Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 25 Seeds of Fear

The candlelight flickered on the card table, and the red velvet tablecloth reflected a dim blood-red glow.
The air seemed to be frozen at this moment, and the silence was unbearable.

The gambling game is still going on, but the atmosphere among the vampires is no longer as relaxed as it was at the beginning.

The vampires were originally sure to win, they were hunters,
They are the ones who manipulate the rules of the game and the ones who tease the beast trapped in the cage.

But now, their expressions began to change.

Nanzhen Xuehou's fingers tapped slowly on the table, the sound trembling slightly, as if inadvertently revealing a hint of uneasiness.

Xizhen Xuehou still maintained his usual smile, but there was a hint of deep thought in his eyes, and he glanced at his companions from time to time.

And the Blood Marquis of Dongzhen, the silent being, had a trace of scarlet sweat, the vampire's unique characteristic, seeping out of his forehead.

The fingertips holding the cards turned slightly white, as if he had subconsciously used too much force.

Duke Bloody Night still sat in the main seat, his expression as calm as ever, his fingers casually tapping the armrests of the throne.

It's like listening to a distant vampire melody.

However, if someone observes carefully, they will find that his smile has faded a little.

Siming lightly flicked the chips in his hand. The sound was calm, but it spread over the entire gambling table like a light mist.

"Are you guys really still cooperating?"

His voice was low and slow, like a silent whisper, penetrating into the vampire's ears like a poison, stirring up some imperceptible cracks.

Cracks have already appeared.

Xizhen Xuehou sneered and said with disdain, "Outsider, your provocative tactics are really clumsy."

"Oh?" Siming raised an eyebrow, half smiling, "But you still haven't placed your bets, right?"

The air suddenly became silent, as if even the candle flames sensed this invisible oppression and began to tremble slightly.

Nanzhen Xuehou's eyes flickered slightly, and he subconsciously looked at Duke Xueye.

But the Duke never responded, and didn't even look at him.

His silence is more frightening than any words.

——Silence is the most terrifying response.

Siming noticed it. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and continued:

"I've speculated a bit about the relationship between the three of you. Under His Majesty the Duke's command, there must be a clear hierarchy, right?"

He slowly turned over one of his cards, tapping the paper lightly with his fingertips. His tone remained calm, but that bewitching whisper...

It was like a poisonous snake coiling around the vampire's ear, quietly entwining it.

"So, whoever loses all their chips first will be the weakest... That makes sense, right?"

Nanzhen Xuehou frowned slightly, and the rhythm of his fingertips tapping on the table was subtly disrupted.

Xizhen Xuehou sneered: "Are you trying to incite someone to be eliminated first? Ridiculous."

Siming did not refute, but simply raised his hand and casually fiddled with the chips in front of him.
He seemed to be calculating something, yet also seemed to be indifferent to the gamble.

Then he continued slowly:
"There's one person among you who is the most insecure."

Under everyone's gaze, his sight slowly fell on Nanzhen Xuehou.

In an instant, Nanzhen Xuehou's face darkened slightly, and his eyes were so dark that they seemed to swallow the light.

His knuckles tightened slightly, and his palm subconsciously pressed down on the cards, as if to confirm that he was still in control of something.

The gazes of Xizhen Xuehou and Dongzhen Xuehou also followed suit.

The tension in the air seemed to suddenly tighten, and a suffocating silence filled the air above the gambling table.

Even though they knew in their hearts that this was just the instigation of outsiders, the "suspicion" had already been quietly planted.

Siming lowered his eyelids, and the curve of his mouth deepened.

He has already sown the first seed into the rotten soil of the vampires.

Will it sprout?

He doesn't need to water it because the vampires themselves are already feeding it.

"You are bluffing, outsider." Nanzhen Xuehou's voice was low, and there was a subtle uneasiness in his indifference.

Siming smiled softly, flipping the chips in his hand between his fingers, making a subtle friction sound. "Really?" His tone was gentle, but his eyes were sharp and pointed. "Then you can continue to bet."

Nanzhen Xuehou's fingers froze on the chips, hesitating for a moment, and trembling slightly.

Then, he didn't move.

——He doesn’t dare.

He was afraid that he would be seen through, afraid that Sima Ming really had control over everything in the game.
I am afraid that the arrogance and self-confidence I rely on are just a trap set by outsiders.

Siming's smile deepened, and his voice fell softly.
Like a whisper in the darkness: "Your Excellency, Blood Marquis of Nanzhen, since you hesitate, that means you agree, right?"

Xizhen Xuehou sneered and slowly pushed in some chips, with a hint of cold sarcasm on his lips.

"It seems our colleagues don't trust their own cards."

The Blood Marquis of Dongzhen remained silent, his face pale, and he didn't even dare to look at the Blood Marquis of Nanzhen.

Duke Bloody Night, the true king of this gambling table, finally turned his head slightly.
He glanced at Nanzhen Xuehou with a half-smile, a hint of interest passing through his pupils.

At that moment, Nanzhen Xuehou's back suddenly stiffened and his breathing almost stopped.

——He can’t afford to lose.

——He can't lose.

But... he has already lost.

Siming’s strategy was not to make him lose his chips directly, but to let him destroy his own confidence.

Let doubt seep in little by little, let fear devour him like a shadow, and let him push himself into the abyss with his own hands.

Fear has already eaten away at the heart of Nanzhen Xuehou.

His breathing was rapid, and his fingers were shaking as he held the cards, trying to regain some sense.

But it was too late.

In this gamble, the real despair is not when the chips are exhausted, but when you realize that you have already lost.

Nanzhen Xuehou’s cards were actually not bad, and he still had a chance of winning, but he didn’t dare to place a bet.

He was afraid that Sima Ming had really left a mark on the card, and that his every move had been seen through.

I am afraid that I will fall into the psychological trap carefully woven by outsiders again.

His hands were shaking, his sanity had collapsed, he should have been the high and mighty vampire count,
But he became the first abandoned pawn to surrender.

Xizhen Xuehou watched this scene quietly, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised and a hint of sneer, as if he saw some inevitable ending.

Dongzhen Xuehou clenched his fists slightly and his body trembled imperceptibly.

——They were once three blood lords who fought side by side, hunters who controlled this gambling game, but now,
Nanzhen Xuehou has become an abandoned pawn, a pawn whose existence is no longer worthwhile.

The last round of betting ended, and Nanzhen Xuehou’s chips were completely cleared.

He sat there in a daze, as if he had not yet recovered from his failure.

Duke Bloody Night finally chuckled faintly, tapping his fingers lightly on the tabletop as he spoke in a low voice, "It's really... surprising."

There was a sense of unease in the air, and the rhythm of the gambling game had quietly changed.

Nanzhen Xuehou's face turned pale, his dignity and arrogance were torn to pieces at this moment.

He couldn't accept it - he was defeated by a foreigner, a humble human!

But this is the fact.

He lost, not only his chips, but also his confidence and the trust of the Duke of Bloody Night.

He slowly stood up, gritted his teeth, bowed his head and saluted the Duke, then... slowly walked out of the card game.

He knew that he was no longer qualified to sit at this gambling table.

The psychological advantage of the vampires was weakened for the first time at this moment.

Duke Bloody Night's eyes flickered slightly, and his smile faded a little.

He originally thought that this gambling game was a stage controlled by him and he was the king who controlled the fate of his prey.

But now, he began to think - is this gamble really still in his hands?

(End of this chapter)