The normally quiet hall became even more silent.
Besides our breathing, there wasn't a sound in the entire hall.
Not only that, but from the rooms on both sides of the hall.
Ghosts emerged, one by one.
These were the other ghosts who had been playing cards, and they all came out now.
Including the ghosts from the second floor, who also came down.
It was clear that all the ghosts had seen that Old Mo and I were trouble, that we were there to cause a scene.
But then, voices of other living people came from upstairs and the adjacent rooms:
"What's going on? Why did you leave?"
"Still playing?"
"Damn, haven't paid yet? Where are you going?"
"..."
One after another, voices rang out.
But then, they abruptly stopped.
The entire Ghostly Pavilion once again fell silent.
Clearly, these living people had been knocked unconscious.
At this moment, seventy to eighty ghosts surrounded us.
All of them stared at us with expressionless faces.
The lights in the hall also began to flicker.
Wu Jing, terrified, clutched Old Mo's arm, trembling violently.
But Old Mo and I were seasoned veterans.
This kind of minor situation, seventy to eighty wandering souls, to us.
It was as if...
I held my hand of bad cards and said again:
"Since you can't play, I'll continue!"
With that, I took out another talisman, mixed it with the cards:
"Three, four, five, six, seven, a straight!"
Just like last time, I used a Ghost Suppressing Talisman to represent the seven.
There were now two talismans on the table.
Both talismans emitted waves of spiritual power.
As ghosts, they could feel it quite clearly.
The pale-faced ghost's expression darkened, and he looked down at me:
"No!"
Old Mo smiled and simply covered his cards on the table:
"Pass!"
I took my hand of bad cards and drew out two more talismans:
"Three against one."
"..."
As I called out my cards one by one.
Yellow talismans were placed on the mahjong table.
Although the surrounding ghosts had gathered in the hall, encircling us from the sides.
They still felt a sense of apprehension looking at the yellow talismans on the table.
The male ghost opposite could only choose silence, responding with "Pass" after "Pass."
Finally, as I played my last card.
A false smile reappeared on the pale-faced ghost's face:
"Fellow gambler, your skill is excellent.
I concede defeat as per our bet.
As agreed, please accept these two chests of money."
With that, he pushed the two chests of money towards Old Mo and me.
Two million.
I had only seen so much cash at once on television; never in reality.
Neither Old Mo nor I moved or reached out to take it.
Seeing that we didn't react, the pale-faced ghost.
Smiled and raised his right hand.
Instantly, several white sheets of paper appeared out of nowhere in his right hand.
Then he spoke:
"Gentlemen, you must have come to my Zhaocai Mahjong Hall for Brother Wu.
I won't beat around the bush.
These are Brother Wu Jing's IOUs.
At the time, I was blind and offended Brother Wu.
Take these IOUs back with you.
From now on, we will mind our own business.
And Zhaocai Mahjong Hall will no longer receive the three of you."
He said this as he placed Wu Jing's IOUs on the mahjong table.
He then took a red pen and marked a red cross on the IOUs, signifying they were void.
We just watched silently, making no other movements.
After finishing, the pale-faced ghost used two fingers to tap on the IOUs and pushed them over.
Wu Jing looked at the IOUs, becoming somewhat emotional.
He looked at Old Mo and me.
I remained silent.
Old Mo took them back and glanced at them.
At the same time, he asked Wu Jing to confirm if they were the ones he had signed before.
Wu Jing nodded:
"Yes, these are the ones."
Hearing this, I nodded to Old Mo.
Old Mo wasted no words. In front of all the ghosts present, he took out a lighter and set them ablaze.
After the several life-debt IOUs were burned.
The pale-faced ghost opposite spoke again:
"The three of you, since matters have reached this point, please leave!
We still have business to conduct."
He then made a gesture to usher us out.
The ghosts behind us, who had parted to create a path, immediately blocked it again.
This was them telling us to leave.
But I shook my head:
"You should stop doing business from now on."
As soon as I said this.
The pale-faced ghost's expression instantly turned grim.
The two burly ghost men on his left and right snorted coldly:
"Don't be too arrogant!"
"Do you really think Zhaocai Mahjong Hall is easy to bully?"
"We've given you enough face, don't think we're truly afraid of you."
"..."
As they spoke, the path that had been cleared behind us was immediately blocked again by the ghosts.
As the lights flickered.
One dark, one bright.
The expression of every ghost present changed from pale to green.
After the final flicker of the lights, these ghosts shed their disguises one by one.
They all became pale-faced or sallow-faced.
Each of them looked devoid of life.
All staring fixedly at us.
Not only that, but the clothes they wore had also changed.
Transforming into black and grey burial shrouds.
The pale-faced ghost, abandoning his previous crew-cut appearance, became a long-braided male ghost wearing a red burial shroud, with painted-on red cheeks and a green hat.
The two tall male ghosts beside him also transformed into two tall, burly figures with Qing Dynasty queues, half of their heads shaved bald, and their upper bodies bare...