Chapter 14: Admiring the Flower through Red Clouds, a Heart Full of Affection

Though Hua Cheng's words were filled with contempt, the moment he spoke, the man in question allowed the taunting from all around and dared not argue back.

The attendant who had led Xie Lian to the long table said, "Gongzi, you are very lucky today."

Xie Lian never moved his gaze from the table. "How so?"

"Our Chengzhu rarely comes by," the attendant replied. "It is only these past few days that he has been in the mood, so is this not good luck?"

Judging by her tone, Xie Lian could tell that the attendant held this "Chengzhu" in high regard, as if the mere sight of him was the greatest of fortune. Xie Lian couldn't help but smile.

The screen curtain was made of soft silk, captivating in its red silhouette, a truly enchanting sight. In front of the red curtain there were a few charming women overlooking the gambling table. Xie Lian was content to just watch from the background at first, but the moment he heard Hua Cheng's voice, he started trying to push through the crowd, though without drawing any attention to the fact that he was there. Finally, he squeezed through to the table and saw the man in the middle of putting down his bets.

The betting man was a living human. Xie Lian wasn't surprised, as it was known that there were more than just ghosts in Ghost City—there were also a number of cultivators of considerable skill, and once in a while, mortals at the brink of death, or those who wished to die, would stumble in by accident. The gambling man also had a mask on, but both his eyes were visible, bulging and laced with red as if they were bleeding. His lips were pale, like he hadn't seen the sun in days. Although he was a living human, he resembled a ghost more than any of the ghosts present.

Both of his hands were pressing down tightly on a black wooden dice cup on the table, and after holding back for a moment, he shouted with the air of a man who'd stopped caring about anything else: "But…how come the other guy was allowed to bet both his legs?!"

One of the croupiers before the red curtain smiled. "The one before used to be an acclaimed bandit, known wherever he went for his light footwork and ability to take flight. That ability was the essence of his life, so his legs were deemed a worthy bet. You are neither a skilled artisan nor a renowned medic; what worth does your one arm possess?"

The man gritted his teeth. "Then I…I bet…ten years of my daughter's life!"

Xie Lian was stunned by those words and thought, Where on earth is there a father who is willing to bet with the life of his child? Is that even possible?

Behind the curtain, Hua Cheng only snorted. "Very well."

Xie Lian couldn't tell if it was his imagination, but he could sense coldness in that response. But then he added mentally, San Lang always has good luck, and all his fortune sticks came up as the best of luck. If he bets against this man, won't he win for sure and take ten years of life from that man's daughter?

He was just thinking this when the croupier announced sweetly by the long table: "Even is a loss, odd is a win. Once the cup is tipped, there is no turning back. Now, please."

As it turned out, Hua Cheng wouldn't be involved in the betting after all. That man shook the gambling cup haphazardly, both hands grasping hard, and the hall quieted down. The sounds of the dice rattling could be heard, loud and crisp. A long while after, his movement came to a sudden stop. Then, everything was still.

It was a long while before the man slowly—very slowly—lifted a corner of the gambling cup and peeked through the gap. Those bloodshot eyes suddenly widened.

He flipped open the cup and shouted with mad joy. "Odd! Odd! ODD!! I win! I've won! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA, I'VE WON! I'VE WON!!"

This was certainly not the outcome the crowd of humans and ghosts around the long table had wanted to see, and they started booing the man down, slapping the table and shouting their discontent.

One of the croupiers smiled and said, "Congratulations. Your business will soon see a turn for the better."

The man laughed uproariously and cried, "Wait! I want to bet again!"

The croupier smiled. "You are welcome to. What do you want this time?"

The man pulled a long face, and he said, "I want…I want everyone competing with me in my trade to drop dead!"

Hearing this, the crowd started muttering and clicking their tongues. The croupier raised a hand to cover her smile.

"If that is what you desire, it is much more difficult to fulfill than your previous wish. Will you not consider something else? Asking for your business to flourish further, for example?"

Yet the man replied, his eyes red, "No! That's the only thing I want to bet on! That's what I'm betting for!"

"Then, if that is your wish, ten years of your daughter's life may not be enough," the croupier said.

"I'll add more if that's not enough, I'll bet twenty years of her life! And…and the fate of her marriage too!"

The ghostly crowd was in an uproar, and they burst out laughing.

"This dad's lost his mind! He's selling his daughter!!"

"Wow, just wow!!"

The croupier announced once again, "Even is a loss, odd is a win. Once the cup is tipped, there is no turning back. Now, please!"

That man once again took up the gambling cup, trembling as he shook it. If he lost, his daughter would lose twenty years of her life and a perfectly good marriage, which was obviously not ideal…but if he won, all his competitors would drop dead? Although Xie Lian didn't think Hua Cheng would ever let such a thing happen, after much hesitation, he stepped a little closer. He was just debating whether he should cast some small trick when suddenly, someone grabbed hold of him. He turned his head to see and found Shi Qingxuan.

Shi Qingxuan had returned to his male form, and he whispered, "Don't be rash."

Xie Lian whispered back, "Lord Wind Master, why did you transform back?"

"It's a long story," Shi Qingxuan sighed. "That group of girlies and aunties dragged me around saying they were going to introduce me to good beauty parlors. I finally escaped, but they caught me again, so I had to change back. They dragged me to a place that smeared so much stuff on my face, pulling, stretching, slapping, smacking—quick, check my face! How is it? Anything wrong? Do you see anything off?"

He pushed his face right up to Xie Lian for inspection, and Xie Lian dutifully scrutinized it before replying truthfully, "I think it looks even smoother and fairer than before."

Shi Qingxuan brightened immediately. "Really? Oh, good! That's wonderful! Ha ha ha ha! Is there a mirror? Where's a mirror? I want to see!"

"Look later," Xie Lian said. "Ghost City is blocking our spiritual communication, so let's not lose each other again. By the way, how did you know I was here, Lord Wind Master?"

"I didn't!" Shi Qingxuan replied. "I came because Qianqiu and I had already agreed to meet here. When we lost each other earlier, I just came here instead, but when I walked in, it turned out you were here too!"

"You called Qianqiu out?" Xie Lian asked. "To meet here?"

"Yeah," Shi Qingxuan replied. "Qianqiu is Lang Qianqiu, His Highness Tai Hua. You know that much at least, right? He's the Martial God of the East. Since we're here, it'll be best if he comes too. The Gambler's Den is one of the most bustling, chaotic places in Ghost City. It's a landmark. People and ghosts alike go in and out in large numbers, so it's much less conspicuous for us to mingle. That's why I told him to meet us here."

Xie Lian nodded. When he turned back to the long table, that man still hadn't lifted the cup. His eyes were rolled back and he was muttering, not unlike many of the ghosts there. Xie Lian sighed.

"This man…"

Shi Qingxuan, still feeling his face, said, "I know what you want to say, and I agree. But Ghost City is Hua Cheng's territory, and the rules here at the Den are all followed willingly. You gamble at your own risk. The heavens can do nothing. Let's just observe for now, and we can come up with something if this gets out of hand."

Xie Lian hummed, thinking that there was no way San Lang would allow this to get out of hand. It would truly be best just to observe. With that thought, he settled down.

As for the gambling man, he finally seemed to gather enough courage and lifted the cup just a sliver. The outcome was about to be revealed.

Just then, another person burst in and slammed the cup back down with a strike that crushed it to pieces! This strike not only crushed the gambling cup but also the hand that was on top of it. The entire table splintered with a deep crack.

The masked man cradled his crushed hand and rolled all over the floor screaming. The crowd of ghosts also started shouting, some cheering and some crying out in shock.

The person who had smashed their way in yelled, "You! What a vicious heart! A wish for wealth and fortune, fine. But to wish for others' sudden death?! If you want to bet, have the guts to bet your own life—not the life and marriage of your daughter! You're not fit to be a man! Not fit to be a father!"

The young man had straight, strong brows and stars for eyes, bursting with heroic aura. Although he was dressed in simple black attire, nothing extravagant, his air of nobility could not be concealed. It was none other than the Crown Prince of Yong'an, Lang Qianqiu.

From their spot in the crowd, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxua covered their faces at the same time.

Xie Lian groaned. "…Lord Wind Master, did you not tell him…to be a little more cautious when he's here…and keep it low-key…"

Shi Qingxuan whined back, "…I…I told him, but…he's always like that… What can I do… Had I known earlier…I would've planned for us to come here together…"

Xie Lian sympathized. "I get it… I understand…"

Just then, Hua Cheng chuckled lightly from behind the curtains.

Xie Lian's heart skipped a beat.

The youth had often laughed when he was with Xie Lian, so now Xie Lian could judge fairly well when the laughter was genuine versus when it was mocking. Or when it was laced with killing intent.

His voice was languid. "You must have guts of steel to start trouble here in my territory."

Lang Qianqiu turned to face the direction of the voice with fire in his eyes. "Are you the owner of this Gambler's Den?"

The crowd jeered from all around.

"Ignorant child, do you know who you're talking to?! That's our Chengzhu!"

Someone sneered. "Not only does he own this Gambler's Den, the entire Ghost City is his!"

Lang Qianqiu barely showed any reaction when hearing this, but Shi Qingxuan was completely taken aback.

"Dear lord, is that who I think it is behind the curtain?! Crimson Rain Sought Flower?!"

Xie Lian answered, "Yes…it's him."

Shi Qingxuan asked again, "Are you sure?!"

Xie Lian replied, "I'm certain."

Shi Qingxuan panicked. "Crap, crap. What do we do about Qianqiu now?!"

Xie Lian said, after a few moments, "Let's just hope he doesn't expose his identity…"

Yet the more Lang Qianqiu looked around, the angrier he became. "This hellish place reeks of smoke and corruption, and it's filled to the brim with demonic chaos. What scum is gathered here, committing what kind of deeds? Running a place like this, none of you have a single trace of humanity!"

The crowd booed in unison.

"We ain't humans anyway, what do we need humanity for? What a useless concept—whoever wants it can take it!"

"Who do you think you are, coming all the way here just to insult us?!"

Amused, Hua Cheng said, "This den of mine is a carnival of hell to begin with. There's a path for you in heaven, but you refuse to take it and instead chose to barge into the despairing depths of hell. So, what shall we do with you?"

The moment they heard the word "heaven," Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan instantly knew. Just as they'd suspected, Hua Cheng had already seen through Lang Qianqiu and knew exactly where he came from!

Yet Lang Qianqiu completely missed the implication of his words and slammed his hand down on the table once more. He was standing at one end, and with that single strike, he sent the entire table flying toward the red shadow behind the curtain. Those who had been gathered around the table dodged to the sides, but the seated silhouette behind the curtain didn't move. With a wave of his hand, the long table was flung back in the opposite direction, back toward Lang Qianqiu.

At the sight of the rebounding table, Lang Qianqiu caught it with one hand. But he quickly realized he couldn't handle the overwhelming force bearing down against him and immediately switched to both hands. As he pushed and pushed, blue veins began to pop on his forehead. The once-bustling hall now had people and ghosts fleeing and hiding. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan debated whether they should step in to help. Since they hadn't been exposed yet, they could continue to help out in secret, but if they jumped in openly, they'd risk having their covers blown completely.

On the other end, Lang Qianqiu gave a loud shout and finally shoved back the hefty table. Behind the red curtains, Hua Cheng's silhouette was still lounging on the chair. He curled all five fingers into a fist, then released them lightly. Instantly, the table exploded into fragments of wood, the splinters shooting toward Lang Qianqiu.

The force of this gust flung forth countless splinters as sharp as knives, more fearful than any hidden weapon. If Lang Qianqiu were to keep his powers hidden and remain in his mortal form, there was no way he'd be able to evade the attack. Thus, moments later, his body started to emit a faint light. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan understood right away and panicked.

Oh no, he's going to reveal his true form!

But this faint sheen of spiritual light vanished as soon as it appeared. Lang Qianqiu had probably remembered that he wasn't supposed to reveal his identity on this trip and caught himself at the last second. He quickly withdrew his power, having barely stopped the flying splinters. However, while Lang Qianqiu had stepped back, Hua Cheng, on the other hand, would not. The crimson figure sitting leisurely behind the red curtain made another hand seal. This time, he pressed his fingers together and lightly flicked up.

With this one motion, Lang Qianqiu's body was suddenly lifted off the ground. Sprawled out like a starfish, his body was suspended on the ceiling of the great hall of the Gambler's Den.

Even after being caught, Lang Qianqiu still didn't seem to be able to wrap his head around how he suddenly started floating, and he struggled to break free, his face full of confusion. Xie Lian felt his head throb.

"Now that his power's been sealed, even if he wants to return to his divine form, it'll be impossible."

Shi Qingxuan agreed. "Since Ghost City is Hua Cheng's territory, if he wants to seal his power, he can."

Even though Lang Qianqiu had been apprehended before the crowd, there was at least one upside: namely, his identity was probably still safe for now. If he had continued the brawl and released his powers, it would be hard to explain why Tai Hua-zhenjun, the Martial God of the East, had come to Ghost City to wreak havoc. After all, unless there was something extraordinary afoot, the Heavenly and Ghost Realms hadn't crossed each other's paths in centuries.

Seeing that the Gambler's Den's unexpected guest had been detained, the crowd that had fled returned and gathered in the hall once more. They pointed at the suspended Lang Qianqiu and laughed uproariously. Lang Qianqiu had probably never experienced this kind of humiliation before, and his face flushed red as he wordlessly struggled against the invisible bindings. From time to time, a ghost from below would jump up in an attempt to pat his head. Fortunately, Hua Cheng had hung him fairly high up, far out of reach, sparing him that embarrassment.

Hua Cheng chuckled from behind the red curtains. "What an interesting catch today. I'll let you all play with it. Whoever's lucky and wins big can take it home to roast."

At those words, endless cheers erupted within the hall.

"Bet on the roll! Let's bet on the roll! The highest roll can take him home to roast!"

"Oh myyyy, this little gege looks pretty delicious, hee hee hee hee…"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha, who's the fool now?! That'll teach you to cause trouble around here!"

The four masked bouncers carried in a new long table, and the crowd flocked to the area once again to start the next round of bets. The masked man who was clutching his hand and howling on the ground was long forgotten. The prize this time around was none other than Lang Qianqiu, suspended in midair. Seeing how riled the crowd was, Shi Qingxuan paced back and forth, anxiously flailing his arms.

"What do we do? Should we go up there and win him back? Or is it better to fight?"

Xie Lian asked, "Lord Wind Master, how's your luck?"

Shi Qingxuan replied, "It's sometimes good, sometimes bad. There's no certainty with something like luck."

Xie Lian said, "There can be. For example, look at me. I've never had any good luck."

Shi Qingxuan gaped. "Is it that bad?"

Xie Lian nodded, ruefully. "Whenever I roll, the most I get is snake eyes."

Shi Qingxuan knitted his brows, but an idea immediately came to him, and he slapped his thigh. "How about this: since the most you ever get is snake eyes, then you should bet on the lowest number. There can't be anyone who'll roll lower than you."

After a moment of consideration, Xie Lian agreed. "You have a good point. Let me try."

So he found a place near the table and threw out a suggestion: "Why not switch the rules up a bit and see who can roll the smallest? The lowest roll wins, how about that?"

The crowd around the table was rowdy; some agreed, some disagreed. Xie Lian decided to take two dice and give it a try first.

Before he rolled, he chanted mentally: small, small, small. The dice were tossed, and the two leaned in to take a look.

Two sixes!

"…" said Xie Lian.

"…" said Shi Qingxuan.

Xie Lian rubbed his forehead in defeat. "It seems that not even a change of rules can change my luck."

Shi Qingxuan mirrored him in rubbing his forehead. "Maybe it'd be better to just fight outright."

Just then, a croupier approached the red curtains and leaned in, as if trying to hear what the figure behind was saying. She nodded, raised her head, and announced, "Everyone, may I have your attention, please? Chengzhu has an announcement to make."

Hearing that Chengzhu had something to say, the crowd immediately dropped everything and became exceedingly quiet.

The croupier continued, "Chengzhu said to change up the rules."

Chatter broke out in the crowd.

"Chengzhu is the rule!"

"The rules are whatever Chengzhu says they are!"

"What are we changing them to?"

The croupier responded, "Chengzhu says that he is in a good mood today and wants to play a couple of rounds with everyone. Anyone is free to bet against him. Whoever wins can take home the thing up above. Whether to steam it, boil it, fry it, or pickle it will be completely up to the winner."

Learning that they'd be betting against Chengzhu, the ghosts began to have second thoughts. It seemed that Hua Cheng indeed never stepped in to gamble himself. There were a few brave souls tempted to give it a shot, but not a single one of them dared to be first. Above them, Lang Qianqiu continued his struggles with endless determination.

He barked, "What do you mean, 'thing'? I'm not a thing! You dare to use me as a bet?!"

This proclamation that he wasn't a "thing" was heard by the many female ghosts in the crowd. Giggling, they stared at him with openly lecherous looks while running the tips of their blood-red tongues across their lips, as if they wanted to swallow him whole.

Xie Lian thought, Hahh…this child. It's better if you speak less.

After a soundless sigh, Xie Lian stepped forward and said gently, "In that case, please let me have a try."

Upon hearing his voice, the shadow behind the red curtains paused. Then the figure slowly rose to his feet.

The croupier in front of the curtains smiled. "Then, will this gongzi please come forth."

Within the hall, the crowds of humans and ghosts all parted for this brave warrior. When Xie Lian reached the end of the path, the croupier presented him with the polished black gambling cup in her hands.

"Please go ahead, gongzi."

To all the previous gamblers, she had always used a casual way of speaking. Despite the ordinary words she uttered, her tone wasn't polite in the slightest. However, to Xie Lian now, not only had she started using honorifics, the tone she used was also exceedingly polite and respectful. Xie Lian received the black gambling cup from her with a word of thanks and lightly cleared his throat.

Since he had never touched anything of this sort before, he shook the cup randomly for a good while and pretended that he knew a thing or two. As he moved his hands, he looked up and glanced at Lang Qianqiu hanging above. Lang Qianqiu stared back at him, wide-eyed and pitiful, but thankfully, he didn't make a sound. His expression made Xie Lian want to laugh for some reason, but he held it back. After shaking for a long time, he finally stopped.

Countless pairs of eyes were intently focused on the cup in his hands, and Xie Lian felt that somehow, this tiny little gambling cup had grown incomparably heavy. He didn't know if there was a right way to flip it. However, just as he was about to reveal the outcome, the croupier stopped him.

"Wait."

"What is it?" Xie Lian asked.

The croupier replied, "Chengzhu said that your cup-shaking posture isn't quite right."

Xie Lian thought to himself, So there really is a correct way of doing this? Could all my bad luck earlier be due to my bad posture?

He asked modestly, "Then may I ask what the correct posture is?"

The croupier responded, "Chengzhu has invited you to come up, as he is willing to teach you, gongzi."

Upon hearing this, the crowd of ghosts within the den drew in sharp breaths.

Xie Lian heard the ghosts grumble.

"To think Chengzhu is going to teach him—that's a first! Does that mean he's gonna die?"

"Chengzhu wants to do what? Just who is this?! Why teach him?!"

"Shaking a cup is shaking a cup! What kind of correct posture is there?!"

Xie Lian was thinking the same question, but the croupier had already motioned him toward the red curtains.

"Please."

Thus, Xie Lian arrived in front of the red curtains with the black wooden gambling cup clutched in his hands.

The silk curtains swayed gently, almost giving life to the red silhouette. The person behind the curtains was standing directly in front of him with only half an arm's distance between them. Xie Lian held his breath as a hand parted the heavy red curtains and landed perfectly under his own, supporting the gambling cup.

This was a right hand, slender and pale, and the well-defined fingers had a red string tied around the third digit. Against the pitch-black wooden cup, the white appeared even paler and the red even more vivid.

Slowly, Xie Lian lifted his eyes. A youth, roughly eighteen or nineteen years of age, stood silently behind the cloudlike red silk curtains. It was San Lang.

His robes were still the same maple red, his skin still white as snow.

It was the same uniquely handsome and dangerously sharp, youthful face, but its contours were now slightly more defined. While he could still be called a youth, he could also be called a man. The shyness of boyhood had evolved into a composed calm. The sheer wildness between his brows reflected his pride. The same eye that twinkled like a star was now gazing deeply, unblinkingly at Xie Lian.

However, though it was as bright as a star, there was only one eye. The left eye.

The other was hidden behind a black eyepatch.

The red silk curtains were only open a small slit. In his position, Xie Lian was the only one who could make out the person behind the curtains, since he was blocking the view from everyone else in the hall—not that they would dare to sneak a peek, anyway. That left eye watched Xie Lian, and Xie Lian returned the gaze, subconsciously drawn to it.

This time, Hua Cheng looked not only a few years older, but he'd also grown taller. Before, when Xie Lian looked at him, he could maintain eye contact comfortably, but now he had to strain his neck to look up.

After they had both stared for a good, long while, Hua Cheng finally broke the silence.

He said in a deep voice, "Would you like to bet high or low?"

It was this deep voice, pleasant to the ear, that pulled Xie Lian back to reality. As it made no difference how he bet, he answered, "High."

"Fine," Hua Cheng replied. "Then I'll roll first."

Xie Lian's left hand supported the base of the black gambling cup while his right hand covered the circular lid. Hua Cheng stood in front of him, and with his right hand covering Xie Lian's left, he guided him to shake lightly before lifting the lid. There were two dice at the bottom of the cup, a six and a five.

Lang Qianqiu, from where he was hanging above them, had a clear view and saw how easily he rolled such a high number. His eyes widened, and he exclaimed in awe, "How did that happen?!"

Hua Cheng loosened his hand slightly and beckoned to Xie Lian. "Shake it like this. Now you try."

Xie Lian mirrored his actions and shook the cup twice, but Hua Cheng said, "Not like that."

Even though he was reprimanding Xie Lian, his tone was exceptionally gentle and patient. As he explained, Hua Cheng supported Xie Lian's hand with his own again, but this time, his left hand found its way to Xie Lian's right, the one covering the lid.

He instructed softly, "Like this."

And just like that, the backs of Xie Lian's hands were enveloped by Hua Cheng's palms.

When skin touched skin, Hua Cheng's hands felt temperate like jade. The exquisite silver vambraces that Hua Cheng wore were as cold as ice, and yet his movements were careful, and he never allowed them to touch Xie Lian's skin. His hands guided Xie Lian's and shook the black wooden gambling cup in a rhythm that was neither hurried nor slow.

Once, twice, thrice.

Clack, clack, clack.

There was a crisp, rattling sound of the two dice colliding and entangling with each other as they bounced inside the black cup. Even though the shakes were gentle, Xie Lian could feel waves of numbness traveling from the backs of his hands, along his arms, spreading through the rest of his body.

As he shook, Xie Lian lifted his eyes to sneak a peek at the other person and realized that Hua Cheng wasn't looking at the gambling cup at all. Instead, he was watching him intently with the corners of his mouth curved up. Xie Lian couldn't help but return that smile, but he immediately controlled himself when he remembered the crowd of humans and ghosts watching him from above and below. He lowered his head and diligently studied the gesture that Hua Cheng showed him.

"Like this?" he asked.

The smile curving Hua Cheng's lips deepened. "Hm. That's right, just like that."

After Xie Lian shook the cup a few more times, full of hope, he suggested, "Why don't you take a look?"

Xie Lian lifted the lid and saw two white dice at the base. It was two threes.

Rolling two threes was already an impossible feat for him. It was like a gentle spring breeze had brushed past Xie Lian's heart, and he thought, Could I have actually learned the trick?

However, as shocking as the outcome was, six was still slightly less than eleven. He cleared his throat and admitted, "I'm sorry, I've lost."

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

At those words, Lang Qianqiu and Shi Qingxuan gawked. The crowd of ghosts in the hall also stared with their mouths agape, then they started to grumble.

"What's with Chengzhu? I thought he was gonna show him who's boss, but he's actually teaching him for real?!"

"How can you not count this round?! Can you even gamble like that?"

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

"Looks like Chengzhu really is in a good mood today…"

Hua Cheng quirked his left brow, and the croupier standing to the side immediately shushed the crowd.

"Everyone, please quiet down."

In the blink of an eye, the hall went silent again. Although no one dared speak, their stares were more intense. Hua Cheng chuckled and softly whispered words of encouragement into Xie Lian's ear.

"Again?"

It might have been because there were too many humans and ghosts packed into this Gambler's Den, but Xie Lian felt his face starting to heat up.

"Okay."

Rattle, rattle, he shook twice more. This time, when he revealed the cup, it was two fours.

"See, isn't it a little higher this time?" Hua Cheng asked.

Although Xie Lian felt that something was off, he still nodded his head. "Yes…it's a little higher."

Hua Cheng encouraged, "You did well. Keep going."

With those words of encouragement coming one after another, for some reason, giggles could be heard all around the hall. Judging by the voices, it appeared they all came from female ghosts. Xie Lian also couldn't figure out what exactly constituted the correct posture. At first, he simplemindedly paid close attention to how Hua Cheng positioned his hands, how he managed the pace, and how he grasped the cup. But now, he was letting Hua Cheng's hands lead him and shook the dice blindly. As he shook, a suspicion in his mind grew stronger and stronger: Could San Lang be teasing me…?

Lang Qianqiu, who had been watching from above, probably felt the same and couldn't help but speak up. "You! Stop shaking the cup. He's obviously playing you. There's no such thing as a correct posture. He must be cheating!"

Hearing that loud, boisterous voice, Shi Qingxuan covered his face again.

The ghosts below shushed heartily, and a rain of dice was hurled at Lang Qianqiu. They jeered at him loudly.

"Ignorant child, stop talking!"

"So noisy! We're just getting to the exciting part!"

"That Daozhang's rolls get higher each time he follows our Chengzhu's teachings, that's the undeniable truth!"

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

Lang Qianqiu was furious. "You, you unruly, bald-faced liars... Aaah!!"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence, and his face turned bright red. A couple of female ghosts below him had brutally yanked on his dangling belt and scolded him aloud.

"Xiao-didi, stop causing a ruckus. If you keep on spouting nonsense, us jiejie will pull off your pants!"

Lang Qianqiu had never been threatened like this before and was so angry he was rendered speechless. "You…you!!"

Getting beaten to a pulp by a mob of ghosts would've been fine, but having his pants pulled off would be a dreadful embarrassment for a dignified martial god like him. Immediately, Lang Qianqiu didn't dare to say anything more. Xie Lian looked up and saw the other god sending him eye signals with all his might. It was both hilarious and pitiful, so he could only lower his head.

Xie Lian looked at Hua Cheng and pleaded in a small voice, "…San Lang."

Hearing his tone, Hua Cheng chuckled. "Leave him be. Let us continue."

"…"

Xie Lian gave up and, once again, held the cup and shook twice. As expected, this time, he got two fives.

The crowd cheered harder at this and their teasing of Lang Qianqiu grew more frenzied.

"Did you see that? Higher than last time!"

But Xie Lian had already realized that Hua Cheng was just fooling around with him. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was sure that there was indeed no such thing as a correct posture, and to someone like him, any posture would be incorrect. From here on, he might as well give up on any hope of transforming his luck.

Just as he was about to give up and expose himself on this last shake, Hua Cheng stopped him.

"Wait."

Xie Lian could feel the hands covering his pressing down a little harder, so he stopped moving altogether. "What's wrong?"

Hua Cheng asked, half-jokingly, "I don't believe this gege has mentioned what will happen should he lose?"

Hearing him call Xie Lian "gege," Shi Qingxuan and Lang Qianqiu both wore complicated expressions on their faces. The crowd of ghosts also felt massive shivers run down their spines, and there were even a few who were so shocked that their heads dropped to the ground.

It was a little embarrassing to say, but because he was in such a hurry before, Xie Lian hadn't considered his side of the bet.

"Um…"

At first, he considered also betting ten years of his life, but a heavenly official's life span was quite long, so ten years probably wasn't worth very much. Money or treasure? He didn't have any. Spiritual power? He didn't have much of that either. Xie Lian surprisingly couldn't think of anything he could bet with at the moment, so he could only ask advice from the owner of the Gambler's Den.

"Do you think there's anything on me that's worth betting with?"

Hua Cheng chuckled at his question. "Anything's fine. What have you got on you?"

Xie Lian pondered briefly, then lightly coughed and told the truth: "I…only have a half-eaten bun with me."

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 settled down, Hua Cheng nodded. "That's fine. The bun will do."

The moment he spoke those words, they not only shocked the crowd of ghosts but the croupiers at the gambling table as well.

Since the opening of this Gambler's Den, there had been countless inconceivable bets made: organs, life span, emotions, abilities…but none were as inconceivable as the one today, a half-eaten bun.

Even Lang Qianqiu couldn't contain his surprise, and he sputtered, dumbfounded, "What…what's the meaning of this? Are you saying that I… that I'm only worth a half-eaten bun?!"

The crowd snickered and laughed. Someone called out, "What's wrong with a bun? You're getting off easy, so shut up!"

Xie Lian could tell that despairing voice belonged to Shi Qingxuan, who was hiding among the crowd of ghosts. Just as he was caught between laughing or crying, Hua Cheng coaxed him to continue.

"Come. It's the last round. Don't be nervous."

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

The two stayed like that, hands still touching, and shook a few times. Even though Xie Lian was truly not nervous, there was still a light sheen of sweat on the hand sandwiched between the cup and Hua Cheng's palm. Finally, the movement came to a stop. It was time for the reveal. He drew a small breath, then opened the lid—

The dice were two sixes!

Xie Lian let out a sigh of relief, aware of what had transpired, and he gazed up at Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng arched his brows.

"Oh, I lost."

Even though he acted serious when admitting his loss, he didn't sound the least bit sincere. The crowd below was engulfed in silence.

There'd been people grumbling earlier, "If this round doesn't count, then when will it count?" Now, the answer was clear: it counts when this guy wins.

That level of generosity was almost insane!

Even so, no one dared to comment. The croupier from before took the black wooden gambling cup and raised it up high.

"Congratulations to this gongzi. You have won this round."

Everyone generously gave face and cheered.

"Chengzhu showed us a perfect loss! Beautiful!"

"Wasn't the winner personally taught by Chengzhu? He won because Chengzhu taught him well!"

"That's right! Learning the correct dice rolling posture today really opened my eyes! So much benefit gained! So much that it'd take more than ten years to reap it all!"

Listening to the voices of the swarming devils from all around, Xie Lian couldn't help but smile. Seeing his mirth, Hua Cheng also chuckled and gave the red curtains a flick.

At that point, Lang Qianqiu called out from above, "Since you lost, you should be letting me down!"

Hua Cheng continued to stare at Xie Lian, his smile unchanging and his gaze not moving from Xie Lian's own. He simply lifted his hand and gave an easy wave, and Lang Qianqiu came crashing heavily down. Xie Lian winced at the loud crash. Shi Qingxuan couldn't risk exposing himself, so he couldn't rush forward. Instead, Xie Lian turned and bent down to check up on the god.

"Are you okay?"

Lang Qianqiu crawled to his feet and dusted himself off. "I'm good, thank you. He probably wanted you to go up there so that he could cheat and make you lose—but thank goodness you won!"

Xie Lian thought, You're completely mistaken. If he didn't go easy on me, even if the whole world turned to ash, I would still never be able to win you back…

Just as he was thinking that, there was suddenly a crisp tinkling of bells, and the sound was followed by gasps of shock from all around. Xie Lian turned his head to look, and it turned out that Hua Cheng had finally emerged from behind the red silk curtains.

In his previous youthful form, Hua Cheng always sported a slightly crooked ponytail. But now, his raven-black locks tumbled loose over his vibrant red clothing, and an evil aura radiated from his handsome figure. Only a thin braid on the right side, tied at the end with a red coral bead, brought a hint of mischief to the mix. The vambraces were silver, the straps on his boots were silver, the belt was also silver, even the long, slender scimitar that hung at his waist was silver, its curve smooth and peculiar. Just like that long, slender blade, the man himself was slender and tall. He was leaning against the parted curtains with crossed arms and a faint smile.

"Gege, you've beaten me."

Xie Lian obviously knew what had happened and said in resignation, "Please stop teasing me."

Hua Cheng quirked his brow. "I'm not. Why would I?"

Down below, the crowd of ghosts were bustling with excitement, bubbling like boiling water, each of them thrilled as they whispered among themselves.

"Chengzhu changed his skin again today?"

"I'm dying, his new skin is killing me! It's so tender and firm!"

"What do you mean, 'dying'? Old hag, aren't you already dead?!"

It would seem that Hua Cheng never showed his true form in public and also changed skins frequently. None of the ghosts in Ghost City knew what he really looked like, and they assumed that this must be another of his fake skins. Only Xie Lian knew that the one standing before him was the genuine Crimson Rain Sought Flower of legend.

Xie Lian stared at the young man in red.

"You…"

He wanted to say something, but countless eyes from all around were focused on them, and Hua Cheng's attitude was incredibly ambiguous—like he knew him but also didn't.

Xie Lian didn't know if Hua Cheng could so publicly admit their acquaintance in Ghost City, didn't know if he was acting this way intentionally. So he couldn't say much other than "Thank you."

"Why thank him?" Lang Qianqiu demanded. "He owns this place; he bore ill intentions from the start."

"…" Xie Lian replied under his breath. "Your Highness, please stop talking and let's get out of here."

If they were to stick around, he really didn't know what else would come out of Lang Qianqiu's mouth. Considering the mission at hand, Xie Lian couldn't afford to stay long. He glanced at Hua Cheng a few more times and pushed Lang Qianqiu toward the exit. But as he was doing so, Hua Cheng's voice called after him.

"Hold it."

Xie Lian stopped in his tracks and looked back. The chatter among the crowd started up again.

"Chengzhu, you can't let them go like this!"

"That guy's suspicious. Look how strong he is. He's probably not as simple as he seems. If you ask me, they need to be kept and interrogated."

"Exactly! Who knows if he's a spy sent from whatever organization to cause trouble on our turf!"

That last sentence was a dagger to the heart. They really did come from the heavens, but their intent wasn't to cause trouble but rather to simply investigate the situation. Xie Lian wasn't sure if Hua Cheng had seen the spiritual light that Lang Qianqiu released in his moment of peril, and he wasn't a hundred percent certain Hua Cheng would let them go if he did see. Xie Lian was growing increasingly anxious, but the tone Hua Cheng spoke in was laid-back.

"Shouldn't you leave the prize behind?"

Xie Lian was lost. "Prize?"

Lang Qianqiu put himself in front of Xie Lian and questioned warily, "Are you going back on your word now?"

But Xie Lian thought, San Lang would never go back on his promises. Could he mean something else?

With that, he stepped out from behind Lang Qianqiu and asked, "But didn't I already win the bet?"

"It's true that gege won against me just now," Hua Cheng replied. "But don't forget, you lost a round before that."

Xie Lian blinked. "But you said not to worry because it didn't count, right?"

Even though it took some really thick skin to say something as embarrassing as "It doesn't count when I lose, only when I win," Xie Lianstill said it.

Hua Cheng replied, "Of course, the rounds when you bet against me didn't count. What I'm referring to is the first round that you gambled at the long table."

It was then that Xie Lian finally remembered. Hua Cheng was referring to when he was testing out the lowest he could roll and ended up throwing double sixes instead.

Lang Qianqiu spat darkly, "I told you he had ill intentions and wouldn't let us leave here that easily. I will not be sealed again."

It sounded like he was already prepared for another fight and was eager to jump at the chance, but Xie Lian quickly pulled him back.

"It's fine, don't be nervous. We don't need to use our fists."

On the other end, Hua Cheng tilted his head. "How about it? Gege, do you admit your loss?"

Willing to bet, willing to lose; other than obediently conceding his defeat, what could he do? And so Xie Lian nodded.

"I admit it."

Hua Cheng extended his left hand with an open palm. "Then give me the promised prize."

The…promised prize?

After some hesitation, Xie Lian reached into his left sleeve, felt around, and fished out a half-eaten bun. Unable to look Hua Cheng in the eye, he bold-facedly presented it.

"Did you mean…this?"

Truth be told, when he took out the bun, Xie Lian felt the thick skin he'd grown over his eight hundred years crumble a little, unable to hold up.

The ghosts in the hall had long since been stricken speechless and were quietly watching this play out. Never mind that it was Chengzhu's first time betting against someone, and the stakes were a half-eaten bun—maybe Chengzhu was just having a bit of fun. But to think that Chengzhu had actually, in all seriousness, pursued the person to ask for this bun? Speechless. There really was nothing to say. There were even ghosts who couldn't help but spin an absurd theory: either there was some sort of enormous secret hidden within that bun or this person was actually Chengzhu's older blood brother!

Hua Cheng, however, merely grinned broadly as he received the bun, gave it a look, and waved it around in his hand. "I've claimed my prize."

Seeing that he actually took it, Xie Lian didn't know what to say. A good moment passed before he responded.

"It's…cold. And maybe a little hard."

"That's okay. I don't mind," Hua Cheng said.

Such an answer left Xie Lian unable to respond, and since he had already said all he could, he turned around and headed toward the exit. Earlier, when the ghosts of the Gambler's Den parted for him, it was simply because he was the first to go up, and that made him a brave warrior. Now, when they parted for him, their eyes were filled with admiration and curiosity.

As Xie Lian left, he could hear the ghosts behind him ask, "Chengzhu, Chengzhu, where are you headed now?"

Hua Cheng replied lazily, "I am in an agreeable mood today. To Paradise Manor."

At his response, the hall erupted into festive cheers. Xie Lian couldn't help taking another glance back. Hua Cheng had also turned around, still with that half-eaten bun in his hand. He gave it a playful toss, then casually took a bite out of it, his gaze locked on Xie Lian as he did so.

Xie Lian's step faltered at the sight. For some reason, he suddenly felt that sticking around here a moment longer would be a very bad idea. He quickened his pace, running out and dragging Lang Qianqiu in tow.

The two left the Gambler's Den and ran like madmen down a long stretch of the road, almost knocking over several food stalls along the way. Just when they had finally arrived at a quiet, far-removed alley, Shi Qingxuan popped up and reunited with them. Shi Qingxuan fanned himself with such vigor that his hair whirled wildly in the wind.

"That was close, so close. My god, that was so scary my face turned as white as those ghosts'."

Xie Lian's heart was racing too. Perhaps he ran too hard.

Lang Qianqiu spoke up. "Yeah, Lord Wind Master. Your face still seems very pale right now."

Shi Qingxuan felt his face and smiled. "Is that so? Ha ha ha ha, this isn't from fright, it's just what I was born with—ahem! Qianqiu, you're a martial god who watches over a territory, you know that, right? How could you act so rashly? We're in the middle of the Ghost Realm here! If you were caught and exposed, the word going out would be that heavenly officials in disguise were infiltrating the Ghost Realm, disrupting the peace between the three realms with their bizarre behavior! How could we explain that to the Emperor?"

Lang Qianqiu hung his head obediently and admitted his wrongdoing. "I'm sorry. I was too rash earlier." Then he raised his head. "But those gamblers were crazy. If that man had flipped the cup, whether he won or lost, the outcome would have been terrible. Either his rivals or his daughter would suffer the consequences. It was that anger that made me crush the cup."

Shi Qingxuan chided, "Even so, you shouldn't have jumped in by yourself, right?"

Lang Qianqiu blinked. "Then what should I have done, Lord Wind Master? If I didn't charge in, no one else would have."

His question was so genuine that Shi Qingxuan didn't know how to respond. He tapped his fan lightly against his temple. "Well…"

Xie Lian smiled softly. "Forget it."

Lang Qianqiu looked at him. Xie Lian continued, "I think that even if His Highness Tai Hua was caught, he wouldn't have confessed his identity no matter how he was interrogated. But to prevent others from picking up any clues from your words, it would be best for Your Highness to be prudent and avoid capture going forward."

Lang Qianqiu nodded. "Okay! I understand."

Shi Qingxuan said, "All right, let's not talk about this anymore. Oh, right, Your Highness…"

This "Your Highness" made both Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu turn their heads at the same time, and Shi Qingxuan clarified, "Oh, I meant the elder."

"…" Xie Lian rubbed his forehead a little dejectedly. Elder… All right, I am a little older, but not by that much. Why is it that when they talk about me, they always make it sound like I'm a grandpa?

Shi Qingxuan continued, "Your Highnesses, have you two met at the Palace of Divine Might? If not, let me introduce you. This is the Crown Prince of Yong'an, Lang Qianqiu, Martial God of the East. This is the Crown Prince of Xianle, Xie Lian, a heavenly official who collects… collects…collects great commendation from the Heavenly Emperor."

Even though Shi Qingxuan stumbled and didn't say the words, Xie Lian knew exactly what came after: "collects scraps," what else! Since the words were abruptly swapped in mid-sentence, there was no time to adjust the grammar, only clumsily change the course of the statement.

When Lang Qianqiu heard, however, he looked at Xie Lian and asked in amazement, "So you're That Highness who ascended three times?"

It appeared that Lang Qianqiu really had slept through the entiremeeting at the Palace of Divine Might and didn't even remember who he was. Anyone else saying that to Xie Lian would no doubt mean it as a sarcastic comment. But because the question came from Lang Qianqiu, Xie Lian wholeheartedly believed that this child genuinely thought ascending three times was just a bit curious.

His eyes twinkled. "Yes, that would be me."

Lang Qianqiu responded, "Thanks so much for helping me earlier! If you hadn't…"

He remembered something and hurriedly looked down and started to tuck his belt in, tying it properly, fear still lingering.

He obviously didn't think much about the history between the Kingdom of Xianle and the Kingdom of Yong'an. Shi Qingxuan seemed to think that introduction was good enough. He turned to Xie Lian.

"Your Highness, I thought that Crimson Rain Sought Flower knew you? Why did he act as if he didn't back there?"

Lang Qianqiu finished tying his belt. "Was that really Crimson Rain Sought Flower? Was that his true form?"

Xie Lian didn't even have time to open his mouth before Shi Qingxuan piped up.

"How could it be his true form? Hua Cheng has thousands of disguises, and no one knows what his true form looks like. Last time when I was at Banyue Pass, he looked similar to his appearance today, so this must be a fake skin too. It's fake, all fake."

Yet Xie Lian could still remember that night at Puqi Shrine, when Hua Cheng had told him, "The next time we meet, I'll greet you in my true form."

He thought to himself, It's real.

But of course, he didn't say that out loud. Everyone was so sure that Hua Cheng must be wearing a fake skin. Being the only one who knew it was Crimson Rain Sought Flower's true form was like learning an extraordinary little secret.

Then he thought, San Lang's appearance doesn't look that much different from before, only a bit older and taller. That means he was pretty much in his true form the first time he met me.

Strangely, that made Xie Lian feel a little happy.

Shi Qingxuan added, "Everyone says Hua Cheng is a strange character, and that really seems to be true. It was obvious that he was goingeasy on you, and yet he pretended in all seriousness not to know you. Who knows what he's up to? Could it be that he wanted us to drop our guard?"

Xie Lian choked and coughed. Just as he thought, anyone could tell Hua Cheng was going easy on him back at the Gambler's Den. But rather than saying "he went easy on him," they might as well just say outright that Hua Cheng was literally letting him win. Lang Qianqiu was the only one who couldn't tell. He frowned.

"Did he go easy on him? Why?"

The other two patted him on the shoulder and decided with great tacit understanding that it was best not to explain it to him. They left Lang Qianqiu standing there by himself to mull over why Hua Cheng would go easy on Xie Lian and whether it was because the two knew each other. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan turned and walked off.

"We've been discovered now, I guess," Xie Lian said. "What's our next plan of action? Switch our disguises and try again? Personally, I don't think doing that will change anything. After His Highness Tai Hua's fight back there, Ghost City will probably strengthen their security."

Shi Qingxuan replied, "To be honest, I had considered the possibility of us getting exposed, but I never thought it would happen this soon."

Xie Lian sighed. "I know, I know."

"What's done is done," Shi Qingxuan said. "Since our cover is blown, you might as well just walk in with confidence and do this openly."

Xie Lian could vaguely guess what he had meant by "openly."

Sure enough, Shi Qingxuan explained, "If we want to smooth out the lie, then the only way is to have you go find Hua Cheng and tell him that you came here specifically to visit him. He knows that you're a heavenly official, right? If so, then it's believable to say that you've brought a couple of your little friends from heaven with you."

Yet unexpectedly, before Xie Lian could answer, Lang Qianqiu cried out at the suggestion, "No!"

Shi Qingxuan looked at him. "Why not?"

Lang Qianqiu replied seriously, "Your Highness Xianle, do you really know Crimson Rain Sought Flower? I heard your conversation earlier; it seems you two are friends."

Xie Lian nodded.

"Then of course that plan is not feasible!" Lang Qianqiu said. "Even though a ghost king is no saint, the fact that he went easy on you must mean that he sees you as a friend. And one should never deceive a friend."

Shi Qingxuan could feel an oncoming headache. "My god, Qianqiu, you stubborn mule!"

Yet Xie Lian laughed and nodded. "It's good. What His Highness Tai Hua said."

Lang Qianqiu beamed. "You agree with me, right?"

"How is that right?" Shi Qingxuan protested. "The three of us are heavenly officials, you know. If we report back empty-handed, people will no doubt say that our success rate is even lower than the Palace of Ling Wen's. And what an utter embarrassment that would be."

Xie Lian grinned, but just as he was about to speak, a terrible ruckus erupted from behind them and made the three turn their heads. Just outside of the alley, a mob of nefarious creatures ran past with raised fists, shouting.

"Where's that brat with the bandaged face? Where is he?"

Seeing the other two gods' alarm, Xie Lian reassured, "Don't worry, they're not after us."

Just as the words left his lips, their ears were pierced by a shrill, deafening cry.

___

"Chengzhu" is a title for the master/ruler of an independent city/state.

"Xiao-didi" Originally a cutesy term for a very young, unrelated male child, this term has come to be used as slang for "penis."