I lifted my eyes and found myself in a room both unfamiliar and elegant—red sandalwood furniture, celadon cups, and the faint scent of osmanthus drifting in from the window.
I couldn’t help mumbling, “So where are we exactly?”
“Yuelai Inn,” Hua answered before anyone else, talking around a mouthful of pastry. “Still on Prefect Li’s tab. Room fees all paid—neat and tidy.”
“...Huh?”
I rubbed my eyes, half-convinced I was still dreaming.
Yesterday I was gnawing on prison rations; today I woke up on a soft mattress with warm blankets, hot tea, and fresh pastries?
This system’s ‘artifact’… was it really this miraculous?!
A surge of excitement hit me. I stretched, pretending to yawn, and whispered in my mind:
【System, you there?】
【Present.】
【That artifact reward—you said I only get one use, so there must be others, right? C’mon, dump them all out.】
【Dream on.】
The system splashed cold water on me without mercy.
【Don’t even think about “dumping them all out.” Giving you one was already the result of three nights of unpaid overtime from the writing and planning departments.】
I muttered under my breath, “Stingy.”
【You wish!】 the system screeched, voice cracking.
【Get to work already! Remember your priority?—Win over Lian. Retrieve the token.】
His words hit like a slap. Right—nearly let this comfortable bed blind me.
The most urgent thing was that piece of purle jade.
I cleared my throat and looked toward Lian, who still stood by the window, hands clasped behind him.
“…You said in the cell the jade wasn’t on you. Then where is it now?”
Lianturned, gaze cool, tone flat.
“It was taken. And lost in a bet.”
“What?!”
My shriek rattled the peaceful morning air.
I scrambled toward him, gripping the edge of the bed.
“A bet? You mean the—uh—the jade—the token—was gambled away?! Who gambled it? How?!”
Before my outrage finished echoing, the deputy envoy shot upright from his chair like a startled chicken. He snapped into attention, scratching his head in panic.
“R-Reporting to the—t-the Sect Master… I—I entrusted someone to keep it safe, gave it to San… but San, h-he wanted a little extra to cover the West Altar expenses, so he used the jade as stakes, and then…”
“And then?” I pressed.
The deputy envoy’s head drooped like a wilting cabbage.
“Lost it.”
“WHAT?! Your little lover gambles?!”
“…Not—not the kind of ‘San’ you’re imagining! He’s our San—the West Altar’s San! Everyone calls him ‘Dice-Three.’ Famous gambling master throughout the jianghu!”
I blinked. “…So, a Gambling King?”
Hua helpfully added,
“Close enough. Ten-plus years in the jianghu, never lost in gambling. Anyone who sees him calls him ‘Master Three.’ And then—well—this time he wanted some side income to support the West Altar, thought he’d use your jade as collateral, and before the third round was over—poof. Gone.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“Before the third round?! It vanished that fast?!”
Hua spread his hands.
“Mm.”
My whole world went dim. I genuinely considered knocking myself out to escape reality.
And of course—of course—Lian chose this moment to twist the knife, voice calm yet merciless:
“San has always been undefeated. If he couldn’t last even three rounds, the opponent must be exceptional.”
My stomach lurched.
“So… the other player is some top-tier expert? A god of gamblers? Where is he? I’ll—I’ll go talk to him!”
“Downstairs,” a drawling voice cut in.
I turned.
Shangguan Fengliu had opened his eyes at some point. Leaning against the couch, swirling a half-cup of leftover wine, he gave me a lazy, knowing smile.
“Little brother, you really are blessed. Yuelai Inn may sound ordinary, but it isn’t an ordinary inn. Second floor for lodgers, first floor the main hall, and beneath it…”
He paused, enunciating clearly:
“The casino.”
I stood there, frozen—then sucked in a breath like I’d been struck by lightning.
“WHAT?! Right downstairs?!”
The moment I heard “gambling god downstairs,” I rolled up my sleeves, ready to charge.
Hua lounged against the railing, fan tapping lightly, voice dripping with mockery.
“You going to challenge him? With what—your fists? Or your face, as collateral?”
I nearly tumbled down the stairs.
“…Hua, shut up!”
Right then the system piped up smugly:
【Calm down! This arc is meant to go “against expectations,” remember? Don’t tell me you really think you can beat a god of gamblers.】
“What else am I supposed to do?!”
【Simple—】
The system dragged out each syllable, clearly enjoying this.
【Use what you’re best at.】
“…Eating? Playing dead? Or… running my mouth?”
【Exactly.】
The system sounded delighted.
【Readers love seeing you talk nonsense. Go on—talk your way through the god of gamblers. Win the token back.】
This felt like being handed a death sentence.
Hua clicked his tongue and piled on,
“If this were a fistfight, you’d lose even to San, let alone some gambling god.”
“Stop—stop talking! I’ll just go watch first!”
I was nervous, but my feet still followed the group downward.
At the stairwell, the clatter of dice was already ringing sharp and clear.
Cheers, curses, laughter—layer after layer of noise.
Warm lamplight spilled across the tiles. Sweat, wine, and the thrill of risk swirled into a thick, heady atmosphere.
I swallowed hard.
The system whispered in my ear, far too delighted:
【Host! You’re about to reach the pivotal turning point of this volume! God of Gamblers vs. Useless Mouth-Cannon Protagonist! Who will prevail—】
“SHUT UP,” I hissed.
The underground casino gleamed like daylight under rows of oil lamps.
Dice shakers clattered, cards snapped, wheels spun; the noise vibrated in my ribs.
Heat smacked me in the face the moment I stepped in, making me cough.
Hua fanned himself, drawling,
“Our little young master looks just like a green boy entering the brothel for the first time.”
I coughed again, pretending not to hear.
He damn well knew how many times I’d snuck into that place.
Lian ignored us, his cold gaze sweeping the room, brows faintly tightening.
Shangguan Fengliu, on the other hand, moved through the hall with the ease of someone returning to his ancestral home.
He stopped before the largest table, voice slow and amused.
“Little brother… your jade—was lost right here.”
I was still bracing myself when a sudden shout split the air:
“The God of Gamblers—has arrived!”
The whole hall fell silent for exactly three breaths, then exploded in thunderous cheers. Heads whipped toward the entrance. Even the dealers froze mid-roll, faces lit with a mix of reverence and excitement.
I held my breath, already picturing some scar-ridden tyrant of the underworld, a man with a dragon’s aura and a killer’s stare—or at least a smooth old fox with schemes for days.
Instead, the next moment…
walking toward us was a plump young lady dressed head-to-toe in pink gauze.
She cradled a flowery little purse in her arms, and her waist jingled with strings of copper coins. Her smile was so sweet it could rot teeth, her eyes squeezed into two happy slits.
“Aw, dearies, did I keep everyone waiting~?” she cooed in a voice so sugary I nearly collapsed on the spot.
“This… is the God of Gamblers?”
I wondered if my eyes had simply given up on life.
“’Course she is,” a nearby gambler breathed in awe. “Our very own Sister Pink Lotus of Luoyan City! Never lost in gambling— even Dice-Master San met his end in her hands!”
Hua almost spat out his tea.
“Gong, didn’t you say you wanted to ‘have a game with the god of Gamblers’? Go on then, have at it. And mind yourself—don’t go betting that face of yours. Lose it and you’ll have nothing left to sell.”
Cold sweat ran down my temples.
Pink Lotus plopped gracefully into the main seat, fluttering her lashes as she waved at the crowd.
“So many fresh faces today! Now tell me—who wants to play a round or two with big sister~?”
The hall erupted in laughter and good-natured jeers—
and then, as if rehearsed, every single pair of eyes turned to me.
A chill shot straight down my spine.
—— Hell no. So this is the “major turning point” my damned system promised me?!
