Chapter 52

After that exchange, neither of them spoke again. The silence stretched between them as they arrived at the gambling district.
Gambling houses and brothels were the two major industries of Bright Moon City. There were entire districts dedicated to them. The moment they entered the gambling area, the atmosphere shifted completely.
It was a place of restless excitement, where fortunes were made and lost in an instant.
They headed for the largest and most extravagant establishment. A row of burly wolf demons stood guard at the entrance. As soon as they stepped inside, a graceful rabbit demoness came to greet them.
"Welcome, esteemed guests. Is this your first time here?"
Luo Han was tempted to ask, "How can you tell?" but she knew that speaking too much would only expose their inexperience. Instead, she kept her response short. "Four of us. Just looking around."
"Of course." The rabbit demoness expertly pulled out four black wooden tokens. "We appreciate your understanding—our establishment is a small business, so we need to collect some basic information."
To protect their interests, gambling houses registered the identities of their guests. The tokens didn’t contain personal details, but they ensured that troublemakers wouldn’t be allowed back in.
Luo Han glanced at Ling Qingxiao, who showed no reaction. Taking that as a sign that this was standard procedure, she made no objections. The rabbit demoness turned to her first.
"Miss, do you have a code name?"
"No, just use the number on the token."
"Understood. Age?"
"Around ten thousand years."
Ling Qingxiao’s brow arched slightly. He lowered his gaze toward Luo Han. "How much?"
Previously, she’d told Zou Jibai she was a thousand. He had let it slide. But now, she was claiming to be ten thousand—older than him?
Luo Han shot him a look, signaling him not to fuss over minor details. What difference did it make whether she said a thousand or ten thousand?
But Ling Qingxiao didn’t cooperate. He just kept looking at her quietly. Even the rabbit demoness noticed and glanced up.
Luo Han had no choice but to revise her answer reluctantly. "Not quite ten thousand. Closer to a thousand, actually."
The rabbit demoness hesitated. Closer? Ten thousand and a thousand weren’t remotely close…
Ling Qingxiao finally accepted the revised answer. The rabbit demoness, wisely choosing to ignore the discrepancy, continued. "Very well, age adjusted. And this gentleman?"
After finishing the registrations, she handed each of them a token and took her leave.
Once she was gone, Luo Han shot Ling Qingxiao a glare.
Annoying.
Ling Qingxiao obviously noticed, but he pretended not to.
Up ahead, Ye Zinan and Zou Jibai had already entered the main hall. Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao followed, stepping into the heart of the casino.
The moment they entered, the sheer decadence of the place hit them. The ceiling nearly shook from the enthusiastic shouting.
The casino had standard games like dice, fan-tan, and bone tiles, but those were mostly for mortals. Cultivators preferred more thrilling challenges—such as the Arena of Trials.
The Arena of Trials offered a variety of competitions. A challenger could set conditions, and anyone could step forward to accept the challenge. Spectators placed their bets freely, and whoever won would take the entire prize pool.
To attract more gamblers, arena masters made their conditions as eye-catching as possible, aiming to lure bettors away from rival tables.
After all, every gambler had their specialty, and their chosen conditions often reflected their personal strengths.
There were skill-based fighters, strength-based fighters, and tricksters…
Luo Han walked through the corridor, observing all the arenas before forming a rough idea in her mind.
After some thought, she gestured toward a particular stage and suggested to Zou Jibai, “Look at that one. Want to give it a try?”
On that stage, there was a nine-grid board where the conditions were randomly assigned. The challenger and the defender each drew a tile and had to follow the conditions for a fistfight. It combined skill with an element of luck, making it highly appealing to gamblers.
Zou Jibai immediately pulled a long face. “I’m fine with a fistfight, but my luck is terrible. If I draw a tile, I’ll definitely get the worst one.”
“You won’t,” Luo Han reassured him. “Just give it a try.”
Since she seemed so confident, Zou Jibai reluctantly stepped onto the stage. He carefully placed the team’s last remaining penny on the betting table.
The arena’s defender turned green when he saw the single white demon coin Zou Jibai wagered. “Just one penny? Are you looking down on me?”
“The casino allows free bets,” Zou Jibai replied. “Nobody said I couldn’t bet just one penny.”
The defender was fuming, but the casino had no rules against minimum wagers. This particular stage wasn’t very popular, and their argument over a penny caught the attention of a few passersby. When they saw that Zou Jibai had only placed a single penny, they immediately recognized him as one of those broke gamblers hoping for an overnight windfall. A wave of jeers erupted, and soon, people started placing bets.
However, every single one of them bet on the defender.
The crowd sneered, taunting, “Teach this broke kid a lesson!”
Compared to the bustling arenas nearby, their side seemed pitifully weak and unpopular. Zou Jibai suddenly felt nervous and instinctively threw a few practice punches to hype himself up. “Heavens, please don’t screw me over when I draw!”
Luo Han encouraged him, “Relax. You’re not going to win just by luck, but at least you’ll get a fair match. Just focus on the fight.”
Still uneasy, Zou Jibai stepped forward and drew his lot. He had braced himself for the worst, but when he saw the condition, he was dumbfounded—
"Fight while wearing bunny ears."
…That’s it?
Without hesitation, Zou Jibai put on the bunny ears. For someone of his build, the weight was negligible. Other than the ridiculous accessory on his head, it didn’t affect his fighting at all.
From the audience’s perspective, the sight of a burly, muscular Zou Jibai wearing fluffy bunny ears was beyond comical. Luo Han nearly burst out laughing on the spot. Ling Qingxiao looked away, refusing to acknowledge the absurdity, while Ye Zinan dramatically covered his eyes. “I can’t watch. This is visual pollution.”
This particular arena wasn’t a major attraction, and Zou Jibai was a new face, so the crowd was sparse. But the moment he started fighting, his solid footwork and powerful punches shocked everyone—he actually knocked out the veteran defender.
Spectators were taken aback. A burly man with bunny ears throwing devastating punches? The sheer visual impact was overwhelming. More and more people started gathering around.
After the first match, the crowd clamored for another round. When it was time to draw lots again, Zou Jibai was visibly anxious. He glanced toward Luo Han, who gave him an encouraging nod.
Zou Jibai took a deep breath, threw a few straight punches to psych himself up, and carefully selected another lot. This time, the condition read—
"No talking allowed."
Zou Jibai stared at his hand in disbelief. Was this really his hand?
A chorus of groans erupted from the crowd. This was way too mild! The grid usually contained some truly sadistic or even outright malicious conditions, yet Zou Jibai had now drawn two harmless ones in a row.
His opponent had also drawn their condition. Not being able to talk was no limitation for Zou Jibai—he just had to refrain from grunting while punching. The fight went smoothly, and unsurprisingly, he won again.
By now, a large crowd had formed around his arena, and new challengers stepped up. Zou Jibai won once more, securing his third consecutive victory. In just this short span, he had raked in fifty thousand in winnings.
Luo Han, watching from the sidelines, marveled, “Gambling really is the fastest way to make money. It hasn’t even been that long, and we’ve got almost fifty thousand demon coins.”
“Yeah,” Ye Zinan sighed. “No wonder people gamble away their entire fortunes. With profits like this, it’s easy to get addicted.”
They had originally owed around thirty thousand. Now, after settling the debt, they would even have extra left over. If they spent wisely, it would be enough to sustain them until Star Lord Tianyu arrived. Seeing this, Ling Qingxiao remarked, “That’s enough.”
The goal was simply to solve their problem—anything beyond that would be ill-gotten gains.
Luo Han agreed. A little gambling for fun was one thing, but too much was a bad idea. She signaled to Zou Jibai to stop.
Although he wasn’t the sharpest, Zou Jibai was good at following orders. He immediately stepped off the stage despite the chorus of protests and taunts trying to goad him into staying.
When he rejoined them, he asked, “Why are we stopping?”
“We have enough money,” Luo Han said, pointing to the stack of chips on the table. “Let’s take our winnings and leave.”
Zou Jibai turned around and nearly jumped at the sight of the cash pile. He had never imagined that just sparring with someone could not only serve as exercise but also earn him money.
Coming from a clan whose economy was still stuck in ancient times, Zou Jibai was utterly astounded. He muttered under his breath, “People outside really know how to make money…”
Luo Han nodded in agreement, then pointed at Ling Qingxiao. “If you want to talk about a true master of wealth, this guy is the grandfather of money-making. The schemes in Da Ming City? They learned them from his people.”
Ling Qingxiao sighed and pressed down her pointing finger. “That’s nonsense. Don’t spread rumors.”
But was it?
While other races were still focused on farming and self-sufficiency, the dragon clan had already mastered city branding to attract outsiders to spend money in their territories. Out of the Top Ten Cities in Zhongzhong Heaven, eight were controlled by the dragon clan, and the remaining two had dragon clan investments.
Dragons had a natural talent for wealth accumulation. Even Ling Qingxiao, who was indifferent to material things, had an endless list of properties under his name.
If not for their unexpected teleportation to the demon realm, catching him off guard without local currency, Ling Qingxiao would never have to worry about money in his entire life.
Ye Zinan and Zou Jibai had long known that the Dragon Clan was wealthy, but after spending more time with them, they realized that their wealth was far beyond what they had imagined. Mentioning money, however, often strained relationships, and once the topic was brought up, the already fragile bond of their team grew even thinner.
Zou Jibai fumed for a while, unable to think of how to become like Ling Qingxiao, and ultimately had to painfully accept the reality. Then, a thought struck him, and he leaned in close to Luo Han, speaking in a mysterious tone: "Luo Han, I’ve discovered a secret of the Heavenly Dao."
Luo Han's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately stopped in her tracks. Ling Qingxiao’s gaze sharpened like a cold sword, fixating on Zou Jibai.
Zou Jibai hadn’t expected them to suddenly halt and was taken aback. "What’s wrong?"
Even Ye Zinan turned around, eyeing Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao curiously. "What’s going on?"
Luo Han remained calm, asking, "What have you discovered?"
Without a second thought, Zou Jibai replied with a mysterious expression, "I discovered that my luck was especially good just now. Do you know why? It’s because I did a set of punches before drawing lots!"
Luo Han's brows slowly furrowed. What was he talking about? Zou Jibai, however, was all fired up, eagerly sharing his "secret technique" with his teammates: "Look, you start with straight punches, three to the left, three to the right, then hook punches, and finally, you end with this movement. I call it the 'Good Luck Fist.' If you do this before drawing lots, your luck will be exceptionally good! It’s a hundred percent effective—I've personally verified it just now!"
Ling Qingxiao had been serious at first, genuinely thinking Zou Jibai had discovered something significant. But as he listened further, Ling Qingxiao helplessly averted his gaze, unable to bear looking at him again.
Luo Han watched the entire series of actions with a smile, folding her arms and asking leisurely, "Is that it? Anything else?"
"You don’t believe me?" Zou Jibai, feeling confident, now spoke with determination. He strode up to the magical device in front of them. "You doubt me? I’ll show you. Prepare to be amazed!"
To encourage spending, the casino had built a spacious arena at the center, with many smaller magical devices placed around the corners, catering to those who didn’t have much money but still wanted to test their luck. A single demon coin could buy a ticket, and if you were lucky, you could win up to a million demon coins.
Zou Jibai spent one demon coin to buy a ticket and solemnly performed his "Good Luck Fist," full of confidence as he scratched off the coating on the ticket: "Watch, I’ll blow your mind!"
He fell silent after speaking. Luo Han watched him, while Ye Zinan curiously asked, "Well, did you win?"
Zou Jibai set the ticket down and took a deep breath. "I’m so stupid. I should’ve done the Good Luck Fist before buying the ticket. After I bought the ticket, the result was already decided. How can I change my luck then?"
Luo Han gave him a dismissive gesture. "Then try again. But you’re paying for this round yourself. The public account won’t cover it."
Zou Jibai performed the punch sequence again, putting even more effort into it this time. He then went to buy another ticket.
But when he scratched off the coating again, there was nothing.
Zou Jibai was stunned. How could this be? The punch had worked so well in the arena just now—his luck had been incredible!
Luo Han, seeing his bewildered expression, kindly reminded him, "Maybe you weren’t sincere enough. The heavens didn’t hear your wish. One try isn’t enough. Why not try doing it twice?"
Ling Qingxiao’s eyes flickered with amusement. He glanced at Luo Han, signaling her to stop teasing him. Yet, Zou Jibai took her advice seriously and nodded thoughtfully. "You’re right. I’ll do it again!"
Zou Jibai performed the "Good Luck Fist" twice, more forcefully this time. People walking by saw him punching in front of the lottery device and hurriedly avoided him.
"What’s he doing?"
"Not sure. Maybe he’s trying to get famous. People will do anything these days for attention..."
Luo Han watched him with barely contained laughter, while Ling QingXiaolightly tapped her shoulder and said, "Alright, let’s go."
Having had enough of watching Zou Jibai embarrass himself, they decided not to stay. They quietly left while he was still absorbed in his punching, making sure to slip away before he noticed.
After fervently praying, Zou Jibai looked up, only to realize his teammates were gone, and they had even taken his money. He grumbled angrily and ran to catch up.
As they walked through the hallway toward the exit, a sudden cheer erupted from both sides. The crowd surged backward, nearly pushing into Luo Han. Ling Qingxiao was quick to protect her, guiding her safely through.
They managed to escape the crowd and made it outside. Ling Qingxiao turned to Luo Han, asking, "Are you hurt?"
"No," she shook her head. They had managed to avoid the crowd just in time, while Zou Jibai and Ye Zinan were still stuck on the other side, struggling to push their way through. Luo Han stood outside, waiting for the two to squeeze over.
Curious, she glanced at the arena where the cheer had erupted, asking, "What happened? Why is everyone so worked up?"
Ling Qingxiao briefly glanced up and said, "The round just ended. A lot of people lost."
No wonder they were all so agitated. Luo Han nodded but didn’t think much of it. However, just then, a hoarse, slightly frantic voice pierced through the noise, catching her attention: "I lost? Impossible, I’m still betting!"
"You’ve lost everything! You’re broke, even your demon crystals are gone! What are you going to bet with now? A penniless fool, drag him out!"
Demon crystals? Luo Han’s mind stirred at the mention of those words. This gambler was likely from the Demon Domain. Not only had he lost all his demon coins, but he had also run out of demon crystals.
Luo Han instinctively paid attention to the mention of the Demon Clan but didn’t dwell on it. To her surprise, the gambler, in his desperation, pulled out a black stone, shouting, "I still have this! The Demon-Sealing Stone! I’ll bet this—this time, I’ll win it all back!"
Demon-Sealing Stone? Luo Han was taken aback. She exchanged a glance with Ling Qingxiao, both of them sensing something off.
She had never heard of such a stone, but just hearing the name sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine.
In a flash of realization, Luo Han suddenly remembered something. In that famous scene from the city wall game in the original text, the place where the female lead fell after her abortion was called the "Zhuxian Terrace," wasn’t it?
Zhuxian Terrace, Demon-Sealing Stone—the names were so similar, could it be a coincidence?
Ling Qingxiao, who had been indifferent until now, suddenly grew serious upon hearing the words "Zhuxian." He immediately sent a strand of his divine sense to observe the stone. After a moment, Luo Han saw his expression darken and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”
“This stone is problematic,” Ling Qingxiao transmitted in a low voice, his tone unusually grave. “We must get our hands on it.”
Luo Han’s heart tensed instantly. For Ling Qingxiao to say something like that, it was clear the situation was extremely serious. Luo Han looked at the stone—it was completely black, with no energy fluctuations whatsoever. It seemed like nothing special except for its dark color.
However, that was precisely the most unusual part. Everything in the world had energy; even an ordinary stone would carry traces of life, yet this one had none. It was as if all energy had been absorbed by it. Combined with the name “Zhuxian,” it sent an unmistakable chill down her spine.
Luo Han’s expression became serious, abandoning any playful thoughts. She whispered to Ling Qingxiao, “But this gambler has already lost everything. He’s treating it as his last hope. It won’t be easy to take it from him without complications.”
Ling Qingxiao had already anticipated this. After observing the stone for a moment, he made up his mind. “We can’t take it in secret. We’ll take it openly.”
“Huh?” Luo Han glanced between the arena and Ling Qingxiao, her eyes wide in surprise. “You plan to win it?”
That was certainly the best and most reasonable way, but...Luo Han never imagined that Ling Qingxiao would be the one to suggest it.
Ling Qingxiao, slightly embarrassed under Luo Han’s gaze, muttered, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
“I understand.” Luo Han gave him a knowing look. “The officials are allowed to start fires, but common folk aren’t allowed to light lamps, right?”
Ling Qingxiao, not particularly good at arguing, especially not with Luo Han, often found himself speechless when she pressed him.
Unable to win the argument, he simply decided to act. “Ye Zinan, Zou Jibai.”
The two, who had just squeezed over, responded, “We’re here. What’s up?”
“You two stay with her and make sure she doesn’t act alone.”
Ye Zinan immediately agreed, then realized, “Where are you going?”
Ling Qingxiao spoke casually, as though discussing the weather, “I’m going to try my luck.”
Ye Zinan and Zou Jibai watched in shock as he stepped onto the arena. Ling Qingxiao still wore half of his mask, and it was clear now that buying the mask had been the right decision. Otherwise, with his looks, it would have been hard for people not to remember him.
Zou Jibai was a bit conflicted inside, unsure how to express his feelings. “He’s actually going to gamble?”
“Surprised, huh?” Luo Han replied, “I was surprised too. But in this world, there’s no such thing as pure luck. This game, though called a gamble, can actually be won through strategy and intelligence. Don’t worry, he’s been studying formations for a thousand years. His skills in card-counting and setting up strategies are second to none.”
Zou Jibai and Ye Zinan weren’t worried about Ling Qingxiao at all. They were used to him being number one at everything. They were just surprised that someone who seemed so perfect, like a model student and gentleman, would know how to gamble.
The three of them stood off to the side, chatting without a care, as they calmly watched the match. Zou Jibai asked, “Should we place a bet?”
Luo Han thought for a moment and shook her head. “No need. We won fifty thousand with just one coin. If we try to take more from the casino, it might not go so smoothly.”
Zou Jibai reluctantly gave up on the shortcut to wealth. As expected, Ling Qingxiao was a master at card counting. Without a single change in expression, he won quietly and effortlessly.
After his win, the crowd around them became excited. Ling Qingxiao was a newcomer with no prior reputation, and his opponent was a famous diviner in the area. Many people had placed their bets on the diviner, but to their shock, the diviner lost.
Many people went bankrupt, while a small number of opportunistic gamblers made large sums of money. Some were ecstatic, while others fumed in anger, and the scene quickly descended into chaos.
The demon race gambler, who had placed his bet on the other side, realized he had lost once again, his eyes bloodshot with frustration.
He muttered to himself, “Impossible, I can’t lose. How could I lose...”
Suddenly, the demon race gambler went into a frenzy, shoving people aside as he tried to snatch back the Demon-Sealing Stone. His behavior caused an uproar, and the wolf demons in the hall immediately took notice. They rushed forward and quickly subdued him.
The Demon-Sealing Stone was left alone on the gambling table as people scrambled to grab money. Luo Han seized the opportunity amid the chaos, slipping the stone into her sleeve, then, without caring about the winnings she had just earned, she quickly made her way out.
The money wasn’t important. It was the mysterious stone that mattered.
The demon didn’t want to give up easily. He summoned his demonic power and began fighting with the wolf demons. The area around them became chaotic, with people pushing and shoving. Luo Han was pushed by someone in the crowd, nearly losing her balance.
Just then, someone grabbed her hand firmly, steadying her. Behind her, the sound of a clashing demonic aura rang out.
Luo Han turned around and saw that a wave of demonic energy had been directed at her. Amid the chaos, Ling Qingxiao stood like a pillar, shielding her from the turmoil.
Ling Qingxiao used his spiritual energy to push back the surrounding people and asked in a low voice, “Are you hurt?”
Luo Han shook her head. “No.”
“Don’t worry.” Ling Qingxiao, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking, gently held her wrist and whispered, “Come with me.”