Wuxia: Starting Off With 60 Years of Inner Strength

As it turned out, it wasn’t that the man was unaffected. It was that even if he was, he had resolved not to believe any of it.

’No matter what tricks you pull, I just won’t believe you. What can you do about it?’

Ruan Yuqing now understood what Luo Qingyi meant, and for a moment, she found herself feeling a strange sense of admiration for the man.

’To fall into this den of demons, to witness this bedlam, and yet remain so pig-headed that he defies the heavens, scorns the earth, and dares to challenge anyone... What a character.’

Jiang Ran laughed and clapped Luo Qingyi on the shoulder.

”Nice one.”

Luo Qingyi bowed. ”You flatter me, sir.”

The degenerate gambler, irritated by the sight of them, roared:

”Are you going to get out of here or what!?”

”Actually, I’m in no hurry.”

An idea sparked in Jiang Ran’s mind, and he chuckled.

”Since everything in this Soul Hook Gambling House is decided by wagers, I’d like to play a few more rounds. What do you say?”

”...More gambling?”

A glint appeared in the degenerate gambler’s eyes, and he sneered.

”Fine! Don’t think you can beat me a second time just because you got lucky once. This time, I’ll win back everything!”

”Alright. My stake is the same—this Jiaowei zither.”

Jiang Ran patted the zither on his back and then looked to the degenerate gambler.

”What’s your stake?”

”What do you want?”

The degenerate gambler slapped his chest.

”Anything in this Soul Hook Gambling House—you name it, I can stake it.”

”For real?”

”Hmph! If you don’t trust me, then what the hell are we even betting for!”

”Good.”

Jiang Ran nodded. ”Since we’re speaking plainly... I’ll take him.”

He pointed to the strange man standing beside the degenerate gambler, the one with a single pip on his face.

”I could use a few more attendants. He looks strong and sturdy, seems suitable. I’ll bet for him this time.”

”Huh?”

The strange man stared blankly, then looked toward the degenerate gambler.

”You’ve set your eyes on my dice ghoul?”

The degenerate gambler roared with laughter.

”Fine. I accept your terms.”

Jiang Ran nodded. ”Very well. I set the rules last time. This round is yours.”

”We’ll play the same as last time.”

The degenerate gambler sneered.

”I won’t fall for the same trick twice.”

”Is that so?”

Jiang Ran flipped his palm over, revealing a die. ”In that case, you should inspect it.”

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the die to the degenerate gambler.

The degenerate gambler caught it casually.

After looking at it, he glared fiercely at Jiang Ran.

This was clearly the die that was supposed to be under his cup. Just as he suspected, the instant he’d lifted the cup, this man had pulled off an audacious swap.

A technique like that could only be described as mystical.

The gambler couldn’t help but nod, appreciating the audacity of revealing it so openly now.

”Impressive skill. I want to see it again. You go first this round.”

As he spoke, he slid the die and cup back over to Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran grinned. ”Fine... Let’s see how you plan to win back your losses.”

As he casually dropped the die into the cup, he said to Ruan Yuqing,

”Nine times out of ten, gambling is all about cheating. I actually did cheat just now. I stole his die.”

”Believe it or not, I can steal it again this time, and he’ll still lose.”

”He knows you cheated and he’s still going along with it?”

”At the gambling table, everyone relies on their own abilities. An ordinary gambler might not accept it, but a man like him? If he can’t catch me in the act, he has no choice but to concede.”

Ruan Yuqing pouted. ”Alright, alright, you’re the master cheater. Happy?”

As she finished speaking, Jiang Ran casually lifted the cup. Sure enough, it showed a single pip.

Once might be a coincidence, but twice is clearly intentional.

With a flick of his wrist, Jiang Ran tossed the things back to the degenerate gambler.

”Your turn.”

The degenerate gambler was far more cautious this time. He didn’t watch the cup at all, keeping his eyes locked on Jiang Ran. The cup never left the table; he slid it back and forth a couple of times before pressing it down firmly.

He suddenly snatched his hand away, as if trying to catch Jiang Ran off guard.

But when he glanced down, the space under the cup was completely empty...

”Th-this...”

The degenerate gambler stared blankly. ”I... lost again...”

Jiang Ran, casually fiddling with a die, said to Ruan Yuqing,

”And that’s why you need to watch over those young disciples of yours when you get back. Make sure they never, ever touch this stuff.”

”Even if they don’t run into a master, someone with just a few third-rate tricks can make you win or lose at will.”

”When victory and defeat are in someone else’s hands, so are life and death.”

Ruan Yuqing nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

The degenerate gambler closed his eyes. Of course he knew Jiang Ran was cheating. But at this point, what Jiang Ran said or did was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was catching him in the act.

But he couldn’t...

And so, a strange man in white robes, his face covered by a white cloth marked with a single pip, now stood by Jiang Ran’s side.

Then, Jiang Ran spoke again.

”Say, I’d like to play one more round. What do you think...?”

”Fine! This time, I’ll win it all back for sure!”

A short while later, six strange men stood beside Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran looked them over and nodded, satisfied.

”Well then, for today...”

”Wait!!”

Seeing Jiang Ran about to leave, the degenerate gambler hastily cried out:

”One more round!

”I’ll definitely win it all back this time!”

Ruan Yuqing couldn’t help but rub her temples. ’How many times have I heard him shout that now?’

He said the same thing every time, and every time he lost.

”That’s a gambler’s mentality for you,” Jiang Ran chuckled. ”Always certain the next hand will be a winner. So, I wonder, what are you planning to wager this time?”

The degenerate gambler glanced around. ”I’ll stake the entire Soul Hook Gambling House!”

”Don’t want it. It’s useless.”

Jiang Ran scoffed.

”Then... then I’ll bet myself!”

The degenerate gambler declared, ”If I lose, from this day forward, I will return to the world and pledge myself to you! I will be your vanguard, your attack dog, at your complete disposal, without a single word of complaint!!”