Hong Kong is an extremely modern metropolis. It has the most advanced intelligent life, yet also harbors the most primitive human desires.
In the underground casino in the alley, I was surrounded by dozens of gamblers driven by their desires. That weasel - faced Taoist Chen had long ago hugged a bunch of stuff he got from the incense - offering shop and hidden under the table.
"Little bitch! Dare to bet your life with me?!"
From Liu Jiang's mouth, that grayish - green compulsive gambler had half of its body sticking out. "Don't try any tricks. I've firmly bound this man's soul. You lousy Taoists will never be able to get me out of his body!"
The compulsive gambler grinned, like a parasite in Liu Jiang's body, wriggling its gaunt form!
"Little girl from the Lu family, don't bet with it! This thing has no integrity!"
Taoist Chen, who was huddled under the table, poked his head out halfway. "It's the resentful qi condensed from dead compulsive gamblers. Once you agree, you're already trapped in its snare! You're bound to lose..."
"Okay! I'll bet with you!"
Before Taoist Chen could finish his words, I had already walked to the gambling table and propped one hand on the green felt tablecloth. "We'll just bet on big or small. If you lose, you'll leave Liu Jiang's body!"
Since I had promised Lingling and taken things from her family's shop, I must fulfill the little girl's request. Since this compulsive gambler had merged with Liu Jiang's soul, I wanted it to leave Liu Jiang's body voluntarily.
"Okay!"
The compulsive gambler's blood - red eyes already showed a smug look. It was formed from the resentful qi of countless gamblers. How could it possibly lose a bet it was involved in?!
As for Liu Jiang, who was possessed by it, he had never won a single game under its control.
The resentful qi of gamblers was the best nourishment for the compulsive gambler!
When Liu Jiang was driven to a dead end and his resentful qi soared to the sky, that would be the moment when this compulsive gambler would raise its scythe to reap his soul!
"If you lose!"
The compulsive gambler licked its dry lips with its purplish - black tongue. "Then leave your life behind!"
Saying that, it took out a crescent - shaped knife from its body and stabbed it on the table with a "pop".
"Ouch!" Taoist Chen slapped his thigh in anxiety. In his eyes, I was just an ignorant fool!
The surrounding gamblers all gathered around our table.
Suddenly, I felt the temperature in the room drop sharply. Looking up, I saw that four faint black shadows had appeared in the four corners of the roof at some unknown time. As my gaze fell on them, they turned into four chubby little kids about half a foot tall, each wearing a bright red bellyband. They were hanging upside - down on the ceiling and quickly crawled to above our gambling table using all four limbs.
"The bet is simple!"
Liu Jiang reached out and grabbed the dice and the dice cup on the table. "The one with the highest total points from the three dice wins!"
"Okay!" I nodded. This simple gambling game was suitable for a novice like me who knew nothing!
"Just one round!" Liu Jiang sneered sinisterly. The compulsive gambler pulled at the corner of his mouth. "One round decides life or death!"
"Okay!" I nodded again. "I'll go first."
"Hahaha..."
Liu Jiang threw his head back and laughed wildly, then threw the dice cup and the three dice in his hand to me.
I didn't know any fancy tricks. I just casually shook the dice cup twice and then slapped it down on the table with a "pop".
The four little kids hanging upside - down on the ceiling immediately showed signs of cheering. They jumped down one by one, made faces at me with bared teeth, and at the same time, stretched out their chubby little hands and reached into the cup in front of me.
I ignored everything in front of me.
"Open! Open! Open!!!" The gamblers at the table shouted excitedly, slapping the table.
Amid the shouting that seemed to lift the roof off, I slowly flipped open the dice cup in my hand. Three blood - red dots on the three dice inside were revealed to everyone.
"Hahaha! You lose!"
Someone had already started pointing at me and shouting.
"Three points! Only three points!!! This is the lowest possible score!"
Liu Jiang laughed even more maniacally, his mouth almost splitting to his ears. "I don't even need to make a move! Your life is mine!"
Saying that, he pulled out the knife and threw it to the edge of my table.
The knife passed by the four little kids crawling on the table, scaring them into scattering.
I knew that these were the little ghosts raised by the casino, the Kuman Thong, which was quite popular everywhere these days. They were evil objects that were supposed to bring in windfall luck!
The dice in the cup had been tampered with by them, which was why they showed three ones.
"How can you say I've lost when you haven't rolled yet?"
I casually picked up the curved knife and examined it. The wooden handle of the knife had been polished to a patina, showing a faint oily sheen. The blade was very thin, like a crescent moon exuding a lively light.
I heard that Liu Jiang was a master at making paper figurines. This knife was probably the bamboo knife he used to split bamboo strips!
"You really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin!"
Liu Jiang spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle, grabbed the dice cup and shook it desperately, making his right hand turn into a blur.
"Pop!"
The dice cup landed on the table. The Kuman Thong little ghosts cheered and were about to rush over when suddenly, a thick black mist appeared between them and the dice cup.
The faceless ghost guard's face, which was like a blank slate, was terrifyingly gloomy. The chains rattled, and all four little ghosts were strung up by his black chains without exception.
"Thanks."
I had summoned the faceless ghost guard as soon as Liu Jiang started shaking the dice. He had come in time this time and looked imposing... He seemed much more reliable than before.
"You're welcome, Miss Xiyu."
Saying that, he turned around and glared at the compulsive gambler in Liu Jiang's body.
"You... You can't arrest me! I have a bet with her!"
Although the compulsive gambler shrank back a bit when it saw the faceless ghost guard, the next second it defiantly put its hands on its hips. "You low - level ghost guards can't control me!"
"Damn it! You dirty ghost! Don't think you can act so arrogantly just because you've devoured a few more lives!"
The faceless ghost guard was ignored like this, but he really had no way to deal with this compulsive gambler.
"Do me a favor..." I thought silently.
A look of pride actually appeared on the faceless ghost guard's blank face. Then, like those little ghosts, he reached his hand into the dice cup in front of Liu Jiang and stirred it up.
"Pfft! Isn't that just a trick I've used before!"
The compulsive gambler had shrunk back into Liu Jiang's mouth like a hermit crab, laughing disdainfully. Its hand was already on the dice cup.
"Open! Open!! Open!!"
The gamblers watching from the side didn't know that the situation on the gambling table had changed eerily in an instant. They still slapped the table and shouted excitedly.
Liu Jiang's right hand slowly moved the dice cup away... A bright red dot came into everyone's view!
"Ah!"
Someone couldn't hold back and cried out.
"What are you shouting for? You look so inexperienced!" An old gambler scolded. "As long as he rolls a two, Ah Jiang will win!"
Liu Jiang's hand continued to move, and another die appeared, still showing a one!
"Two! Two! Two!!"
The gamblers were extremely excited. They had never seen a situation where six ones appeared in a bet on big or small. Even Taoist Chen couldn't help but crane his neck and look in our direction...