Making You Run Out of Options

Tian Heng nearly sprang out of his chair.

The four Earl's Manor warriors behind Shen Lang pretended not to hear, but they too were stunned by his words.

"Shen Lang, have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you spouting?" Tian Heng roared.

It was not just him. The four Earl's Manor warriors also felt Shen Lang was daydreaming in broad daylight, asking for humiliation.

There was no way Tian Heng would break Tian Shisan's legs, and he had no intention of paying those nineteen thousand gold coins either.

It would have been remarkable if he agreed to even one of those conditions, yet Shen Lang wanted both?

What else could that be but a brain cramp? "Hahaha..." Tian Heng laughed in fury. "So I've been dealing with a madman?"

Shen Lang's body swayed gently, then he crossed one leg over the other.

Tian Heng stared at Shen Lang. "Let me make this perfectly clear. Tian Shisan was sent to kill your whole family, but I was the one who sent him. Still, I will never harm a single hair on him. Break his legs and make me lose face? Dream on! And those nineteen thousand gold coins you won, I won't give you a single one."

Since they had already torn off all pretenses, who was afraid of whom? Tian Heng continued, "If you've got the ability, have your Earl come collect the debt from me. Let's see whether he breaks your legs instead."

Others could be shameless, but the Earl had to keep his face.

For him to collect a gambling debt of nineteen thousand gold coins for Shen Lang? Absolutely impossible. Breaking Shen Lang's legs was more likely.

For centuries, the Earl's Manor had maintained strict family rules. Not a single descendant had ever dared enter a casino.

If the Earl collected gambling debts for Shen Lang, rumors would soon fly everywhere that the Xuanwu Earl's Manor had gone financially bankrupt and even had to send its Live-in Son-in-Law to casinos to earn money and survive the crisis.

So Tian Heng had decided to renege outright.

"You want to stir up trouble with the hundreds of gamblers outside?" Tian Heng laughed. "Dream on. I'll pay every last coin of the nine thousand gold they won. But the money you won? I won't give you even one copper coin. What can you do about it?"

With that, Tian Heng flung open the window and shouted to the hundreds of gamblers below, "Since I, Tian Heng, can afford to open a casino, I can afford to lose money. Every coin you won will be paid out. Men, cash out all the customers' chips."

At those words, the hundreds of gamblers below instantly went mad with excitement.

Then dozens of casino attendants got to work at once, cashing out chips for the hundreds of gamblers.

In less than half an hour, all nine thousand gold coins won by the gamblers had been paid out.

"Long live Gang Leader Tian!"

"Gang Leader Tian is a real man!"

"Gang Leader Tian is awesome!"

"Gang Leader Tian, I love you!"

That person again. You really did love everyone, didn't you?

Listening to their cheers, Tian Heng sneered. "Shen Lang, do you see? What a bunch of people who chase power and fawn on wealth. I paid them all their money. Do you think they'll still stand by you and help you make trouble?"

Of course they would not.

Once the gamblers got their gold, some went home while others kept gambling. They scattered like birds and beasts. Who would still care about Shen Lang?

"The money in gamblers' hands is never truly theirs. They're merely holding it for me," Tian Heng said. "Believe it or not, within half a month, those nine thousand gold coins will return to my hands intact—perhaps even with more."

Shen Lang naturally believed him. It would not even take half a month. Seven or eight days would be enough.

A gambler's money was never something he could keep warm in his hands.

Getting wiped clean was a gambler's eternal ending. Getting ashore was impossible.

Winning was merely the process. Losing was the result. The only difference between gamblers was whether they lost a lot or lost even more.

"They won't follow you in making trouble, and the Earl cannot possibly collect gambling debts from me for you." Tian Heng sneered. "What use are those nineteen thousand gold coins you won, Shen Lang? I won't give you a single coin. What can you do?"

"And you still want me to break Tian Shisan's legs? Dream on!"

Clap clap clap clap... Shen Lang applauded vigorously. "Not bad, Gang Leader Tian. That shameless face of yours has a bit of my own charm. But..."

Shen Lang took a sip of tea.

"It's useless," Shen Lang said. "Do you think you can dodge the lacquer just by reneging?"

"Gang Leader Tian, there's no use struggling. I have the Sure-Win Art. I have the Casino Dragon-Slaying Art. Do you think I care about nineteen thousand gold coins?"

"Hahaha..." Shen Lang gave a shrill, villainous laugh. "Do me a favor. As long as your casino remains open, your money is my money. I can win however much I want. Not only will I win myself, I'll lead every gambler here to win as well."

"Unless you shut down your casinos, I'll definitely win you into bankruptcy. Consider it a good deed—I can forgo even a single copper coin, just so countless gamblers can win away every last bit of your family fortune."

"What, you won't let me into the casino? You still dare send men to stop me from entering? Do you dare hurt even one hair on my head?"

Then Shen Lang called out to the countless gamblers below the window, "Don't leave, everyone! I'll take you gambling again, keep making money! Let's win Gang Leader Tian into bankruptcy!"

"Gang Leader Tian, we're done talking..." Shen Lang turned and left.

Then Shen Lang returned to the casino below and continued his slaughter in every direction.

Like locusts, he led several hundred gamblers in sweeping through the casino once again.

The facts proved Shen Lang had not lied. He truly possessed the Casino Dragon-Slaying Art and won every battle! Thus, the attendants, dealers, and manager of the entire casino once again lost until their faces turned pale as earth, until they doubted life itself.

They truly could not stop him at all!

The hundreds of gamblers went completely mad. This was even easier than picking up money.

As long as they followed Shen Lang's bets, they would definitely win.

At last, every attendant, table dealer, and manager at Prosperity Place once again could not withstand the immense pressure. Foam poured from their mouths as they collapsed unconscious.

The manager kept rushing upstairs to report to Tian Heng.

"Master, we've already lost three thousand gold coins."

"Master, we've already lost five thousand."

"Master, we've already lost seven thousand. Shen Lang only wins one gold coin each round. All the rest is being won by those damned gamblers."

Tian Heng's face turned pale, then green, and his entire body began to tremble.

His Adopted Son Tian Shisi rushed over and roared, "Foster Father, I'll go throw Shen Lang out right now."

With that, Tian Shisi led men straight downstairs, intending to drive Shen Lang out by force.

Shen Lang immediately clutched his forehead. "What are you doing? Are you trying to hit me? My health is poor, you know. The moment you touch me, I'll collapse. Whoever dares hit the Earl's Manor's son-in-law, my wife will slaughter his entire family."

Tian Heng heard every word clearly upstairs.

He truly could not imagine how Shen Lang could say something so shameless aloud.

Utterly without shame!

In his rage, Tian Shisi pointed at Shen Lang's head and roared, "So what if I do lay hands on you? Men, throw Shen Lang out!"

But in the next instant!

The four Earl's Manor warriors took positions around Shen Lang to protect him and sharply drew their Great Swords.

Hmph, hmph. Did you Black Clothes Gang thugs want to fight the Earl's Manor warriors? Did you want to harm the Earl's Manor's son-in-law?

That was right. While the New Policy ran rampant, the Earl's Manor could not interfere in local government affairs, nor could it arrest members of the Black Clothes Gang.

But if you dared provoke them first, killing you would be killing you for nothing.

In less than a minute, these four Earl's Manor warriors would begin a massacre.

Even if the Black Clothes Gang warriors swarmed them, even if dozens fought one, and these four Earl's Manor warriors were defeated by you—

Then... your trouble would only grow greater.

Next, the Earl's Manor cavalry would surge in and trample all of Prosperity Place flat.

The Xuanwu Earl's Manor did not seek trouble, but it was absolutely not afraid of trouble.

If others did not offend me, I would not offend them.

But if others offended me, I would trample their entire family flat.

That was Shen Lang's protective talisman.

It was not just the Earl's Manor warriors who surged forward. Countless gamblers also crowded in, surrounding Shen Lang protectively.

"What are you doing?"

"Can a casino not afford to lose?"

"If you want to harm my Master Shen, you'll have to step over my chest first. Cough, cough, cough..."

What a bunch who chased power and fawned on wealth. Just now, Tian Heng had cashed out their chips, and they cried long live Gang Leader Tian.

Now Shen Lang was leading them to win money again, and they cried long live Shen Lang.

What now? Throw all the gamblers out? Tian Heng remained motionless in his chair. He had truly never hated anyone so much, truly wanted to tear Shen Lang into ten thousand pieces.

Too late for regrets, too late for regrets!

If time could turn back, he swore he would kill Shen Lang at the first opportunity, chop him up and feed him to dogs, never listening to another word he said.

Letting a tiger return to the mountain only bred a future calamity.

Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world! What should he do about the situation before him? Tian Heng closed his eyes and said, "Temporarily close Prosperity Place."

"Yes!" Tian Shisi and the manager answered through gritted teeth.

Soon, the manager's voice rang out below.

"Prosperity Place is temporarily closed today. Come back tomorrow to exchange the money you have won."

Shen Lang immediately said, "Gang Leader Tian has four more casinos in Xuanwu City. Let's go win them one by one, shall we?"

"Alright!" Hundreds of gamblers answered excitedly.

Then Shen Lang led the hundreds of gamblers, once again like a swarm of locusts, surging in a dark mass toward Tian Heng's next casino.

Tian Heng shut his eyes in pain.

After a long while, he said hoarsely, "Suspend operations at all the casinos."

"Yes!" Tian Shisi said through clenched teeth.

No one knew how much pain Tian Heng felt when he made that decision.

Those five casinos accounted for more than sixty percent of his daily income. They were true nests of gold.

Now that they were all closed, how much would he lose every day?

Only heaven knew!

But he would rather suffer such enormous losses than compromise with Shen Lang.

Once he publicly broke Tian Shisan's legs, his reputation would be finished, and the Black Clothes Gang's morale would plummet.

Who would fear him after that?

"Shen Lang, you want me to cut off my own arm? Dream on!"

However, Tian Heng's troubles were only just beginning.

Those casinos did not belong to him alone. Many people were making money from them.

Only half an hour later, someone came looking for him.

"Lord Zhang Jin wants you to go see him. He has something for you to do!"

Tian Heng's vision darkened. The thing he feared most had happened.

Sure enough, the deadliest stab always came from one's own people.