No one objected. Only four or five people silently rose and left the gambling table with grave expressions, taking the stairs down to the second floor. Clearly, they had given up.
After losing once, these people had already sensed something was wrong. Losing painful memories might not be as pleasant as they had imagined.
Those who stayed merely believed they could turn things around in the next round, or still had relatively useless painful memories to wager.
Cui Jiuyang and Master Tiger exchanged a glance. Only a dozen or so people remained. Cui Jiuyang thought that if they won this round too, most of the rest would probably lose their nerve.
The fat man's piercing gaze swept swiftly around the table. Only when he saw that no one else was moving did a satisfied smile finally spread across his previously frozen face.
His voice carried a barely perceptible hint of temptation. "It seems none of you intend to admit defeat. You're still hoping to turn things around and win back your losses this round. Believe me, this 'unlucky fellow's' story will be just as 'exciting'-just as eventful."
With that, he lightly clapped his hands. The Nightmare Ball split open at the sound, an eerie light flashed, and everyone plunged once more into a deep Illusion Realm.
As the Illusion Realm formed again, Cui Jiuyang abruptly opened his eyes and discovered that he was no longer in the Dyehouse.
The rich, mellow fragrance of peanut oil rushed straight into his nostrils. It carried the distinctive roasted aroma of cooked peanuts and the slick richness of oil, utterly enticing, instantly stirring memories buried deep in his heart.
-Every year after the peanut harvest back home, families pushed little mountains of peanuts into long queues outside the oil mill. The air had been