CHAPTER 37

Admiring the Flower Through Red Clouds :

Heart Filled Sympathy

•••

There was only a small gap between the red curtain, but from his position, Xie Lian was the only one who could see who was behind the curtain because he had blocked the vision of everyone inside the Gambling Hall, they could not see anything. Not that they will dare to peek. The left eye was still staring and watching Xie Lian, and Xie Lian returned his gaze, unconsciously attracted to him.

Hua Cheng's appearance this time seemed not only to look a few years older, but he also grew taller. Previously, when Xie Lian looked at him, he could still maintain a similar level of eye contact, but now, he had to stretch his neck to look up.

After staring at each other for a while, Hua Cheng finally broke the silence first.

His voice sounded deeper than before, " Do you want to bet on the highest or lowest dice value?"

The voice Xie Lian heard was a kind of deep voice, a voice that was so pleasing to the ears of anyone who heard it, including Xie Lian himself, a voice that had pulled Xie Lian back to reality where he was at the moment. Whether it is betting on the highest or lowest number, there is no difference. So he immediately answered,

" Supreme."

Hua Cheng replied, " Fine. Then I will do it first."

Xie Lian's left hand supported the base of the black gambling cup. His right hand covered the lid around the cup. Hua Cheng stood in front of him, with his right hand holding Xie Lian's left hand, he guided him to lightly shake the cup before lifting the lid. There are two dice at the bottom of the cup, each worth six and five.

From what he could see from above, Lang Qian Qiu with his eyes that looked like an eagle's eye saw how easily the two dice turns made by the figure showed such a high value and his eyes widened instantly, " How did that happen ??"

Hua Cheng gently shifted his hand and gestured to Xie Lian to try again, " Shake it like this. Now you can try it yourself."

Xie Lian mimicked exactly what the young man had done before and shook the cup twice, but Hua Cheng then said, " It's not like that."

Even though he rebuked Xie Lian at that time, his tone sounded very gentle and patient. As he explained, Hua Cheng's hand again supported Xie Lian's but this time his left hand held Xie Lian's right, which he used to cover the lid of the gambling cup. He instructed in a soft voice,

" Like this."

With that, the back of Xie Lian's hand was now covered by Hua Cheng's palm.

When the skin touched another skin, Hua Cheng's hand felt as smooth as jade. The beautiful silver vambraces that Hua Cheng wore felt as cold as ice, however, Hua Cheng's movements at that time guided him so carefully and never let them come in contact with Xie Lian's skin. His hand guided Xie Lian's hand and shook the black wooden gambling cup in a rhythm that was neither rushed nor slow.

Once. Twice. Three times.

Clack, clack, clack.

The sound of two dice colliding with each other as they bounced inside the cup sounded so crisp. Even though the vibrations felt so soft, Xie Lian could feel numb waves from the back of his hand, flowing along his arms, then spread throughout his body.

When he looked so shaky, Xie Lian raised her eyes slightly to peek at the young man and realized that Hua Cheng did not see the gambling cup at all. Instead, Hua Cheng's eyes were clearly still watching him and still fixing his eyes only on him attentively and with the corners of his mouth looking curved. Xie Lian couldn't help but smile sweetly at him, but immediately controlled himself when he remembered the crowd of ghosts and demons who were still watching them from above and below or around him. He looked down and carefully studied the movements that Hua Cheng showed him. " How is it? Is it like this?" He asked.

Hua Cheng widened his smile, " Hm. Right, like that, keep going."

Seeing Xie Lian who was still shaking and shaking the cup a few more times hopefully, he said, " Why don't you see it?"

Xie Lian then lifted the lid of the cup and saw two white dice under the cup. That is two dice each worth three.

Rolling dice worth two numbers three was considered impossible for him. It was as if a gentle spring breeze blew past Xie Lian's heart and he thought, " Is it possible for me to finally learn the trick?"

However, even though what he had gotten was so shocking, six points were still lacking and worth less than eleven points. He cleared his throat and admitted, " Sorry, I lost."

But Hua Cheng replied, " Don't worry, this round doesn't count. I'm teaching you right now, try again."

Hearing Hua Cheng say that, even Lang Qian Qiu and Shi Qing Xuan were unable to say anything. The crowd of ghosts and devils still in the hall gazed at what had happened in front of them with their mouths open, then they began to complain.

" What happened to master? I thought he would show him who the boss was, but did he finally really teach him ??"

" How is this round not counted at all ?? Does this still deserve to be called gambling?"

" If this doesn't count, then when will it count?"

" Looks like you are really in a good mood today ..."

Hua Cheng raised his left eyebrow and immediately, the bookies officer who stood beside him whispered, " Everyone please calm down."

In a blink of an eye, the Gambling House Hall was calm and in control again. Even though no one dared to speak, their gaze was still so alert. Hua Cheng chuckled and softly whispered encouraging words into Xie Lian's ear, " Why don't you try again?"

Maybe it's because there are too many ghosts, devils, and humans whose gatherings have been gathered together in the Gambling House to see this battle, so that somehow Xie Lian felt his face start to heat up, " Okay."

Clack, clack, he shook the cup again twice. This time, when he opened the lid of the cup and saw the results, the dice showed two quarters.

Hua Cheng mused, " Look, isn't this time a little higher than before?"

Even though he felt something was wrong, Xie Lian still nodded, " Yes ... this is a little higher."

Hua Cheng encouraged him to try again, " You did well. Keep going."

With other praises being heard, a giggling sound came from all directions in the hall. Judging from the sound, it seemed like they all came from female demons. Xie Lian couldn't think about who made the sound, he only thought about which posture was correct. At first, he paid close attention when he learned how Hua Cheng positioned his hands, how he adjusted his steps, and how he held the cup, but now he let Hua Cheng's hand guide him and continued to shake the cup in his hand. While his body was still trembling, a thought came to him, " What if San Lang is just playing with me."

Lang Qian Qiu who had been watching all the events from above might feel the same way and seemed so unable to take it anymore, " You! Stop shaking the cup. He is clearly playing with you. There is no such thing as a correct posture. He must be trying to do cheat! "

Hearing the voice that sounded so loud and boisterous, Shi Qing Xuan covered his face once again because he felt so ashamed of this boy.

Mumbling after murmuring could be heard louder among the crowd here and there, and the rain of dice continued to be thrown at Lang Qian Qiu who was still on top. " Stupid bastard, shut your mouth!"

" So noisy, we're almost at the most interesting part!"

" Through the teachings of our master, the cultivator is able to get higher and higher results from every dice that he plays. That is a truth that cannot be denied!"

" That's right! What do you know ?!"

Lang Qian Qiu looked so angry, " You, you can even practice it just by lying through your teeth ... ahhh !!"

He suddenly stopped before he could finish what he was saying, and his face looked so red. As it turned out, a pair of female demons under him rudely started to pull his dangling waist and scolded him with the temptation, " If you keep causing a commotion here and keep saying nonsense, this beautiful Jie Jie will take off your pants!"

[ Jie Jie is a familiar nickname for older sisters.]

Lang Qian Qiu had never been threatened like this before, and his anger returned to the point of making him speechless, " You ... you !!"

He could still survive if he had to be beaten by a group of demons, but the story would be different if they were to take off his pants, then with the status of the martial god he had, that would be very embarrassing. As such, Lang Qian Qiu didn't dare to say many more things. Xie Lian looked up and saw another god who was still hovering above sending him an eye signal with his eyes full of help. It was something so funny and sad at the same time. He could only bow his head, looked at Hua Cheng, and said in a small voice, "... San Lang."

Hearing his tone of voice, Hua Cheng chuckled, " Leave him be. Let's continue."

"..."

Xie Lian gave up and, once again, held the cup and shook it twice. As expected, this time, he got two dice that both showed the number five!

Seeing the results he got this time, the crowd inside the hall became livelier and continued to tease Lang Qian Qiu, " Did you see that? Higher than the last!"

But Xie Lian had already realized that Hua Cheng was just playing with him and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry anymore. There is no such thing as a correct posture to do things like this. When he becomes one of the people who do it, whatever posture he takes will be considered wrong. From now on, he might surrender to the hope of changing his destiny, but when he would open up the peak results he got this time to the final shock, Hua Cheng stopped him, "Wait."

Xie Lian could feel the hand above his hand pressing harder, and stopped his movements altogether. " Is there something wrong?"

With an unreadable expression, Hua Cheng asked, " This gege, you haven't said what you will do or what you will give if you lose this bet, right?"

Hearing him call Xie Lian as 'gege', Shi Qing Xuan and Lang Qian Qiu both had expressions that looked so complicated and unreadable on their faces. The crowd of ghosts and devils who were there also felt a great tremor flowing from their spine and there were even some who fainted on the spot.

It's a bit embarrassing to say, but because he was in such a hurry before, Xie Lian didn't think of anything he had to bet for this bet to be.

" Um ..."

He himself had also thought about risking ten years for his own life, but the age held by a heavenly official was long enough for him to think that ten years meant nothing. Money and possessions? Do not be stupid! He doesn't even have those two things. Spiritual power? Seriously! He even sometimes hitchhiked and also did not have that much spiritual power. This is really urgent ah! This good amount of time has passed, but Xie Lian still couldn't think of anything to stake, so he could only turn around and ask the owner of this Gambling House, " Do you think there's anything to me that is worth risking?"

Hua Cheng chuckled at the question, " Whatever doesn't matter. What do you have right now?"

Xie Lian pondered for a while and coughed lightly from his throat, he might have said the truth about it, " I ... only have a slice ... I mean a piece of bread I had half eaten before."

Hua Cheng burst out laughing. Even though he laughed, no one else dared to do the same even if they wanted to.

When he finally calmed down, Hua Cheng nodded, " It's okay. Even the bread doesn't matter."

Hearing that agreement, not only the crowd of ghosts and devils there seemed so shocked, but also the bookie clerk who was still at the gambling table.

Since this gambling house was opened, there have been so many senseless bets ever made such as organs, life, emotions, spiritual powers ... And others. But there is no such thing as a nonsense bet today - a loaf of bread that has even been eaten in half. Even Lang Qian Qiu could not contain his surprise and said,

" What, what does this mean? Are you saying that I am only worth a steamed bun that has even been half eaten ???" ...

The crowd still inside the hall chuckled, someone exclaimed, " What's wrong with a loaf of bread? You even have someone who wants and wants to bet to get you, so hurry up and shut your mouth!" Xie Lian could say that the voice that had responded to Lang Qian Qiu's earlier cry belonged to Shi Qing Xuan who was hiding among the crowd of ghosts and demons. With a face full of smiles, Hua Cheng said beaming, " Come on. This is the last round. Don't be nervous."

Xie Lian responded, " I'm not nervous."

Both of them retained their previous posture while still holding each other's hands and then began to shake the gambling cup several times. Even though Xie Lian really didn't feel nervous, he felt that there was a hint of sweat in his hands which was sandwiched between Hua Cheng's cup and hands.

Finally, their movements stopped. He held his breath to start opening the lid of the gambling cup and revealed the outcome of their bet -

The two dice there show the value of two sixes!

Xie Lian heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng raised his eyebrows and said, " Oh, I lost."

Even though he admitted his defeat seriously, he didn't sound sincere at all. The crowd beneath them was filled with silence.

Previously there were still some people who complained " If this round doesn't count, then when will be counted ", but, the answer is now clear - the results will be counted when that person wins and the other side concedes defeat.

This kind of generosity is really almost mad!

Even so, no comment. The bookies officer from before picked up the black wooden gambling cup and said, " Congratulations to this young master. You have won the brave of this round."

Everyone politely praised, " Master showed us perfect defeat! So beautiful! So beautiful!"

" Very elegant! Oh!"

" Isn't the winner taught by master directly? He won because you taught him well!"

" That's right! Studying body posture to roll the dice properly today really broadens my horizons and knowledge! With this vast amount of knowledge, even ten years won't be enough to master it!"

Hua Cheng still looked at Xie Lian with a smile that still adorned his face. Not taking his eyes off at all, he raised his hand and with a flick of his finger, Lang Qian Qiu fell from above like a stone being blown away. Xie Lian grimaced because the collision between Lang Qian Qiu's body that fell to the ground sounded so loud. Shi Qing Xuan couldn't take the risk of revealing her identity by rushing forward, so he let Xie Lian go to check on the prince's condition, "Are you alright?"

Lang Qian Qiu got up and then cleansed himself, " I'm fine, thank you. He might want you to go up so he can cheat and make you lose, but thank God you won!"

Xie Lian thought, " You are totally wrong. If he doesn't look down on me, even if the world turns to ash, I still won't be able to win you back ..."

As he thought about those thoughts, a ringing of bells rang out, and another sound of shock coming from all directions could be heard following him. Xie Lian turned around and saw Hua Cheng finally coming out from behind the red silk screen curtain. Showing himself.

In his previous form, Hua Cheng always tied his hair with a loose pigtail which was slightly tilted, but now, he let his hair unravel and covered some of the brightly colored red clothes that he was wearing, and an aura of demonic energy emanated from the handsome figure. A thin braid of hair tied with red coral beads slightly made a difference in his black hair which he let loose. The vambraces that he wore were silver, the laces on his boots were silver, the belt he wore was also silver, even a long, smoothly curved sword hanging on his waist was also silver. Just as the blade of the sword was slender and long, the young man who possessed the sword was also slim and tall. He leaned on the curtain he had opened with his arms crossed in front of his body and wore an unreadable expression. He then said, " Gege, you won against me."

Xie Lian clearly knew what was happening, and said in a small voice, " Please stop teasing me."

Hua Cheng raised his eyebrows, " I don't .Why should I ?"

Down there, the crowd of ghosts and demons was busy with the excitement they experienced, as wild as the waves rolling in the ocean, they whispered among themselves, " Master changed his appearance again today?"

" I'm almost dead, my new body is killing me! Very soft and firm!"

" Do you really almost die? Hey old lady, aren't you already dead ?!"

It seems that because Hua Cheng never showed his true form in front of anyone and often changed bodies so that even the ghost and demon groups in this Ghost City did not know exactly what their master's real body and face were and assumed that this must be one of his. A fake body / skin / shell. Only Xie Lian knew that the person standing in front of him at this time was the true form of the Blood Rain Reaching the Flower of the legend he was Hua Cheng.