Chapter 664: Bloodstain

“Ha, so you’re betting based on that kind of talk?”

“Of course. If I can say ‘Third Day of the Third Month,’ it means your old man is younger than me.” Qiao Jiajin tossed a “Dao” onto the table.

“Nonsense,” Earth Monkey said.

“I call.” Qi Xia was the first to throw his “Dao” onto the table.

Hearing Qi Xia speak, Earth Monkey glanced at his hand. “Your hand is a ‘Seven.’ You might as well fold now.”

“No folding.” Qi Xia’s gaze was slightly unfocused as he spoke. “Dare to call?”

Earth Monkey studied Qi Xia’s expression, pondered for a few seconds, then decisively placed another “Dao.” As “First Day of the First Month,” he had the strongest hand at the moment—there was no reason to back down.

After Chen Junnan also bet a “Dao,” Qiao Jiajin began considering the possibility of raising. But no matter how he thought about it, his hand seemed unlikely to beat Earth Monkey’s, so he could only wait for the next opportunity.

Throughout, he kept glancing at Qi Xia out of the corner of his eye, noticing that Qi Xia swayed slightly, as if barely holding on.

“Handsome lad, deal the cards first,” Qiao Jiajin said. “We’ll think about ‘raising’ next round.”

“Got it.” Chen Junnan nodded and began dealing the “hole cards” to each player—himself first, then Qiao Jiajin, Qi Xia, and Earth Monkey.

Since this round only required nine cards in total, with twenty-seven still left in the deck, trying to deduce opponents’ possible draws based on the visible cards seemed nearly impossible.

Chen Junnan picked up his card and slowly lifted a corner.

“I’ve had rotten luck my whole life. Can’t I catch a break this time…?”

He flipped the card slightly, catching a glimpse of a “left-falling stroke” at the edge.

Blinking in confusion, he mentally reviewed the twenty-four solar terms but couldn’t recall any that started with a “left-falling stroke.”

Could a miracle really be happening?

With growing excitement, he slowly revealed the card—only to freeze in despair three seconds later.

**”Double Ninth.”**

**”Ninth Day of the Ninth Month.”**

Even without considering any other cards, this one alone was a **”bust.”**

This card alone was worth **”eighteen.”** Unless he was mistaken, “Double Ninth” was the highest-value card in the entire deck—no other card could reach “eighteen” on its own. It was a straight-up **”bomb.”**

Combined with his earlier “Start of Spring” and the community card “She Day,” his total hand value reached a staggering **twenty-nine points**—nearly double the threshold of “sixteen”!

“I’m utterly speechless…” Chen Junnan struggled to control his expression, fighting not to look completely defeated.

What now?

This wasn’t even about winning anymore—continuing to bet would guarantee failure.

So what else could he do?

After a few seconds, a slow smirk crept onto Chen Junnan’s lips. Maybe he was overthinking it…

From the very start, his goal in this game **wasn’t to win.**

“Woooooo—!”

His boisterous voice once again shattered the silence of the casino, making Earth Monkey frown.

“It’s a wrap!!” Chen Junnan shouted. “Monkey Bro! I’m seriously gonna bet against you this time!”

Earth Monkey shot him an irritated glance. “What are you betting?”

Chen Junnan thought for a few seconds before replying slowly, “Can I bet on the color of my ass?”

“Wha—?!” Earth Monkey nearly choked. “The hell kind of bet is that?!”

“Meaning if I win, I’ll stay fair and rosy. If you win, you’ll… at least look human.”

“Damn it!” Earth Monkey was genuinely furious now. He slammed the table and pointed at Chen Junnan. “You’re dead today. Even if the game ends, I won’t let you off.”

“Relax, I probably won’t live to see the end anyway.” Chen Junnan grinned.

“You—”

“What, can’t we bet on that?” Chen Junnan shrugged helplessly. “Fine, you guys chat first. I’ll just listen in.”

Qiao Jiajin picked up his hole card and peeked at it, then raised an eyebrow.

**”Rain Water”!**

He quickly calculated in his mind—this year’s “Rain Water” fell on the **”Twenty-First Day of the First Month,”** or **”1-2-1.”**

He already had “Shangsi” (“Third Day of the Third Month”) in hand. Combined, the two cards totaled **”ten.”** Even adding the community card “She Day,” the sum was only **”fourteen.”**

Not only was this hand **not a bust**, it was actually competitive…

It all came down to Earth Monkey’s hole card.

As long as it wasn’t “fifteen” or the maximum “sixteen,” this round was already won.

Under the “Full Moon Rule,” everyone had a high chance of busting. Just keeping a stable hand was an achievement, let alone hitting a strong number like **”fourteen.”**

Expressionless, Qiao Jiajin set his card down and glanced at Qi Xia.

He wanted to know what Qi Xia’s hand looked like—and whether he could afford to go all-in against Earth Monkey.

But Qi Xia hadn’t even looked at his own card. Instead, he kept staring intently at Earth Monkey’s hole card.

Earth Monkey carefully picked up his hole card, checked it, then set it down without a word.

A few seconds later, a faint smile crept onto his face. “Anyone want to **raise**?”

Qiao Jiajin knew the moment of truth had arrived. He quickly looked to Qi Xia for guidance—only to find Qi Xia’s gaze still locked onto Earth Monkey’s card, as if trying to see through it with sheer willpower.

Following Qi Xia’s line of sight, Qiao Jiajin also studied the distant card. Within seconds, he noticed something.

At the same time, Chen Junnan also caught on.

None of the three spoke. They simply stood in silence.

Was this coincidence… or sheer luck?

Under the flickering casino lights, everyone could clearly see—Earth Monkey’s hole card bore a few nearly invisible **bloodstains.**

“Tch…” Chen Junnan rubbed his forehead, thinking furiously.

Bloodstains… bloodstains…

If it was about bloodstains…

Didn’t that mean it came from Zheng Yingxiong, who’d just had a nosebleed?

After his nosebleed started, Zheng Yingxiong had tilted his head back, causing blood to flow into his windpipe—which he then coughed up, spraying droplets everywhere, including onto his cards.

“Oh no… What were Zheng Yingxiong’s cards last round…?” Chen Junnan closed his eyes, mimicking Qi Xia’s habit of rapid deduction.

Earth Monkey’s current hole card was one of Zheng Yingxiong’s from the previous round…

Chen Junnan’s eyes snapped open as Zheng Yingxiong’s last hand flashed in his mind.

**”Start of Autumn” — “Eighth Day of the Seventh Month.”**

**”Great Heat” — “Twenty-First Day of the Sixth Month.”**