The Gambler and the Charlatan (1)

“Ah, a good deed presents itself.”

Du Chen tucked the bundle of Phil’s research notes under his arm, his pair of handsome thieving eyes scanning the surroundings.

The urban layout of Battle God Isle was rather straightforward: three main north-south thoroughfares, flanked by various buildings. Du Chen now found himself on one of the intersecting side streets, surrounded by obelisk-shaped stone structures exuding a distinct maritime charm.

Numerous pedestrians ambled along the path, yet not a soul seemed to be in need of assistance.

Just as Du Chen pondered this, a figure suddenly vaulted over the low wall beside him. Du Chen didn't catch much else, save for a flash of a light blue ponytail braid and an effeminate shriek, “Move! I’m fleeing for my life!”

Professor Jemison!? It was none other than the effeminate artist, Professor Jemison, who had recently painted Du Chen and Helen.

Someone dared to openly pursue and attack a professor within Battle God Academy?

Du Chen quickly gave chase, calling out, “Professor, is there anything I can do to assist you?”

Jemison offered no reply, running headlong, stumbling, his gait betraying no trace of battle qi.

“Jemison, you can’t escape!” Dozens of burly men surged from both ends of the alley. Clad in sturdy leather sailor shorts, shirtless, and wielding an assortment of blades, staves, and cudgels – they were clearly not a benevolent lot.

Leading them was a young lass of sixteen or seventeen. She, too, wore a ponytail braid, but hers was a fiery crimson. Dressed in a matching red warrior's outfit, her wide belt was bristling with daggers and similar weapons, and in her hand, she held a formidable leather whip.

She directed the burly men to swiftly blockade the alley, barking, “Everyone, this is not the first time. You all know what to do!”

Bystanders cast glances at the cornered Jemison, some sympathetic, more disdainful. Yet, after a moment, they simply walked out of the alley, unimpeded by the burly men.

Suddenly, only Du Chen and Jemison remained in the alley.

“Alas, the life of an artist is always fraught with helplessness!” Jemison spoke with a serene expression, maintaining his artistic demeanor. He straightened his clothes, slipped his hands into his pockets, and then found a quiet spot by the wall to squat down. “Spare my face and my hands! I rely on them for my livelihood!”

The young girl, surprisingly cooperative, barked, “No hitting the face or hands! The rest is fair game! Get him!”

Du Chen watched the scene unfold, a mix of amusement and exasperation. It was clear there was no deep-seated animosity between the parties. This ‘good deed’ was minor, yet still better than nothing.

“Stop!” Du Chen yelled, stepping in front of Jemison. “Everyone, let's discuss this amicably; there’s no need for violence. Professor Jemison is, after all, an instructor at the Academy!”

“And who are you trying to play the hero?” The whip-wielding girl strode up to Du Chen, rising onto her tiptoes. “You punk, a freshman, aren't you? I won't blame you then. Go on, ask Jemison himself if he deserves a beating!”

Under Du Chen’s bewildered gaze, Jemison, hands still in his pockets, sighed, his head bowed. This instantly reminded Du Chen of the ‘brothers’ he’d met in various ‘black rooms’ after his own thieving endeavors had gone awry in his previous life. “They do have reason to hit me, but, Miss Kristina, my path to artistic pursuit is blameless.”

*Snap!*

Kristina cracked her whip demonstratively, her voice laced with fury. “You call owing money at *my* casino and refusing to pay a ‘pursuit of art’?!”

“Yes, all my funds are dedicated to the pursuit of art, so naturally, I have no spare coin for gambling debts!” Jemison declared, raising his head with an air of righteous indignation.

Good heavens, how could the Precious Lotus Scripture prompt him to save such a scoundrel?!

Du Chen forced a wry smile. But since his buttock had already begun to itch, and Jemison wasn't some unforgivable villain, he decided to help him. Besides, with gambling being rife with deceit, this young lass might not be as virtuous as she appears. With this thought, Du Chen smiled, “Miss Kristina, Professor Jemison here is my teacher. How much does he owe you?”

“What? You intend to pay for him?” Kristina sneered, curling her lip.

Jemison interjected, “Student Francis, I shall forever remember your enthusiasm for art, but this time, I owe far too much. Even after rounding down, it’s still a thousand gold coins.”

Du Chen frowned. He had once been a billionaire, but now, with his fortune dedicated to disaster relief and aiding the poor, he only had a few hundred gold coins on him.

“Kid, this isn’t your business. Get lost!” Kristina waved her hand impatiently. “This is Battle God Isle, which upholds its rules, and debts must be repaid; it’s only natural. Even if Dean Zigurd came, he wouldn't dare utter a peep!”

What an arrogant young lass! Du Chen merely smiled.

“Professor Jemison incurred his debt at a gambling table, so how about I play a round against you on his behalf?” Du Chen extended a hand towards Jemison. “Do you have any money left? Just a single copper coin will suffice!”

“You want to wager a single copper coin? Haha, good! Kid, you’ve got confidence; I like that about you!” Kristina called for someone to borrow a table and chairs from a nearby shop, then settled majestically onto the chair. “What do you want to play?”

“Whatever Professor Jemison lost his money on, that’s what I’ll play!”

“Bring out the dice then!” Kristina took the dice cup and casually shook it. “Three dice, betting on high or low! There’s only one rule: no using battle qi!”

“Four, five, five – High!” Du Chen leaned back in his chair, casually tossing the copper coin onto the table.

“Quite the knack!” Kristina's eyes lit up. “Someone, give him a copper coin!” She shook the dice cup again.

“One, two, three – Low!” Du Chen, leisurely admiring the street scene around him, murmured.

...

Kristina’s forehead began to bead with sweat.

Before long, hundreds of gold coins had been chipped away from Jemison's debt. With his past life's intimate knowledge of society's underbelly, combined with the superhuman hearing granted by the Precious Lotus Scripture, how could Du Chen's gambling skills be anything but exceptional?

Jemison excitedly hovered by Du Chen, his eyes glued to the gambling table. “Student Francis, we simply *must* exchange insights more often in the future!”

“Of course, Professor!” Du Chen placed his final wager of five hundred gold coins, and after discerning that Kristina had rattled all the dice into dust, he finally cleared Jemison's entire gambling debt. At that moment, Du Chen’s buttock suddenly flared with an intense itch – the lotus tattoo on his posterior had visibly bloomed a fraction.

*Impossible!*

Du Chen was astonished. Repaying a gambler's debt and teaching a casino owner a lesson? This hardly qualified as a great deed! How could the Precious Lotus Scripture have advanced so much? He had saved an entire city just to see half a lotus blossom appear before!

Could it be that Jemison’s situation was more complex than a simple gambling debt?

Casting a discreet glance at the ecstatic Jemison, Du Chen maintained an unperturbed expression, pushed away from the gambling table, and stood up. “Alright, Professor no longer owes you anything. I should be going now!”

“Wait!” Kristina, her face flushed crimson from her losses, glared at Du Chen, her large eyes flashing with indignation. “You punk, let’s switch to cards and gamble again! You’re a true master; you’re the first person on Battle God Isle to defeat me without using battle qi!”

Du Chen shook his head with a smile. *Indeed, this old man didn't use battle qi, but he *did* use Lotus Internal Force!*

“Miss Kristina, I’m tired. I have no interest in gambling further,” Du Chen said, smiling as he shook his head.

“No! You *must* gamble with me!” Kristina blocked Du Chen’s path.

“Hold on, didn't you just say that Battle God Isle upholds its rules? Since when does that include forcing people to gamble?” Du Chen’s question left Kristina speechless. She stamped her foot decisively, cracked her whip through the air, and declared angrily, “You punk, you’ll gamble with me eventually! Let’s go!”

This lass wasn't entirely bad, after all. A good loser, at least her gambling ethics were decent. Far superior to the scoundrels he'd encountered in his previous life.

He turned back to Jemison, bowing slightly with a smile. “Professor, I…”

“No, don’t call me Professor! That’s far too formal. Just call me Elder Brother!” Jemison affectionately slung an arm over Du Chen’s shoulder. “Today, you have made a tremendous contribution to my artistic career. Your elder brother here now recognizes you as kin!”

*Heh heh, no matter what, I've got to keep this lad close – no more fear of losing money in the future!*

“This… wouldn’t that be inappropriate? You are a Professor, after all.”

“What’s inappropriate about it!? Ah, that reminds me! No wonder that Old Charlatan said I'd meet a noble benefactor today; it seems it was you all along!” Without further ado, he slung his arm over Du Chen's shoulder and steered him towards the docks. “Come on, lunch is on me today, and I’ll introduce you to a friend!”