Wang Qiancheng would rather be hung in a snake pit than be put in a boiling oil pot.
Or perhaps, if it weren't for the fear of death that made him choose to gamble rather than issue a mindless angry declaration and be instantly killed, he would even be thinking that if the final outcome was death, it would be better to end it quickly and decisively.
At least he wouldn't be consumed by fear and feel powerless anger.
"I won't go into the oil pot!!" he suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and shouted at Nan Shiying. He was much tougher than when he was forced to gamble for his life earlier.
Nan Shiying blinked, suddenly feeling like laughing, "Okay, no oil pot!"
Her tone was like coaxing a child.
Ji Jinmo's eyes, the only striking feature on his otherwise ordinary face, slightly curved upwards, falling on Wang Qiancheng with intense malice. He was as cold and indifferent as if he were looking at trash on the verge of death.
Wang Qiancheng felt as if he were enveloped in a shadow, with countless ghostly claws tearing through the curtain of darkness to rip his body apart. Unlike the fear of facing death, he felt the gaze from the abyss.
Wang Qiancheng spoke with a voice close to tears, "The oil pot is fine too!"
Nan Shiying: "..."
Wang Qiancheng had a foolish charm!
Liu Cheng took a long time to recover. The churning stomach acid gradually subsided. He turned his body away, trying to avoid the image of the woman tumbling in the boiling oil, but the sounds coming from behind were enough to make him imagine the entire scene.
The servant responsible for cleaning up stood by the oil pot, holding an oversized fish strainer, scooping up scattered limbs and body parts that had already been fried into pieces.
Liu Cheng's stomach churned again.
Nan Shiying twitched her lips, thinking she should eat fewer fried foods in the coming days!
...
"Young Master Feng, Young Master Liu, this way please!"
The servant led the two towards the gambling table and explained the rules. There wasn't much to explain, as the basic gameplay was no different from outside.
After the initial curiosity was shattered by the almost brutal scene, the first thing Liu Cheng wanted to do was run up the stairs to the viewing platform. However... he looked at Feng Luan. Feng Luan strolled leisurely between the gambling tables, showing no discomfort from the scene just witnessed. Remembering Sun Ming's account, he had reason to believe that he couldn't leave without gambling at least one round with him.
Once Liu Cheng understood, he turned and asked, "Brother Feng, which one are you planning to play?"
Pai Gow or dice, nothing new.
However, Nan Shiying hadn't come today to pass the time. She casually pointed at a gambling table, and whichever she pointed to, that would be it. Liu Cheng saw her finger pointing at the dice and nodded, "Alright, let's bet on this one then? Brother Feng, how do you want to bet? By size, or something else?"
"Let's bet by size!"
The sooner it's over, the better.
"Good!"
As Nan Shiying and Liu Cheng decided on the bet, Wang Qiancheng walked unsteadily onto the viewing platform. By the snake pit on the platform stood a disheveled, exhausted middle-aged man. The man's eyes seemed covered by a layer of gray, devoid of any light. The servant let the man be tied to a rope and hung on an iron hook on the ceiling.
When hanging Wang Qiancheng, the servant tied a tight knot and wrapped two more rounds around his body before hanging him on the hook.
Nan Shiying and Liu Cheng stood on opposite sides of the gambling table.
The dealer stood in the center explaining the rules: "Each of you has three dice in front of you. The party with the higher total sum wins."
Nan Shiying and Liu Cheng nodded in understanding.
"Alright, then we can begin!"
The gamble started, and the crowd on the viewing platform also placed their bets. The odds for Wang Qiancheng's death were ten to one, while for the other man, it was one point five to one.
At the gambling table, Nan Shiying picked up the dice cup, placed the dice inside, and then covered it on the table. She shook it a few times casually and withdrew her hand. Liu Cheng shook it for a long time. Just as the dice cup landed on the table, Nan Shiying lifted it, and the moment the numbers were revealed, Liu Cheng's body trembled violently. He held onto the table to avoid falling to the ground.
Three ones, a total of three points.
Looking at the opponent's rolled numbers, Liu Cheng's vision blurred.
This meant the best outcome was a draw, and the most likely outcome was his victory. In other words, Wang Qiancheng would be thrown into the snake pit.
Cold sweat trickled down his temples. Liu Cheng looked at the dice cup in front of him, wishing he had never come to Yi Pin Ju today, nor had the sudden impulse to come to the second floor to gamble for their lives.
He placed his hand on the dice cup, reluctant to lift it.
"Brother Liu, it's your turn!"
Nan Shiying raised her hand, signaling Liu Cheng to reveal his dice.
She had a gentle smile on her face throughout, as if she didn't understand the consequences of the current situation for Liu Cheng and Wang Qiancheng.
Liu Cheng moved his lips, his collar already soaked.
His hand, which was tapping the dice cup, trembled slightly. A smile that was more like a grimace than a smile appeared on his lips, "I surrender!"
"Brother Liu is joking." Nan Shiying narrowed her eyes slightly, revealing a row of gleaming white teeth. Her pleasant face at this moment showed the appearance of a beast suddenly awakening, radiating an aura of danger.
Liu Cheng's heart was in turmoil, his reason weighing the consequences of revealing or not revealing, and which consequence he and the Liu family could better bear.
However, Nan Shiying did not give Liu Cheng time to think. At some point, she walked to his side and, with a swift motion, lifted the dice cup that Liu Cheng was holding.
"No!"
Liu Cheng could only exclaim in surprise, unable to stop her, but the next moment, upon seeing the state of the dice after the cup was lifted, Liu Cheng stood there stunned in disbelief.
As the wind blew, the dice, which had turned to powder, scattered across the table. Only one of the three dice remained intact on the table, while the other two had somehow turned to dust.
The only remaining die showed two dots on top.
This meant Liu Cheng had rolled a two.
Nan Shiying had won, and Wang Qiancheng had saved his life!
Nan Shiying looked at the numbers under the dice cup and suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahahaha, Brother Liu, you are truly a skilled gambler, I am impressed, truly impressed!"
She turned to the dealer with a smile, seeming genuinely happy, her eyes reflecting joy, "Yi Pin Ju truly has many talents. May I know your esteemed name?"
The dealer bowed his head humbly, "I am just an insignificant dealer, I dare not receive such praise from you, Young Master."
Nan Shiying continued to smile, but her voice took on a cold edge, "What, am I not worthy of asking your name?"
The dealer continued to bow his head, his voice becoming even more humble, "I dare not. Who am I? He Wei, greetings to Young Master Feng Luan."
"He Wei!" Nan Shiying murmured the name and then said softly, "I have remembered you!"