Chapter 73

The alert guards quietly ran over to tightly shut the cave entrance again, and the cave became lively once more. On the other side, three or five groups were gathered in different spots, shouting and cheering, but Zhou Lu's table was the liveliest. Zhou Lu, excited by the gambling, had almost lost himself, and he quickly blended into the atmosphere. Soon, he rolled up his sleeves, and after a while, feeling the heat, he stripped off his shirt and fought bare-chested.

At the gambling table, everyone's eyes were red with excitement, and no one cared whether you were a new bandit or a captain. Some who won clapped Zhou Lu on the shoulder in joy, while others who lost cursed under their breath, but Zhou Lu didn't mind at all.

Gradually, more and more people gathered around Zhou Lu. After all, these old bandits were all gambling fiends, extremely skilled in this field. With a new person, they couldn't have a good time unless they won a bit from him.

However, a few seasoned and cautious individuals quietly gathered at the periphery, frowning and discussing in low voices.

They noticed that their brothers were about to target this fat man and were secretly worried: those gambling fiends might end up winning everything from the fat man, including his pants. If the fat man lost and became furious, he might talk recklessly, which would be bad.

After all, this was their first encounter with the captain, and no one knew what kind of temper the fat man had.

One of them asked in a low voice, "Brother Dao, should I go up and deliberately lose a bit to the fat man?"

The others nodded slowly, and Brother Dao, frowning, instructed in a low voice, "Wait a bit longer. When the fat man is halfway through losing, you go up immediately. Remember, you must grasp the right moment and don't let the fat man see that we are deliberately letting him win."

"Alright."

After they had made their plans, they focused intently on the gambling table in front of Zhou Lu, ready to intervene when the fat man's face changed.

However, after a while, these seasoned and cautious individuals were all stunned. They stared at the fat man in amazement, completely dispelling their earlier thoughts.

In the gambling, the fat man's dazzling techniques left them spellbound. Whether it was rolling the dice, shuffling the tiles, or shaking the dice cup, the fat man was extremely proficient, his skills so seasoned that even these gambling fiends couldn't help but admire him.

The fat man was extremely skilled in all kinds of gambling, and it was unclear whether it was due to his experience, dexterity, or just good luck. Soon, a pile of money gathered in front of the fat man, while those surrounding him were sweating coldly, howling to continue the battle.

The seasoned and cautious individuals all smiled bitterly.

Should they still let the fat man win? Damn, be careful not to lose your pants to him. This isn't a novice; this is clearly a gambling fiend even more addicted than they are.

The guards all sighed in relief, putting their minds at ease, and excitedly joined the game, finally able to play to their heart's content without any worries.

Zhou Lu was so excited that he almost forgot the main reason he was there to gather information.

In the clan, Zhou Lu often secretly found people to gamble with, hiding from his grandfather. From a young age, he had a natural talent for gambling, and he could play every kind of game with great enthusiasm.

His reputation as a little rascal wasn't for nothing.

However, his grandfather had always been strict with him, making him spend almost all his time on cultivation. He had never been able to play as freely and thoroughly as he did today.

So engrossed in the game, he didn't know how much time had passed. At the gambling table, Zhou Lu flipped his hand and casually threw the cards on the table, shouting excitedly, "Ha-ha, a full house, all out."

The others at the table, seeing their money being scooped up by the fat man, all looked不服气 (unconvinced) and cursed under their breath.

Zhou Lu, grinning, gathered all the money he had won into his satchel, then suddenly remembered something and his face changed. He asked in surprise, "What time is it now?"

"It's the fifth watch."

A guard replied.

"God!" Zhou Lu exclaimed, shaking his head, "No more, no more."

"No more?"

The guards all protested, "You want to run after winning? No way, you can't stop now."

"Right, it's still early, let's play a few more rounds."

Zhou Lu's face was uneasy, "Play more? Second Chief said I should report to her today. If I play any longer, I might be late. By the way, who will go with me? I don't know the way."

"Second Chief?"

At the mention of the Second Chief, the guards' faces all showed a strange expression. It was better not to mention this; once they did, everyone was filled with jealousy.

This fat man, who had nibbled on that delicate and plump Second Chief?

That fierce and beautiful Second Chief, so tender, one bite must have been soul-stirring. Although the guards had become friendly with the fat man and no longer excluded him, they didn't take him seriously at all. This clumsy fat man, where was the dignity of a captain?

The guard with a tattoo on his neck laughed teasingly, pulling a chair and sitting in front of Zhou Lu, "Captain, the Second Chief injured her leg. She won't have time to see you tomorrow."

This guard was the one who had led Zhou Lu into the mountains during the day.

Zhou Lu was anxious, scratching his head, "The Second Chief won't see me? That can't be."

The guards all sneered. Do you think you're someone special? Just because you kissed the Second Chief once, she'll secretly fall for you?

The guard with the tattoo on his neck shook his head disdainfully and said coolly, "The Second Chief lost face in her own stronghold. With her proud and haughty nature, I guess she won't see anyone for a few days."

Beside him, someone laughed, "That's right, now we can relax for a few days."

"Is that so..."

Zhou Lu felt a sudden sense of loss.

Zhou Lu admitted that since he had kissed that female chief, a strange fire had been burning in his heart, and he had a vague desire to see her again. However, Zhou Lu knew that this was just the result of his lower instincts.

Zhou Lu had no good feelings for that fierce female bandit leader. Whether she lived or died, he didn't care at all. His main goal now was to quickly find out the location of the Blackbeard Mountain mine, determine its position, and then find an opportunity to escape. Once his mission was completed, he could return to the Heavenly Demon Clan and live a normal life.

"If I can't see the Second Chief, I can try to gather information about the mine from these guards, but I don't know if they know its location."

Zhou Lu thought to himself.

The guard with the tattoo on his neck, seeing Zhou Lu's disappointed look, sneered even more.

He had seen with his own eyes how the fat man had hugged the Second Chief in the valley and kissed her passionately.

Although the fat man seemed like a decent person, did he dare to secretly love the Second Chief? Was he playing with fire? He could painfully foresee how this fat man would die a miserable death in the future.