Chapter 60: Who Exactly Is the Villain

"Still, it's best to be careful," Xue'er felt slightly more at ease after hearing him say this. "Do you want to go to the gambling house to take charge?"

"No need," Mei Chaofeng said, draining a glass of wine. "Plum Blossom Seven's cultivation isn't particularly high, but he holds a significant position under me because his gambling skills are unparalleled. For over a decade, no one has ever beaten him. In recent years, he doesn't even need to play himself; he's trained a group of disciples capable of handling any situation. With him in charge at the Silver Hook Gambling House, young lady, you can simply wait for good news."

Meanwhile, Plum Blossom Seven, the legendary gambler Mei Chaofeng had spoken of, was bowing and scraping around Zu An. "What would the young master like to play?"

Plum Blossom Seven felt a pang of self-disgust at his own servile behavior, but the thought that this man would soon be on his knees begging for mercy made the temporary humiliation seem trivial.

"Which game relies most on luck?" Zu An asked, looking around. He dared to come to this gambling house to "collect" money today, not because he was a gambling master, but because he possessed a Lucky Pill he had drawn from his keyboard.

Items from the keyboard could be tricky at times, but when used correctly, their effects were remarkably potent—a fact he had already learned firsthand. He had initially intended to use this Lucky Pill for a lottery draw, only to discover it was ineffective for keyboard-based lotteries. This had puzzled him for a long time, leaving him wondering about its purpose.

It was only with Plum Blossom Thirteen's appearance that he realized a brilliant use for the Lucky Pill. In the realm of gambling, skill is important, but luck is paramount. Against absolute luck, even the most refined skill is ultimately powerless.

Of course, all of this assumed no one was cheating. Otherwise, no matter how good his luck, he would still be slaughtered like a fat pig.

This was also why he had brought Chu Chuyan: not only for his personal safety but also to prevent the casino from cheating.

Although Chu Chuyan wasn't skilled in gambling, her fifth-grade cultivation meant that any tricks these people attempted would not escape her keen observation.

"The game that truly tests luck is, of course, Sic Bo," Plum Blossom Seven replied with a smile, though he scoffed inwardly. On the surface, the game seemed to rely on chance, but the casino's staff could manipulate the dice to land on whatever numbers they desired. At that point, wouldn't Zu An simply be a lamb to the slaughter?

"What is Sic Bo?" Zu An asked, puzzled.

"It's just a game of 'Big or Small'," Plum Blossom Seven replied, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"If it's just 'Big or Small', then say 'Big or Small'," Zu An said, giving him a disdainful look. "Why make it sound so refined?"

Plum Blossom Seven, however, didn't get angry. He thought, 'This kid doesn't even know this? No wonder he lost a thousand taels earlier. If I don't make him lose ten thousand taels today—no, make that tens of thousands—then I, Plum Blossom Seven, will retire from gambling forever!'

"Hahaha, Zu, you ignored the path to heaven and barged straight into hell!" Just then, an arrogant laugh echoed from nearby.

Zu An turned to see Plum Blossom Thirteen being pushed in a wheelchair, his eyes bloodshot and filled with a maniacal glint.

Plum Blossom Seven secretly cursed. He thought, 'Doesn't this guy know how to exercise some patience? He should have waited until Zu An was fully committed to the game. What if jumping out now scares him off?'

Zu An was immediately amused by Plum Blossom Thirteen's appearance. "If your leg is broken, you should be recuperating properly. If you keep wandering around carelessly, you might end up breaking your hands too."

Plum Blossom Thirteen gritted his teeth so hard he almost drew blood. "You little bastard! Now that there are no academy teachers protecting you, let's see how you'll fare! Guards, break this scoundrel's limbs!"

Rage points from Plum Blossom Thirteen +798!

"Yes!"

As he held a high position in the Plum Blossom Gang and had many desperate men under his command, they immediately prepared to rush forward upon hearing his order.

Zu An quickly ducked behind Chu Chuyan. "My dear, my dear, you've seen it with your own eyes! This fellow dares to be so arrogant right in front of you. I wasn't lying to you before, was I?"

Chu Chuyan was displeased that he kept calling her "my dear," but in front of so many people, she couldn't correct him. Instead, she redirected her anger towards Plum Blossom Thirteen. "What did you just say?"

A chilling aura spread, and the once bustling and stuffy gambling house suddenly became cool. Many gamblers even shivered involuntarily.

Plum Blossom Thirteen was stunned. He had rushed here upon hearing the news, completely unaware that Chu Chuyan was also present. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to act so recklessly—a fifth-grade master was an imposing figure. The entire Plum Blossom Gang, even excluding their leader, wouldn't collectively be a match for her.

Plum Blossom Seven quickly stepped in to mediate. "Miss Chu, Miss Chu, these are all just misunderstandings. Thirteenth Brother injured his leg today, and in his pain, he spoke out of turn. He simply mistook someone else for him, mistook someone else for him."

"Mistook someone?" Chu Chuyan sneered, turning to Zu An. "How do you wish to punish him?"

Zu An was taken aback. His "bargain wife" was usually quite cold towards him, yet here she was, giving him so much deference in public?

Delighted, he pointed at Plum Blossom Thirteen and said, "Since this fellow was just clamoring to break my limbs, then let's break his limbs."

"Very well!" Chu Chuyan declared. Before her words had fully faded, a white blur flashed. Before anyone could react, Plum Blossom Thirteen let out a wretched scream. He couldn't even remain in his wheelchair, instead writhing and howling in agony on the ground. It was evident that both his hands were now broken, and his legs had been re-broken. Blood began to seep through the bandages.

As Chu Chuyan returned to her original spot, her expression impassive, everyone in the gambling house gasped. This woman appeared so delicate, yet her actions were incredibly ruthless?

The few men who had been whistling and flirting moments earlier swallowed hard, instinctively retreating a few paces and melting back into the crowd.

Zu An gave Chu Chuyan a thumbs-up. "As expected of my wife! Fierce and a woman of few words. No, wait, beautiful and a woman of few words."

Chu Chuyan gave him a fleeting glance. "Don't misunderstand. I didn't do it for you, but for the honor of the Chu family." She had initially doubted his claims, but seeing Plum Blossom Thirteen's arrogance moments ago, she now understood that Zu An's words were very likely true.

The Plum Blossom Gang truly intended to deal with him!

While the Chu family, due to the imperial court's apprehension, found it inconvenient to meddle in local affairs, they certainly wouldn't tolerate being openly humiliated without retaliation. This fellow dared to spout such nonsense about the Chu family directly in front of her. Did he truly believe the Chu family was a pushover if she didn't assert herself?

"It's all the same, isn't it? Either way, it's our family's honor," Zu An said with a grin.

Chu Chuyan rolled her eyes. This man's shamelessness was truly thicker than a city wall.

Zu An, however, wouldn't miss such a prime opportunity to harvest rage points. He walked up to Plum Blossom Thirteen, looking down at him. "What did I just tell you? If your leg is broken, you should be recovering properly. If you wander around carelessly, you might end up breaking your hands too. I offered well-intentioned advice, but you ignored it, and now look, your hands are broken, aren't they?"

Plum Blossom Thirteen was simultaneously in pain and enraged. "Zu! You always hide behind others. If you have any guts, fight me yourself!"

Rage points from Plum Blossom Thirteen +999!

Zu An chuckled. "Do you think I'm like a powerless commoner such as yourself? Why wouldn't I use my connections when I have them? How could my noble body possibly compare to your lowly life? What age are we living in, to still be engaging in one-on-one duels?"

Damn, how utterly shameless!

The onlookers were dumbfounded. Just a few days ago, this fellow was dirt poor and worthless, right? And now, after only a few days, he's proclaiming himself a noble?

Rage points from Bystander A +66!

Rage points from Bystander B +66!

Rage points from Bystander C +66!

...

Not just the bystanders, even Chu Chuyan felt an urge to cover her face.

Plum Blossom Thirteen finally lost his temper and cursed loudly, "Noble, my foot! You're nothing but a kept man!"

Rage points from Plum Blossom Thirteen +1000!

"So what if I'm a kept man?" Zu An retorted, placing a hand on Chu Chuyan's shoulder. "If you have the ability, go find a wife who's beautiful, powerful, and from a good family yourself!"

Rage points from Plum Blossom Thirteen +666!

Plum Blossom Thirteen wasn't sure if he was more enraged by the man's brazenness or by his own inability to find a wife like Chu Chuyan.

In fact, it wasn't just Plum Blossom Thirteen; the onlookers, witnessing Zu An's smugness, successfully contributed a massive wave of rage points as well.

Zu An mused, 'It was indeed a wise decision not to go to the VIP room. Without a crowd of onlookers, where would all these rage points come from?'

Chu Chuyan subtly shifted her body, dislodging his hand, and quietly rebuked him with a darkened expression, "Shut up! You're making me lose face completely." This man's complete lack of noble etiquette was truly beyond her comprehension.

Zu An then approached Plum Blossom Thirteen. "You made my wife angry, so I'll duel you!"

Plum Blossom Thirteen: "..."

Damn it, you were the one who angered her! How is this my fault?

Rage points from Plum Blossom Thirteen +666!

Wait, did he say duel?

Before he could react, a shoe sole appeared directly in front of his face, and his nose was instantly kicked, gushing blood.

Zu An sighed. "You were begging for a duel, yet when it actually happened, you proved to be so weak—not even a match for a single blow from me. Why bother, indeed?"

What the hell!

My limbs are already broken, and you want to duel me now?

Plum Blossom Thirteen had fantasized countless times about beating Zu An to a pulp if he were unprotected. Yet, when the opportunity finally presented itself, he was left with a gushing nosebleed.

This immense disparity, coupled with the humiliation of being thrashed by a good-for-nothing, caused him to faint from sheer rage.

Rage points from Plum Blossom Thirteen +1024!

Zu An was momentarily stunned. Seeing this number, he instinctively wanted to respond with "May a good person live a peaceful life." This was the first time he had seen rage points exceed 1000. Could this be everyone's maximum rage limit, only achievable under very specific and difficult conditions?

He had initially intended to kick him a few more times, but Plum Blossom Seven and the others had already reacted, quickly stepping forward to block his path. "He has already fainted, Your Excellency. To continue pressing him like this would be quite excessive, wouldn't it?"

As he spoke, he himself felt awkward. It had always been the Plum Blossom Gang bullying others; it was never their turn to be bullied. Such pleas were typically the futile defiance of the weak in their presence, and he had never expected to find himself playing such a role today.

This peculiar individual before him truly was...

He was suddenly overcome by a sense of absurdity. "Damn it, who exactly is the villain here?!"

Rage points from Plum Blossom Seven +666!