Chapter Thirty-Three: Hiding a Card in the Asshole

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The fifth community card was dealt.

King of Spades.

“Handsome, are you raising?” the succubus dealer asked.

“I’m out of chips.”

He shook his head.

“What a shame. Then let’s end things after this hand.”

The demon smiled.

It opened the Door of Flames again, preparing to throw the Legendary Deliveryman’s delivery box inside.

“No. I’m raising.”

Liu Zheng suddenly spoke.

“But you’re out of chips.”

“I still have ‘flesh’—and this vest.”

His eyes were blood-red.

“Fine. If you insist.”

The demon shrugged and closed the Door of Flames.

“Your stake isn’t enough.”

Liu Zheng gritted his teeth.

“Then raise it.”

The demon generously pushed forward a stack of chips, then placed the delivery box on the gambling table.

“Reveal the cards.”

It spoke with feigned calm.

A tentacle curled around the hidden card and was about to slap it onto the table.

Bang!

Everyone turned to look.

The casino door had been kicked open.

Oink calmly stepped over the gunslinger, ignoring the revolver he had raised toward Oink’s back.

“Oink.”

“The Butcher of Heaven.”

The gamblers whispered his name among themselves.

“Oink, this isn’t your territory,” the demon said with a frown.

“Is there a rule saying I’m not allowed to gamble?”

Oink shot back.

The demon was speechless.

“Wake up, you two idiots.”

Oink walked over to Bullhorse and Liu Zheng and gave each of them a crisp slap.

The blows were so powerful that blood-spattered teeth flew from their mouths.

“Damn it, who hit me?”

Bullhorse flew into a rage, but the moment he saw Oink, his expression changed into a fawning smile.

“Oink, what brings you here?”

“If I hadn’t come, you’d already be on someone else’s butcher’s table.”

Oink’s tone was utterly unapologetic.

Liu Zheng came to his senses as well.

He immediately realized that Bullhorse’s warning had failed to take effect. Bullhorse himself had been affected by the demon’s mind manipulation, just as he had.

“It’s useless, Oink. He’s already on the gambling table. Even you can’t take him away now.”

As the demon finished speaking, black flames erupted from the casino floor and walls.

The doorway was engulfed in flames so dense and dark that they seemed almost lightless.

“I never intended to take this human away.”

Oink shook his head.

“Oh?”

The flames dimmed slightly.

“I came to turn over the cards.”

Oink said it plainly.

“There’s no need for that.”

A flicker of panic crossed the demon’s eyes.

“What? Do you think I’m unworthy?”

The muscles in Oink’s face tightened.

If his face had possessed even a trace of humor before, now it was nothing but terrifying.

“You’re obviously on his side. I’m afraid you’ll cheat.”

The demon hurriedly came up with an excuse.

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

Oink tore off his vest, then removed his shorts and undergarments.

He stood there as naked as a pig awaiting slaughter.

“There. Is that good enough? Unless you think I can hide cards in my rear.”

Oink spread his arms.

The demon very much wanted to say yes, but feared Oink would use the excuse to challenge it to a duel.

Although Oink could not kill it, for beings like them, dignity was no less valuable than life.

“Oink, there’s no need to go this far. He’s only a human. Don’t you hate humans most of all?”

The demon tried to persuade him.

“I hate every one of you.”

Oink’s voice was flat.

“Humans, Bullhorse, succubi, demons, pigmen—I hate everyone in this world.”

He turned to Liu Zheng.

“Human, do you hate them?”

“Of course.”

From the very first day he had entered the instance, anger and loathing had been burning in his heart.

“Then can you change this world?”

“No.”

Liu Zheng answered with absolute certainty.

“Do you know how to talk to people?”

Bullhorse panicked and raised a hoof, intending to stuff it into Liu Zheng’s mouth.

“But I can destroy it.”

Liu Zheng dodged the hoof.

“That will do.”

Oink nodded.

Then he took a step forward.

A colossal shadow rose into the air, covering most of the casino beneath its darkness.

One shadowy hand pressed down on the demon’s shoulder, rendering it completely immobile.

Another shadowy hand flipped over one of the hidden cards.

The Queen of Spades.

“I think the other one should be the Two of Spades. Don’t you agree?”

Oink said.

“You’re right.”

After a long silence, the demon turned over the other card.

Sure enough, it was the Two of Spades.

“See? I told you it was the Two of Spades.”

Oink nodded in satisfaction, and the shadows returned to his feet.

“A straight flush wins,” the succubus dealer announced.

“Let’s go. Come sit at my place sometime when you’re free.”

After exchanging the winnings for cash, Oink led the other two away without another word.

“Oink!”

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Once the casino doors closed, the demon immediately let out a furious roar.

Black flames swept through the entire casino, reducing every gambler and attendant to ash.

Only the succubus and the gunslinger watched it, faint traces of mocking smiles at the corners of their mouths.

-----------------

“Hand over the money.”

In an alley of the black market, Oink held out his hand.

“What money?”

Bullhorse tried to play dumb.

Oink pulled a butcher’s cleaver from his undergarments.

“Here, here!”

Bullhorse reluctantly handed over half of the money.

Oink said nothing. He pocketed the cash and headed toward his slaughterhouse.

“This is a devastating loss.”

Bullhorse sighed repeatedly.

“But you still have half left,” Liu An consoled him.

“You don’t know a damn thing. I’ll never be able to enter that casino again.”

Bullhorse lamented.

He had thoroughly offended the demon this time. If they ever crossed paths again, it would surely skin him alive and turn his hide into a cushion.

“Mm-hmm. I’m truly heartbroken for you.”

Liu An offered the perfunctory response.

“Enough with the condolences. Split the money.”

After a round of “friendly negotiations,” Bullhorse took most of what remained, while Liu Zheng received the smaller share and the Legendary Deliveryman’s delivery box.

Thirty thousand in cash.

“Hand it over.”

Bullhorse held out a hoof.

“What for?”

“Have you forgotten? You still owe me for that bottle of Moutai.”

Bullhorse reminded him.

“You’re unbelievably stingy.”

Though he despised Bullhorse for it, Liu Zheng still handed over the money.

It would not be enough to buy a scalper’s ticket anyway, so a little more or less made little difference.

Besides, the most important thing was this.

Before placing the meal inside the Legendary Deliveryman’s delivery box, he opened its item description.

“Name: Mermaid Egg Fried Rice”

“Type: Item”

“Quality: Excellent”

“Effect: Constitution +3. While in water, the user can absorb trace amounts of oxygen through the skin.”

“Note: Behind every bowl of fried rice lies a shattered fishman family.”

“Can it be taken out of the instance: Yes”

Looking at the meal’s effects, Liu Zheng was extremely satisfied.

The attribute increase was not large, but it was precisely the Constitution attribute he needed most.

Once his status effects were cleansed, he should no longer be left half-crippled.

The secondary effect might seem inconspicuous, but an ability that improved survivability could prove useful at any moment.

Most importantly, it had cost him nothing.

“Come on, come on! Time’s almost up.”

Liu Zheng glanced at his phone, and his expression changed dramatically.

He slung the Legendary Deliveryman’s delivery box onto his back and sprinted toward the black market’s exit.

“Hey, wait! I haven’t put away my money yet!”

Bullhorse rose onto two legs and chased after Liu Zheng while stuffing bills into his mouth with his hooves.

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