The Final Gambit of the True God of Gamblers

At this declaration, countless gazes, filled with astonishment and shock, converged upon the Old Master!

Old Master Yonker, who had always abhorred gambling, carving anti-gambling decrees into the very bones of Emerald City's hundreds of thousands, was now proposing to gamble? And his first move was to challenge Francis, the God of Gamblers himself!? Initially stunned, many soon scoffed inwardly. What stature did Francis hold in the gambling circles? Setting aside all matters of the Battle God Realm, in the world of gambling, the current situation was akin to an unknown, nameless hothead suddenly emerging, clamoring to challenge Divine Emperor Prince!

Preposterous!

Betty's face contorted as she stared strangely at her father. Just as she was about to speak, Old Master Yonker shot her a cold glare. “Rondo, the master who taught you gambling prowess, called me Grand-Uncle-Master a century ago! Do you truly believe I am unqualified to gamble on your behalf?”

All who understood the intricacies of gambling prowess erupted in an uproar. Rondo, a legendary figure in gambling circles from a century past, was Old Master Yonker's grand-disciple! Given Yonker's status and reputation, he would never lie. Thus… those who had just scoffed 'preposterous' swiftly retracted their erroneous thoughts!

Betty was overcome with ecstatic joy, her trembling lips unable to form words. She could only bow deeply and retreat to the white line marking the perimeter of the gambling table. “Father, you, you are absolutely qualified, please!”

Yonker placed his hands flat on the table, his expression inscrutable as he stared at Du Chen. He spoke slowly, “A century ago, after I defeated the Four Legendary Gods of Gamblers, I sealed away all gambling tools and swore never to lay hands on them again…”

*Tap, tap.* Du Chen's fingertips drummed on the table, a smile playing on his lips. “Old Master, from the moment you appeared, you publicly admonished Betty, proclaiming your standing in the gambling circles! But covertly, it was nothing more than an attempt to pile psychological pressure on me… To borrow a phrase from Madam Betty, let's dispense with these meaningless pleasantries and get to the rules of roulette!”

Yonker let out a sudden laugh. “You truly have grasped the ‘Battle of Wits’ technique within gambling prowess, haven't you? Very well! We'll gamble with a 38-slot roulette, claiming the zero slot. One round decides it all!”

The rules for roulette were incredibly intricate, yet the tools themselves were simple: a spinning wheel with numerous grooves and a small ball. The 38-slot roulette Yonker referred to had 38 grooves, numbered 1 to 36, plus a single zero slot and a double zero slot. As for Yonker's ‘claiming the zero slot,’ it meant no casino dealer would launch the ball. Instead, he and Du Chen would each hold a ball, dropping them into the spinning roulette wheel. The winner would be determined by whose ball ultimately claimed the zero slot. In other words, whoever's ball landed in the groove numbered zero would win!

This was an unconventional variation, yet it was the simplest, most exhilarating, and crucially, the fairest! Without an opponent, both of them could, almost certainly, land their ball in the zero slot with unerring accuracy. But with an opponent, two balls vying for a single groove transformed the challenge into a contest of disrupting the other and resisting disruption—a pure test of skill!

Du Chen suddenly rose, straightening his posture. “Let's begin. Who will spin the wheel?” Spinning the wheel also had its nuances, for the force applied determined the wheel's rotation speed, thereby influencing their judgment when launching their balls.

Yonker also stood. “Given our skill, whoever spins the wheel first would create an unfair advantage…” He glanced back at the guest seating. “Let a third party initiate the game! Annie!”

Annie, who was standing beside Betty, was startled. “Grandpa, me, initiate the game?”

Yonker asked, “Francis, is that acceptable?”

Du Chen smiled. “No problem! Miss Annie, please proceed!”

Annie paused, hesitant, before approaching the table. She first looked at Du Chen, then at her grandfather. “I, what should I do?”

Du Chen chuckled, “There are two small balls, one black and one white, in the box beside the roulette wheel. Distribute them to us. Then, just spin the wheel with any force you like, in any direction! As for the rest… Madam Betty, please guide her!”

Annie uttered an ‘Oh,’ handing the white ball to Du Chen and the black ball to her grandfather. Then, with a forceful turn of the wheel, she declared, “Begin!”

Both had initially found Annie's clumsy movements amusing, but with her declaration of ‘Begin!’, Du Chen's and Yonker's smiles vanished instantly. Their eyes, rather than focusing on the rapidly spinning wheel, locked onto each other…

The square fell silent, save for the humming of the spinning wheel. Someone attempted to whisper, but was immediately hushed by another, even softer voice: “No talking before the wheel stops! They rely on their ears and eyes to judge its rotation speed, determining the force and position for their throws!”

On the swiftly turning wheel, the myriad grooves created a dazzling blur. Yet, neither man made the first move!

Du Chen suddenly sneered. “Old Master, you are quite insidious. Having Annie initiate the game is nothing more than an attempt to disturb my focus! After all, Annie and I had some rather unpleasant incidents in the past!”

Yonker scoffed in return. “Precisely! This old man *is* trying to play mind games with you. Are you displeased?” The Old Master's eyes narrowed, a sly smile on his face as he gazed at Du Chen. “Francis, have you ever truly harbored feelings for my granddaughter?”

The crowd immediately erupted in surprised murmurs. Why would Old Master Yonker ask such a thing at this moment!?

But greater astonishment was yet to come. Du Chen curled his lip. “Old Master, you're practically one foot in the grave. Perhaps you should meddle less in the affairs of the young!”

Annie's face flushed faintly. Why were they bringing up her personal matters at a time like this?

Betty gently patted Annie and whispered, “Don't stare blankly! In this game, there's a time limit for throwing the ball. As the initiator, you must declare that if they don't throw within the limit, they lose! Don't mind anything they say; it's all idle chatter, designed to provoke emotional fluctuations in their opponent! Once a ball is thrown, the outcome is sealed. They can only interfere with each other's judgment *before* acting!”

Annie nodded. But then, Yonker suddenly fixed his gaze on Du Chen and burst into hearty laughter. “Lad, I'm suddenly finding you quite agreeable. What if I were willing to marry Annie to you right now?”

Du Chen paused, just for a flicker. But in that same instant, the ball in the Old Master's hand launched, shooting into the roulette wheel with lightning speed!

Du Chen was startled; his hand hesitated for a moment, then also launched his ball!

The wheel continued to spin, but at this point, neither man could influence the outcome any further…

“You lost! When I mentioned marrying Annie to you, you hesitated. That ripple in your mental state caused a slight flaw in your judgment… However, what I said just now was mostly pretense. Now, this old man sincerely asks you: Do you wish to marry Annie?” Slowly sitting down to await the result, Yonker added, “Just now, both our minds were fully engaged in the gamble. Emotions cannot be faked in such a state—Annie definitely holds a place in your heart!”

Annie's body trembled violently. She stared blankly at Du Chen!

In the spectator stands, Liana's eyes were also wide open, fixed on Du Chen!

Little Beibei, from within the Battle Soul, urgently asked, “Papa, do you really like Sister Annie?”

Du Chen smiled bitterly inwardly, replying, “Beibei, don't add to the chaos! When Yonker asked Annie to initiate the game, I knew he intended to use our past to restrain me, so I played along, fully prepared! My momentary daze was feigned, meant to make Yonker act first so I could launch my ball later and interfere… But how the hell did Yonker throw in a ‘sincere’ question at the very end? Now Papa can't tell the truth, nor can he lie… Sigh!”

“What's wrong with it?” Little Beibei didn't understand!

“If I say I don't want to marry her, how would your Sister Annie save face in front of everyone? If I say I do, what about your Mama Xue Ji? Thankfully, I'd already clarified things with Annie, or today would have been another misunderstanding!”

Little Beibei stuck out her tongue, falling silent. Under everyone's gaze, Du Chen said nothing, slowly sinking back into his chair. Suddenly, he smiled again. “Old Master, the roulette wheel hasn't stopped yet; the victor is still undecided!”

Yonker chuckled. “You still haven't answered my question—do you want to marry Annie? Heh heh, never mind if you don't want to say. This old man won't ask again! Lest you mock me once more for using such romantic entanglements to disrupt your emotions!” He had, in effect, given Du Chen, and Annie, an out, sparing everyone excessive awkwardness!

By now, the roulette wheel was spinning very slowly, yet the black and white balls were still revolving rapidly within the track, chasing each other, occasionally brushing against each other before swiftly separating… The struggle was incredibly fierce! Everyone's gaze was drawn back to the wheel, tensely awaiting the final result… Only Annie remained, staring blankly at Du Chen!

*Grandpa said I still hold a place in your heart, and he asked if you wished to marry me. That must have been a ‘Battle of Wits’ tactic at the gambling table, not to be taken seriously! But when you heard the question of whether you'd marry me, you genuinely seemed to lose yourself for a moment! Could it be that, deep down, I still hold a place in your heart?* Annie pondered dreamily. In this moment, she no longer resembled the formidable new generation leader of the Batuk Family, but rather the slightly infatuated young girl she once was…

Finally, the roulette wheel slowly came to a halt. And both small balls landed in the zero slot almost simultaneously… With a ‘crack,’ the two balls collided, shattering into pieces together!

This…

Yonker's eyebrows twitched slightly. “A draw, truly?”

Du Chen rubbed his nose and cupped his hands. “Old Master, your methods are indeed impressive. I now stand at one win and one draw. Before we begin the third round, I must ask: if I lose the Stud Poker round, then both of us will be at one win and one draw. How will that be settled?!”

Yonker stroked his beard, a cold smile on his face. “In this matter, you and Senior Sword Slave are players, while my Emerald City is the house. If it's a draw, the house takes the players. You should understand this rule!”

Du Chen nodded. Indeed, while this rule was highly disadvantageous to him, Yonker was correct. He wasn't relying on his dominant position to oppress Du Chen—these were the rules of the gambling table. Once one gambled, one had to abide by them!

“So, if I lose the third round of Stud Poker, I won't be leaving Emerald City alive?”

Yonker stated coldly, “Precisely!”

Annie was startled awake from her muddled thoughts. She abruptly turned to her grandfather, wide-eyed. “Grandpa, the true purpose of today's Grand Wager was to verify Francis's authenticity through gambling prowess, was it not? I believe… Francis has already provided sufficient proof!” The Francis before them was real; even Sword Slave and Dragonfinch no longer doubted it. Yonker had achieved his goal of assisting Du Chen! So why was he relentlessly pressing Du Chen, insisting on a definitive winner? Was it the competitive spirit of two masters of the God of Gamblers realm? No, while Yonker was adept at gambling, he was still the patriarch of Emerald City. He knew what truly mattered in his heart! His appearance today to duel Du Chen was, firstly, because his fighting spirit had indeed been stirred, and secondly…

…Shortly after Betty and Annie left the Exquisite Pagoda, the Old Master had been preparing to observe the battle. But then, the family's intelligence chief suddenly delivered a piece of information! Just one sentence: ‘Margaret's Retainers, the Water's Embrace Saintess Corps, have been sighted in the nearby waters!’ The retainers had arrived, but where was their commander? For a millennium, the Water's Embrace Saintess Corps had been Margaret's signature force! Thus, Yonker immediately deduced that Margaret herself had arrived at the Emerald Sea. While he didn't know why the Water's Embrace Divine Maiden hadn't entered Emerald City to greet them, nor Marshal Skylands' true objective, Yonker understood one crucial point… A new chip had appeared on the scales of his heart—Margaret herself weighed more than Reno, the Grand Triangle, and the Miki Duchy combined! Therefore, the Old Master changed his stance. He began to assist Sword Slave and Dragonfinch! That was why he personally stepped forward to duel Du Chen! Otherwise, if Betty lost, and he then tried to deal with Du Chen, he would have to contend with a reputation for ‘betraying his word and being as unreliable as farts!’

…Facing Annie's interrogation, Yonker frowned. “My affairs, when did it become your place to interfere? A God of Gamblers does not lose; if he loses, he is no God of Gamblers. These are the rules we have set, and Francis himself agreed to them!”

“But Grandpa…”

“Silence!” Yonker glared coldly at Du Chen. “You are correct. If you cannot defeat me in the third round, then the rules will be followed… You will not leave Emerald City alive!” The Old Master had once again laid down the rules. While it seemed somewhat domineering and unreasonable, anyone who truly understood the scales and chips in his heart would naturally realize that these were the rules most beneficial to Emerald City's interests!

Sword Slave, who had been despairing in the spectator stands and even planning how to eliminate Francis outside Emerald City, was suddenly startled by this declaration. “Ha,” she exclaimed, “we knew it! Yonker is on our side! Emerald City and Water's Embrace Lake will remember this favor from you!” They still didn't know that their mistress, Margaret, had already arrived in the nearby waters!

Du Chen saw Annie still trying to speak up for him. He smiled and waved his hand. “Miss Annie, there's no need for further words. Since I already agreed to the Old Master's suggestion three days ago, then today, I shall gamble to the very end!”

Annie urgently cried, “Francis, do you truly wish to gamble? If you lose…”

“Will I lose?” A confident smile played on Du Chen's lips. He lightly picked up the red wine from the table and took a small sip. “Old Master, let's begin the third round of Stud Poker!” In that moment, he didn't even consider using Green Cloud to escape if he lost, nor did he care about the true reason behind the Old Master's change in attitude. All that filled his heart was an unwavering belief in victory! “Will I lose? Hmph!” If one lacked this conviction of certain victory, this unwavering focus, at the gambling table, then Du Chen would surely be the one to lose!

Yonker gazed silently at Du Chen. After a moment, he nodded. “Good. I find myself admiring you more and more. Among the young people of Emerald City, none can compare to you! Francis, regardless of what tomorrow brings, today, I, Yonker, regard you as my strongest opponent at the gambling table, and my most trusted friend!” He slammed his hand on the table and rose, “Let all that messy, convoluted stuff like skill, psychology, and wisdom go to hell! Using those isn't true gambling; it's a battle of wits! If we're going to gamble, let the third round be a true high-stakes wager! We'll gamble… on luck!”

Du Chen's eyes blazed. He stood up and roared, “Excellent!” He kicked his chair aside and took a large step back. “For the third round, we'll stand one meter from the table, not touching the cards, not looking at our hole cards! The casino dealer will shuffle the cards inside the Buzzing Iron Casket, so we won't hear anything. It's all up to luck!”

Yonker likewise kicked over his chair, then waved a hand. “One hundred million chips each, until one is bankrupt!” With two thunderous ‘thuds,’ mountains of chips were slammed onto the table! Both men spoke in unison, “Who will be the casino dealer?!” Indeed, under such stringent conditions, both their skill and wisdom were useless. It was purely a gamble of luck! Therefore, the only person allowed to touch the cards—the casino dealer—was the key. Or rather, the only one who could potentially cheat!

The two exchanged glances, then suddenly both looked towards Annie. “Since you initiated the second round, then you shall be the casino dealer for the third!”

Annie was stunned. Betty exclaimed, “Good! For fairness, Annie will turn her back to you while shuffling the cards, but face the spectator stands, where everyone can supervise her with their battle qi! She will also be supervised when revealing your hole cards! Furthermore, after she finishes shuffling, you will decide who receives cards first!”

“Good! Let's begin!” In a flash of lightning, the rules for the third round were set. Annie remained dazed for a long time until a servant brought the ‘humming’ special shuffling Buzzing Iron Casket. She then nodded absentmindedly and, following the rules, faced the audience to shuffle the cards.

Having shuffled the cards, Annie glanced at both men, then lowered her head. “Who receives cards first?” Without seeing or hearing, neither man knew the order of the cards, nor whether the first card dealt would be good or bad. Du Chen tossed Annie a Gold Coin. “Since the dealing order is decided after the shuffle, you toss the coin. Heads, deal to me first!”

Annie complied. The result: Yonker received the first card! The first card was a hole card, dealt face down; no one knew what it was. Yonker's second visible card was a Three of Spades, while Du Chen's was a Six of Hearts. Both were low cards. Du Chen was to act.

“Old Master, I'll start with ten million to play around with you!”

“Call!” Yonker gave a proud smile, then instructed Annie, “In this round, Francis has the higher visible card, so deal him the third card first. It'll be the same for subsequent rounds!”

Annie nodded and continued dealing cards. But the audience's emotions were already highly stimulated. Many stood up from their seats. With a total of a hundred million chips at stake, Francis, without seeing his hole card, dared to bet ten million with just a visible Six… Was he mad, or was this the demeanor of a God of Gamblers?! But Old Master Yonker was even crazier, daring to call with just a small Three…

For the third card, Du Chen received a Ten of Spades, while Yonker… astonishingly got a Three of Diamonds, forming a pair of Threes! Yonker smiled. “It seems my luck is good. Thirty million, Francis. The probability of getting high cards in this type of gambling is extremely low. A pair of Threes is enough to beat you. Are you going to fold?”

Du Chen watched the visible cards from afar, arms crossed, and chuckled. “We've only seen two cards, Old Man, what's the rush? Call!”

“Woah!” The outer circle of spectators began pushing against the vigilant guards. It was too exciting! As the Old Master had said, without cheating, the probability of getting strong hands like a flush or four of a kind was minuscule. This wasn't some movie from Du Chen's previous life where a ‘Green Dragon Top Straight’ ace could just appear; this was truly gambling with lives! Lose, and forget leaving Emerald City alive!

Perhaps Du Chen's confidence had swayed the Goddess of Fate. After the fourth card was dealt, Du Chen surprisingly received a Six of Clubs, forming a pair of Sixes. Yonker's card was an Ace of Diamonds. Annie, still with her head bowed, her thoughts unknown, mechanically announced, “Francis has a pair of Sixes, which is higher than a pair of Threes. Francis to act!”

“A pair of Sixes to beat your pair of Threes… Old Master, it seems my luck is better today. Fifty million!”

Yonker didn't hesitate, coldly spitting out a single word, “Call!”

*Whoosh!* Mountains of chips were pushed to the center of the table. Only ten million chips remained before each man. The crowd watched, their blood boiling. It seemed they were going all-in to decide the winner in this single hand! The final card… Du Chen received a King of Spades. His highest visible hand remained a small pair of Sixes. But Yonker, astonishingly, received… an Ace of Spades! Forming a pair of Threes and a pair of Aces—a two-pair hand!

Yonker smiled faintly and declared, “All-in! Francis, your chances of a comeback are minuscule, so small as to be negligible! Do you wish to leave your remaining ten million to recoup your losses?”

Du Chen wagged a finger, a smile on his face. “A small probability doesn't mean no probability! I'll go all-in with you!”

“Haha! No backing out once the chips are down!”

From the spectator stands, Dragonfinch suddenly burst into laughter and flew up. “Francis, Annie might hide her shuffling in the iron casket from others, but she can't hide it from me! Prince Yonker's hole card is an Eight. Unless you have three Sixes, you cannot win against him. Alas… your hole card is merely a Two of Clubs!” Dragonfinch was naturally renowned for her perceptive abilities; therefore, no one doubted her words! Francis, the God of Gamblers, had lost? Faint sighs echoed among the audience…

Sword Slave slowly rose. “Prince Yonker, will you personally eliminate Francis, or shall we?” As she spoke, she and Dragonfinch descended from the spectator stands. Sword Slave advanced towards Du Chen, while Dragonfinch positioned herself between Du Chen and his family's seats—they knew Du Chen's Green Cloud was incredibly fast and feared they couldn't capture him, so they split up, one intending to restrain Du Chen's family!

A wry smile touched Du Chen's lips. A loss was a loss, even if by luck. One shouldn't gamble without accepting this reality… All Arcane Artifacts were already discreetly clutched in his hands. His Battle Soul urgently informed Andy, “Await my signal, then revert to your true form and approach me from underground. Sword Slave and the others have witnessed my Green Cloud; they'll surely be watching the skies, not paying attention to what's beneath. Understand?!” Andy abruptly opened his drowsy eyes. Deboning, his face grim, gripped the hilt of his Blade. A Harp appeared in Liana's hands, and Arthur slowly drew the greatsword from his back… In an instant, almost everyone began to move!

But at that very moment, *thump! thump!* Yonker rapped on the table. “What the hole card is, Dragonfinch's words don't count. Before the true hole card is revealed, everyone, sit down! This is Emerald City! Annie… reveal the card!”

Sword Slave paused, startled, then scoffed, “I'll let you live a few more seconds, but you'd best stand still and not move!”

Du Chen smiled back at her. “The outcome isn't certain yet! Miss Annie, please reveal the card!”

Annie nervously glanced at Du Chen, then walked to her grandfather's side and slowly revealed his hole card… Indeed, as Dragonfinch had claimed, it was an Eight! So, Yonker's complete hand was two pair, with the strongest being a pair of Aces. For Du Chen to win, he would need three Sixes, forming a Three of a Kind to beat two pairs! But Dragonfinch had sworn by her extraordinary perceptive abilities that Du Chen absolutely did not have three Sixes! The outcome was undeniable. Francis would not be leaving Emerald City alive!

Yonker coldly commanded, “Thunder Legion, seal the area! After Francis's hole card is revealed, anyone who dares to move without my command, regardless of who they are or their status, will be killed on sight!” The Thunder Legion on the perimeter instantly secured the area. The surrounding commoners, sensing trouble, hastily scattered and fled!

Annie slowly approached Du Chen. Instead of immediately revealing the card, she looked up at him with a graceful, knowing smile, her posture exquisitely elegant. Only then did she pick up Du Chen's hole card from the table, suddenly asking playfully, “Old classmate, why did you zone out during the roulette game?”

Du Chen gently stroked the Precious Lotus Scripture in his palm, chuckling, “That question holds no meaning now…”

“Oh? Is it truly meaningless?”

Annie slowly sighed, then raised her hand high, flipped it over, and with a resounding ‘thwack,’ slammed the hole card onto the table. She cast a glance, “Congratulations, you win!”

Emerald City fell into a deathly silence at this moment!

A Six of Spades lay quietly on the tabletop…

Du Chen won!?