The Exorcist

Book 8: Chapter 14: Surefire Bet

Ruan Zhan gave a look, warning the bill not to act up. His indifferent and arrogant look also seemed provocative to He Fu Gui.

Im glad you came looking for me. So, if you lose everything, Ill leave you money for your return trip. Treat it as a gesture of friendship. I wont be too ruthless.He Fu Gui spoke from a dominant position. However, to tell you the truth, your backpack doesnt look too big. Its only enough to bet a single round.

You wont gamble? Ruan Zhan let the line run.

I will! Why wouldnt I! He Fu Gui said hurriedly. He would gamble for the slightest bit of money. He was thoroughly fed up of helping the two great immortals with their strange mountain moving plan. Luckily they had promised him once the relatively shallow ravine was filled in, they would allow him to go abroad for a satisfying gambling trip.

How should we gamble?

Ruan Zhan made an inviting gesture.

He Fu Gui assumed he was inviting him to choose, but didnt realize he was being invited to dig his own grave.

Your good name?

Ruan.

Ruan old bro, in my opinion, theres only those few ways to gamble which arent very interesting. Lets try something new.He Fu Gui thought about it. How about we randomly call a number, and bet whether the person answering is male or female? To prevent either side from cheating, well each pick four of the digits.

Up to you.

What are the stakes?

I have fifty thousand, all in.Ruan Zhan tossed the backpack onto the table, on top of the still restless bill. Well determine the victor in one go. If I lose, you can take the money and Ill admit my loss frankly. If you lose, I believe Mister He wont bicker over my small sum of money.

Alright, straightforward! Then are you betting on male or female? He Fu Gui rubbed his hands excitedly. You guess first. Youre the guest after all.

Ruan Zhan glanced at him, not knowing whether to pity him, look down on him or feel amused by him. This person cared about nothing else in life. He felt uncomfortable if he didnt gamble for a day. This was no longer just a gambling addict. He Fu Gui should go see a psychiatrist, and might even need some medication to suppress his urges.

How about the house go first. I dont mind.

1. Alright, youve got a gamblers spirit. But who knows whether you can maintain that poise in a minute. WellI dont like women. Ill bet that the person answering is a man.

   Alright, Ill bet on a woman. But what if the number isnt in service?

   Then its a draw. While a draw normally goes to the house, well treat a draw as a draw here. He Fu Gui felt things were getting more and more interesting, and also felt this gambler matched his tastes. He hurriedly wrote down four numbers on a piece of paper, and then had Ruan Zhan write four more. He handed it to one of the bodyguards and waited for him to call.

   Ruan Zhan waved his fingers, though his actions didnt escape He Fu Guis eyes. He asked a little suspiciously, Ruan old bro, what are you doing?

   Its just a sort of ritual, asking the God of Gambling for luck.

   Oh, really? Were the same after all.He Fu Gui laughed craftily, thinking that praying to the God of Gamblers wasnt going to be of use. He had undergone the most horrifying ritual to gather luck, and also had two great immortals watching over him. He was the only gambling god here, he would always win! Although he knew guaranteed wins werent as exciting anymore, he liked the exciting feeling of rolling the dice even more. He liked the nervous expression of his opponents, their vexation as losing money. Of course, he liked the easily obtained money most of all.

   Its not in service.The bodyguard raised his phone and reported.

   He Fu Gui froze, not expecting this outcome. What does that mean? He asked, feeling a little unsettled. He had once lost until he lost all confidence in himself, but after his strange encounter, he had forgotten how it even felt to lose. Now, although he hadnt lost, it suddenly made him feel uncertain. His randomly written numbers should supposedly have been influenced by his luck, and his opponent should have been influenced by misfortune. It couldnt have been a disconnected number, which was why he wanted to gamble this way! But what had happened?

   He couldnt resist rubbing his ears. The earrings werent warm to the touch, and no words were spoken. He felt very anxious.

   A draw as expected. Thats also good. Its not worthwhile to have a falling out right away.Ruan Zhan patted his backpack. Looks like I managed to keep my small sum!

   Seeing Ruan Zhans casual manner, He Fu Gui felt angered, wanting to teach him a lesson. He smiled insincerely and said, Thats true, but this wasnt that fun. There are too many external factors. How about we decide things in one round again. But well use the traditional methods!

   Sure, what will we use?

   We only have dice here. We can bet high or low, even or odd, pai gow and mahjong hands for victory?

   Ruan Zhan agreed indifferently while activating his Yinyang Eye to glance at He Fu Gui. A faint green light containing hints of red enveloped his head. It truly seemed to be an advent of luck, though it contained some hidden evil. It didnt seem to be his natural fate or personal luck, but rather increased via nefarious means. Although it couldnt be prevented, it would completely dissipate if broken. Luck that was forcibly gathered couldnt persist for long. The supposed guaranteed wins were just fleeting reflections. Why did people insist on obtaining such empty things?!

   It still required some effort to counter this vile power. He closed his eyes and chanted, taking the opportunity while He Fu Gui was taking out the items. He set up three barriers in succession, suppressing the seized luck upon his head layer by layer. His expression didnt change, but while setting up each barrier he felt strong resistance, making him expend quite a bit of spirit power. Not only did he start to believe the folklore regarding the gambling god, he also felt impressed by the yakshas thorough planning.

   Now, he and He Fu Gui would be gambling fair and square. He didnt need to worry about the possibility of losing. He had immediately suppressed the two yakshas and sealed He Fu Guis supernatural luck. Therefore, He Fu Guis actual luck would definitely fall to the other end of the extreme. As long as his luck wasnt the worst, he would definitely beat this propped-up gambling god!

   In the first round, where they bet on whose number was larger, Ruan Zhan got twelve while the house got eleven.

   He Fu Guis face turned green from losing fifty grand for the first time in so many days. He had already amassed plenty of wealth, and didnt care about this small amount. What this round struck at was his mind, shattering his confidence in always winning. He started feeling uncertain whether he could win against the gambler in front of him.

   Ruan Zhan had heard from Xiao Xia that He Fu Gui only kept some of his cash on his person, but it wouldnt exceed fifty thousand. He didnt stand on ceremony, putting the money into his backpack and asking, Mister He, are we going to continue?

   He guessed that despite his fear, He Fu Guis nature would have been aroused. There was no way he would stop until he lost everything. He felt no sympathy for He Fu Gui. Someone like this was better off dead, and he wouldnt even have to act.

   I dont have anymore cash on me. How about writing a check?

   Only cash transactions, those are the rules. If Mister He is out of cash, how about continuing another day? Or

   Or what, please speak up.

   Or we can bet possessions too.

   He Fu Gui understood at once. When it came to gambling, his intelligence was boundless.

   The second round of betting odd or even, Ruan Zhan bet on odd and the house bet even.

   He Fu Gui started sweating. He didnt dare believe anyone could win twice against him. This time, he lost his watch and gold necklace worth several hundred grand.

   The third round was Mahjong. Despite two bodyguards repeatedly helping He Fu Gui under the guise of arranging the tiles, Ruan Zhan still won.

   This time, He Fu Gui lost the bean-sized diamond ring on his finger. The bodyguards also realized things looked bad, and kept giving him looks, hoping this person who had only won in the past would call it a night. But although He Fu Guis heart was submerged in terror, his desire to make a comeback floated to the surface.

   Mister He, you dont seem to have anything left to wager.

   I will bet everything I own. If you win, everything I own belongs to you.He gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. There was only one thought in his mind, that of wanting one more opportunity. He believed he could win everything back in one go.

   Betting small keeps things harmonious. Theres no need to go so big, right? Besides, Im not interested in Mister Hes assets. I just wanted to meet the gambling god. I dont care too much about material possessions.

   The evil aura was struggling violently, so Ruan Zhan didnt wish to waste anymore time or energy. He increased the pace at which he led He Fu Gui into his own trap.

   How can you leave halfway through gambling? Wouldnt you be ruining things? He Fu Gui was a little anxious, tugging at his ears. Where had the two great immortals gone today? They actually didnt say a word to him.

   He wasnt afraid of losing all his belongings. He believed he would win it all back in the future. He was afraid of this person in front of him, afraid his unbeatable luck had vanished. Just who on earth was he? Why had he come looking for him? Was he really here to challenge him? Was he really able to break the luck he had gathered with such difficulty?

   No, he couldnt let this person take everything from him! Therefore, despite being afraid, he still had to bet. No matter how unwilling and reluctant he was, he trusted the miracle the great immortals had granted him even more. Now, it was like a hand clawing at his heart, preventing him from allowing this person to leave. He had to bet with him until the end!

   No, you have to bet another round with me!

   Ruan Zhan laughed coldly. Forcing a bet? Ive never seen such a thing in my life. Feel free to try it.

   A misunderstanding, Bro Ruan.He Fu Gui gave a glance, making the four restless bodyguards step back. He explained, My urge to gamble was just flaring up. Wouldnt you leave me hanging if you just left like this? Thats not leaving me any face. How about just one more round. I wont keep you after that.

   Ruan Zhan pretended to think about it. He knew He Fu Gui wasnt thinking about the money, or else he would have had the bodyguards rob him. He Fu Gui just wanted to win back his things via gambling, to prove his luck was still intact. However, once things really came down to it, He Fu Gui might very well act in desperation. He should make his preparations.

   Thinking of this, he hesitated and walked slowly towards the window, seeming to think about it. He thus casually left the bodyguards encirclement.

   How about it? He Fu Gui was a little anxious and pressed him.

   Even if I were willing to play one more round, how are you going to gamble without any stakes? All your money is here with me. In that case, I should get to set the wager.

   Of course, thats a standard rule of the casino. I am familiar with this.

   How about Ruan Zhan inadvertently glanced at He Fu Guis earrings. Your earrings seem to be antiques. They seem fairly valuable. Well wager those then. Lets make it a little more fun. Ill go all in on this round. Victory and defeat will be left to the heavens, no quibbling!

   He Fu Gui froze, not expecting Ruan Zhans condition. He knew the earrings were formed by the great immortals, and couldnt be given away. Besides, they had told him that taking them off would result in his luck draining away via his piercings.

   These are just heirlooms from my ancestors, and arent worth anything. Bro Ruan should pick something else.

   Ruan Zhan grabbed his bag and turned to leave, but was blocked by the bodyguards.

   He slowly turned, the light casting a sinister shadow across his sharp features. His cold and deep eyes vaguely contained fierce anger. Really going to force a bet? He said one word at a time.

   This was He Fu Guis territory, and a dragon couldnt suppress the local snake. He also had four glaring bodyguards, and two great immortals who might appear at any moment. He didnt need to be afraid of Ruan Zhans threats. But for some reason, he was still afraid. He didnt dare act rashly under Ruan Zhans chilly gaze.

   Back off, back off. You guys arent needed.He Fu Gui said with a smile. Everything can be discussed, right?

   Ruan Zhan remained silent, suddenly feeling both disgust and pity for He Fu Gui. Who said only spirits could carry obsessions? Wasnt this so-called person also obsessed? For the sake of gambling, he was willing to sell his house, his land and his wife. For the sake of gambling, he endured supernatural horrors. For the sake of gambling, he was willing to lower himself repeatedly. He was precisely using this critical weakness.

   He could have just snatched the earrings, but wits was always better than brawn. Besides, he needed to save some energy to deal with the yakshas. They were his true targets. It wouldnt be worth it if using violence resulted in an unfortunate outcome.

   He reminded himself to remain calm. Yet now, He Fu Gui was finally on the hook.

   Fine, itll be these earrings! He Fu Gui spoke through gritted teeth.

   Ruan Zhan laughed coldly in his mind. He knew He Fu Gui wasnt guarded at all. He must think that going all in would give him a chance to turn the tables. Even if he lost, the great immortals would naturally come out to fix things. He would at most get punished a little, but they wouldnt be so polite with the one surnamed Ruan. They would definitely want his life. He hadnt merely lost his mind to gambling. There was also some killing intent. The space between his brows turned black without him noticing, signifying that the one facing death would be himself.

   But Ill only take them off if you win. I wont be able to put them on the table.He thought his luck was still there, but merely temporarily suppressed by someone powerful.

   Ruan Zhan agreed. He didnt know how to gamble, and also didnt want any gambling luck. He was merely relying on He Fu Guis extreme misfortune!

   The fourth round, Ruan Zhan had the Emperor tile, with the two and four bamboo tiles, beating He Fu Guis pair of tenpais.

   The room was completely silent. The bodyguards were stunned and He Fu Guis face was pale. At that moment, he finally believed that no one was unbeatable in the world. There was always a bane for everything. But why didnt the great immortals appear? Why didnt they come save him? Didnt they need his help? Where had they gone?

   He mechanically handed the earrings over to Ruan Zhan. He wasnt being sportsmanlike, but was rather slightly afraid of Ruan Zhan and didnt dare renege. The moment the earrings were taken off, he couldnt help but shiver. it was as if something had been drawn out of his body. Everything felt like it had been a dream, and now that he had woken up, he was still that unlucky person who gambled himself to ruin. He was so cold!