Chapter Fifty: The Arrest

"Two threes."

Because Ye Yu was a guest, Ji Hongguang let him play first.

"Two ones," Ji Hongguang replied with a calm indifference, his eyes not even glancing at Ye Yu, as if he cared not at all what Ye Yu called.

"I'll raise by one," Ye Yu answered with a playful smile curling on his lips.

"I'll raise again," Ji Hongguang responded with a slight arch of his brow after hearing Ye Yu's words, smiling as he spoke.

"I'll add one more," Ye Yu said, and as his words fell, a glint of amusement flashed in Ji Hongguang's eyes, the corners of his mouth rising ever so slightly.

"If you have four yourself, you've won," Ye Yu said, momentarily taken aback. But when Ji Hongguang lifted his cup to reveal his dice, Ye Yu's face instantly darkened.

"Since I've lost, is there anything you can give me? I don't want money," Ji Hongguang said, waving his left hand to refuse any silver. He understood that if he gambled for money, Ye Yu and his friends might report him to the magistrate, which would serve him no good.

Ye Yu shrugged and simply handed over some snacks and fruit, which Ji Hongguang accepted with a cheerful grin. No matter how small the bet, he always took it.

Yet, the six of them, taking turns, could not win a single round against Ji Hongguang. This left Shangguan Kaicheng's face drawn and bitter; it seemed clear that beating Ji Hongguang through gambling was next to impossible.

"Ji Hongguang, you scoundrel! You're forcing me to call for reinforcements!"

Ji Hongguang shrugged at Shangguan Kaicheng's angry outburst and said, "Fatty, you were the one who wanted to gamble with me. How is this my fault?"

"You're impossible, you know that!"

"Hey, fatty, are you looking for a beating? Don't think that just because you have friends here I won't lay a hand on you."

As Ji Hongguang's words fell, he stepped forward, and the atmosphere changed in an instant—a sharp, intimidating aura burst forth. The six of them felt a fierce wind sweeping toward them.

Ye Yu's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting subtly.

Without any visible movement from Ji Hongguang, Shangguan Kaicheng's body suddenly shuddered. In the instant Ji Hongguang's right palm landed lightly on him, the portly Shangguan was sent staggering back.

In a flash, Shangguan Kaicheng was blown several meters away and landed hard on the ground, staring at Ji Hongguang in shock, pointing at him with a trembling finger. "You... you... Ji Hongguang, you rascal! I'll get someone to take my revenge!"

With that, he turned and fled. The other six did not pursue; instead, they stood there, faces heavy, shaken by the transformation they'd just seen in Ji Hongguang.

Once Shangguan Kaicheng had run off, Ji Hongguang resumed his earlier demeanor. The imposing aura dissipated, and he was once more indistinguishable from any other gambler.

"What is it? Did I startle you just now? Fatty and I are old friends; we were just messing around," he said with a grin, before turning into a side alley and soon vanishing from sight.

"This Ji Hongguang is truly something strange," someone muttered.

"I've checked his profile in 'Divine Mourning.' He's supposed to be a retired master who washed his hands of the martial world. It's hard to imagine someone like that."

…

The six of them retraced their steps, but before they'd gone far, they saw Shangguan Kaicheng reappear—with an elderly woman by his side, her hair silvered with age.

Her eyes were lifeless, yet her face wore a kindly smile, as though nothing in the world could shatter her serenity.

"Young heroes, come with me to find that rascal Ji Hongguang," Shangguan Kaicheng said with a grin. The group immediately set off in pursuit.

When they found Ji Hongguang, he greeted them with a beaming smile. "What's this? Want to continue?"

"You're the one who won my son's money, aren't you?" The elderly woman's smile faded, her dull eyes flashing cold for a moment as she spoke in a low, commanding voice.

"That was me. By the way, this fatty still owes me something. Are you here to pay on his behalf, madam?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes, the item is with me."

She raised her right hand and beckoned. From a short distance away, a constable in official uniform hurried over, seized Ji Hongguang, and locked his hands behind him.

"What—what are you doing?" Ji Hongguang protested, eyes wide with confusion. "If you're arresting me, I deserve to know the charge."

"It's simple: gambling," the constable declared.

The six onlookers were stunned by this unexpected turn.

"Can things really be this convenient? We just stand here and watch?" Huang Hong murmured in disbelief, unable to fathom his role in the unfolding events.

Ye Yu, too, was at a loss for words. The situation had clearly deviated from his expectations and, as far as he knew, from the plot he'd researched. It seemed the server's quest had taken an unexpected turn.

By now, the constable's face was flushed with anger. He glared at Ji Hongguang and shouted, "Gambling is strictly forbidden under imperial law. We have both testimony and evidence—what do you have to say for yourself?"

Ji Hongguang smiled faintly, making no attempt to argue. "I'm not the only one gambling. Why arrest me alone?"

"If someone volunteers as a witness, they can be exempted from punishment. As for you, you'll obediently come with me to take your licks. The stakes weren't large, but you still need to learn a lesson."

Ji Hongguang bowed his head and smiled, resigned to go with the constable, when the elderly woman beside Shangguan Kaicheng suddenly interjected.

"Wait! I forfeit my right to testify. Take Kaicheng with you as well!"

…