“You… won?”
Chen Junnan was the first to stand up, carefully examining the cards in front of Earth Monkey.
“Brother Monkey, forgive my ignorance, but are you sure you read your cards right?” Chen Junnan said. “How exactly did you win? Because of your sharp, monkey-like face?”
Everyone turned their puzzled gazes toward Earth Monkey’s cards, their minds brimming with the same question.
How could this hand possibly win?
For Earth Monkey to claim victory wasn’t easy—his cards had to beat everyone else’s at the table.
Even if the rules were altered, the players’ hands could still combine in countless ways. Yet, among the five players, not a single hand could surpass Earth Monkey’s?
Qi Xia was rapidly analyzing every possible scenario.
Why would “Qingming” and “Spring Equinox” combined with “Spring Festival” be the strongest hand on the table?
What made this combination unbeatable?
Seeing that Earth Monkey didn’t respond, Chen Junnan slowly sat back down, a chill running down his spine. If not for Qi Xia stopping him earlier, his life would have been pointlessly sacrificed by now.
“You damn monkey!” Qiao Jiajin slammed the table and stood up. “Can’t handle losing, so you’re cheating?”
“Oh?” Earth Monkey sneered. “I don’t understand.”
“Your hand is clearly the weakest here!” Qiao Jiajin retorted. “Did you just declare yourself the winner because you were about to lose? After all, this is *your* casino—you make the rules.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint,” Earth Monkey said, pushing his cards forward. “I told you before the game started—there’s no lying in this game. If I refused to admit defeat when you won, that would be a violation, and the Black Tortoise would already be standing beside me.”
His words carried absolute conviction, leaving no room for doubt.
Qi Xia also believed Earth Monkey wouldn’t suddenly fabricate a lie at this critical moment—it would render the entire game meaningless.
Not only would the “Lunar Phases” cards lose their purpose, but even the glowing wooden box on the table would become a useless prop.
Earth Monkey stood up and collected the chips from each player. In this round, Qi Xia had bet five “dao,” while the others had wagered three each. With a single move, Earth Monkey had taken fourteen “dao” from them.
Now, Qi Xia was completely out, Xiao Cheng had only one “dao” left, and the others held two each. The situation was even worse than at the start of the game.
Yet Qi Xia wasn’t disheartened by the loss. Instead, he kept scrutinizing Earth Monkey’s cards, considering every possible explanation.
“Earth Monkey…” Qi Xia pushed his remaining chips forward, his expression darkening.
“Don’t ask. I won’t tell you,” Earth Monkey said. “But this seems unfair—it’s taking the fun out of the gamble. So here’s what I’ll do, Qi Xia…”
Leaning forward, Earth Monkey gathered the chips into his arms and said in a low voice, “How about I throw you a lifeline?”
“A lifeline…?”
“You can ask me one question—but not directly about the rules. I’ll answer truthfully, and then it’s up to you to figure it out.”
Qi Xia slipped his hand beneath the table, gripping his broken little finger tightly—this was his chance!
Not just his, but the only chance for all six of them to win.
In this round, Earth Monkey had taken nearly all their chips. With four rounds left, there was no time for trial and error. If they couldn’t deduce the rules now, none of them would survive.
Yet the fog in his mind refused to lift, making Qi Xia clench his jaw in frustration.
The situation was dire. His finger had darkened to a deep red—undoubtedly shattered. If even this level of pain couldn’t clear the fog, was his condition worsening?
Desperate, Qi Xia suddenly thought of something and turned to Zheng Yingxiong.
As if sensing his gaze, Zheng Yingxiong met his eyes.
Immediately, the boy lifted his nose, trying to catch a “feeling.” But in the next second, blood gushed from his nostrils.
Realizing what was happening, Zheng Yingxiong covered his nose, but the blood seeped through his fingers.
This wasn’t like an ordinary nosebleed—it was as if a deep wound had opened. The blood didn’t trickle out; it spilled in thick, spreading stains.
“Little one!” Tian Tian quickly pulled Zheng Yingxiong aside, pressing on his nose while he tilted his head back.
But the motion sent the blood rushing down his throat, triggering violent coughing. Soon, he was hacking up blood, splattering the table with crimson dots.
Remembering Qi Xia’s warning not to tilt his head back, Zheng Yingxiong quickly leaned forward, pinching his nostrils shut.
Seeing the blood still escaping through his fingers, Qi Xia knew his “external brain” was now useless.
Zheng Yingxiong had done more than enough—it was Qi Xia who wasn’t strong enough.
Frantic, Qi Xia scanned the room for a tool. Earth Monkey would never let him use the glowing wooden box again, so he needed something else—
Something that could inflict even greater pain.
Finding nothing, Qi Xia slowly stood up, gripped the back of his chair, and lifted its front legs off the ground. Then, he placed his entire right hand beneath it.
Yes, sacrificing just a finger wasn’t enough anymore. He needed something far more intense.
Like destroying his entire hand.
Qi Xia knew he had lost far more than a hand over the years. There was no need to hesitate. Just as he was about to slam the chair down—
“Old Qi! Have you fucking lost your mind today?!”
Chen Junnan yanked the chair away, while Qiao Jiajin pulled Qi Xia’s hand free.
“Liar! What the hell have you been doing?!”
The two helped him up, staring at him with utter confusion.
Qi Xia still seemed like himself—calm, sharp, capable of solving any problem. But today, he kept resorting to bizarre, brutal self-harm, unsettling both Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin.
“I need to wake myself up…” Qi Xia said despairingly. “I’m losing myself…”
“What?”
They noticed something different in his eyes—
Fear.
“Fists… Old Chen… I can’t lose myself here…” Qi Xia’s voice trembled. “My mind is slipping… We can’t win…”
The two exchanged glances, first letting out bitter chuckles before their smiles widened.
“So that’s all it is…” Chen Junnan laughed heartily. “Old Qi, you’re tired, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Yeah,” Qiao Jiajin nodded, glancing at Chen Junnan again. “Liar, if you’re tired, just rest. Leave the rest to us.”
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