Chapter 0: 106. Always Wins When Gambling
On this day, the sacred image of the Tenth Pillar Zhenyu Demon Lord, located in the Abyss Palace, was obscured by a formation at Qin Gou’s strong request, making its true appearance difficult to discern.
The withered and dilapidated Faceless Hermit clan, thanks to this young clan leader, could now live and work in peace and contentment near Demon Emperor City. Although Qin Gou could not directly lead them to attack cities and seize territory, the congratulatory gifts continuously offered by visitors in recent days had already been a very considerable harvest.
Lu Zhili and Mo Ning had both been rescued, and this disaster was considered to have been satisfactorily resolved. Although the process was complex, causing Qin Gou endless worry and scratching his head countless times, when the wench Kong Ling, squatting on his palm, teary-eyed told him that thanks to Master, she could finally seize this opportunity to go home and see her parents, whom she hadn’t seen in years…
Qin Gou felt his whole body filled with renewed vigor.
He might be far from the powerful cultivation he once possessed, but he was still willing to do his utmost to shield the children under his command from wind and rain.
“Zhenyu.”
The Blood Mist Door appeared out of thin air.
Death’s Halt Demon Lord Ying Wusheng, wearing a black robe, walked slowly to Qin Gou.
“What important matter does Death’s Halt Demon Lord have?” Qin Gou placed the small Kong Tou on his shoulder and asked with a light smile as he looked at Ying Wusheng.
Although Qin Gou had previously avoided much trouble by being mistaken for Ying Wusheng by Lu Changli and using his identity, he still harbored no good feelings towards this person’s domineering act of directly extinguishing the soul and possessing the body of an Abyss Guard who had been friends with Mo Yu for many years, simply on a whim.
“You seem to have been in the Abyss Palace for many consecutive days without returning to the Demon Lord’s Tower in time. Are you perhaps planning to break the rules?” Ying Wusheng’s eyes were cold, and his tone was deep.
Upon hearing this, Kong Ling, sitting on Qin Gou’s shoulder, couldn’t help but look at his profile, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. This Death’s Halt Demon Lord was known for his coldness, heartlessness, cruel methods, and unfathomable cultivation.
Qin Gou spread his hands. “I have not interfered in any major affairs within the Abyss Palace, nor have I used my position as Demon Lord to oppress other demons.”
“Your few words can’t dispel this Seat’s suspicions. Return to the tower with me immediately.” Ying Wusheng said with a cold laugh.
“Why should I dispel Death’s Halt’s suspicions? You’re not the Demon God.” Qin Gou said irritably.
“What did you say?”
“Ten Pillar Demon Lords are generally not allowed to meddle excessively in Abyss trivialities or abuse their power for personal gain, but that doesn’t mean they must strictly stay in the Demon Lord’s Tower. I don’t want to go into seclusion now, and I’m not allowed to? Does Death’s Halt think I don’t even understand this?”
Qin Gou’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Who sent you to deliberately find trouble with me? Is it Lu Changli? Death’s Halt probably got quite a few Naihe Stones from Lu Changli this time, didn’t he?”
Ying Wusheng’s expression changed slightly. What was terrifying was not that Qin Gou could guess who had instructed him, but that he knew exactly what kind of treasure Lu Changli had given him. If not for the genuine enmity between the two, Ying Wusheng would have suspected that Qin Gou and Lu Changli had colluded.
“Utter nonsense! Have you defied the rules set by the Demon God’s decree, or can you only listen to your own words? Moreover, you slander this Seat, are you perhaps guilty and thus afraid?” Ying Wusheng’s eyes showed a fierce glint.
“Then let the Demon God come find me himself. Remember to bring some local specialties from the Upper Realm, don’t come empty-handed.” Qin Gou said with a carefree smile.
Ying Wusheng’s pupils contracted. “What did you say?”
“Didn’t I defy the Demon God’s decree? Let the Demon God come judge me himself, wouldn’t that do?” Qin Gou shrugged with a smile, then suddenly changed his tune and said coldly, “Or does Death’s Halt intend to act on behalf of the Demon God and directly punish me? Are you deserving?! I wonder which pillar Death’s Halt is? How does he compare to Little Ren? I seem to have forgotten.”
Little Ren.
These two words seemed to slap Ying Wusheng hard across the face, causing his face to turn red… This ‘Little Ren’ was Demon Lord Jia Ren, whom even he, Ying Wusheng, had always hesitated to offend!
He knew that Qin Gou had previously forced Demon Lord Jia Ren to withdraw her hand mid-action despite not having absolute certainty, but he never imagined that after repeatedly and unforgivably offending Lu Changli and Jia Ren, he would dare to be so arrogant and even attack him at the slightest disagreement. Wasn’t he afraid that all his future proposals would be collectively ignored and rejected by everyone else?
“I will tell all your words, exactly as they are, to the other fellow Daoists in the tower.” Ying Wusheng’s face was as dark as water, and he gritted his teeth.
“Bon voyage.” Qin Gou waved goodbye with a pleasant smile.
After Ying Wusheng disappeared through the Blood Mist Door, Qin Gou turned to Kong Ling on his shoulder and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Why are you looking at Master with such strange eyes?”
Kong Ling’s little face blushed, her eyes filled with reverence and affection. She sighed, “It seems that your disciple was also brainwashed by the various ferocious rumors and myths about the Demon Lords. In the end, Master, you are the truly ruthless one!”
…
Afternoon.
Qin Gou found Ao Banwei and Qin Yuan, planning for everyone to have a good gathering with Lu Zhili’s family in the Abyss Palace tonight, but he couldn’t find the damned Saintess for a long time.
“Where has Li Yuanzhen run off to again? Why do I find her always leaving early and returning late these past two days?” Qin Gou asked with a face full of confusion.
“Master, Sister Yuan Zhen said that if you were looking for her, you would be able to guess what place she went to with 100% certainty.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Gou did not hesitate and transmitted his voice to Mo Ning. “Little Dot, which is the biggest gambling house in Demon Emperor City?”
Qianqiu Gambling House.
“It seems my luck is rather good?” Li Yuanzhen, with her small feet crossed, played with a high-grade spirit stone filled with vibrant energy in her hand, looking extremely pleased with herself.
“Your excellency, your luck is more than just good? How many games have you won consecutively these past few days? You haven’t lost a single spirit stone so far. Our Qianqiu Gambling House has never encountered such a curious event in all these years!” A demon dealer’s eyes were bloodshot, as if he had lost his parents. As he spoke, he became overwhelmed with grief and was about to shed a few tears.
“It’s fate and luck! So many eyes are watching, I definitely haven’t cheated!” Li Xiaogou’s phoenix eyes were full of pride, and she grinned from ear to ear.
“Really? With your terrible luck, you can win so much?” As she spoke, Qin Gou placed a hand on Li Yuanzhen’s shoulder.
Suddenly, Li Yuanzhen’s eyes trembled, and her neck stiffly turned towards him like a rusty mechanical device, giving an awkward laugh. “What a coincidence, A’Qin, would you like to join?”
“Coincidence my foot. It’s only been a few days since I stopped watching you, and you’ve almost forgotten your own surname?” Qin Gou glared at Li Yuanzhen and said with a chuckle, “Come on, I’ll play with you when we get back.” Before Li Yuanzhen could respond, Qin Gou, with practiced ease, scooped up the gambling dog Saintess by the waist, slung her over his shoulder, and strode away.
The crowd of demons stared intently as the gambling monster named ‘Li Yuanzhen’ was finally subdued, cheering and filled with gratitude. Since they already knew she was a distinguished guest of the Abyss Palace, they had never dared to use any special means against her.
But this woman was too terrifying. No matter what kind of gambling it was, she was incredibly skilled and always wins when gambling! It was just that for some reason, every time before gambling, she would make a habitual gesture of ‘sheathing her sword’, and when gambling with her, time would also pass very quickly. She would play less than ten games a day, and then it would be dark.
These pitiful demons would probably never know that compared to the esteemed Righteous Valor Fairy, you humans might not be human, but she… was truly a dog!
