Chapter 208: Gambling Guild's Internal Strife

Chapter 208: Chaos Within the Gambling House

The moon hung high in the sky, already past midnight.

At this hour, the streets of Nan Yu District were nearly deserted.

Most who lived here were wage slaves laboring in various companies, bound to rise with the sun and begin their shifts without delay.

Thus, the district’s prosperity came earlier and faded faster than that of Zhong Yu.

A desolate night breeze swept through the streets, lifting an official report discarded by some unknown hand. It danced wildly beneath the seductive glare of neon signs flanking either side.

The report fluttered past a rooftop, where a gaunt, skeletal claw suddenly pressed down from above.

Its eerie green eyes flickered with agitation, sniffing the faint metallic tang in the air. A hungry, low growl rumbled from its throat.

It waited for the door across the way to swing open, for fresh corpses to be hurled forth.

Yet, hunger was hard to endure.

Its sharp claws tore at the report, shredding it into fragments that scattered down from the rooftop, landing once more in the street’s center.

Faint scratches blurred the characters on the shards, but some words remained legible.

“The whereabouts of the unknown. Internal strife within the Chuan Yu gambling house.”

Within the ten-zhang-wide dwelling, three gruesomely mutilated corpses lay submerged in blood.

One had its upper body dismantled, leaving only a mechanical vertebra, its skin and flesh strewn around like torn rags.

Beside it, another headless corpse bore a cleanly severed neck, its blood vessels etched in stark clarity.

The final body, though whole, had its features gouged away.

In this hellish tableau, a solitary chair stood at the room’s heart.

Xu Kang sat upon it, his taut face betraying no emotion. Yet his feet, submerged in the blood pool, unconsciously curled inward.

A blinding white light struck his eyes, stripping his vision to a hazy void.

No matter how hard he strained, only shadowy silhouettes stood before him, their faces indistinct.

Do not panic! Stay calm!

He repeated this mantra inwardly, fighting to steady his racing heart.

After years navigating the underworld of Chongqing, he’d orchestrated his share of kidnappings. Survival now was paramount.

If they’d gone to such lengths to seize him, it was for profit, not mere murder.

With General Qi Huai’s flight and his family’s imprisonment by the Jin Yi Wei, the entire “Sparrow System” had crumbled.

He’d braced himself for this moment, yet never imagined their methods would be so ruthless.

They’d mapped his escape route and timing—details even his wife and children didn’t know!

Before he’d fled the city, they’d ambushed him in the streets.

Xu Kang glanced at the corpses around him, a shiver wracking his frame.

These were peak-tier ninth-rank players, slaughtered like pigs, defenseless!

“Brothers, you’ve killed them. You’ve made your point. Can we talk now?”

He inhaled the acrid, metallic air, squinting through the pain. His voice remained steady.

“No wonder you’re a respected figure in the ‘Tube’ circle. Even cornered, you show such nerve. Admirable.”

The figures beside the light trembled, as if bowing in deference.

A face slowly emerged from the shadows beside the beam.

“It’s you? Zhou You?!”

Xu Kang’s pupils constricted, his face contorting in alarm.

“Indeed. Didn’t expect you to remember a minor player like me.”

Zhou You smiled, adjusting the spotlight torn from a heavy truck. He rubbed his eye as he approached.

“Brother, what’s this about? We’re all part of the gambling world. Bloodshed breaks the rules.”

“Tap.”

In the blood pool, their toes nearly touched. Zhou You halted.

He bent slowly, bringing his face close to Xu Kang’s. “Brother? When you rigged my games, did you think of us as brothers?”

Under those icy, indifferent eyes, Xu Kang recoiled, forcing a nervous laugh. “Heh, Zhou, you jest. That’s all in the past.”

He raised his arms. “Besides, you took my hands. We’re even now, aren’t we?”

“You’re right. Our grudge is settled. We’re still brothers of the gambling house.”

Zhou You feigned realization, then shook his head with a smile. “Though the feud between the Tile and Sparrow factions remains.”

“The Tile faction’s parlors at Luohan Temple have been harassed daily by your Sparrow lot since opening. You know I’m just a Tile man trying to make ends meet. How can I stand by while my faction suffers?”

“That was the Wind General’s territory. What’s it to you, a lowly rogue?”

Xu Kang cursed inwardly, maintaining his grin. “That was a power struggle among the higher-ups. I’m just a foot soldier.”

Zhou You arched a brow. “When did a Tile man become a foot soldier?”

“Don’t mock me. The ‘Tube’ is now a pariah, everyone wants us dead. My rank’s no better than a rogue’s.”

The words left his mouth, then he hastily added, “But even a rogue’s stronger than I am now!”

“General Qi Huai sought death, and you’re just an unlucky soul caught in the crossfire. I’ll spare you.”

Xu Kang nodded frantically.

Zhou You chuckled. “Though I need to ask you a few things. Cooperate, and I’ll ensure your safety. But if you—”

Xu Kang cut him off. “Ask anything! I’ll tell you all!”

“Good, Xu. Straightforward.”

Zhou You straightened, his gaze sharp as he loomed over Xu Kang.

“General Qi Huai purchased two properties in the Copper Tower of Hongya Mountain in Zhong Yu. Tell me the deed numbers and transfer keys.”

Xu Kang’s face twitched, eyes fixed on Zhou You’s legs.

“You jest again. What standing do I have in the ‘Tube’ to touch the General’s assets?”

“If we’re talking rank, then yes. But what if you have another identity?”

A voice colder than ice echoed above, making his hair stand on end.

“The General’s mind was clever. He downloaded a Huangliang Ghost from the illusion realm, implanted it into a corpse, and used it as a vault, a watchdog.”

Zhou You clicked his tongue. “No wonder he escaped so cleanly.”

Xu Kang’s scalp burned. His bowed head jerked upright.

“Should I call you Xu Kang, or Qi Kang? Hmm?”

Xukan's eyes widened, unblinking, as he gazed upon that young face.

Though the memory was still fresh, an inexplicable unfamiliarity settled over him.