When Zhao Hao saw his master step forward, he hurriedly took a stride ahead. "Master, let this disciple teach him a lesson."
Li Qiang waved him off. "No need."
Mei Jingjing's little face flushed red with anger. She swung her whip and lashed out, putting a little true power into it this time. It struck the burly man squarely across the back. Crack! The clothes on his back instantly shredded and fluttered in every direction.
He let out a howl of agony. A heavy force from the whip pressed him flat on the ground, though he was still mumbling curses.
Li Qiang seized him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "Which gambling house are you from? Take me to your boss." The crowd gasped. The other burly man gripped an eight-inch bayonet and viciously thrust it at Li Qiang.
Li Qiang ignored the bayonet entirely and seized that man's neck with his other hand. The burly man was terrified beyond measure. His bayonet felt as though it had struck an iron plate or a bronze brick. The large hand around his neck squeezed until he could not breathe, and his vision went black as he passed out. With a clang, the bayonet fell to the ground.
Zhao Hao reminded him, "Master, they've passed out."
I didn't use any strength. How can they be this useless? Li Qiang thought, hurriedly releasing them. He asked the middle-aged man, "Which gambling house did you lose yourself in?"
The man stammered in fright, "It-it was Baolai Gambling House."
Cheng Zizhong whispered, "My lord, Baolai Gambling House has backing from the Litang Kingdom. The situation is rather complicated."
Li Qiang nodded and smiled. "Anyone interested in having a little gamble?"
Cheng Zizhong and Zhao Hao would never oppose Li Qiang's decision. Everywhere was a novelty to Zheng Peng, while Mei Jingjing was itching to stir up some trouble. They unanimously agreed to visit the gambling house. Zheng Peng carried a burly man in each hand, and the middle-aged man led them there.
Baolai Gambling House was one of the capital's four great gambling houses. Anyone who could open a gambling house in the capital generally had formidable backing.
The owner of Baolai Gambling House was very mysterious, and few had ever seen him. A man named Du Dingguang managed its public affairs, and he was said to be a famous gambling expert. Along the way, Cheng Zizhong explained some of the details to Li Qiang. His position as a patrol inspector was not just for show.
When they reached the gambling house's entrance, Li Qiang signaled Zheng Peng to hold up the two men, then grabbed the little gong and began beating it. "Come take a look! Live people for sale at bargain prices! Two fresh, full-grown men, just one copper! Buy one, get one free! Dead ones are free!"
Mei Jingjing burst out laughing. "Brother, you're amazing. You have such a patter for selling things. You sound very experienced."
Li Qiang thought, What's so amazing about that? The street vendors back home hawked their wares much better than I do. Only I'm selling people, and they sold stockings. Either way, it's shoddy merchandise. Cheng Zizhong and Zhao Hao exchanged smiles and stood to one side with their arms folded, watching the fun. The middle-aged man, however, trembled with fear.
The entrance descended into chaos, and a group of hired thugs poured out of the gambling house. Their bearded leader cupped his hands. "Greetings, friend. How have my two brothers offended you?" Turning, he caught sight of the middle-aged man and suddenly understood. "Qi Lao'er, you bastard! You actually dared bring people here to wreck our establishment? Have you had enough of living?"
Qi Lao'er waved his hands frantically in terror. "I didn't bring them! I didn't bring them!"
The bearded man said, "If you gamble, you accept your losses. Qi Lao'er lost himself fair and square. He can't blame anyone for selling him to recover the money."
Li Qiang chuckled. "Get lost. I don't care whether he's Qi the Second or Qi the Third. Don't interfere with my business. I finally found these two treasures to sell for a good price so I can have a gamble. Maybe I'll make a fortune. You damned dog, stop yapping in front of me and interfering with my people-selling!"
Zhao Hao laughed inwardly. His master's imitation of the Sage King's manner of speaking was absolutely perfect.
The bearded man had never met anyone so arrogant. Beside himself with anger, he cursed, "You little cur! You don't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth-" Before he could finish, a whip struck him with a crack! It landed precisely across his mouth, shattering his neat row of upper teeth. He called indistinctly to his men, pointing at Li Qiang's group and whimpering, "Beat... beat them to death... ptoo... my teeth! All of you, get them!"
The thugs swarmed forward. Li Qiang grinned. "Knock out anyone who reaches a paw toward me. Don't kill them, though. Dead people aren't worth anything!"
Zhao Hao smiled. "Rest assured, Master. Not one will die. Heizi, let's stretch our muscles!"
Zheng Peng roared with laughter. "Ha! There are fights here too! Watch my fists!"
These thugs and guards did have some fighting skills. Unfortunately, they had encountered someone like Zhao Hao, an expert of the martial world and a newcomer to the cultivation world. They could not even touch him. Like a roaming dragon, he wove among them, feinting east and striking west with incredible speed. Zheng Peng fought very straightforwardly, relying on brute force. He grabbed one man with his left hand and another with his right, lifted them, knocked their heads together, tossed them aside, and grabbed another pair. In mere moments, the ground was covered with thugs and guards, all groaning and crying for help.
At last, several people emerged through the main entrance.
At their head was a man in his sixties, bald and beardless, his face as pale as though it had not seen sunlight for years. Deep wrinkles scored his forehead, and his face wore a bitter expression. Several middle-aged men in blue robes stood behind him. Cheng Zizhong whispered, "That's Du Dingguang."
Without even looking at him, Li Qiang kept beating his little gong. "People for sale! Hmm, how many do we have now? Niuniu, help me count."
Mei Jingjing was delighted. She carefully counted the thugs lying on the ground and giggled. "Twenty-one, plus the first two. Twenty-three altogether."
"How much silver? I'll buy them," Du Dingguang said darkly.
Li Qiang was secretly startled. Seeing how impassive and composed he was, he knew this would be a difficult man to deal with. Deliberately trying to anger him, Li Qiang smiled. "Trash like this is cheap. A hundred taels of silver apiece. Buy the whole lot and I'll give you a discount: two thousand taels of silver. It's a clearance sale!"
A man behind Du Dingguang could not contain himself and was about to speak, but Du Dingguang stopped him with a wave. He said sinisterly, "Will you come inside for a gamble, or take your silver and leave?"
Li Qiang grew even more wary. This man was far too sinister. Keeping his expression unchanged, he said, "That's right, I've found a big customer today. If I could sell even this rubbish, my luck must be good. I have to have a gamble, no matter what. Ha!"
Du Dingguang signaled with his eyes, and a man beside him rushed off. He stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. Li Qiang's party went into the gambling house. Seeing that no one was paying attention, Qi Lao'er quietly slipped behind the crowd, turned, and took to his heels.
The gambling house was not the smoky, foul den Li Qiang had imagined. Its main hall was spacious and well ventilated, so it did not feel stuffy inside. An attendant approached with a large pile of chips on a tray and asked with a flattering smile, "Would you gentlemen like to play in the main hall or the inner hall?" Zheng Peng stepped forward and took the tray.
Cheng Zizhong explained, "The main hall is for poor wretches. Only people with money can enjoy themselves in the inner hall."
Li Qiang smiled. "Good. I'm a rich man now. Ha! Two thousand taels of silver should keep us gambling for a while. Let's all go into the inner hall."
Standing behind them, Du Dingguang rubbed his hands as though nothing were amiss and restrained his impulsive subordinates.
The attendant led them into the inner hall.
The inner hall was lavishly furnished. Young maidservants moved to and fro, and numerous screens divided the space.
Du Dingguang said mildly, "What would you guests like to play? Pai gow, backgammon, dice-whatever you request, our establishment will accommodate you."
Li Qiang was a little dumbfounded. He did not know how to play anything; he had never gambled in his life. After some thought, he decided dice seemed manageable and smiled. "I'll play dice. Where do we play? Lead the way."
A trace of contempt flashed through Du Dingguang's eyes. He turned and led them to a large table. Six richly dressed men sat around it, watching the dealer intently. With a hand on the dice cup, the dealer called, "Place your bets! Place your bets!"
The crowd shouted, "Open it! Open it! Open it!"
The dealer lifted the cup. Some rejoiced, while others grieved.
Du Dingguang waved the dealer aside and personally took his place. "I'll attend to you guests."
The six wealthy men seemed to be regulars and knew Du Dingguang very well. A middle-aged man in a dark green robe said, "Boss Du, why are you taking the field yourself? I wouldn't dare play against you!"
Du Dingguang gave a smile that never reached his eyes. "I'm here especially to play with those guests." Everyone turned to see who could induce Boss Du of the gambling house to take a hand.
"Oh my, isn't this old Master Zhao of the Precious Silver and Gold Ornament House? Eh? I haven't seen you for two years. How have you become so young?" said a burly-looking man.
Zhao Hao smiled. "Chen Juyu, you rascal. Instead of working at the escort agency, you've come here to gamble. Aren't you afraid your wife will make you suffer?"
Chen Juyu smiled awkwardly. "She wouldn't dare. If she disobeys, I'll beat her!"
Du Dingguang was inwardly startled. He knew Zhao Hao was a renowned expert, but his expression remained unchanged. "Tell me how you would like to play." He thought, We'll take our time.
Li Qiang recalled the gambling films he had seen on Earth and pondered, I can't handle anything too complicated. Luckily, I have a foundation in cultivation. I'll show off a little and scare him to death. At the thought, he could not help letting out a smug, foolish chuckle.
"So we'll gamble however I say?" Li Qiang deliberately avoided looking at Du Dingguang.
Although Du Dingguang remained expressionless, he was seething inside. "Entirely as you wish! Whatever you propose, I'll oblige."
Secretly delighted, Li Qiang said, "Then we'll compare totals. One dice cup each, six dice inside. Whoever rolls the higher total wins. Equal totals are a draw. Or we can go for the lowest. How about it?" The onlookers clicked their tongues in wonder. They had never seen dice played this way before.
Du Dingguang had spent his entire life studying gambling, but this was the first time he had heard of such a method. His eyes lit up. "Good. As you wish. Highest wins."
An attendant brought dice cups and dice and set them on the table. Hearing that Boss Du was personally taking on a youth at dice, the gamblers nearby crowded around.
After inspecting the dice, Li Qiang smiled. "A guest follows his host's wishes. You first."
Du Dingguang could not be bothered to speak. He picked up his dice cup, shook it several times, and gently set it down. "Please!"
Li Qiang grew enthusiastic. First, he tossed the dice into the air one by one, controlling the force of their descent with True Essence Power. Snatching up the dice cup with his right hand, he swung it from side to side, chasing down and catching each die, then began shaking it rapidly. Deliberately showing off, Li Qiang spun the cup in his hand in a dazzling blur. Finally, he tossed it high into the air. Bang! It landed mouth-down on the table.
The crowd was astonished. The display was so spectacular that many involuntarily cheered. Du Dingguang was equally amazed. In all his years in gambling houses, he had never seen anyone play this way, and he could not help growing wary.
The dealer beside them said, "Place your bets. Bet on Boss Du to win on the left, and this gentleman to win on the right."
Du Dingguang said, "How much? Place your wager."
Li Qiang grinned cheekily. "What are the odds if I win?"
Du Dingguang was nearly infuriated to death. Usually gloomy and composed, he was actually finding it difficult to control himself. Anger surged within him as he gritted his teeth. "One to one. Did you expect two to one?"
He had finally stirred up his temper. Li Qiang thought happily, Good. Lose your composure, and you've already lost half the battle. He teased, "Would you agree if I asked for two to one? Ha!"
Blood rushed to Du Dingguang's head, turning his deathly pale face bright red.
Mei Jingjing clapped and laughed. "Oh, he's blushing!" The crowd roared with laughter.
Du Dingguang's hands shook with anger. You little bastard, you've gone too far! I refuse to believe my gambling skills can't beat yours. His composure shattered, and he blurted out, "Fine, two to one! Open your cup first."
Li Qiang set down the two thousand taels' worth of chips and smiled. "Can I stake jewels?" He took out four luminous pearls the size of quail eggs and placed them on the chips. Everyone was stunned. How much silver were those worth?
Zhao Hao said, "Luminous pearls like these are worth at least twenty-five thousand taels of silver apiece."
Du Dingguang said, "You're ruthless!"
Li Qiang pointed at a maidservant. "You open it."
The maidservant lifted the dice cup, trembling with fear. The crowd erupted. The six dice were arranged in a five-pointed star, all showing sixes. The die in the center had split into two halves as though sliced by a blade, revealing one additional pip between them. Du Dingguang's face turned ashen. With immense bitterness, he said, "You win."
Du Dingguang had also rolled sixes on every die, but his opponent had managed one extra pip. How could he compete?
Clap, clap. Someone applauded. "What grandeur! What skill! What a splendid show! A beautiful win! Beautiful!"
A group entered through the doorway. The man applauding at their head was actually a military officer dressed in the robes of a third-rank official. Cheng Zizhong lowered his head and murmured, "He's Peng Yongnian, commander of the imperial guards."
Everyone immediately fell silent. Li Qiang thought this man must be a local tyrant.
A trace of delight appeared on Du Dingguang's face.
Peng Yongnian approached the table and picked up a luminous pearl. "Where did these luminous pearls come from? It seems someone recently reported a stolen batch of jewels and ornaments." He turned to his men. "Wasn't there such a case?"
A soldier beside him said, "Reporting to my lord, there was. The jewels reported missing included four luminous pearls."
Li Qiang watched his performance with great interest. He truly found it entertaining.
Cheng Zizhong secretly broke into a sweat for Peng Yongnian. You're courting death. Of all the people you could provoke, you chose Li Qiang. If you want to covet someone's possessions, at least find out who they are first.
Seeing Peng Yongnian brazenly frame them for stealing jewels, Mei Jingjing grew furious as well. She swung her Shadow Pattern Whip and lashed out.
Peng Yongnian had just picked up all four luminous pearls when Mei Jingjing's Shadow Pattern Whip reached him. He lived up to his position as commander, displaying remarkable agility. He drew back slightly, turned his wrist inward, and lightly tapped the corner of the table with his knuckles, deftly evading the whip. The lash actually split a crack in the table.
Mei Jingjing exclaimed, "You dodge pretty fast. Good, try this one!" Li Qiang reached out to stop her. He knew Niuniu intended to bind him with the whip's shadows, but he had not had his fill of the show yet. How could he bear to have the man immobilized?
"Well now, what a shrew this little woman is! You even dare strike an official. Times have changed-even little girls bare their fangs and claws like this. Men, take these suspects away." The soldiers surged forward.
An invisible force radiated from Li Qiang.
Almost everyone lost their footing and staggered backward. Only Zhao Hao, Peng Yongnian, Du Dingguang, and Mei Jingjing barely managed to remain still. Li Qiang was delighted. The cultivation postures in the Jade Pupil Slip Hou Pijing had given him actually had this effect too.
Peng Yongnian looked deeply embarrassed. "Well, boy, you dare resist arrest. Men, pass on my order! Surround the gambling house and invite the experts from the Attendant Hall!" Peng Yongnian had realized that Li Qiang was a cultivator.
"Yes, sir!" A soldier hurried outside. The gambling house fell into turmoil, but it was too late for anyone to leave.
Li Qiang smiled unhurriedly. "No need to panic. Take your time fetching help. I haven't finished playing yet. Hey, Du Dingguang, that name of yours is no good. Dingguang... Dingguang... ha! Bound to lose everything!"
Mei Jingjing burst out laughing. "Brother, he hasn't paid up yet. How much does he owe? Let Niuniu work it out. Hmm, two thousand taels of silver plus four luminous pearls, each worth twenty-five thousand taels, at two to one. He should pay-two hundred and four thousand taels of silver!"
Watching them discuss this as though no one else were present, Peng Yongnian began to feel uneasy. After years of muddling through officialdom, he could still recognize signs of how serious a situation was. These people were either fools or people of such extraordinary standing that they had no fear of him at all. He thought it over carefully, but he had never seen or heard of any of them. He was beginning to feel at a loss.
An ominous premonition struck Peng Yongnian, and he hurriedly asked, "Hey, boy, what do you do? Who are your elders? Tell me, lest you bring trouble upon yourself."
Cheng Zizhong sighed inwardly. You're not entirely stupid. You've realized something is wrong. But they already have you in their grasp. Naturally, they won't bother answering.
Unable to endure it any longer, Du Dingguang walked over to Peng Yongnian and whispered a few words into his ear.
Peng Yongnian felt reassured. He was merely the head of a silver shop. This group could not have any particularly lofty origins. Besides, the head of a silver shop must be rich. He had struck a gold mine this time. At this thought, he laughed heartily. "I suggest you surrender without resistance. Struggling is useless. Once we reach the government office and clear things up, you'll be fine. Ha!"
Li Qiang found his one-sided pronouncements amusing and said to the people around him, "Hey, did any of you hear that? Why do I keep hearing an insect buzzing away beside my ear? How annoying!" Then he looked at Peng Yongnian. "Were you speaking just now?" Everyone thought the young man's ability to insult people without a single foul word was truly unmatched.
Peng Yongnian nearly went mad. His lips trembled. "Good, good. Well said. We'll see about this." He no longer dared swear. He simply could not understand what this man relied upon to act so boldly.
A soldier reported that four Attendants had arrived from the Attendant Hall.
Li Qiang asked Cheng Zizhong quietly, "Does the Attendant Hall involve itself in this sort of thing too?"
Cheng Zizhong slowly shook his head. He understood Li Qiang's implication. If the Attendant Hall handled such filthy business, how was it any different from hired guards and thugs?
Meanwhile, looking thoroughly pleased with himself, Peng Yongnian went to greet the four men, bowing and scraping. With a fawning smile, he said, "Venerable immortals, this humble official has encountered a few blind fools and had no choice but to trouble you to come and help me deal with these arrogant, ignorant fellows. Heh, please!"
None of the four arrivals wore official robes, so their ranks could not be discerned. Every one of them looked haughty.
Feeling that matters would get out of hand if this continued, Cheng Zizhong hurried over to the leading Attendant and whispered into his ear. He also took something from his sleeve pouch and showed it to him briefly, then returned to stand behind Li Qiang.
Peng Yongnian's and Du Dingguang's hearts sank. They sensed that something was wrong.
The four Attendants gathered together and conferred in low murmurs, then turned and approached Li Qiang. Bowing, they said, "This humble official pays his respects to the Tiger Might General. We did not know you were here and have given offense. Please forgive us, Tiger Might General!"
The four were truly grateful to Cheng Zizhong. Without his warning, they would have brought a great disaster upon themselves today.
The rank of Li Qiang's office was secondary. What frightened them was his identity: he was the Sage King's brother. In the Gusong Kingdom, anyone who dared touch the Sage King's brother would truly fulfill that old saying: a mouse licking a cat's nose-courting death!
Peng Yongnian felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. His hands and feet turned icy, and his limbs went numb. He knew who these people were.