Chapter 668: A Draw is Considered a Loss

"One game to decide the outcome...?"

"Yes," Qi Xia replied. "There are still three rounds left, but I don't want to go through all that trouble. I'm ready to settle it in this one game against you."

"Hmm...?" Di Hou scratched his head, seeming to consider the proposal.

"This game will just be me on my side," Qi Xia added. "We don't need to use any 'Dao' anymore. I'll wager the lives of all six of us."

"You're not only proposing one game to decide it all, but also putting your lives on the line right here?" Di Hou asked.

"That's right," Qi Xia said. "It's fair for you too, since our chips are nearly at twenty. If I win, the accumulated winnings could let three people escape, and you'd only get three lives."

"How is that fair for me?" Di Hou countered. "If you're wagering six lives, then I need to wager my own life as well."

"Of course not," Qi Xia shook his head. "If I win, you just need to provide us with enough 'Dao' to survive. We're exchanging our six lives for your 'Dao'—isn't that fair?"

Di Hou thought it over carefully and felt that Qi Xia's words made sense.

If they played out the rounds normally, Qi Xia had a good chance of winning, since he had figured out most of the rules. Even if not everyone survived, saving three lives would be easy enough.

But if Di Hou could win the next game, he might get all six lives at once.

So, was it better to secure three lives steadily, or take a risk for six? What should he choose?

"Heh... what else can I choose?" Di Hou slowly curled his lips into a smile. "Even if everyone else would pick three lives, I'm a 'gambler' after all."

"So...?"

"I agree," Di Hou nodded. "After all, I already said it—you're just bluffing. You don't know my 'bottom card,' so your chances of winning are slim to none."

"What if I'm not bluffing?"

"Then I guess I lose the bet," Di Hou frowned and said. "A gambler's word is his bond."

"Good."

"But..." Di Hou slowly lifted his eyes, "I have one condition."

"A condition...?" Qi Xia furrowed his brow, sensing something off. "Let's hear it."

"I was set to win for sure, but I'm making this big concession to go for one decisive game, so I need to restate the rules."

"How...? Are you changing the rules again?" Qi Xia asked.

"Of course not," Di Hou denied. "We'll stick to the 'Man Yue' rules for this final game, but I have to make it clear— a tie counts as my win."

"A tie...?" Qi Xia quickly racked his nearly exhausted brain. "You mean if we both get the same points, you win?"

"Not just the same points," Di Hou shook his head. "Even if we both 'bust,' that counts as my win."

Qiao Jia Jin and Chen Jun Nan, who had been silent until now, couldn't hold back any longer.

"Damn it, Di Hou, aren't you pushing it too far?" Chen Jun Nan said. "Why not just say that as soon as the cards are dealt, you win?"

"Hey! Hold on a second!" Qiao Jia Jin suddenly realized something and reached out to stop Chen Jun Nan. "Jun Nan, we might have misunderstood Di Hou's meaning. He's saying that a tie counts as his win, but if it's not a tie, then it counts as Qi Xia's win!"

"Whoa~~~!" Chen Jun Nan slapped his forehead. "Old Qiao, I love your thinking! So that's what Di Hou meant?"

"Of course it is?!" Qiao Jia Jin said. "Qi Xia, go ahead and bet with him! You've got a great shot at winning!"

Di Hou gripped the table with both hands, his eyes flashing with a cold glare: "Is this your last-ditch effort? After all, you're all going to die once this game is over."

He then turned to Qi Xia and asked: "You decide—do we play this final game under my rules, or finish the full three rounds normally?"

Qi Xia knew this was their last chance for everyone to survive together.

If they played out the full three rounds under the normal rules, they'd need extreme "luck," high "stakes," and Di Hou wouldn't give up easily—he'd have to put up more than ten chips per round. If any of that failed, someone would be left behind for sure.

It was a matter of a chance for all to survive versus a guaranteed three lives saved. What would Qi Xia choose?

"Unfortunately, I'm a 'gambler' too," Qi Xia said. "I agree. We'll play under the 'Man Yue' rules, and if it's a tie, you win."

"Ha! Straightforward!" Di Hou said. "We've got plenty of people here for this game. Pick someone to deal the cards for us."

Qi Xia thought for a moment, and then Tian Tian suddenly spoke up from behind.

"I'll do it."

Everyone turned to look at her, and she walked straight to the round table without a care.

"Is that okay?" Tian Tian asked.

Qi Xia nodded slowly, then looked at Di Hou.

"Out of my people, only she's unfamiliar with gambling. If she deals, will you be okay with that?"

"Of course, I'm fine with whoever deals."

Tian Tian, seeing the determined looks in their eyes, carefully gathered all the cards together and wiped away any bloodstains on them.

Everyone's lives were now tied to this single game—there was no room for error.

Qi Xia slowly stood up, glanced sideways at Qiao Jia Jin and Chen Jun Nan, and said:

"You two, come with me."

Without waiting, he walked over to a table in the distance, and the other two quickly followed.

Di Hou watched as the three sat down at the small table far away. Qi Xia moved his lips, speaking in a very low voice, while the expressions on the other two shifted dramatically, as if hearing something utterly unbelievable.

"So, do you understand...?" Qi Xia's voice returned to normal as he asked gravely.

"Under... understood... I guess?"

The two exchanged glances, their faces a mix of emotions.

"Then I'll start this game," Qi Xia said. "Let's fight side by side."

While Tian Tian shuffled the cards, the three returned to the round table with different expressions on their faces. They adjusted their seats, with Qi Xia in the middle and Qiao Jia Jin and Chen Jun Nan on either side of him.

This didn't sit well with Di Hou.

"Hey..." Di Hou slapped the table. "Didn't you say this game was just you? What's with those two beside you?"

"My assistants," Qi Xia replied without hesitation. "To make sure I don't pass out and to help me see the cards clearly."