By the time Zhao Mu had lost 50 million Xuanfeng Coins, Li Xiang and Qi Chengyu could barely hide their smiles. They were so pleased with themselves that they even began humming softly.
This outcome couldn't have been better.
Not only had they made a fortune, but they had also taught a harsh lesson to a new competitor in Lujiang City. To them, it was a complete victory.
In contrast, Zhao Mu remained calm.
His expression never changed.
Lightly tapping the table with his fingers, he looked at Old Chen, the dealer, and said,
"Continue dealing."
"I'm discarding five cards."
As he spoke, he placed all five cards onto the table face-up, as required by the rules.
Old Chen couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Among these seasoned veterans, the two eighteen-year-olds were like innocent lambs wandering into a den of cunning old foxes.
"Young Master Zhao," Old Chen said kindly, "cards are only for entertainment. You should know when to stop. Don't let yourself get carried away."
Before Zhao Mu could reply, Li Xiang shot Old Chen a sharp glance.
"Old Chen, you're talking too much."
"Since when has the Meng Family of Jiangnan ever cared about money?"
His tone carried an obvious warning.
Old Chen could only sigh helplessly before continuing to deal the cards.
---
After looking at his new hand, Zhao Mu spoke calmly.
"I'm raising by 10 million Xuanfeng Coins."
Without hesitation, he pushed a massive stack of chips into the center of the table.
The spectators immediately burst into whispers.
Li Xiang and Qi Chengyu frowned.
Was Zhao Mu bluffing after suffering heavy losses?
Or...
Had he actually drawn an excellent hand?
Neither of them could tell.
At the moment, one of them held three pairs, while the other was only one card away from completing a flush.
With one final opportunity to exchange cards, either could still complete a powerful hand.
Even so...
A raise of 10 million was enough to make anyone hesitate.
Just then, Meng Qiuqiu, who had been watching from behind Zhao Mu, scratched the back of his head and grinned.
"It's only ten million."
"Is that really enough to make you hesitate?"
"Relax."
"As Mr. Li just said..."
"This amount isn't even worth the Meng Family's attention."
His casual remark immediately startled both Li Xiang and Qi Chengyu.
Only now did they realize the biggest difference between them.
Even if Meng Qiuqiu lost one or two hundred million Xuanfeng Coins...
The Meng Family would barely notice.
But could they afford such losses?
Absolutely not.
The realization placed enormous pressure on them.
Thinking back to Zhao Mu's earlier performance—losing far more often than winning—they instinctively assumed he must have drawn an incredible hand this time and intended to recover everything in a single round.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Xiang pushed his cards forward.
"I fold."
Qi Chengyu clenched his teeth before making the same decision.
"I fold as well."
Although both had folded, they had each already contributed 2 million Xuanfeng Coins during the first betting round.
As a result...
Zhao Mu won 4 million Xuanfeng Coins without revealing a single card.
Smiling, he casually pushed his hand into the discard pile.
"Wait!"
Li Xiang immediately stopped him.
"Why won't you let us see your cards?"
Zhao Mu chuckled.
"You've already folded."
"What difference does it make now?"
The two exchanged awkward glances.
More than anything...
They wanted to know whether they had just been bluffed.
Ignoring their expressions, Zhao Mu leaned back comfortably.
"Next round."
---
Over the following rounds, Zhao Mu repeated the exact same strategy.
The moment the first card exchange began...
He immediately raised the bet by 10 million Xuanfeng Coins.
Meanwhile, his proficiency in Jiangnan Poker quietly rose to 78 points.
His skill had already reached the level of a professional gambler.
He could memorize the positions of all four decks of cards being used.
More importantly...
He had already memorized the betting habits and playing styles of every opponent at the table.
None of them were cheating.
Victory depended entirely on memory, calculation, and experience.
Compared to before...
Zhao Mu's chances of winning had increased dramatically.
But even that wasn't enough.
---
Without cheating...
Was there still a way to guarantee victory?
Yes.
Have more chips than everyone else.
The principle was actually very simple.
Imagine three players with identical luck...
And identical poker skills.
Each would theoretically have a one-third chance of winning each hand.
As the game continued...
Who would be eliminated first?
The player with the smallest bankroll.
Because once they ran out of chips...
The game was over.
Although both the Quenching Weapons Shop and the War Hammer Weapons Shop possessed enormous wealth...
Their available cash flow was limited.
Meng Qiuqiu was completely different.
Behind him stood the mighty Meng Family.
Even if he lost every chip in front of him...
He could simply borrow more from Meng Fugui or Madam Meng.
That was Zhao Mu's true strategy.
He deliberately raised every hand to the maximum.
Because he possessed what was effectively unlimited chips.
He could afford to keep losing.
His opponents couldn't.
On the surface...
Everything remained perfectly fair.
No one could accuse him of cheating.
Yet the psychological pressure on Li Xiang and Qi Chengyu grew heavier with every round.
---
Finally, Li Xiang couldn't hold back anymore.
"Young Master Zhao..."
"It's just a card game."
"Is there really any need to play this aggressively?"
Zhao Mu smiled and spread his hands.
"Ten million?"
"You call that aggressive?"
"That's only the cost of a few meals for Director Meng."
Meng Qiuqiu's eyelid twitched.
His family was wealthy...
But not that wealthy.
Even the Meng Family couldn't afford meals costing hundreds of millions several times a week.
Still...
Li Xiang and Qi Chengyu had already been intimidated.
Their hands felt unusually heavy as they held their cards.
Zhao Mu folded his hands on the table and smiled.
"So..."
"Are you calling..."
"Or folding?"
The two hesitated for a long time.
Finally...
Swallowing their frustration...
They folded once again.
Zhao Mu didn't seem disappointed.
However, this time Li Xiang reached out and stopped him.
"Show us your hand."
Without hesitation, Zhao Mu laid his cards face-up.
Li Xiang looked down.
His face instantly darkened.
The hand was terrible.
They had been bluffed.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his anger, he growled,
"Old Chen."
"Deal again."
---
A new round began.
This time...
Zhao Mu didn't even bother looking at his cards.
He casually declared,
"I'm betting 10 million Xuanfeng Coins."
Everyone stared at him as though he had gone mad.
He hadn't even looked at his hand.
Was he really treating himself like the God of Gamblers?
No.
This wasn't madness.
It was confidence born from overwhelming financial backing.
What could his opponents do?
Fold again?
That solved nothing.
If they folded every hand...
Zhao Mu would simply continue blind-betting 10 million every single round.
Of course...
By folding immediately, they would technically lose only the minimum forced bet each time.
But while Tiangong Hall could easily absorb those losses...
The reputations of both the Quenching Weapons Shop and the War Hammer Weapons Shop, built over generations, would be completely ruined.
Everyone in Lujiang City's business circles was watching.
The moment word spread that they had folded without even daring to play...
They would become laughingstocks.
How could they continue doing business afterward?
Grinding his teeth, Li Xiang finally slammed his chips onto the table.
"What an arrogant Young Master Zhao!"
"I'll call!"
Qi Chengyu followed immediately.
"Damn it!"
"I'm calling too!"
"I refuse to believe a blind bet can beat us!"
The stakes instantly reached the maximum.
Standing behind Zhao Mu, Meng Qiuqiu felt his heartbeat quicken.
Although he could easily afford to lose 10 million Xuanfeng Coins...
The thrill of gambling at such outrageous stakes still made his pulse race.
Only Zhao Mu remained perfectly calm.
Nearly half of the four decks had already been played.
Every single card...
He had memorized.
The optimal strategy for the next hand had already been calculated in his mind.
There was no need to cheat.
Sometimes...
The greatest weapon at a gambling table wasn't luck.
It was mathematics.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)