Cards Hidden in the Asshole

The fifth community card was dealt.

King of Spades.

"Handsome, are you raising?"

The Succubus Dealer asked.

"I'm out of chips."

He shook his head.

"What a pity. Then this game will end once this round is over."

Demon said with a smile.

It opened the fiery gate again, preparing to put the Legendary Deliveryman's Delivery Box inside.

"No, I'm raising."

Liu Zheng suddenly said.

"Didn't you say you were out of chips?"

"I still have flesh, and this vest."

His eyes were bloodshot.

"Fine, if you insist."

Demon shrugged and closed the fiery gate.

"You don't have enough chips."

Liu Zheng gritted his teeth.

"Then add more."

Generously, Demon pushed over another stack of chips and placed the delivery box back on the gambling table.

"Show your cards."

It spoke with apparent calm.

A tentacle curled around the hole cards, about to slam them onto the gambling table.

Bang!

Everyone turned to look.

The Casino's doors had been kicked open.

The pigman calmly stepped over the cowboy, ignoring the revolver pointed at his back.

"Oink."

"Heaven Butcher."

The gamblers murmured his name among themselves.

"Oink, this isn't your territory."

Demon frowned.

"Is there some rule saying I can't come here to gamble?"

Oink shot back.

Demon was left speechless.

"Wake up, you two idiots."

Oink walked over to Cow-Horse and Liu Zheng and decisively slapped each of them across the face.

The force was so great that they spat out bloodied teeth.

"Fuck, who hit me?"

Cow-Horse flew into a rage at first, then immediately put on a fawning smile when he saw Oink.

"Oink, why are you here?"

"If I hadn't come, you two would already be on someone else's butcher block."

Oink said bluntly.

Liu Zheng had sobered up as well.

He immediately realized that Cow-Horse's warning had failed. Even Cow-Horse himself had been mentally influenced by Demon, just like him.

"It's useless, Oink. He's already at the gambling table. Not even you can take him away."

Demon said.

As its words fell, black flames erupted from the Casino's floor and walls.

The flames around the main entrance were especially dense, so black they were almost lightless.

"I never planned to take this human away."

Oink shook his head.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing that, the flames dimmed slightly.

"I came to help you reveal the cards."

Oink said.

"That won't be necessary."

A flicker of panic crossed Demon's eyes.

"What? Do you think I'm not qualified?"

Oink tightened the muscles in his face.

If his face usually carried a faint trace of humor, now it was utterly terrifying.

"You're obviously working together. I'm afraid you'll cheat."

Demon hurriedly came up with an excuse.

"You don't need to worry about that."

He tore off his tank top, then removed his shorts and underwear.

He became as naked as a pig awaiting slaughter.

"No problems now, right? Unless you're saying I can hide cards in my asshole."

Oink said.

Demon desperately wanted to say yes, but it feared Oink would use that as an excuse to challenge it to a duel.

Though Oink could not kill it, for beings like them, dignity was no cheaper than life.

"Oink, you don't need to go this far. He's just a human. Don't you hate humans the most?"

Demon tried to persuade him.

"I hate every one of you."

Oink said flatly.

"Humans, Cow-Horse, succubi, Demon, pigmen—I hate everyone in this world.

"Human, do you hate them?"

He asked Liu Zheng.

"Of course."

From the first day he entered the instance, fury and hatred had been burning in his heart.

"Then can you change this world?"

"No."

Liu Zheng answered without hesitation.

"Kid, do you even know how to talk?"

Cow-Horse panicked and raised a hoof, trying to stuff it into Liu Zheng's mouth.

"But I can destroy it."

Liu Zheng dodged his hoof.

"That works too."

Oink nodded.

Then he stepped forward.

A massive shadow rose up, shrouding more than half the Casino in darkness.

One shadowy hand pressed down on Demon's shoulder, rendering it unable to move.

Another shadowy hand flipped over one of the hole cards.

A Queen of Spades.

"I think the other one should be a Two of Spades. Am I right?"

Oink said.

"You're right."

After a long silence, Demon flipped over the hole card.

Sure enough, it was a Two of Spades.

"See? I told you it was a Two of Spades."

Oink nodded in satisfaction, and the shadows returned beneath his feet.

"A straight flush wins."

the Succubus Dealer announced the result.

"We're leaving. Come visit my place when you have time."

After exchanging the chips for cash, Oink swaggered away with the two of them.

"Oink!!!"

Once the Gambling Den doors shut, Demon immediately let out a furious roar.

Black flames swept through the entire Gambling Den, reducing every gambler and attendant to ash.

Only the succubus and the cowboy watched it, faint sneers curling at their lips.

--

"Hand over the money."

In an alley of the Black Market, Oink held out his hand.

"What money?"

Cow-Horse tried to play dumb.

Oink pulled out his butcher knife from his underwear.

"Here, here."

Cow-Horse painfully handed over half.

Oink said nothing, pocketed the money, and headed toward his slaughterhouse.

"This time, we really got screwed."

Cow-Horse sighed miserably.

"Don't you still have half?"

Liu An consoled him.

"You don't know shit. I'll never be able to enter a Gambling Den again."

Cow-Horse lamented.

He had offended Demon badly this time. If they ever met again, it would definitely skin him and use his hide as a fart cushion.

"Mm-hmm. I really feel sorry for you."

Liu Zheng replied perfunctorily.

"Sorry my ass. Split the money."

After a round of friendly negotiations, Cow-Horse took most of what remained, while Liu Zheng received the smaller share and the Legendary Deliveryman's Delivery Box.

30,000 in cash.

"Give it here."

Cow-Horse held out his hoof.

"What for?"

"Did you forget, kid? You still owe me for a bottle of Maotai."

Cow-Horse said.

"You're really stingy."

Contempt aside, Liu Zheng still gave it the money.

He could not afford a scalped ticket anyway, so having a little more or less made no real difference.

Besides, this was what truly mattered.

He opened the meal box and deliberately activated the item description before placing it into the Legendary Delivery Box.

"Name: Merfolk Egg Fried Rice"

"Type: Item"

"Quality: Excellent"

"Effect: Constitution +3. While in water, can obtain trace amounts of oxygen through the skin."

"Note: Behind every bowl of fried rice lies a broken merman family."

"Can be taken out of the instance: Yes"

Looking at the meal's effects, Liu Zheng was extremely satisfied.

Though the stat increase was not much, it was precisely the most important attribute: Constitution.

Once his status was cleansed, he probably would not end up half-crippled anymore.

The latter effect seemed inconspicuous, but an effect that improved survival ability might come in handy at any time.

Most importantly, he had gotten it for free.

"Move, move, move. Time's almost up."

Liu Zheng glanced at his phone, and his expression changed drastically.

He slung the Legendary Delivery Box onto his back and sprinted toward the Black Market exit.

"Hey, wait! I haven't put my money away yet."

Cow-Horse stood upright and chased after Liu Zheng, stuffing money into his mouth with his hooves as he ran.