Toying with people is an artful craft.

On the continent of Golden Spear, in the bustling metropolis of Chu Kingdom, the liveliest street in the gambling city of Chudu was packed with onlookers inside the Wanjin Casino on Willow Street.

At the golden, grand gambling table, chips were piled high. Seated across from each other were a man and a woman. The man’s skin was fair, his features refined, and his smile carried a hint of roguishness. He was Nangong Zhishi, known in these parts as the Little Gambling King.

“This is the last round! Once it’s over, I’m heading home. Lady, are you betting big or small?”

Yun Feiyue exhaled, spreading her hands helplessly. “I’m out of money; I can’t bet either way! But…” She narrowed her eyes, casually grabbing a ball and tossing it onto the table. “Can this be counted as five hundred taels?”

All eyes turned to the ball—or more accurately, to the child. His cheeks were as soft and pink as peach blossoms, his large innocent eyes blinked up at them, a tiny mouth and little nose completing the picture. He rubbed his eyes, long lashes casting pretty shadows on his face. A sweet smile appeared at his lips. “Big brother, Little Mumu can warm the bed, sing songs, and chat with you. Five hundred taels is a bargain!”

Nangong Zhishi’s face twitched involuntarily. Was this woman mad from losing?

“Go home and drink your milk! Have you any idea what kids go for in Chudu? For five hundred taels, I could buy two hundred of them!”

Yun Feiyue rubbed her ears, the smile on her lips growing more pronounced. “Sorry, could you repeat that? My hearing’s not so good!” Two hundred for five hundred taels? Since when was Yun Feiyue’s child worth so little?

Nangong Zhishi cast a disdainful glance at Little Mumu. “I’m telling you, this brat is worth at most three taels! If you’re broke, don’t come out to play! You’re wasting my time. Still…” His gaze wandered lasciviously over Yun Feiyue. “If you’re willing to spend the night with me, maybe I’ll let you play another round.”

Yun Feiyue’s smile blossomed even brighter. It had been a long time since she’d been addressed like this. Why did her hands suddenly itch?

Behind her, her close attendant Yundao knew the young lady was about to lose her temper and quickly bent down, whispering, “Miss, you just returned to Chudu today. The master, madam, and young masters are waiting to welcome you home. Gambling here may not be wise.”

Yun Feiyue ignored Yundao, smiling as she replied to Nangong Zhishi, “Fine! Tonight I’ll play with you. If I lose, I’ll sleep with you. But if you lose, everything on you belongs to me. Dare to play?” The smile vanished from her face in an instant. “If you’re too scared, kneel and kowtow to me three times and apologize. Maybe I’ll be kind enough to let you crawl away.”

Nangong Zhishi snorted coldly. How arrogant for a loser—did she forget she’d already lost thousands of taels today?

“All right. Since you’re throwing yourself at me, I’ll make sure you enjoy it.” He licked his lips, his gaze lewd.

“Let’s just hope you’re up to it,” Yun Feiyue replied offhandedly, picking up the dice cup. The golden bells at her waist chimed melodiously with the movement of her wrist, a sound at odds with the clamor of the casino.

Nangong Zhishi fixed his gaze on her hands, not blinking once. Her technique was so peculiar!

The bells fell silent as she set the dice cup gently on the table.

“Big or small?” She arched an eyebrow at Nangong Zhishi, her finger lightly pressing the lid. No matter what he chose, he was destined to lose.

After a long hesitation, Nangong Zhishi said, “Small!”

“Are you sure?”

He thought for a moment, then nodded. “I’m sure! It’s definitely small!” He was convinced his ears hadn’t deceived him.

“Congratulations, you lost.” As Yun Feiyue lifted the cup, she channeled her inner energy, changing the dice’s numbers. “Three sixes—big.”

Nangong Zhishi stared at her in disbelief. Impossible—dice were his specialty. Even if he misheard, the result would never be so far off. He’d clearly heard one, two, and three. How could it be three sixes?

“You wretched woman! You cheated, didn’t you?”

Yun Feiyue smiled faintly. “A gambler honors their bets. You agreed, so you must follow through. Yundao, strip him of everything—money and clothes. Throw him out!”

Nangong Zhishi quickly retreated two steps, forcing a fawning smile. “Good lady, don’t be hasty. Wait, let’s play one more round!”

Yun Feiyue cast him a cold glance. “I never give losers a second chance. Besides, you’re broke—what do you have left to bet?”

He eyed his own body. He could offer himself!

Yun Feiyue extended her elegant fingers, rubbing her forehead. Nangong Zhishi looked on, confused. Was she considering his offer?

Little Mumu rolled twice across the table, laboriously shifting into Nangong Zhishi’s line of sight. “My sister means—”

“Who’s your sister?” Yun Feiyue smiled slyly.

Little Mumu immediately recalled his mother’s teachings: call her ‘sister’ when luring in a sucker; call her ‘mother’ when dealing with a scoundrel.

“Um, mother!” Little Mumu addressed Nangong Zhishi. “Scumbag, my mother means you may be all right-looking, but your brains are lacking. She’d never take you into her harem. Drop dead, you fool!”

Nangong Zhishi’s face quivered with rage. He lunged at Little Mumu, who swiftly rolled into Yun Feiyue’s arms.

By now, Yundao had approached Nangong Zhishi and slapped him twice. Nangong Zhishi’s bodyguards rushed to defend him, but Yundao easily dispatched them with the hilt of her sword.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Nangong Zhishi summoned his inner strength, a golden glow erupting around him. Yun Feiyue narrowed her eyes. Third level martial arts? He had the nerve to show his face?

Yundao smacked him to the ground with one palm, tore his clothes to shreds, took all his money, and left! As they departed, Little Mumu added a final kick to his most sensitive spot. Nangong Zhishi howled in agony, clutching his groin.

“Little Mumu, check him thoroughly for anything valuable. Don’t leave a thing,” Yun Feiyue reminded as she climbed into the carriage.

“Mother, he’s been stripped clean—there’s not even a copper left!” Little Mumu announced as he bounced onto the carriage.

“Good boy, I’ll buy you a candied fruit skewer.”

“Little Mumu wants a pretty big sister instead…”

As the carriage rolled on, their voices faded into the distance.

The bystanders were dumbstruck. What a fierce bunch! Luckily, it hadn’t been them who crossed her today.

“Poor Nangong Zhishi—what bad luck!”

“I say, that girl’s the unlucky one. Do you know who Nangong Zhishi is? He’s the youngest son of the Nangong family, one of the four great clans of Chu, and the family head’s favorite. She’ll be in serious trouble now.”

“It’s a shame—a beauty like that, and now she’s offended the Nangong family…”

Nangong Zhishi, naked as the day he was born, was tossed outside the casino for public ridicule—a first in his life. In Chudu, nobody had ever dared treat him so. His guards hurried to dress him.

“Young master, I’ll report this to your father at once! We’ll have that woman killed!”

Nangong Zhishi gritted his teeth, murderous intent in his eyes. “Fools! If Father learns I was gambling, I won’t survive. Keep an eye on that wretch. I want to know which family dares be so brazen.”

Yun Feiyue, holding Little Mumu’s hand, sat leisurely in the carriage eating pastries.

“Mother, with your gambling skills, why did you deliberately lose to Nangong Zhishi at first? Did you fancy him and try to tease him? When it failed, you got angry and stripped him out of spite. Mother, did you sneak a peek at his body just now?”

Yun Feiyue nearly choked on her pastry, hastily gulping water to recover. Composing herself, she said, “Little Mumu, I taught you that toying with people is an art. If you kill the mouse with one slap, what fun is there? You have to play like a cat—catch and release, again and again. That’s where the joy lies! That’s why I didn’t win right away.”

Little Mumu rolled his eyes, half understanding. Beside them, Yundao mourned silently. Miss, are you sure you want to instill such twisted ideas into the young master?

“Young lady, Nangong Zhishi is the youngest son of Grand Preceptor Nangong. Offending him may bring trouble. We should hurry home and let the master handle it.”

Yun Feiyue waved away the concern. “I was forced to spend nearly four years at War Cloud Sect—Little Mumu is already three. I finally made it back home. Can’t I enjoy myself for once? I remember how much humiliation I suffered in Chudu back then!”

Yundao’s lips twitched: Humiliated? Miss, are you sure you’re talking about yourself? It was everyone else who was lucky not to be humiliated by you. Still, three or four years ago, Yun Feiyue had indeed been much gentler and more reserved. After that year’s incident, her temper had grown ever fiercer. Yundao stole a glance at her; the only thing unchanged was her beauty, now even more enchanting.

“Miss, should we go straight to Yun Manor?” the driver asked.

Yun Feiyue glanced at the money she’d just won from Nangong Zhishi, a soft smile appearing. “Let’s stop by a weapon shop and buy a gift for Grandfather.”

On Golden Spear Continent, where martial prowess was everything, it was customary to give weapons as gifts. The driver steered the carriage toward Chudu’s finest weapon shop: Treasure Pavilion.

Yun Feiyue originally intended to get out, but through the curtain she caught sight of an acquaintance inside—Gongsun Ziyan. Her body recoiled instinctively; she had always disliked this woman and had no wish to meet her.

A shop assistant, seeing the luxurious carriage outside and the delay in its occupants emerging, hurried out, fearing he’d been remiss. “May I ask which young master or young lady honors Treasure Pavilion with your presence? Welcome, welcome.”

It would be discourteous to remain in the carriage now. Yun Feiyue took Little Mumu by the hand and stepped out from the carved sandalwood and jade carriage.

Her feet touched the ground and, with an unintentional smile, she stunned the shop assistant. It was the first time he had ever seen such a beautiful woman—she seemed painted from a dream.

Snapping out of his trance, he gestured, “Miss, please come in.”

The moment Yun Feiyue entered, all eyes were drawn to her. The golden bell at her waist chimed with each step, its lingering, intoxicating notes perfectly matching her enchanting presence.

Gongsun Ziyan, following the crowd’s gaze, turned and saw Yun Feiyue. She was momentarily frozen in shock.

Yun Feiyue! It was Yun Feiyue! How could she possibly be alive? Gongsun Ziyan’s hand stiffened, and the sword she had been holding slipped to the floor.

As the sword hit the ground, Yun Feiyue’s attention shifted to it—Buddha Butterfly. That was the name of this sword, a birthday present from Beichen Yi when she was thirteen. How had it ended up here?

“Sister Yue…” Gongsun Ziyan managed a strained smile.

Yun Feiyue walked up to Gongsun Ziyan, nudged the sword up with her foot, and caught it. Sure enough, it was Buddha Butterfly. It had taken three master craftsmen five years to forge it back then, though the hilt had a flaw.

“Is this sword from Treasure Pavilion?” she asked the owner.

He greeted her with a smile. “Indeed! We bought it from a swordsman. You have a keen eye. However, it’s already been sold—to Miss Gongsun here.”

Yun Feiyue stroked the sword. “Five hundred taels.”

Gongsun Ziyan’s face changed, hatred surging in her eyes. Yun Feiyue was as detestable as ever. If not for her, Buddha Butterfly would have been hers. Nearly four years had passed—Beichen Yi had finally agreed to marry her, and now Yun Feiyue had returned! Hadn’t she died? She was certain she’d seen her dead three years ago…

“Sister Yue, I’ve already negotiated the price for this sword.”

Yun Feiyue upped the offer. “Eight hundred taels.”

Gongsun Ziyan clenched her fists, seething with rage but not daring to challenge Yun Feiyue openly. The two officials’ daughters accompanying her read the situation and stepped forward to support her.

“Who do you think you are? Do you even know where you are? Do you know who this young lady is?” one of them sneered.

Yun Feiyue shook her head. “No, why don’t you tell me who she is?”

The daughter of Minister Liu raised her chin disdainfully. “This is Gongsun Ziyan, eldest daughter of the Gongsun family, high-born and noble. What’s more, she’s soon to marry the new emperor—she’s our future empress. You dare compete with the future empress? Have you considered the consequences? Stupid woman, kneel and apologize at once.”

Ah, so that’s how it was! Yun Feiyue nodded with a smile. “Did she mention that I have a bit of a temper?”

The two official’s daughters were instantly stunned. Only Gongsun Ziyan understood the meaning behind Yun Feiyue’s words, her face draining of color in terror.