Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 510 - Teng Clan’s Casino

Liu Wuxie and Chen Ruoyan sat down on a dice table that still had a few empty seats left. They were playing against seven other gamblers, with the oldest being in his fifties or sixties and the youngest only in their twenties.

Liu Wuxie glanced around. The gamblers’ expressions made it evident that five of them had lost to the other two.

The dealer was an average-looking woman in her thirties with a few pockmarks on her lifeless face. Glaring at Liu Wuxie by the corners of her eyes, she picked up a cup and put three dice in it.

Along with a blur of movements, she made the three dice clatter loudly inside the cup.

Liu Wuxie didn't place a bet on this round because he had arrived a little late. He planned to start the bet after this game.

With huge stacks of chips in front of them, the gamblers closed their eyes and listened to the dice in the cup to determine their numbers.

After shaking the cup for ten breaths, the woman slammed it on the table.

"Big or small?" she asked coldly.

"Small!"

"Big!"

"Big!"

"Small!"

"Big!"

"Small!"

"Small!"

Four people bet on small, and three bet on big. The oldest gambler bet ten thousand spirit stones, which meant he would get ten thousand spirit stones from the dealer if he won. Otherwise, the dealer would take his bet.

Once everyone had placed their bets, the woman shouted, "You can’t change your decision once you’ve placed your bets!”

She then waited for everyone's hands to clear the table.

"Open it already!" the seven gamblers yelled.

The woman lifted the cup with her right hand, revealing three dice on the table.

"Four, five, six, big!"

The dealer collected the chips from the four who bet on small and paid the three who bet on big. The dealer didn't win much this round.

The oldest smiled, having just won this round. Meanwhile, the expressions of those who had lost turned sour.

"So damn unlucky!" a youth yelled, then slammed his hand on the table. He seemed to have lost quite a lot.

The woman picked up the dice cup, and the three dice vanished. A flurry of movements followed before the cup was slammed on the table again.

"Big or small!" the dealer exclaimed, repeating the same line she had said every round.

Liu Wuxie tried to use his divine sense to discern the numbers inside the cup. However, the cup was made of special materials covered in spiritual runes, making it impossible for divine senses to penetrate. Hence, everyone was forced to rely on their ears.

However, what truly intrigued him was the fact that the dice were infused with a unique material that allowed the dealer to control their trajectory. This meant the woman could get whatever number she wanted.

Liu Wuxie took out a thousand spirit stones. It wasn’t much, but he had limited his cultivation to the first level of the True Core Realm. He would be thrown out if he bet a million spirit stones out of nowhere.

"One thousand spirit stones on small!” he exclaimed.

This time, four people bet a total of ten thousand spirit stones on big, while the other four bet a total of four thousand on small. If the dice rolled small numbers, then the dealer would take the ten thousand and pay those who had bet on small. She would make a considerable profit of six thousand spirit stones.

"You can’t change your decision once you’ve placed your bets!” the woman instructed. She then lifted the cup.

"One, two, three, six points, small!"

Those who bet on big grew frustrated, especially the old man who had just won ten thousand spirit stones earlier. He lost five thousand this round.

The woman paid Liu Wuxie one thousand spirit stones. He added it to his pile instead of putting it away.

The dealer demonstrated impressive skills when shaking the dice. However, it would lose appeal after some time.

Liu Wuxie's mind wasn't on the table, though. After all, he had long since spread his divine sense throughout the casino.

"Big or small!" the woman shouted, bringing Liu Wuxie back to the table.

"Small!"

Liu Wuxie pushed two thousand spirit stones forward, leaving the dealer stunned. She had never seen someone gamble like this before.

However, upon estimating Liu Wuxie’s age, she quickly relaxed. She had seen many young people place bigger bets just because they had won a couple of rounds.

This time, five people bet on big, and three bet on small.

"Two, two, three, seven points, small!"

Liu Wuxie had won two rounds in a row.

As the third round started, the dealer told them the same things and made the same movements.

Liu Wuxie pushed all four thousand spirit stones onto the table. "Small!"

Failing to keep her composure, the dealer turned to Liu Wuxie for the first time. Winning three times in a row on the same bet wasn't unheard of, but it was strange that it was happening to a newcomer.

Most gamblers were on the Teng Clan's registry. Hence, when Liu Wuxie came in, someone immediately searched for his file. However, they soon discovered that they had no information on him.

Considering those in the True Core Realm couldn't fly, everyone wondered if Liu Wuxie had entered the Azure Mountain City through an aerial profound beast.

"Hurry up!" the gamblers urged, the woman’s hesitation making them anxious.

The moment she lifted the cup, all seven gamblers turned to Liu Wuxie.

"One, one, two, four points, small!"

Including the four thousand spirit stones from this round, Liu Wuxie had won a total of seven thousand spirit stones in just three rounds. He had won so many times that it was terrifying.

The dice flew into the cup. The woman shook it for twenty breaths before slamming it down.

"Big or small!"

She no longer sounded as calm as before. Liu Wuxie seemed to have rattled her.

"Small!" Liu Wuxie repeated as he pushed all eight thousand spirit stones toward the dealer.

The other gamblers exchanged looks. Soon after, they all placed their bets on small.

A bead of sweat rolled down the dealer's forehead. Her right index finger twitched from anxiety.

With her taking her time, the gamblers began to feel impatient.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and lift it!" one of them demanded.

Slowly, she picked up the cup, revealing the three dice.

"One, two, three, six points, small!"

The youngest among them leaped into the air. Following Liu Wuxie’s lead, he had bet five thousand spirit stones on this round.

Meanwhile, the others looked disappointed. They had placed a smaller bet because they weren't confident.

Having doubled his stakes multiple times in a matter of minutes, Liu Wuxie now had sixteen thousand spirit stones. Considering how easy it had been, he began to see why so many people became addicted to gambling.

A chilling air swept out from the woman as she removed her jacket, revealing undergarments. Despite her plain looks, she had an impressive figure that made all the gamblers ogle her.

However, Liu Wuxie remained expressionless. He had only ever spoken one word since he sat down, while Chen Ruoyan just sat in complete silence nearby.

The dice flew into the cup once more like three meteors, clattering like pearls falling into a dish. This time, the shaking lasted for a full thirty breaths before the cup was slammed on the table.

"Big or small!" she said lowly with a hint of murderous intent.

Instead of placing their bets, the seven gamblers turned to Liu Wuxie and waited for him to decide.

Just like the previous rounds, Liu Wuxie went all-in with sixteen thousand spirit stones. "Small!"

The others followed his lead and bet everything they had. The old man even bet twenty thousand spirit stones, not wanting to miss this opportunity.

The dealer smiled as she watched them. Her ring finger twitched slightly, which made Liu Wuxie smile as well. Although that subtle movement could deceive everyone, it did not work on him.

"Stop wasting our time!" the gamblers complained. Having bet all their spirit stones, they couldn’t help but grow impatient.

With the commotion attracting nearby gamblers, dozens of people ended up gathering around them. It was rare for someone to win four rounds in a row.

"One, two, three, six points small!"

The young man jumped up again. With this win, he recovered all his previous losses.

The dealer staggered back as her eyes widened. She was confident that she had changed the dice to four, five, and six at the last moment, so why did they turn back to one, two, and three?

The woman looked at Liu Wuxie as though she had seen a ghost. A hint of murderous intent flickered in her eyes.

Liu Wuxie mockingly smiled at the dealer. "Can’t the Teng Clan take a loss?"

"Hurry up and pay! I have lost hundreds of thousands of spirit stones in the Teng Clan's casino! I'm finally getting some of it back!!" the young man impatiently exclaimed.

At that moment, a man in his forties walked out from a dark corner and stood behind the dealer. "Please stay calm. The Teng Clan has opened a casino prepared to lose money. Pay them!"

Now, Liu Wuxie had 32,000 spirit stones.

Recognizing the man, someone from the crowd shouted, “Leopard Hand, Pei Kun!”

According to rumors, Pei Kun could already identify sounds at the age of three, and he had won every gamble on the street at five. At the age of ten, he was adopted by the Teng Clan, where he was trained in the art of gambling.

Relying on his extraordinary gambling skills, Pei Kun made a fortune for the Teng Clan in just a few years. Now, he had this casino under his protection. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have stepped in. However, the presence of an expert changed things.

Pei Kun's gambling skills had reached a high level, especially when shaking dice. He could get whatever number he wanted, earning him the nickname “Leopard Hand.”

In a game of dice, if the dealer rolled a three-of-a-kind, the dealer would win both small and big bets. Even if a gambler had guessed the correct number, the dealer would still win all the chips.

Pei Kun's appearance caused a stir, making even more people gather to watch.

Taking a step forward, he switched places with the dealer.

"You must be new here, Young Friend. I don’t remember you,” he then said.

Liu Wuxie’s lips curved into a devilish smile. "Does the Teng Clan's casino like to pry into people's background?"

The man before him had such flawless hands that they looked even more delicate than a woman's.

"You have quite the luck. Why don't we have a private match?" Pei Kun had no interest in Liu Wuxie's background. Considering the Azure Mountain City had no cultivator in the Astral River Realm, the Teng Clan had nothing to be afraid of.

No cultivator in the Astral River Realm would come to such a desolate place.