331: The flow of fortune!

Before long, the three arrived at a district in the city where the lights were exceptionally brilliant and the sounds of decadent music could be faintly heard.

Exquisite pavilions lined both sides of the street, lanterns hung high, and the air was thick with the scent of rouge, powder, and wine.

As soon as Chu Chunqiu arrived, his eyes lit up, and he impatiently pointed at a nine-story building ahead with carved beams, painted pillars, and the most melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments.

On the colorful lantern signboard hanging in front of the building were three radiant characters: "Pavilion of Many Beauties."

"We're here, we're here... this is the place!" Chu Chunqiu rubbed his hands, his face flushing even redder as he spoke to Li Shengyuan and Song Zhen:

"Li Shengyuan, Junior Brother Song, you two go have fun on your own. I, your Senior Brother, am going to... ahem, appreciate some foreign arts and cultivate my character!"

With that, as if terrified of being affected by Song Zhen's "bad Luck," he plunged into the entrance of Pavilion of Many Beauties without looking back.

He was instantly surrounded by beautiful maidens of various races welcoming guests with enthusiasm; one could vaguely see furry fox tails, cat ears, or pointed elven ears. His figure soon vanished behind the bead curtains.

Song Zhen watched his Eldest Senior Brother's fleeing back and curled his lip. "He runs so fast. It's not like I'm going to eat him."

Li Shengyuan chuckled and patted Song Zhen on the shoulder. "Eldest Senior Brother is doing it for your own good; he's afraid you'll lose at gambling and ask to borrow money from him. Let's go, we're heading to the 'Thousand Gold Workshop'."

The two turned around, and after a few steps, they saw a building across the way that was even more magnificent, with two giant dice statues inlaid with gems standing at its entrance.

In this regard, it was quite similar to the gambling dens of Great Qian.

A cacophony of clamor, shouting, the clattering of dice, excited roars, and frustrated sighs surged toward them.

The three gilded characters for "Thousand Gold Workshop" on the plaque shone brightly under the lights.

Stepping inside revealed a whole new world.

The main hall was incredibly vast, divided into several areas filled with various types of gambling equipment.

There were giant roulette wheels, domino tables, dice cups, beast-fighting cages, and even strange light-and-shadow gambling games powered by the spirits of Yao Beasts.

All kinds of Yao Race members, and even some luxuriously dressed Human Race Cultivators and other races, were mixed together.

Everyone looked excited, with wagers ranging from Spirit Stones and Yao Cores to gold, silver, jewelry, and even rare Materials and Magic Treasures.

The air was filled with the smell of sweat, wine, the unique body odors of various Yao tribes, and a burning Aura known as "greed."

As soon as Song Zhen entered, his eyes instantly lit up, and his entire spirit was revitalized. To say it was like a long-awaited rain after a drought would not be an exaggeration!

Song Zhen took a deep breath of the familiar and stimulating air, showing a satisfied and intoxicated expression as his hands unconsciously began to rub together.

"Brother Li, this place... is wonderful!" he exclaimed sincerely.

Li Shengyuan smiled and handed him a bag of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. "Junior Brother, play as you wish; just enjoy yourself. I'll take a look around."

"Thank you, Brother Li!"

Although Song Zhen wasn't lacking, he still took the Spirit Stones and, like a child, excitedly squeezed his way to the nearest domino table playing "Big or Small."

These gambling tools were all crafted from special Materials, making it impossible to cheat even with a high cultivation level!

Li Shengyuan stood a short distance away with his hands behind his back, calmly scanning the entire hall.

His Divine Sense quietly spread out, inconspicuously observing every "gambler" present.

On Song Zhen's side, the game had already begun.

In the first three rounds, his Luck seemed good. He won three in a row, and a small stack of Spirit Stones piled up in front of him, drawing surprised and envious looks from several Yao gamblers at the same table.

Song Zhen's eyes crinkled with laughter.

However, starting from the fourth round, things took a sharp turn for the worse.

Whether he bet on Big or Small, odd or even, the Bone Token in his hand seemed to be against him, always losing by a tiny margin.

The Spirit Stones on the table dwindled at a visible rate.

The smile on Song Zhen's face gradually faded, replaced by a peculiar focus, even faintly carrying a hint of... excitement?

His bets became increasingly decisive, and he lost faster and faster.

Some veteran gamblers nearby watched this "newbie" quickly lose his capital and pull out more Spirit Stones to continue, shaking their heads with looks of pity or mockery as if seeing "yet another boy delivering wealth."

Some of the gambling funds belonged to Li Shengyuan, while others were from Song Zhen's own savings.

Li Shengyuan observed quietly from the side, a slight curl appearing at the corners of his mouth.

What he was paying attention to wasn't how many Spirit Stones Song Zhen lost, but something else.

In his perception, as Song Zhen "lost" the Spirit Stones given to him time and again, an extremely mysterious "connection" seemed to be established in the unseen.

That unique, obscure Aura of "Gambling Luck" on Song Zhen was quietly flowing out with his failures, attaching itself to the gamblers who won his Spirit Stones.

In turn, Song Zhen himself would "absorb" the Luck from his opponents as "compensation," which was exactly why Chu Chunqiu avoided him like the plague.

But to Li Shengyuan's surprise, he keenly sensed that the mixed Luck from the winners, which should have been borne or converted by Song Zhen, did not stay on Song Zhen, nor did it completely dissipate.

A significant portion of it, as if drawn by an invisible force, flowed strand by strand across space and quietly gathered upon... himself!

Li Shengyuan was momentarily stunned after discovering this phenomenon.

Looking at the excited Song Zhen, his eyes were filled with confusion.

"The Luck is actually coming to me..."

"Could it be because the Spirit Stones he's losing are all mine, so this Luck is compensation for me?!"