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Chapter 266: The Strange Gamble
Chapter 266: The Strange Gamble
"Congratulations on entering the game?"
Meng Qianqian pondered for a moment and asked, "So, was everything that just happened a test for me? I had to eliminate all the assassins and then find this note to qualify for the game?"
Bai Yuwei looked at the corpses scattered around and felt a chill down her spine after hearing Meng Qianqian's words. "Who's so twisted? They must be crazy!"
The sender of the note seemed concerned that Meng Qianqian might get lost, so they had included a map on the back of the note. However, due to some water damage, the map was a bit smudged.
Meng Qianqian took the note and said to Bai Yuwei, "Let's go."
"Where are we going?" Bai Yuwei asked.
"To send you back to the manor," Meng Qianqian replied.
"You're not taking me with you to find the person?"
"Your task is complete."
"I'll come with you!" Bai Yuwei added, as if anticipating Meng Qianqian's refusal. "I'm afraid you won't keep your word!"
Meng Qianqian stated, "Let me be clear. If you and Bao Shu are in danger at the same time, I will prioritize protecting Bao Shu."
"Alright," Bai Yuwei agreed readily.
Meng Qianqian suddenly thought of something and asked, "Why didn't you use your poison dart frog earlier?"
Bai Yuwei pouted, "I wanted to, but it was too late, wasn't it?"
How could she have known that the opponent would immediately resort to killing? Her high martial arts skills were purely the result of her masters' training, and she actually lacked real combat experience.
She had been in a complete panic just now.
Meng Qianqian nodded, "If we encounter them again later, remember to use your poison dart frog on them."
Bai Yuwei reluctantly agreed, "I understand."
Strange, why isn't she mocking me?
Shouldn't she take this opportunity to ridicule her?
"You fought against ten opponents in Miaojiang, but it seems you were just lucky. Were they all letting you win before?"
Meng Qianqian calmly said, "Even the most skilled warrior fears the kitchen knife. You've just never killed anyone. It'll get easier after a few more times."
Bai Yuwei was speechless.
Meng Qianqian, accompanied by Bai Yuwei, arrived at the Ten Mile Pavilion just before midnight.
The rain had stopped, and the world was silent.
A solitary pavilion stood on a small hill, unguarded. Lattice screens hung around it, and warm yellow candlelight shone through the gaps in the screens.
In the southeast corner, a carriage was parked, guarded by four people with one person inside.
In the darkness, Meng Qianqian used her keen hearing to assess the situation.
"Since you're here, why not come in and sit for a while?"
A young, elegant male voice echoed from within the pavilion.
Bai Yuwei shook her head at Meng Qianqian, indicating that during her stay at the Xiang Manor, she had not heard this person's voice.
"Why didn't you choose a more pleasant day for your return to the capital?" Meng Qianqian asked as she calmly ascended the steps.
Bai Yuwei was puzzled by the situation. How did Meng Qianqian know this person had just returned to the capital? Did she know him?
The man smiled and said, "It's better to seize the moment than to wait for a better day."
Meng Qianqian lifted the lattice screen and entered the pavilion.
Her gaze fell upon the man, examining him from head to toe without reservation.
He wore a blue robe, exuding elegance and handsomeness. A vermillion mole between his eyebrows added a touch of nobility to his appearance.
What truly caught Meng Qianqian's attention were his eyes, which shared the same color as the Si She.
"Please, sit down."
The man allowed Meng Qianqian to observe him without getting angry. Instead, he warmly invited her to take a seat.
Meng Qianqian sat down opposite him.
"Miss Bai, please take a seat as well," the man said to Bai Yuwei.
Bai Yuwei found it odd that the man knew her, but she didn't ask why, as she didn't want to seem like a fool in front of Meng Qianqian, who seemed to be familiar with this man.
She sat down without a word.
On the stone table, there was a pot of hot tea, a pot of strong liquor, a box of osmanthus cakes, and a plate of fresh fruits and melons.
The man asked, "Tea or wine?"
Meng Qianqian replied, "Tea."
The man looked at Bai Yuwei, "What about Miss Bai?"
Meng Qianqian answered, "She'll have tea too."
Bai Yuwei thought to herself, Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?
The man smiled and poured a cup of hot tea for both of them.
Meng Qianqian got straight to the point, "You've gone to great lengths to bring me here, it's not just to play games with me, is it?"
The man put down the teapot and clapped his hands.
There was a commotion from the carriage, and soon, two men in black carried Qing Shuang, who was unconscious and bound, into the pavilion.
They placed Qing Shuang on the ground and then retreated back to the carriage.
Bai Yuwei almost cried out, but seeing Meng Qianqian's calm demeanor, she forced herself to suppress her emotions.
The man smiled, "Your Secret Guard is really difficult to deal with. It took over a dozen people to use sleeping potions and the most potent muscle-paralyzing powder to finally put her to sleep. I'm curious, are you as formidable as her?"
Meng Qianqian said, "What do you think, given that I'm standing here unharmed?"
The man stroked his chin, "So, the sedative perfume in the Wang family's carriage was indeed ineffective against you."
Bai Yuwei thought to herself, She has the Golden Silk Toad inside her, even the miasma from our Miaojiang mountains doesn't affect her, let alone a mere sedative perfume?
The man glanced at Qing Shuang and said, "This person is my token of sincerity. Regardless of the outcome, I'll return her to you."
Meng Qianqian asked, "What are your conditions?"
The man smiled, "I heard you're quite skilled at gambling. Do you dare to play a game with me? If you win, your child and the little maid will be returned to you. If you lose, you and Miss Bai will leave one behind."
Meng Qianqian suggested, "Why not just let them go, and I'll stay?"
The man stroked his chin again, "That price isn't very enticing. How about one of your hands instead?"
Bai Yuwei exclaimed in shock, "If I lose, you'll cut off one of my hands?"
The man smiled, "That's right."
Meng Qianqian stared at him intently, "What about my daughter?"
The man's smile was gentle, "For now, she's safe and sound. But if you don't gamble with me, I can't guarantee her safety."
Meng Qianqian asked, "What do you want to gamble on?"
The man replied, "A game of chess."
As he finished speaking, he clapped his hands again, and a man in black entered carrying a large tray.
On the tray were two chess boxes, one containing white pieces and the other black, along with an empty chess box and a black cloth strip, but no chessboard.
The man in black placed the tray on the stone table.
The man explained, "The rules are simple. You and I will each choose ten black and ten white pieces and place them in the empty chess box. We will then take turns asking questions. After each question is answered, either of us can take any number of pieces from the chess box. But the person taking the pieces won't be you or me; it will be a third person, who will be blindfolded. Whoever clears the other's pieces first wins."
What a strange gambling game.
According to his words, only the third person would be blindfolded, while they could clearly see how many pieces were left in the chess box, both their own and their opponent's.
However, they wouldn't know which side the blindfolded person was taking pieces from.
This meant that no matter how they calculated, it was purely a gamble on who had better luck.
(End of Chapter)
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