“Mr. Hamilton’s fourth Founding series of rhode cards has finally appeared!”
Baron Lavende’s face was flushed with excitement, and he almost half-stood up to look at the card in Xia De’s hand.
Although he had seen this card at the Prophet Association before, his emotions were still hard to suppress:
“If the total points exceed 21 when this card is drawn, choose one card from the used cards and exchange it with this card.
The special effect of the chosen card is invalid.”
He stated the card’s effect.
Xia De nodded and revealed the hole card:
“The hole card is Sun 2, so my first three cards are 18 points.
Then, I exchanged Sun 6 from the first round with Flower 3 from the first round, now it’s 21 points.”
“Excellent!”
Baron Lavende, behind Baron Lavende, clapped his hands and said.
The noisy sound had already spread the appearance of Founding·Death to almost everyone present.
After Xia De obtained Founding·Death, he certainly wouldn't announce it in the newspapers to show off the card to everyone, so this was the first time the card had officially appeared in people's eyes.
The Founding series of rhode cards is considered the origin of all rhode cards in people's perception, and its significance is priceless to Rhode Card players.
The appearance of Founding·Death was even more important than the Rhode Card tournament at Lakeview Manor.
Xia De firmly believed that by this time tomorrow, every Rhode Card player in the city would probably know that he had acquired another Founding series card.
“I was very lucky; I found this in an old book a while ago.”
Xia De explained softly, his voice completely drowned out by the clamor.
In this lively atmosphere, Viscount Glenn’s eyes widened, his eyeballs seeming to pop out in surprise as he looked at the card in Xia De’s hand, but his expression quickly returned to normal:
“Mr. Hamilton, you truly live up to your reputation.”
“And what about your points?”
“My fourth card is star 3, and my last three cards are 16 points.”
He arranged the three cards together, then pressed his finger on his hole card.
“Has the card already been exchanged?”
Xia De asked in his mind.
“Yes, when you picked up all things are impermanent·death and showed it to people.”
Xia De’s expression remained unchanged, and then he looked at Miss Vitter.
The elaborate effort he made to draw Founding·Death earlier was to create a brief moment of concentrated attention for people, allowing Viscount Glenn, who cheated in the first round, time to cheat again.
He knew that the Hexacle Sorceress must have seen through the opponent's trick, and he was quite sure that with Miss Pa Wo's personality displayed on the rooftop on Saturday night, she wouldn't do nothing.
Facts proved Xia De was right; before Viscount Glenn revealed his hole card, the Sorceress tapped her fingers on the table a few times.
The subtle traces of Miracle affected the tabletop.
Xia De still smiled and said nothing, then watched as Viscount Glenn revealed his hole card:
“What a coincidence, I have 5 points, totaling 21 points as well.
Knight, although Founding·Death is impressive, we have a tie.”
He picked up the revealed card and held it next to his face.
He licked his lips, which were a little dry from nervousness, and said to Xia De with a smile.
But Viscount Glenn suddenly paused again, looking at the hole card in his hand, an incredible expression appearing on his face:
“sun 5?!”
“sun 5?”
Baron Lavende frowned:
“Are there two sun 5 cards in the same deck?”
Viscount Glenn had already drawn a sun 5 in the first round.
The originally lively crowd gradually lowered their voices; cheating in a Rhode Card game was a very serious matter.
If it was truly judged as cheating by the Prophet Association, being prohibited from participating in any official events for ten years was a minor issue; the most important thing was that one's reputation and honor would be gone forever.
“I didn’t…”
Before the Viscount could argue, the card in his hand was snatched by the referee, Mr. Justin of the Prophet Association.
The latter found another “sun 5” among the cards Viscount Glenn had already used on the table and asked in a stern tone:
“Viscount, you need to explain.”
“No, it wasn’t me!”
The middle-aged man slammed the table and stood up.
He was not flustered but showed an indignant expression:
“Who is it? Who is framing me?”
He should have replaced it with Moon 5.
Xia De immediately tried to smooth things over:
“Viscount, don’t be so agitated.
We are also willing to believe that you didn’t actively cheat.”
Hearing the phrase “actively cheat,” Tifa suppressed a smile and continued to watch the scene.
“How about this, I’ll say something fair.
We cannot wrong any upright gentleman.
Gentlemen, ladies, please keep your voices down.”
Xia De raised his voice slightly, and his identity as the “Great City Player 1853 Champion” indeed had great appeal.
People also stopped their discussions and looked at Xia De, who had stood up:
“I heard that cheating methods are nothing more than hiding replacement cards in shoe soles or hats.
Why don’t we check if Viscount Glenn has any replacement rhode cards on him?”
“That’s a good idea.”
Miss Vitter, also a card player, immediately said softly, while Baron Lavende, the last person at the table, asked:
“Mr. Hamilton, what should we check?”
“Everyone here is a respectable person, so there’s no need to check shoes and hats.”
Xia De said, sizing up Viscount Glenn, who was standing in the light:
“Viscount, how about you take off your overcoat and hand it to me?”
Viscount Glenn’s face changed dramatically:
“Playing cards with you is truly a disgrace.
Yes, you are insulting me!”
He turned to leave, but the crowd blocked his way, and Xia De had already reached out and grabbed him:
“Viscount, where are you trying to go?”
“My honor has been insulted.
Such a game, it’s better not to participate!”
Saying that, he still wanted to break free, but Xia De was still holding his sleeve, kindly persuading him:
“If you leave now, your honor will truly be insulted.”
“Knight, I order you to let go of me!”
The middle-aged man shouted loudly, trying to use his voice to cover his inner panic.
He wanted to forcefully break free from Xia De’s hand but felt that the strength holding him was more solid than a mountain.
“Viscount Glenn, take off your overcoat, and this matter will be resolved.”
Xia De said again, and Baron Lavende, who was beside him, also stood up, wanting to intervene.
The onlookers at this point had all noticed that something was wrong, and the human wall they formed completely blocked Viscount Glenn’s escape route.
The middle-aged man was both surprised and flustered, his free left hand trying to pry open Xia De’s right hand, but he couldn’t.
“Oh!”
In his desperation, Viscount Glenn suddenly punched Xia De in the chest.
Amidst the people’s exclamations, Xia De’s left hand accurately grasped his fist.
As Xia De twisted his wrist, Viscount Glenn let out an astonishing scream:
“My wrist is about to break, let go!”
“Have you forgotten, Viscount, that my main profession is Detective?
Do you think you’re the first person to cheat at cards in front of me?”
Xia De said somewhat sternly.
Viscount Glenn gasped and looked at him in terror.
The onlookers didn’t feel that Xia De had done anything wrong.
Although this was a civilized era, Xia De’s agile movements, displayed in self-defense, still earned applause.
Xia De continued to ask:
“Viscount, guess how I saw people in underground casinos deal with card cheats when I used to frequent them?”
Viscount Glenn seemed to squeeze a shriek from his throat:
“Don’t cut off my fingers!”
Xia De didn’t know where Viscount Glenn had heard such a saying.
He shook his head and released Viscount Glenn’s fist and hand.
The Viscount wanted to slip away backward, but the human wall still blocked his path.
Xia De took off his overcoat, tossed it to Tifa, and beckoned to Viscount Glenn:
“Everyone saw you try to attack me.
How about this: I’ll give you one punch, and then you can leave?
According to the rules, the cheater’s deck should be handed over to their opponent.
If you agree, I can forgo your special card.”
“I have no objection!”
Baron Lavende said.
“I have no objection either.”
Miss Vitter also said.
Viscount Glenn feigned composure:
“I would never do such a barbaric thing.”
Boos erupted from the surroundings, and people consciously stepped back, clearing a space for the two men under the grape arbor.
While rhode cards were interesting, watching two men box under a grape arbor was equally entertaining.
“Glenn, you’ve already lost one honor, don’t lose a second!”
Someone even egged them on.
The Viscount verbally refused, but he clearly couldn't bear to part with his deck.
He raised his arms, adopting a very professional blocking stance, clearly having practiced.
“Please pay attention.”
Xia De reminded, stepping forward on the balls of his feet.
Viscount Glenn also hunched his neck and moved his body on the balls of his feet, his leather shoes tapping out a rhythm on the ground.
Both men were quite well-proportioned.
Although Viscount Glenn was older, his physique showed no signs of aging; instead, he had the vigor of a man in his prime.
Under the grape arbor, the two men circled each other for half a turn in the flickering gaslight.
As Xia De suddenly thrust his head forward, Viscount Glenn immediately swung his right fist towards his chest.
Xia De was waiting for this opportunity.
He blocked with his left arm, and taking advantage of the opening in the opponent's defense, he struck out with a punch, his right fist hitting Viscount Glenn’s left eye accurately and forcefully.
Of course, he had held back his strength.
“Oh!”
Viscount Glenn stumbled backward, fortunately caught by someone before he truly fell.
He cried out, covering his left eye, and when he removed his hand, there was a very noticeable black eye.
“Viscount, you can find some ice to apply a cold compress.”
Xia De kindly reminded him.
People finally made way.
Viscount Glenn’s face was flushed, and he left through the opening without a word, clearly not reappearing tonight.
He didn’t even retrieve his deck, so a gentleman acquainted with Viscount Glenn helped him put his deck away.
“What now?”
The commotion ended.
Xia De smiled, took his overcoat from Tifa’s hand, and sat back down.
He flexed his wrists and asked the referee, Mr. Justin, who shrugged:
“I will report Viscount Glenn’s matter to the Association.
As for the card game, he is automatically out.
Miss Vitter, Baron Lavende, please show your points for the second round.”
Miss Vitter still had 20 points, while Baron Lavende had 17 points.
But people were no longer focused on the card game itself.
Someone openly cheating under the nose of a Prophet Association referee, and even resorting to violence after being exposed, was already big news.
And Xia De Hamilton winning a fight was even more surprising than winning a card game.
Xia De winning card games was a frequent occurrence, but two men fighting at a noble banquet was something rarely seen, perhaps only a few times a year.
While violence was wrong, it was indeed an attractive topic.
Xia De would do many things tonight that he had previously been too lazy to do, all to prove himself, for the sake of divinity, it was all worth it.
He secretly glanced at Miss Vitter.
The conflict with the Baron just now was also to let the other party know that he and the Baron were opponents of the same level, so that the Sorceress would not suspect him.
Adding the display of his strength, this was truly killing two birds with one stone.
“Three birds, weren’t you really trying to punish that cheater?”
She really understood Xia De.
