Chapter 205: For Dignity

Chapter 205: For Dignity

Lin Nuo was quite astonished that Qin Shili would create an ice layer to conceal the burning of corpses for him.

From the perspective of a righteous sect, this was simply colluding with the wicked.

How could the righteous and dignified Qin Shili protect him after he committed murder and even used ice to cover it up? If word got out, everyone would think it was a madman’s act.

Of course, Qin Shili was a cautious person, and she must have thought it through thoroughly before taking action, unlikely to have been easily detected.

Surrounded by the ice layer, Lin Nuo couldn’t see anything outside, and naturally, no one outside could see what was happening inside.

This ice technique was indeed a great way to kill and smuggle.

Moreover, the ice layer wasn’t cold at all; the temperature felt pretty normal.

Lin Nuo didn’t understand why Qin Shili was helping him disguise the crime, but at this moment, it was quite beneficial for him—better than being seen by other cultivators.

Flames burst forth from Lin Nuo’s hands, swiftly engulfing the corpses. Soon, the fierce fire consumed them entirely, turning them into ashes, not a single one left.

After the previous incident where a Dark Alliance member was found alive after being buried, Lin Nuo had to ensure his kills were burned to ashes so as not to leave any traces behind.

Last time, he turned a body to ash in one go; now he had to take it step-by-step—like killing first, then burning. What a hassle!

When the flames finally subsided, only a handful of black ash remained on the ground.

Qin Shili then waved her hand slightly, and the ice layer dissipated, a gentle breeze blowing in to scatter the ash.

However, throughout all this, Qin Shili remained as cold as ice. Witnessing Lin Nuo’s murder and cremation, her expression didn’t reveal a hint of emotion.

It was only after the black ash had been completely blown away that Qin Shili spoke up:

“Who were they? Can you tell me?”

“People from the gambling den, here to collect a debt.”

Considering that Qin Shili had helped him with the ice layer disguise, he divulged the identities of these men.

“Collecting a debt? Who are they collecting from?”

“From me.”

“Did you lose at gambling?”

“No, but I did lose once.”

Lin Nuo threw out a nonsensical statement, leaving Qin Shili momentarily confused.

So did you lose or not?

But being sought for payment might mean he indeed lost.

Lying about losing money and then resorting to murder and cremation didn’t quite fit the noble character Lin Nuo was supposed to embody.

Was there some hidden context? Or was there a setup underway?

With limited information, it was better not to jump to conclusions.

In fact, Lin Nuo wasn’t wrong—this wasn’t his money that he lost but rather Li Ruo’er’s adoptive father’s. However, he had indeed lost money once in his past life, aiming to win it back but ended up losing hideously instead.

No strength and still pretending, who else would suffer if not himself?

Wherever they gambled, if it was a small game, they could just test their luck without interference.

But if it was a big bet, winning was impossible because they would definitely cheat, their methods incredibly refined and practically undetectable.

If his plan was simply to kill and take the IOUs to avoid repayment, it would lose the grand villain’s demeanor; he wasn’t a deadbeat.

If he acted as if nothing happened, the gambling den would undoubtedly send more people, and then there would definitely be chaos, potentially triggering a scene where an immortal steps in to save Li Ruo’er.

At this point, it seemed that the safest bet would be to simply pay the debts.

Another option was to destroy the gambling den, eliminating the people collecting the debt so he wouldn’t have to repay at all.

Looking at it this way, he did have the demeanor of a villain.

However, this was merely typical villain behavior; a true big villain wouldn’t solve problems with such lowly tactics.

The real big villain destroys others in areas where they excel.

That’s right, gambling.

Go gamble, knowing they would cheat, yet still gamble to win against them.

Lin Nuo realized that to make this bet, he needed at least a thousand gold coins, which he didn’t have on him.

Lin Nuo asked Qin Shili:

“Do you have anything valuable on you?”

“How much do you need?”

“A thousand gold coins.”

“Not that much; my spirit bracelet and spirit pendant together are worth at most eight hundred gold coins.”

“Eight hundred coins is enough. Can you lend it to me for a while?”

“You need to tell me the purpose first; I need to hear the truth.” Qin Shili said solemnly.

“To gamble.”

“Gamble? How many rounds do you plan to play to need eight hundred gold coins?”

“One round; it’s not eight hundred but over a thousand. I also have some spirit tools and pieces of heaven-grade soul essence that I can put on the line.” Lin Nuo responded.

“Do you have to gamble?”

“Absolutely.” Lin Nuo answered without hesitation.

“Fine, I can lend it to you. But I want to go with you.”

“That’s okay.”

Having Qin Shili accompany him was also beneficial for Lin Nuo.

After all, with Qin Shili’s strength, the gambling den they were heading to wouldn’t be ordinary, and there would likely be other sinister forces backing it. If things got out of hand and erupted into violence, it might not end well for him.

“Why gamble? Is it for the money or something else?”

“For dignity.”

Lin Nuo replied seriously. Yes, dignity—dignity as a big villain, avenging past humiliation.

Qin Shili didn’t understand the full story behind it, but hearing Lin Nuo’s words, she felt there was something significant behind it.

She wanted to know this man and was naturally curious about his story, his past, and his thoughts.

Gambling itself wasn’t a good thing, yet he spoke with such righteous fervor, claiming it was for dignity.

Speaking of which, she had never set foot in a gambling den, so she was entirely clueless about the situation. It seemed Lin Nuo was quite familiar with such places.

She had always wanted to know him better but hadn’t had the chance to go on a mission with him, which was indeed regrettable.

Now, however, it presented a very good opportunity.

“When are we going?”

“Now.” Lin Nuo replied.

“Good.”

Qin Shili waved her hand lightly, and her sword flew from her waist, soaring before her.

“Let’s fly with the sword; you can join me too.”

“Can we share one? Do you mind?” Lin Nuo said calmly, knowing he couldn’t fly and would have to rely on Qin Shili’s spirit sword.

“Not at all; I didn’t expect you’d be willing to share a spirit sword with me.”

Qin Shili lightly lifted her leg, stepping onto the ice sword.

“Come on up; I don’t know the way.”

“Alright.”

Lin Nuo stepped on. Honestly, Qin Shili’s ice sword was far superior to Su Kexin’s shabby sword—not only was it stable, but it also radiated immense spiritual power.

After experiencing it, Lin Nuo realized that Qin Shili was truly a skilled practitioner; her flying technique was top-notch, both fast and steady, and with an ice safety system—if you felt like jumping off, the ice would block you.

Before long, the two flew together to Yu Gu Town, reaching their destination, the Tian Gambling Den.

They had no intention of concealing their identities and walked right in.

“We should keep a low profile this time; it’s best not to cause a stir.”

Lin Nuo suggested as he led Qin Shili into the gambling den.

Inside the den, there were numerous gamblers enjoying themselves, but suddenly, with a loud crash, the place fell silent as all eyes turned to the entrance.

The door was kicked down, and a white-clad youth entered, accompanied by a girl in a white dress.