Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT)
Chapter 353: Gambling with the Demon King

Chapter 353: Gambling with the Demon King

Xiang Yu, who had been walking, stopped and turned to look at the steward. The steward, not expecting Xiang Yu to stop, almost bumped into him. Lowering his head, the steward apologized, "Sorry, Your Highness."

"It’s fine," Xiang Yu said perfunctorily. He was more interested in what had happened to the Raunet family. "What did you say before?"

"The Raunet family has been exposed for their illegal dealings in arms production and other crimes. Their entire empire is burning, but the Imperial Lord hasn’t issued the order of arrest yet," the steward explained.

Xiang Yu understood why the Imperial Lord hadn’t approved the arrest warrant. The Raunet family was one of his allies, and this scandal would definitely affect him. Xiang Yu was a little surprised that Han Xin was already moving chess pieces, but it seemed too early.

According to the story, this was supposed to happen much later, and Han Xin hadn’t even met up with Han Zhan yet. Xiang Yu concluded that it had something to do with the butterfly effect. This meant he had to accelerate his exit plan if things went south before he could win Han Xin’s heart. He got inside the hovercar heading to the main palace.

A few minutes later the hovercar hissed to a halt, the metallic hum fading into the background as Xiang Yu stepped out onto the gleaming surface of the imperial palace’s landing platform. His arrival drew everyone’s attention. They admired his striking figure that was tall and broad-shouldered, radiating an undeniable aura of authority.

Sunlight glinted off the polished edges of his royal attire, a deep indigo that contrasted sharply against the cloudless sky. A smile danced across his lips showing that he was in an excellent mood.

As he strode purposefully up the sweeping staircase to the main palace, his mind flickered to Hex asking, "Where is the old man?"

"Let me check the main frame now," Hex replied as it began checking for the last time his biometrics were logged into the system. After a few seconds it continued saying, "Old Tong is currently in the lower basement of the imperial palace." This was where the machinery and equipment essential for keeping the imperial palace in the sky were.

Xiang Yu nodded slightly, the information landing comfortably in his mind. He had access to every area within the grand halls of the palace, except for his father’s private chambers and the heavily guarded vault. Navigating his way to Old Tong posed no challenge.

Upon entering the elevator, he felt inquiring gazes burrowing through his skin. The staff within the confined space bowed deeply, their expressions a mix of respect and surprise. Xiang Yu could hear them whispering behind him.

They were probably wondering what he was he was doing in a place like this. Xiang Yu chose to ignore their questioning gazes focusing on the numbers that was dropping on the floating screen.

The elevator hummed and whirred, gliding down until it finally halted with a soft chime. He stepped out into the large engine room, filled with tons of machinery. Massive turbines spun rhythmically and silently.

His gaze swept across the room until it landed on Old Tong who was engaged in a card game with the chief engineer and two other men. As he approached, one of the employees caught sight of him and exclaimed loudly, "Your Highness!"

The exclamation rippled through the room, heads turning in unison toward him. Old Tong and the others abruptly straightened, not forgetting to hide their cards as they instinctively rose to greet the prince.

"Please, you may sit," Xiang Yu said, his voice smooth and inviting, as he plucked a stool from a nearby stack and settled into it with an ease that belied his regal status. The four men hesitated, exchanging glances. Their uncertainty and bewilderment was clearly written on their faces. They were caught off guard by the unexpected presence of his royal highness.

"Please sit. What are you playing?" Xiang Yu inquired, his bright smile coaxing them into a more relaxed state.

Old Tong blinked, still grappling with the surreal nature of the moment. "Your Highness, if there’s something you need, you can tell us."

"I know," Xiang Yu replied, a teasing tone in his voice. "So how do you play this game

The old engineer and the others exchanged looks of disbelief, momentarily paralyzed by their prince’s unexpected curiosity. They remained motionless, caught in a web of uncertainty, until Xiang Yu’s grin widened, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

"I brought Star Coins," he declared, his implication clear. He was willing to wager with them.

The four men released a collective sigh of relief and the atmosphere shifted. They honestly thought they were in trouble but it turned out they weren’t.

Besides, who could resist the allure of a big fish at the gaming table? Old Tong, shaking off his surprise, leaned forward with a glimmer of excitement. "Very well, Your Highness. Let me explain the rules of the game."

This card game was called Elemental Duel. As Old Tong explained, the table was cluttered with colourful cards, each representing one of the four elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air.

The objective was simple yet strategic. It was to collect all four elemental cards or have the highest score when the draw pile ran out. Players took turns drawing and playing cards, matching the suit or rank of the top card on the discard pile. Special cards added a twist, allowing players to skip turns, reverse the order, or even swap hands.

As the game progressed, Xiang Yu felt the excitement in the air. He played with enthusiasm while pretending not understand what he was doing. After the first round, he looked down at his empty hand, a frown creeping onto his face.

Old Tong grinned widely, watching the Star Coins transfer into his account. The old engineer struggled to hide his glee, not wanting to provoke the crown prince. But to their surprise, Xiang Yu merely laughed, his good nature shining through.

"How about another round?" he suggested a spark of determination in his eyes. The others exchanged glances, eager to take advantage of the crown prince’s apparent naivety.

They all agreed, a gleam of greed lighting up their expressions. Old Tong seized the opportunity to raise the stakes, confident that Xiang Yu would fall into the trap once more.

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