Chapter 652: Counter-Trap

Up until now, Qi Xia still felt very strange.

Why did Di Hou always emphasize his tone when announcing the start of each round?

Was this just his habit, or was it intentional?

As soon as Di Hou finished speaking, that sense of unease crept back into Qi Xia's mind.

This time, he was absolutely certain—the wooden box was definitely odd.

Its color had changed once again.

Based on the changes he'd observed, the shifts were very subtle, hard for most people to notice, but Qi Xia clearly remembered its original appearance.

What was once a dark brown wooden box was no longer dark brown; it had shifted more toward a yellowish brown.

"It's really getting lighter..."

Although Qi Xia had identified the issue with the box, he couldn't immediately figure out what it meant.

Could it be that the box would keep getting lighter over time until it turned into a pure white box?

"A box placed in the center of the table... and it's getting lighter..."

Qi Xia stroked his chin, trying to explain the problem from every angle, but he couldn't find any leads.

Since he couldn't find a connection between the lightening box and the game, Qi Xia switched to a more tricky perspective.

What was the principle behind the wooden box lightening?

Wood wasn't a material that could change color easily; even with heat or cooling, it wouldn't alter so much in such a short time.

Earlier, when Qi Xia had accidentally picked up the box, he'd noticed it was very light, suggesting it was hollowed out inside.

With that in mind, he made a bold guess: to turn a dark brown box into a yellowish brown one, the most straightforward method wasn't heating or cooling, but installing a light tube inside the hollowed-out interior. As the rounds progressed, the light tube could grow brighter, making the box's color lighter.

"No wonder Di Hou values this box so much... Is it one of the 'rules' too?"

Qi Xia stepped back and looked at the game from a broader perspective.

The large round table seemed well-worn, its surface pitch-black like an endless sky, with the scattered "Dao" pieces on it glimmering faintly like stars.

At the very center was the square box, positioned right in the middle of the round table.

It was currently shifting from a deep brown color, like the table, to a lighter yellow, resembling a moon gradually taking shape.

"Could 'Shuo Wang Yue' be more than that...?"

Every time Di Hou declared "round" with such force, was it to activate some mechanism inside the wooden box and change its color?

Qi Xia had already guessed the game's rules, and Di Hou had even mentioned terms like "straight" and "pair," so logically, their rules aligned closely—any differences would just be about whether a "straight" beat a "four of a kind" or something similar.

Since the rules were clear, what did this increasingly bright wooden box represent?

Looking at the shabby and makeshift game setup, Qi Xia didn't think Di Hou was the type to add a box that changed with each round just for entertainment. Combined with Di Hou's recent behavior, he must have some hidden plan.

And that plan was likely tied to the box that kept changing.

Qi Xia didn't know exactly what Di Hou was up to, so he decided to stay on guard. If it followed the principle of "Shuo Wang Yue," the box was currently brightening, moving from "Shuo" to "Wang."

When the box reached its brightest, something unexpected was bound to happen. If he didn't anticipate it, the situation could turn against him.

Although he'd won quite a few chips in the early rounds, gambling was unpredictable—one wrong move in the final round could lose everything. So, he couldn't let his guard down until the last card was revealed.

Tian Tian gathered everyone's cards, shuffled them awkwardly a few times, then held them up and asked, "Do you all want to shuffle?"

Everyone shook their heads, and even Di Hou had no intention of shuffling. In this round, no one reminded anyone else, and all had already placed a "Dao" on the table.

"Then I'll deal the cards."

After saying that, Tian Tian drew the first "public card" and placed it in the center of the table.

"Chong Yang."

"'Nine-nine' Chong Yang," Qi Xia noted.

It was clear that the "public card" was crucial in each round, determining what hand would be strongest and providing the most direct clue about others' cards.

Since this round's card was "nine-nine," it meant there was a high chance of many "pairs," "three of a kind," or "four of a kind" in the game.

Whether they could draw a nine became everyone's goal for this round.

Tian Tian flipped a card in front of herself: "Xiao Shu," which was "'six-initial' six."

This card was neither good nor bad for her. Now she had two nines and two sixes, so if her hidden card was strong enough, she could still compete.

The game only had thirty-six cards in total, and with seven players plus the public card, they only needed fifteen cards, leaving eleven hidden. Guessing Di Hou's hand was nearly impossible.

The next person to receive a card was Xiao Cheng.

He flipped the card Tian Tian handed him: "Han Lu," which was "'nine-initial' eight."

For both Tian Tian and Xiao Cheng, the cards they got this round weren't small. Xiao Cheng now had three nines, making his visible hand already quite powerful.

Next came Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin.

They received "Yuan Xiao" and "La Ba," respectively—one was "'one-one' five" and the other "'one-two' eight." On their own, these cards looked decent but couldn't form any combination with "Chong Yang," so their chances of winning depended entirely on their next card.

Qi Xia drew "Zhong Qiu," which was "'eight-one' five," putting him in the same boat as Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin.

Now, everyone's eyes turned to Di Hou.

He took the card from Tian Tian, flipped it onto the table, and revealed "Qiu Fen."

This year's Qiu Fen was "'eight-month' twenty-three."

So, Di Hou was in the same position as Qi Xia and the others—with a card that seemed useless for now.

The last person to get a card was Zheng Ying Xiong.

He drew "Chun Jie," which was "'first-initial' one."

After seeing it, Qi Xia nodded. For anyone to win this round, it would have to be Tian Tian, Xiao Cheng, or Zheng Ying Xiong.

"I'm 'La Ba' hey." Qiao Jia Jin laughed, "Am I the biggest? I'll bet two!"