"Leopard."
Despite Daniel Davis's repeated attempts to delay, his dice-shaking routine lasted much longer than usual. However, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he couldn't keep it up indefinitely. The reputation of a gambling house is crucial to its business. If the reputation were completely ruined, even with the backing of Prince Li Yuanji, the Six Fortunes Gambling House could face closure, especially with the Mingtang Nest fanning the flames.
After all, for Li Yuanji, if the gambling house couldn't generate wealth for him, he could easily replace it with another. In Chang'an, there was no shortage of people eager to run gambling businesses.
The result was the same as before. Daniel Davis once again bet on "leopard" and won, causing many in the crowd to grow envious. Some even began to harbor ulterior motives.
"Pay up." Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Daniel Davis immediately instructed his men to pay out the chips to Daniel Davis. However, in the next moment, Daniel Davis placed all his chips back on the "leopard" spot.
"Again."
"No problem."
This time, Daniel Davis was surprisingly quick to agree, as if he didn't care about losing tens of thousands of taels of gold. In fact, a faint smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Has the backer arrived?" Daniel Davis naturally noticed Daniel Davis's reaction. At the same time, he also noticed six men entering through the gambling house's main door. The leader of the group nodded slightly at Daniel Davis upon entering and then blended into the crowd.
"Open it." After Daniel Davis set the dice down, Daniel Davis said softly.
"Wait." Just then, someone interrupted Daniel Davis's words. The six men fanned out behind Daniel Davis, surrounding him and Sulia.
"Manager Daniel Davis, we've received a tip that a wanted criminal is hiding here," one of the six men said after glancing at Daniel Davis and Sulia. He then turned to Daniel Davis with a serious expression.
"It's Erwen Huan. I didn't expect him to come."
"Yang Wengang is here too."
"Qiao Gongshan is here as well."
"That's Sword Gentleman Wei Jiaqing, a master from the Longxi Sword Sect."
As Daniel Davis wondered about the identities of these men, whispers from the crowd revealed their backgrounds. None of the six were ordinary figures.
Among them, Erwen Huan and Qiao Gongshan were captains under Li Jiancheng's Changlin Army, two of the "Five Tigers of Changlin." The Changlin Army was established by Li Jiancheng primarily to counter Li Shimin's Tiance Mansion. However, compared to the Tiance Mansion, which was filled with talented individuals, the Changlin Army was lacking in capable personnel.
Li Shimin's Tiance Mansion boasted figures like Li Jing, Hongfu, Zhangsun Wuji, Yuchi Jingde, Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, Luo Shixin, and Hou Junji—all renowned civil and military officials.
Each of these individuals was a master in their own right. Even Li Jing, now a grandmaster-level expert, had grown alongside others, not just the Twin Dragons.
As for Li Jiancheng, the famous Wei Zheng was still with the Wagang Army at this time. The so-called "Five Tigers of Changlin" were a tier below Li Jing and Zhangsun Wuji.
"That's right. I suspect he's connected to the assassination attempt on Prince Qin," Daniel Davis said, trying to maintain a calm expression despite his inner glee. His words, however, were laced with murderous intent.
Daniel Davis's statement caused many in the crowd to gasp. With such an accusation, it was almost certain that Daniel Davis and Sulia had no chance of escaping. After all, this was Chang'an, the territory of the Li Clan.
Even Ji Qian, who had initially wanted to speak up, was quickly stopped by Hu Xiaoxian. Ji Qian held a high status, and in other matters, she might have had some influence. But when it came to an assassination attempt on Prince Qin, it was a different story. If Ji Qian dared to speak up, she would be implicated as well.
While many knew that Li Jiancheng was the one who most wanted Li Shimin dead, Emperor Li Yuan was unaware of this. In fact, after Li Shimin was severely injured by the Shadow Assassin, he faced multiple assassination attempts. Clearly, someone wanted Li Shimin dead as soon as possible.
Among those who continued to attempt assassinations after Li Shimin's injury, while some were from other factions, it was certain that Li Jiancheng's people were involved.
These were things Daniel Davis and Sulia, having just arrived in Chang'an, were unaware of. While the Demon Sect was powerful, it didn't know everything happening in the world.
Moreover, the Demon Sect itself was far from united. While the Li Clan had many hidden Demon Sect forces, even Li Yuan's father-in-law was a member of the Demon Sect. However, they were not aligned with the Yin Kuai Sect.
"Yang Wengang, it seems my luck is really good."
Looking at the man standing alone in his luxurious silk robe, tall and imposing, Daniel Davis couldn't help but smile. Yang Wengang wasn't one of Li Jiancheng's men; he was loyal to Li Yuan. Having made significant contributions during the Li Clan's capture of Chang'an, he was highly favored by Li Yuan.
"Take them away." After exchanging subtle nods with Daniel Davis, Erwen Huan waved his hand, signaling the men to act.
"Are you really Yang Wengang?" Just as Sword Gentleman Wei Jiaqing and two others were about to move against Daniel Davis and Sulia, Daniel Davis suddenly addressed Yang Wengang.
Among the six men, Wei Jiaqing and the other two held lower statuses than Erwen Huan and the others. They were merely prominent figures from the Longxi Sword Sect and the Chang'an Gang.
In Chang'an, there were four major factions: the Jingzhao Alliance, the Chang'an Gang, the Longxi Sword Sect, and the Guanzhong Sword Sect. Originally, in the story, these four factions were split between Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin, two on each side, creating a balance.
However, with Li Shimin severely injured and unconscious, the Chang'an Gang had now sided with Li Jiancheng, leaving only the Guanzhong Sword Sect loyal to Li Shimin.
"How dare you speak to Lord Yang like that!" Seeing Daniel Davis's disrespectful tone toward Yang Wengang, Sword Gentleman Wei Jiaqing couldn't help but step forward, reaching out to grab Daniel Davis. Whether out of confidence in his own abilities or the belief that Daniel Davis wouldn't resist, he didn't draw his sword.
"The young master is speaking. Please be quiet." Just as Wei Jiaqing's right hand was about to grab Daniel Davis, Sulia, who had been standing quietly by Daniel Davis's side, suddenly moved. In the blink of an eye, she appeared beside Wei Jiaqing, her presence causing him to freeze in panic.
A sense of extreme danger surged through Wei Jiaqing. But just as he was about to retreat and draw his sword, he found his body trapped in an invisible vortex, unable to move. Then, he saw a delicate hand appear in his vision, followed by a crisp crack. After that, his consciousness faded into darkness.
Silence. As Wei Jiaqing's body collapsed to the ground, his head twisted 360 degrees, everyone in the room held their breath.
"Senior Brother!" Moments later, one of the men let out an angry roar and swung his iron rod at Sulia. At the same time, the other man took a step to the side and slashed at Sulia's back with his blade.
Facing the pincer attack, Sulia let out a soft laugh. Two white ribbons flew from her hands, one wrapping around the arm of the man with the iron rod, the other around the arm of the man with the blade. With a gentle tug, their bodies were pulled off course, and their attacks were redirected toward each other.
The two men tried to stop their strikes, but an unseen force continued to drive them forward.
"Stop!"
Seeing this, Erwen Huan and Qiao Gongshan immediately rushed toward Sulia. As two of the "Five Generals of Changlin," their martial skills were nothing to scoff at. If they were too weak, Li Jiancheng wouldn't have recruited them.
Unfortunately, they were facing Sulia, the Holy Maiden of the Yin Kuai Sect. Despite their timely intervention, as they approached Sulia, their movements inexplicably slowed, leaving them helpless as they watched their comrades fall—one stabbed through the chest by his own blade, the other's head smashed by the iron rod.
Furious, Erwen Huan and Qiao Gongshan were about to speak when Sulia flicked her wrists, sending the two corpses hurtling toward them.
Seeing their comrades' bodies flying at them, the two men didn't try to catch them. Instead, they immediately retreated, clearly wary of Sulia using the corpses to launch another attack.
"How dare you! Do you know where you are?"
Looking at the three corpses on the ground, Erwen Huan's expression turned grim. These three were talented individuals Li Jiancheng had been trying to recruit, and now they were dead in an instant.
"What a tragic way to die."
Watching Sulia effortlessly dispatch three of Chang'an's renowned young masters, Daniel Davis couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Under the influence of the Heavenly Demon Force Field, even experts of Sulia's level could be caught off guard, let alone those weaker than her.
The sudden turn of events caused panic among the gamblers, who quickly fled the scene. Only a handful of people, including Ji Qian and Hu Xiaoxian, remained at a distance.
"Yang Wengang, should I call you Yang Wengang or Xiang Wengang? And you, Daniel Davis, should I call you Xiang Shengchun? Xiang Gui and Xiang Yushan—your father and brother are waiting for you to join them in the underworld." Daniel Davis ignored Erwen Huan's bluster and instead smiled at Yang Wengang.
"Nonsense!"
The moment the names "Xiang Wengang" and "Xiang Shengchun" were mentioned, Yang Wengang's expression changed. He immediately pounced toward Daniel Davis, his body swelling as he activated his martial arts.
Yang Wengang, the leader of the Jingzhao Alliance, was known for his indestructible body, which had earned him the title of one of the "Four Tyrants of Guanzhong." It was this near-impenetrable defense that had allowed the Jingzhao Alliance to grow to its current size.
As Yang Wengang attacked, Daniel Davis, standing opposite Daniel Davis, also struck, his hands forming claws aimed at Daniel Davis's skull.
Meanwhile, Erwen Huan and Qiao Gongshan, instead of joining the attack, quickly retreated.
The names "Xiang Wengang" and "Xiang Shengchun" made them realize something was amiss. They knew Yang Wengang and Daniel Davis had no prior connection, but now it seemed they were brothers. This hidden truth was worth pondering.
As two of the "Five Generals of Changlin," neither Erwen Huan nor Qiao Gongshan was a fool.
"Trying to silence me? With so many people here, do you think you can kill them all?"
Daniel Davis's words, along with the screams of Yang Wengang and Daniel Davis, echoed through the hall. Yang Wengang now had holes through both shoulders and knees, writhing on the ground in agony. Daniel Davis, on the other hand, had his arms twisted like pretzels, lying on the gambling table and howling in pain. Daniel Davis had no mercy for the Xiang family, using gambling chips to pierce Yang Wengang's shoulders and knees.
Yang Wengang's indestructible body would have been troublesome even for Sulia, but to Daniel Davis, it was nothing.
"You, the Xiang family, have committed countless atrocities. Did you think changing your names and hiding in Chang'an would let you escape justice?" Daniel Davis stood up and continued, "Well, it's time to end this. Next is the Yihong Court's Xiang Hua."
"Stop staring. Go gather the wealth here. Rather than leaving it for the Li Clan, we can use it to help those they've harmed." Seeing Sulia standing idly by, Daniel Davis instructed her.
"Yes."
For Daniel Davis, even if he had vast wealth of his own, there was no reason to waste it, let alone leave it for the Li Clan. That would be aiding the enemy.
"You're Daniel Davis from the Daoist Heavenly Sect! How dare you come here!" Yang Wengang finally realized Daniel Davis's identity and immediately exposed him. Hearing this, Erwen Huan and Qiao Gongshan exchanged glances and then bolted for the door.
They needed to report Daniel Davis's presence in Chang'an. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to eliminate him.
"Why run so fast? I'm not going to kill you." Watching the two flee, Daniel Davis shook his head with a smile.
While killing them would be easy for Daniel Davis, as members of Li Jiancheng's faction, keeping them alive was more beneficial. If Li Jiancheng's forces were weakened, it would only benefit Li Shimin.
After Erwen Huan and Qiao Gongshan fled, the others in the hall quickly followed suit. Even Hu Xiaoxian left, and though Ji Qian wanted to stay, she was eventually pulled away by Hu Xiaoxian.
"It's all gathered, but there's too much to carry." Sulia proved to be quite skilled at looting, quickly collecting the hidden wealth, antiques, treasures, and valuable paintings from the Six Fortunes Gambling House. However, the sheer volume made it difficult to transport.
"That's simple." Daniel Davis waved his left hand, and a burst of flames erupted, engulfing Yang Wengang and Daniel Davis. Soon, the entire Six Fortunes Gambling House was ablaze.
The intense flames prevented the imperial guards surrounding the gambling house from entering.
"Let's go."
Daniel Davis took out a storage device and absorbed all the wealth into it. Then, unnoticed by the guards outside, he and Sulia left the Six Fortunes Gambling House and headed to the Yihong Court, where they captured Xiang Hua before she could react.
"They're quick to respond. Good thing I don't need to activate the mechanism at Yue Ma Bridge." With the location of the Yang Gong Treasure provided by Lu Miaozi, Daniel Davis could directly access the treasure vault using the Earth Escape Technique with Sulia, avoiding the need to trigger the mechanism and alert the Li Clan.
(End of Chapter)
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