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ASER – Chapter 6

Gambling Debt

After finishing her meal earlier, A’Diao looked at herself in the mirror. She pondered the intense negative emotions from the Jiang father and son, yet she also knew that even if they were just local bullies in a county town, they were definitely not people she could handle.

She was on guard, realizing that if the Jiang father and son felt displeased or unreconciled, they would surely come back to cause her trouble.

Generally, they wouldn’t resort to killing her to silence her, but the prerequisite was that she couldn’t reveal the flaw of possessing a Spiritual Vessel. So, she went back to her room and tinkered for a while.

Goodness knows, she wasn’t skilled at makeup, nor did she have any expensive cosmetics. Out of desperation, she came up with a rather bad idea—to realistically add some more injuries to her already significantly healed wounds.

Thus, the effect was just as Jiang Chun had seen. But not long after she finished her tinkering, the system reminded her.

“Attention, attention! Five super low-level conquerable targets are on their way!”

Though it said they were on their way, they had actually already arrived outside the courtyard.

A’Diao was initially delighted that targets from whom she could farm Mental Energy had arrived, but after glancing out from the kitchen, she felt vaguely uneasy: these people seemed to be coming with ill intent.

The dilapidated Daoist temple had uninvited guests, five in total.

People from the gambling den? The Old Daoist Priest owed fifty thousand Star Coins?!

How much money was that? An ordinary house in the county town cost about that much.

Upon learning their purpose, A’Diao felt as if she had been struck by lightning, finding it hard to believe. Timidly, she expressed her disbelief: “Impossible! He doesn’t have it! He wouldn’t!”

The Old Daoist Priest wouldn’t!

But she vaguely recalled that the Old Daoist Priest did indeed enjoy watching people play Pai Gow at the village entrance and was very interested in it. Whether he played secretly, she really didn’t know.

“What do you mean, ‘wouldn’t’? This is his IOU, in black and white, with his signature, fingerprint, and retinal scan! I even have a video on my phone of him acknowledging the debt. See for yourself!”

Faced with so much evidence, especially watching the video where the Old Daoist Priest sheepishly held a sign saying he would definitely repay the money he owed, that he just needed to go home to get something… and then recalling how he had hurriedly taken medicinal herbs down the mountain yesterday evening, claiming all the while he was going to earn her tuition fees, A’Diao had only one thought: This terrible old man! No wonder he didn’t even wash the bowls; he was in a hurry to flee!

“But you’re so agitated, looks like you and your master have a good relationship, eh? Quick, pay us back the money! Fifty thousand Star Coins!”

Damn it! A’Diao immediately said coldly, “I’m agitated because I’m happy! That old bastard has violent tendencies. He beats me every day, did you know? These injuries on my body are from him, they’re all swollen, look! I wish he’d fall into a cesspool and drown! Big Brothers, you must catch him! I can provide his DNA! For example, those unwashed socks, they have his skin flakes and sweat on them.”

Everyone: “…”

“You’re something else.”


The gambling den thugs had come looking for the Old Daoist Priest to get their money back. But since he wasn’t there, they had to get the money from someone else.

A’Diao had no money. She explained repeatedly, but in the end, she was once again treated like a stray dog, made to squat in a corner under guard, watching these fierce-looking thugs rush into her home, ransacking the place with a great clatter as they searched for valuables.

The house was a complete mess. Even from the dilapidated study, several books were flung out, landing on the dirt in the courtyard. Blown by the wind, their pages rustled, making the scene appear exceptionally desolate and pitiful.

A’Diao knew these men would definitely not find anything valuable. Then, she would be the one to bear their anger. They might even sell her.

She had to think of a way to resolve this situation.

Sure enough, after a while, four thugs came out, empty-handed. The leader, Hu Xi, had a scar on his face and looked like someone not to be trifled with. He was holding a tree branch, and turning to A’Diao, he snapped it in two with a crack.

Before he could speak, A’Diao immediately and deliberately cowered in fear, retreating backward. But she stumbled and fell to the ground, and a token dropped from her pocket.

Hu Xi thought it was something valuable and rushed forward to pick it up before A’Diao could.

The men glanced at it, and their expressions all changed slightly.

A case filing certificate from the Authorities! This little girl was involved in a case?

A stream of +1 and +2 negative sentiment Mental Energy floated up from their heads.

A’Diao felt slightly relieved; at least these men were afraid of the Authorities.

Hu Xi quickly pressed her for details. So, A’Diao briefly told them about the two thieves, without mentioning the Jiang Family, as she was afraid of bringing up the Spiritual Vessel and arousing these men’s covetous desires, which would only cause more trouble.

Those in the gambling business, although they had their connections, didn’t want to directly clash with the Authorities. Especially since last night’s Spiritual Energy revival had mobilized all government personnel, who were searching everywhere. If the gambling den owner hadn’t sensed a change in the social situation and become anxious to recoup funds, he wouldn’t have sent them to these deep mountains to collect debts.

Hu Xi’s eyes flickered. He could see A’Diao was dirt poor and they wouldn’t be able to squeeze any money out of her. So, after uttering a couple of threats, he left with his men.

In the woods, the person spying on them received Jiang Chun’s instructions and withdrew.

Meanwhile, Jiang Chun reported the situation to Jiang Guang. Jiang Guang frowned. “In that case, don’t bother with her anymore. Focus on searching for other Spiritual Vessels. It’s still the first day. After three days, these Spiritual Vessels will basically all have owners, mostly powerful and influential people we can’t afford to offend.”

“This world has already begun to revive. No one knows who will soon hold power in their hands.”

Jiang Chun nodded, but thinking of his own ambitions yielding nothing and disappointing his father, he felt a surge of irritation. After a moment’s thought, he picked up the phone.


Watching them leave, A’Diao made several calls to the Old Daoist Priest, only to find she had been blocked.

A’Diao then called Zhang San to inquire. She soon confirmed from Zhang San that the Old Daoist Priest did indeed play small card games behind her back sometimes, winning some and losing some, but it wasn’t a major issue.

Playing in the village indeed wasn’t a big problem; many people there did it as a pastime. But the Old Daoist Priest often went out. If he had gone to the gambling dens in the county town, that would be a different matter entirely.

“Xiao Diao, did something happen?”

A’Diao didn’t want to involve others, so she gave a casual, perfunctory reply.

After hanging up, A’Diao felt that the Authorities could only scare off the gambling den people for a while. If the Old Daoist Priest didn’t return and didn’t repay the money, she would be the one to ultimately bear the consequences.

She might be forced to sign an agreement transferring the debt to her, making her repay it, or she might be caught and forced to work in the gambling den to pay it off.

She didn’t want to choose either path.

But reporting it to the Authorities wasn’t practical either. The gambling dens in the county town were legal, so the debt was naturally legal too. The Authorities wouldn’t shut down a gambling den for her. If the gambling den found out she had reported them, and they retaliated privately, it would be even worse.

Run away and hide?

If she became homeless, a young girl like her couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t be harmed. Hadn’t those two stupid thieves from last night even harbored lecherous thoughts towards her current swollen face?

After much thought, A’Diao currently had no good solution.

“Fortunately, school starts in seven days. I’ll just have to endure these seven days. After school starts, I’ll live at the school. At worst, I’ll pay the accommodation fee. Anyway, the Authorities protect schools very strictly, and I’m still a minor. As long as I don’t go out, especially now during this eventful period of Spiritual Energy revival, the gambling den people won’t dare to act too forcefully. Besides, their own internal situation might not be stable either.”

A’Diao made up her mind. However, she hadn’t even finished a few pages of her test papers when, in the afternoon, Hu Xi and his men returned.

They even brought an agreement to offset the debt with the Old Daoist temple’s house, forcing her to move out.

Not only that, Hu Xi sat on a wooden chair, legs crossed, smoking a cigarette, and gave A’Diao two choices: either sign a commitment to repay the debt by a fixed date, or sell herself to the gambling den and repay the debt through work.

“The house isn’t yours anymore. It’s already been registered as a legal offset. I’ll give you one day at most to pack your things and get out.”

“You must also repay the remaining money.”

The men’s attitude was very aggressive; they preferred to intimidate rather than bother with coaxing. A’Diao indeed saw the agreement and the approval stamps from the relevant departments.

Her first thought at that moment was—someone was out to get her.

And this person was, nine times out of ten, Jiang Chun.


Fifty thousand Star Coins was a huge sum for country folk, but not that much for a gambling den. Why go to such lengths, even using this dilapidated Daoist temple to offset five thousand Star Coins? This rundown temple wasn’t a Spiritual Vessel.

If it really were a Spiritual Vessel, it wouldn’t be the gambling den’s turn to claim it.

Moreover, normal offset procedures would take at least three days to complete, and during that time, proof of the Old Daoist Priest’s disappearance and failure to return would be required. But these men had gotten it all done in just a few hours.

Such expedited processing must have cost a considerable amount of money, and with personal connections involved, it would definitely be more than five thousand Star Coins.

Why bother? This was a losing proposition.

Therefore, A’Diao guessed that Jiang Chun had pulled strings behind the scenes. But since it wasn’t directly aimed at her personal safety or assets, it wasn’t for the Spiritual Vessel. She figured it was probably to vent his anger.

She had always feared these wealthy people would unscrupulously bully her, but she had also thought that since the Authorities had intervened, they wouldn’t be so petty. Unexpectedly, they were indeed that petty.

She had reminded him it was a foot-wiping cloth! Was it her fault?

Damn it!

A’Diao was fuming, but she didn’t dare to contend with these fierce gambling den thugs. Moreover, they had spent money and used connections to obtain the agreement, so she could only swallow her anger.

So, she said timidly, “I really don’t have any money to pay you back. Give me one day, and I’ll move out tomorrow.”

Hu Xi could see this timid little Daoist apprentice wouldn’t dare to resist, so he coldly slammed the debt agreement onto the table. “Think moving out settles it? Sign this for me!”

The other men also closed in, tall and burly, forming a threatening circle around her.

This was… going too far!

With a slap, the little Daoist apprentice flared up, slamming her own palm on the table. “You’re bullying me! Do you take me for a fool? What does his gambling debt have to do with me?!”

“Just because you’re his…”

“His what! I have no blood relation to him! I’m just his apprentice! The law doesn’t stipulate that an apprentice has to bear their master’s debts!”

The men were surprised. Eh? They had thought this Old Daoist Priest and the young apprentice were family.

After all, what normal Daoist priest would take a little girl as an apprentice? Usually, it would be a granddaughter from the family.

“Then you’re still his apprentice! Do you think you can escape this debt?”

A’Diao was truly furious. Her face flushed red as she continued angrily, “I’ll betray my master and forsake my lineage! I’ll renounce him as my master!”

Everyone: “…”

Goodness, even a cornered rabbit will leap over a wall.

They could have just let it go at that, but remembering Jiang Chun’s instructions to be sure to get her into the gambling den and ruin her future, Hu Xi signaled the others with his eyes to hold her down.

A’Diao couldn’t struggle free and was ultimately held down. Hu Xi grabbed her hand and forcefully pressed her fingerprint in red ink onto the document, then swaggered off.

“Little girl, you have one day. Tomorrow we’ll come to take the house. And you must repay the remaining forty-five thousand Star Coins within a month, or else… Hmph hmph!”

As they left, they could still hear the little girl’s crying from behind them.

How pitiful.

But they were unmoved. On their way, they reported the situation to Jiang Chun, and subsequently, each received a service fee in their accounts.

Heh, easy money.


In the courtyard, A’Diao, who had been squatting on the ground crying for a while, stood up after making sure they were far away. Wiping her tears, she walked back into the house. As soon as she closed the door, her sorrowful expression vanished. She didn’t even bother to wipe away all her tears, directly taking out her phone and opening an application. Under her control, the application opened many recorded videos. In a swallow’s nest in a corner of the main hall’s eaves, a cheap camera quietly adjusted its direction.

“A bunch of uncultured local ruffians! To bully me like this…”

A’Diao muttered under her breath as she operated her phone, her swollen cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish that inflates into a ball and reveals its poisonous spines when threatened. Her eyes blazed with fury; she was clearly livid.

She wouldn’t let them get away with this!

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