Number 6 slumped in his chair, his wide eyes filled with disbelief.
The other players also had varying expressions. No one had expected the Luck Bead to be so powerful, giving the two players the absolute best hand—it was like a King against a Queen, a devastating blow!
Number 6 lost all his gold coins.
Guardian Youth turned to look at him and said, "Number 6, you've lost all your coins and are eliminated."
Number 6's entire body began to tremble violently. Although he was wearing a mask and his expression was not visible, his tear-filled eyes still caused Xiao Lou a pang of pain in his heart—everyone in this Card World has been unlucky enough, and Number 6 just wanted to survive.
He was using Luck Bead at the same time as Yu Hanjiang, and in their head-to-head battle, his luck was really bad.
Yu Hanjiang won very narrowly, and No. 6's loss was also a pity.
Behind Guardian, a black door slowly opened, and the boy gestured for him to go, saying, "Go ahead, I hope you come out alive."
Number 6 stood up shakily, turned and walked towards the door, stumbling and struggling with each step.
Yu Hanjiang watched his retreating figure and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Number 6 stopped and turned to look at Yu Hanjiang, his voice choked with emotion: "It's...it's okay. I really wanted to beat you too...Actually, after coming to this bizarre world, I kept wondering how far I could go. I didn't expect it to be so soon..."
He paused, then suddenly smiled: "For me, this is a relief!"
After saying that, he gritted his teeth, turned around, and resolutely walked into the pure black door.
The door creaked shut behind him.
The atmosphere inside the room became even more oppressive. Xiao Lou felt as if her heart was being squeezed tightly by two hands.
Since entering Card World, he has been tackling challenges alone, his mind constantly on edge. The will to survive drives him forward, and he has no time to stop and carefully consider the question of "life" and "death".
But at this moment, he witnessed a living, breathing person being eliminated.
But he was powerless to do anything about it.
Xiao Lou gently closed his eyes, clenched his fists under the table, and quickly adjusted his mindset.
He doesn't have the energy to be sad for others; if he doesn't concentrate, he might be the next one to be eliminated.
As Number 6 left the room, a suffocating silence fell over the room.
Just then, Curly-haired Woman #4 suddenly stood up and yelled at the Guardian, " Hearts, Diamonds, and Spade all have rules for passing, but Plum Blossom Secret Chamber only eliminates people based on luck. That's so unfair!"
The boy looked up at her coldly: "Luck is also a kind of strength."
The woman retorted angrily, "It's all based on luck! Why don't you set up a mahjong table?! I often win by a perfect hand in mahjong!"
The boy interrupted her in a low voice: "Do you really think that number 3's victory was just due to luck?"
The woman was momentarily speechless at the question. She turned to look at Yu Hanjiang with some confusion, meeting his deep, calm eyes.
The boy said, "Sit down, or do you want to be eliminated immediately?"
The woman paused, then remained silent and stiffly sat back down.
This little incident made everyone present nervous, but the young guard said calmly as if nothing had happened: "The third game has begun. Just a reminder, please pay attention to the timing of using Luck Bead."
Everyone's gold coins have been deducted by another 1000.
In the third round, it was number 3's turn to deal the cards.
Yu Hanjiang went first, getting a plum blossom 8 at the start and a spade 7 in the draw, totaling 15 points, which he immediately folded.
In her excitement, player #4 had a few words with Guardian, and this round she was clearly a bit carried away, immediately using Luck Bead. When it was her turn to speak, she decisively threw all her coins into the pot: "All in!"
She lost 1,000 coins in each of the three games. After losing her bet in the first game, she lost 1,000 coins, leaving her with 6,000 coins.
She bet everything; anyone else who wants to follow has to bet at least 6,000.
Number 5 folded.
Player number 6 is out, player number 7 (the girl with the high ponytail) folded, and player number 1 ( Xiao Lou) folded.
Only player number 2 remains silent. If she also folds, then player number 4 will automatically become the winner.
But at that moment, Number 2 Girl said in a trembling voice, "Call, call."
Her voice was so faint it was almost inaudible unless you listened very carefully. Fortunately, the room was unusually quiet, and her faint voice still reached everyone's ears.
The woman in number 4, who thought she had the victory in her grasp, twisted her face slightly behind the mask—she hadn't expected that this thin, inconspicuous girl would actually step forward to challenge her at this moment!
The cards were dealt quickly, and it was already the fifth round.
Woman #4 discovered that her hand had become A, A, 2, 3, 3, totaling 10 points, just 0.5 points away from the highest-ranking hand, the "Five Small". She glanced at the hand list on the screen again; "Five Small" was the third highest hand.
The woman held her breath and looked at number 2.
Girl number 2 turned over the cards with her pale, thin hands.
hearts J, diamonds J, plum blossom Q, diamonds Q, spade Q - the fifth child!
Since neither of them reached 10:30, "5 people small" is greater than "5 small", so Number 2 Girl wins.
The woman slammed her cards onto the table in despair, her wide eyes bloodshot: "Why? I also used Luck Bead, why is my luck worse than yours!"
The girl in number 2 was startled by her scream, lowered her head and whispered, "I'm sorry..."
Guardian Youth calmly stated, "Number 4 is eliminated. Please enter the Nightmare Secret Room to receive your punishment."
The woman glared at Number 2 with resentment, then turned and walked toward the Nightmare Secret Room.
As she reached the door, she suddenly turned back and said coldly, "Don't be too smug. Staying in this bizarre Card World for even one more day is torture. You might as well just die! You might suffer even more terrible torment in the future if you live now!"
Her gaze swept across the room, leaving behind a cold, resentful look, before she turned and walked through the black door.
The door slowly closed behind her.
Xiao Lou didn't speak, but looked at Yu Hanjiang, who was also looking at him.
The two exchanged a glance.
Who doesn't know how cruel the Card World is? But if you give up hope, who can save you?
She still hasn't figured out the pattern of Luck Bead, so it's normal that she was eliminated.
Xiao Lou looked thoughtfully at Guardian Youth.
In the second round, Yu Hanjiang faced off against player number 6, with the former receiving the King of Spades and the latter receiving five J, Q, and K cards. In the third round, player number 2 faced off against player number 4, with player number 2 receiving five JJQQQ cards and player number 4 receiving five AA233 cards...
What is the probability of getting these cards by chance in five rounds of dealing 52 cards? That's a bit too much of a coincidence, isn't it?
Xiao Lou pondered the boy's words carefully—Do you really think that number 3's victory was just due to luck?
Isn't it just luck?
Xiao Lou's back suddenly stiffened.
Luck Bead gives users the best cards, which means what? It means that the cards in the hands of those using Luck Bead can be controlled—and who can control everyone's hands? Without a doubt, it's Plum Blossom Youth, the Guardian, who sits in the middle shuffling the deck!
In other words, this card game isn't purely based on luck; winning or losing depends entirely on when the Luck Bead is used. Plum Blossom Youth knows exactly which cards each player will receive.
Xiao Lou has already understood the true rules of Plum Blossom Secret Chamber's elimination process.
***
In the blink of an eye, two players were eliminated from the seven-player game, leaving only five.
The boy said calmly, "Continue."
In the fourth round, the cards are dealt starting with player number 4. Since player number 4 was eliminated, the turn proceeds counter-clockwise to player number 5.
The man with the braid had a lot of chips left after winning the first round, so he had been leisurely watching the game for the past few rounds. He didn't plan to participate in the fourth round either, so he simply folded.
Girl number 7 took a card and looked up at Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou smiled at her in a friendly manner. The girl paused, then seemed to understand what Xiao Lou meant. She winked at him, and immediately pushed all her chips into the prize pool: "All in!"
When it was Xiao Lou's turn, he indeed said, "Fold."
Girl number 2 just won a round, so naturally she won't fight back this round and will fold.
Yu Hanjiang also folded.
With everyone else folding, girl number 7 won without a fight, receiving a 5000 ante.
—She was very clever and instantly understood what Xiao Lou meant.
Currently, players number 2, 3, and 5 have each won one game, leaving only him and player number 7 who haven't won yet.
There's no need for the two to fight to the death using Luck Bead simultaneously. They can use it separately, each winning a round, and both survive to the end. In the Plum Blossom Secret Chamber, although everyone is an opponent, no one has any real grudge against anyone else. If they can survive together, there's no need to push each other to the brink.
Xiao Lou's gaze was friendly, with a gentle smile in his eyes. Girl #7 understood, so in the fourth round, she started with a Luck Bead and went all in, guessing that Girl #1 would fold. In the fifth round, if Girl #1 called, she would also simply fold and let her opponent win.
They didn't know each other, but two of them had already been eliminated, so they should have some understanding of each other by now.
After the intense competition in the first three rounds, the fourth round was surprisingly mild, yet also expected.
Girl number 7 won easily.
The boy's gaze swept across the entire arena: "Fifth round, game begins."
Everyone had another 1000 gold coins deducted from their base bet.
At this point, Xiao Lou had lost five consecutive rounds, and with his first bet failing, he only had 4,000 chips left.
He has already folded four times, and if he folds again, he will have fewer and fewer chips, so he must use Luck Bead in this hand.
Girl number 7 understood his meaning and definitely wouldn't call; Girl number 2 had won once, and given her timid and cautious nature, she wouldn't challenge Xiao Lou; Yu Hanjiang was even less likely to face off against Xiao Lou.
Only number 5 remains as an unknown factor.
This man with the braid suddenly went all in the first round, catching everyone off guard with his psychological tactics. After that, he remained a detached observer. If Xiao Lou's guess is correct, this man must be a frequent poker player and very familiar with all sorts of strategies.
Furthermore, No. 5 has never used Luck Bead.
If he happens to crash into Xiao Lou, considering the disastrous crashes Luck Bead suffered in the second and third games, Xiao Lou might lose.
Xiao Lou took a deep breath and sat up straight.
Guardian: "In the fifth round, the card order proceeds counter-clockwise, with player number 7 drawing first."
After drawing her card, girl number 7 glanced at Xiao Lou and promptly discarded her card.
It's Xiao Lou's turn.
He gently turned over his first card, the Plum Blossom King. Xiao Lou said, "Take the card."
.
The boy dealt him a card, which Xiao Lou turned over; it was the Plum Blossom Ace.
He immediately flicked the Luck Bead on his wrist under the table, smiled, and said, "Call 1000."
Guardian: "Please select number 2."
Girl number 2 was very cautious and simply folded her cards to avoid trouble.
Guardian: "Number 3, please select."
Yu Hanjiang decisively folded.
When it was number 5's turn, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
If he folds, Xiao Lou wins outright. But if he also uses Luck Bead and calls, the outcome is uncertain.
Player 5 played the psychological warfare in the first round and won beautifully, taking away 18,000 coins in one go. From the second round onwards, he kept folding and observing. By the fifth round, he still had 14,000 chips left.
Xiao Lou only had 4,000 left.
If player number 5 had followed with a bet of 4000 at that moment, he could have forced Xiao Lou to go all in.
But number 5 didn't do that. The man's narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes held a hint of a smile as he said, "Call."
The two girls who had already folded exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat nervous. No matter how player number 5 played, he had a lot of chips, so even if he lost, he wouldn't be eliminated. But player number 1 was different; he had too few chips, and if he lost everything, he might be sent to the Nightmare Secret Room.
Yu Hanjiang clenched his fists nervously and looked at Xiao Lou.
However, Xiao Lou gave him a reassuring look.
Guardian: "Third round of dealing, number 1, please choose."
Xiao Lou: "I need the cards, call 1000."
Number 5: "I need the cards, I'll call."
Guardian: "Fourth round of dealing."
Xiao Lou: "I need the cards, call 1000."
Number 5: "I need the cards, I'll call."
One gold coin after another was thrown into the prize pool.
Xiao Lou kept calling for cards, and number 5 actually called all the way through!
Unlike the previous rounds where they went all in, both players played it safe this time, betting only 1000 coins each time—but Xiao Lou's four consecutive bets were essentially the same as going all in. He already had 4000 chips, and now he had no coins left.
If he loses, he will be eliminated.
Everyone's heart was in their throat.
Guardian: "The dealing is finished. Please show your cards."
Number 5, with a smile in his eyes, turned over his card.
hearts J, spade J, diamonds J, plum blossom j, king of hearts.
It's a "small five" hand.
Xiao Lou smiled slightly and calmly turned over his cards.
Plum Blossom K, Plum Blossom A, Plum Blossom 2, Plum Blossom 3, Plum Blossom 4!
1+2+3+4+K, the total is exactly 10:30.
Another Heavenly King!
Xiao Lou's hand this time was even better than Yu Hanjiang's royal flush in the third round. Not only did he perfectly make a "ten and a half" with five cards, but it was also a straight flush of A234!
The two girls watching were terrified, their palms sweating profusely.
Yu Hanjiang slowly loosened his clenched fist and looked at Xiao Lou, only to find the latter extremely calm.
Despite the life-or-death situation being so thrilling, Xiao Lou seemed to have... anticipated it all along?