Chapter Fifty-Six: The White Tiger Sits in the Grand Hall

The contest arranged by Gu Xiaotian was set for the seventh day of the next month, which meant there were still more than half a month left. I kept pondering my next steps, feeling as though everyone had pinned their hopes on me. After dinner, I decided to take a walk outside with Xiao Lianshan.

We had barely stepped out when Liu Hao, drenched in sweat, hurriedly got out of his car and, without a word, pulled both Xiao Lianshan and me inside.

“What’s the matter?” Xiao Lianshan asked, his face full of confusion. “The sky hasn’t fallen, yet you look like you’re in a panic.”

“There’s trouble on Ting’s side!” Liu Hao spoke anxiously as he drove.

I was taken aback and quickly turned to look at the frantic Liu Hao. “What happened to Ting?”

“Nothing happened to him, but someone is making trouble at his place!”

“How many people showed up? Is Ting safe? Since someone’s causing trouble, why aren’t you staying by his side? What are you doing here?” Xiao Lianshan immediately pressed him with concern.

“Two men came. They’re gambling big at Ting’s casino. When I left, they’d already won nearly three hundred thousand.” Liu Hao wiped the sweat from his face and continued, “It’s bizarre—they win at everything. The staff checked, and nothing suspicious turned up. After Qian arrived, he said the men have real skills, but even he couldn’t do anything. That’s why Ting sent me to fetch you both.”

“If even Qian couldn’t handle it, who are these people?” Xiao Lianshan realized the gravity of the situation.

“I don’t know. I think one is called Shen... Shen Xiang or something.”

“Shen Xiang?!” I exchanged a surprised glance with Xiao Lianshan. “We’ve had some history with him before; it’s possible he’s here for us.”

“That Shen kid is really out of line, stirring up trouble at Ting’s casino. But you never mentioned he knew any arcane arts.”

“Maybe someone’s helping him behind the scenes,” I replied calmly.

Yue Ting’s casino was in the basement, a hidden spot where only insiders could enter. It was a den of wealth—people brought bags full of cash only to leave penniless. Usually, only the house made money; gamblers never did.

But Shen Xiang was an exception. When I entered, the table was already surrounded. Everyone seemed to be rooting for him, probably because they’d lost all their money and were now cheering for someone to beat the house.

I knew nothing of gambling, but Shen Xiang didn’t seem much of an expert either. So he chose the simplest game: betting on high or low. When I arrived, he was confidently pushing all his cash onto “low.” Not only did he bet low, but other gamblers, seeing his winning streak, flocked to follow his lead.

The dealer was visibly nervous, her hands trembling. After all, Shen Xiang had won more than thirty rounds in a row—a feat unheard of in any casino. If this continued, Yue Ting’s fortune would be wiped out.

The dealer glanced fearfully at the silent Yue Ting, clearly scared to continue.

The casino was in an uproar, everyone urging the dealer to draw. The scene was slipping out of control.

“Let him play!” Yue Ting ordered coldly, his face dark.

“One, two, four—seven points, low!”

The dealer’s voice shook as she announced the result. The gamblers erupted into wild celebration, venting their rare victory.

“I can confirm he’s not cheating, but it’s uncanny. No one ever wins thirty rounds in a row. I suspect something’s off, but I can’t see what. That’s why Ting sent Liu Hao to bring you,” Huo Qian whispered in my ear, appearing beside me unnoticed.

I studied Shen Xiang. He was dressed all in white, with an enormous ruby ring on his finger, which he used every time he placed a bet. His shirt was unbuttoned at the chest, revealing a necklace—a pendant of Guan Yu reading.

I turned to Huo Qian and asked quietly, “Wasn’t Shen Xiang supposed to be with another person? Who is it?”

Huo Qian pointed to someone sitting in the lounge area. “He came with that man.”

I saw the man dressed in black from head to toe, wearing a rosewood bead bracelet and sporting long hair despite his short stature. He seemed familiar, and suddenly I remembered—when I first met Su Lengyue, she had two companions. The short one was now sitting in the lounge.

“So, he’s also a master of feng shui and occult arts,” I murmured to myself.

Another wave of laughter burst from the crowd as Shen Xiang won again. His pile of chips was almost overflowing.

Yue Ting noticed my arrival and walked over slowly.

“What’s the reason behind his thirty-win streak?” he asked.

“He wears a Guan Yu reading pendant at his chest. ‘Book’ sounds like ‘lose,’ and all night he’s faced the dealer. It’s no wonder he doesn’t lose,” I explained calmly.

“That bastard, playing tricks on me,” Yue Ting frowned, still puzzled. “Yan Hui, all sorts of people come to gamble here. If winning were as simple as wearing a necklace, who would dare open a casino?”

“Of course, it’s not just the necklace,” I said, pointing to Shen Xiang. “He’s dressed in white, his nose is prominent and strong, his face broad—a tiger’s aspect. Wearing white, he’s the White Tiger seated in the Hall of Light.”

“What does ‘White Tiger seated in the Hall of Light’ mean?” Xiao Lianshan asked, confused.

“It means the White Tiger’s energy spreads in all directions. Tonight, Shen Xiang’s aura suppresses the dealer. He thrives while the dealer wanes, so the dealer can’t win against him.”

“There’s so much to this?” Yue Ting rubbed his cropped hair, frowning. “So, anyone with a tiger’s aspect wearing white would win every gamble?”

“Of course not. Feng shui and occult arts aren’t so shallow. Shen Xiang came prepared. Look at his ring,” I said, keeping my gaze on Shen Xiang.

“A grown man wearing a red ring—disgusting,” Xiao Lianshan said gruffly.

“It looks like a ruby, but it’s odd for him to wear something like that,” Yue Ting agreed, puzzled.

“That’s not a ruby—it’s Kunpeng Stone!”

“It’s red, so what’s the difference?”

“There’s a big difference. Kunpeng Stone is said to be formed from the blood of the Great Roc, also known as the Golden-winged Roc. The Roc feeds on dragons, soaring above the sea, searching for dying dragons. When it spots one, it splits the sea with its wings, scaring the dragon senseless, then devours it. In a single day, the Roc can eat one Dragon King and five hundred lesser dragons.”

Yue Ting suddenly realized something and looked up at the basement wall, where a painting of the Nine Dragons hung.

“Huo Qian says Nine Dragons Soaring is an auspicious sign, good for guarding wealth in a casino. It’s always worked well, but now…”

“Qian is right—the Nine Dragons Soaring is golden, and gold represents wealth. Dragons are said to guard treasures, so nine dragons protecting wealth makes sense. In feng shui, this is the Nine Dragons Treasure Formation,” I continued, pointing at Shen Xiang. “Shen Xiang must have noticed Qian’s arrangement, so he’s using Kunpeng Stone to break it. When dragons meet the Roc, they flee. The formation is broken, so Shen Xiang can’t be stopped.”

“Is there no way to counter it?” Yue Ting asked, anxious.

“It’s not just that—even the seat Shen Xiang uses was carefully chosen for him.”

“So many people come in daily—if there’s a lucky seat, wouldn’t they all scramble for it?”

I shook my head and smiled. “It’s not that simple. Different times bring different fortunes; today’s wealth seat may be tomorrow’s disaster seat.”

“So, Shen Xiang’s seat is today’s wealth seat?” Yue Ting asked curiously.

“According to the occult calculations, Shen Xiang’s seat is the ‘Open Gate,’ an auspicious gate for travel, meeting nobles, seeking fortune—everything prospers. Open Gate is the Metal God, while the dealer’s seat is the ‘Blocked Gate,’ meaning obstacles and stagnation. Blocked Gate is the Wood God, and Metal overcomes Wood. So Shen Xiang’s seat gives him the advantage,” I whispered.

“That’s easy—I’ll have them change tables. If Shen Xiang moves, he’s no longer on the wealth seat. Let’s see him try to win then,” Yue Ting nodded.

I quickly stopped Yue Ting, who was about to order his men to move the table.

“It won’t work. Shen Xiang came prepared. He must have anticipated you’d try to break his advantage by changing tables. That’s why he’s wearing white to match his aspect. As I explained, White Tiger seated in the Hall of Light spreads its aura everywhere. If you change his seat, there are eight gates and nine stars in the art, each constantly changing. If you move him, your dealer’s position changes, becoming ‘Open plus Blocked.’”

“‘Open plus Blocked?’ What does that mean?” Yue Ting asked, baffled.

“‘Open plus Blocked’ is the transformation of Open Gate and Blocked Gate. It means the Azure Dragon breaks its leg—disaster and loss of wealth.”

“So…so there’s absolutely nothing we can do against this guy?”