Invincible Dad

The two sisters spoke in unison.

Xu Lai was slightly taken aback. He could understand his troublemaking sister-in-law, but why was Ruan Tang going along with it?

"Since we've already voted to play a game, then we'll play," Ruan Tang said seriously. "But not with this deck. We'll use regular playing cards and play 'guess high or low,' with the loser getting a paper strip stuck on them."

"Huh?" Ruan Lan said indignantly. "What's the fun in that?"

Ruan Tang said coldly, "Then let's vote again. Xu Lai, I don't think you want to play with *that* deck of cards with your sister-in-law, do you?"

It was a blatant threat.

Xu Lai smiled wryly. "I'll listen to you."

Ruan Lan was incredibly frustrated. She huffed, "Fine, we won't do paper strips. The loser has to drink. I'm going to get you both completely wasted!"

After saying her piece, she glared resentfully at Xu Lai. "Traitor! I was clearly trying to help you win over my sister, yet you defected to the enemy camp. Hmph!"

Xu Lai was speechless.

Ruan Tang was also speechless. She irritably kicked her sister under the table.

This conch girl, carrying her heavy shell, is shaking her head again, Ruan Tang thought about her sister. Helping? I'm more worried you'll drag yourself down with him.

A snowy winter day was indeed perfect for playing some small games.

Xu Lai finished his meal quickly. He stood up and said, "I'll go to the supermarket at the foot of the mountain and buy a few decks of cards. You two take your time eating, there's no rush."

"Buy more alcohol," Ruan Lan called out sweetly. "Get lots of beer, red wine, and liquor. Tonight, I'm going to show you the meaning of cruel!"

Clearly, Ruan Lan believed victory was already in her grasp. In her small circle of friends, she had a nickname—the female God of Gamblers.

She always won, and though she had only won a few thousand yuan off Yu Xiaoxiao and Li Li, it had made Ruan Lan's ego swell.

Xu Lai just smiled. There was no need to buy alcohol; he had plenty here.

Putting on his shoes, he ambled leisurely down the mountain.

Haitang Court was wonderful in every way. The scenery and environment were great; its only drawback was perhaps the inconvenience. Sometimes, food delivery wouldn't even come this far up, and the nearest convenience store or supermarket was several kilometers away at the foot of the mountain.

Of course, as a wealthy district in East Sea City and home to its cleanest and most beautiful beach, the entertainment industry around the Mount Haitang Villa District was highly developed. There were hotels, bathhouses, legitimate and illegitimate massage parlors, and even a commercial street. But all of these were about five kilometers from Haitang Court.

Xu Lai walked into a small supermarket and bought two decks of playing cards.

Just as he was about to head home, the door to a place that looked like a KTV on the outside but was actually a casino was thrown open, and an old man was tossed out.

"Ouch!" The old man clutched his back, cursing, "I am Dongfang Xun! How dare you fail to recognize greatness and throw me out!"

"And I suppose my surname is Murong. So what if you're a Dongfang? You think that's impressive?" a woman in a white cheongsam, with a rose tattooed on her neck and a mane of wavy red hair, said in a cool tone. "My rules here are simple. If you have money, you're the king. If you don't, get lost."

As she spoke, she shot Dongfang Xun a look of disgust. "Coming here without money and acting like you own the place, not to mention your wandering hands. If it weren't for your age, I'd have had your hands chopped off!"

"I just touched your leg. What's the big deal?" Dongfang Xun said furiously. "Just a few days ago, women like you were begging for my attention, and I wouldn't have even given them the time of day!"

The woman's anger turned into a cold laugh. She didn't argue further, simply spitting out three words, "Beat him up!"

Those three words, simple and unadorned, exploded in Dongfang Xun's mind like a thunderclap.

His expression changed drastically, and he turned to flee. But with his cultivation foundation destroyed, he was just an old man in his twilight years. It wasn't a matter of running fast. Even if he could, how could he outrun two strong young men?

Seeing the casino's enforcers drawing closer, Dongfang Xun had a flash of inspiration. He threw himself on the ground and began to wail, "Help! They're beating an eighty-year-old man! Is there no justice, no law and order left in this world?"

"AAAAH, AAAAAH, AAAAAH, I'm dying! I'm dying!" Dongfang Xun cried dramatically, rolling on the ground without a care for his image.

"How obnoxious!" The beautiful woman sneered. Just as she was turning to go back inside, she spotted Xu Lai standing not far away, enjoying the show.

What a handsome man he was. At first glance, he seemed ordinary, but the longer she looked, the deeper she was drawn in, making her heart flutter uncontrollably.

"Handsome, care to come in and play?" the beautiful woman asked, biting her lip seductively.

"I'm broke," Xu Lai said, shaking his head.

"No problem, my treat," the beautiful woman said with a grin. "This whole place is mine; you can play as you please."

It was a double entendre.

Xu Lai acted as if he didn't understand, shaking his head. "I can't. The tigress at home holds the purse strings."

The beautiful woman looked slightly disappointed. She quickly stepped forward, stuffed a business card into Xu Lai's pocket, and whispered breathily, "No worries. Think about it. There's a lot of pressure on young people these days. If you ever get tired of struggling, come find me. My name is Murong Chi."

Is this the legendary rich cougar? Is this what it's like to be a kept man?

Seeing the man before her was clearly stunned, Murong Chi giggled, gave his hand a squeeze, and then sashayed back into the casino.

Heh, that was fun.

Unlike their boss's delighted expression, the two casino bouncers glared at Xu Lai, as if warning him not to get any ideas about their beautiful boss.

Xu Lai ignored the threat. Instead, he looked at the still-acting Dongfang Xun and said with a smirk, "You can stop acting. They're gone."

Dongfang Xun squinted for a peek. Sure enough, everyone had left. His face brightened with joy, and he quickly stood up, patting the dust off his clothes. "Thanks for the tip, friend. My acting is pretty convincing, eh—"

Wait. That voice seemed a little familiar.

An image of a certain man flashed in Dongfang Xun's mind, and his body went rigid. It couldn't be Xu Lai, could it??? Impossible. East Sea City is huge, there's no way I'd run into him…

Comforting himself, Dongfang Xun turned to look. The next second, his vision went dark, and he nearly fainted. It really was Xu Lai!

"Oh my god!" Dongfang Xun collapsed onto the ground, so terrified he nearly wet his pants. He shouted towards the casino, "You forgot me! Take me back with you, please!" he wailed.

"Am I that scary?" Xu Lai asked, squatting down with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"No, no…" Dongfang Xun stammered, hastily waving his hands, though the terror and pallor on his face said everything.

The hotel business card Xu Lai had casually sketched on had not only annihilated the incarnation of the Faceless Blood Pond monster but also housed a thunder dragon within it. Such power... Even his master, Li Sanbai, was far inferior to this. Calling him a living immortal would not be an overstatement!

Dongfang Xun had mocked Xu Lai before, so naturally, he was now scared to death. The crucial part was that his master had specifically called and ordered him to stay in East Sea City to investigate Xu Lai. If it weren't for that, he would have fled back to Harbour City with his beloved Xiao Qi long ago!

He wouldn't dare to investigate. To avoid Xu Lai, Dongfang Xun could only spend his days gambling and drinking. He had calculated everything, but he had never calculated that he'd still run into him.

Dongfang Xun choked up. My life is just too bitter!