Chapter 206: Life-or-Death Bet

Chapter 206: Life-or-Death Bet

Suddenly, two figures burst into the gambling den, their white outfits starkly contrasting with the chaotic environment within.

Lin Nuo usually changed his attire and appearance when entering such places, even using a pseudonym. This time, however, he boldly entered as Lin Nuo of the Xuanyun Sect.

The reason was simple—he said it was a matter of dignity; how could he hide and use a fake name?

Qin Shili was left dumbfounded by Lin Nuo’s actions.

What happened to being low-profile? What happened to not causing a commotion?

Instead of properly opening the door, he simply kicked it down.

And he hadn’t even changed out of his Daoist robe or altered his appearance—this blatantly announced to everyone, “Hey, it’s Lin Nuo!”

One could imagine that even the gangsters wouldn’t dare to kick in a door unless they were in groups, right?

Moreover, for a disciple of the Xuanyun Sect to kick in a door was truly unbecoming.

But upon closer reflection, perhaps Lin Nuo intended to show this to her.

Leading by example, demonstrating what it meant to aspire to the blue sky while wading through the abyss. His actions shouldn’t be judged by the standards of a Xuanyun Sect disciple but rather understood with a different mindset.

【Is this really a gambling den?】

Qin Shili surveyed the inside of the den, discovering a huge crowd, predominantly composed of men, dressed in bizarre outfits and displaying rough manners. Some men looked fierce and intimidating, radiating anger—clearly, they were of the underworld.

This was her first time in a gambling den, and it felt a bit uncomfortable. The air was thick with murkiness and bore some nauseating smells.

To be honest, she wanted to leave, but seeing Lin Nuo appear completely unfazed, as if he had long been accustomed to this environment, she decided to tough it out.

This was a form of training; simply overcoming her discomfort was already a significant achievement.

Suddenly, the gambling den was enveloped in a terrifying silence. At the moment the door burst, everyone was startled, wondering if some gangster had come to cause trouble.

When they saw that it was just two people in white Daoist robes, their eyes widened.

Who would dare to enter a gambling den dressed like that? Kicking the door down? Now that’s quite bold.

“Who are these two?”

“No idea. From their clothes, they seem like cultivators.”

“What are cultivators doing in a casino?”

“Is there a monster in the casino? I told you I keep losing money; it must be an ancient demon at work.”

“Stop talking nonsense, that’s just your bad luck. I’ve never lost.”

“Looks like they’re disciples of Xuanyun Sect. I recognize that girl; she’s Qin Shili, super powerful, known for taking down large spirit beasts. What’s she doing in this gambling den?”

……

The silence in the den was shattered as the gamblers began chattering away, sharing their opinions.

The arrogant youth and the coldly beautiful girl captured everyone’s attention.

Of course, the most astonished was the den’s boss.

Who are these people? So arrogant, barging in without a second thought?

Wearing white robes? Are today’s cultivators this pompous?

“You two, what business do you have here that warrants kicking down my door?” the boss asked sternly, addressing Lin Nuo and Qin Shili.

“Here, compensation for the broken door,” Lin Nuo tossed a gold coin towards him—enough to fix a door.

For the boss, this was an insult.

What? My gambling den makes hundreds of gold coins a day—do you think I care about your measly silver coin?

This was a humiliation; this person was clearly trying to create trouble.

“Brother, I have money and don’t need your pitiful amount. Why are you here? If you can’t give me a valid reason, don’t blame us for being rude.”

“What do you do in a gambling den? Gamble! Oh right, I want to place a big bet.”

“A big bet? How much are we talking?”

“Over a thousand gold coins.”

Lin Nuo promptly pulled out the IOUs from his pocket and slammed them on the table.

“By the way, I’m the person you’re looking for—Lin Nuo.”

“Lin Nuo?!”

The boss’s jaw dropped in surprise; this Lin Nuo had voluntarily come forward!

It must be that his subordinates had reached Tianling Mountain first, and then he followed.

By the way, where are my subordinates?

He heard that these cultivators could fly with their swords. Surely, they flew here while his subordinates must have walked, lagging behind.

Hah, thinking Lin Nuo might be here to repay a debt—turns out he came to gamble.

That’s fantastic; clearly a wealthy man, throwing cash around.

In this place, for a single cultivator to win? It’s like climbing to the heavens!

They even have spirit detection devices here. If you try to cheat using spirit energy or tools in front of all these people, you’d lose all face. If news got back to the Xuanyun Sect, where would your dignity go?

The owners of gambling dens fear you not participating, not how much you gamble!

The boss chuckled, “Heh, Lin Nuo, it seems you are here for Ruo’er. Fine, we can gamble. But gambling requires stakes; I hope you can show yours.”

“Sure, but I have a request. This big bet of ours shouldn’t be on a regular table, should it?”

“Right, right, you’re a big gambler. We should set up a separate table for you.”

The boss smiled and signaled to his subordinates, instructing them to prepare a special gambling table.

“How many rounds do you plan to bet?”

“Just one round. By the way, here’s my stake; it’s worth over a thousand gold coins.”

Lin Nuo placed Qin Shili’s borrowed spirit bracelet, spirit pendant, and the heavenly-grade soul fragments he’s collected on the gambling table with a cold smirk, saying, “These should be worth over a thousand gold coins. If there’s any doubt, feel free to call in a professional for appraisal.”

“No need; with you, Lin Nuo, and the name of the Xuanyun Sect, that’s enough. I don’t need to question.”

The boss suppressed a laugh. These were top-grade treasures, not just something you could buy with money. If he had these treasures, he could sell them for a high price in the black market.

This is just too good. This Lin fellow is practically delivering money to our doorstep; after all, they’re from the righteous sect—saving face is more important than cheating.

Excellent, now to think about how to sell them at a high price.

“So, what do you want to bet on? I have many betting methods available,” the boss asked.

“Card flipping; you know, the kind where you shuffle the cards and pick the correct one—I like relying on my keen eyes.”

“Alright, let’s bet on card flipping.”

The boss signaled, and at that moment, a long-haired, cold-looking man walked to the opposite side of the table, holding some cards.

Lin Nuo recognized him; this dealer was someone from his past life, who once lost a card-flipping game to him.

“Can I raise the stakes?”

“Sure, how much do you plan to raise?”

“Just my life against that of the brother over there,” Lin Nuo pointed at the long-haired man opposite him.