Nightfall

Can You Deal with the Sudden Wealth Syndrome?

Ning Que was shocked as he stared at the deed in his hands. The man in turquoise robes had secretly left him a casino and felt a strange warmth spread down his chest. He asked, “Where is he now?”

“He wrote in his last letter that he was going to see the sunrise at Tai mountain.” Mr. Qi said.

As the warmth and shock receded, Ning Que thought about the sarcastic words Mr. Qi had said. He thought about how he had cheated to win and his ill-gotten gains from his own casino and began to feel his cheeks heating up. As a young man, he could not bear the embarrassment and in order to dispel the awkwardness, he said irritably, “Nobody from the Fish-dragon Gang told me about this”.

Mr. Qi raised an eyebrow and stared at him peevishly, saying, “Big brother took us to Lin 47th street to meet you especially before he left. He said then that you can look for me no matter what happens. It’s been months and have you looked for me? How can I look for you when you are holding that position now?”

It was only then when Ning Que remembered his other identity. Xu Chongshan had never contacted him after throwing that wooden pass at him. He had long forgotten that he was a secret guard of the empire.

While he was hemming and hawing to veil his shame, Mr. Qi thought of something which made his eyebrows rise even more violently. He said, “You… are a cultivator? I know you are good at killing people, but when did you suddenly attain cultivator status and enter the real state?”

“It just happened in the last two days. I’ve just entered the Initial Awareness stage and am still far away from the real state.” Ning Que did not know about the symbolled gold plate within the dice cup in Star-Picking Casino and answered honestly. “I wanted to use the opportunity whilst it is still unknown and earn a bit of gold. While I can’t do that now, please still keep it a secret.”

Mr Qi’s voice sharpened in annoyance. “You’ve won over ten thousand taels of silver from Star Picing. How are we going to keep this a secret? Chang’an might be big, but there aren’t many people bringing around a little handmaid with a tanned face. Anyone can find out if they put some effort in it.”

Ning Que smiled and said gently, “You’re now one of the big bosses in Chang’an. It would just take a word from you to make things good again. Would Star-Picking Casino defy your orders and continue their search for me?”

Mr. Qi was unable to say no to his flattery. He scrunched his brows tightly and thought for a moment before saying, “It is not difficult to hide it, but what’s the point of hiding the identity of a cultivator? Are you hoping that this thing will blow up and end up in court so that you may gain some fame? If this is what you intend to do, I’d advise you to drop it. Chang’an is not the countryside, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of cultivators here. You cannot stand out. Why not come clean to the lecturers at the Academy and gain something more practical instead?”

Ning Que thought about the rumors that the Academy might open up the Second floor next year. He also thought about Xia Hou general who was opening the frontiers far away at the moment. After a moment of silence, he replied, “That’s because I know that I’m too ordinary, why let it be known and create trouble for myself? It would not be too late to let it be known when I am more secure and steady on this path.”

“You are not of the Fish-dragon Gang. Do what you wish. But since we have met, there are still some other things that we have to settle.”

Mr. Qi extended a slender finger and pointed at the deed before him. “This is a copy of the transfer agreement that you need to sign. Once you have done so, the gambling den would be yours and I no longer have to waste my energy minding it for you,” he said.