The local gang wasn't friendly at all...
They had practically written the word "extortion" all over their faces.
Tang Chuan gathered the Brahma Cards on the table and shuffled them absentmindedly.
Meanwhile, Moxiu and An Bo at his sides had no fear of him resisting. Here, they were the Uncrowned Kings!
Before they could speak, Tang Chuan tossed the Exile Star crystal card worth over ten thousand gold into Moxiu's arms.
Moxiu gave Tang Chuan a surprised look and checked the winnings he had claimed. Finding nothing wrong, he realized Tang Chuan had even given him an extra two thousand gold.
Moxiu put away the crystal card and looked at Tang Chuan with amusement. "You really are loaded. We locals aren't entirely unreasonable, you know. Consider these ten thousand gold your tuition fee. Still not convinced?"
Tang Chuan shuffled the cards. "As long as cheating isn't discovered, it doesn't count as cheating. Even if a fourth or fifth duplicate card appears on the table. Got it. If there are any other hidden rules, just tell me all at once."
Beside him, An Bo grew interested and said in a muffled voice, "Again? You sure?"
Moxiu cackled. "Sure, we can keep going. There won't be any more rules added, but after every round, duplicate cards must be removed and the deck reset!
Roll up your sleeves. The chances are slim, but you'd better not try any tricks in front of me.
Otherwise...
Cackle, cackle, cackle... If you're caught, your limbs will be separated from your body~"
Tang Chuan spread open the deck, removed the extra Queen and Gambler cards right in front of them, and tossed them into the trash.
Then he said, "The rules apply equally to everyone, right? If I catch either of you cheating, you'll pay with a hand too."
"Hahaha~"
A humanoid creature nearby burst out laughing. "That's right, the rules apply to everyone. We're all watching! Whoever gets caught cheating has to add an arm to the stakes!
But kid, if you think you can see through Moxiu's tricks, you might as well go home, wash up, and sleep!
Let me advise you: you've already paid your tuition. Moxiu and An Bo won't make things difficult for you anymore. Come drink with us instead. Cards... you have no chance of winning!"
Ignoring the crowd's chorus of agreement, Tang Chuan began dealing.
Moxiu picked up his cards, glanced at them, and laughed. "I'm sure now that you didn't cheat. Brother, I advise you never to play cards again in your life. Your gambling luck, pfft, hahahaha..."
An Bo looked at his own cards and laughed as well. "How about we raise the stakes? If someone plays a triple set, the wager is multiplied fivefold. No upper limit."
Tang Chuan closed his hand, then opened it again. Seeing that the Fantasy Attribute had transformed his cards into an unbeatable hand, he smiled faintly. "Sure. I won't go overboard. If I win, each of you just has to answer one question."
Moxiu raised his brows. "Fine, assuming you win. Play your cards."
Tang Chuan grinned and threw down a nine-card straight reaching the very top. "I only have two triple sets left. If you want to cut me off, do it now."
An Bo frowned, studied his cards, and muttered, "The straight already reaches the top. I have two triple sets, so you can have at most one more straight. Trying to bluff me? Heh. Triple Magicians—I get to play one extra turn."
As he spoke, he tossed three identical Magician cards onto the table.
Just as he was considering his next move, Tang Chuan raised a hand. "Wait. Triple Thieves. I steal your turn."
Three Thief cards landed on the table, and Moxiu and An Bo were dumbfounded. The two exchanged a glance, knowing that this guy had cheated right under their noses!
And he hadn't been caught!
Because Moxiu and An Bo each had one Thief card. By all rights, Tang Chuan should have had only one left!
Yet he had brought out three!
Moxiu became serious. Pretending to think, he rubbed his fingers over his cards twice. When he opened his hand again, half the card faces had changed.
He threw down three King cards. "I seal all your special privileges for this round. It's still my turn. Six-card straight, and I'm down to three cards."
With that, he smilingly placed three cards facedown on the table before him. "Your last chance~"
Tang Chuan said nothing and directly threw down his last three King cards. "That's it. You lost."
Bang!
Moxiu's body tilted as he braced himself against the table with one hand, staring wide-eyed at the three King cards. "I-I just played three King cards. Where did you pull another three from? That's way too fake!"
Tang Chuan chuckled. "I was about to ask you the same thing. My nine-card straight had already reached the top, and King cards had appeared. Where did you get another three King cards? What, your King cards count as cards, but mine don't? I could say yours are fake too!"
Clap...
Clap clap clap!
The onlookers in the booth were completely stunned and couldn't help applauding.
"Moxiu, looks like you finally met your match."
"You got careless, huh? A bet's a bet. We're all witnesses, so don't make things difficult for everyone."
"When you're out in the world, it's all about honor. Scamming others or getting scammed depends entirely on your skill!"
The crowd's jeering gave Moxiu a splitting headache. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out when Tang Chuan had switched the cards.
Sure enough, he had underestimated him. Anyone who could roam the stars alone and become a seasoned traveler truly had some skill!
But Moxiu wasn't entirely unprepared. He raised a hand and said irritably, "What's the rush? When have you ever seen me, Moxiu, lose? Even if I lose, it's because I chose to! How could I not have a backup plan? Three Thief cards can exempt me from this round's wager!"
Someone beside him clicked their tongue. "No way, there are already five Thief cards on the table! A whole deck only has three! Are you playing cards or performing magic?!"
"Don't tell me your last three cards are all Thieves?"
Moxiu lifted his chin proudly. "That's right! Ladies and gentlemen, witness the Exile Star's number one gambling freak—three, Thieves!"
With that, he flipped over his three cards.
The entire room fell silent.
The three cards Moxiu had flipped with such confidence were not Thieves, but three Kings!
Clap clap clap...
Tang Chuan applauded with a shocked expression. "Impressive, Gambling Freak. That makes ten King cards already. How did you do it? But it's useless. Only triple Thieves can grant an exemption. Even if triple Kings rot in your hand until the end, there's no such rule!"
"I-I have three Inquisitors..."
While everyone had been focused on Moxiu and Tang Chuan, An Bo had clumsily switched three Inquisitor cards into his hand.
Now, with no confidence at all, he said, "The Inquisitors' effect is to halve the wager you lose... so, uh, you need to beat me one more time before I answer your question!"
Everyone had secrets. What if this guy asked who backed his underground business? Should he answer or not?
Besides, his body was built differently. Even if his arm was cut off, it could still be reattached!
Yeah, this was a loophole within the rules!
As he spoke, he threw the triple Inquisitors onto the table.
The crowd stared closely—and exploded.
They had somehow turned into three King cards again!
"When gods fight, bystanders retreat..."
"How many Kings are even in this deck? I'm dizzy!"
"Spectacular. Incredible, my three big brothers."