Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2(15)

Chapter 14:

Admiring the Flower through Red Clouds, a Heart Full of Affection



THOUGH HUA CHENG’S WORDS were filled with contempt, the moment he spoke, the man in question allowed the taunting from all around and dared not argue back.

The attendant who had led Xie Lian to the long table said, “Gongzi, you are very lucky today.”

Xie Lian never moved his gaze from the table. “How so?”

“Our Chengzhu3 rarely comes by,” the attendant replied. “It is only these past few days that he has been in the mood, so is this not good luck?”

Judging by her tone, Xie Lian could tell that the attendant held this “Chengzhu” in high regard, as if the mere sight of him was the greatest of fortune. Xie Lian couldn’t help but smile.

The screen curtain was made of soft silk, captivating in its red silhouette, a truly enchanting sight. In front of the red curtain there were a few charming women overlooking the gambling table. Xie Lian was content to just watch from the background at first, but the moment he heard Hua Cheng’s voice, he started trying to push through the crowd, though without drawing any attention to the fact that he was there. Finally, he squeezed through to the table and saw the man in the middle of putting down his bets.

The betting man was a living human. Xie Lian wasn’t surprised, as it was known that there were more than just ghosts in Ghost City—there were also a number of cultivators of considerable skill, and once in a while, mortals at the brink of death, or those who wished to die, would stumble in by accident. The gambling man also had a mask on, but both his eyes were visible, bulging and laced with red as if they were bleeding. His lips were pale, like he hadn’t seen the sun in days. Although he was a living human, he resembled a ghost more than any of the ghosts present.

Both of his hands were pressing down tightly on a black wooden dice cup on the table, and after holding back for a moment, he shouted with the air of a man who’d stopped caring about anything else: “But…how come the other guy was allowed to bet both his legs?!”

One of the croupiers before the red curtain smiled. “The one before used to be an acclaimed bandit, known wherever he went for his light footwork and ability to take flight. That ability was the essence of his life, so his legs were deemed a worthy bet. You are neither a skilled artisan nor a renowned medic; what worth does your one arm possess?”

The man gritted his teeth. “Then I…I bet…ten years of my daughter’s life!”

Xie Lian was stunned by those words and thought, Where on earth is there a father who is willing to bet with the life of his child? Is that even possible?

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!”