Chapter 590: Thousand Tael Workshop

Li Banfeng didn't understand why Dou Jiyan insisted on him being the witness.

"What exactly does this witness need to do?"

Dou Jiyan replied, "My senior brother, Ding Liusan, and I have agreed to a fair contest. However, he's a bad loser; he can play, but he can't lose. If he throws a tantrum or acts shamelessly, I'll need you, Brother Qi, to speak up for justice."

Qiu Luoye scoffed, "You need to explain this more clearly. This isn't something that can be resolved with just a fair word. What if Ding Liusan refuses to back down? Will our Old Qi have to fight him?"

Dou Jiyan pursed her lips. Qiu Luoye was right; a fight was a real possibility. "Brother Qi, when I encountered the Smiling Thousand-Hands today, I didn't back down. You know what kind of person he is. If you just give the word, I'll bravely charge at him and fight to the death. You must see the depth of our friendship, right?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I see the friendship, but let's be clear. You're a local deity with a strong reputation; you have plenty of capable people to choose from. Why do you insist on coming to me?"

Dou Jiyan pondered for a moment. "Because Sir Qi is upright and impartial, he champions the weak against the strong, and he doesn't tolerate injustice—"

"Don't flatter me!"

Dou Jiyan sniffed. "Because Brother Qi is highly respected and always keeps his promises. In the eyes of all heroes, Brother Qi is a legend—"

"Still flattering me!"

Dou Jiyan hesitated, then finally told the truth. "Because my senior brother is in the pawnshop business; he controls 40% of the pawnshops in Proulx State. Brother Qi is a powerful figure in Proulx State, and all the major families follow your command. If my brother were to offend you, his business would suffer in the future."

Li Banfeng nodded. This statement seemed sincere.

Although Ding Liusan's cultivation had moved beyond the land, his business operations remained grounded, requiring support from various regions. He wouldn't easily offend a powerful figure like Li Qi. This ensured not only that he wouldn't easily turn hostile at the gambling table but also provided long-term security for his ventures.

However, while this offered long-term security for Dou Jiyan, it presented a long-term commitment for Li Banfeng. The terms had to be clearly negotiated.

"I can be your witness, but we need a written agreement. If I ever truly need help in the future, you cannot refuse."

Dou Jiyan laughed heartily. "What are you talking about, Brother Qi? Why do we need an agreement? From now on, just say the word, and I'll go through fire and water for you—"

"Don't talk about 'through fire and water.' That's too grand; it's hard to follow through on later. Let's clearly define what we can do for each other, item by item."

They all went to Li Banfeng's residence to draft the agreement. Dou Jiyan was a master of gambling arts and naturally good with figures, but since she needed Li Banfeng's help, she dared not quibble over details and deferred to his judgment.

Cui Tike walked over to Dou Jiyan, meticulously examining the beautiful woman. "Beautiful lady, you are as lovely as an angel. Let me be your witness; I will give you a fair answer."

Dou Jiyan glanced at Cui Tike. "We have no grievances, so could you please not stand so close to me?"

Cui Tike looked somewhat innocent. "I haven't used any afflictions on you; I merely wish to express my goodwill."

Dou Jiyan pressed closer to Li Qi. "Please keep your goodwill to yourself. I am a woman who is taken; I am with Brother Qi now."

Cui Tike shrugged and walked out of the bathhouse, gazing at the streetscape of Qiqiu City.

Shui Yongquan was also on the street. The flourishing, vast Qiqiu City made Old Shui feel quite emotional.

Upon returning to the residence, Shui Yongquan said with a reluctant expression, "Old Qiu, your place is too good."

Qiu Luoye snorted, "What's wrong? I'm doing well, and you're not happy?"

Shui Yongquan shook his head. "I'm not happy. I wish I could tear down all of Qiqiu City and turn it back into how New Land used to be."

Qiu Luoye rolled up his sleeves. "Listening to you talk just makes my blood boil."

Shui Yongquan rubbed his head. "I know I shouldn't say this to you, but it's truly how I feel. I've wanted to tear down Qiqiu City for a long time, but I just can't bring myself to do it."

Qiu Luoye pondered for a moment, then looked at Li Banfeng. "I think I know what's going on with him."

Li Banfeng told Dou Jiyan, "Sister, why don't you go for a walk first? We brothers have something to discuss. Old Cui, you can go and prepare the hospital. Let me know once you've chosen a good location."

Dou Jiyan coincidentally wanted to explore the city, and Cui Tike was busy with hospital matters. Only the brothers remained in the room. Li Banfeng asked Shui Yongquan, "Brother Shui, have you become unable to lie?"

"Who says I can't!" Shui Yongquan avoided Li Banfeng's gaze. "My thoughts are very deep; none of you can guess them."

Qiu Luoye leaned closer and said, "Have you also taken a liking to Zhu Chunhua?"

"I haven't taken a liking to her, but I just don't want you to get married!"

Qiu Luoye was about to hit him again, but Li Banfeng stopped him and asked Shui Yongquan, "Brother Shui, normally one only learns one technique per Cloud Layer of cultivation, but why have you learned three Cloud Layer techniques?"

"Do I have three Cloud Layer techniques?" Shui Yongquan truly couldn't lie, so he could only pretend to be confused.

Li Banfeng said, "Shall I count them for you? 'Water to Water,' you can use that technique, right?"

Shui Yongquan nodded. "Yes, I can."

Li Banfeng continued, "'Spilled Water Retrievable,' that's also a Cloud Layer technique, isn't it?"

"It is!" Shui Yongquan could only speak the truth.

Li Banfeng then asked, "What about 'Cleansing the Mind and Purifying Thoughts'?"

Shui Yongquan replied, "What about it?"

Qiu Luoye said, "Old Shui, don't pretend to be confused. We're asking what's going on. With your Cloud Layer Two cultivation, how do you have three techniques?"

Shui Yongquan held back for a long time, then burst out laughing. "Qiu the Elephant, you didn't see this coming, did you? My cultivation is higher than yours, and I still won't let you marry! I want to bully you at every turn!"

Qiu Luoye rolled up his sleeves and said, "Old Seven, you go out first."

Fifteen minutes later, Shui Yongquan, bruised and swollen, was still laughing loudly. "Qiu the Elephant, I've got you for life."

Qiu Luoye hadn't quite grasped it. "How could your cultivation be higher than mine? Our territories are similar, aren't they? How did just a few anomalous creatures get you to the third layer?"

Shui Yongquan didn't want to say, but he couldn't control himself. "Do you remember when we brothers hosted a banquet back then, inviting dozens of local deities from the surrounding areas to our territory?"

Qiu Luoye nodded. "I remember. You said if we got along well with our neighbors, we'd also get help. Those bastards talked a good game, eating and drinking here for three full days. But when something happened later and we called for their help, not a single one came!"

Shui Yongquan shook his head. "I knew what kind of people they were; I never relied on them. I carefully selected those individuals because I knew where their local deity seals were hidden. During the day, we drank and ate with them, but at night, I went to their territories and stole their popularity. The popularity of dozens of territories was stolen by me!"

Qiu Luoye was stunned. "I'm truly impressed by you. You even planned for that? But how could you withstand absorbing the popularity of dozens of territories in just three days?"

Li Banfeng deeply understood that absorbing too much popularity could lead to serious consequences.

Shui Yongquan said, "I could withstand it. I spent a fortune to buy two Profound Essence Pills and swallowed them in one go. I forced myself to endure it!"

"Nonsense!" Qiu Luoye waved his hand. "Profound Essence Pills shouldn't be consumed excessively. With our cultivation, we can only take half a pill at most. If you swallowed two, it would kill you."

Shui Yongquan laughed. "Profound Essence Pills are very potent, and consuming too many can indeed be fatal. But I truly could withstand it because I knew where to find the Xuanqing Flower!"

Qiu Luoye was dumbfounded.

Li Banfeng remained silent for a long time.

Shui Yongquan looked at Li Banfeng and said, "You know about this. You even fought with Old Qiu back then because you wanted the Xuanqing Flower from me!"

Li Banfeng said, "That doesn't make sense. So, you had already ascended to the third layer at that time, but why did you still lose when you fought Brother Qiu later?"

Qiu Luoye and Shui Yongquan had a dispute on the border, and Shui Yongquan indeed lost to Qiu Luoye at that time, which triggered the subsequent war.

Recalling the incident, Shui Yongquan sighed. "It truly doesn't make sense. I was at the third layer then, and I still couldn't beat Qiu the Elephant. Later, when I heard that Chu Shaoqiang, also at the third layer, couldn't beat Qiu the Elephant either, I felt much better."

Qiu Luoye smiled triumphantly. "From now on, remember this: don't think you can be arrogant in front of me just because your cultivation is higher. Forget about beating a third-layer cultivator; even if someone from beyond the clouds comes, I'll still beat them."

Shui Yongquan snorted. "I praise you a little, and you get full of yourself. There are many beyond the clouds; how would you know who is deep and who is shallow? A newcomer to 'beyond the clouds' is miles away from a seasoned veteran who has cultivated for years!"

"You've hidden yourself quite well," Qiu Luoye thought for a moment, seemingly understanding Shui Yongquan's intentions. "Did you originally want to ascend 'beyond the clouds' to escape your territory? That's why you weren't in a hurry to turn your New Land into a Proper Land."

Shui Yongquan nodded. "I did think that, but it's not that simple. Ascending to Cloud Layer Three is still quite far from 'beyond the clouds,' and it requires a lot of popularity, which is not easy to obtain. Moreover, ascending 'beyond the clouds' is very similar to the ninth-to-tenth ascension; it requires a complete transformation. If the Inner State were to intervene, I might not make it past that step. So, I thought about it, and it's better to play it safe. I plan to ascend to Cloud Layer Four."

Qiu Luoye was stunned for a moment, then looked at Li Banfeng. "Old Seven, he's still not thinking clearly. There's no such thing as Cloud Layer Four. Cloud Layer cultivation tops out at three layers."

Shui Yongquan chuckled. "Hehehe, that's why I say you don't know anything! There is a Cloud Layer Four, and even Five and Six. The truly formidable individuals don't take the 'beyond the clouds' path; they stay within the clouds. It's just that I haven't fully figured out that path yet."

Qiu Luoye said, "Well, take your time figuring it out then."

After speaking, Qiu Luoye glanced at Li Qi. "This old man doesn't even know what he's talking about. I've never heard of anyone reaching Cloud Layer Four in my life."

Shui Yongquan sneered, "There's a lot you haven't heard of. Shall I tell you something else new?"

Judging by Shui Yongquan's expression, he didn't seem to be spouting nonsense.

Moreover, in his current state, he truly couldn't lie.

Qiu Luoye muttered, "Could it really be true?"

Li Banfeng believed Shui Yongquan's words, as the peddler had once said that Mr. Kong Fang was not "beyond the clouds," nor was Sun Tiecheng. The path one takes depends on one's own choice.

Perhaps continuing to ascend within the Cloud Layers was a path in itself.

Dou Jiyan returned. "Sir Qi, the gambling match is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Qianliang Ward isn't close from here, so we should probably set off soon."

Li Banfeng told Qiu Luoye, "Brother, have a good talk with Brother Shui these next two days. See what other new things you can learn."

Qiu Luoye didn't dare to neglect the task and coaxed Shui Yongquan into conversation. "Old Shui, let's not dwell on the past. There are plenty of good girls in Qiqiu City. If you want to settle down, shall I introduce you to someone?"

Shui Yongquan flatly refused. "I haven't thought about settling down. I just want you to be a bachelor with me for life."

Qiu Luoye rolled up his sleeves and said, "Old Shui, hurry up and learn how to lie. I'm afraid I might accidentally kill you."

Cui Tike stood on the hillside, watching Dou Jiyan's retreating figure, and murmured with a smile, "Beautiful girl, you are truly beautiful. You must live well."

*Mee-dang-dang-dang!*

He gently shook the rattle drum in his hand, a hint of regret and reluctance in his eyes.

Dou Jiyan, a gambling cultivator, was quick-handed and nimble-footed. She and Li Banfeng walked for nearly a day through the New Land until they reached Qianliang Ward.

Stepping out of the New Land, Li Banfeng saw a brick wall over two meters high, stretching endlessly in both directions.

"Brother Qi, we've arrived at Qianliang Ward."

"Is Qianliang Ward a city?"

"No, it's not."

"Then why does it have city walls?"

"Brother Qi, this isn't a city wall; it's a ward wall."

What's the difference?

Walking along the base of the wall for a moment, Li Banfeng saw two large gates. The gates were open, with people constantly going in and out. In front of the gates were five guards: one to register destinations, one to check identification, one holding a gong for lookout and warning, and the remaining two carrying weapons to handle emergencies.

"Brother Qi, these are all guards I've hired. There are many more inside the ward."

Dou Jiyan approached the gate, and the five guards quickly saluted. But even for her, entering Qianliang Ward required presenting a token.

The token was Qianliang Ward's identification. The content on the token was simple: Dou Jiyan's name was carved on the front, and the words "Qianliang Ward" were carved on the back.

Li Banfeng took the token and examined it. "This token... any blacksmith could forge it, couldn't they?"

"It can't be forged," Dou Jiyan said, pointing to the guard checking the tokens. "His name is Jin Jinliang, and he's a disciple of my senior brother. He's a Cultivator of Articles, and his level isn't low. Anything forged can hardly escape his eyes. The token looks simple, but the mold used to cast it was created jointly by high-level Literary Cultivators and Illusion Cultivators whom I invited. Every stroke and character on the token has its own technique. Moreover, even if a token were forged, one couldn't stay in Qianliang Ward. The ward is very different from the outside; it's hard for outsiders to stay here for even a day."

Li Banfeng looked at the guard checking the tokens. He seemed to be around sixty years old.

"He's been cultivating for quite some time, hasn't he?"

Dou Jiyan thought for a moment. "I heard him say it's been over thirty years since he entered the Cultivation of Articles."

"Cultivators of Articles don't have medicinal powders. How did he enter the Daoist gate?"

"My senior brother gave him some elixirs, which are said to have similar uses to medicinal powders. Jin Jinliang is very diligent. In over thirty years, he has already cultivated to the seventh layer. He has mastered all four great techniques of the Cultivator of Articles—Discernment, Guidance, Argumentation, and Determination—and his mastery of Discernment is particularly admired by my senior brother."

Cultivators of Articles: they have elixirs, layers, and ultimate techniques similar to abilities.

"They've come this far, and it's still not considered a Daoist gate?"

Dou Jiyan sighed lightly. "That's the rule in Proulx State. Any Daoist gate not recognized by the peddler is not considered a legitimate one."

Li Banfeng looked back at Jin Jinliang. "This man is your senior brother's subordinate. Aren't you afraid he and Ding Liusan might conspire against you?"

Dou Jiyan shook her head. "Don't use those you doubt, and don't doubt those you use. I trust his character."

Li Banfeng followed Dou Jiyan down the ward path. On both sides of the path were two rows of identical residences. The layout inside each courtyard was exactly the same: one main house, two wing rooms, one storeroom, and one latrine. All houses were identical in style, size, and color, and even the alleys between them were of the same width.

Li Banfeng walked for a full five li, and the scenery on both sides of the road kept repeating without any changes.

"No wonder they say it's hard for outsiders to stay for even a day. Walking here for half a day, you'd get lost. Are all these identical houses built to guard against outsiders?"

Dou Jiyan replied, "Also to guard against the locals."

"Guard against locals for what?"

"Gambling."

"Gambling?" Li Banfeng peered into the courtyards. "Isn't Qianliang Ward the biggest gambling house in Proulx State? They don't allow gambling here?"

Dou Jiyan explained, "People living in Qianliang Ward are not allowed to privately open gambling games within Qianliang Ward. That's the rule here."

"Are there many gambling cultivators living here?"

Dou Jiyan nodded. "Aside from the guards I employ and some merchants, everyone else is a gambling cultivator."

"An entire city, populated solely by gambling cultivators?"

Dou Jiyan corrected him again. "This isn't a city; it's a ward. There are over a hundred thousand gambling cultivators living here."

Li Banfeng was highly skeptical. "That number is probably higher than the total number of literary and martial cultivators. If that's the case, then the foremost Daoist gate in Proulx State should be the gambling cultivators."

Dou Jiyan calculated seriously. "If you include all the incomplete cultivators, then the Daoist gate with the most cultivators in Proulx State is indeed the gambling cultivators."

"What do you mean by 'incomplete cultivators'?"

"Those who haven't consumed proper medicinal powders—"

As they spoke, two guards dragged a woman out of a house and walked towards the main gate.

The woman struggled and shrieked all the way, "I've been wronged! I wasn't gambling! We were just playing Pai Gow for fun, not for money!"

Li Banfeng said, "Aren't you going to ask about it?"

Dou Jiyan shook her head. "There's nothing to ask. Since she broke the rules, she has to be expelled from the gambling house!"

Li Banfeng thought Dou Jiyan's idea was problematic. "You gather gambling cultivators together but don't let them gamble for money. Isn't that too difficult?"

Dou Jiyan said, "Not allowing private gambling games doesn't mean they can't gamble at all. They can gamble in the public gambling houses. Qianliang Ward has thirty-six gambling houses, all established for them. I'll take you to see them, and you'll understand."

The two walked another two li, and finally, a slightly different building appeared ahead.

It was a large compound with a row of single-story houses, about ten rooms at a glance.

About a hundred meters from the compound, Li Banfeng could already hear the clamor from inside the building.

"Is this the gambling house?"

Dou Jiyan nodded. "It looks simple from the outside, but it's quite refined inside."

People streamed in and out of the gambling house's entrance. Li Banfeng was puzzled. "What's the difference between gambling here and setting up a private game?"

Dou Jiyan said, "The stakes in the gambling house are very small, and there's a rule that daily winnings or losses won't exceed one silver dollar. This prevents them from losing everything; at least they'll have some money left to live on."

"Gambling cultivators come to Qianliang Ward just to survive?"

Dou Jiyan nodded. "People are fond of gambling, and countless individuals hope to get rich overnight by entering the gambling cultivation Daoist gate. However, peddlers rarely sell gambling cultivation medicinal powders, so those who wish to enter the gambling cultivation Daoist gate must find other ways."

Li Banfeng recalled Shui Yongquan's words: the flesh and blood of gambling cultivators were real gold and silver. "The 'other ways' you mentioned, do they involve consuming the flesh and blood of gambling cultivators?"

Dou Jiyan nodded. "Most people can't obtain a complete body of flesh and blood. A pound of gambling cultivator flesh and blood is much more expensive than a pound of gold. When they enter the Daoist gate, they might have only consumed a small piece of flesh and blood, then began cultivating according to the rules of gambling cultivation, becoming incomplete gambling cultivators."

Li Banfeng asked, "Can incomplete gambling cultivators also improve their layers and learn techniques?"

"Yes, but their cultivation will be limited after reaching a certain level. Even so, countless people enter the path this way."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Are gambling cultivators really that appealing?"

"Indeed, they are appealing. Let's go in and see!" Dou Jiyan led Li Banfeng into the gambling house.

The gambling house had been incredibly noisy, causing Li Banfeng's ears to ring. But after Dou Jiyan entered, many people noticed her, and the gambling house gradually quieted down. Everyone respectfully saluted Dou Jiyan.

Dou Jiyan smiled. "You all can continue playing; don't mind me."

Everyone returned to their card tables. No one shouted or called out; they all played their own games.

There were over a dozen card tables in the room, all playing Pai Gow. A woman threw the dice, and everyone quickly drew their cards. They were playing small Pai Gow, with each person receiving only two cards.

Before the reveal, people placed their bets. Two individuals discarded their cards without even looking at them.

Li Banfeng asked Dou Jiyan, "Are they just blindly guessing?"

Dou Jiyan shook her head. "This is a gambling cultivation technique called 'Flower Blooms on Time.' The flower naturally opens when it should, and when it shouldn't, its petals remain tightly closed. Those two cultivators sensed the timing was off, so they simply didn't look at their cards to avoid upsetting themselves. Either way, they'd only lose the base bet, so the loss isn't significant."

Li Banfeng still didn't understand. "If they looked at the cards and didn't bet, wouldn't they just lose the base bet anyway?"

"That's different. Knowing it's not the time for the flower to bloom, but still wanting its petals to move, would ruin one's spirit and luck."

"Are spirit and luck related?"

"Of course they are. Gambling cultivators rely on luck to survive. When their spirit is high, luck naturally follows. Look at the man at that table; his betting spirit is strong, and his hand is steady when revealing cards. For the next ten or so rounds, I doubt anyone will be his match."

Dou Jiyan was referring to the table by the window.

Li Banfeng watched from a distance for a while. Dou Jiyan was right; the man's momentum remained strong, and he won over a dozen rounds consecutively. However, Li Banfeng also noticed some issues.

The man drew two "eight-dot" tiles, which in Pai Gow are called "double-man tiles," a very strong hand. With the double-man tiles, the man won that round. During the next shuffle, Li Banfeng focused on those two double-man tiles.

With Li Banfeng's eyesight, even though the tiles were face down, he could see very clearly that the two double-man tiles had been picked up by two different women.

Yet, when the tiles were revealed, the man once again showed double-man tiles.

Was this man cheating?

Even stranger, after the two women revealed their tiles, they didn't have any double-man tiles.

Were they shills?

Dou Jiyan explained, "This small bet isn't worth cheating for. For gambling cultivators, cheating will damage their cultivation. That man used a gambling cultivation technique called 'Shifting Flowers and Connecting Trees.' He swapped the tiles using an unnamable power."

"How is that different from cheating?"

"The difference is that he didn't violate the rules of the game. He didn't deliberately arrange the tiles during shuffling, didn't tamper with the dice when rolling, and didn't switch cards after drawing. He entirely relied on his technique to manifest a pair of double-man tiles in his hand. As long as it's done through genuine ability, it cannot be considered cheating."

There was no fault in that logic. Cultivation was invisible, and in an outside gambling house, what he did truly couldn't be counted as cheating.

The man won a few more rounds, and the eyes of those around him were filled with envy.

Dou Jiyan said, "This is called 'stars surrounding the moon.' The more others praise him, the better a gambling cultivator's luck becomes. But this praise cannot be forced; it must be genuinely earned!"

Everyone was indeed envious, but after the man won, hardly anyone spoke in the gambling house.

The man himself wasn't particularly excited. The stakes were too small; after all those rounds, he had only won a few dozen coins.

Li Banfeng asked, "Is this man a complete gambling cultivator?"

Dou Jiyan shook her head. "He's incomplete, and his layer isn't very high. But his spirit is good today, so winning a hundred or so coins isn't a problem. If he were in an outside gambling den, playing against a group of 'white lambs,' it wouldn't be difficult to win several hundred silver dollars overnight. As long as they are gambling cultivators, they'll certainly have a huge advantage at the casino. However, once gambling cultivators earn some money and gain some reputation, their flesh and blood become targets."

Li Banfeng nodded. "That's fair enough. They entered the Daoist gate by consuming others' flesh and blood, and now they've landed on the chopping block themselves."

Dou Jiyan strongly agreed. "Brother Qi is right. Those who are insatiably greedy end up on the chopping block sooner or later. But some who know when to advance and retreat can still find a way out. The people who come to Qianliang Ward are all looking for a retreat for themselves. They've earned enough money, endured enough hardship, and their cultivation won't advance further in this life. With their previous savings, they could have lived out their lives. However, gambling cultivators are hard to change; they privately set up gambling games in Qianliang Ward, staking thousands, losing all their savings, gambling away their wives and children, until they bet their own flesh and blood for money. In earlier years, there were many loan-cultivators in Qianliang Ward. They all carried boning knives with them. When gambling cultivators who lost everything couldn't pay their debts, they used their flesh and blood as collateral. The loan-cultivators would kill and butcher them on the spot, turning Qianliang Ward into a meat market. Since I became the local deity, I laid down the rules: Qianliang Ward will no longer allow private gambling games. They can cultivate in the public gambling houses, and daily winnings or losses must not exceed one silver dollar. Anyone who breaks this rule must leave Qianliang Ward. There is absolutely no room for negotiation on this point."

The two left the gambling house and hadn't walked far when they saw another wall.

Li Banfeng asked, "Is Qianliang Ward just this big?"

Dou Jiyan shook her head. "Qianliang Ward has twenty-eight sub-wards. There are twenty-eight such areas, each with a gambling house and a market. The wards are separated by walls. During the day, people can move between them, but at night, the ward gates close, and residents can only move within their own ward. In the center of Qianliang Ward, there are also eight large gambling houses, complete with teahouses, theaters, taverns, and restaurants. I've provided everything that should be prepared. As long as they are willing to live properly, Qianliang Ward lacks nothing—"

Dou Jiyan hadn't finished speaking when her voice was drowned out by a clamor.

The clamor came from the gambling house. Ever since Dou Jiyan left, the gambling house had gradually become noisy again.

Dou Jiyan seemed a bit embarrassed. She looked at the iron railings outside the gambling house. "These railings are old; they should be repainted."

Li Banfeng asked, "What color?"

Dou Jiyan said, "Red paint. In Qianliang Ward, the railings of the gambling houses are always painted red."

Li Banfeng nodded slightly, but he wasn't actually speaking to Dou Jiyan.

He was prompting the projector to observe the colors inside the gambling house.

The projector had been observing all along.

After walking a bit further, Li Banfeng went to the latrine. The projector quietly spoke in his ear: "Director Qi, the colors in the gambling house are complex but striking. Before you entered, there were shades of lost and depressed gray around the gambling house, as well as joyful and excited red, with gray being slightly more dominant."

Nine out of ten gambles don't win, so it was natural for those coming out to be more dejected.

The projector continued, "After you entered the gambling house, the colors inside changed. There was suppressed black, fearful green, and even more vibrant red."

"More vibrant? Do you mean they became more joyful?"

The projector replied cautiously, "Such dazzling red might not be joy; it could also be anger."

Walking beside the ward wall, Dou Jiyan introduced, "After passing through two more wards, we'll reach the Grand Gambling House in the very center of Qianliang Ward. Tomorrow's match will be held there. Brother Qi, I'll take you to see it."

Li Banfeng wasn't in a hurry to see the Grand Gambling House. He first asked a crucial question: "You asked me to be a witness. If you lose tomorrow, should I act fairly?"

Dou Jiyan nodded slightly. "To accept defeat when gambling is a gambling cultivator's duty. But I won't lose. I won't surrender Qianliang Ward to Ding Liusan."

Li Banfeng remained silent.