Chapter 668: A Draw Counts as a Loss

“One game to decide it all…?”

“Yes.” Qi Xia agreed, “There are still three rounds left, but I don’t want to drag it out. I’m ready to settle this with you in this one game.”

“Oh…?” Earth Monkey scratched his head, seemingly weighing the feasibility of the proposal.

“This round is just me.” Qi Xia added, “We don’t need to wager any more ‘Dao.’ I’ll stake all six of our lives directly.”

“Not only are you settling it in one game, but you’re also betting your lives here and now?” Earth Monkey asked.

“Exactly.” Qi Xia replied. “It’s fair for you too. Our current chips are close to twenty. If I win, the accumulated winnings could let three people escape. You’d only get three lives.”

“How is that fair for me?” Earth Monkey countered. “If you’re staking six lives, then I should have to bet my own life too.”

“Of course not.” Qi Xia shook his head. “If I win, you just need to compensate us with enough ‘Dao’ to survive. The six of us are exchanging our ‘lives’ for your ‘Dao.’ Isn’t that fair?”

Earth Monkey pondered for a moment and found Qi Xia’s reasoning sound.

If they continued the game normally, Qi Xia had a decent chance of winning, as he had already deciphered most of the rules. Even if he couldn’t guarantee everyone’s survival, saving three lives would be more than enough.

But if Earth Monkey won the next round, he could claim all six lives at once.

A guaranteed three lives versus a gamble for six—what choice would he make?

“Hah… what choice is there?” Earth Monkey slowly grinned. “Even if everyone else would take the guaranteed three, I’m a ‘gambler.’”

“So…?”

“I accept.” Earth Monkey nodded. “After all, as I said earlier, you’re lying. You don’t know my ‘hole card,’ so your odds of winning are infinitely low.”

“What if I’m not lying?”

“Then I lose.” Earth Monkey frowned. “A gambler’s honor—win or lose, I accept the outcome.”

“Good.”

“However…” Earth Monkey slowly raised his eyes. “I have a condition.”

“A condition…?” Qi Xia furrowed his brows, sensing trouble. “Let’s hear it.”

“I was guaranteed to win, yet I’m making this huge concession to settle it in one game. So I need to clarify the rules again.”

“What…? You’re changing the rules again?” Qi Xia asked.

“Of course not.” Earth Monkey denied. “We’ll play the final round under the ‘Full Moon’ rules, but I need to specify—a ‘tie’ counts as my win.”

“A tie…?” Qi Xia’s nearly frozen brain raced to process this. “You mean if both of us have the same points, you win?”

“Not just ‘same points.’” Earth Monkey shook his head. “Even if we both ‘bust,’ I still win.”

At this, Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan, who had been silent until now, finally couldn’t stay seated.

“Damn it, Monkey Bro, aren’t you pushing your luck?” Chen Junnan snapped. “Why don’t you just say touching the cards means you win?”

“Wait a second!” Qiao Jiajin suddenly realized something and held Chen Junnan back. “Handsome Bro, maybe we misunderstood Fat Monkey. He said a ‘tie’ counts as his win. If it’s not a tie, then Liar Bro wins!”

“Whoa~~~!” Chen Junnan slapped his forehead. “Old Qiao, I love the way you think! So that’s what Monkey Bro meant?”

“Exactly!” Qiao Jiajin agreed. “Liar Bro, go for it! Your odds are great!”

Earth Monkey gripped the table, his eyes icy. “This must be your last struggle, right? After this round, you’ll all be dead.”

Then he turned to Qi Xia. “You decide. Do we play the final round under my rules, or do we finish the normal three rounds?”

Qi Xia knew this was the last chance for everyone to survive.

If they played the normal three rounds, each game would require incredible luck, high stakes, and Earth Monkey not conceding early. If even one condition wasn’t met, someone would inevitably be left behind.

A slim chance for everyone to survive versus a 100% chance to save three—what would Qi Xia choose?

“Too bad, I’m also a ‘gambler.’” Qi Xia said. “I accept. We’ll play under the ‘Full Moon’ rules. If it’s a tie, you win.”

“Haha! Straightforward!” Earth Monkey grinned. “We’ve got plenty of hands for this round. Pick someone to deal for us.”

Qi Xia thought for a moment, but before he could answer, Tian Tian, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“I’ll do it.”

Everyone turned to look at her. Tian Tian, unfazed, walked straight to the round table.

“Can I?” she asked again.

Qi Xia nodded slowly, then glanced at Earth Monkey.

“She’s the only one among us who doesn’t understand gambling. If she deals, you can trust it’s fair, right?”

“Of course. I’d trust anyone to deal.”

Under the two men’s resolute gazes, Tian Tian carefully gathered the cards, wiped off the bloodstains, and shuffled.

Every life was riding on this one game. There was no room for error.

Qi Xia slowly stood up and glanced at Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan.

“You two, come with me.”

Without waiting for a response, he walked to a distant table. The two quickly followed.

Earth Monkey watched as the three sat down at the small table. Qi Xia’s lips moved faintly, speaking in a near-whisper, while the other two’s expressions shifted dramatically, as if hearing something unbelievable.

“So, do you understand…?” Qi Xia’s voice returned to normal, his tone grave.

“Under… understood… maybe?”

The two exchanged glances, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.

“Then I’ll begin this round.” Qi Xia said. “Let’s fight together.”

While Tian Tian shuffled, the three returned to the round table with varying expressions but adjusted their seating—Qi Xia in the center, flanked by Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan.

This didn’t sit well with Earth Monkey.

“Hey…” He tapped the table. “Isn’t this round just you? What are those two doing next to you?”

“My assistants.” Qi Xia answered without hesitation. “To make sure I don’t pass out—and to help me see the cards clearly.”