Chapter 574

No surprise, Xia De's second card game in the City Player semi-finals ended with him having 10 copper coins when he went on stage and obtaining a total of 25 copper coins. This time he didn't draw the 【Founding】 series in the card game, but unexpectedly drew a devil card.

Although the four gentlemen who lost to him were regretful, they all expressed at the end that Xia De played well. That Mr. Virgil Cameron, who had connections with Karsenrik, showed full interest in Xia De, not only wanting to make an appointment with him to play cards when he had time, but even wanting to talk to him alone after the card game ended.

Xia De of course politely refused.

He could see that Mr. Cameron wanted to be alone with him, and also understood that the other party probably thought he was the "Grey-Headed Eagle" because he saw 【Founding·Silver Moon】. But even if Xia De wanted to complete the mission for money, he couldn't talk to the other party in such a sensitive place.

Moreover, he planned to wait until there was news about the acquisition of blood and know the specific price before deciding whether to complete that mission worth 2000 pounds.

The card game ended, and Baron Lavender stayed in Hall 3 to watch others play cards. Xia De went out for a day, just thinking about taking Mia home to rest.

But before he left Hall 3, a maid dressed as an opera house servant, after getting permission from the Prophet Association staff, walked into the side hall where the card game was in progress in a hurry, and then stopped in front of Xia De as expected:

"Mr. Hamilton, Miss Cavendish invites you to go up."

"Which Miss Cavendish?"

This sentence blurted out, and only then did Xia De notice the strange expressions of the people around him.

"You'll know when you go up."

The servant said carefully. Xia De, who felt embarrassed because he said the wrong thing, hugged Mia and left here quickly. Then in the box on the third floor, the box that could see the stage of the main auditorium of the opera house from the best angle, he met Princess Agerina Cavendish.

"Knight, then who did you think it would be? My great-aunt Miss Jia Lin Na? Or Sister Lei Qianya?"

The little princess laughed very happily and invited Xia De to watch the opera with her, which was considered a thank you for Xia De saving her last time.

The princess who didn't need to participate in government affairs and only needed to worry about her marriage problem lived a very comfortable life.

Everything went according to plan. On Thursday, Xia De went to the Shadis Cotton Textile Factory in the west of the city to participate in the third card game. The Prophet Association didn't really arrange the card game on the open space inside the factory, but rearranged the factory into a venue like a steam textile machine exhibition. Among those machines that were either rusty or brand new and bright, they invited card players to come and play cards.

This environment was very interesting, and today Xia De didn't meet any acquaintances in the card game. But when eating nearby after playing cards in the morning, he met the Black Stone Security Company, which was the Ringed Shushi team of the Sun Church, performing a mission in the west of the city.

Iluna was very happy to meet Xia De, and her captain also knew that Xia De was her friend, so he specially let Iluna and Xia De chat for a few words before leaving.

Later, Xia De heard from Luweiya that the Black Stone Security Company's team encountered a rare humanoid relic in the west of the city that afternoon. Although the mission was completed, that encounter still caused nearly half of the members of the entire team to undergo at least a week of mental and psychological counseling and appraisal after treatment before they started working again.

However, Iluna was obviously safe and sound.

On Friday, after the card games in the east, west, and south of the city ended, Xia De went to the Three Cats Inn in the north of the city. He was already very familiar with this place, so he thought that this visit would finally not be teased by the innkeeper, Mrs. Madame Sangmei, for "bringing another new pretty girl."

This time he brought a cat.

Mrs. Madame Sangmei also participated in the City Player. Although she entered the semi-finals, she learned during the chat that she had lost all the copper coins in her hand yesterday.

And while Xia De was waiting for the other four to start the card game, Mia the cat actually started fighting with the cat raised by the inn to catch mice.

The cat of the Three Cats Inn was a stray cat that was almost free-range, and it was very good at fighting with its kind or catching mice. The body shape of those three cats was larger than Little Mia in the kitten state, but Little Mia still defeated them. This should have nothing to do with Mia having absorbed divine power. After all, when this cat was found by Detective Sparrow and fostered in a pet shop, its "fierce name" had already begun to show.

The competition this day still ended with Xia De's victory. Before leaving, innkeeper Mrs. Madame Sangmei also smiled and wished Xia De to win the City Player championship:

"Rather than giving discounts to strangers, it's better to give them to you, detective. At least you are a guest who follows the rules."

On Saturday, before going to Dr. Schneider's psychological clinic for a meeting, Xia De first went to the Prophet Association to finish the fifth card game in the core urban area.

This Rhodes Card Tournament involved many people in the city, and even the doctor who didn't play cards much was very concerned about the final competition result. When Luweiya and Dorothy entered the meeting room of the psychological clinic together, they heard Xia De discussing the odds of the underground casino with the doctor.

Although Dr. Schneider didn't play Rhodes cards, he had heard of "City Player" for a long time. Today, after hearing Xia De's detailed introduction and hearing him say that he wanted to bet some money but was troubled by not having a suitable and reliable channel, he tentatively said:

"Underground casino betting on the championship... I think I can operate it. However, Xia De, how much confidence do you have in winning the championship?"

"More than sixty percent."

Xia De said cautiously.

"Is it so conservative?"

Luweiya, who just entered the door, asked with a smile, and Dorothy, who followed her, also teased:

"Xia De, I heard that you have never lost playing Rhodes cards."

Xia De glanced at Mia. Mia had no reaction to Dorothy, indicating that this was not the princess.

"So you are so powerful... How much principal can you take out?"

The doctor squinted and thought for a while and asked. Considering that his savings were only two thousand pounds, and the risk of this kind of "investment" was very high, Xia De gave an answer very conservatively:

"1200 pounds."

He could barely afford this kind of loss.

"That's good, then I'll add 800 pounds. After the meeting today, I'll go and bet. It's already the final stage of the semi-finals, I think your odds are probably already below 1.5, but there is still money to be made."

The doctor said. His connections locally were much wider than those of an outsider, and as a single middle-class psychologist, his savings were also very rich. Taking out 800 pounds was not a problem at all.

"Then doctor, count my 500 pounds."

Dorothy said, sitting on the single sofa on the east side.

"Where did you get so much money?"

Luweiya was very surprised.

"Manuscript fee, the first volume of *Hamilton Detective Stories* is ready to be printed after the serialization this month ends. This is the deposit."

Dorothy was very proud.

"I can't take out so much money, but 200 pounds is no problem."

Luweiya shrugged, sat on the single sofa opposite Dorothy, and then looked at the empty seat beside Xia De with emotion. Usually during meetings, the two ladies sat on single sofas respectively, the doctor sat on the long sofa himself, and Xia De and Priest Ao Gu Si sat on the long sofa opposite the doctor:

"Fortunately, Priest Ao Gu Si is not here."

If Priest Ao Gu Si were here, he would definitely criticize them. He had always hated gambling.

"But you shouldn't think that I will definitely win."

Seeing that everyone wanted to participate, Xia De reminded cautiously.

"It doesn't matter, I can afford to lose 800 pounds."

The doctor said indifferently:

"However, my luck is not particularly good. Don't mind if I drag you down when you engage in such activities with me."

"I trust Xia De's luck."

Dorothy did not evaluate the doctor's words.

"I also trust Xia De's luck, especially the luck of Rhodes cards."

Luweiya echoed and blinked at Xia De.

"No, no, no, luck is hard to say."

Xia De thought again of the fate of those who manipulated luck, and the fact that he was shot in the street and almost died on the street.

"Then let's try our luck."

The purple-eyed diviner said, then took out a six-sided die from her pocket and handed it to Xia De:

"Try it, roll three times. Add a small bet. If the sum of the three numbers is greater than or equal to 16, I will give you a small gift; if it is less than 16, your cat will go home with me tonight."

"Meow?"

Mia looked up at her.

"This is not fair."

Although Xia De opposed it, he still patted away the paw stretched out by the cat first, and then took the die that seemed to be made of ivory.

The first time was six, the second time was six, and the third time was five.

"Should I scrape together more money?"

The doctor fell into deep thought, while Luweiya stood up in Dorothy's surprised eyes, and then naturally kissed Xia De on the side of the face.

This was probably that small gift.

At the study meeting last week, Xia De asked the Academy for his "Second Ring" Spirit Rune recommendation. After a week of consideration, the Academy combined part of the data Xia De provided about himself and finally recommended Xia De's next goal as 【Thunder】.

The Spirit Runes recommended by the Academy to low-ring Ringed Shushi are mostly based on natural elements, because the difficulty is lower and the practicality is very high. As for choosing 【Thunder】, on the one hand, it is because in mysticism, the phenomenon of lightning breaking through the sky is often combined with abnormal time and space phenomena. On the other hand, it is also because the Academy believes that Xia De currently has too few lethal sorcery and too many auxiliary sorcery, so they recommended this Spirit Rune that can be associated with a variety of powerful attack-type sorcery.

The book given by the Academy is *Book of Wild Thunder*, in the obscure Fifth Era language, describing prophecies about lightning. Unlike *Crazy Light Chaser*, which writes chaotic and difficult-to-understand stories, the prophecies in *Book of Wild Thunder* can all be understood with normal logic.

It's just that the horror and eeriness of those ancient prophecies are mostly more terrifying than the "Sea Sending Back" ceremony that Xia De personally experienced. The Academy suggested that Xia De interpret the prophecies one by one and not read too much content at once. But for Xia De, this kind of book did not constitute an impact on him.