The Righteous Path to Subdue Demons

"Crack!"

It felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like a long time had passed.

Opening his eyes, Li Zhuiyuan found himself lying on the bed.

He sat up and looked around carefully, not just to confirm if this was his room, but also to see if he was dreaming.

After a long while, Li Zhuiyuan confirmed it: this was reality.

But in his ears, the crisp sound of Great Grandfather's palm striking the ceramic tile with a talisman seemed to still linger.

Then, his vision went black.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't remember what happened next.

He didn't even remember when the luck-transferring ritual ended, nor how he got out of Great Grandfather's room and back to his own bedroom.

He looked down at the blanket on his knees. Every night when he slept, the blanket would cover his stomach, and he had his own way of folding it.

This meant that Great Grandfather hadn't brought him back to bed after he fainted, because this blanket was folded by him.

Getting out of bed, he glanced at the clock. It was five in the morning. A Li usually came around six.

After walking the yin path many times, in the daze of just waking up, he inevitably felt a slight unease in his heart, instinctively wanting to confirm reality versus illusion.

It was like stopping after walking a certain distance from home and suddenly becoming anxious about whether he had locked the door.

And every time he woke up and saw A Li sitting in the chair, he could skip this step.

His mouth was a little dry, so Li Zhuiyuan walked to the desk to get his water cup, only to find it full of paper ash.

He immediately began to check his notebook. Although it had been cleaned up, he could still see traces of pages being torn out.

However, what was torn out was not what he had written.

His gaze fell on the pen holder on the desk. There were four pens there, arranged according to his habits, but the ink level in his most frequently used pen had dropped significantly.

A scene flashed through Li Zhuiyuan's mind:

Late at night, he was lying in bed, fast asleep, while a stranger sat at his desk, using his pen to write in his notebook.

Finally, this person tore out what they had written, lit it, and threw it into the cup.

Li Zhuiyuan opened the drawer. His remaining change was inside, and not a cent was missing.

The books, notebooks, and pen holder were all arranged according to his habits. Combined with his lost memory of the luck-transferring ritual last night, Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but wonder:

Could the person who sat at the desk writing last night have been himself?

But if it was himself, why would he burn what he wrote?

Was there something he couldn't let himself see?

Moreover, the act of burning it precisely indicated that he, last night, seemed to have foreseen that this memory would be missing.

Li Zhuiyuan flipped through the books on the desk, not expecting to find any clues within them, as he had no habit of writing or drawing in books.

However, when he picked up the second volume of "The Righteous Path to Subdue Demons" and turned to the last page, Li Zhuiyuan noticed a change: one character had been crossed out, and a new character was written next to it.

—Authored by Wei Zhengdao.

It had been changed to, —Authored by Pseudo Zhengdao.

Li Zhuiyuan frowned. He was now almost certain that the person who sat at the desk last night was himself.

Because whether it was family, a thief, a pervert, or an evil spirit, none of them could match such a pointless act.

Only he himself had a slight, malicious association with the previous phrase "destroyed by the righteous path."

"What exactly did I do?"

Li Zhuiyuan walked to the wardrobe. His reflection appeared in the mirror on the cabinet door.

The moment he met his own gaze in the mirror, Li Zhuiyuan suddenly felt a violent panic and immediately averted his eyes.

That cold, detached emotion resurfaced from the depths of his heart, and this time it came back with unusual ferocity.

He clasped his head with both hands, muttering the names of people in his social circle. This time, he mentioned A Li and Great Grandfather the most. As for the others, including his parents, he only mentioned them all together at the end.

Finally, the feeling subsided.

Li Zhuiyuan lowered his hands. Crouching on the ground, he turned to look at his reflection in the mirror. The "two" of them were breathing heavily together.

After completely calming down, Li Zhuiyuan stood up, picked up the washbasin, and prepared to wash his face to clear his head.

He pushed open the door, and the door next to him was pushed open at the same time.

Li Zhuiyuan and Li Sanjiang walked out of their respective doors almost simultaneously.

"Cough..."

The cool morning breeze blew against his face, and Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but stop and cough.

"Clack!" "Clack!"

"Damn it!"

In the air, two birds happened to fly past side-by-side, and at the same time, they left behind gifts from nature.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the bird droppings on the ground in front of him. If he hadn't coughed and stopped just then, the droppings would have landed on his head.

Li Sanjiang touched his head with his hand, looked at the white residue on his finger, sniffed it, and frowned as if he were going to vomit.

He subconsciously wanted to wipe it on the wall, but then he remembered that this was the entrance to his own bedroom at his own house. He could only walk to the water vat on the terrace to wash his hands first, then scoop water to wash his hair.

"Great Grandfather, I'll get you some hot water. You'll catch a cold if you wash your hair with cold water."

"Little Yuanhou, go get me some laundry detergent and a dry cloth."

Li Zhuiyuan first brought the items, then poured hot water into Li Sanjiang's washbasin with the thermos. After that, he started brushing his teeth next to him.

"Damn it, today is really unlucky, such bad luck."

"Great Grandfather, just think of it as a magpie bringing you good news."

"Great Grandfather has discovered that you, this little Western boy, are the only one who can talk."

"Great Grandfather, what time did you go to sleep last night?"

"I went to sleep as soon as the luck transfer ended. I slept early, so I woke up early today too."

"Great Grandfather, do you remember what you did after the luck transfer?"

"What else could I do? Of course, I went to bed and slept."

"It's what happened after you slapped the talisman papers onto the ground, Great Grandfather. Do you remember?"

"Of course, I remember. How could I not? I didn't drink any alcohol last night, so I wouldn't have blacked out."

"You really remember?"

"Little Yuanhou, what's wrong with you?"

"Great Grandfather, after the ritual last night, did I say anything to you?"

"You said goodnight to me and went back to your room. What's wrong with you? Are you having nightmares again?"

"No, no. Maybe I slept too comfortably last night, and I can't remember some things."

"That's very normal. Don't say you're just a child; even adults are like that. Sleeping comfortably is good. It proves that the luck transfer is effective."

While they were talking, Li Zhuiyuan saw A Li coming up from the staircase. A Li was wearing a lady's dress today, looking dignified and cute.

Li Sanjiang smacked his lips as he wiped his head, saying, "Don't get me wrong, Little Yuanhou, this girl is indeed beautiful. Before, Great Grandfather thought 'beautiful embryo' was just flattery and polite talk, until I saw this girl."

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, "A Li is indeed beautiful."

In the past, one of the great pleasures of the elders was to watch the young boys and girls playing together and to matchmake them.

But Li Sanjiang just shook his head and sighed, "It would be great if she wasn't sick."

The old man still remembered the scene when he stuffed candy into the little girl's hand, and the girl suddenly became agitated.

"Great Grandfather, A Li isn't sick."

"Fine, she's not sick, but you are. Alright?"

"Mm."

Li Zhuiyuan knew that he was indeed sick, and it had just flared up this morning.

"By the way, Great Grandfather, Runsheng ge is going back to Xiting to see Grandpa Shan today. I want to go with him."

"Then you go. Oh, wait, wait for me. I'll go back to my room and get you some money. You can buy something to give him together."

"Great Grandfather, you're so good to Grandpa Shan."

"I'm afraid that hillbilly will lose all his money and starve to death."

Li Sanjiang went into the room to get some money for Li Zhuiyuan, then went downstairs and shouted, "Tinghou, make breakfast early today, I'm hungry!"

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the money in his hand, then added his remaining pocket money to it, a smile appearing on his face. He had enough capital now.

A Li looked at the boy, then at the money in his hand, her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

On the threshing ground, Liu Yumei was making tea.

Li Sanjiang came downstairs, stretching, and exclaimed, "Yo, the weather should be nice today. It's going to be a sunny day."

Liu Yumei responded, "Then aren't you going out for a stroll today?"

"What's there to stroll around for? On such a nice day, it's perfect for lying on a rattan chair, basking in the sun, and taking a nap."

Liu Yumei smiled and said no more. She then used the ring finger and index finger of her right hand to pick up the teacup.

As soon as it was lifted halfway into the air, the cup suddenly swayed, and some of the tea inside spilled out.

Liu Yumei ignored her scalded red fingertips and stared incredulously at the teacup in her hand, or rather, at the tea water inside that was now only half full.

"How did so much spill out all at once?"

Although the moon waxes and wanes, and the tide ebbs and flows, there are generally traceable patterns, and a static state can be derived from changes. Therefore, such drastic fluctuations usually do not occur.

What exactly happened?

At this moment, Li Zhuiyuan and Qin Li walked down.

Liu Yumei's gaze naturally fell upon the boy, observing his face closely while her left hand, hidden within her sleeve, felt her fingertips alternate in a tapping motion.

As if to amuse the girl, Li Zhuiyuan made a funny face at A Li.

Liu Yumei's fingers had to stop their movements because the physiognomy had changed.

Li Zhuiyuan turned towards Liu Yumei and politely greeted her, "Good morning, Grandma Liu."

"Morning, Little Yuan."

Li Zhuiyuan went to the kitchen and helped Aunt Liu carry the porridge and pickles.

He noticed many newly made incense sticks drying in the northwest corner of the yard and asked, "Aunt Liu, could you trouble yourself to make some short incense for me?"

"Of course, how short do you want them?"

"About the same length as the cigarettes in a cigarette pack."

"But what can such short incense be used for? They'll burn out quickly."

"They don't need to burn for too long, just about the time it takes to smoke a cigarette."

"Alright, I'll make them for you."

"Thank you, Aunt Liu."

After breakfast, Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng set off together.

Run Sheng was very excited to be going home, singing songs with both hands off the handlebars from time to time.

He sang many songs, but he basically only knew a few classic lines from each song. Li Zhuiyuan, sitting behind him, felt like he was listening to a medley.

Xiting Town wasn't too far, and Run Sheng rode quickly without his singing slowing him down. It didn't take long before they arrived at his doorstep.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the house. Compared to the other houses he had seen when entering the village, it was truly quite dilapidated.

After Run Sheng went inside, he called out several times but received no response. Then he came out and said to Li Zhuiyuan, "Little Yuan, my Grandpa isn't home. He's probably gone to play cards, but we still have rice and flour at home, so we'll have food for lunch, hehe."

"Then let's go find Grandpa Shan."

"Let's go, I'll take you."

There were several "halls" in the village, all located in residential homes. The small ones had three to four tables, while the larger ones had ten to twenty tables.

By default, one had to pay for tea when playing cards here. If a big pot was won, the owner also got a share of the "lucky money."

Besides providing tea, melon seeds, and peanuts, the owners also had to help find people to fill the card games. This ability determined whether a hall could become successful.

It was currently summer, not the peak season for the halls. The real peak season was around the Lunar New Year.

Those who worked outside the village would return home for the New Year.

Many people, who were frugal with their food and clothing while away, would return home with a year's worth of hard-earned money. They would immediately put on new clothes, sit at the card tables, hold good cigarettes bought specifically for the New Year in their mouths, set their positions, and begin dominating.

Of course, most of the time, they were the ones being dominated.

You have to know that almost every village had a small group of people who didn't hold regular jobs and just played cards to get by. These people were counting on the New Year to start their business and win enough money for the next year's living expenses.

Those who worked outside usually didn't have many opportunities to play cards, so their skill level was no match for these village regulars. On top of that, they might even encounter rigged games.

As a result, it was common for people to lose all the money they earned working for the year within a few days of returning to the village. Some not only lost everything but also incurred debts. Even more tragically, before the New Year was even over, they had to pack up their belongings and start their journey of working away from home again.

These were all things Run Sheng told Li Zhuiyuan on the way.

Because Run Sheng heard Little Yuan say that he wanted to play cards this time, he explained these things to dissuade him.

Li Zhuiyuan found Run Sheng to be a truly remarkable person. Honesty was his nature, but he also had a sensitive side, otherwise, he wouldn't have understood these nuances. Of course, the side of him that emerged during fights was even more astonishing.

"Brother Run Sheng, you know Grandpa Shan often loses when he plays cards, why don't you advise him?"

"He's my grandfather, I have to listen to him, just like you're my younger brother, and I have to listen to you."

"You're the older brother."

"My grandpa says I'm stupid and that I can only listen to two kinds of people in this life."

"Which two?"

"One is my grandpa himself. My grandpa says he's actually stupid too, and listening to him might make me suffer with him, but at least he won't harm me.

The other is to listen to wise people. Wise people might harm me, but they'll let me enjoy myself first before they do."

Grandpa Shan was playing cards at a small hall at the west end of the village. There weren't many people, just one table playing "Dou Dizhu" (Fight the Landlord) with four players.

When Li Zhuiyuan and Run Sheng entered, Grandpa Shan had just put down his cards and was paying money.

"Oh, Runsheng Hou is back."

"Runsheng Hou, long time no see."

"Your grandpa just mentioned you."

The card players clearly knew Run Sheng and greeted him enthusiastically.

Grandpa Shan also stood up, patted Run Sheng's arm, and smiled, "Good, indeed. You've eaten well at Li Sanjiang's place, you look even sturdier."

He looked just like a well-behaved cow or sheep that had gone to graze in the neighbor's field.

"Grandpa, Little Yuan is here too."

"Grandpa Shan."

"Mm-hmm, Little Yuanhou." Grandpa Shan reached for the money on the card table. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Taking money while playing cards is bad luck. Wait until tonight, and Grandpa will buy you some cooked food."

"Okay, Grandpa Shan."

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at the pile of money in front of Grandpa Shan... well, it was so shallow he couldn't even use the word "pile" anymore.

The cards were dealt. Grandpa Shan, a cigarette dangling from his lips, felt the tiles while chatting with Run Sheng intermittently.

Li Zhuiyuan stood by quietly and watched.

Before long, Grandpa Shan lost three rounds, two as the landlord and one as a peasant.

The sample size was too small, so Li Zhuiyuan wasn't sure if Grandpa Shan's luck was truly bad, but he was sure of one thing: Grandpa Shan's card skills were really mediocre.

Card players who are bad at the game but love to play are always popular everywhere.

However, Li Zhuiyuan didn't plan to join in here. Dou dizhu was too slow-paced and involved coordination issues, making the efficiency of winning money not high enough.

Li Zhuiyuan tugged on Run Sheng's arm. Run Sheng understood and said, "Grandpa, I'll take Little Yuan back first."

"Mm, alright." Grandpa Shan waved him off without looking back, already engrossed in his losses.

Run Sheng rode his tricycle, taking Li Zhuiyuan to a large hall. A shed was built outside the residential house, and inside, eight tables of people were playing. Some were playing Dou dizhu, others Bridge, and at the largest round table, nine people were playing Zhuang Jin Hua.

Gambling games like Zhuang Jin Hua are more fun with more people, to allow for more "bluffing."

"Brother Run Sheng, did you remember what I told you earlier?"

"Mm, I remember." Run Sheng patted his chest, then walked to an empty seat at the round table and sat down. "Count me in."

Everyone else at the round table was stunned for a moment, their gazes appraising Run Sheng.

Xiting Town was a place with many connections. Small halls were mostly frequented by locals, while larger halls had more people from outside the village. Thus, many people didn't recognize Run Sheng.

The main issue was Run Sheng's awkward age. If you said he was still a child, his build and age wouldn't allow it. But if you said he was an adult, he still seemed a bit immature.

Card players disliked playing with children. Firstly, it didn't sound good if word got out, and secondly, children usually didn't have much money in their pockets.

The owner of the hall, a short, plump man, waved at Run Sheng. "Runsheng Hou, don't cause trouble. Your grandpa isn't here. Go find him elsewhere."

"I said, I want to play!"

Run Sheng deliberately put on a cold expression, then slammed all the money Li Zhuiyuan had given him onto the table.

Seeing Run Sheng's demeanor and the money he produced, everyone at the table nodded silently. The owner stopped talking, turned to pour tea, and muttered, "The upper beam is not straight, and the lower beam is crooked."

Run Sheng was a little nervous but continued to maintain his stern face.

This round of cards hadn't finished yet; three players were still in the "mulligan" stage.

Li Zhuiyuan's gaze swept over the nine people at the round table, memorizing all their facial features.

Zhuang Jin Hua only had three cards. Its technical difficulty was much lower than Dou dizhu; luck was the primary factor.

Logically speaking, playing this game to win money consistently was unwise.

But Li Zhuiyuan had his own methods. After memorizing everyone's facial features, he could now observe any subtle expressions they made when looking at or receiving cards.

Shrewd old gamblers were skilled at hiding or even deceiving, but that didn't matter. In "Yin Yang Physiognomy Explained," the vast collection of facial diagrams was equivalent to a massive database in Li Zhuiyuan's mind.

No matter how well someone disguised themselves, they couldn't avoid revealing even a single flaw. There might be such masters in the world, but Li Zhuiyuan believed he wouldn't encounter them in the village, because they wouldn't be as bored as him to come to a village hall to earn money.

At the end of this round, Run Sheng folded.

For three consecutive rounds, Run Sheng folded after looking at his cards, without even bidding. And when he folded, he deliberately flipped his cards over, not hiding them at all.

This was Li Zhuiyuan's request. He needed to enrich his sample data, such as the micro-expressions corresponding to different card values.

Of course, Run Sheng's hands were very bad in these three rounds; none were worth calling.

Alright, the sample data collection was complete and very detailed, because the people at the table also liked to flip their cards and didn't like to hide their discards.

Li Zhuiyuan quietly moved closer to Run Sheng, and Run Sheng shifted his butt.

When the cards were dealt for the next round, they were almost placed directly in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

This scene caught the attention of many people at the table. They were somewhat displeased. Run Sheng could still be considered a young man, but the child next to him was really too young.

However, since they were sitting together, they couldn't say anything more. After all, there were plenty of fathers who held their sons in their arms while playing cards and let their sons touch the cards.

Li Zhuiyuan picked up the money, threw it down, and made a small mulligan.

"Whose child is this? He's so fair and tender."

"His clothes are nice too, very stylish."

The people at the table began to comment on Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan showed a shy smile.

What these people didn't know was that from this moment on, everyone at the card table was in an "open card" state regarding the little boy in front of them.

This wasn't considered cheating, because "observing expressions and demeanor" was precisely part of the game of Zhuang Jin Hua.

After a round of mulligans, some people looked at their cards and folded, while others looked at their cards and continued to call.

Li Zhuiyuan flipped over his cards, a pair of 5s. It was an awkward hand, but looking at the two players who matched his bet, one was bluffing with a small hand, and the other didn't have a hand as good as his.

After the three of them matched the bet, the remaining players also stopped holding back and started looking at their cards.

Li Zhuiyuan felt relieved because he had "seen" that his hand was the best in the entire game.

Finally, the last remaining player, still trying to raise the stakes to scare a child, failed to do so. They opened their hands and the player lost. Runsheng stood up, swept the money back, then asked the person in the next seat to help shuffle the cards, and then asked the person in the previous seat to help cut and deal them.

This was because Li Zhuiyuan was small, and Runsheng's hands were clumsy, so he wasn't even proficient at dealing cards.

At the same time, this was also to avoid potential trouble after winning money.

Next round.

After playing a hand blind, Li Zhuiyuan looked at his cards: a pair of Aces.

Then, the expressions of everyone who looked at their cards fell into his eyes. After four rounds, there were still five people left.

What surprised Li Zhuiyuan somewhat was that those four people all had high pairs of 10s or higher, but he wasn't flustered. After all, pairs were under his control.

Since the cards were good, and after a few more rounds, they opened their hands to each other. In the end, Li Zhuiyuan won against all the other players with pairs, thanks to his pair of Aces.

The pot was also quite substantial. As Runsheng stood up to collect the money, his breathing trembled with excitement.

Third round, same old rules. Play a hand blind, then look at the cards.

A flush, and even a straight flush.

What else was there to say about this hand?

But after a few rounds, Li Zhuiyuan found there was indeed something to say, because among the remaining five players excluding himself, there were two straight flushes and three flushes.

Li Zhuiyuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Were they cooperating this much?

In this round, everyone bet more, and the game lasted longer. In the end, as expected, Li Zhuiyuan won.

When his hand was revealed, Li Zhuiyuan feigned innocence and asked, "Are there any celebration money?"

Runsheng stood up, his heart almost shouting: So much money, so much money!

Actually, playing this game wasn't about winning a lot just by having a big hand. Sometimes, if you had a big hand but no one followed your bet, you'd lose it all and might only collect the ante.

Only when several players had good hands could the pot become large, and the winner could feast after a bloody battle.

Next round, play a hand blind, then look at the cards.

Li Zhuiyuan's expression remained shy, but his heart rippled.

666, a set of three.

His luck today was a bit too good.

Then, as everyone started looking at their cards, Li Zhuiyuan "confirmed" it. Among the remaining 5 players, there were 2 straight flushes, 2 flushes, and 1 straight.

This...

It was an unavoidable, bloody storm that was brewing.

In the end, Li Zhuiyuan and the last person who voluntarily revealed their hand opened their cards. Everyone at the table was stunned, including the people playing at nearby tables who got up to watch.

While sets of three weren't extremely rare, they weren't common either. But to have such a combination was truly rare.

"The newcomer has a lot of fire, it seems."

"This kid's luck is really good today."

"Wow, how much has he won already?"

Everyone started discussing it in a flurry of words.

Li Zhuiyuan himself felt a bit strange. His luck with cards seemed really good today.

Runsheng had already poured out the sunflower seeds from the bag next to him and was using the bag to hold the money.

He suddenly felt puzzled: Is Little Yuan gambling the same way as his grandpa?

Ever since he could remember, he hadn't really experienced what it felt like to win money, let alone win like this.

Next round, continue playing a hand blind, then look at the cards.

Li Zhuiyuan found something was a bit off because he got: AAA.

Then, after three rounds, everyone had looked at their cards, and not a single person had folded.

Li Zhuiyuan "looked at" their cards and confirmed that something was very wrong.

Among the 9 people besides himself, there were 5 sets of three and 4 straight flushes.

Li Zhuiyuan suspected he was possessed.

He touched the talisman paper he had drawn in his pocket, wishing he could paste one on his forehead to see if it had changed color.

From then on, the card table was no longer a scene of bloody storms, but a catastrophe for the underworld.

Firstly, most people had lost money to Li Zhuiyuan in the previous rounds. Now that they had these hands, they all felt a sense of "destiny is with me."

No one held back, no one showed mercy, and no one kindly advised others to quit while they were ahead.

The highest stakes, round after round, were thrown in without hesitation.

Some people didn't have enough money on hand, so they showed their cards to the onlookers behind them, letting the other party invest and share in the profits.

Li Zhuiyuan felt his arm getting sore from placing bets, and this round finally brought things to a close.

After being repeatedly out-bluffed by several players, with the others folding their hands, the atmosphere at the table became somewhat oppressive.

In the end, with three Aces laid out, the last family almost collapsed onto the ground, trembling.

Someone wanted to accuse them of cheating, but couldn't bring themselves to say it, because neither of these two had shuffled the cards themselves. The shuffling had been done by their neighbors, who had lost the most.

However, the reason the scene remained relatively quiet was because Run Sheng stood up.

Run Sheng felt threatened, and winning so much money had also put him in a state of excitement. His eyes were starting to turn red, and he emanated the same aura he had the previous day when dealing with the two thugs possessed by ghosts.

Li Zhuiyuan dared to win money here precisely because Run Sheng was by his side.

However, he hadn't expected things to escalate like this, because, from a hindsight perspective, all the methods he had prepared were useless.

Li Zhuiyuan asked, "Still playing?"

He planned to intentionally lose some back. If he lost too slowly, he would return half the money later.

"Let's play, let's keep playing, but these cards are old. Let's switch to a new deck." A middle-aged man with a big beard at the table gestured for everyone to sit down, then exchanged a glance with the person sitting to Li Zhuiyuan's left and right.

They wouldn't normally cooperate during their games, unless it was around the New Year, but today, they had no choice.

New cards were brought over. The person on the bottom shuffled, the person on top cut the deck, and then dealt the cards.

Li Zhuiyuan, as usual, peeked at his cards after placing a blind bet. Three Queens – a straight flush.

As for his opponent, his expression told Li Zhuiyuan that he held the best hand.

They had cheated.

They didn't know that their seemingly undetectable exchange of glances was as loud as a shout to Li Zhuiyuan.

"I'm out."

Li Zhuiyuan covered his cards and pushed them directly into the deck, scattering them in the process.

"What?" The big beard suddenly stood up, pointing at Li Zhuiyuan and shouting, "You cheated!"

He was using his own accusation of cheating to prove that Li Zhuiyuan was indeed cheating. Otherwise, who would just throw away a straight flush like that?

"Brother Run Sheng, get the table money, tea money, and cleaning fee."

"Huh?" Run Sheng looked confused but obediently did as he was told. After estimating the costs, he took the money out of his bag and placed it on the table.

Li Zhuiyuan stood up, left the table, and said:

"Break the table."

"Bang!"

A fist landed, and the table shattered.

This wasn't like an ordinary person flipping a table, nor was it an emotional outburst of slamming the table. The sight of the large round table being directly smashed apart completely stunned everyone present.

Li Zhuiyuan calmly looked at the messy ground. He wasn't the one who cheated, but did he need to explain?

No.

"Let's go, Brother Run Sheng."

"Alright!"

Run Sheng wore a sinister smile and even extended his hand, pointing at everyone present.

This was something he'd learned from watching "God of Gamblers" at the county theater the night before. It was a shame Little Yuan didn't use hair oil, otherwise, he would have been the "Fa Ge" in his heart.

The big beard didn't dare to step forward but stood rooted to the spot, trembling, and said, "We're calling the police!"

It was rather comical. In this kind of place, the authorities wouldn't interfere unless a complaint was filed. But if they truly investigated, it would undoubtedly be illegal, and all the gambling money would be confiscated.

Li Zhuiyuan stopped in his tracks and looked back at him:

"Tan Yunlong at the town police station is my uncle."

After saying this, he continued to walk out.

Run Sheng, carrying a bag of money, hopped along, his shoes dragging on the ground, walking in a manner reminiscent of girls these days.

Li Zhuiyuan, on the other hand, appeared very calm, even somewhat solemn.

After getting into the tricycle, he immediately took out talisman papers and pasted them onto his forehead, shoulders, arms, and thighs, as if he were a "dead float" preparing to commit suicide.

After a while, he checked them all. Not a single one had changed color.

Putting away the talisman papers, Li Zhuiyuan sighed. He knew, and murmured:

"A luck-transferring ritual."