It must be conceded that Li Youran’s scheme against Jun Moye was exquisitely tailored to his personality, comprehensive and nearly flawless in its design. Yet, fate often plays its hand, and this perfect layout now possessed a peculiar gap. If the target had been Jun Moye, success would surely have been a foregone conclusion!

However, the Jun Moye of today is now Jun Xie. Will the plan proceed smoothly?

...

Inside the Thousand Gold Hall

“Shall we stick to the Third Young Master’s usual style? Start at one thousand taels? Or... go a bit higher?” Li Feng asked with a smile as they gathered around the table.

“Start at one thousand taels?!” Dugu Xiaoyi gasped, her fair face flushing crimson. “You gamble this high?” Though she was the only pearl of the Dugu family, her daily needs were always meticulously provided for. Beyond buying a few pieces of jewelry on a whim, she rarely had significant expenses. Carrying eighty or a hundred taels of silver was usually the maximum for her, so the notion of staking a thousand taels in a single sitting was unbelievable! Her entire purse held barely eleven taels in total...

In truth, this was the norm. A thousand taels of silver weighed at least several dozen catties. Even a nouveau riche wouldn't genuinely wander around carrying dozens of pounds of silver; after all, this world had silver notes.

“One thousand taels? ... How long will that take? This Young Master doesn't have that much time,” Jun Xie laughed heartily. “Let’s make it straightforward: a base bet of ten thousand taels, no upper limit. That works for me.” He added with a booming laugh, “This Young Master has plenty of silver; such trifling amounts are hardly worth mentioning!”

Tang Yuan was startled. “A single bet of a thousand taels is already significant, Third Young Master.” He knew clearly that Jun Xie had only brought out fifty thousand taels. If the base truly was ten thousand with no limit, a streak of bad luck could see him cleaned out in minutes. But then he reconsidered: perhaps losing quickly was better. He’d already lost a good deal today, and the IOUs had been secured; he couldn’t afford to lose his sworn brother along with the money. Thinking it through, he decided not to intervene.

“Third Young Master Jun is truly straightforward! I favor dice above all else. It all comes down to luck, what you see is what you get—fair and square,” Meng Haizhou chuckled.

“Enough talk, hurry up. How are we playing? Higher or lower, or guessing the number?” Jun Xie looked impatient. If anyone had been observant, they would have noticed Jun Xie’s eyes turning slightly red, signaling the drug’s effects were beginning to take hold.

The opportunity was drawing near!

Meng Haizhou glanced discreetly at Jun Xie’s eyes. “Let’s keep it simple: guessing high or low. How about that?”

Jun Xie nodded. “Agreed!”

For fairness, everyone participating was to place sufficient silver notes, then take turns rolling the dice. Whoever rolled the highest total would be the banker. Based on the number of players, if there were seven, there would be seven rolls for one banker position; if six, six rolls. After this round concluded, the final roll would determine the next banker.

After some polite deference, five people entered the betting circle: Jun Xie, Meng Haizhou, Meng Fei, Li Feng, and Li Zhen. Tang Yuan was completely empty-pocketed and could only observe. Dugu Xiaoyi had arrived with a fierce air, but her funds were insufficient. Insufficient funds meant no special treatment, even from the Emperor of Heaven; she too was relegated to the sidelines. Her pretty face was flushed crimson, clearly feeling humiliated.

A thought flickered in Jun Xie’s mind. How could he not utilize such a powerful backer? He spoke up, “Miss Dugu is a lady; naturally, she shouldn’t join in our roughhousing. I suggest Miss Dugu take up the role of ‘Piao Hong’ (Floating Red)?”

“What is Piao Hong?” Dugu Xiaoyi’s eyes lit up.

“Piao Hong means betting outside the main game. It means you don't participate in the rolling, but you can still place wagers! For example, you bet five taels that I win. If I lose, I’ve dragged the young lady down, and you forfeit your five taels, which will be divided among the other bettors as a public side-pot. But if I win, it means the young lady has boosted my luck, and you collect back your original stake plus winnings, totaling ten taels.” Jun Xie explained carefully.

“Done!” Dugu Xiaoyi became instantly enthusiastic. “Then for the first roll, I bet you five... five taels!”

Jun Xie laughed loudly. “A beauty placing a bet! My luck is soaring! I am certain to win.”

Li Feng and the others watched him with cold sneers, all thinking: Laugh now, laugh now; you’ll be crying soon enough!

Everyone had already rolled except Jun Xie. Meng Haizhou currently had the highest score: two sixes and one five, totaling sixteen points. For three dice, this was an exceptionally high score! Unless someone rolled the ultimate ‘Ancestral Leopard’ of eighteen, only seventeen could beat him.

The faces of Li Feng and his group showed smug satisfaction. As long as Meng Haizhou was the banker, they were confident of continuing the run, making this foolish boy Jun Xie lose everything, even his trousers! Letting him lose his composure first would smooth the path for the prearranged plan.

Jun Xie took the three jade dice, weighing them lightly in his hand, a wry smile on his face, yet inwardly cursing. Playing tricks with the tea was one thing, but they had rigged the dice too! They were clearly weighted with something else, making them extremely hard to control.

It certainly wasn't lead; lead would cause an obvious imbalance. These were perfectly balanced. Only a fluid substance like mercury could be sealed inside to make the outcome wildly unpredictable, manageable only by someone intimately familiar with its mechanics. A regular person, even if they suspected foul play, would be helpless. As for himself...

Jun Xie blew a breath across them, then flicked his wrist, letting the three dice tumble noisily into the dice cup. Simultaneously, his right hand rested lightly on the edge of the table, and an almost invisible, needle-thin stream of internal energy flowed secretly from his fingertip into the dice cup...

Everyone involuntarily held their breath, their eyes wide.

The three dice rolled a few times and settled.

“This... how is this possible?” Li Zhen cried out, staring with utter dismay.

Meng Haizhou’s group let out disappointed sighs, while Tang Yuan cheered loudly, waving his arms, laughing uproariously.

Two sixes and one five—seventeen points! Exactly one point higher than the highest-scoring Meng Haizhou.

Meng Haizhou’s hopes were dashed, and everyone was stunned: That Jun Moye guy really had astronomical luck today!

Jun Xie cried out with feigned delight, “Wahaha! Miss Dugu’s luck is indeed potent; she brought me good fortune! Truly, heaven favors my wishes! Today, I am destined to sweep everyone away!” He snapped the dice cup shut, shaking it in his hand, urging them on, “Bet, bet, place your bets quickly!” He seemed extremely eager.

Smack! Jun Xie slammed the dice cup onto the stone table, immediately releasing his grip, though one hand remained lightly touching the table’s edge, his face tense. His internal energy, however, had already sunk to the bottom of the cup, poised and ready to strike!