The “community card” from the previous round was “the first day of the first lunar month” from the “Spring Festival.”
This led Zheng Yingxiong to believe that the “eighth day of the seventh month” from “Start of Autumn” and the “twenty-first day of the sixth month” from “Major Heat” in his hand were completely incompatible, so he withdrew in the first round.
Chen Junnan quickly calculated—Earth Monkey still held the “Spring Festival” this time, but due to the rule change, these two cards might actually form an extremely strong hand when combined with it.
Among them, “Start of Autumn” wouldn’t work.
The sum of the “seven” and “eight” from “Start of Autumn” was already “fifteen,” meaning Earth Monkey would lose immediately upon drawing it.
If Earth Monkey wore that arrogant expression, it could only mean his card was “Major Heat.”
“Major Heat’s” “six, two, one,” plus the “one, one” from “Spring Festival,” and the “two, two” from “She Day,” totaled “fifteen”!
If that were the case, it would be the worst possible scenario known so far.
The group had finally gotten a chance to accurately guess Earth Monkey’s hand, yet his cards were absurdly strong—even stronger than Qiao Jiajin’s total of “fourteen”!
What should they do next?
Qiao Jiajin also took some time to calculate Earth Monkey’s hand, and his expression turned grim.
Meanwhile, Earth Monkey remained smug, as if already declaring victory.
Was there anything left on the table that could turn the tide?
Both Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan realized this at the same time and turned to look at Qi Xia’s “hidden card.”
Right—there was still one last card.
Qi Xia hadn’t looked at it since drawing it. What was his “hidden card”? Was there some backup plan?
“Trickster…” Qiao Jiajin whispered.
Hearing this, Qi Xia slowly reached for his “hidden card,” lifting it to eye level with its back facing Earth Monkey.
Earth Monkey glanced at Qi Xia with mild interest but said nothing.
Qi Xia took a slow breath and said, “Earth Monkey, I’ll give you one chance to surrender. You can’t win.”
Due to their angle, Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan couldn’t see what card Qi Xia held. They were burning with anxiety but could only stay silent.
“Me… surrender…?” Earth Monkey’s lips slowly curled, then widened into a grin, revealing yellowed teeth. “Hahahaha! Ridiculous, Qi Xia. Absolutely ridiculous!”
Qi Xia’s brow furrowed, his teeth clenched. After a long pause, he finally muttered, “What’s so ridiculous?”
“I can’t see that card, but can’t you?” Earth Monkey laughed. “What kind of pathetic trick is this?”
“Pathetic… trick…?”
Earth Monkey crossed his arms, shifting his bulky body to sit more comfortably.
“Qi Xia, have you really lost your mind? Can’t you think straight anymore?” he sneered. “If that card of yours was truly stronger than mine, why threaten me to surrender? Shouldn’t you be luring me to raise the bet instead?”
“I…” Beads of sweat dotted Qi Xia’s forehead—things were clearly not going well.
“Utterly laughable.” Earth Monkey shook his head. “You claim to be a ‘liar,’ yet I keep seeing through you. Is this the level of skill you rely on in the ‘Land of Finality’?”
At those words, the light in Qi Xia’s eyes dimmed, and his hand holding the card went limp, lowering slowly.
He looked exhausted—his face pale, his clothes drenched in cold sweat.
From their angle, Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan caught a glimpse of the “hidden card” as Qi Xia lowered his hand.
It was “Cold Dew.”
The eighth day of the ninth month.
This card was essentially no different from the “Double Ninth Festival.”
Drawing it would instantly push the total to seventeen points—an automatic loss.
Qi Xia had just used this very “Cold Dew” to deliver his final threat to Earth Monkey, but it had failed.
“My cards… are strong…” Qi Xia murmured, his voice barely audible. “Earth Monkey… you’ll lose…”
“Yes, your cards are indeed strong.” Earth Monkey nodded slightly. “Strong enough to blow you to pieces.”
Qi Xia seemed dazed as he slowly pulled a “dao” from his pocket and placed it on the table. “I raise,” he said flatly.
“What—”
Not only Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin, but even Earth Monkey was stunned.
By all logic, Qi Xia’s hand was already “busted”—meaning he’d lose the moment he revealed it. Yet he was raising the bet now?
“Earth Monkey… do you dare to call…?” Qi Xia’s voice was so faint Earth Monkey could barely hear it. “I can’t lose to you…”
“You’re insane…” Earth Monkey gritted his teeth. “Why wouldn’t I dare?!”
Without hesitation, Earth Monkey placed a “dao” on the table.
Once the bets were in, Qi Xia turned to Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin, his eyes hollow.
“Trick… Trickster… you…”
“Don’t bother with him,” Earth Monkey interjected. “Can’t you see he’s lost it? He’s probably gambling with a busted hand. If you two back out now, you might still salvage something. Maybe even make a comeback later.”
They knew Earth Monkey had a point—withdrawing was the smart move. But neither had any “dao” left.
“Chen Junnan, call,” Qi Xia said coldly.
“O-old Qi… I don’t have any ‘dao’…”
Qi Xia blinked slowly, then turned to Qiao Jiajin. “Fists, you call.”
“I… I don’t either…” Qiao Jiajin said. “Trickster, maybe you’re tired? Should we—”
“I’ll give it to you.” Qi Xia’s face was deathly pale. “Call. I’ll give you the ‘dao.'”
Qiao Jiajin stared at Qi Xia’s unnatural demeanor, frozen in uncertainty.
Earth Monkey snorted in derision. “See? If you quit now, at least you’ll keep some capital.”
Ignoring him, Qi Xia reached out and pressed a “dao” into Qiao Jiajin’s hand.
His fingertips were ice-cold, trembling faintly.
“Fists… are we brothers…? Why won’t you call…?” Qi Xia murmured, his voice distant.
“I… I…”
Qiao Jiajin stood paralyzed, torn. Of course he considered Qi Xia a brother—but jumping into a losing battle made no sense.
He shot a desperate glance at Chen Junnan.
“Well…” Chen Junnan forced a bitter smile and flipped his cards face-up, signaling his withdrawal. “Old Qiao, hate to say it, but we might be bowing out early.”
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