120: Deadly Gamble

Yang Kai's gaze darkened slightly as he looked in the direction the old demon pointed. The tent stood alone at the deepest part of the cavern, its black fabric embroidered with intricate crimson patterns that flapped and snapped in the wind like countless vengeful spirits shrieking inside. No one lingered around the tent; only a few skull lanterns hung from its eaves, their eerie green flames flickering, casting a bone-chilling cold into the surrounding air.

"Fellow Daoist, after you," the old demon said, leaning on his cane. The green light at the tip of the skull-headed staff brightened, his tone leaving no room for refusal. His hunched figure cast a long shadow under the glow of the luminous stones. With each step, his cane struck the ground with a dull *thud, thud*, like a prelude to the impending gamble.

Yang Kai followed expressionlessly, his Divine Sense extending outwards to scout the surroundings. He could clearly feel that from the moment he entered this underground market, the surrounding Devilish Qi had grown increasingly dense. Especially as he neared the tent, a heart-palpitating pressure washed over him. It was evident this old demon's cultivation far surpassed that of any Demonic Path cultivator he had encountered before.

The moment he lifted the tent flap, a strange odor, a mix of sandalwood and blood, assailed his senses. The interior was far more spacious than it appeared from outside. A massive black stone table stood at the center, its surface carved with dense, intricate runes. At the table's corners sat two bone dice cups, their surfaces covered in fine cracks as if they had been repeatedly slammed down. Embedded in the stone walls on either side of the tent were several fist-sized crimson crystals, bathing the entire space in a bloody red light, as if it were submerged in a pool of blood.

"Sit," the old demon said, taking a seat on one side of the black stone table and leaning his cane casually against it. The skull's empty eye sockets faced Yang Kai, their green light flickering erratically. He pointed to the stone stool opposite, his tone flat yet exuding an arrogance of absolute control.

"The rules here are simple. We'll have a gamble. Win, and the Bone Banner is yours. Lose, and you leave behind Spirit Stones or treasures equivalent to the banner's value." The old demon laid his cards on the table. The tent's curtains fell silently behind them; those two thin pieces of fabric now isolated this space from the outside.

Yang Kai sneered inwardly. So, this was indeed aimed at him. He calmly sat down, his gaze sweeping over the runes on the table. "I have no interest in gambling," he said coolly. "I'll buy the Bone Banner directly. Name your price."

"Buy?" The old demon suddenly laughed, a sharp, grating sound like nails scraping stone. "In my territory, there's no such thing as 'buying.' Either gamble, or... you won't be leaving this tent today." Before his words faded, his aura erupted. A surge of dense Devilish Qi surged towards Yang Kai like a tidal wave. The crimson crystals in the tent instantly blazed brighter, and the runes on the black stone table began to flicker with an eerie red light.

Yang Kai felt a sudden pressure on his chest, as if a mountain were crushing him, making it difficult to breathe. He was inwardly alarmed. This old demon's cultivation was at least at the Core Formation Stage, perhaps even higher. In a direct confrontation, he stood no chance. For now, he had to play along and look for an opportunity to escape.

"Fine, I'll gamble," Yang Kai said slowly, suppressing the turmoil within. "What's the game?"

Seeing him yield, a hint of smug satisfaction appeared on the old demon's face. He pointed to the bone dice cups on the table. "Simple. High or low. We each choose a cup. We shake, sum the points. Greater than six is high, less than six is low. Equal to six means a re-roll. One round decides it all. How about it?"

Yang Kai nodded. "Agreed." He knew this game was undoubtedly rigged; his chances of winning were minuscule. But for now, he had no choice but to agree.

The old demon picked up one of the dice cups and handed it to Yang Kai. "You shake first."

Yang Kai took the cup. It felt icy cold to the touch, the surface seeming to retain a faint scent of blood. He shook it, hearing the *clatter* of dice striking the inner walls, the sound unnervingly clear. He could sense an invisible force manipulating the dice inside. No matter how he shook it, the final result seemed predetermined.

*Clunk!* Yang Kai overturned the cup onto the black stone table and lifted the lid. The two dice showed 'one' and 'two'—a sum of three. Low.

Seeing this, the old demon's lips curled into a strange arc. He picked up the other dice cup, gave it a casual shake, and overturned it on the table. The moment he lifted the lid, the two dice showed 'three' and 'four'—a sum of seven. High.

"You lose," the old demon's voice held a note of mockery. "By the rules, you leave behind a treasure or Spirit Stones equivalent to the Bone Banner's value. My Bone Banner is no ordinary Magic Treasure. But I'm a reasonable man. Let's call it one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Yang Kai frowned. He retrieved several oddly-shaped Demonic Path Magic Treasures from his Storage Pouch and dumped them onto the table. "Senior, please forgive this Junior. I don't have that many Spirit Stones. These Magic Treasures should be worth one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones. I hope Senior can let me go."

The exchange rate between Low-Grade and Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was 100:1. Any single Foundation Establishment Stage Magic Treasure was worth over a hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. These items were looted from several Demonic Path cultivators. If sold openly, they would fetch at least a thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to one hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones—more than enough to cover the debt.

"Go?" The old demon's face darkened, his Devilish Qi surging once more. "Once the game starts, no one leaves the table until they're bankrupt. Again!"

Rage burned in Yang Kai's heart, yet he was powerless. He knew the old demon was deliberately trying to squeeze him dry. He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and picked up the dice cup again. This time, he secretly circulated his spiritual power, attempting to counter the invisible force inside the cup. But no matter how hard he tried, the result was still low. And every time the old demon shook, his result was precisely high.

After losing five consecutive rounds, Yang Kai's Spirit Stones were nearly depleted. Apart from three Top-Grade Spirit Stones and a few personally important items, he had lost almost everything. The old demon sat opposite, his smile growing more triumphant. The green light at the tip of his skull-headed staff brightened further. "What's wrong? Nothing left to wager? How about betting your cultivation base?"

Yang Kai's head snapped up, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Your gambling method is utterly boring. There's no fun in it."

The old demon was taken aback, then chuckled. "Oh? And how would you like to gamble?"

"I know a new game called ' Texas Hold'em' (Bomb the Golden Flower)," Yang Kai said slowly, his gaze fixed intently on the old demon. "We use three dice. Each person shakes once. The outcome is determined by the dice combination. Three of a kind is the highest, followed by a straight (three consecutive numbers), then a pair, and finally, unmatched numbers (high card). If the combination type is the same, we compare the individual die values. This game relies entirely on luck. It's perfectly fair. Do you dare to play?"