The Derelict Iris

⚡Gambling's Gain⚡

"I will bet next."

The other person on the opposite side of the table raised his head towards Xian as he came out of the group of spectators. It couldn't be deciphered what exact expression became visible over the face of the anonymous player due to the presence of the fox mask, nonetheless he didn't let his demeanor shooketh.

"You seem like someone worthy."
Commented him before giving a smirk and showing him the empty seat in front of him. Xian nodded in return and in the next moment, they found themselves sitting opposite to each other, mysterious in their way, yet not so unknown. Both of them put aside the amount of gold taels they'd like to bet over it.

Within the flickering lantern-lit chamber, a tense game of Chūpú started unfolding gradually between Xian and that unknown challenger. The delicate clatter of wooden dice, whose outer appearance resembled nothing but the extreme monotone of hues, resonated like an ancient timbre, filling the air with an aura of anticipation. The chūpú board, adorned with intricate symbols and numbers, was lying between the two players like a battlefield of opportunity. Their game pieces, small tokens carved with artistry, stood at the ready, waiting to traverse the grid at the whim of the five two sided dice.

With a solemn nod, the game began, and the dice tumbled across the board, their destiny sealed within their roll. It took only an attempt for Xian to score a sixteen, five blacks in a row that accounted for the first royal throw in this match. The translucent obscurity of the chamber wasn't very favourable to notice the expressions from beneath those masks yet surprisingly, the opponent seemed to catch quite an impression about him. Next it's his turn and he managed to pull off a royal throw indeed however of five whites that added to the total of eight. Nonetheless the good part was both were out of the pit zone at once. From the first barrier zone, it's an interesting turn of moves gradually a combination of maximum mixed throws and seldom royal throws.

Xian's fingers traced the path of his game pieces with thoughtful precision. Each move from dual players bore a whisper of strategy, a subtle dance to outmaneuver the unseen foe. As the game progressed, the room became a hallowed arena of wagers and strategy. Onlookers watched with bated breath as the board itself became a canvas of possibilities, where fate and skill intertwined in a delicate dance of risk and reward. Amidst this heated up tension, the opponent's moves revealed a keen intellect, testing Xian's mettle with every roll.

As the final turns approached, a hushed silence enveloped around them, as if time itself held its breath. The air was charged with anticipation, and Xian's heart quickened with every throw of the dice. Probably this was that moment where the gambling houses became a theater of fate, where the unknown and the known collide like celestial bodies in the night sky.

And with a decisive roll by Xian, pieces moved readily with the dice, forming a triumphant path on the board. A collective murmur of appreciation resonated within the room, as spectators bore witness to Xian's triumph.The unknown challenger seemed to concede defeat, his face a portrait of graceful acceptance, while he exclaimed,

"As expected, you have managed to impress me."

"I'll take it as a gracious honour that I've managed to impress a senior player like you."

"Ready for another round to maintain that honour?"

Not like xian expected it to end just in one round at the first place, gave him another positive remark before starting the game of luck once again. It continued until quite late at night and after a shí chén Xian realized that Hong Min might be concerned for not finding him for a long time. One way or other he surely managed to give him a headache once again. Amid this time there's been six rounds, five of them won by Xian and one by the other. It seemed like Xian had absorbed most of his luck quite suddenly. He lost quite a few pouches of coin, but that didn't seem to desolate his spirit in any way. Nonetheless after winning the last one, Xian raised on his feet and said,