Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 88 Ghost's Sorrow

Ah Jiu sighed and told him what had happened.

It turns out that the two went to the casino a few days ago, but they had bad luck and lost everything.

In desperation, Xu Chen pawned a family heirloom bracelet to the gambling den, hoping to win back his losses.

As a result, he lost more and more money, and eventually couldn't redeem the bracelet.

"That bracelet was left to him by his mother," Ajiu said in a low voice. "If his father finds out, he'll break his legs. I wanted to help him raise money to redeem it, but I don't have much money left..."

Xu Chen slumped dejectedly onto the table, burying his face in his arms, his voice muffled: "It's all my fault, I had to keep trying to win back my losses..."

As Jiang Xun listened, his eyes suddenly lit up.

casino?

Hey, back when he was a street urchin, he spent a lot of time in casinos.

He knows the ins and outs of dice rolling and dominoes playing like a pro.

He could count all the shady dealings in the gambling den with his eyes closed—nine out of ten gambling dens were rigged, and inexperienced people like Ajiu and Xu Chen would just be throwing money away if they went in.

Besides, with unfamiliar faces like them, who else would the casino rip off if not them?

Jiang Xun touched the silver in his pocket and considered it in his mind—it wouldn't be a bad idea to help them redeem the bracelet first.

"How much do you owe?"

"One thousand taels."

"Pfft—" Jiang Xun spat out a mouthful of wine, choking and coughing. "A thousand taels? That much?"

This money is enough for him to buy two large houses in Qiantang!

Are these two going to the casino or are they going to give away money?

Xu Chen hung his head, his voice muffled as if coming from a jar: "It's all my fault, I got too carried away..."

Jiang Xun glanced at him, then at Ajiu.

That guy also looked gloomy, like a wilted eggplant.

Jiang Xun sighed inwardly, put his wine glass on the table, and stood up.

"Take me there, I'll help you win it back."

"You can gamble?" Xu Chen looked up at him, half believing and half doubting.

"Of course!" Jiang Xun patted his chest, boasting without batting an eye. "Back in Jiangzhou, I won against all the major casinos by myself. People called me 'the devil's nightmare.' Those bookmakers would run away as soon as they saw me, like they'd seen a plague god."

Ajiu and Xu Chen exchanged a glance, and all four of their eyes lit up instantly, as if two lamps had been lit.

"Go! Go quickly!" Ajiu grabbed Jiang Xun and wanted to fly there immediately.

The three of them left the tavern and walked east along the riverbank.

It was completely dark. Several painted boats floated on the river, their lantern lights swaying in the water like smudges of rouge.

The willows on the bank rustled in the wind, and every now and then a few leaves would drift down and land on my shoulder.

Jiang Xun walked in front, followed by A Jiu and Xu Chen.

He turned his head and glanced at Xu Chen.

Although the young man looked worried, the way he walked and the tone of his voice exuded the air of a noble scion of a prominent family.

Unlike Ajiu's nouveau riche extravagance, Xu Chen's refined taste is ingrained in his bones, and every move he makes is measured.

He slowed his pace, waiting for Ah Jiu to come closer, and asked in a low voice, "Who is this friend of yours?"

Ah Jiu scratched his head: "I'm not too sure either. I ran into him at the casino a while ago. A few people were giving him trouble, and I helped him chase them away. We've been playing together ever since."

He thought for a moment, then added, "He's probably a rich kid, his family is quite wealthy, but he didn't say what he does specifically, and I didn't ask."

Jiang Xun nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Ah Jiu is a carefree person. She makes friends based on compatibility, not social status.

This is quite different from the way he made his way in the streets.

When he looks at someone, the first thing he does is check if the person is in danger.

Xu Chen doesn't seem dangerous.

The three of them turned two corners and arrived at the entrance of a bustling alley.

The alley was brightly lit and bustling with people, with a strange smell in the air—a mixture of alcohol, cosmetics, and the stench of money.

Several gambling dens hung their signs above their doors, and the bright red lanterns cast an ambiguous glow over the entire alley.

"Yunlai Casino" is located at the very back, with the largest storefront and the most impressive decor.

Two burly men stood at the entrance, their shirts open, revealing their strong chests; they were clearly thugs guarding the place.

As soon as the three of them reached the door, a lean, middle-aged man came to greet them.

The man was dressed in a dark purple silk robe, with a smile plastered on his face, but his eyes darted around like a mouse.

"Oh my, Young Master Xu, Young Master Ajiu, you two have finally arrived! It's been several days since we last met; I thought you'd forgotten all about us!"

Ajiu and Xu Chen exchanged a glance, both feeling a little awkward.

The man was polite in his words, but his eyes clearly showed that he saw two fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered.

Jiang Xun followed behind, discreetly surveying his surroundings.

The gambling den was bigger inside than it appeared from the outside.

There were more than a dozen tables in the hall, with people playing dominoes, dice, mahjong, and all sorts of other people gathered around them, some beaming with excitement, others looking ashen-faced.

The smoke was thick and choking, making people want to cough.

His gaze swept across the hall and suddenly stopped.

In the corner, at a dominoes table, sat a young man. In his early twenties, dressed in fine clothes, with a handsome face, he was chatting and laughing with a heavily made-up woman.

Dugu Hong.

Jiang Xun frowned.

How did this person end up traveling from Qiantang to Jiangning Prefecture?

The vengeful spirit is truly restless.

Ah Jiu saw him too, recognized him as the guy who had beaten him in Wuling City, and his face immediately darkened. He muttered under his breath, "What's this guy doing here?"

Xu Chen followed his gaze and frowned. "I've seen this person before. He's creepy and I don't like him."

Jiang Xun glanced at Xu Chen: "You know him too?"

"I've been a guest at your home before," Xu Chen said casually, seemingly unwilling to elaborate. "We met once, but didn't exchange more than a few words."

Jiang Xun's heart stirred.

Have you ever been a guest at my home?

The Dugu family is a prominent family in the capital. Those who can invite the Dugu family to their home must be either rich or noble.

Xu Chen seems to have quite a background.

Xu Chen seemed unwilling to meet Dugu Hong, and pulled Ajiu to the other side: "Let's go to the side hall, it's quieter there."

The side hall was located to the east of the gambling den, separated by a screen. It was quieter and less crowded than the main hall.

Several tables were empty, except for an old man sitting in the corner slowly playing dominoes.

Ah Jiu found a dice table, sat down, and said angrily, "This time I'm going to win back everything, plus interest!"

Jiang Xun sat down next to him, glanced at the dice cup on the table, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He knows this thing too well.

Back when he was just drifting through life in Jiangzhou, he spent a lot of time in casinos.

He could count all the tricks of dice rolling and cheating with his eyes closed.

Now, with the Buzhou Tian Yin Jue, his hearing is many times stronger than before. He can hear clearly how many times the dice spin in the cup and what number they land on.

"I'll go first." Jiang Xun took out a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it on the table.

The dealer was a woman in her early twenties. She was skilled with her hands, spinning the dice cup a few times before slamming it down on the table.

Jiang Xun closed his eyes, and his ears twitched slightly.

Three sixes and one five.

"Big." He pushed the silver into the "big" position.

The dealer uncovered the dice cup—three sixes, one five, big.

Ajiu and Xu Chen's eyes lit up immediately.

Jiang Xun won the second round.

We won the third round too.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth... seven or eight rounds in a row, and he won every single one.

The pile of silver on the table grew higher and higher, and the smiles on Ajiu and Xu Chen's faces became brighter and brighter. The gamblers around them also came over to place bets, and for a moment the atmosphere was as lively as the New Year.

"Haha! We won! We won!" Ah Jiu slapped the table, beaming with joy.

"Again! Again!" Xu Chen's face turned red with excitement, and his previous gloomy expression had completely disappeared.

Jiang Xun also became smug, leaning back in his chair, crossing his legs, and acting like a gambling god had arrived.

If we win one more round, we can redeem Xu Chen's bracelet.