At the gambling table.
Du Wei sat opposite sothing that looked exactly like Howard Victor.
Dead silence.
So oppressive it was stifling.
After announcing the identity-guessing ga, both parties seed to sink into deep thought, neither speaking.
Behind him, Alex held a black umbrella, her beautiful features slightly pale and tense.
She didn't understand why Du Wei insisted on continuing the ga. No matter how you looked at it, such a thing was terrifying to the extre.
And if the black umbrella could protect her and Du Wei's safety, why not just leave straight away?
She didn't know about the stakes, so it was hard for her to understand Du Wei's purpose.
However, this experience had heightened her sense of crisis.
Recalling how concerned Du Wei had been about the antiques at Berson Auction House, she wondered if she should pay more attention to similar items.
...
At this ti, Du Wei at the gambling table was pondering an issue concerning the Evil Spirit.
His mind was no longer on the ga.
Because he was certain he would win.
Guessing identities was, relatively speaking, a rudintary form of gambling.
The rules were simple and direct: guess right and you win, guess wrong and you lose.
For Du Wei, he had many identities: psychologist, Exorcist, hunter.
Of course, the thing across the table knew his identity, which was certain.
Because the ga itself was inherently unfair.
The identity of the opponent was more obscure; it could be the concept of the gambling ga or a dium.
However, in the current situation, Du Wei had skillfully shifted identities, using the most straightforward thod to turn the tables to his advantage.
As long as he knew exactly what the other party was, he would win as the dealer.
As for what "it" was, Du Wei was entirely clear.
And "it" should be dual.
One was right in front of him, the other was what he had seen on the balcony.
These two things were inherently related to the Evil Spirit and were likely diums. After Victor's great-grandfather acquired them, he beca a famous God of Gamblers.
The Victor family, going three generations back, would hold gatherings at intervals and set up gambling gas, which in a sense could be understood as sacrifices to the Evil Spirit.
That's why the Evil Spirit coexisted peacefully.
As for the so-called anomalies, they now seed more like a form of urging.
But there was one thing Du Wei still hadn't figured out.
Victor's father had died long ago, and those notes had inexplicably disappeared many years before...
If one were to think bigger and include a person or a force aware of the Victor family secret, then perhaps everything would co full circle.
In the past, the Victor family facilitated the gambling gas, offering sacrifices to the Evil Spirit.
Now, it seed soone didn't want the sacrifice to continue, and if the sacrifice wasn't successful...
More people would die.
The Evil Spirit would beco even more fearso...
At this thought, Du Wei couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. His "New York" was just a secondary city, and although he had been in contact with Evil Spirits, it was out of necessity.
Actually, New York didn't have that many Evil Spirit incidents. Continue reading stories on empire
But now it seed that the Veda Sect and the other organization lurking in the dark were more troubling than Evil Spirit incidents.
After dealing with the Veda Sect, he would have to make a trip to the church, or have them send more Exorcists over. He should not get involved in the sordid affairs between these powers.
Of course... provided that the Church has deployed their hunters and the situation in Massas's Uninhabited City can be resolved.
With that thought settled,
Du Wei's focus returned to the ga at hand.
He gazed at the thing across from him, his eyes pitch-black and exuding a chilling aura, and spoke lightly, "Now, the ga should co to an end, tell , have you guessed my identity?"
The atmosphere grew tense once more.
He saw a sly and odd smile form on the lips of his opponent, who opened its mouth to reveal neat white teeth and said in a tone that sent chills down one's spine, "Of course I know who you are. Your na is Du Wei, a psychological doctor from North Brook District, and you are also an exorcist. However, you have another identity that you do not fully possess yet."
Du Wei knew its last sentence was referring to a hunter.
In fact, that was the case. He could not yet hunt evil spirits like Andrew Dowqui and the other seniors from the last century.
Though vague, there was no problem with that.
Du Wei nodded at it, "Correct answer."
Then, he heard the cold voice of the other party ask, "So, Mr. Du Wei, it's your turn to answer. Do you know my identity? Is it an Evil Spirit, is it Howard Victor, or sothing else? Are you really certain?"
Du Wei glanced at it curiously and replied, "From a psychological standpoint, you want to mislead , but such tactics are too rudintary and only prove that you're afraid of losing."
The black silk-like lines on its face beca denser, as if raging with anger, and suddenly started to tremble violently.
Then, just like the previous ga, its body stretched out and lunged at Du Wei.
Its mouth was wide open, sharp fangs stained with fresh blood dripping drop by drop.
Its pitch-black eyes were also extraordinarily large, as if trying to burst out of their sockets.
It stared at Du Wei in silence,
Seemingly trying to intimidate him into feeling negative emotions such as fear and dread.
But this had no effect.
From the beginning, Du Wei had set a ntal suggestion for himself, eliminating emotions, and even though he had been influenced once, he was now under the Black Umbrella.
The influence was ineffective.
So Du Wei, with a calm akin to looking at a dead person, said to it, "What are the rules of Texas Hold'em? Remove the two Joker cards and then compare the rest for size."
"Why remove these two cards? Because they are the manipulators of the ga and are also part of the calculation. In a ga, no matter what cards are played, the winner will always be you because the fundantal rule of the ga is win or lose. The loser forfeits their chips, while the winner gains more."
"There's an overlooked you at the table, and yet, on the balcony of the second floor, another Evil Spirit appears, one that cannot be overlooked."
"Two Joker cards, let's call them Greater Joker and Joker; in so religions, they represent the sun and moon, day and night respectively."
"So it can be understood that during the day, we can all see each other, but co night, all are covered by the night, unable to see anything."
"Therefore, you are the Joker card representing the night."
"And now, I have won."
As he finished speaking,
The black lines on Du Wei's body disappeared in an instant, and the thing that had been staring deathly at him twisted its face.
It trembled... staring malevolently at Du Wei, it opened its arms and lunged at him, intending to stab him.
"Useless, these are the rules of the ga. The loser ends up with nothing; the winner takes it all."
Du Wei's voice remained calm, ignoring its resistance and extending his hand, transford by the Evil Spirit, and placed it on its neck.
Then, with a gentle squeeze...
The next second, the surrounding scenery changed instantly.
The lights in the hall were still on, and everyone was looking at the gambling table, staring at Du Wei with strange expressions, "Sir, do you plan to take the bank?"
Across from him, the thing from just a mont ago had vanished.
In its place, Du Wei held a grey Joker card in his hand.
His fingertips brushed it, and though it was hard to identify the material, it had a tallic texture. The entire background of the card was a forest.
Above was a full moon; below, a closed box rested with a wild wolf hiding in the dark, ready to pounce.
The sole figure was not a clown but a man in a tailcoat holding flowers, and eerily, he bore the sa appearance as Du Wei.
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