The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#268 - Broken wrist

After hearing the footsteps, Lu Jing didn't leave. He just jumped onto the nearby courtyard wall and hid himself in the shadows behind it.

The place he arranged to meet Can Niang was relatively secluded, especially since it was already night. Ordinary people wouldn't come here to wander around, so there was a high chance that the person coming was looking for them.

More accurately, they should be looking for Can Niang, because Lu Jing had carefully observed his surroundings when he came and didn't find anyone suspicious.

It wasn't that Can Niang's vigilance was low, but compared to Lu Jing, she was just an ordinary person. If there really was an expert tailing her, it would be difficult for her to notice even if she was on high alert.

Of course, there was also the possibility that the person coming was her companion, wanting to help her solve her problem.

If it was the latter, Lu Jing wouldn't bother to intervene. Anyway, the money was already in hand, so he could just leave. But if it was the former, then the person was probably from the gambling house.

When Lu Jing was in Wujiang City, he and Hall Master Huang of the Sanhu Gang had become acquainted after a fight. Since then, the relationship between the two sides had been good. Hall Master Huang started his business with gambling houses, and now the Sanhu Gang had almost monopolized all the gambling house business in Wujiang City. When the two of them were chatting, Lu Jing had heard him talk about many ways to run a gambling house.

So he knew that the forces behind any gambling house owner were not simple, especially in the capital city, where they had to deal with everyone from princes and nobles to all sorts of people.

Connections, wealth, martial power, and insight—it was difficult to gain a foothold without any of them.

According to Hall Master Huang, running a gambling house meant dealing with all kinds of troubles every day, and each gambling house owner had different means of solving those troubles.

For example, tonight, this gambling house called Zhijin Pavilion seemed to be planning to use the simplest and most brutal means to solve the trouble caused by Can Niang.

The man dressed as a wealthy merchant was also shocked to see another person suddenly appear in the alley. Hearing Lu Jing speak, he subconsciously retorted.

"What gambling house owner? I just want to get back the money I lost from this cheating woman."

Although it was common for some black gambling houses to fleece gamblers, it was rare for reputable gambling houses to personally gamble with customers.

What's more, chasing after someone to get money back after losing was a major taboo. If word got out, the business would be immediately affected. Therefore, the man dressed as a wealthy merchant immediately denied his relationship with the gambling house without even thinking about it.

"You said she cheated, do you have any evidence?" Lu Jing asked.

"She… won so many times tonight, there must be something wrong." The man dressed as a wealthy merchant naturally couldn't produce any evidence, otherwise he wouldn't have chased after her, but that didn't stop him from arguing.

Lu Jing didn't bother to argue with him, and said directly, "I have a friend who also runs a gambling house. I also know the rules of the road. If a gambling house can't determine whether a gambler has cheated, the most they can do is politely ask the other party to leave after they've won a certain amount, and prohibit them from gambling again. There's no reason to chase the money back, let alone hurt someone."

"I told you, I'm not from the gambling house, I don't understand the rules you're talking about." The man who looked like a wealthy merchant said with a flickering gaze, while secretly reaching a hand into his chest.

Lu Jing just looked at him coldly, without stopping him.

The man who looked like a wealthy merchant sensed a dangerous aura. He knew that the guy in front of him was very difficult to deal with. Just in terms of lightness skill, Lu Jing was able to suddenly appear in front of him, something he knew he couldn't do.

If possible, he didn't want to attack Lu Jing.

However, he had messed up his mission tonight. Not only had he failed to get Can Niang to reveal her cheating methods and recover the lost silver, but he had also been seen through for his true identity.

No one knew better than him what kind of person the owner behind Zhijin Pavilion was. The words "ruthless" were not enough to describe him. This person was not only ruthless to his enemies, but also to his subordinates.

Just half a month ago, the man who looked like a wealthy merchant had personally seen a gambling den worker tied with stones around his waist and drowned in the river because he was dishonest.

If this matter was known to the owner, he would definitely not have a good ending.

So he had to take a risk. If he could unexpectedly kill the guy in front of him with a sneak attack using a dagger, then the remaining Can Niang would be easy to deal with. After it was done, he could take advantage of the night to drag the two corpses outside the city and bury them quietly.

The man who looked like a wealthy merchant felt a sharp pain in his wrist. The bone in the place where Lu Jing swept was directly broken, and he could no longer hold the dagger in his hand!

The dagger fell to the ground with a clang.

He also fell down on his butt, his face turning pale from the pain.

Can Niang had just finished shouting "Be careful" when she realized the fight was already over.

Lu Jing didn't look at the man on the ground, but turned his head to Can Niang and said, "Alright, you should leave quickly. Remember what I said before, don't come to this gambling house again, and it's best not to go to other gambling houses during this time."

"Although your cheating skills are good, your Jianghu experience is too poor. You were too high-profile in the gambling house before, and that's not how you win money… As long as the people in the gambling house aren't blind, they will definitely suspect you. Plus, you don't have any martial arts skills. To be honest, if you continue to gamble like this, similar things will definitely happen again. By then, you might not be so lucky."

Hearing Lu Jing say this, Can Niang was not sad, but her beautiful eyes lit up. "It doesn't matter that I don't know martial arts, you do. Why don't we just join forces? I'll be responsible for gambling in the gambling houses, and you'll be responsible for protecting me. Maybe we can win over all the gambling houses in the capital! We'll split the money we earn in half."

Lu Jing shook his head, "It's not that simple. You underestimate those gambling house owners too much. Your cheating skills are not good enough to be flawless, otherwise I wouldn't have discovered them before. Besides, I have serious business to do, I don't have time to accompany you to gamble every day."

Can Niang was a little disappointed when she heard this, and also very puzzled. Lu Jing came to the gambling house, which meant that he should also be a gambling addict, and also greedy for money, otherwise he wouldn't have robbed her of her silver.

Now that there was a great way to make money in front of him, he seemed uninterested.

Can Niang couldn't guess what Lu Jing was thinking for a while.

However, she still thanked Lu Jing for saving her life, then looked at the man who looked like a wealthy merchant, and lowered her voice, "I wonder if the young master can take a step to speak?"

"No need, just say what you have to say."

"Uh… I wanted to ask the young master's name and residence in the city."

"Oh, my name is Feng Jiulang, as for my residence, I just came to the capital from the north, so I haven't decided yet," Lu Jing said.

"Feng Jiulang." Can Niang muttered the name twice in her heart, remembering it firmly, and then gave Lu Jing a curtsy.

"Young Master Feng's great kindness, Can Niang will keep it in mind, and will definitely repay it in the future. I also hope that the young master will not forget me."