Let's All Play Pai Gow Together

In the Bewildering Secret Realm, the Poison Circle had stopped shrinking, and night had fallen.

Beneath a huge cactus tree in the desert, Jiang Lin sat on one side while the three girls sat on the other, a small campfire between them. Over the fire hung a glowing golden egg that had appeared who knew when. This was probably the Dragon Soul...

Jiang Lin held his Natal Flying Sword over the fire, several lizards—dead beyond dead, their tongues hanging out—skewered on the blade...

No one spoke. The atmosphere was awkward to the extreme, broken only by the crackling of the gutted, thoroughly dead lizards roasting over the flames.

He brushed on a layer of oil, sprinkled some salt, then finally added cumin. The savory scent of lizard meat slowly drifted through the air.

"Um... have something to eat..."

Jiang Lin held the lizards skewered on his sword out before them. The three girls all huffed at once, then turned their little heads away in perfect unison.

Watching them keep their heads turned, seemingly angry, Jiang Lin's brow twitched. "Even though cultivators at the Cave Mansion Realm can practice Bigu, you should still eat something. You need to replenish your nutrition, after all... When there's really nothing to eat in the desert, Bear Grylls often eats... it's rich in protein..."

"Bear Grylls? Who's Bear Grylls? And what is protein?" At last, Xiao Xueli was the first to turn her head back and ask.

Finally, someone was talking. Jiang Lin rejoiced inwardly. As long as someone spoke, half the awkwardness was gone. "Well, Bear Grylls is the world's greatest jungler! Protein is one of the things that makes up the human body. No need to dwell on it."

"The world's greatest jungler? Is he some famous Monster Hunter? How do you know him, Junior Brother?"

Perhaps because the awkward atmosphere had been broken by conversation, or perhaps because Xiao Xueli had spoken to Jiang Lin, the girl asked as well.

Jiang Lin scratched his head. "Uh... Senior Sister Lin can think of it that way. As for how I know him, no need to dwell on that either."

"Don't mind him. He often says strange names and strange words. Just ignore him." Chen Jia pouted as she turned to Jiang Lin. "Give me one. This young master isn't like those two frail women who'd get blown away by the wind. No matter how disgusting it is, I'm not afraid!"

"This young master?"

"Not like frail women such as us?"

Lin Qingwan and Xiao Xueli both looked at Chen Jia, who was dressed as a man but, aside from her chest, looked nothing like one. Though they dearly wanted to mock her, they held it in after all. She had dug them out of the sand, after all.

"What? What kind of looks are you two stinking women giving me?!"

Chen Jia stood up with her hands on her hips, her pouting expression practically screaming that she was "super fierce."

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Senior Sister Lin and Miss Xiao are only admiring Brother Chen's manly spirit." Jiang Lin hurriedly smoothed things over, pressing Chen Jia back down and holding the lizards on his sword before her. "Brother Chen, want one?"

Looking at the lizard on the sword, dead stiff with its tongue hanging out, Chen Jia regretted it a little. But remembering what she had just said, she still reached out with her fair little hand and took it from the sword, though she could not bring herself to bite it.

"You have to remove the head and tail first."

Jiang Lin innocently took Chen Jia's hand. With a slight exertion of force, he skillfully snapped off the lizard's head and tail. "There, now you can eat it."

Watching Jiang Lin hold Chen Jia's tiny hand, Lin Qingwan and Xiao Xueli unconsciously looked at their own hands...

"Junior Brother, I... I want to try some too."

"Jiang... Jiang Lin... I'm hungry too..."

"Hehehe, see? Food is the first necessity of the people. Even cultivators need to eat." Jiang Lin smiled as he handed two lizards to the two girls. "Be careful, they're a little hot."

"Um... Junior Brother, help me remove the head and tail too... I don't know how..."

Lin Qingwan spoke softly. Perhaps because of the firelight, her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"Sure, no problem."

Jiang Lin innocently took Lin Qingwan's hand and removed the head and tail from the lizard that had died such a miserable death.

"Jiang... I..." Pinching the roasted lizard in her hand, Xiao Xueli wanted to say something, but simply could not summon the courage to say it.

The Sword Spirit within the girl's body let out a soft sigh. Unable to watch any longer, she instantly seized control of the girl's body. "Jiang Lin, help me too."

"Sure, no problem."

When Jiang Lin took Xiao Xueli's hand, the Sword Spirit inside her returned control of the body. In an instant, the firelight reflected on the girl's face spread down to her delicate collarbones.

Watching the three girls tentatively take a small bite, their eyes lighting up together before they began nibbling nonstop at the lizards in their hands, Jiang Lin finally let out a breath of relief.

At last, the atmosphere had eased considerably.

Ever since Chen Jia had dug him and Senior Sister Lin out of the mud and sand, the three of them had seemed naturally unable to get along.

Jiang Lin could understand it. One mountain could not hold two tigers, let alone three protagonists.

If they did not get along, then so be it. Jiang Lin felt it had nothing to do with him. He had even been preparing to undergo Disassembly by Force and leave the secret realm as soon as he got the chance. Being caught between three protagonists was simply too dangerous.

But ever since the three of them had met each other—especially after Jiang Lin had introduced himself to them—the protagonists' Notoriety Points had kept increasing. It made Jiang Lin panic. He did not even know what he had done wrong.

After they finished eating, the three girls took out handkerchiefs and wiped their lips. Their little mouths, glistening faintly with oil, looked even more alluring, but Jiang Lin quickly turned his gaze away.

"All right, we've finished eating. It's time to discuss serious matters." Lin Qingwan clapped her hands and stood up. "Only the four of us remain. What do you all think about the Dragon Soul's final ownership? Let me say this first: I don't have much of an obsession with the Dragon Soul itself, but for Junior Brother Jiang's sake, I will definitely fight for it. If Junior Brother Jiang obtains the Dragon Soul, then when we return to the Dragon Gate Sect, those elders in the sect won't have anything more to say."

"Hah? Jiang Lin, that beast, is obviously from our Sun Moon Sect! Why should he go back to the Dragon Gate Sect with you? I don't care about the Dragon Soul. Giving it to that beast Jiang Lin is fine too, but Jiang Lin definitely isn't going back with you!"

Xiao Xueli stroked the longsword at her side and glanced lightly at Jiang Lin with her beautiful eyes. "I've already obtained the sword I wanted, so I don't care about the Dragon Soul either. But Jiang Lin, if I win the Dragon Soul for you, would you agree to one request of mine?"

"Junior Brother Jiang."

"Beast Jiang!"

"Jiang Lin..."

"Which one do you choose?!"

For a moment, the three girls rose to their feet and looked at Jiang Lin together.

Seeing the looks in their eyes, Jiang Lin was a little dumbfounded.

Something wasn't right here.

Just give you the Dragon Soul already—why drag me into this?!

"Um... actually..."

Jiang Lin stood up, his expression solemn.

"How about the three of you play Pai Gow with me?"