Chapter 88: A Conversation Between Gamblers

This chapter is an explosive update! 5,500 words, all I ask is that you enjoy it to the fullest!

“What exactly is inside the second trial?” Liang Lingzhi asked with great curiosity, grinning as she turned to Nian Xue.

Nian Xue gave her a sly smile. “I think it’s best you don’t know. If any one of you were to go in there alone, you’d probably be scared out of your wits or lose your mind entirely.”

“You make it sound so terrifying,” Dachun said with a nervous laugh. “Senior sister, you’re not trying to scare us, are you?”

“I’m not,” Nian Xue’s smile faded as she gazed at the second trial, from which a chilling, sinister air emanated. “There’s no air conditioning in there.”

Seeing the worry on Nian Xue’s face, Ye Dong and the others felt sweat bead in their palms as they turned their eyes toward the second trial, from which strange cries kept echoing.

“Comrade Ye Dong, please come to the office.”

Ye Dong looked over at Nian Xue. “Do you know what they want me for?”

She shook her head, glancing up at the office. “No idea. You’d better go.”

—

“Master, what’s this about?” Ye Dong asked when he saw Chen Yao set several dice before him without a word, just watching him in silence.

“Ye Dong, I want to make a bet with you.” Chen Yao smiled slightly, finally speaking. “If you win, none of you will have to do special training today. If you lose, one person from outside will have to spend half a day alone in the second stage of special training.”

Ye Dong was taken aback by this odd proposal. “Master, what’s gotten into you?”

“I just felt like playing a little.”

“Playing? Using us as your playthings?”

“Disciples exist to be teased by their masters!” Chen Yao grinned.

“Master, you—!”

“No more fuss,” Chen Yao thought of Huang Wuchang’s three black dice. “Your stake is the four behind you—one for each round.”

“They’re the stakes? You want me to gamble with my friends?” Ye Dong felt that Chen Yao was being utterly unreasonable, and it stirred his anger.

Chen Yao laughed heartily. “It’s just a game, and you’re not involved. You’re safe. As for them…”

“How can you say it doesn’t involve me? They’re my best friends!” Ye Dong protested. “And this wager between us isn’t fair!”

“A master’s word is law. If I want to bet with you, you’re in no position to bargain.” Chen Yao tossed the dice into the cup and, without waiting for Ye Dong’s agreement, began to shake it.

“Master, you’re being completely unreasonable!”

“Sometimes, reasoning with certain people is pointless,” Chen Yao laughed more heartily. “Because power is reason!”

“You—you!” Ye Dong gritted his teeth, swallowing the urge to call his master an “old fox.” “I’ve never seen such an unreasonable master! What’s he really up to?”

Fuming, Ye Dong glared at Chen Yao. “Master, you’re so skilled, I’ll lose no matter what. If you’re a real man, don’t use any magic to control the outcome.”

“Good. I won’t use any powers. Let’s just bet.” Chen Yao stopped shaking the cup. “High or low? You have fifteen seconds to decide.”

Ye Dong clenched his fists and looked around helplessly before returning his gaze to Chen Yao. “Is this really necessary?”

Chen Yao’s tone left no room for negotiation. “Yes. If you don’t decide within fifteen seconds, you forfeit, and one of the others must go in regardless.”

“Master, stop joking!” Ye Dong tried to laugh it off. “Did you and Officer Li come up with a prank to mess with us?”

Chen Yao’s brows shot up, his face stern. “I am your master. Do you intend to disobey me?”

“Ah?!” Ye Dong was shaken by Chen Yao’s severity. “Is he serious this time?”

“No more dilly-dallying! Hurry!” Chen Yao’s command was low and forceful, leaving Ye Dong no room to refuse. “You have eight seconds left!”

“Is this really happening?”

Ye Dong stared at the dice cup in Chen Yao’s hand, struggling internally. “High? Or low?”

Seeing his hesitation, Chen Yao began to count down. “Three, two, one!”

“High!” Ye Dong slammed his hand on the table. “It has to be high.”

Chen Yao smiled and gently lifted the cup. With a glance at the dice, he said coolly, “Sorry. One, two, three—low.”

Ye Dong’s face changed. He grabbed Chen Yao’s hand. “Master, don’t send them in!”

“A bet is a bet.”

“But I didn’t want to bet!”

“Yet in the end, you did.”

Ye Dong’s heart was filled with regret. “That’s right. In the end, I did. I gambled.”

Chen Yao shook his head with a smile, gently pushing Ye Dong’s hand away. “Of Zhi Zhang, Xiaobao, Dachun, and Huiyan, you must choose one. You have ten seconds.”

“My god! How did it come to this?” Ye Dong slumped in his chair, dazed. “I really have to choose?”

“A word once spoken cannot be taken back. Nine seconds left,” Chen Yao checked his watch. “Eight, seven…”

Ye Dong’s heart was filled with frustration and confusion, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked. His reddened eyes glared at Chen Yao. “Zhi Zhang!”

He chose Zhi Zhang because Dachun, Xiaobao, and Huiyan were all injured, while Zhi Zhang was the only one still whole. Moreover, Zhi Zhang was like a vice-captain to the team—he and Ye Dong had known each other the longest and shared the deepest bond.

“I’m sorry, Zhi Zhang. Brother, you have to take the fall for me.” Ye Dong’s heart ached, wracked with guilt.

Chen Yao grinned cunningly and called out, “Brother Li, please lock Zhi Zhang alone in the second-stage dark base.”

“All right!” came Officer Li’s reply. Soon after, Zhi Zhang’s agonized roar rang out from the training base. “No! I don’t want to go in alone!”

No matter how he struggled, Liang Lingzhi was thrown into the second-stage base, whose true nature Ye Dong and the others had never seen. From their experience with the first stage, they could imagine that the second was far more terrifying and dangerous.

Ye Dong slammed his hands on the table, shouting, “Master, if you send Zhi Zhang in alone, he’ll be in real danger! What if he encounters a ghost—”

Chen Yao waved him off with a cold laugh. “Sorry, but Zhi Zhang was just a chip to me. Chips have no warmth.”

“Another round!” Unwilling to accept Chen Yao’s coldness, Ye Dong cried out, “Let me win him back!”

“Sorry, that’s not part of the rules. The rule is, if you win, you can all leave; if you lose, you must send one in.” Chen Yao patted Ye Dong’s shoulder. “I’ll come again tonight. Think about whether you’ll choose high or low.”

“Master, this is so unfair to them!” Ye Dong finally exploded, voicing his resentment. “If something really happens to them, what will they think of you?”

Chen Yao merely smiled. “They won’t blame me. They’ll just wonder why Ye Dong chose to send them in! Hahaha!”

Chen Yao strode out, leaving Ye Dong alone in regret, Zhi Zhang’s hysterical screams from outside drilling into his mind.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Ye Dong was truly stunned.

—

“Dad, is this really all right?” Nian Xue was deeply concerned for Zhi Zhang. “If he goes in alone and ends up traumatized, that’ll be a real problem.”

Chen Yao shook his head with a smile. “If he’s scared into insanity by this, it would be better for him to leave the path of cultivation sooner rather than later.”

“But—”

Chen Yao cut her off. “I’ll return tonight. That’s enough.”

By evening, Liang Lingzhi, now reduced to a shadow of his former self, was finally carried out.

Nian Xue fought back tears, turning away, unable to bear the sight. Ye Dong and the others rushed forward to ask about Zhi Zhang’s condition, but the medical staff stopped them. “His condition is critical. He needs immediate treatment!”

“How could this happen?” Ye Dong collapsed to the ground, stunned. “Was it my fault?”

Xiaobao and Dachun couldn’t hold back their tears. “Poor Zhi Zhang—he really might turn into an idiot now!”

Huiyan’s eyes were red as well. “How did a simple special training end up like this?”

Seeing his brother suffer, Ye Dong buried his face in his hands, blaming himself. “It’s all my fault. I should have won!”

He didn’t dare imagine what Zhi Zhang would say when he woke, nor could he bear the thought of him being truly broken. “I’ve let him down!”

“Ye Dong, Master Chen wants you in the office,” Xiao Wang came to deliver the message.

Ye Dong glared furiously at the office. “This time, I’m going to win!”

“You’re here?” Chen Yao put down his teacup and pushed the dice cup toward Ye Dong. “Let’s not waste words. This time, you’re the dealer—my turn to guess. The stakes are the same as this morning. Go ahead.”

Burning with anger, Ye Dong said nothing, picked up the dice cup, shook it hard, and slammed it down. “Old man, guess! If you cheat, you’re a dog!”

Chen Yao laughed loudly. “I said I’d use no powers. I—”

“Enough talk. I don’t want to hear your nonsense. Guess!” Ye Dong cut Chen Yao off, clearly furious.

“Hehe, good spirit. But I’ll still win!” Chen Yao mocked, then sneered, “Low.”

Chen Yao’s composure and momentum intimidated Ye Dong, who pressed his hand firmly on the cup, unwilling to reveal the result.

“What, all that bravado just now, and now you’re scared?” Chen Yao shook his head. “Don’t forget, your current identity is He Wentian. You can’t back down! He’s not one for hesitation!”

Ye Dong was stunned, and his grip weakened. The cup fell, revealing the dice on the table—one, two, three: low.

Chen Yao glanced at the dice and smirked. “Looks like I win again. He Wentian, who will you choose this time?”

“Enough, old man!” Ye Dong pounded the floor. “I pick Xiaobao!”

Chen Yao laughed heartily. “That coward Xiaobao? Good luck to him!”

“Again!” Ye Dong said coldly, his heart evidently hardened. This time, he didn’t hesitate as much as when he chose Liang Lingzhi. “Another round. Dare you, old man?”

Chen Yao smiled again. “Sure, but only after midnight.”

The door opened and shut. Outside, Xiaobao’s wailing soon echoed.

Ye Dong closed his eyes, struggling to suppress his pain. “Xiaobao, please forgive me.”

After midnight, like Liang Lingzhi before him, Xiaobao was carried out, battered and unrecognizable. Frowning, Ye Dong didn’t wait for Xiao Wang to call him; he went up to the office himself.

“Well, you came uninvited. Not bad,” Chen Yao put down the phone he was about to dial and grinned at Ye Dong.

Ye Dong pulled out a chair, sat, and said coldly, “This time, I’ll wager two at once—Huiyan and Dachun.”

“Oh?” Chen Yao poured himself some tea. “Looks like you’ve made up your mind, Young Master He!”

“The stakes must change accordingly,” Ye Dong ignored Chen Yao’s mockery. “If you lose, you must personally bow and apologize to Zhi Zhang and Xiaobao.”

“Agreed! Sounds interesting.” Chen Yao set his cup down. “My turn to shake.”

“Hurry up,” Ye Dong snorted. “Old man, don’t throw out your back when you bow and apologize!”

Chen Yao laughed heartily, then handed the cup over. “High or low?”

Ye Dong didn’t look at the dice cup; he locked eyes with Chen Yao. Suddenly, his hesitation vanished. “Open it!”

“All right!” Without another word, Chen Yao released the cup. Three dice rolled out—one, two, three, low.

Ye Dong gazed at the three cold dice on the table, his face expressionless. He rolled his eyes at Chen Yao and said, “A word once spoken cannot be taken back—you said it yourself.”

“Hmph.” Ye Dong pushed himself up from his chair without a word to Chen Yao, opened the door, and stepped out. He didn’t want to see Chen Yao’s unreasonable face anymore.

“Congratulations, He Wentian.”

He opened the door to find not just anyone, but Liang Lingzhi and Xiaobao, who had previously been sent in alone.

“You—you’re here?!” Ye Dong’s eyes widened in disbelief as he turned back to look at Chen Yao.

Chen Yao gazed at Ye Dong with fatherly affection. “Ye Dong, you’ve now passed the first two levels of the ‘Bet’—the first, ‘not afraid to lose,’ and the second, ‘lose without fear.’”

Ye Dong stood there, stunned, as if waking from a dream. “What? What did you say?”

“There are three levels to gambling: first, not afraid to lose; second, lose without fear; third, afraid not to lose.” Chen Yao took his hand. “If you want to deal with such crooked Daoists, you must have this resolve.”

He placed the dice in Ye Dong’s hand. “Keep them as a memento.”

“Not afraid to lose, lose without fear, afraid not to lose?” Ye Dong turned the dice in his hand. “Master, this is too profound for me to understand.”

“You already do. The moment you made your own choice, you understood,” Chen Yao patted his shoulder. “You did well. Just mind your tone with your master in the future.”

“Master,” Ye Dong said, gripping Chen Yao’s hand tightly after a moment’s thought. “I think I get it—somewhat!”

He frowned, then quickly shook his head. “But I still don’t quite understand ‘afraid not to lose.’”

“Afraid not to lose,” Chen Yao murmured, “means having every advantage in your hands and relishing the thrill of toying with your opponents. It’s the supreme level of a gambler who is supremely confident and arrogant.”

Ye Dong’s fists tightened, and shock filled his face. “There are actually gamblers like that?”

Chen Yao nodded. “I believe that yellow-robed Daoist is precisely the kind of gambler who is ‘afraid not to lose.’ To deal with him, you must at least clear the first level—‘not afraid to lose.’ You didn’t let us down. You passed not only the first level, but also the second—‘lose without fear.’ Very good!”

“So that’s it,” Ye Dong’s heart cleared. “That’s why you set up this trial.”

Liang Lingzhi shook his head. “I only realized it once I was inside. When they threw me in, I was scared to death, damn it.” He paused, then looked affectionately at Nian Xue. “But I did gain something unexpected.”

Nian Xue jabbed him with her elbow. “Don’t talk nonsense, will you?”

The phone rang—Ye Dong saw it was a message from Lord Wei. “Brother Tian, my master wants to see you tonight.”

There was no polite language in the message—just a cold, uncompromising order.

“Master, Officer Li, Lord Wei says that Daoist wants to see me. Tonight. Tonight.” Ye Dong, who had just calmed down, tensed up again.

“He actually wants to see you? What a piece of work!” Chen Yao frowned, surprised. “In that case, just see what tricks he has up his sleeve.”

Chen Yao considered following Ye Dong to capture the Daoist, but knowing how slippery he was—since even Master Jingxin had failed to catch him—he ultimately decided to go with Officer Li’s more cautious plan: to ensnare him in the Immortal Tomb.

—

“Brother Tian, thank you for coming.” Lecheng led Ye Dong inside and asked, “Where’s your car?”

Ye Dong took off his sunglasses and smiled. “I didn’t drive myself. To show respect for your master, I parked outside and walked in.”

Lecheng flattered him. “Brother Tian, you really are a man of the world—you pay attention to every little detail.”

Guangqi emerged from the hallway with an armful of ancient books. Seeing Lecheng bring Ye Dong over, he smiled. “Hello, I am Guangqi. You must be the guest Master wishes to see today?”

“Huh?” Ye Dong was puzzled and turned to Lecheng. “Who’s this mophead? Never seen him before.”

Guangqi wasn’t offended by Ye Dong’s rudeness. He smiled. “I’m just a junior here. It’s normal you haven’t seen me.”

Lecheng joked, “Brother Tian, you’re missing something. This is our fourth junior, Guangqi. He joined last, so he’s been learning the basics at Master’s side.”

“Oh?” Hearing Guangqi was also a disciple of the Daoist, Ye Dong’s impression changed. “Didn’t expect you, with your bookish looks, to be their junior. You must get bullied a lot, huh?”

Guangqi smiled. “My seniors take good care of me. Master is waiting for you—please.”

“All right!”

Lecheng whispered, “Brother Tian, when you see our master, mind your tone, that—”

“All right, I’m not an idiot,” Ye Dong said impatiently. “Let’s go.”

They entered and were served fragrant tea. An old man in yellow robes emerged, followed by Lord Wei and Lixing. There was no need for introductions—this was Huang Wuchang.

“Junior He Wentian greets the master.” Ye Dong bowed respectfully. “I wish you longevity and swift progress.”

“It’s good for a young man to have a sweet tongue, but too sweet attracts ants,” Huang Wuchang waved his hand. “No need for formalities.”

Seeing he didn’t say “please sit,” Ye Dong remained standing and respectfully asked, “May I ask why you’ve summoned me today, master?”

“Nothing special. I just want to have a wager with you.” Huang Wuchang gave a wicked smile, took three black dice from his robe, and placed them lightly on the table.