Chapter : 85

At this point, Eno's public stance was completely on Mandiper's side. As long as the time trap was discovered, Mandiper would have no doubt about Eno's loyalty.

This was what Yan Yunqing wanted.

With a completely unsuspected nail buried, he would soon be crowned with the victor's laurels.

"So, what's your decision?" Eno asked, "Stop, or continue?"

"Of course, continue." Yan Yunqing stared at Eno, his eyes seemingly hiding a stormy sea.

He appeared calm at this moment, but in everyone's eyes, he was that frenzied gambler. "The game isn't over yet, is it?"

"As you wish," Eno nodded.

He reached out his hand: "You shuffled the cards just now, is it my turn this time?"

Yan Yunqing thought for a few seconds and agreed: "You shuffle, I cut, and finally, this 『Manl』 young lady will decide where to deal from."

This was very fair, impeccable.

Eno: "Alright."

Eno took back the cards, spread them out on the table, and straightened his slender back. His hands quickly and rhythmically shuffled the deck, arranging the cards in the order he desired in his mind, little by little under the gaze of the onlookers.

His fingers were more slender and longer than those of an ordinary youth, with thin calluses on the pads. His shuffling was as smooth as flowing water and pleasing to the eye.

The cards rapidly changed positions with his movements, like an exquisite performance of card art.

And hidden beneath this artistic performance was the key to Eno's control over every game.

This was not something that could be accomplished with magic; it relied entirely on talent and years of practice.

And this skill was displayed on Yan Yunqing's skill panel as just two simple skills: [Phantom Fingering] and [Precise Eyesight].

[Phantom Fingering]

Passive skill, hand dexterity increased by 500%. You can perform more subtle and precise operations.

[Precise Eyesight]

Passive skill, dynamic vision increased by 100%, eyesight precision increased by 100%. Your observation of minute details is more acute, and you can capture possibilities that ordinary people cannot observe. "My eyes are a ruler!"

There was no extra introduction. The two passive skills together required 65 skill points, 35 more than the previously learned [Unyielding Will].

It wasn't that a skill with a high skill point cost was necessarily useful. After all, there were only a few ways to obtain skill points, and Yan Yunqing had to consider carefully every skill he learned.

After observing Eno's card shuffling and dealing performance a few times, Yan Yunqing decided to learn these two skills.

After learning them, he discovered the power of these passive skills. Without needing to activate them with mana, his finger dexterity increased.

Not only could he play with cards in a flashy way, but he could also perform subtle operations in alchemy better. He could even create blue-quality items from green-quality blueprints.

Although they weren't skills that directly buffed alchemy and forging, they could indirectly increase the success rate and quality of alchemy.

Moreover, Yan Yunqing hadn't fully developed the uses of these two skills yet. Visibly, these two skills had very broad prospects in other areas as well.

No wonder they required so many skill points. It wasn't a loss at all to learn them!

Yan Yunqing was very satisfied. He had also relied on these two skills, as well as the card techniques learned from Eno, to win the two Lucky Stars in the previous two days.

Now, watching Eno's card performance again, with the assistance of [Precise Eyesight], he could also clearly see the little tricks Eno was doing while shuffling the cards.

Even if this examination didn't succeed, Yan Yunqing, who had learned these two skills, hadn't lost anything at all.

Of course, if he could succeed in the examination and complete the mission at the same time, then he would be killing three birds with one stone.

After shuffling the deck, Eno placed the cards on the table, pressing his fingertips on them and pushing them towards Yan Yunqing.

"Your turn."

Yan Yunqing took them. Eno had already shuffled them perfectly. No matter how he cut the cards, the deck would still be arranged as Eno had intended, allowing Yan Yunqing to win this final round.

Yan Yunqing didn't hesitate much either. His finger dexterity had increased, making card playing a piece of cake for him. Every card had subtle differences in his eyes, and he had already memorized the difference in each place that represented the suit and number on the back of the card.

On top of Eno's foundation, he cut the cards three times in a row, finally adjusting them to a state he was satisfied with, and handed the deck to the 『Manl』.

The 『Manl』 smiled and took the deck. Anyway, she didn't understand the shuffling operations of these two.

As agreed from the start, the pile of cards in front of her was randomly cut into three stacks, and she could randomly choose one stack to deal from.

She chose the middle stack, "Well then, I'll start dealing."

Eno was still the dealer, and Yan Yunqing was the player.

In front of Eno, one face-down card, and one face-up card, 6 of Clubs.

In front of Yan Yunqing, two face-up cards, 2 of Hearts, 7 of Spades, a total of 9 points.

A very safe start. Even if he drew the largest card, his score wouldn't bust.

Hit me.

The 『Manl』 dealt a card. Yan Yunqing flipped it over, 7 of Diamonds.

The score came to 16 points. 5 points away from busting, this was a very dangerous number.

But he could still continue to ask for cards. If the value was exceeded, he could choose to place it face down as a face-down card.

Hit me again.

Another card was placed in front of Yan Yunqing. His fingertips tapped on the card face, "Do you think I should look at the card?"

Eno glanced at Yan Yunqing's hand, "If it were me, I would choose to look. Your score is already very dangerous."

Yan Yunqing nodded, "Then I'll choose not to look."

Saying that, he directly flipped over that card, so fast that everyone had no time to react. Seeing him so decisive, they couldn't help but suck in a breath, their hearts in their throats.

Yes, everyone present thought the same as Eno. After the card face reached 16 points, no matter who was at the gambling table, they would choose to look at the card.

After all, only by getting a card with a value of less than 6 would their card face not bust, but the number of cards with a value greater than or equal to 6 was more than half.

This was no longer a 50% chance of busting, this was a very high probability of busting!

But after Yan Yunqing flipped over that card, everyone's hearts were put back in their stomachs.

4 of Spades.

20 points again!

To be able to get a number greater than 18 at a 21-point gambling table was considered lucky, but this black-haired boy had already gotten 20 points twice!

This was simply a person favored by the goddess of luck!

But in the previous two rounds, he had repeatedly missed victory. Everyone couldn't say for sure whether the goddess of luck was favoring the black-haired boy or loved the youth opposite him more.

Yan Yunqing tapped on the table and commented, "Didn't bust, not bad."

He reached out his hand, and the 『Manl』 very astutely handed him another card. This time he finally looked at the card.

He lowered his eyelids, glanced at the card face, and raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw it clearly.

"Oh?" His tone rose, his fingertips gently lifting the card, "It seems that in this final round, the goddess of luck has finally decided to stand by my side."

As he lifted it, the face of the card was revealed to everyone.

Ace of Diamonds.

It's an Ace!

This was a card that could be counted as either 11 points or 1 point. However, on the current card face, this Ace could only be counted as 1 point—he actually managed to get 21 points as well?!

In just three short rounds, what did they see? They saw a competition between two 20-point hands and two 21-point hands?!

Heavens, how lucky are these two?! Or are they both cheating in a place where they can't see?

That shouldn't be right. There are so many black-robed people around. Even if the 『Dealer』 cheats and the black-robed people turn a blind eye, if that black-haired boy cheats, he will definitely be caught!

However, the black-robed people made no move—

Are they really competing purely on luck?!

If it really was just luck, then this luck was too terrifying!

Yan Yunqing propped up his face, a smile on his lips, looked at Eno, and asked: "How about it?"

Eno's calm face finally showed a flicker of emotion. He frowned, then said: "You are indeed very lucky."

Yan Yunqing: "You're too kind."

Yan Yunqing tapped on the table, "Please give me another card."

This time, this card could only be used as a face-down card. After all, no matter what the card's point value was, it would bust once it was revealed.

However, some people felt that the black-haired boy already had victory in his grasp. After all, in a single game, how could two 21-point hands appear?

There was simply no chance to compare the face-down cards.

That face-down card was placed in front of Yan Yunqing, lying there quietly face down, waiting to welcome their victory.

The dealer flipped over his face-down card, Jack of Hearts.

Adding that face-up 6 of Clubs, a total of 16 points, the card face value is less than 17, continue to draw.

Why is it 16 points again?! Is he going to repeat the operation of pushing the limit to 21 points in another round?

The same doubt arose in everyone's hearts. They watched even more eagerly for the value of Eno's third card—2 of Diamonds.

Jack of Hearts, 6 of Clubs, 2 of Diamonds, a total of 18 points, exceeding 17 points, the dealer stops drawing. However, his card face value did not reach 21.

The dealer lost.

The scene was silent for a moment. No one could make a sound. They had been looking forward to the black-haired boy's victory, yet they couldn't believe he had actually won.

Yan Yunqing leaned his back against the back of the chair, his fingertips rubbing his last face-down card. He watched the silent, head-bowed Eno opposite him with a smile on his lips.

Yan Yunqing stood up, gently flipped over his last face-down card, face up, and pushed it into the middle between them.

"—You let me win."

Lying before everyone was, shockingly, an Ace of Hearts!

Why is it an Ace again?!

Wait, looking at it this way, even if the dealer also got 21 points, it would be impossible to win in the final comparison of the face-down cards, unless the dealer could also draw an Ace!

But is that possible?! In a deck of cards, there are at most four Aces. Two have already appeared on the table so far. The probability of another one appearing is infinitely close to zero.

So the final victory can only be—Yan Yunqing!

Everyone's gaze towards him became fervent. Cheers and applause rose and fell, and the originally silent hall instantly became noisy.

Only Eno was still quietly looking at the cards. After his gaze touched that Ace, he raised his eyes and glanced at Yan Yunqing.

This hand was completely different from what he had arranged before. He originally wanted to lose to Yan Yunqing in a low-key manner, but he didn't expect the cards to be recut into such a hand by the other party.

In just a few short days, could he learn to this extent?

Eno didn't know what he was feeling at this moment. He had been touching cards since he could remember. To be able to reach this level, besides diligent practice, it was mostly his talent that supported him.

He didn't expect that there would be someone who could reach this level after only a few days of learning.

...It seems that the saying passed down from the ancestors of Free City is correct.

There are always people better than you, and heavens beyond the heavens.

Eno sighed imperceptibly, then looked up and met Yan Yunqing's gaze, "Congratulations."

"According to our previous agreement, as long as you win one of the rounds, I will directly give you today's Lucky Star, and at the same time, you will also get the qualification for the Midas Touch competition."

"Then I look forward to facing you again in the top-tier area." Eno didn't continue to tidy up the cards. After nodding to Yan Yunqing, he turned and left the high-stakes area's hall from among the crowd.

Yan Yunqing watched Eno's departure. The mountain-like pile of chips still lay beside him. Because this Lucky Star was given to him directly by Eno, the chips he had won before would not be locked.

The 『Manl』 who had been called over to be the dealer was extremely excited. She tidied up the chips for Yan Yunqing and eagerly approached him.

"Sir, shall I hold onto these chips for you?"

"No need." Yan Yunqing lowered his gaze and glanced at them. He casually grabbed a handful and tossed them upwards, "Consider these a gift from me to everyone."

Yan Yunqing used a little bit of mana to blow the chips high up, and after they reached mid-air, they fell down again.

Countless golden chips scattered down, like a golden rain.

The crowd's cheers became even more deafening. For the noble guests of the high-stakes area, this amount of chips was not more than their family fortunes, but what they were snatching was not the chips, but tonight's lucky goddess!

No one could refuse the chips blessed by the lucky goddess!

For a moment, the crowd surged. Not only were the 『Manls』 and 『Pels』 present excited, but even the guests scrambled to grab the falling chips, as if by catching this luck, the next one to win a Lucky Star from the hands of the top-tier 『Dealer』 would be them.

Yan Yunqing also turned and left. The now-frenzied crowd did not notice at all that tonight's protagonist had already left the hall of the high-stakes area.