The Scorpion smirked and said, “There’s reason to it, when you put it that way. However, isn’t life a grand game with high stakes too? So many people want to kill me; if I die, they win. If I don’t die, they’ll be uneasy all the time, not knowing which day the collector of souls will come collecting. Don’t you think it’s too boring if one’s whole life proceeds peacefully and smoothly?”

Zhou Zishu decisively cut off these two youths’ deep discussion about life, and asked, “What happens if we lose a round to you?”

The Scorpion slanted a gaze at him, and said leisurely, “Worry not. I don’t want your money, and neither do I want your life. If you lose a round, the two of you will put on a show for me, until I feel refreshed by watching you two go at it--though you two gentlemen should think it over, and take only what you can handle. If you lose too badly, it won’t be easy to wrap this up either.”

Without a word, Zhou Zishu said resolutely, “I’ll see you another time.”

At the same moment, Wen Kexing, who could not have asked for anything better, shouted, “I think these stakes are rather good!”

Zhou Zishu pretended that he did not know him, and walked away apathetically. Behind him, the Scorpion said, “Just like that, and you’re afraid. You even told me to name any price earlier.”

Zhou Zishu did not stop walking, and only said, “I’m already an old man, forget the provocations.”

To the side, Wen Kexing smiled apologetically, “That…Scorpion-xiong, please excuse him, my spouse is good in all other aspects, but is shy, and thin-skinned…”

Before he had even finished his sentence, he saw Zhou Zishu turn back around expressionlessly and ask the Scorpion, “Name your terms, what do we gamble on?”

Sometimes, whether methods of provocation were useful or not depended on who the person employing them was.

Just as the Scorpion had raised the small dice jar in his hand, Zhou Zishu scoffed coldly and said, “These are merely trivial games--I’m afraid that even if we do this for a whole night, we will still be unable to decide on a winner.”

The Scorpion’s brow furrowed. He thought for a moment, then turned around and walked further into the room. Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu jumped in through the window, only to see the Scorpion produce a pouch of small needles as thin as ox hairs. Zhou Zishu's brow furrowed--he had fallen victim to these things before.

The Scorpion pinched a needle between finger and thumb, licked at it lightly with the tip of his tongue, and said, “These have not had the chance to be coated with venom. Why don’t we gamble on who can eat more of these?”