"You okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your girl left. Doesn't that make you even a little sad?"
"What's the point of being sad? Seriously—why should I be? A guy like me has women lined up! With my status, looks, and skills, I just have to lift a finger and girls will come crying, begging to be—"
"Okay, okay! Forget I asked... It's a nice day today, sunny and breezy. Go out, get some fresh air, you've been rotting at home too long. You've already decided to join the Martial Assembly in seven days. With me and Old Li watching your back, no one's laying a finger on you. But once the tournament starts, things are bound to get bloody. Better enjoy the peace while it lasts. Take Little Ye with you—she could use the walk too."
"Little Ye's coming too? Perfect! I'll get dressed right away. Bring me my best-looking outfit! Hmm... Wait, is that rain? I thought you said it was sunny, Wei-ge!"
With an ornate folding fan in hand and a self-satisfied smirk on his face, San Shao strolled through the rain-slicked streets. Beside him, Li Xiaoye held an umbrella, pouting as she tried to keep pace. Most of the umbrella was tilted toward San Shao, of course.
Behind them, Qiao Wei and Uncle Li followed on either side, wearing wide straw hats and rain cloaks—neither of them matched San Shao's flamboyant flair.
"Strolling through a rainy street really does feel different!" San Shao mused, glancing around at the nearly empty road. "Fewer people, fewer beauties... so peaceful!"
"Peaceful is good," Qiao Wei chuckled. "Too many people might cause trouble. A lot of martial folks have gathered in Dingzhou lately. If someone recognizes you, we might have a fight on our hands. Killing in the streets is no big deal for us, but the townsfolk might not like the mess."
San Shao scoffed, "Those stray cats and dogs in Dingzhou think they can cause trouble for me? Hmph. Hey, is that a gambling den over there? This street walk is boring. Wei-ge, Uncle Li, should we try our luck?"
Qiao Wei's eyes lit up. "Sounds great! Been a while since I've rolled the dice."
Uncle Li nodded, "Good chance to test whether I've lost my sleight of hand."
With that, San Shao led the way into a lavishly decorated gambling house, with Li Xiaoye, Qiao Wei, and Uncle Li strutting in behind him.
Inside, the atmosphere was a sharp contrast to the quiet street. Loud voices filled the air, crowds pressed around gambling tables, some yelling in joy, others howling in despair.
Qiao Wei's face lit up like a lantern, and Uncle Li's deep wrinkles stretched into a giddy grin.
San Shao glanced at them and muttered, "These old dogs are born gamblers. Just smelling the air in here's enough to give them a thrill. If they actually touch the dice, they might just keel over from excitement."
A guard in dark clothing stepped forward and bowed politely. "Welcome, sirs. Would you like to exchange for chips?"
San Shao chuckled, pulling a silver note from his sleeve and slipping it into the man's palm. "Chips are heavy. I'll bet with cash, thank you very much."
The guard peeked at the note—one hundred taels—and immediately beamed. "Of course, young master. Cash, notes, chips—you name it. However you wish to bet, we accommodate."
Fan in hand, San Shao strolled slowly through the hall, glancing at the games on offer.
The grateful guard followed behind, giving a practiced pitch. "We've got it all—mahjong, pai gow, dice, cockfights, underground boxing. Whatever suits your taste, Young Master."
San Shao pondered. "Let's go with dice. Simple and fair—half chance either way."
The guard led them to a large dice table, elbowing aside a few loud gamblers who were wagering single copper coins, clearing space for San Shao and company.
The seats, unfortunately, were full—each occupied by someone betting silver ingots. Even the eager guard couldn't kick them off.
"Apologies, Young Master... the seats are all taken."
San Shao smiled, took out five silver notes, and laid them in front of one frustrated gambler.
The man's eyes widened—five hundred taels! He jumped up with a bow. "Please, sir, take my seat. I'll just stand and watch!"
San Shao patted him on the shoulder, laughing. "Smart guy. I like that."
He sank into the seat with casual arrogance, Li Xiaoye standing beside him. Qiao Wei and Uncle Li positioned themselves at his flanks—not just for company, but to guard every blind spot.
The dealer began to shake the dice.
Qiao Wei squinted at the dealer's hands, Uncle Li cocked his head to listen, while San Shao casually admired the ceiling.
Suddenly, Li Xiaoye felt a hot palm press against her thigh—and it was moving upward. Blushing furiously, she looked down. San Shao's face remained piously tilted toward the sky, fan fluttering in one hand, while the other wandered freely.
"You... what are you doing?" she hissed.
"A man's journey is long and arduous—I must search high and low…" San Shao replied solemnly. "Had some dust on my hand. Found a cloth to wipe it off. Very elastic cloth, I must say." He retracted his hand with a grin.
Li Xiaoye nearly passed out from rage.
"Place your bets!" the dealer called.
"Big or small?" San Shao asked casually.
"One-three-four. Eight points. Small," Qiao Wei and Uncle Li said in unison.
San Shao nodded and placed a hundred tael note on big—then casually followed with a thousand tael note on small.
"Can I bet both?" he asked with a smile.
The dealer glanced at the hefty sum and grinned. "Of course, sir. Anything you wish."
"Good," San Shao said, nodding. "You boys better learn. Don't show all your cards at once. Win with grace—leave others a way out, or you might win the silver and lose your life."
Qiao Wei and Uncle Li exchanged a helpless glance. With three top-tier experts here, they could clean out the entire house, and who would dare stop them?
The dice opened: One-three-four. Small.
San Shao lost one hundred taels, won a thousand. He tossed two fifty-tael chips to the dealer.
"Thank you, sir! Apologies—we can only pay out in chips," the dealer said.
"No problem," San Shao replied. "Chips are just as good. Roll again."
And so it continued—Qiao Wei read the hands, Uncle Li listened to the sounds, and with their help, San Shao won thirty rounds in a row. Always one small bet on the wrong side, then a huge bet on the right one. Every time he tipped the dealer one hundred taels in chips.
He netted only eight hundred taels per round—but over thirty rounds, that was twenty-four thousand taels!
For San Shao, it was a drop in the bucket. But the dealer was sweating bullets. The house had lost nearly forty thousand taels including other gamblers following San Shao's lead. And with the crowd growing, pressure mounted.
At round thirty-one, the dealer's hands trembled. He could barely hold the dice cup.
"What's the matter?" San Shao smiled lazily. "Don't tell me your house can't afford a few losses?"
The dealer bit his lip, made his decision—
He was going to cheat.
Meanwhile, on the second floor, in a lavish room draped in silk and gold, a woman in a pink gown—with a deep neckline revealing snowy curves—listened to the guard's report through a red veil covering her face. Only her sparkling eyes were visible.
"Oh? He's gambling now?" she giggled. "Perfect. Invite him to the VIP room—I want to play a hand with him myself."
Her voice turned playful, sultry.
"Legendary Lust Devil Qin Ren… I've been dying to meet you."