just now, the Red Scale Guards attacked me; I must investigate the reason behind it and secure an alibi. If you can charm Princess Changning, this matter will be easy to handle."

Ye Hongshang understood the meaning, her eyes full of approval:

"A great man holds no grudge overnight; I like this temper. Hmm... it's not entirely impossible. After getting drunk, one's mind is unclear and easily influenced; even if hallucinations occur, they will just be blamed on drinking too much. You find a way to get Princess Changning half-drunk, and I can help you delay things for a while."

Seeing there was a way to create an alibi, Xie Jinhuan said no more and quickly packed up...

(End of this chapter)