Exorcist's Self-Cultivation

The game continued.

As the Evil Spirit, the dealer continued to deal cards.

During this process, Du Wei once again inquired, "You have a pair in your hand, but the odds are greater that my card value is higher than yours, right?"

He wanted to continue probing the rules of the game, to explore whether the Evil Spirit was also bound by the rules.

If it could only rigidly follow the rules, then perhaps there was some leeway to manipulate this gamble.

The other party didn't speak.

The already aberrant dealer, as if he hadn't heard Du Wei's words at all, dealt three cards to each of them.

Then, it finally spoke, "It's impossible for your hand to be better than mine."

With calm, Du Wei asked, "Why is that? Is it because you can manipulate the cards?"

The other party glanced at Du Wei but didn't answer the question, and switched to calling the bets instead.

It was as though it indeed followed the rules, unable to lie.

Without looking at his own cards, Du Wei stared intently at the Evil Spirit. Now it was the second betting round, and the Evil Spirit had undergone an even more frightful transformation.

Its features had grown more indistinct, and its body as well, with only the outline remaining discernible.

Yet under the Spirit Vision state, Du Wei noticed that something was amiss with the body and facial contours of the Evil Spirit.

It seemed to be an amalgamation of numerous people, every part having a familiar shadow from memory.

Aggregate…

Ignoring it, Du Wei started to analyze in his mind.

"According to the current situation, when the game starts, the Evil Spirit as the dealer only speaks when calling bets, revealing no information at other times."

"Based on this, although it didn't answer whether it can control the cards, in actuality, it has already given an answer."

Refusal to answer eliminates the definition of a lie.

Because only when spoken, can truth be distinguished from falsehood.

On the gambling table, the odds of winning or losing are fifty-fifty. Being certain of a win can only mean behind-the-scenes manipulation.

The outcome had already been determined at the outset.

But there's also a possibility, that it's been lying from the start…

However, this possibility is slight, because according to the history of the Victor family, in every gathering's gamble, everyone had lost.

There was no precedent of anyone beating the so-called 'God of Gamblers' of the Victor family and not boasting about it, but instead hiding it.

Therefore, he still spoke with an even tone, "Please continue."

It was possible that the Evil Spirit had been in a winning position from the start, but that was predicated on Du Wei being willing to play the game to the end.

In other words, he could flip the table.

Soon, the Evil Spirit continued to deal cards, and they arrived at the third round of betting.

This time, the appearance of the Evil Spirit had almost completely changed from what it was initially.

Grotesque and horrifying…

There's an indescribable sense of creepiness, as all the people Du Wei had ever seen merged into one at this moment.

Its bodily outline became very swollen, murky beyond measure.

The entire face seemed to have been crudely piled up with human faces, their features grotesque to the point of making one sick and unable to look directly at it.

The more one looked at it, the more negative emotions accumulated.

Even as Du Wei applied psychological suggestions to himself, aiming to maintain an absolutely calm and rational state, he still uncontrollably felt the impact.

His head seemed to seize up, and his vision started to blur.

In his ears, there seemed to echo a low and chilly whisper.

As if countless people were praying.

But this evil chorus of prayers didn't impart a sense of tranquility. Instead, a restless impulsiveness arose from deep within.

From the first bet, the Evil Spirit as the dealer began to exhibit terrifying changes.

By the second, the third, the fourth, its horror would further reveal itself.

Like a quagmire.

The more you struggle and proceed, the deeper you sink, eventually to be completely swallowed.

…

"Can something as dreadful as an Evil Spirit have such an influence over a person's will? This is far more terrifying than just an evil spirit."

"It's hard to imagine how Andrew Dowqui once resolved the Evil Spirit incident in Yard City."

Du Wei's black pupils were somewhat dim, and his eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, making him look a little fierce, just like a long-term insomniac.

The struggle between willpower and the Evil Spirit's influence was completely disproportionate.

This was no longer something that mere calmness and rationality could immunize one against.

When everything one sees, hears, and even will itself was being twisted, the resulting rationality and calmness were invalid.

The next second...

Du Wei did not hesitate to enter Evil Spirit Transformation.

His Right Hand suddenly underwent a transformation, eliciting a bone-chilling sensation.

His entire demeanor became even colder.

The frequency of his heartbeat gradually slowed down, like being doused with a bucket of ice water, and his consciousness suddenly became clear.

There was no longer even the slightest ripple in his eyes.

Evil Spirit Transformation is a transition from death to life.

Hunters are a group destined for despair.

The passing of humanity and the mutation of the body were all vividly manifested in Du Wei at this moment.

But...

He could still control it...

In this state.

Du Wei noticed that the appearance of the Evil Spirit before him had once again transformed.

It was dressed in a tailcoat, wearing a monocle, and had a pocket watch hanging on its chest, one hand holding cards, and the other resting quietly on the gambling table.

This made Du Wei even more familiar...

"Howard Victor..."

An image of the person from the oil painting, Victor's great-grandfather, flashed in Du Wei's mind.
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He said to himself, "So, the Evil Spirit I saw on the second-floor balcony is actually Howard Victor, who is in fact, an Evil Spirit?"

"No... If Howard Victor were the Evil Spirit, then I wouldn't have thought it was an Evil Spirit when I encountered it earlier."

"This means it is both an Evil Spirit and a part of the Evil Spirit."

"Is the Evil Spirit possessing another Evil Spirit, or is it simply a vessel..."

"If that's the case, could the real Evil Spirit be this winery?"

...

As he thought this, he locked eyes with it.

This Howard Victor gave him a very strange feeling; just before it had appeared frightfully fierce, but now it seemed like a gentleman from the last century.

If it weren't for the eyes full of pitch black, devoid of any white, an ordinary person would never suspect it wasn't human.

Of course...

An ordinary person would also be incapable of seeing its true form.

And now, all the cards had been dealt, and it was time for the final betting round.

"Bets are placed; reveal the cards. Are you ready to lose?"

It seemed that, seeing Du Wei's continued silence, the Evil Spirit started to urge him.

Du Wei knew that once he placed his bet and revealed his cards, no matter what they were, he would definitely lose.

And if he lost, then the things that were used as stakes would be lost to this Evil Spirit.

Whatever the loss might be, it was unacceptable to him.

So, he ignored the Evil Spirit across from him and stared at it with an expressionless face, not blinking, deathly still.

To an onlooker, Du Wei seemed more like an Evil Spirit than the Evil Spirit itself.

Across from him, Howard Victor seemed to have sensed Du Wei's intentions and stood up, leaning across the gambling table towards Du Wei.

Its complexion was gloomy, its gaze filled with a thick malignance and treachery, and its body stretched towards Du Wei in a posture completely unsuited to human anatomy.

Under the state of Spirit Vision, vast shadows also spread wildly.

Then, it extended its arms, reaching for the deck of cards in front of Du Wei.

During this, Du Wei acted as if he hadn't seen anything, with one hand even dipping into his pocket, pulling out a lighter and a cigarette.

He flicked the lighter gently.

Snap...