Сhарtеr 222: Gаmbling Den 4
Seеing this sсеnе, Zhu Yаn and the othеrs immеdiatelу thought of thе rumоrs аbоut thе Нalf-Faсed Ghost. This time it was an аrm—whаt would bе waiting fоr thеm nехt?
Without оvеrthinking it, Zhu Yаn swаllоwed hаrd; she seemеd tо alrеady smell thе scent оf death.
Sееing thе thrее оf thеm stunned, Ji Dafu’s ехprеssiоn immеdiatеly shiftеd bаck to аmiаbility. Нe smiled broаdly as he lооkеd at thе three and sаid, “Рlеasе ехсusе thе disturbanсе, gentlеmen. It’s just sоme pеoрlе with nо sensе оf judgmеnt. Рlease, сome inside.”
Zhu Yan’s lips twitсhed, but Shen Du and Рan Chi bоth remаinеd remаrkably calm.
Zhu Yan was deliberately feigning panic. Her identity in the gambling den was that of a foolish young master from a wealthy family, so she decided to play the fool to the end. Faced with such a sudden situation, she could only respond with an expression of extreme foolishness and terror.
“You scared me just now. What happened to that person? His arm fell off,” Zhu Yan said stupidly.
But Ji Dafu brushed it off reassuringly, “It’s nothing, nothing. His arm was just too brittle, couldn’t take a hit. Let’s go inside and talk.”
“Oh…” Zhu Yan nodded with a naive, trusting air, as if she fully believed Ji Dafu’s words.
Seeing this, Shen Du couldn’t help but admire Zhu Yan’s acting skills. She had seen all kinds of situations, yet she still pretended to believe such an excuse—it really was a challenge for her.
When they arrived at the main hall in the back, servants were first called to serve tea. After some polite conversation, Ji Dafu began to hint, “You gentlemen must be from out of town, I presume? Winning so much money here and then wanting to leave—I’m afraid that’s a bit against the rules.”
“That money was won by us, not stolen. How is it against the rules?” Zhu Yan said foolishly, while Pan Chi beside her nearly burst out laughing.
Shen Du remained silent, also suppressing his inner amusement, waiting to see how things would unfold.
This woman really had a knack for playing the fool.
“You are Master Wan Er, right?” Ji Dafu stood up, looking at Zhu Yan with great courtesy. “From the moment you entered the gambling den until now, you’ve been the one with the most say. I suppose these two are just your servants?”
“No, they’re my brothers,” Zhu Yan said naively. “My father said to treat servants as well as brothers, so they’ll work for me wholeheartedly.”
Hearing this, Ji Dafu was almost amused to anger. This really was a foolish young master with a few screws loose.
“In that case, I won’t waste any more words with you. You’ve won so much money from me at the gambling table. Now I’m only giving you two choices: either gamble with me and obediently lose the money back, or leave the money and a part of your body behind. The choice is yours.”
The two men said nothing, but Zhu Yan blinked foolishly.
“That’s two hundred thousand taels of silver. I don’t want to gamble big now. If we gamble small, how long would it take to lose it all?”
“What do you mean by that?” Ji Dafu’s expression turned displeased, and he glared fiercely at Zhu Yan. How could a fool have moments of shrewdness?
“My meaning is simple. The money I won is mine. You want me to lose two hundred thousand or leave a part of my body behind—that’s really a difficult choice. How am I supposed to decide?”
“If you can’t choose, then I’ll choose for you.”
Ji Dafu’s face darkened as he glared fiercely at the three people before him."Since you're unwilling to gamble, we'll use the second method. Leave the money directly, and also leave behind a part of your body. Men, take their eyes, so they can never find the place to seek revenge in the future."
Upon receiving the order, the thugs nearby prepared to step forward and seize Zhu Yan. Shen Du immediately stepped in front, blocking her.
The aura emanating from him was even more terrifying than the arrival of the King of Hell, instantly startling the thugs.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan's heart sank. If things continued like this, wouldn't they be exposed?
Quickly thinking of a countermeasure, Zhu Yan hurriedly pulled Shen Du back to the side and stepped forward, saying, "Alright, alright, isn't it just choosing one? Why ruin the harmony?"
"My father said, to make friends far and wide, harmony should be valued." As she spoke, Zhu Yan approached Ji Dafu. "Let's coexist peacefully. You take a step back, and I'll take a step back."
"Oh?" Ji Dafu frowned, somewhat curious. "I wonder which path Second Master Wan has chosen?"
"I choose neither of the two paths you offered. I want both the money and my body intact."
"Pfft..." Pan Chi behind her nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Zhu Yan's words were even more audacious than Shen Du's, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for her.
Ji Dafu's face immediately turned ashen. This fool actually dared to deceive him—she must be tired of living.
Just as he was about to erupt, Pan Chi quickly stood up, looking astonished, and pulled Zhu Yan behind him. "You... you're Brother Ji?"
Ji Dafu, who had been ready to kill, paused at these words. "Who are you? What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Oh, my goodness, it really is Brother Ji! I didn't dare recognize you earlier." Pan Chi switched to fluent Northeastern dialect. "It's me! Have you forgotten? A few years ago, we were on a boat together in Jiangnan when we encountered a storm. I saved your life!"
...
Zhu Yan and Shen Du were both stunned. What was Pan Chi doing, suddenly claiming kinship here?
Pan Chi's heart was also racing. This wasn't his real story but something he had uncovered while investigating a case. He had specifically found out that the person involved was from the Northeast, and today's disguise also had a strong Northeastern style, all to prepare for unexpected situations.
Upon hearing Pan Chi's words, Ji Dafu was momentarily taken aback. There had indeed been a storm and a capsized boat incident, but was the person before him really his lifesaver?
Staring intently at Pan Chi's face, he tried hard to recall the capsizing incident. At the time, it was too dark, and the situation had been sudden, so he hadn't clearly remembered the person's appearance. However, the build seemed similar, and the accent was the same.
"What's your name?" Ji Dafu was starting to believe him.
"Liu Qingming," Pan Chi quickly replied, gesturing with his hands and feet. "Do you remember? How dangerous it was back then? If I hadn't pulled you, you would have been swept away by the waves."
Ji Dafu fell silent. Although he wasn't entirely sure whether this person was his lifesaver from back then, the details he described didn't differ much from what had happened. Moreover, the build and accent were identical. Could such a coincidence really exist in the world?Seeing that Ji Dafu still had doubts, Pan Chi continued, "Ah, Brother Ji, you haven't really forgotten me, have you? I once saved your life, you know."
"Of course not, of course not. How could I ever forget a life-saving favor?" Ji Dafu was also a bit confused. He didn't know how to refuse Pan Chi's words, so he could only go along with them. "Since we're all family, it's just a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Once it's cleared up, everything will be fine."
Seeing that Ji Dafu had accepted Pan Chi's identity, Zhu Yan quickly chimed in, "So it's our own brother! Really, look at how we made things so tense, almost coming to blows."
"It's all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding," Ji Dafu said, full of remorse. Then he looked at Pan Chi and asked, "Ah, I remember you were a Jinshi back then, quite accomplished. How did you end up gambling here now?"
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