Taking Liberties

Take note, he merely “opened” the sacred artifact, rather than prying open its lock and forcing it to acknowledge him as its master! These two approaches carried an essential distinction!

To elaborate, in the past, when Du Chen dealt with the Storm Dagger and the Cloud Mist Chains – now known as the Vanishing Snow Sword – he always followed the standard procedure, picking open their sacred artifact locks. This naturally allowed him to claim the lock as his own. But this time, he didn't follow the normal unlocking process. Instead, he destroyed the internal springs, tumblers, and similar components. While Du Chen himself couldn't acquire a complete, functional lock, neither could the lock's original owner ever use it again!

In simple terms, he had utterly ruined the sacred artifact’s outer shell.

Watching Du Chen dismantle a large pile of oddly shaped components, revealing a passage into the ‘Crocodile’s’ belly, Deboning inquired, “Young Master, aren’t you worried Rogliff will discover us through his connection with the sacred artifact if you do this?”

“He won’t!” Du Chen gave a mysterious smile. Based on his research, the most crucial part of a sacred artifact was a small orb of light at its core – that was the true essence, a fact he had understood clearly while studying the Storm Dagger. If Du Chen had opened the sacred artifact lock normally, that small orb would have been activated, leading to its acknowledgment of him as its master. But now, Du Chen didn’t touch the small orb; instead, he directly demolished the outer structure of the sacred artifact, thus naturally avoiding any activation of the orb connected to its owner.

In the words of Du Chen’s elder brother, Steve, this situation was akin to slipping a long gown off a sleeping beauty, tailoring it into a bikini, and then indulging in a full, satisfying feast for the eyes… When that beauty awoke later, she would certainly know she’d been taken advantage of, but no matter how hard she racked her brain, she’d never figure out who did it…

Directing Deboning to stand in front of him, Du Chen activated his Precious Lotus Scripture and re-entered the Crocodile’s interior. An ominous, chilling Yin energy permeated the space, with plumes of silvery-white mist wafting from the walls. Yet, as these mists approached the Lotus, they vanished entirely, dissolving into tendrils of azure smoke.

Needless to say, these mists were undoubtedly the culprit behind the grotesque mutation of the ‘little mice’ who had ventured into the Crocodile’s maw.

Remarkably, there was indeed a person, or rather, a corpse, lying within the Crocodile’s interior. Gazing at the cadaver, Du Chen curled his lip into a smirk. “Rogliff truly handles his affairs meticulously; with this corpse, should anything go awry, he could completely disavow any involvement!”

After a moment’s thought, Du Chen released the remaining two Lotus blossoms from his sleeve, allowing them to expand to their maximum form. They circled the interior of the ‘Crocodile’ once, and all the ghastly white mists dissipated into azure smoke.

After performing a few more manipulations within the Crocodile, Du Chen rubbed his nose. “Alright, let’s wait until tomorrow to enjoy the show!”

He then summoned his Lotus and flew out, stating in a deep voice, “Helen, I have destroyed Rogliff’s sacred artifact!”

“Most mighty Your Excellency, Helen is filled with admiration for your strength!” Helen bowed profoundly, speaking from the heart.

“Tomorrow, no Battle God will face danger. The rest is for you to handle. Do not disturb me further!” Du Chen declared, standing atop his Lotus, hands clasped behind his back.

“Does Your Excellency not intend to personally eliminate Rogliff?” Helen asked.

“Do you truly wish for me to intervene again?” Du Chen retorted casually.

Helen’s mind churned. The current situation indeed no longer required this mysterious Excellency’s intervention. Rogliff had lost his sacred artifact, and his strength must have been severely diminished – one only needed to consider how Zigurd, after losing the Cloud Mist Chains, even had to revise his unique battle technique, to understand the impact of losing a sacred artifact on a Battle God. Thus, she and her father could take their revenge with their own hands!

Moreover, given the exalted status and transcendent power of this mysterious Excellency, he would undoubtedly disdain to personally execute a mere Rogliff!

Could it be that she and her father, by resorting to a sneak attack, still couldn’t kill a Rogliff?

At this thought, Helen nodded. “Most wise Your Excellency, I understand your meaning! Helen, on behalf of my father, thanks your benevolence for granting us such a heaven-sent opportunity for vengeance.”

If Du Chen had known what Helen was thinking, he would have chuckled inwardly until he burst. He had no capability to personally kill Rogliff, and besides, the discoveries of this night had changed his mind; Rogliff couldn’t be touched, for now!

…

After dealing with the ‘Crocodile’ sacred artifact, Du Chen used his Lotus to transport everyone out, also taking the mutated rat corpses to destroy the evidence. Not long after their departure, the four stunned guards slowly regained consciousness, yet they had no memory of what had just occurred – Helen’s Soul-Ensnaring Art truly possessed its unique efficacy!

After parting ways with Helen at a hidden spot, Du Chen sent Deboning back to his dormitory and proceeded alone to Pied’s Red Sand Casino.

At the same gambling table as their last encounter, Flaying – Du Chen in disguise – sat across from Rogliff, with little Beibei cradled in his lap. They were playing Stud Poker.

Looking at the cards on the table, Flaying patted little Beibei. “Sweetheart, help Daddy flip the cards!”

The little one crawled to the cards, extended her tender, fair hand, and flipped over the hole card. “Hehe, Beibei is happy, Daddy won again!” The little one smiled delightedly, and Flaying smiled just as brightly. This time, Rogliff had requested The Grand Wager be Stud Poker. This game hinged on five crucial elements: intellect, keen observation, psychological insight, mental fortitude, and financial prowess – this was Rogliff’s most favored gambling technique. It was also the most profound and challenging of all gambling arts, but it was perfectly suited to Flaying’s tastes!

One could imagine that if Flaying and Rogliff were to play dice, the moment Flaying picked up the dice cup, Rogliff would immediately recognize Flaying as an impostor from his technique. But Stud Poker was different. Throughout the entire game, Flaying had little Beibei flip the cards, never even touching a single one himself. This not only demonstrated that he wasn't cheating but also left Rogliff utterly incapable of identifying him!

However, after gambling for a while, Flaying, who had initially intended to simply stall for time and observe Left Elder’s intentions, suddenly realized that adorable little Beibei was a master among masters. Whenever Rogliff attempted a bluff, little Beibei would inevitably expose him. Conversely, if Rogliff genuinely held a strong hand, little Beibei would decisively fold. Of course, all of this appeared to be under the instructions of “Flaying? Francis,” so in just half an hour, the chips little Beibei had won were taller than she was.

Rogliff took a glass of red wine from a servant’s hand and sipped it gently, then suddenly shook his head. “I never imagined your Stud Poker prowess to be so formidable. I am no match for you; I concede defeat wholeheartedly!”

Flaying suppressed a smile, nodding blandly in acknowledgment. Yet, inwardly, he was torn between laughter and tears: *You concede defeat wholeheartedly, but I haven’t even touched a single card the entire time!*

“I’m inferior to you at Stud Poker, and also at dice. How about we switch to Roulette?” Rogliff suddenly proposed.

*Damn it*, Roulette was a game where true masters of gambling pitted their pure skill against each other. The moment he made a move, he’d be exposed! Flaying was about to refuse when he suddenly saw a small flag hoisted on the Belkus offshore. He offered a faint smile. “If that is your pleasure, I would be delighted to oblige! However, let’s take a short break first; I need to excuse myself.”

Rogliff naturally wouldn’t prevent such a reasonable request. Flaying turned and entered the opulent restroom within the casino, where Du Chen was waiting. “How did it go? You didn’t lose all my savings, did you?”

Flaying clapped Du Chen on the shoulder. “Tell little Beibei to win a bit less. Otherwise, I fear Rogliff won’t have enough bounty tomorrow to entice the Battle Gods!”

Du Chen shrugged. “There’s nothing to be done. Stud Poker is, in essence, all about reading your opponent’s mind. But little Beibei’s Spiritual Power is simply too formidable. Rogliff, by gambling against her, was essentially laying all his cards bare. Wouldn’t you say he was practically begging for a beating?”

“Alright, the upcoming Roulette is a true test of gambling prowess. It’s your turn to shine now, isn’t it?!” Flaying watched Du Chen, identical to himself, walk towards the door, then suddenly asked, “Where did you learn all these things? Don’t try to fool me with ridiculous excuses. From thirteen years ago, I watched you grow up with my own eyes; you had no opportunity to learn such things!”

“Do you wish to know? Tell me first, who are you?”

Flaying snorted. “Forget it then. As long as you are Francis, I don’t care how many inexplicable things you know!” He vanished.

Du Chen pushed open the door and walked out, a smile playing on his lips. “My dear Mr. Rogliff, Roulette, you say? I suggest we increase the stakes. How about starting with ten thousand gold coins?”

That night, Du Chen gambled with great enjoyment and won handsomely. And just as one couldn’t deny the scoundrel Philip was a scientific genius, one also had to admit that Rogliff was indeed a true God of Gamblers. Without the aid of Lotus Internal Force and little Beibei’s prodigious Spiritual Power, Du Chen truly wouldn’t have been able to defeat him.

On the following day, at the Hot Spring Mountain Grand Council Hall of Battle Gods.

The final agenda item of the Assembly of Battle Gods began: the deciphering of the sacred artifact brought by Rogliff!

Du Chen, possessing the status of a direct disciple of Zigurd, naturally gained easy access to the venue. Moreover, such a grand assembly required a large number of service personnel, and for this, the Battle God Academy employed a method similar to universities in Du Chen’s previous life: Student Council officers were conscripted to serve as laborers.

Porter and Jason, his two underlings, were thus honorably allowed to accompany Du Chen into the venue, while Flaying and Deboning had also mingled in.

The Grand Council Hall of Battle Gods was arranged like a massive classroom, with a dais at the front and rows of tables and chairs below. However, the walls were adorned with numerous statues of Battle Gods.

Du Chen stood beneath one of the statues, softly directing his two young aides. “Jason, you’re doing excellent! Hey, Porter, move faster! The Battle Gods are already arriving, you must arrange the refreshments on the tables immediately!” Shaking his head, Du Chen quickly walked over to Porter, playfully punching him on the chest. “This plate of refreshments is for Table Number Two! Heavens, you actually placed raw fish sashimi on a Sea Clan Battle God’s table? Are you trying to court death?!”

Porter gasped in alarm, clutching his chest and nodding subserviently in affirmation, then his movements became astonishingly much faster.

Not far away, Flaying and Deboning, disguised as guests, sat together, watching Du Chen reprimand Porter. Deboning suddenly said, “Should… should I remind Young Master?”

Flaying smiled and shook his head. “No, this is rather amusing, isn’t it? Oh, my dear Brook, don’t worry about your Spiritual Contract. Your not telling Francis isn’t betraying him, but rather… *hehe*, in any case, let’s just enjoy the show.”

Deboning shook his head. “What about Annie? That girl has been pestering Young Master quite often recently!”

“I say, Brook, you are a servant now; you shouldn’t inquire into your master’s private life, should you? Besides, our Young Master Francis has reached the age of engagement, and to have beauties pestering him is a rather delightful affair, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Hmph, that’s what *you* say!” Deboning leaned back in his chair and said no more.

Battle Gods streamed in. With each new arrival, Du Chen’s heart would skip a beat. He silently counted: one, two… including the dozens of Student Council attendants, a total of three hundred ninety-seven individuals. All their lives, saved by him, and without anyone else’s intervention!

*Heh heh*, when Rogliff’s plan utterly crumbles later, how many more Lotus blossoms will unfurl for me?

Porter, clutching his chest, stole glances at Du Chen, a silent resentment festering in his heart. *Francis’s smile is so wicked! Good thing I prepared my chest…*