“Is that so…”

Upon hearing Chen Junnan’s answer, Qiao Jiajin fell silent for a few seconds before revealing an expression of relief.

So this round has come to an end?

Come to think of it, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, everyone had already “Echoed.” The next time they awoke, everyone could sit together all in one piece again—that was naturally a good thing.

“Ha.” Qiao Jiajin shook his head and said softly, “Liar boy, don’t worry. I’ll always consider you my brother.”

As soon as his words fell, he slapped the “Dao” that Qi Xia had passed him onto the table, his expression as if facing death.

“What…?” Earth Monkey couldn’t quite understand Qiao Jiajin’s actions. “Have you completely given up?! Even in this situation, you choose to ‘call’?!”

“What do you know?” Qiao Jiajin smiled. “I just want to call. If you don’t like it, come hit me.”

Earth Monkey’s expression gradually turned gloomy, looking extremely angry. “Are you certain you’re done placing your bets?”

“Not yet…”

Qi Xia softly interrupted Earth Monkey, then extended his right hand. Using a pair of eyes that had lost their luster, he stared directly at Earth Monkey and asked, “One right hand—how many ‘Dao’ can it be exchanged for?”

“What…?” Earth Monkey could hardly believe his ears.

“Earth Monkey… I’ll give you a handicap…” Qi Xia used all his strength to reveal a cold smirk. “I’ll bet my right hand. You can use ‘Dao’ to match it. After we reveal the cards, my right hand is yours.”

“How could I possibly agree to such rules?!” Earth Monkey shouted angrily. “This is completely different from what we agreed on at the start!”

“Then you can also bet your right hand…” Qi Xia said in an icy tone. “If my right hand can’t be converted into ‘Dao,’ then put up your right hand as well.”

“One ‘Dao,’ huh…?” Qi Xia nodded. “Then I’ll bet more.”

“Bet… more?”

“I’ll bet both my hands and feet, plus my head. Does that count as five ‘Dao’?”

“You’re truly a fucking madman… Do you know what you’re doing?” Earth Monkey said in disbelief. “Are you planning to let me dismember you right here?”

“That’s not impossible…” Qi Xia said. “You just need to tell me—does this count as five ‘Dao’ or not?”

After hearing this, Earth Monkey pressed his lips together, then turned to look at Qiao Jiajin. “Damn it, you saw his cards just now, right? Are you sure you want to ‘call’ even with stakes like these?”

After hearing this, Qiao Jiajin didn’t answer. He only frowned and asked, “You answer Liar boy first—does this count as five ‘Dao’ or not?”

“Fuck…” Earth Monkey cursed under his breath. “One after another without even bringing their brains…”

“Does it count?” Qi Xia asked again.

“Fine.” Earth Monkey nodded. “I’ll put out five ‘Dao.’ You bet your four limbs and your head. Originally, ‘Dao’ isn’t even valuable to us Earth-level Zodiacs anyway. I’ll consider it buying your life!”

He looked down and rummaged around, then scattered a pile of spheres onto the table—exactly five upon counting.

Adding Earth Monkey’s “entry fee” and the two “Dao” he’d bet earlier, he had now put out a full eight.

After Earth Monkey arranged the “Dao,” he looked at Qiao Jiajin again.

“What, are you also going to bet your four limbs and head?”

Qiao Jiajin thought for a moment, then decisively placed his hand on the table as well, saying, “Fat monkey, you probably don’t know my personality…”

He slowly revealed a smile, his eyes crystal clear.

“If Liar boy tells me to call, even if I know the outcome is death, I’ll still call. After all, he’s already let me live much longer. Every day now is borrowed from him.”

Earth Monkey slowly furrowed his brow, his gaze becoming complex. After thinking for a few seconds, he slowly spoke, “Fine, if you’re finished, then… then I should add—”

“I’ll continue adding.” Qi Xia interrupted him. “Earth Monkey, just now was only the four limbs and head. I haven’t allocated my ‘internal organs’ yet.”

“What…?”

“I mean… both of our ‘internal organs.'” Qi Xia said expressionlessly. “I wonder if you can accept an even larger wager? For instance, my rationality, my wisdom, my life in each subsequent reincarnation—as long as you can take them, I can put them all on the table.”

“You… you mean…”

“I’m planning to earn enough life money for all six of us in this round.” Qi Xia said softly. “I’m just afraid you won’t dare to call.”

Qi Xia’s few sentences made Earth Monkey feel repeated chills.

He felt he had been completely seen through. Before Qi Xia, he had no secrets—like a child playing a deception game with an adult.

“You…” Earth Monkey slowly swallowed. “You know?”

“I don’t know anything. I just want you to ‘call.'” Qi Xia said. “You can put up the same things, or you can exchange with ‘Dao.'”

Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan beside him also looked at Qi Xia upon hearing this. Although neither he nor Earth Monkey had revealed their cards, it seemed Earth Monkey had already become somewhat flustered.

“What a terrifying person…” Earth Monkey was slightly dazed. “This is only the fifth round…”

“So, will you call or not?” Qi Xia asked. “Earth Monkey, you’ve revealed an enormous flaw, so I’m planning to put everything I have, everything I can produce, all on the table this round. I’m making a massive gamble with everything I have. Tell me which one you can keep up with?”

Earth Monkey fell into silence.

He slowly opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but after trying several times, he swallowed it back.

The fishy, foul wind from outside slowly rolled into the room, causing the old light bulb to sway, making the human shadows rock back and forth.

After a long while, Earth Monkey slowly pushed his cards forward and said softly, “I concede.”

This series of actions left both Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin completely baffled, while the three people in the distance—Tiantian and the others—widened their eyes.

What exactly happened… that made Earth Monkey directly concede?

Earth Monkey slowly flipped over his “hidden card.”

It wasn’t Zheng Hero’s “Great Heat” at all, but clearly a “Grain Buds” card.

“Grain Buds,” “Fourth Month, Twenty-First Day.”

Earth Monkey’s “Spring Festival” with “one-one,” “Grain Buds” with “four-two-one,” plus “She Day” with “two-two,” totaled only thirteen points.

Although Qi Xia and Chen Junnan’s hands had “busted,” Qiao Jiajin’s hand had fourteen points.

They had won.

Everyone present fell into a long silence.

Their thoughts varied, yet they were all filled with countless questions.

Earth Monkey had been holding such a card all along?!

“What flaw exactly… did I reveal…?” Earth Monkey spoke first.

Qi Xia, as if a weight had been lifted, slowly leaned back against his chair, then pointed at Earth Monkey’s “hidden card.”

“Blood spots.” Qi Xia said weakly. “You thought you were clever enough—deliberately making blood spots on a not-very-large card to impersonate Zheng Hero’s card from the previous round, then trying to convince everyone to fold through ‘raising.’ This indeed resembles a kind of ‘gambling technique,’ yet you still lost to me.”

“How is that possible…” Earth Monkey asked through gritted teeth. “How could you possibly know I made those myself?”