Chapter 6: The Life and Death Game

Most people can only handle one weapon; even wielding two swords or knives is extremely rare due to the difficulty in maintaining balance. A slight mistake can reveal a significant flaw. Yet, Tian Nu Rui can use three knives simultaneously! 

Tang Lian frowned and said, "The most distinctive feature of the Three Knife Dance is its almost overwhelming offense. When three knives are in play at the same time, the attack doesn't stop—it's a fight to the death." 

The two swordsmen were already terrified and could only retreat. Tian Nu Rui waved the short knife in her left hand, striking the one still in mid-air with force. With a graceful turn of her right hand, her figure spun elegantly, her skirt twirling like ripples on water. The short blade in the air swiftly shot towards the golden-robed merchant. The black swordsman raised his sword to block it but felt an immense force behind the blade, causing his hand to tremble violently and his sword to fly out of his grasp. 

"This… this…" The golden-robed merchant cried out in horror. 

The white swordsman hurriedly stepped in front of the golden-robed merchant, swinging his sword forcefully to deflect the short blade into the air. 

At this moment, Tian Nu Rui leaped up, retracting the blade in her left hand into her sleeve, and then grasping the short knife in mid-air. She descended rapidly, aiming at the merchant. The white swordsman smirked, thrusting his sword forward. 

Tian Nu Rui smiled slightly, her figure spinning in the air, slowing her descent. With a light tap of her toe on the white swordsman's sword blade, she borrowed the momentum to leap up again, landing steadily behind the golden-robed merchant with her blade pressed against his back. 

"This…" The golden-robed merchant was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and fell to his knees, stammering, "I don't know what I've done to anger you, Lady Tian Nu. I… I…" 

"Alright." Tian Nu Rui put away her blade, walked up, and lightly patted the merchant's sweaty face, comforting him, "I was just scaring you. I wouldn't actually kill you. As for why, it's just to let everyone present know." 

"This young gentleman's gamble isn't just about money; he's wagering something far more valuable than these two chests of pearls." Tian Nu Rui turned and spoke loudly to the other merchants present. 

Everyone exchanged glances and took a deep breath, "A life-and-death gamble." 

"That's right, a life-and-death gamble," Tian Nu Rui said with a smile. 

Xiao Se frowned and asked Tang Lian, "What is a life-and-death gamble?" 

Tang Lian thought for a moment, "It's a gamble where the loser not only loses their money but also their life." 

Xiao Se's face turned pale, "When did I say I wanted to gamble like that?" 

At this point, Tian Nu Rui had already returned, smiling at Tang Lian, "Lian, this is all I can do to help you. After this, most people will know that the Beauty Pavilion is interested in your goods. Most of them will leave San Gu City, but some I can't handle." 

Gradually, merchants and their attendants began to leave, only a few remaining. Xiao Se glanced around and felt a surge of despair, "Heh… they're here too." 

In the distance stood a burly man, holding a sword as big as a door plank, standing like a mountain. Next to him sat a graceful young woman on a table, swinging her long legs and smiling slightly at them. She lightly waved her hand, and a golden invitation flew towards them. 

Tian Nu Rui's expression changed as the invitation flew straight towards her. She lightly leapt up, kicking the invitation back. The woman, Yue Ji, caught it with her fingers and looked thoughtfully at Tian Nu Rui. 

Tian Nu Rui smiled, "Yue Ji sends invitations, Ming Hou kills. I don't accept your invitations; accepting them means death. You want to kill them, I have nothing to do with them, so don't misunderstand." 

"You!" Xiao Se angrily looked at Tang Lian, but Tang Lian was not paying attention. Following Tang Lian's gaze, he saw a middle-aged scholar sitting there, about thirty years old, with white hair. In front of him lay a sword, exquisitely crafted, resembling a whole piece of jade, shining with a flowing light. 

The middle-aged scholar nodded and smiled, "We meet again." 

In the distance stood a burly man, holding a sword as large as a door plank, standing like a mountain. Next to him, a graceful young woman sat on a table, swinging her long legs and smiling slightly. She waved her hand lightly, sending a golden invitation flying towards them. 

Tian Nu Rui's expression changed as the invitation flew straight towards her. She lightly leapt up, kicking the invitation back. Yue Ji caught it between her fingers, looking thoughtfully at Tian Nu Rui. 

Tian Nu Rui smiled and said, "Yue Ji sends invitations with a smile, Ming Hou kills in anger. I won't accept your invitation; accepting it means death. You want to kill them, not me. Don't misunderstand, young lady." 

"You!" Xiao Se shouted angrily, turning to Tang Lian, who was not paying attention. Following Tang Lian's gaze, he saw a middle-aged scholar sitting there, about thirty years old, but already with white hair. In front of him lay a sword, exquisitely crafted, resembling a whole piece of jade, shining with a flowing light. 

The middle-aged scholar nodded and smiled, "We meet again." 

"Are you also here for that item?" Tang Lian asked. 

The middle-aged scholar didn't answer, only nodded and said, "Your injury is healed. When I first saw you two days ago, your injury was still severe." 

"Of course, my Penglai Pill is a rare elixir from the Imperial Capital's Medicine King Hall. Even if you bring a basket of pearls, it depends on the Medicine King Hall's mood whether they sell it to you. This little injury was not worth wasting my medicine on," Xiao Se said smugly. 

The middle-aged scholar turned to him, frowning slightly, then smiled, "I didn't expect such an expert to be beside Young Master Tang." 

Tian Nu Rui suddenly remembered something and said, "Many people have entered San Gu City these days, but many have also mysteriously disappeared. Could it be..." 

The middle-aged scholar nodded, "To avoid unnecessary trouble for Young Master Tang, the extra people have been eliminated." 

"Sounds nice, but it's just a matter of 'killing those competing with me before competing with you'," Xiao Se said disdainfully. 

The middle-aged scholar paused, then smiled, "That's also true." 

"That item belongs to Xue Yue City. Are you sure you've made the decision to take something from Xue Yue City?" Tang Lian asked. 

The middle-aged scholar shook his head, "It seems you don't know what's inside. It doesn't belong to Xue Yue City. You were just quicker to obtain it." 

"So, you know what's inside?" Tang Lian asked. 

The middle-aged scholar laughed and then said solemnly, "It's a demon!" 

"You might be mistaken," Xiao Se suddenly said, "Right now, the most important thing in this Beauty Pavilion is my gamble. If you're not interested, please leave." 

"A gamble?" 

"A life-and-death gamble." 

Tian Nu Rui smiled, "Yes, in the Beauty Pavilion, a life-and-death gamble is rare. The people here are wealthy enough to live the most luxurious lives, so why would they engage in such a desperate gamble?" 

"I am a swordsman," the middle-aged scholar said, stroking the jade-like sword in front of him, "My life and death are decided by my sword, not by dice. But tonight, I am willing to join this game. If you two win, I will give you an extra night to escape." 

"An extra night to escape?" Xiao Se smiled faintly, "You're too confident." 

"You'll see after the gamble," the middle-aged scholar said, waving his right hand. The dice cup on the distant mahogany table flew into his hand and landed steadily. 

"Manipulating objects from a distance?" Tang Lian frowned slightly. 

"Using the same trick as street performers," Xiao Se said disdainfully, dragging a chair to the table and sitting down slowly. He looked back at Tang Lian, who was still dazed, and helplessly patted the chair. 

"What?" Tang Lian asked. 

"Come sit. Don't you people from Xue Yue City think about anything other than fighting and killing?" 

"Oh, oh," Tang Lian hurried over. 

The middle-aged scholar gently shook the dice cup and said, "One round to determine the winner. If you win, I'll leave. If I win, the item stays, and you can leave too." 

"Sounds fair. At least, win or lose, we don't have to leave our lives behind," Xiao Se said, licking his lips, his eyes fixed on the dice cup. 

The middle-aged scholar smiled, "I didn't expect you to be a gambler. Before, you seemed indifferent to everything, but now, sitting at the gambling table, you seem like a different person." 

Xiao Se, still staring at the dice cup, said, "I once gambled for three days and nights at the largest casino in the Imperial Capital, Qian Jin Tai, and won a city. Do you believe that?" 

"Qian Jin Tai is the largest casino in Northern Li. Even compared to Beauty Pavilion, it's unmatched. Winning a small country is not impossible," the middle-aged scholar said calmly. 

Xiao Se smirked, "You're just saying that, but you don't believe it." 

The middle-aged scholar placed the dice cup firmly on the table, "Seeing is believing. If you could win a city, your gambling skills must be extraordinary. So..." 

"Five, five, six, sixteen points, bet on high," Tang Lian reminded. As an expert in hidden weapons, his ability to discern sounds had reached its peak. Hearing dice was too simple for him. 

"You people from Jianghu," Xiao Se sighed, "have no sense of fun. The best part of gambling is the gamble itself. If you already know the outcome, what's the point?" 

"You're right," the middle-aged scholar nodded. 

"So, what will you bet on?" Tang Lian asked urgently. 

"Five, five, six," Xiao Se said, hands folded in his sleeves, sitting upright and confident, "I bet on high." 

"You..." Tang Lian was exasperated. 

The middle-aged scholar lightly tapped the dice cup, "Final bets?" 

"Not good!" Tian Nu Rui and Tang Lian exclaimed simultaneously. Although the middle-aged scholar had only lightly tapped the cup, they both recognized the force behind that tap as the Buddhist Shattering Finger. The White Horse Monk Jie Kong once killed with this technique, leaving no external wounds but shattering the internal organs. Under this tap, the dice in the cup could not be discerned; neither high nor low mattered. 

"Of course it's not good," Xiao Se stood up, smiling at the middle-aged scholar, "But gambling is never easy." 

"Do you want to change your bet?" the middle-aged scholar asked. 

"Change?" Xiao Se suddenly grabbed the dice cup, "The secret to winning is believing you will win. When you believe, you will win!" 

Xiao Se lifted the cup. 

Everyone was astonished. 

Under the middle-aged scholar's tap, the three dice had turned to powder. Determining high or low was impossible; even betting on a triple wouldn't work. But when the powder cleared, the scene under the cup surprised even the middle-aged scholar. 

"This..." The middle-aged scholar frowned. 

The powder had formed small dots on the table, displaying the numbers... 

"Five, five, six," Tang Lian said joyfully.