Chapter 9

Last month, the three brothers Lu Zhong were on duty in the second half of the night, but this month they are on duty during the day. In the evening, Zhao Siyan also brought wine, and they drank for more than an hour before finishing. Lu Cheng finished eating early, but with Lu Zhong at home, he couldn't practice, so he could only meditate.

"Cheng, your adoptive father has had too much to drink. Take him back to the village," Lu Zhong said, pushing open the door. Just as Lu Cheng was lying on the bed, boredly staring at the ceiling, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. If he were a martial artist, he would probably be meditating and practicing at this time.

"Yes," Lu Cheng replied, but as soon as he helped Xie Naxin out the door, Xie Naxin stopped. At that moment, his eyes were bright and alert, showing no signs of drunkenness.

"Adoptive father, you're not drunk?" Lu Cheng was surprised. He had never thought that adults would lie to each other.

"Cheng, you go back first," Xie Naxin said with a smile, looking at the sign of the Si Fang gambling den ahead. He had felt embarrassed when Lu Zhong and Zhao Siyan mentioned how often he came to Lu Cheng's place for free meals and drinks. He couldn't bear the shame, so he pretended to be drunk. But as soon as he came out and saw the Si Fang gambling den, he forgot everything.

"Adoptive father, Father asked me to take you back. I won't go back until you're home," Lu Cheng said stubbornly.

"Alright, I'll take you to see the most wonderful thing in the world," Xie Naxin said with a smile. He and Zhao Siyan had never married. Zhao Siyan liked to go to the Flower Full Tower, spending most of his money there. Xie Naxin's interest was in the Si Fang gambling den. Although he lost more often than he won, compared to Zhao Siyan, he at least had a chance to win back some money.

The Si Fang gambling den was very lively. When they lifted the curtain and walked in, it was crowded with people. There were several large tables, each surrounded by people. Xie Naxin led Lu Cheng to one of the tables. As soon as they got to the table, Xie Naxin seemed to transform, becoming energetic. Lu Cheng watched from the side, feeling excited and a bit at a loss.

Lu Cheng quickly understood the rules. It was actually very simple—just betting on the total of three dice. If the total was between four and ten, it was "small." If it was between eleven and seventeen, it was "big." If all three dice showed the same number, it was a "leopard," and the house would win.

Although the rules were simple, the players were very enthusiastic. Xie Naxin had initially told Lu Cheng not to run around, but once he got to the table, he completely forgot about it. He took out all the copper coins he had and started betting. It was already the end of the month, and Xie Naxin had already lost most of his money. These copper coins were his last.

As he took them out, one coin fell and rolled to Lu Cheng's feet. Lu Cheng grabbed it, intending to give it to Xie Naxin.

"Buy yourself something to eat," Xie Naxin said with a smile. Since the money had come to Lu Cheng, it should be his. As a gambler, he believed in these rules.

"Thank you, adoptive father," Lu Cheng said happily. Although he often went to buy wine, he had never had his own pocket money.

Lu Cheng didn't bet, just watched from the side. He hoped Xie Naxin would win more money, but unfortunately, Xie Naxin's luck was particularly bad. He quickly lost all his copper coins.

"Cheng..." After losing everything, Xie Naxin searched his pockets but found no more coins. He suddenly saw that Lu Cheng still had a copper coin. To a gambler, even one copper coin meant infinite hope.

"Adoptive father, this is mine now," Lu Cheng said, pulling his hand back, feeling reluctant to give up the money he had just received.

"Consider it a loan from your adoptive father. I'll pay you back when I get my monthly allowance," Xie Naxin said, his eyes red from losing.

"Xie Guard, can one copper coin turn the tide? I think you should go back and sleep," the dealer, a middle-aged man, said sarcastically, seeing Xie Naxin trying to borrow money from Lu Cheng.

"Adoptive father, let me bet for you," Lu Cheng said suddenly, seeing Xie Naxin's grim expression. Xie Naxin lost most of his monthly allowance in the gambling den and rarely won. But for Lu Cheng, it wasn't difficult. He had accidentally released a thread of his sensing ability and could clearly "see" the numbers on the dice inside the cup.

"Alright, you bet," Xie Naxin said. As long as there was gambling, it didn't matter who placed the bets. He enjoyed the moment when the cup was lifted after the bets were placed.

"I bet on small," Lu Cheng said, placing the copper coin on the "small" side after the cup stopped.

"Cheng, I think we should bet on big. It's been small three times in a row," Xie Naxin reminded him. Although there was no real probability, he felt that the chances of it being small again were low.

But Lu Cheng was unmoved. Xie Naxin relied on his intuition, while Lu Cheng relied on his sensing ability. Xie Naxin's intuition often failed, but Lu Cheng's sensing ability had never let him down. When the cup was opened, as expected, it was 2, 3, 3, totaling 8, which was small.

"Cheng, you're truly my lucky charm," Xie Naxin said happily. Although he only won one copper coin, it felt different. He had lost several times in a row and was down to his last coins, but Lu Cheng's bet immediately won. He felt his luck was turning.

Lu Cheng then placed six consecutive winning bets, from two copper coins to four, four to eight, eight to sixteen, sixteen to thirty-two, and thirty-two to sixty-four. Winning six times in a row was very rare, even for someone who had gambled for decades. Not only Xie Naxin, but even Lu Cheng noticed that everyone at the table was looking at him. People from other tables also started to gather around.

"Cheng, hurry up and bet," Xie Naxin said, not noticing the attention, just urging Lu Cheng to place more bets.

"Bet on big," Lu Cheng said, placing a handful of copper coins on the "big" side. Seeing Lu Cheng bet, the others also placed their money on the "big" side, leaving the "small" side with no coins.

The dealer was a bit nervous. He had been in the gambling den for decades, but this one-sided situation was a first. He glared at Lu Cheng, thinking that if the boy's luck continued, the gambling den would lose a lot of money.

"Open it!"

"Open it quickly!"

Under the urging of the crowd, the dealer reluctantly opened the cup. As soon as he lifted the cover, the crowd gasped. He looked inside and saw 1, 2, 4, totaling 7, which was small. After a moment, he realized that 7, like a leopard, also meant the house won!

The crowd, who had initially seen Lu Cheng as a lucky charm, now saw him as just another gambler. Lu Cheng knew he had angered the crowd. But he couldn't be blamed; as a servant, he didn't want to stand out. Xie Naxin often pretended to be drunk at home, and it was easy for Lu Cheng to pretend to lose. In the end, he deliberately lost some and won some, eventually winning back over a hundred copper coins for Xie Naxin.

"Cheng, thank you. This is for you," Xie Naxin said, grabbing a handful of copper coins and putting them in Lu Cheng's arms. He was supposed to lose everything, but winning a few dozen copper coins was a pleasant surprise.

"Thank you, adoptive father," Lu Cheng said, feeling that a handful of copper coins was a significant amount. Since it was from his adoptive father, he naturally accepted it with a smile. He had long wanted to buy some meat. Although wild rabbit and mountain pheasant were edible, pork, mutton, and beef tasted much better. During festivals, servants could eat meat, which tasted far better than the wild rabbit stew he made.

However, the next day, when Lu Cheng went to the meat stall, he found that his money wasn't enough to buy even a pound of meat. A pound of pork cost twenty coins, and he only had fifteen. Given his and Lu Zhong's appetites, they could easily eat two or three pounds in one meal. If Xie Naxin and Zhao Siyan were included, eating three to five pounds in one meal was quite normal.