Xiaosuisui frowned, tactlessly saying, "Cry if you want! Even if you cry yourself to death, I wonât feel sorry for you! You must return my Third Uncleâs gold box and my Second Uncleâs medicine box to me!"
The atmosphere in the room instantly changed as the gamblers burst into hearty laughter.
Ji Youzhi opened his mouth, at a loss for words.
How was this so different from his usual experiences of tracking down criminals and recovering stolen goods?
"Your Third Uncleâs things..." Sister YingâEr muttered to herself, finally understanding why these people were here.
"Who exactly are you?" she demanded again.
Xiaosuisui stood with her hands on her hips, mimicking the gamblers by placing one foot on a stool and the other on the gambling table. "This young master, I, never change my name whether walking or sitting! I am your Grand-uncle, Ji Suisui!"
Ji Youzhi: "..."
Dugu: "..."
Zhu Xiuxiu: "..."
The Crowd: "..."
"You... you little brat, stop trying to get the better of me!" Sister YingâEr was so angry her face flushed red and then turned pale with vexation.
Xiaosuisui blinked, looking incredulous, then turned to Ji Youzhi. "How did I get the better of her?"
Ji Youzhi covered his lips and coughed.
"COUGH, COUGH. Youâre a little girl, how can you be someoneâs grand-uncle? Who did you learn this from?"
Xiaosuisui pointed to an old gambler who had been standing beside her earlier. That gambler was a burly, broad-shouldered man with a full beard, and most importantly, he had a bit of a Jianghu air about him.
"He just said it like that, and I thought it sounded very imposing and domineering!"
Zhu Xiuxiu directly covered her face, and Dugu laughed so hard he couldnât stand up straight.
Ji Youzhi was simply dumbfounded.
The imposing, domineering Jianghu man she pointed to was delighted and quickly taught her an even more imposing and domineering phrase.
"Kiddo, that kind of imposing and domineering air doesnât suit you. You should say this: This Grand-aunt, I, never change my name whether walking or sitting! I am your Grand-aunt, Ji Suisui!"
Once the imposing, domineering Jianghu man taught her, Xiaosuisui learned it with great enthusiasm, immediately repeating it. A burst of hearty laughter immediately filled Liâs Gambling House.
This was so much so that when Li Youâan led the constables from the Divine Hunter inside, he thought he had come to the wrong place. He couldnât help but step back out to look twice at the mark painted beside the Liâs Gambling House sign.
This is it! Itâs definitely this place! Is this really a gambling den?
Why isnât there the usual noisy clamor of a gambling den? Why does it look so cheerful and harmonious?
Li Youâan was puzzled, but the constable beside him replied with great certainty.
"Thatâs right, Chief. This is indeed Liâs Gambling House. This subordinate has been here before!"
"Hmm?" Li Youâan looked sharply at his subordinate.
The constable looked quite embarrassed.
"My hands get itchy, and sometimes I just canât resist coming for a couple of small flutters! Really, just a couple of small flutters. Winning or losing is no big deal!"
Li Youâan snorted dismissively, ignored him, and strode towards the gambling table up ahead.
Seeing several people suddenly appear, dressed in constable-like uniforms yet with slight differences from actual constable attire, the enforcers of Liâs Gambling House abruptly surrounded them.
SWISH. Li Youâan and his men drew their sabers.
"Weâve received a report that there are people here engaged in thievery, stealing othersâ property. We need to conduct a search. Everyone, stay put and behave yourselves!"
Hearing Li Youâanâs voice, Ji Youzhi couldnât help but let out a huge sigh of relief.
Fortunately, he had the foresight to worry that Old Eighth hadnât come down the mountain, so he had left a mark before entering, hoping the people from the Divine Hunter would arrive in time.
Unexpectedly, Li Youâan really had arrived.
"Thievery? Officer, are you saying weâre all robbers then?"
The enforcers of Liâs Gambling House rolled up their sleeves, grabbed their weapons, and took up a stance opposite Li Youâan and his men.
"Hold on!"
Just as a bloody confrontation seemed imminent in the gambling den, Ji Youzhi stepped forward, interrupting the Divine Hunter constables and the Liâs Gambling House enforcers.
"Officer, could you do this humble one a favor? My child and the manager here have an unfinished wager. How about you wait for us for a quarter of an hour? Let them finish this round and determine a winner before you conduct your official business?"
Hearing Ji Youzhiâs words, those with Li Youâan were completely bewildered.
"Seventh Master, why..."
"Shut up! You have no place to speak here!"
Li Youâan immediately understood Ji Youzhiâs intention; he didnât want to reveal his identity. So, he nodded lightly.
"So itâs Seventh Master here. In that case, Iâll grant you this favor. Settle whatever grievances you have. Iâm here to investigate a case and cannot be delayed!"
Ji Youzhi nodded and clasped his hands towards Li Youâan in thanks. "Many thanks!"
Xiaosuisui copied him, also clasping her hands. "Many thanks!"
How could Li Youâan dare to accept her thanks? He quickly clasped his hands in return. "Not at all! Please! Please!"
This interaction between the two groups did not escape Sister YingâErâs eyes. She could no longer remain seated and looked coldly at Ji Youzhi.
"These people donât look like proper Government Office personnel. Who exactly are you? And who are they? Did you have them surround Liâs Gambling House?"
Ji Youzhi tapped the box on the gambling table with the hilt of his sword.
"Are you going to take the items out yourself, or shall I ask these brothers from the Divine Hunter to go in and search?"
"You... what did you say?"
Sister YingâEr looked astonished. No wonder these people who came in were dressed in the uniforms of Government Office constables, yet she had never seen them before. And if one looked closely, their attireâs patterns were indeed different from those of the constables. So they were the officials from the Divine Hunter, an organization not part of the imperial courtâs official structure but directly serving His Majesty.
"The young ladyâs hearing should be fine. You heard what I said clearly."
"Seventh Master, is it?"
Ji Youzhi nodded.
"Iâll remember you. What exactly do you want?"
Ji Youzhi nodded again, indicating he was a man of his word. "We laid out our conditions long ago. It was you, young lady, who didnât take them seriously!"
With that, he slashed open the dice cup with his sword. The cup shattered, revealing the magnet hidden inside. Instantly, the gamblers in the casino reacted vehemently.
"Are you still hesitating?" Ji Youzhi asked, a cold smile playing on his lips as he listened to the gamblers shouting.
"Scammers! Cheats! Do you have any conscience, cheating us out of our hard-earned money with your tricks!"
"Quiet down!" Sister YingâEr slammed the table, her eyes fixed on Ji Youzhi, blazing as if she wanted to devour him alive. "I donât think Seventh Master is here looking for items."
Ji Youzhi spread his hands. "If Iâm not here looking for items, then what am I looking for?"
Xiaosuisui, as if she had learned a new routine, also spread her hands. "We are indeed here to look for items!"
A sudden gust of wind swirled around Sister YingâEr. A frigid aura emanated from her, and her words were bone-chillingly cold.
"I think youâre here looking for death!"