Chapter 97

The gambling den, in one's imagination, should be an extremely luxurious and comfortable place. One would envision a grand hall lavishly decorated, filled with warmth and joy, the aroma of fine wine mingling with the scent of high-quality powder, the sound of silver coins clinking, creating a clear and pleasant melody, the air soft and fragrant, the hall brimming with gold and jade, with young women in black silk gowns weaving through the crowd, laughter and joy abounding, a scene of endless beauty...

But it was not so here!

The gambling den was filled with the pungent smell of low-quality tobacco, the headache-inducing scent of camphor, the rancid aroma of osmanthus hair oil, and the mixed scents of women's powder and men's sweat... Everyone's head was glistening with red, oily sweat! The place was not large on the outside, but inside it was surprisingly vast, with four tables for pai gow, four for dice, three for odd and even, and others for leaf cards, mahjong, paper cards, dominoes, liubo, yanjian, and fentan... Outside, a crowd surrounded a jar hanging from the beam, holding mountain tickets in their hands. The people here were of the most complex character, and their shouts were the loudest. Some had radiant faces, some were dejected, some were calm, and some were trembling with tension.

As soon as Sun Wukong entered, he fixed his gaze on the inner room, where a thick curtain hung, and several men in black with red sashes stood at the door. Behind the curtain was an elegant flower hall, where only a few guests were being served by over a dozen young women—his eyes flicked, and he asked, "Is the person you're taking me to see in there?"

"Uh, no!" Yangji had an extremely awkward expression and pointed to the side, "Although he has won a lot, he has lost it all, so..." Following the direction, it pointed to a corner of the gambling den, where there wasn't even a proper gambling table, just an ordinary table. The game being played was a simple big or small, and the group of people looked very ordinary, but their shouts were much more vigorous than others!

As the dice cup was about to be opened, a group of people were shouting at the top of their lungs:

"Big, big, big..." "Small, small, small..."

When the dice cup was opened, chaos ensued, with curses, loud calls, wild laughter, and self-pity, all mixed together...

Among them was a short, thin man with a shiny, oily head, wearing extremely tattered, loose clothing, waving his hands and cursing with all his might: "I'm such a fool, a first-class fool, unprecedented and unparalleled... I knew eighteen was big, why didn't I bet on small!"

Sun Wukong asked, "Is this Lu Lutong?"

Yangji laughed, "Exactly. He always acts like this when he loses money. Unfortunately, I've never seen him win. Every time I find him, he's cursing himself as a bastard."

Sun Wukong laughed, "Could it be that he knows someone is going to give him money, so he loses on purpose?"

Yangji smiled bitterly, "Brother, I just hope he hasn't borrowed money from anyone and can still talk to us outside, so you can finish asking your questions."

Indeed, Lu Lutong didn't owe anyone money because he had already lost everything and had been watching others gamble for a long time. Although he shouted loudly, it had nothing to do with him.

Now he was sitting stiffly on the blue stone steps by the street, staring at Sun Wukong for a while, then suddenly jumped up and said, "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Exactly," Sun Wukong nodded, "Since you have no money, why do you shout so loudly?"

"You don't understand!" Lu Lutong shook his head and said, "Gambling is all about enjoying the feeling just before the result is revealed, the tension, the excitement, the rush of blood—since I'm enjoying it, it's almost like I'm gambling myself. Why should I care whether I have money or not, whether I've placed a bet or not?"

He chuckled, "The louder I shout, the more I feel like I've placed a bet. I get my fix without spending much money. Isn't that great?"

After listening to Lu Lutong, Sun Wukong couldn't help but ask, "If you had money, would you still enjoy the process without placing a bet?"

"Not at all, not at all!" Lu Lutong laughed, "Different times, different methods, different pleasures. Why be so rigid about the difference?"

Sun Wukong suddenly found him very smart!

Lu Lutong looked at the three of them askance, then finally sat back on the stone steps, "Alright, since you've come to find me, you must have questions to ask. But we need to set some rules first, or we'll call it off."

Sun Wukong said, "Go on."

Lu Lutong said, "One question for one silver dollar, only silver dollars, no paper money. Pay first, then ask. I'll only give you the answer, not how I got it, and you can't ask for more. Some questions have no answers, and if my answer is incomplete, it still counts."

Sun Wukong thought for a moment, felt the silver dollars in his hand, and said, "Alright!"

Lu Lutong didn't speak, just extended his hand, palm up—Sun Wukong asked, "Is this the start?"

"Do you think we need to pick a date?" Lu Lutong said, surprised, "Ask quickly, I still have to go to the night session."

Sun Wukong placed a silver dollar in his hand and asked, "Is there a place called Bai Gui Si?"

Lu Lutong closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then slowly said, "Bai Gui Si is a strange merchant, traveling from the south to the north, mostly dealing with sorcerers, alchemists, and other practitioners. They have shops in many major cities, but they only serve practitioners, not outsiders."

This answer was similar to what Sun Wukong already knew, so it seemed Lu Lutong wasn't just making things up. He was clearly satisfied with the answer for his silver dollar, so he placed another one, "Where is the nearest shop? Is there one in Xianyang?"

Lu Lutong thought for a moment, then his fingers turned into two, "That's two questions."

"How can it be two?" Sun Wukong asked, "If I ask where the nearest shop is, and Xianyang has one, you would naturally say so. I just added a sentence!"

"If it were a few months ago, your question would count as one," Lu Lutong had an inexplicable smile in his eyes, "I can explain this to you, and it will count as the answer to this silver dollar, okay?"

Sun Wukong thought for a moment, "Okay, but you have to guarantee the value of the answer."

"Without a doubt!" Lu Lutong said, "Just a month ago, all the shops of Bai Gui Si suddenly closed, and all the people associated with the merchant disappeared, either withdrawn or possibly eliminated. The only thing we know is that Bai Gui Si is no longer in business..." He squinted his eyes and looked up, "If you want to buy something related to sorcery, I can point you to two other merchants, but that's another question, and you have to pay."

Bai Gui Si is gone?

This news made Sun Wukong suddenly dizzy, a feeling of emptiness rising, as if he were floating in the clouds. He felt lost, unsure of what to do—Bai Gui Si was gone, so what should he do?

He turned his head blankly and saw Yangji's confused expression, completely not understanding what Lu Lutong had said. A sense of sorrow welled up in him, pitying their ignorance, but wasn't he the same?

The world was vast, but he had nothing. Daoist Liu disappeared in the fire, with no news; Grandpa Bayue's situation was unknown, his life uncertain; Wulun Sect was a place Grandpa found for him, but they didn't seem willing to teach him anything; Dingjia Sect? Oh, those people were even worse, treating him like a petty thief...

And now, the only hope, Bai Gui Si, was gone!

What to do?

What should I do?

Where to go?

Should he drift through life, pretending nothing had happened, or continue pursuing his goals?

But now, how could he learn sorcery?

His mind was a mess, and he was frozen in that moment!

Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind:

"...Heaven has its own will, and man has his own path..." This was something Grandpa Bayue had once said to him. Now, recalling it, it felt like it was being clearly spoken in his ear, telling him that while heaven has its will, man's path is unpredictable. If he wanted to know everything, he should not be bound by heaven's will, but rather, follow his own heart, and there would be no problem.

The great path is in the world, and it does not leave the world. Seeking enlightenment outside the world is like seeking a rabbit's horn!

Everything is within the universe, and all is clear!

He suddenly looked up at Lu Lutong, slapped all the remaining silver dollars into his hand, and said in a low voice, "Now, where can I go to learn sorcery? If you can tell me this, all the silver dollars are yours."

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't right now," he held the silver dollar, blew on it, and listened to the pleasant sound, "It's a pity, but I can't take this money..."

"When can you?" Sun Wukong asked, "Or do you not know at all?"

"Not at all, not at all!" Lu Lutong said, "I can help you find an opportunity to enter the world of sorcery, but the time is not right, and I can't take this money..." "You keep it!" Hearing there was a chance, Sun Wukong immediately stopped Lu Lutong from returning the money, "I'll stay in Xianyang for now, and wait for the right time."

He said firmly, "When the time comes, you tell me the news, and the deal will be complete!"

Lu Lutong suddenly laughed!

He put the silver dollars in his pocket, stood up, and patted the dirt off his buttocks, saying, "Since that's the case, I'll wait until the right time to tell you—now that you have no money, you have no more questions, right? I'm going back to play, you do as you please..." He didn't stop walking and headed back to the gambling den.

"Wait," Sun Wukong saw him about to leave and quickly asked, "How long will it take?"

Lu Lutong stopped, turned around, and showed a mouth full of lecherous teeth, "Within six years, you will definitely get a response." (To be continued)