In the second round of the first game, the Earl still stopped at two cards, and their total value was still 18 points.
Xia De’s first two cards totaled 13 points, so he took a third card:
“So, have you quit blood brew now?”
He laughed as he said:
“Look, Sun 6, I have 19 points again.”
“It seems my luck isn’t very good today.”
The Earl regretfully shook his head, once again tossing the two cards in his hand aside, then took the first face-down card of the third round of the first game:
“I know that drink isn’t healthy, but ever since my lung disease healed, it seems all my previous hidden ailments have disappeared. Even my private doctor says I’m very healthy, so…”
He shrugged, meaning he hadn’t quit.
Xia De had no comment on this; strictly speaking, the current Earl Dalalak was a dead person, and the blood brew mixed with illegal drugs certainly couldn’t harm his health anymore.
“Speaking of Sun 6.”
Xia De glanced at his face-down card, signaling Priest Augustus to continue dealing cards:
“Among the Founding series of cards, there is Founding·Death.”
“Yes, I have seen the card faces of the Founding series countless times in the Prophet Association’s oil paintings. Look, the second card is a Queen, my luck has arrived.”
The Earl said with a smile, while Xia De’s third card was Moon 12, a bust, making the score two to one temporarily in the first game.
“I have seen Founding·Death with my own eyes; it’s right here in Middlesburg.”
Xia De said softly, and the Earl’s eyes widened instantly:
“In this City? Mr. Watson, do you mean that card is less than 25 miles from us?”
“Yes, but I cannot reveal who the owner of that card is.”
“That’s truly enviable; you’ve actually seen the Founding series.”
The Earl clicked his tongue in wonder, and after receiving his second card, he muttered softly:
“This is really messed up.”
The two cards combined were still 18 points:
“Mr. Watson, you’re not going to have 19 points again, are you?”
“It’s hard to say.”
Xia De took the next card, then stood it up:
“Look, I drew Brave Saga: Bard Fletcher, Flower 9. When this card is drawn, if it’s not the first card, and the previous card was a Flower suit with an even number, this card’s number can be adjusted between 9 and 10.”
He then picked up his first face-down card:
“Unfortunately, the first card is Flower 10. Regardless of whether I adjust the number or not, I win.”
“Mr. Watson won the first game.”
The Old Butler immediately announced, and Earl Dalalak shook his head:
“At least I won one round. Compared to last time when I didn’t win a single game in front of Miss Aurora, my luck is clearly much better this time.”
He was very good at comforting himself.
After reshuffling the cards used in the first game back into the deck, the second game began. Xia De continued the topic of Founding·Death:
“The gentleman who possesses Founding·Death is very talkative. When I met him, he told me many interesting local legends. It is said that the City of Middlesburg has more ghost sightings than anywhere else.”
“Yes, even the children’s bedtime stories include not-so-scary ghost stories. Mr. Watson, do you have any interesting stories to share?”
The Earl asked, and after receiving his second card, he found it was Flower One, and immediately laughed again:
“This time I finally don’t have to stop at the second card.”
“Stories, of course.”
Xia De casually glanced at his second card:
“Ghosts come in many forms; some are quite terrifying, some are just transparent glowing people, and some look exactly like living people.”
Priest Augustus glanced at Xia De.
Xia De’s third card was Sun 9, which, added to his previous two cards, Sun 4 and star 7, totaled 20 points. Xia De chose to stop at the right moment, but he wanted to talk more with the Earl, so he continued to ask for a card. The fourth card was Flower 3, and as expected, it was a bust.
Earl Dalalak won the first round of the second game.
“Dead people who look like living people? I haven’t heard of such a story.”
The Earl looked up at Xia De:
“Tell me more, I’m very curious about such undead.”
“Although the characteristic can be summarized in one sentence, in reality, if such a thing truly happened, it would be more terrifying than murderous evil spirits. After all, when evil spirits appear, we can observe them, but dead people who look like living people might have been standing beside us unknowingly for a long time.”
The Priest continued dealing cards, listening carefully to their conversation. The Old Butler’s eyelids drooped, as if he was tired and wanted to fall asleep.
The Earl asked curiously:
“Why be afraid? Since the dead are like the living, why not let those dead people who look like the living stay?”
“Things aren’t that simple. There’s a difference between life and death, just like ink and clear water. And when death invades the world of the living, if we ignore it, then even a single drop of ink can pollute the entire bowl of clear water. And if the clear water turns even a little bit black, the world of the living will no longer be just the world of the living.”
In the second round, Xia De had 20 points with two cards. The Earl continued to ask for cards, wanting to hit 21 points, but unfortunately, his luck was poor.
“For the sake of the living, the dead must be expelled.”
The Earl summarized Xia De’s meaning, and Xia De nodded:
“Yes, this is something that must be done.”
He looked at the Earl across the table with some tension, but fortunately, the latter didn’t suddenly go mad. Earl Dalalak looked down at his rhode cards. Xia De thought he must have realized something.
The resurrected nails only temporarily forget; sooner or later, they will remember what they truly are.
Priest Augustus then handed him the second card of the third round. Xia De glanced at it; it was Star 9.
Neither of them spoke again. Priest Augustus continued dealing cards. Xia De’s third card was Star 5, and his face-down card was Moon 7:
“How lucky, look, 21 points.”
Xia De said with a smile. The Earl didn’t show an annoyed expression, but instead revealed his third card:
“Ancient Fable: sleeping princess, Moon 5. If you roll a 10 or 20 on a 20-sided die twice in a row, you can adjust the card number between 5 and 6.”
He flipped over his face-down card:
“My current card value is 12+3+5 = 20. If the dice pass the judgment, then I also have 21 points. Mr. Watson, what you can do, I should be able to do too.”
Xia De didn’t look at him, but instead stroked his chin with his right hand, tilting his head slightly to look at the heavy fog outside the window:
“Sometimes, we need to accept reality, not long for an unattainable Miracle.”
The Earl threw the prepared metal die, and when the tumbling die stopped, the upward face was indeed 10.
“Although Miracles are difficult to happen, this time, my luck is good.”
“Yes, but right now, you’ve only had good luck once.”
Xia De said very seriously, placing one hand on the table:
“You need at least two instances of good luck to be eligible for a draw with me. And even then, you still need to undergo a test afterwards.”
“Yes, but one always has to gamble on luck. I’m not willing to surrender directly.”
The Earl reached out again, picked up the die, and then threw it.
The eyes of the four people in the room were fixed on the falling die. After bouncing a few times with a clanging sound, it began to spin in place.
“Fate is sometimes truly wonderful…”
The thin middle-aged man looked at the spinning die with a dazed expression.
Xia De, after a moment of thought, cautiously asked:
“So, Earl, do you understand the current situation?”
No one spoke; only the sound of the metal die spinning on the table was unusually clear.
“If I don’t know even after this, then I’d be a bit too foolish.”
The die’s rotation speed was slowing down, and its owner looked at his Old Butler:
“You knew all along that I was resurrected from death, didn’t you?”
“Lawrence…”
The old man looked at him sadly, unable to utter a word.
Although those resurrected from death forget that they once died, and others’ memories also won’t contain this event, just as Darkness Domain modifies perception but isn’t entirely impossible to see through, the perception modified by the Gap can also be seen through.
“Mr. Watson, are you here to send me away?”
The Earl asked Xia De again, his serious face showing no other expression.
Xia De gazed at the teetering die:
“Yes, you must leave, go to the place where you belong.”
The die stopped, and the upward face was the number 1. The Ancient Fable: sleeping princess’s judgment did not pass, and Earl Lawrence Dalalak’s total score was 20 points.
Priest Augustus gave him the next card, and as expected, it was a bust.
“Mr. Watson won the third round of the second game. The current score for the second game is two to one, and the total score is one to zero. Next is Mr. Watson’s decisive round.”
The Old Butler said, choked with sobs. Priest Augustus watched this scene expressionlessly; this Old Priest had seen too many similar things. He reached out to continue dealing cards, but Earl Dalalak shook his head:
“I also know that it’s the right thing for the dead to leave the world of the living, but I don’t want to leave. This is a bit unfair. Why can you all live? I clearly got a second chance, yet I still have to leave?”
The momentary expression of rage on his face almost made Xia De draw his sword on the spot. But the Earl controlled his rage; it wasn’t his rage. He suppressed his emotions, and with a trembling voice, stood up:
“Mr. Watson, let’s have the final duel.”
The color of his eyes gradually turned completely white:
“Having understood my situation, I can feel the power surging from the earth beneath my feet, and I can also feel the rampant rage within me. They are urging me to seek revenge on all living people. I can still suppress this emotion for now. In these last moments of remaining sanity, John Watson, let’s duel. If you win, I will leave. If I win, none of you will leave.”
Xia De frowned and also stood up. The Earl then said to his Old Butler:
“My will is in the drawer in the bedroom; you know where the key is. No matter what happens next, do not make things difficult for these two gentlemen.”
After speaking, he turned and walked towards the wall where the window was, his body passing directly through the wall:
“John Watson, I’ll wait for you in the yard.”
PS: Before the end of this volume, this afternoon’s chapter will be changed to 3K.
