Chapter 0488: Cheating
Ocean Gambling’s Premier Casino definitely was worth its fame. In the Ocean Gambling City, none of the others casinos could compare to its grandeur. Ning Cheng finally found out the extent of this ‘luxury’ after passing through the door with Jing Hao.
After Ning Cheng came in, the first feeling was that of the liveliness inside, followed by the perfect order and organisation. Even though filled with many people gambling, the level of organisation in this place did not let the people feel disorganised in any manner.
The entire area of the casino had different regions, and as Ning Cheng’s eyes swept around, he found that the rules of gambling within each region was different. The casino also had all kinds of tables in different areas, along with stairways leading to the second level, which had a few guards around it.
“Jing Hao, your courage truly knows no bounds, eh. I told you to fuck off out of my kindness, yet you even dared to come back again…..” The brown-haired man who had previously stepped on Jing Wuming out in the streets quickly arrived and stood in front of Ning Cheng and Jing Wuming.
“Deacon Teng, can’t I come back to pay the money?” Jing Wuming spoke back while calmly staring at the brown-haired man standing in front of him.
The brown-haired man looked Jing Wuming carefully from top to bottom a few times before shifting his gaze at Ning Cheng standing right behind him before showing a sneer and spoke, “I wondered how you came into some money so quickly. Looks like you caught an idiot.”
When the brown-haired man finished his words, he then turned to Ning Cheng and spoke up, “Son, this father promises you that no one in the Ocean Gambling City will ever threaten you. You don’t need to feel frightened to the point of actually giving out the pitiful amount of money you have to him.”
The brown-haired man was a Celestial Novice Cultivator, and because Ning Cheng was not willing to invite more trouble, he chose not to answer his words.
Seeing Ning Cheng not providing an answer to his words, the brown-haired man snorted and did not continue to care about Ning Cheng. He initially had the intention that once Ning Cheng dared to refute him, he could then immediately teach Ning Cheng a lesson about proper hierarchy. However, since Ning Cheng did not reply, he also did not have a way to pick on them.
“First return the 10 million Black Coins, and then get out of this place.” The brown-haired man spoke to Jing Wuming in the same impolite tone.
Jing Wuming ignored the brown-haired man and went straight to the token collection point. After transferring 10 million Black Coins, he then exchanged 90 million Black Coins for nine chips.
Although the brown-haired man wanted to continue picking on Jing Wuming, he could not do so with his current cultivation. Moreover, now that Jing Wuming had paid off the money he owed to them, trying to instigate trouble for Jing Wuming would only direct more problems his way.
“Brother Jing, this brown-haired man seems to be specifically targeting you.” Ning Cheng sent out a sound transmission.
Jing Wuming also sent back a sound transmission, “I’ll tell you about this later, for now, let’s gamble.”
Before coming to this place, Ning Cheng had heard Jing Wuming describe a few gambling methods. From what he heard, these gambling methods were not gambling in the most real sense, but a specific way of betting. Moreover, there was a particular ‘method’ popular among the crowd to place one’s bets, and that was through ‘Gambling Formation’.
This kind of gambling was somewhat similar to Mah-jong, but at the same time, much more concise when compared to Mah-jong. There were altogether 108 cards, and each card had a certain quantity of Spirit Qi attached to it. These cards were also called as ‘flags’ since one could use them as Array Flags. When gambling, each person drew 12 cards and then used the ‘flags’ at hand to arrange an array formation.
Because the 12 Array Flags contained 12 different quantities of Spirit Qi, those flags can potentially form many different array formations depending on the various permutations and combinations. These Spirit Qi Cards had different Spirit Qi values attached to them, randomly divided between 1-line Spirit Qi Flag and all the way up to 99-line Spirit Qi Flag. After every shuffle of these 108 cards, the lines of Spirit Qi would change at random.
Even if four people used their Array Flag Cards to arrange the same array formation, because the Spirit Qi used in each position of the array formation was different, the final array formation would have disparities. Moreover, having a higher value of Spirit Qi on the flag did not mean a more powerful configuration, especially since the Spirit Qi required at different positions were utterly different.
The final winner, of course, was the one who arranged the most potent array formation.
However, the most attractive part of this kind of gambling was definitely not the arrangement part, but the section relating to the exchange of the flags. After the four people drew their twelve cards, they usually hold off on immediately using them to arrange their array formation. Instead, they put down a card that they did not feel much use for and then continued until they got rid of all the less-needed cards.
If the others also felt that the flag put down also had no use to them, they would generally not pay attention to it. However, if someone thought that the flag put down had some use, they will immediately exchange it with one they did not need.
If the flags put down turned out exactly what someone else needed to arrange their array formation, then that person could immediately open up their own array formation after the exchange. As long as there were no array formations more potent than the one already arranged, that array formation would immediately take the winning spot.
This kind of gambling method did not depend on the level of the array formation arranged; that is because these array formations were all so low-levelled, that they had no ‘level’ attached to it. This kind of gambling involved reacting to the immediate conditions and then manipulating them to create the best array formation out of the cards at hand. As for the strength of the array formation set up, the table gave out the final score.
Just like diving, there was a difficulty factor involved along with trade-offs with quality; however, that was what gambling was all about.
Jing Wuming quickly found a spot, and Ning Cheng sat next to Jing Wuming. This place utterly forbade the use of Spiritual Consciousness and looked the same on the surface as what Jing Wuming described. Theoretically, cheating was something impossible in such conditions. However, Ning Cheng did not have that naive way of thinking; as long as it was a casino, fairness would never exist in it.
After a few rounds, Ning Cheng got an ever-clearer understanding of the rules of gambling in this place. At the same time, out of Jing Wuming’s nine chips, only four chips were remaining. Up until now, Jing Wuming had just won a single game and had won a small sum for himself. However, the only reason he succeeded at that time was that the array formation he set up was just barely stronger than the other three.
Although Jing Wuming looked calm, Ning Cheng, however, felt the deep anxiety and uneasiness in his heart.
Once again drawing out 12 cards, Ning Cheng could see that Jing Wuming drew a very promising set of flags. As long as there was a 9-line flag, he could grasp the chance to arrange a perfect Covering Moon Array. Even if he could not obtain a flag of similar value, Jing Wuming definitely had a higher chance to win this round.
Jing Wuming obviously had no intentions of winning small, so he kept waiting for a chance. Ning Cheng also understood Jing Wuming’s mood. A perfect array formation was always a rarity in this kind of gambling. Do not look at the tens of millions of Black Coins that changes hands with every win or loss. Once one managed to set up a perfect array formation, it meant an influx of up to 2 billion Black Coins every time. Something similar to ‘one shot hand’ in general.
Jing Wuming did not have to wait in vain; when the opposite cultivator put down the 9-line flag on the sixth round, Jing Wuming grabbed the card and pushed it into his own array formation. Then, with a clap and smile, he spoke up, “Perfect Covering Moon Array, cough out 800 million Black Coins per person…..”
“What card did you just take?” Contrary to what Jing Wuming expected, the three people opposed to him did not show as much annoyance as he expected, nor did they indicate any intention to cough up the Black Coins. Instead, all of them were staring at Jing Wuming.
“The 9-line Spirit Qi Card, the one you just put down.” Jing Wuming removed the 9-line card from the Covering Moon Array to show.
The cultivator suddenly gave a laugh and spoke up loudly, “The one I put down was clearly a 12-line card. This 9-line card was something that I put down in the beginning; did you really want to take a swing at it? Deacon Teng, some people here have intentions to cheat…..”
In fact, without even waiting for this cultivator to call out, the brown-haired man immediately shot over with a sneer over his face.
Jing Wuming’s heart sank; he knew the game was up. Once caught as a cheater, the only path left was that of death and not of life. More importantly, he unintentionally pulled Ning Cheng into his own troubles. In casinos of such kind, once proven as a cheater, chopped to pieces would actually be the best-case scenario.
At this time, how could he not know that these three people were all playing along with that Deacon Teng? In this situation, he did not even think of refuting. If the other party allowed him to argue, they would not have set him up in such a manner. He suddenly stood up, “Ning Cheng just came to look at the cards. This has nothing to do with him, let him go out.”
Seeing Jing Wuming wanting to continue speaking, Ning Cheng pulled down Jing Wuming and spoke, “Don’t speak anymore. Let me speak.”
“Haha, Jing Hao, you truly are a death-seeking moron. Not only do you keep looking for death, you actually tried to feign a sleight of hand in front of us. I will definitely make it that you can’t even beg for death even if you want to…..” The brown-haired man laughed while feeling proud of himself. He even forgot that this place was a casino.
As many eyes swept over, the brown-haired man quickly converged his smile and held up his cupped fists and spoke, “Everybody, you don’t have to mind me. I was just a bit louder a moment ago. Please forgive me for any disturbance.”
“My friend doesn’t want the money he won a moment ago. We’ll be leaving now.” Ning Cheng on seeing that the brown-haired man wanted to continue speaking immediately stepped to the front and spoke out.
“Leave? Looks like you still like to daydream……”
The brown-haired man had not yet finished when Ning Cheng took out a crystal ball and tossed it into the outstretched palm of the brown-haired man with the words, “I only have one of these crystal balls with me. Do you think we can leave now?”
The brown-haired man grabbed the crystal ball and immediately saw the situation at the table from a few moments ago with even better clarity. Where had Jing Hao showed sleight of hand? This was genuinely a win.
“Kid, you …” The brown-haired man crushed the crystal ball in his hand while staring at Ning Cheng. A cultivator in the Plundering Life Realm, and even a fresh face to the casino. Yet, such a person showed such shrewdness, to go so far as to record the scene with the crystal ball beforehand.
He certainly did not believe that Ning Cheng only had just one; however, he also understood what Ning Cheng wanted to convey with his words. That is, let them go now, and they can just forget about this incident. If he did not allow them to leave, the crystal ball was not the only one.
Of course, a casino would always have detailed surveillance videos; however, because he wanted to cause trouble for Jing Hao, he had arbitrarily spoken up without verifying. Now that Jing Hao’s side had actually displayed a recording of the scene in the crystal balls, he just could not do anything to them now. If he dared to tear off his face, then that kid in the Plundering Life Realm would immediately take out another crystal ball, which instantly would ruin the casino’s reputation.
“Kid, you sure like to scheme. Fuck off. If I hear even a single thing about this, you then better wait for me.” The brown-haired man spoke out a hate-filled sentence at Ning Cheng.
“Leave.” Ning Cheng also pulled away Jing Wuming and quickly left the casino.
Only after they went significantly far away from the casino did Jing Wuming give out a sigh and speak, “Brother Ning, it’s all thanks to you this time, I was too….”
Ning Cheng took out another crystal ball and let him glance at it; of course, he immediately realised why the brown-haired man allowed them to leave unscathed. No wonder Ning Cheng could come to the Lesser Thunder Star with just the cultivation of Plundering Life Realm and remain safe. Compared to Ning Cheng, he still found himself lacking in many regards.
He also gained clarity as to why Ning Cheng chose that particular time to walk away from that place. If they ended up creating too big of a scene, just by their strength, only death awaited them at the end.
“Brother Ning, I’m ready to accept my fate. If you can come back to the Ocean Gambling City in the future and find me alive… Oh, forget it.” Jing Wuming did not finish his words before giving out a deep sigh.
Ning Cheng gently pats Jing Wuming’s shoulder and spoke, “Brother Jing, don’t worry about it. I will definitely help you. As for the brown-haired man, if he thinks that I will leave this matter as is, then he truly is blind.”
What the brown-haired cultivator had never imagined was that Ning Cheng had even recorded the video of him threatening Ning Cheng. However, for Ning Cheng, he did not have the necessary strength to teach this brown-haired man a lesson. However, as long as he continued cultivating, one day he definitely would come back to regain what he lost.
Swallowing a loss was not something within his character.