It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Her hair, predominantly white, with hints of gray and black highlights, had a hint of chaos, yet never looked messy. Just as Asians are naturally born with black hair, or as lions are naturally born with golden fur, it seemed as if the color she wore was simply meant to be. It fell softly around her waist, framing her slender figure.

As befits her mature figure, the woman possessed a face of considerable charm. Her eyebrows seemed slightly pointed, yet unconsciously, they exuded a captivating, irresistible allure. She appeared to be a generation older than Bai Lin, yet this didn't give the impression of age at all, instead revealing a more alluring presence.

Her orange-red eyes, like a dead flame, reflected charcoal and embodied her slightly dull demeanor. It was as if she wasn't particularly interested in anything, and had little interest in anything. But it was undeniable that those eyes were also beautiful.

A pair of horns, not overly long, grew on either side of her forehead. The seemingly hard, black horns betrayed her status, yet in no way marred her overall elegance. Two charcoal-like grayish-black marks, like charcoal, marked her cheeks, instantly diminishing her inherent beauty. This also made Bai Lin suddenly less admirable.

However, the focus now is not there. Just listen to this woman saying to Bai Lin,

"Welcome, Holy Son. I am the one you wish to contract with, the Ember Demon. You can call me Smooth in the way you are accustomed to."

The woman who called herself Simo said this to Bai Lin. Her voice was magnetic, and her tone was very calm. She sounded unusually calm, which made people feel comfortable, but also had a unique pressure. Then the other party asked,

"Although you weren't actually unconscious for long, diving into the deep world still took its toll on your body. If you need anything, please let me know."

Bai Lin was not surprised at all to hear such caring words from the other party. She waved her hand, took out a water bag, and replied,

"You're welcome, but I'm indeed a little thirsty. Let me have a drink first."

Here, Bai Lin's attitude was completely different from the one he'd had in the bar in the Abyss. This was because it was time to get down to business. From the descriptions he'd heard from the poet, and the living room he'd just seen, which was, within the realm of human cognition, exceptionally luxurious, Bai Lin could infer that the other person was, in any case, a very noble being.

Such a noble being naturally possessed a corresponding excellence, for someone would be willing to pay a high price as a contract threshold and come to them for work. Precisely because of their excellence, Bai Lin was even more cautious. If he accidentally developed a subconscious affection for them and fell into a trap, that would be disastrous. He had almost fallen into this trap once before.

Chapter 827 The Gods Make a Shining Appearance

So, even for the drinks, Bai Lin used his own.

Regarding Bai Lin's natural attitude, Simo did not comment on anything. She calmed down for a moment, and then spoke directly to Bai Lin,

"You're probably well aware that we, the Cinder Demons, are a relatively traditional group of demons within the Abyss. We serve under contracts and maintain reliable relationships with our contractors. However, you likely don't know the content of our contract; it's already been signed."

"Ah... huh? I really, don't know."

When Bai Lin heard that the contract had been signed in advance, she was a little stunned. She looked to the side and saw the poet sitting quietly on the sofa beside her, without saying anything. And Simo said,

"Demons always speak their mind, at least we Cinder Demons do. We are different from gods, astrologers, and the like. We don't just offer guidance, but we spell out the actual rules in written form. So, I think I should explain to you again what you are here to do with us today."

Although Simo was hinting at the poet and the God of Desolation playing riddles, Bai Lin couldn't possibly lean towards someone she had just met and didn't know how to deal with. Even if the other person was the God of Desolation, she wouldn't be an exception. Her eyes suddenly became sharper, and she stared at the other person and asked,

"Oh, is it something complicated? Why does it need to be explained specifically?"

"I'm not being intentional, I'm just being frank. Simply put, I need you to complete a gamble with us. That shouldn't be too difficult to understand, right?"

"Oh, gambling... What, gambling?!"

Bai Lin didn't take this seriously at first. He repeated it, then the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was amiss. As the saying goes, those who make a deal with the devil don't have a good ending. Another saying goes, "Poisoned dogs all die a bad death." So, is this just stacking two buffs together? Isn't that just a way to get yourself killed?

Looking at the poet next to her, he was still silent, not saying a word, which made Bai Lin a little nervous. Obviously, Bai Lin needed to solve the problem herself. She quickly figured out what the poet and the God of Wilderness meant, and then decided to follow the words of the Ember Demon and continued.

"That's really not my forte. By the way, what can I gain from this gamble, and what can I lose?"

"There may be gains, but there may also be losses, Holy Son. As for the chips..."

"Let me answer this!"

Suddenly, a deeply discordant sound echoed. Within this spacious, low-key, quiet room, a vibrant sound suddenly echoed. Like the sound of a brisk breeze, it stirred up leaves in the forest, seemingly stirring the entire room.

A feeling that was both familiar and resisted by Bai Lin suddenly appeared behind her along with the voice. She felt as if half of her body was stiff and numb because of what was about to happen. Then, a small hand pressed firmly on Bai Lin's shoulder, and at the same time, the voice continued,

"Who says God only guides and doesn't say anything? You're maliciously slandering me. If I don't say a few words, the Son of God will take it seriously."

The owner of that hand quickly put his hands on Bai Lin's shoulders, bent his upper body forward, and looked at Bai Lin with his face turned sideways. With a smile on his face, he greeted Bai Lin,

"Hey, Holy Son, we meet again. Did you miss me?!"

Bai Lin was completely frozen, as if petrified, unwilling to look the other way. Even so, she couldn't help but be unaware of what was weighing her down. From the moment she appeared, the aura, so different from this world, was instantly recognizable to Bai Lin in a familiar way. Simply put, it was like a colorful character walking in a black-and-white comic.

Bai Lin stretched out his hand, rubbed his cheek, and then sighed and said,

"Why are you here again? Can you just be a god and stay in the sky? Why do you have to come down here every day?"

"You'll find out in a moment. I'm here today for something very important. Also, the me you saw before was just a remnant of my human form. The one you saw today is a genuine, authentic god. So don't be prejudiced and be happy."

The light words of the God of Wilderness were comfortable and relaxed, just like the black lines growing comfortably on Bai Lin's forehead. Bai Lin covered his face and replied in a low voice,

“I don’t see any difference…”

Bai Lin had a strong sense of foreboding long before. The completely unknown future, with its countless possibilities, became even more unpredictable with the addition of this God B. Simply put, once this guy showed up, Bai Lin wouldn't be surprised by anything that happened next. This wasn't exactly good news.

"When you said you'd come in person, I was wondering if it was just a joke, but I didn't expect it to be true. You actually arranged for humans to gamble with me. I almost thought you were here to do business for me."

Seeing the God of Wilderness coming, Smo spoke so lightly. The confident tone was no longer polite, and it was not at all the same as when she was talking to Bai Lin before, which was just a bottom line. Obviously... her attitude towards the God of Wilderness was not so friendly. The God of Wilderness looked at her and replied,

"Whether it's a door-to-door business or not depends on your own judgment and effort. It's not about whether I'm there or not. Also, when I defeated you, I was also human. Are you planning to underestimate humans again and lose again?"

The words of the God of Wilderness clearly showed that the two of them had a long history. She still looked calm and composed, even smiling slightly, as she spoke while squeezing onto the sofa on the same side as Smo. Smo sighed, pulled away the hem of his formal suit that was being pressed down by the God of Wilderness, leaned towards the edge of the sofa, and replied,

"Come on, she's not like you. You're much more cunning, not only with others but with yourself as well."

"What? I've always been very strict with myself, okay? Please don't slander me maliciously. Okay, let's not waste any more time and get straight to the point."

The God of Wilderness didn't plan to continue the conversation. He looked at Bai Lin again, got straight to the point, and cut off these paragraphs of speech that sounded like they contained a lot of information.

Chapter 828: Just a Form

Bai Lin also collected his thoughts and stopped thinking about other things. It was true that the appearance of the God of Wilderness was not so pleasant, but if he didn't listen to her, it would obviously only make him suffer more.

"To put it simply, Smo has something you and the poet want here. The poet is well aware of this, and it's something very important, so she brought you here today."

As he spoke, the God of Wilderness began to answer half-hearted riddles. Bai Lin couldn't help but hold up her chin, tentatively thinking that this thing was indeed very important. Then, she immediately asked back,

"So, what chips should we use to bet?"

"You should be well aware of this, Holy Son. In the Abyss, what is the most valuable thing to trade? Of course, it's the soul. Your soul and the poet's soul are your bargaining chips."

“…I don’t accept that.”

After hearing what Huang Shen said, Bai Lin didn't show any strong emotions, but she also made her attitude very clear. She immediately refused and continued,

"I have no idea what you are planning. Based on the premise that the poet's choice is correct, and considering that you, the God of Wilderness, have not harmed me, I will not accept it. The reason is simple. You have already said that you want me to gamble with the devil."

"First, I'm not good at gambling. Second, this is on someone else's territory. Under these circumstances, are you asking me to gamble both our lives? Is anyone else likely to accept such a ridiculous thing?"

"Besides, even if I've met you before, God of Wilderness, the familiarity you two display makes me consider more complex situations. So, no normal person would accept this kind of thing. I refuse."

Bai Lin spoke in a heavy voice, looking very serious, as if he had already entered the state before the God of Wilderness arrived. The God of Wilderness's expression did not change. Her half-smile contained a hint of amusement, and it seemed that she had no intention of persuading Bai Lin to gamble anymore. At this moment, Simo actually spoke.

"Well... I'm not trying to persuade you to gamble with me, Holy Son. I just want to correct you. I'm not familiar with the God of Wilderness at all. We're not on the same page at all. Please recognize this and stop confusing us. It's a bit troublesome to be considered the same as her."

Suddenly saying this at this stage, it is obvious that Smo has already broken down after the arrival of the God of Wilderness. The God of Wilderness also quickly followed up with a sentence,

"Don't say that. Wasn't our relationship harmonious when we worked together before?"

"It's very harmonious, but our relationship is limited to cooperation."

This scene seemed... as if only her side was serious. Bai Lin was somewhat confused about what the other party was joking about. She didn't think she was being too serious. So she sighed and said,

"Okay, I understand. If I were considered to be on the same side as the God of Wilderness, I wouldn't feel much better. But I don't care about this right now. Your relationship has nothing to do with me. I said I refuse, and I will refuse. How can a god help others sign a gambling agreement? I definitely won't accept such a thing. If there's nothing else, we can leave early and take the children for a while."

Indeed, it would be much better to take the quiet Miyu out for a walk than to waste time here. Simo spoke again at this moment, and she resumed her previous tone and said,

"Well, on this point, we can still reach a consensus. So, accordingly, I will also say a few fair words. Although the character of the God of Wilderness is a bit bad, since she dared to do such a thing, it is obvious that you also have enough outstanding qualities to help you win."

"As for what you said, gambling isn't an option for normal people... but in fact, you also understand that you are not a normal person at all. I have seen too many demons."

Smo's tone gradually became quieter. She looked at Bai Lin and said slowly,

"What is a normal person? According to your human standards, it should be someone whose code of conduct is closest to socially accepted morality. From this perspective, you are definitely not that kind of person. I can easily see that in people's eyes, you are a lunatic. The only thing that is even remotely close to being a normal person is the word 'human'. No... even 'human' is a far cry from that."

Her words sounded like she was calling Bai Lin a non-human, but there was nothing derogatory about them. Then, she spoke again, saying solemnly,

"If you can completely abandon normal thinking, gambling might just be the right option for you. No matter from which perspective, gambling is never rational. But perhaps, you yourself are not rational either."

Bai Lin was slightly stunned when these words came out. She had to admit that what Simo said did make some sense. But even so, Bai Lin still did not completely agree with Simo's words. Because she was the opponent in the gambling agreement, and might even be the beneficiary of the other party, so it was very likely that he was just trying to persuade her to fall into the trap. And just at this moment, the poet who had been silent for a long time finally spoke, and she only heard her say,

"I agree with her. Accept it, Holy Son. You can win this."

Bai Lin was not surprised at all by what the poet said. She certainly believed that the poet did not bring her here because he wanted Bai Lin to lose. But Bai Lin still shook her head and replied to the poet,

"I know you won't harm me, poet. But for both of our souls..."

"It's just a formality, Holy Son. You should understand this."

The poet's clear voice quickly interrupted Bai Lin's concerns. The poet slowly said,

"The Wild God can only circumvent the so-called laws through specific means, thus interfering with the human world. You may understand this, but not entirely. Let me give you an example. She had foreseen the plague disaster, so she left behind a remnant of her soul during her human life. You brought her there, and with your help, she successfully resolved the incident."

"And the same goes for the rewards you'll receive. You should be able to sense that what you've received is not small, and very important, right? These items aren't something you can easily obtain."

Chapter 829 Introduction

"Like descending upon the human world to intervene in disasters that would otherwise disrupt the world, or directly granting rare assistance to the human world. As a deity, she's generally not allowed to do this. But she's managed to reasonably circumvent these forbidden methods through her own means and accomplish all of this."

The poet narrated this, then she took a deep breath and continued to speak to Bai Lin,

"The situation is the same now, Holy Son. Through a bet, she's giving us what she wants. A god, a demon, actually proposed a bet with humans. This is obviously not a reasonable thing to do. But if you understand it this way... it makes perfect sense."

The poet's words seemed perfectly logical. Beneath her icy mask, Bai Lin couldn't sense any unnecessary emotion, simply listening to her expounding on the facts. Bai Lin understood what she was saying; it actually made sense.

From this perspective, Smo explained everything to her, bringing them closer together and, through the Desolate God, keeping them on the same side. It's likely that he was trying to guide her, making her feel more reliable than the Desolate God, or even the demon, and thus choose to escape this gamble.

Now it seemed entirely possible that Simo knew she was going to lose and simply wanted to turn it down. It was clear she knew the God of Desolation, and accepting the bet was probably just a matter of social convention.

The God of Wilderness himself would be here in person, and Smo's words also unintentionally implied that the God of Wilderness was going to mess with her again. She probably also felt that the God of Wilderness would definitely help Bai Lin.

Since the desolate god was on his side this time, and the poet, who could predict the future, had also declared victory, this so-called "form" was indeed established. Simply doing what was necessary to achieve the desired outcome wasn't really gambling. Putting a knife to one's own neck was merely a showpiece, not a real threat.

Bai Lin could question the God of Wilderness, but she still believed in the poet. After repeated persuasion, her heart finally wavered. After a long period of thinking, she finally fell silent, nodded, and then said firmly to the god and demon in front of her,

"Now that the poet has said so, it would be uncharacteristic of me not to accept it. Okay, you can continue. What is the specific form of gambling?"

When asked this question, Smo sighed and shrugged, his expression full of "I expected it a long time ago". And Huang Shen, with the same smile as before, replied to Bai Lin,

"Don't be surprised. Actually, this gambling format is something you're very familiar with, and it's something I prepared specifically for you..."

"Okay, stop keeping me in suspense. With you here, I won't be too surprised to hear anything. Just tell me."

The smile on Huang Shen's face became even brighter. Joy and cunning flowed from the corners of her eyes. She waved her sleeves, sat upright, and solemnly announced to Bai Lin,

"Mahjong. This is the format we're going to use today. It originated in your hometown, a pastime enjoyed by everyone on the streets. 13 billion of the 14 billion people know how to play, and another 1 million are already watching. It's something everyone knows."

Mahjong, a domino-based card game with a long history, originated in ancient China. It utilizes character tiles, cookie tiles, string tiles, and jack tiles. While the rules vary slightly from place to place, Mahjong is essentially a racing game. Players win by completing a pair of tiles (sparrow head, general head), four straights (like one, two, three cookies), or three triplet tiles (like three cards for a fortune).

Once one player wins, the game moves on to the next round. Essentially, it's a race to see who can win the game the fastest. Luck is more essential than skill at the mahjong table. Each tile you draw is like a new card draw, making it a beloved game for both the elderly and the elderly. Its continued popularity is due to its blend of competitive and entertaining qualities. To this day, mahjong continues to shine throughout East Asia.

"...You shouldn't be making fun of me, right?"

Even with this expectation, Bai Lin couldn't remain calm after hearing such an answer. This was a different world. Even the God of Desolation was from another world, wasn't he? Qianhong here also played mahjong? Even if you did, you were still half a Qianhong person. What about Smo and the Poet?

The wild god smiled again, and her eyes were gentle as she replied to Bai Lin,

"Why would I make fun of you? Am I that kind of god? Don't think this is ridiculous, Holy Child. For a demon as clever as you, learning the game of mahjong is no problem at all. I taught her a long time ago, and... it was a close call. If I had made even the slightest mistake, I wouldn't have won. If you think you can take advantage of me in this regard, you'll be in big trouble."

"And for the poet beside you, mahjong is also effortless. Being able to predict the future, she must have already learned the game long ago and wouldn't be a complete novice today. So for you, mahjong is simply a familiar form that doesn't require relearning. And the same is true for them."

How could the God of Wilderness not have thought of what Bai Lin could think of? Her patient explanation made Bai Lin, who had already increased his tolerance after meeting the God of Wilderness, think, "Oh, this is normal." So, Bai Lin also accepted this fact accordingly. She only sighed and replied,

"Hey, it seems you're serious. Okay then, lead the way to the appropriate venue and explain the specific rules. There are many different types of mahjong."

On the surface, Bai Lin seemed quite reluctant. This was understandable. Even after hearing so many conditions, an ordinary person wouldn't be too interested in gambling. Everyone knew that it represented an endless abyss, especially when the opponent was a true demon. But hidden beneath Bai Lin's slightly dull tone and helpless expression was a slight flicker of joy.

As mentioned earlier, aside from skill, luck also plays a significant role in mahjong. It's an absolute fact that winning is easier when you have good cards.

Probably starting from the next chapter, we will officially enter the "Dawn and Dusk Decisive Battle" chapter

As expected, its total length will be very long.

Readers with no interest in mahjong can skip it. Even if they do, it won't cause any disconnect between the plot. After all, the stories throughout the third volume are only somewhat interconnected, and reading the beginning and end will give you a good idea of ​​the plot. But personally, I recommend reading it anyway.

I have considered the overall design for a long time to ensure that it is exciting enough.

It may be a little complicated and have some flaws, but it's never a bad thing to take a look

Chapter 830 Riichi Mahjong

We all know that Bai Lin's life is filled with bad luck. Although she was born into a relatively wealthy family and could have easily earned a living even without doing anything, her fate is far from fortunate. Her failures were not her fault, but rather a quirk of fate. After arriving in another world, her experiences were neither good nor bad; at best, they were a mixture of good and bad.

Even in the three shots not long ago, she didn't have the luck to connect with the third shot, and she barely managed to withstand the second shot even after using up all her luck. However, even she has her own unique stage, where the light of her luck can shine brightly.

That was mahjong. For some reason, she always had good luck at the mahjong table. Whether it was with relatives during holidays, with friends in her spare time, or against pros at national offline tournaments, she was always able to use her exceptional luck to perform well. Even though her skills were mediocre, her mahjong win rate, especially in the area of ​​​​manipulation, was exceptional.

However, since she didn't enjoy gambling, she actually didn't really enjoy playing mahjong. Mahjong was simply too much of a pastime. Then, one day, every time she had a good run at the mahjong table, she'd wonder if her life would be completely different if her good fortune had flowed elsewhere. Had mahjong been the one to steal all her good fortune?

Unfortunately, life doesn't have assumptions. So-called luck won't shift to something else just because she doesn't play mahjong. So, she could only be annoyed by this fact, but there was nothing she could do.

But today, it seemed... there really was a chance for the "culprit" who had brought her a lifetime of misfortune to shine. Bai Lin stood up, her eyes pierced with determination, her fists clenched. She walked at the end of the group, watching the slowly opening door before her, filled with determination.

So, can her so-called good fortune really stand up to the gods and demons? Let us wait and see.