“Is that so?” Earth-Monkey shrugged. “I’ve seen many people who’ve lost everything, and I’ve seen even more who’ve lost everything and still talk tough. What makes you different from them?”

After hearing this, Qi Xia simply reached out and tapped the table: “The only difference between me and them is that ‘I am me.'”

“Deliberately mysterious.”

The person shuffling the cards this round was Chen Junnan.

Everyone first briefly distributed their current chips. Due to his poor condition, Zheng Yingxiong could only temporarily leave the gambling table to rest on the side, transferring his remaining two “Dao” to Qi Xia.

Chen Junnan looked at everyone’s chips and was about to start shuffling when Xiao Cheng spoke again from the side.

“I’m withdrawing.”

“Hm?” Chen Junnan was startled. “Young man? Not playing anymore?”

“Although it’s somewhat inappropriate to say this, I only have one ‘Dao’ left.” Xiao Cheng helplessly shook his head. “After I pay the entry fee for this round, I’ll have no way to call at all. As long as anyone raises, I’ll lose, so I might as well give this ‘Dao’ to someone more capable.”

After speaking, he tossed the small orb in his hand to Qi Xia, who caught it expressionlessly.

“I’m withdrawing too.” Tiantian said decisively. “I’ll go take care of Brother Yingxiong.”

She also handed her two chips to Qi Xia. Everyone glanced at Earth-Monkey, who didn’t object.

“Huh? Why is everyone quitting?!” Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin looked at each other, somewhat confused.

Xiao Cheng slowly stood up and asked: “Brother Qi, do you think I did the right thing?”

After hearing this, Qi Xia slowly raised the corners of his mouth: “You’re somewhat smarter than I imagined.”

Now, apart from Earth-Monkey, only Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Chen Junnan remained at the table.

Once this game’s clear rules were known, naturally the fewer people at the table, the better.

The ideal situation would be to pool all the chips onto one person, then engage in a one-on-one gamble with Earth-Monkey.

The sole remaining person would have a great deal of capital, able to increase the scale of chips several times over within a single round—a true “all-in bet.”

The reason they didn’t adopt this tactic from the beginning was first to ensure a six-in-seven chance of winning, and second to use more card hands to figure out the game rules. Now that the game rules were basically set, there was no longer a need for too many people to participate.

Each person who left meant one less “Dao” entry fee, and fewer bettors meant indirectly reducing Earth-Monkey’s income, but this also presented a problem.

The fewer people, the lower the chance of winning.

Although it greatly increased the number of chips in each game, the cost of losing would also be extremely heavy.

“Qi Xia, your team doesn’t look very united.” Earth-Monkey chuckled lightly. “Has it already fallen apart?”

“Not only has it not ‘fallen apart,’ it’s become more united.” What Qi Xia meant naturally referred to Xiao Cheng. His ability to withdraw at this moment meant he had already entrusted his life to Qi Xia.

If Qi Xia won, he would live.

If Qi Xia lost, he would die.

“Old Qi.” Chen Junnan turned his head to look at Qi Xia. “You’re not thinking we two are getting in your way here, are you?”

“A bit in the way.” Qi Xia said expressionlessly. “I’m a bit more clear-headed now. Next round, you two leave as well.”

“That won’t do.”

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin both smiled simultaneously.

“Liar boy, you should know, right? Why Brother Junnan and I haven’t left until now?”

“Yeah, Old Qi, this young master is more generous than you think.” Chen Junnan grinned mischievously. “At the critical moment, I can be worth something too.”

Qi Xia slowly frowned. He naturally knew why these two wanted to stay.

It wasn’t that they didn’t understand reason, but that they were prepared to stake their own lives on this gamble at any moment.

If he wanted to avoid this situation, he could only make them both withdraw, but would they listen?

“Old Qi, you just sit tight and watch.” Chen Junnan laughed. “This young master is about to deal the cards.”

After speaking, he gathered all the cards on the table together and began shuffling them in his hands.

A gambling match with only four people began.

After Chen Junnan finished shuffling, everyone took one “Dao” and placed it on the table.

But Earth-Monkey didn’t immediately announce the start of the fifth round. Instead, he kept staring intently at Chen Junnan.

“What’s wrong, Brother Monkey?” Chen Junnan asked, tilting his face up.

“You’re not honest, kid. I don’t trust the cards you shuffled.” Earth-Monkey replied.

“Hey, what are you talking about? Even if you trust me, I’m still dishonest.”

“Fat monkey.” Qiao Jiajin also chimed in. “Wasn’t it agreed we’d take turns shuffling? What are you suddenly trying to pull?”

“I need to shuffle too.” Earth-Monkey said. “Even if I trust the cards shuffled by others, this kid is an exception.”

“Fine, fine, fine. This young master’s heart is truly chilled.” Chen Junnan stood up and threw the cards unceremoniously in front of Earth-Monkey. “Have at it.”

Earth-Monkey picked up the cards, reshuffled them thoroughly, and shuffled several more times. Throughout this, Qiao Jiajin kept staring at his hands, making Earth-Monkey somewhat uncomfortable.

“What are you looking at?”

“Watching the monkey shuffle cards.” Qiao Jiajin answered blankly. “You continue shuffling, don’t mind me.”

Earth-Monkey always felt the man before him was a bit strange. He could only slowly retract his hands and move the card pile under the table, avoiding Qiao Jiajin’s line of sight.

“Hey!” Qiao Jiajin shouted lightly. “What are you doing?! Stealing cards?!”

“Heh.” After hearing this, Earth-Monkey shook his head. “This deck has thirty-six cards total. Who would blatantly steal one?”

Earth-Monkey shuffled for quite a while under the table before placing the card pile in the center of the table.

“Thirty-six cards, not one missing. Want to count them?” Earth-Monkey asked.

Qi Xia had been pressing his forehead with his hand the whole time, looking to be in poor condition. Seeing this, Qiao Jiajin was unceremonious. He stood up, took the card pile over, and directly flipped through them face-up.

Indeed there were thirty-six cards, and there were no problems with the card faces.

“If there’s no problem… then the fifth round begins.”

Earth-Monkey used his eyes to signal Chen Junnan to deal the cards. Chen Junnan was equally unceremonious. He briefly shuffled the cards, then directly pulled out one card marked “She Day” and slapped it on the table.

“‘She Day’…?” Chen Junnan was slightly stunned. “Old Qiao, which day is ‘She Day’?”

“The Earth God’s birthday, February second.” Qiao Jiajin turned his head and said. “Our association often worships the Earth God on February second. Don’t you?”

Chen Junnan smiled somewhat awkwardly: “For us, February second is ‘Dragon Raises Its Head.’ The hair we saved up during the first month can finally be cut on this day.”