The server would not stick around to shoot the breeze with Zhao Changhe and quickly went to attend to other customers.

Zhao Changhe slowly ate his soaked bread, thinking to himself that this stuff seemed more suited for military provisions than for snacks.

Now why was it that he thought of military provisions every time he ate.

Wondering how to cozy up to Master Dai and get close to him, he suddenly saw him leave the temple alone and run towards the street nearby.

Zhao Changhe hurriedly left a piece of broken silver and swiftly followed him out.

He saw Master Dai zigzagging and quickly duck into what looked like a dimly lit residence. When Zhao Changhe got closer, he saw it was a gambling house.

Zhao Changhe: "..."

I thought you were there to pay respects to Buddha, but it turns out you couldn't wait and snuck off to a gambling house for fun. Fair enough, just like how I used to skip class to go to Internet cafes. There's just one difference, I share no common ground with gambling and drugs.

Though the gambling house was dim, it wasn't tightly guarded, and Zhao Changhe had no trouble getting in.

He saw a woman, who appeared to be the proprietress, smiling at Master Dai, "Master Dai, you've arrived a bit late today."

Unlike the coquettish looking madams of other gambling houses, this proprietress actually looked quite respectable, dressed neatly with a somewhat intellectual air, and her ever-smiling face seemed friendly to everyone.

Master Dai seemed quite familiar with her and laughed, "My uncle insisted on praying to Buddha for no reason. Who wants to listen to those bald heads chanting scriptures? They don't bring any luck. I always feel like I'm about to get my head shaved when I go to the gambling house. It's bad luck."

"Master Dai's luck is flourishing; such trivial bad luck can't affect you," the proprietress chuckled. "It's odd, though. After the Great Wild Goose Temple lost the Buddhist-Taoist debate, influential people stopped going there. Why did you suddenly go today?"

Master Dai waved his hand, "That new Buddha's got some tricks. Damn it, his few words almost made me want to become a monk. That must be what they call persuasive preaching."

The proprietress slightly narrowed her eyes and asked with amusement, "Then why did Master Dai come here?"

Master Dai assertively replied, "I heard them talking about abstaining from lust and gambling, and I just couldn't do it. I, Dai Qingge, am in the prime of life. If I can't do this and can't do that, wouldn't life be a waste? Am I supposed to wait for the New Year or what?"

The proprietress couldn't help but laugh, "Exactly, what's so great about that ancient Buddha and his pale light? It's the perfect time for a gentleman of your grace and vigor to enjoy life. Do you want to join the action in the main hall today, or go to the VIP room for a few private hands?"

Dai Qingge said, "What's fun about private games? I won't play with you, I can't beat you. I'll go place some bets."

Zhao Changhe almost burst out laughing. This script is all wrong, hey! Aren't you supposed to have some off-the-books affair with the proprietress? And what's this 'I won't play with you'? Certainly, you should have been born in the modern age as a gamer; Men leave their IDs, and women empower themselves.

It seemed the proprietress was also slightly amused, "It's not just me who can gamble with you. We have so many experts here. Doesn't Master Dai find it interesting? Or you could play with other gamblers. Squeezing into the main hall doesn't befit your status."

Zhao Changhe gave her a look, thinking there was something fishy going on.

What's with insisting on private games in the VIP rooms? That's not setting up for a conversation, is it? Right, she was digging for information just now, and now she probably wants to get a deeper understanding of what this new Buddha is like.

I thought it wouldn't be so coincidental that entering any gambling house would be connected to Ying Wu, but looking at it now, it's very likely. With the backing of the Heavenly List, it wouldn't be surprising for her to be the best at any location, and wealthy individuals like Master Dai naturally pick the most famous places.

The state of affairs in Chang'an is complicated enough already, another Ying Wu would really stir things into a real mess.

Meanwhile, Dai Qingge was saying, "I'm tired of playing with your so-called experts. They're pretty mediocre."

The proprietress laughed, "But Master Dai, you're listed among the Hidden Dragons. Hardly anyone can match you in skills like Sound Recognition..."

Zhao Changhe suddenly spoke up, "Is this gentleman skilled in gambling? I don't believe it. How about a match?"

The proprietress was startled for a moment, while a gleam appeared in Master Dai's eyes, "Is this new face a new expert recruited by your gambling house?"

Zhao Changhe replied, "I am new here. Don't you have gamblers who play against each other? Must it be experts from the gambling house?"

Dai Qingge said cheerfully, "Newcomer, don't be too confident. It wouldn't look good if you lost everything and Li Ban'er stripped your pants and threw you out."

Li Ba.

Definitely Ying Wu's turf, and so blatant without an attempt at cover-up.

With an idea flashing through his mind, he said casually, "If I lose, I lose. What does winning or losing matter? The process is what's most important, isn't it?"

Dai Qingge applauded and laughed, "Good, good, it's you then."

Li Ba looked at Zhao Changhe with a somewhat surprised and skeptical gaze and chuckled, "Then the two of you, follow me."

The two followed Li Ba into a side hall, where the noise and bustle of the main hall were quickly cut off. The environment was quiet and elegant, with a faint fragrance of flowers.

Li Ba asked with a smile, "What would the two of you like to play? Pai Gow? Dice?"

Zhao Changhe glanced at her and laughed, "Can't I play privately with Young Master Dai? Must there be a dealer? Forgive my bluntness, but a female dealer just isn't fitting for such a serious establishment as yours."

Li Ba's smile held a hint of irony, "Our gambling house does not rely on such attractions to earn patronage. However, if the young master insists on playing alone, that's also possible. You just need to exchange for chips; you can't use your own gold and silver, otherwise, how would we take our commission without someone present?"

Zhao Changhe handed over a piece of silver, "Then please exchange this for some chips for me."

Li Ba gave Zhao Changhe a deep look, took the silver, and walked away, "Please wait a moment, young master."

It seemed the establishment also sensed something off about this guest, leaving only Dai Qingge who was still clueless and cheerfully asking, "What are you good at playing, brother?"

Zhao Changhe lowered his voice, "I'm here on your father's orders to drag you back home."

Dai Qingge leaped up in fright, "You motherfucker..."

Zhao Changhe gestured with his hand, "Why be alarmed, young master? Look at me, I'm not fond of those monks either. I'm willing to help cover for you."

Dai Qingge exhaled in relief, glanced around, and also lowered his voice, "You also think those monks are fishy, right? After all, I'm a top-ranked contender on the Hidden Dragon List, a seventh layer expert of Mystical Gate, have fought and drank with Zhao Changhe and Xia Chichi, a man of extraordinary spirit awakening within the Worldly Society! I say something is off with those monks, and of course, I have my reasons, but my father just won't believe me!"

Zhao Changhe couldn't help but find this amusing. Yes, yes, you've fought Zhao Changhe. How come I don't remember? Drinking, well... everyone drinks at the Hidden Dragon Banquet. If that counts, then you might be right.

He continued, "This kind of thing requires evidence. Mere intuition isn't useful. Master Yuan Cheng laid a good foundation before, and everyone trusted him..."

"Who could have evidence!" Dai Qingge stamped his foot and exclaimed, "Previously when Master Yuan Cheng recited scriptures and preached, although I didn't always agree, I still felt there was some reasoning to his teachings. Most importantly, he talked about enlightening the mind and seeing the nature, leading everyone to become Buddha. That's about cultivating the spirit, and it struck a chord because it wasn't so elusive. That's why many were willing to believe. But this new person..."

Zhao Changhe asked, "Doesn't this person preach the same thing?"

"He does! He also talks about everyone becoming Buddha, but he subtly guides the notion towards martial cultivation. It's crazy—aren't the Buddhist martial practices meant for defending the faith? Using martial arts to achieve enlightenment, isn't that the Maitreya Sect? If they also introduce the concept of 'killing to become Buddha' and 'delighting in ultimate bliss', then it's like the Maitreya Sect is resurrecting in Chang'an. I've argued this with my father, but he says they haven't talked about 'killing to become Buddha' or 'delighting in ultimate bliss', telling me not to make unfounded extrapolations. But something just doesn't sit right with me. In such a short time, the meanings of the scriptures are already being quietly twisted. Won't there be even more distortions in time?"

Zhao Changhe's heart stirred.

Despite his naive appearance, his intuition was sharp enough to befit his rank on the Hidden Dragon List. Blind as he may seem, his ranking was certainly not arbitrary.

Without a doubt, with Yuan Cheng having left Chang'an for Xiangyang, the new Buddha embraced by the monks left behind in Chang'an was very likely to be... the Heavenly Demon Bodhisattva, or at least a subordinate sent by it.

Dai Qingge said indignantly, "If you are a trusted agent of my father, then say a word on my behalf when you return. I'd rather believe in Yuxu than this odd new Buddha."

Zhao Changhe probed, "Young master hasn't had much interaction with the Taoist tradition, has he?"

Dai Qingge replied, "I'm acquainted with Xuan Chong. I wouldn't say I haven't had any contact. Anyway, Yuxu is now the number one person in the Divine Continent, a man of great repute. If I openly choose him, my family won't have any ground to object."

Zhao Changhe said, "Then you should head straight for the debating platform. Even if just for show, your father wouldn't be able to pressure you to listen to Buddha anymore. As for whom to choose, you should wait until the outcome of the Buddhist-Taoist debate is clear."

Dai Qingge hesitated for a moment, "I want to finish this game first."

Zhao Changhe felt like slapping him on the head, genuinely at a loss whether to laugh or cry, "Alright, alright, I'll play with you."

In the gambling house's secret room, Li Ba leaned against the listening tube and listened for a long while before frowning slightly, "Who is this new challenger crossing the river?"

————

PS: Another update coming in the evening.

PS2: I randomly picked the name Yue Huafeng, which just happened to be the Chairman of the CPPCC in Xi'an. It's too much of a coincidence with both the name and location matching, so I will change it to Yue Fenghua later on.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.