Chapter 664: Blood Spot

"Ha, are you betting just because of that?"

"Of course, I have San Chu San and can still talk, which means your old man is younger than mine." Qiao Jiajin threw a Dao on the table.

"Nonsense," Di Hou said.

"I'll match," Qi Xia said first, throwing a Dao on the table.

Di Hou heard Qi Xia speak and glanced at his cards: "Your hand is Qi Dian, so you should quit now."

"I'm not quitting," Qi Xia said with a somewhat dazed look in his eyes. "Do you dare to match?"

Di Hou looked at Qi Xia's expression, pondered for a few seconds, and then decisively placed a Dao. He had Zheng Yue Chu Yi, which gave him the biggest winning chance, so there was no reason to back down.

After Chen Junnan also placed his bet, Qiao Jiajin started thinking about the possibility of raising, but after considering it, he felt his hand couldn't beat Di Hou's, so he decided to wait for the next opportunity.

During this time, he kept glancing at Qi Xia out of the corner of his eye and noticed that Qi Xia's body was swaying, as if he was barely holding on.

"Jun Nan Zi, deal the cards first," Qiao Jiajin said. "We'll think about raising next round."

"Got it," Chen Junnan nodded and began dealing the An Pai to everyone.

He dealt to himself first, then to Qiao Jiajin, Qi Xia, and Di Hou.

Since this round only required nine cards and there were twenty-seven left in the deck, it was unrealistic to guess what cards others might draw based on the ones in play.

Chen Junnan picked up his card and slowly lifted a corner.

"Young master, I've been unlucky my whole life—can I get a break this time...?"

He slowly turned the card and caught a glimpse of a Pie at the edge.

Chen Junnan blinked in confusion. After reviewing the twenty-four solar terms, he couldn't think of any that started with Pie.

Could a miracle really happen?

With a joyful expression, he slowly revealed the card. Three seconds later, his face twisted into one of utter despair.

Chong Yang.

Jiu Yue Jiu.

Without any other cards, this one alone made him "burst."

This card was worth Shiba, the highest in the deck. Nothing else could reach Shiba on its own—it was a straight Zha Dan.

Adding his previous Li Chun and the community She Ri, his total hand reached a whopping twenty-nine points, almost double Shiliu!

"Young master, I'm totally convinced..." Chen Junnan struggled to control his expression, trying not to show his breakdown.

What could he do next?

It wasn't about whether he could win anymore; continuing to bet would mean certain loss.

So, what else could he do?

After a few seconds, a smile slowly crept onto Chen Junnan's lips. He realized he might have overthought it...

From the start, his goal in this game wasn't to "win."

"Whoa~~~~~~~~"

The hearty voice pierced the quiet casino again, making Di Hou slowly furrow his brow.

"Another hat trick!!" Chen Junnan shouted. "Monkey Bro! This time, I'm really going to bet against you!!"

Di Hou looked at Chen Junnan impatiently and asked, "What are you betting?"

Chen Junnan thought for a few seconds before saying slowly: "Can I bet on the color of my butt?"

"What...?!" Di Hou's nose almost twisted in anger. "What kind of bet is that?!"

"It means if I win, I'll be fair and rosy from now on, and if you win, you'll... at least look like a human."

"Damn it!" Di Hou was genuinely angry. He slammed the table and pointed fiercely at Chen Junnan. "You're done for today. Even after the game ends, I won't let you go."

"Hey, don't worry. I probably won't live to see the end of the game anyway," Chen Junnan said with a smile.

"You..."

"What, can't we bet on that?" Chen Junnan shrugged helplessly. "Or you all talk first, and I'll just listen."

Qiao Jiajin picked up his hand, flipped it over lightly, and raised his eyebrows.

Yu Shui!

He quickly calculated in his mind: This year's Yu Shui was Zheng Yue Er Shi Yi, or Yi Er Yi.

With his Shang Si as San Chu San, the two cards added up to Shi. Even with the community She Ri, the total was Shisi.

This hand hadn't "burst" and even had some competitive edge...

It all depended on what Di Hou's An Pai was.

As long as it wasn't Shiwu or the maximum Shiliu, he had this round won.

In the Man Yue Gui Ze, most hands had a high chance of "bursting," so holding steady at Shisi was already impressive.

Qiao Jiajin expressionlessly put his cards back and turned to look at Qi Xia.

He wanted to know what Qi Xia's hand was roughly like and if he could go all-in against Di Hou.

But Qi Xia never looked at his own cards; he just kept staring at the An Pai in Di Hou's hand.

Di Hou carefully picked up his An Pai, glanced at the text, and then placed it back expressionlessly.

A few seconds later, he slowly smiled: "Does anyone want to raise?"

Qiao Jiajin knew he was committed and quickly shot a pleading look at Qi Xia, but Qi Xia's gaze never left Di Hou's card, as if he could see right through it.

Following Qi Xia's line of sight, Qiao Jiajin looked at the card nearby and noticed something odd after a few seconds.

At the same time, Chen Junnan spotted it too.

The three of them said nothing, just stood there in silent contemplation.

Was this a coincidence or sheer luck...?

In the dim, flickering casino lights, they could clearly see that Di Hou's An Pai on the table had a few tiny, almost invisible blood spots.

"Hiss..." Chen Junnan touched his forehead and quickly racked his brain.

Blood spots... blood spots...

If it was blood spots, they must be from Zheng Yingxiong, who had just had a nosebleed.

After bleeding profusely, he tilted his head back, causing the blood to flow into his windpipe, and then he coughed it out, spraying it everywhere, including onto the cards in front of him.

"Oh no... what card did Zheng Yingxiong have just now...?" Chen Junnan slowly closed his eyes and, like Qi Xia, thought rapidly.

The card Di Hou now held was one from Zheng Yingxiong's previous hand...

Chen Junnan opened his eyes slowly, and Zheng Yingxiong's last hand suddenly came to mind.

Li Qiu, Qi Yue Chu Ba.

Da Shu, Liu Yue Er Shi Yi.