HCB Chapter 461 Dongjun disguises himself and enters Tianqi, the gamble decides the fate of the world! (
Chapter 461 Dongjun disguises himself and enters Tianqi, the gamble decides the fate of the world! (
The following morning, at the north gate of Snowmoon City.
Three swift horses galloped out, their hooves shattering the morning dew and raising a cloud of dust.
Baili Dongjun, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, used the illusion technique taught by Professor Gu Chen to disguise his face as a young man in his early twenties with high brow bones.
He wore a dark cloak and had a long sword called Spring Water hanging at his waist—this was an outfit he had specially changed into before leaving, since he was going to play the role of a rich young master, and his attire couldn't be exposed.
Many people in Tianqi City have seen the Untainted by Dust and the Pure of Splendor, so of course they cannot carry them with them.
Behind him, the brothers Luo Fengzhong and Luo Nianse, dressed in gray cloth outfits, were dressed as servants.
The two were already of ordinary appearance, and now that they had lowered their heads and eyes, they were even less noticeable.
“Great City Lord,” Luo Nianse rode closer and whispered, “If we travel at full speed to Tianqi, we can arrive in three days.”
“Three days is too rushed.” Baili Dongjun shook his head. “The horses can’t take it, and neither can the riders. We can arrive in four days, changing horses along the way but not the riders.”
He paused, then said, "Remember, after entering Tianqi, my name is Gu Yuebai, and I am a silk merchant from Jinzhou."
You are my servants, one named Luo Da and the other Luo Er.
Luo Nianse grinned: "This name is certainly easy to come up with."
"The easier it is, the better." Baili Dongjun looked ahead. "Tianqi City is a mixed bag. The more ordinary and inconspicuous the city is, the safer it will be."
The three of them said no more and urged their horses to gallop.
On both sides of the official road, the fields are lush and green, and farmers have already begun to cultivate the land.
In the distance, the mountains are dark green, shrouded in morning mist.
Baili Dongjun, however, had no interest in watching. His mind was racing, rehearsing the rescue plan—how to gather information, how to get close to the Dali Temple, how to escape…
The most difficult thing is how to settle the 36 members of the Hu family after the rescue.
My cousin is right. If we only save Hu Bufei, his family will definitely be implicated.
But how easy is it to take thirty-six people away in one go?
"I just hope there's a way out once we get there..." he murmured to himself, gripping the reins tightly.
Four days later, at dusk.
The majestic city walls of Tianqi City appeared on the horizon, the setting sun gilding the gray bricks with a golden edge. The Zhuque Gate was wide open, with a constant flow of carriages and people coming and going.
Baili Dongjun reined in his horse and glanced at it from afar.
This city evoked a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection) in Baili Dongjun.
I remember the first time I came here was when I entered Jixia Academy with Langya King Xiao Ruofeng and my cousin Wen Yanzhao. At that time, he was still an ignorant boy. Now he is the city lord of Xueyue City and is ranked first on the list.
"Let's go." He gently spurred the horse's flanks.
The three followed the crowd into the city. The gatekeeper glanced at their attire but did not question them—there were too many merchants entering and leaving Tianqi every day.
The hustle and bustle of the city was overwhelming.
Flags fluttered in the taverns and teahouses, and the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and carriages mingled together.
Street vendors set up stalls selling sugar figurines, clay figurines, and sachets, while children chased and played, nearly bumping into horses.
Luo Nianse frowned: "It's much noisier than Snow Moon City!"
Luo Fengzhong hummed in response: "Hmm!"
"The atmosphere of the capital is naturally different!" Baili Dongjun said calmly, but his gaze swept over the corners of the streets and alleys.
Several idle men squatted under the eaves, seemingly doing nothing, but their eyes were sharp as eagles—they must be spies from the Imperial City Guard.
There were also a few peddlers, carrying their loads and walking slowly, their steps light and their stances very stable; most of them were江湖人 (jianghu people, people of the martial arts world).
"Let's find an inn first," Baili Dongjun said. "It should be close to the Dali Temple."
The three of them strolled slowly along the long street and eventually found an inn called "Liansheng" less than a mile from Dali Temple.
The inn has a small storefront, but it is clean and tidy.
The shopkeeper was a plump middle-aged man. Seeing Baili Dongjun's luxurious attire, he immediately put on a smiling face.
"Would you like a meal or a room at the inn, young master?"
"I need a room at an inn." Baili Dongjun casually tossed out a silver ingot. "Two superior rooms, facing the street."
"Alright!" The shopkeeper took the silver and personally led the way. "This way, young master, please. Rooms A5 and A6 on the second floor, the windows face the street, and the view is excellent."
The room was indeed nice, simply furnished yet clean.
Pushing open the window, I saw the vermilion gate of the Dali Temple, with stone lions standing solemnly in front of it and four yamen runners with knives on duty.
Baili Dongjun stood by the window, looked for a moment, then turned around and said, "You all rest first, I'll go scout ahead."
“Great City Lord,” Luo Nianse stood up, “I will go with you.”
“No need,” Baili Dongjun waved his hand. “Too many people will only draw attention. You all stay at the inn. If anyone asks, just say that the young master went to visit a friend.”
He changed into a more luxurious crimson brocade robe, hung a jade pendant and sachet at his waist, and transformed into a spoiled rich young master.
As I was going downstairs, the shopkeeper was fiddling with an abacus. He looked up and smiled, "Young master, are you going out?"
"Hmm, let's go to Qianjintai for a bit." Baili Dongjun deliberately raised his voice, "I heard it's the biggest gambling den in Tianqi?"
A strange light flashed in the shopkeeper's eyes, then he smiled and said, "Young master has a good eye. Qianjintai is indeed lively. However... that place is treacherous. Young master is new here, so you should be careful."
"It's alright." Baili Dongjun waved his hand and strode out the door.
The shopkeeper watched his retreating figure, shook his head, and continued fiddling with the abacus.
……
Qianjintai is located in the most prosperous market area in the east of the city. It is a five-story golden pavilion with upturned eaves and corners. Two strings of large red lanterns hang in front of the door, and candles are lit even during the day.
When they came to Qianjintai disguised as immortals from the Four Realms to swindle Tianqi City's treasures last time, Sikong Changfeng's broken stone slabs in front of the door had already been replaced, and the lintel had been painted with gold, making it look even more noble than before.
Before even entering, one could hear a deafening commotion inside—the sounds of dice being rolled, shouts, cheers, and sighs all mixed together.
As Baili Dongjun strode in, a servant immediately greeted him: "Young master, is this your first time here?"
"Hmm." Baili Dongjun casually tossed over a small piece of silver. "Find me a good spot."
"Alright!" The waiter beamed. "This way, sir. The private rooms on the second floor are quieter."
The second floor was indeed much quieter than the first floor, and the gamblers were mostly well-dressed.
Several gambling tables were surrounded by people, with the most lively table where people were playing dice.
The dealer was a lean man with skillful technique, flipping the dice cup up and down in his hands.
"Place your bet and it's done—Open!"
The dice cup was opened, revealing three dice: four, five, and six.
"Big!" the dealer shouted.
Immediately, some people cheered while others cursed at the table.
After watching two games, Baili Dongjun already had a good idea of what to expect.
Although the dealer's methods were swift, they couldn't escape his eyes—the dice had been tampered with, but in an extremely subtle way. If it weren't for Baili Dongjun's keen eyesight, an ordinary person really wouldn't have been able to see it.
"Interesting! This time I can finally put the gambling skills I learned from Fairy Sister to good use!" He chuckled, walked to the table, took out a silver note and slapped it on the "small" sign. "Five hundred taels, bet on small."
The surrounding gamblers all turned to look. Five hundred taels wasn't exactly a huge sum, but this young master was a stranger, and betting so much right off the bat certainly attracted attention.
The dealer glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Young master, once you've placed your bet, there's no going back!"
"Open it then!" Baili Dongjun said calmly, without looking to the side.
The dice cup shook and then slammed onto the table.
Just as he was about to close the lid, Baili Dongjun gently pressed his right hand under the table, and a wisp of extremely subtle true energy passed through the tabletop and entered the dice cup.
The supreme internal energy technique, Autumn Water Technique, nourishes things silently and subtly.
The dealer, oblivious to the situation, shouted loudly, "Open—"
The dice show the numbers: one, two, and three.
"Young master!" The dealer's expression changed slightly, but he still forced a smile and pushed the hundred-tael silver note to Baili Dongjun. "Young master is truly... lucky!"
“Continue…” Baili Dongjun refused the silver note. “It’s still too small, one thousand taels!”
As he spoke, he took out another five hundred taels of silver notes and pressed them together with the several hundred taels he had just won onto the "small" card!
Upon seeing this, the surrounding gamblers immediately stirred, betting on the same side and even doubling their bets. This young master didn't seem so simple!
The dealer's eyes turned cold, and he shook the dice cup again.
This time he used real skill; the dice spun rapidly inside the cup, making it impossible for ordinary people to hear the numbers.
But Baili Dongjun is no ordinary person.
The moment the dice cup was slammed onto the table, he pressed it down lightly with his finger.
Open the pot—"One, one, two!"
“Small?...Small!” The dealer’s voice trembled slightly.
A large handful of silver notes were pushed in front of Baili Dongjun.
"Continue, small, two thousand taels." Baili Dongjun said calmly, and then took out two more silver notes with a face value of five hundred taels!
The gambling table was surrounded by people. He had won three hands of "small" in a row, and each time he doubled his winnings. His luck was just too strange.
The dealer, sweat beading on his forehead, gave a wink to someone behind him.
A waiter in blue quietly withdrew and quickly went up to the fifth floor.
Baili Dongjun caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, but pretended not to notice.
In the fourth round, the dealer shook the cup for an unusually long time, his wrist flicking so fast it was almost a blur.
When he taps the cup, he subtly presses his five fingers on the top of the cup—this is a subtle force that can finely adjust the dice roll.
Unfortunately, Baili Dongjun's Autumn Water Technique was incredibly fast, subtly altering the dice's trajectory the instant he made his move.
"Snapped!"
Opening the cup: "One, one, one!"
"A little leopard!" someone exclaimed.
The dealer's face turned pale. According to the rules of Qianjintai, small three-of-a-kind wins all, but if the customer bets on small and the smallest three-of-a-kind is drawn, the odds are 1 to 10!
Two thousand taels turned into twenty thousand taels—he couldn't afford that loss!
……