The sky was just right.
Under the banyan tree of Qiushui Pavilion, the crisp sound of red jade mahjong tiles clattered.
“How big should we play?”
“Huh? Are we playing for money? The rules prohibit gambling. Last time, Master, you got caught.”
Ke Mo’s expression grew serious—everyone knew he was a paragon of virtue, utterly opposed to gambling and drugs.
Shang Wu smirked, “Who doesn’t find time to hang out at Qiushui Pavilion? It’s not every day I get to play mahjong with my precious disciple. What’s the point if we’re not betting a little silver, hehehe…”
“…..”
Master Beauty’s laughter suddenly turned delightfully sinister.
Qin Yuzhi, flaunting Shang Wu’s charmingly wicked grin, was drilling Ying Bing on the rules; Ke Mo only grasped the basics of mahjong and thus listened in confusion.
This oddly resembled the Sichuan mahjong from his past life.
One person wins, and the other three can continue playing until three all win or the tiles run out.
So, winning first doesn’t necessarily mean you earn the most.
Ying Bing nodded after hearing this, whispering, “I’ve never played before, so I’m not too good.”
“Me neither.” Ke Mo, still unable to follow the rules, wore a dazed look.
“Don’t worry; you’ve already grasped the rules. It’s all about luck; sometimes, luck is just on your side.”
“Exactly! Mahjong isn’t that hard!”
Qin Yuzhi and Shang Wu exchanged a glance, both seeing the dangerous smirk in each other’s eyes.
Mahjong isn’t that simple!
s*ck them dry!
Today, we must give the wealthy and bold little Ke Mo a lesson!
“I think I might have… won?”
Ying Bing uncertainly pushed her tiles forward, her serene eyes shimmering with hesitation.
Heavenly win, all in one suit.
Qin Yuzhi: “!”
Unexpected! It must be an accident!
Her extraordinary skills hadn’t even had a chance to shine yet!
“?”
Shang Wu looked suspiciously at the Ice Chunk—how could anyone be more lucky than her?
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
“Oh…”
Ke Mo, having not won a hand, just happened to be losing the most money.
Though Shang Wu and Qin Yuzhi won, their hands weren’t great, so the three had to pay up.
The Ice Chunk alone reaped the rewards.
“Pay up, pay up!”
Ke Mo pulled out the silver, begrudgingly accepting his losses, but still wore a smile.
“Just luck,” Qin Yuzhi scoffed, dismissing superstition.
Shang Wu, feeling the pinch from her purse, expressionless said, “Let’s continue.”
And so.
After a few rounds, the atmosphere grew tense—the Ice Chunk was the first to win every time, Shang Wu came second, Qin Yuzhi third, and Ke Mo brought up the rear.
“Tsk… so fishy.”
Ke Mo stared blankly at another disheveled hand, resembling a home ransacked by a Husky.
He clearly was not cut out for winning at mahjong…
After that hand, both Shang Wu and Qin Yuzhi appeared to be in high spirits, their initial hands looking promising, and they exchanged glances indicating a secret alliance.
The Ice Chunk remained expressionless, her gaze icy and frigid.
“Hmm.”
Qin Yuzhi hurriedly sorted the red jade tiles, declaring, “I’m not trying to prove how strong I am. It’s all about getting back what I’ve lost!”
You could hear the determination in her voice.
Shang Wu smirked, “Little Ice Girl, can you beat me with this hand? Can you take down the Qingyuan Sect’s Mahjong Goddess? I’ll just…”
“Pong!” Little Ke Mo finally found some engagement!
Pong means calculating the money.
Then a delicate, icy hand snatched the lone tile and pushed it softly in.
“Stealing the Pong—am I doing it right?”
Crack!
The Mahjong Goddess of Qingyuan Sect and the Mahjong Overlord of Huan Shen Sect fell back in shock, faces as pale as ghosts!
“Do you even know how to play?! She was just a tile away from winning!” Qin Yuzhi clenched her fist.
“I just don’t know how,” Ke Mo’s face was a total blank.
“Little Ice Girl, didn’t you say you didn’t know how to play mahjong?!”
Shang Wu gnashed her teeth, pulling out her last piece of silver.
“I really don’t!” Ying Bing tilted her head.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible!”
“I just learned it; it should be easier than divine skills or go, so I picked it up quickly.”
“…..”
Shang Wu and Qin Yuzhi found themselves momentarily speechless, unable to rebut.
Turning around, they spotted Li Mo looking particularly pleased, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.
“What are you smirking about, you haven’t won a hand and you’re laughing like a little kid?” Shang Wu’s irritation peaked.
Ying Bing glanced at Li Mo, realizing he had just lost all the silver he brought out.
So, she extended her delicate hand and gave him all the money she had just won.
“Here.”
“!”
Li Mo froze, his lottery grin gradually morphing into a bewildered grimace.
“??”
Qin Yuzhi and Shang Wu exchanged looks and nearly leapt up from their seats.
Wait a second, something’s off here!
Li Mo had lost the most, but Little Ice Girl had won more than he lost, and if they teamed up, they were still profiting off the money she won.
Are they scheming together?!
“I’m done; I don’t have any more money,” Shang Wu pushed the mahjong away.
Li Mo glanced at the Ice Chunk. Playing mahjong essentially meant preventing old age… uh, that unpredictable stuff from rearing its head again.
Having played just a while, not sure if it worked or not…
“Master, you might be out of cash, but I have some.”
“Huh? You want to show some filial piety to your master? How thoughtful…” Shang Wu’s eyes lit up, sliding back to the table.
“Well, since it’s too generous, let’s try another approach.”
Li Mo sheepishly grinned:
“How about a mahjong loan?”
“?”
At that moment, there was still time to restart the game.
The doors of Qiushui Pavilion suddenly swung open with a bang.
Shang Wu glanced over, discovering the Lord Master, Elder Han He, and a few members of Hengyun Sword City at the entrance.
Shang Wu Wen Cang blinked at the mahjong table, momentarily taken aback.
Elder Han He stared in confusion.
Meanwhile, the folks from Hengyun Sword City were utterly flabbergasted by the sight of God Hammer Little Overlord fully engaged in betting silver under the sunny sky, as if they had seen a ghost.
Elder Zeng looked from the hair in his hand to Li Mo:
“Li Mo, are you… human or ghost?”
“Definitely not a ghost, ghosts can’t play mahjong.”
Seeing the shocked party, Li Mo was slightly touched yet amused.
Before they could shift from fright to confusion, Li Mo joked:
“Of course, I’m a phoenix, hehehe…”
“Demon, draw your sword!!”
“Hold on, I’m only kidding!”
He needed to explain quickly; otherwise, he’d end up with bare hands facing sword blades.
“What’s going on here?”
Elder Han He breathed a sigh of relief but remained puzzled.
Shang Wu Wen Cang chuckled incredulously, “Martial artists should cultivate a calm demeanor. You’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Little Mo, take your time sharing,”
Li Mo and Ying Bing had repelled the Da Shang remnants and defeated high-ranking figures from Huanmo Sect.
They even took turns slapping the face of the Crown Prince of Da Yu.
The Lord Master had already gone through a self-reflection process; how could the two of them, such young prodigies, not have weathered storms?
As their mentors, they must be calm and composed, not constantly shocked or startled.
Li Mo glanced at Qin Yuzhi and declared:
“Elders, I’ve brought the Huanmo Sect leader out; she’s sort of my employee now.”
“?”
“She’s currently writing her resume; does our sect… need a Supreme Elder?”
“?????”
…
PS: Relatives came back! Sorry for the delay!
