After Rebirth, the Heroine is Consumed by Overwhelming Regret Chapter 31

For a moment, Qi Qing’s heart pounded with panic.
These past few days, she and Yu Yan had been inseparable. She had long grown accustomed to asking Yu Yan first before doing anything. But now, with the communication jade malfunctioning and her left all alone, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
It wasn’t that she was useless without Yu Yan, but the power of habit was too strong. With Yu Yan gone, she even felt flustered just breathing and couldn’t stop herself from wondering if something had happened to Yu Yan.
Although Yu Yan’s cultivation was very high, this place was not like the Immortal Realm. Just as Yu Yan had said, the people in the Demon Realm were a mixed bag, good and bad intermingled. There was no guarantee some oblivious fool wouldn’t try to scheme against her.
Given Yu Yan’s appearance, this wasn’t an impossibility.
So, the most urgent task now was to meet up with her quickly.
Since the communication jade was unusable, she would use a searching spell. To prevent Yu Yan from also searching and them missing each other, Qi Qing decided to first set a general direction and then adjust her route based on any feedback. Although this place was large, it wasn’t endless. It was probably just a matter of time.
She formed a seal with her fingers, casting a spell. This spell could be used even during the Foundation Establishment stage, but its range was small and its effect limited. Once she reached the Core Formation stage, the range would expand tenfold, making it very useful for finding people.
However, there was no response.
Qi Qing thought she might have performed the hand seal incorrectly, so she took out a talisman paper. This talisman had been prepared in advance and could almost cover the entire Fallen Wind City. But the result was still the same.
Qi Qing stared at the burnt-out talisman paper, her expression worsening.
Could it be that Yu Yan isn’t here?
How is this possible?
She suddenly realized that if this were true, it probably wasn’t an issue with the communication jade. It was more likely that Yu Yan wasn’t here at all.
This was actually very easy to verify.
She took out a communication talisman and sent a message to her own communication jade.
Soon, the communication jade rang. In this world, communication jades were like private phones, and communication talismans were like public phones, so one could indeed send a message to oneself.
With this, the result was very clear.
Yu Yan hadn’t come down at all.
Qi Qing looked up at the formations. People were still descending from them from time to time, indicating the formations were still operational. They had knocked on the floor together back then; even if Yu Yan had wanted to back out, it would have been impossible to stop the process.
Besides, why would she back out?
A sliver of suspicion flashed through Qi Qing’s mind—just a sliver, so fleeting she barely registered it, an idea she quickly dismissed: Surely not, Yu Yan wouldn’t have taken the items and run off, right?
No, no, no, no, no.
Qi Qing mentally chided herself. Absolutely impossible. Yu Yan was a goddess and was undergoing a love trial; how could she abandon her and run off? Those few items weren’t worth much anyway.
Moreover, they had performed the discipleship ceremony. Besides being in a relationship with her, Yu Yan was also her master and treated her so well. Even if the sky fell, Yu Yan wouldn’t abandon her.
Qi Qing clenched her fists, warning herself not to let her thoughts run wild. Yu Yan had said she wouldn’t abandon her; something unexpected must have happened, preventing them from contacting each other.
The formation behind her wasn’t two-way. To return to the surface, she had to go through the large formation in the city center. Perhaps Yu Yan had encountered some accident; she had to go back and check as soon as possible.
She didn’t dare to dwell on it and hurried towards the center of Fallen Wind City.
Meanwhile, after Yu Yan landed lightly, she stared at the formation behind her for a long time but didn’t see Qi Qing. She went forward and touched it, discovering that the formation was one-way and didn’t allow her to go back up.
She was a little puzzled.
Logically, their landing spots should have been very close. Even with a delay, it shouldn’t have taken this long. Could it be that the formation had malfunctioned and sent Qi Qing somewhere else?
This wasn’t impossible. Yu Yan pondered for a moment and then made the same decision as Qi Qing. However, she headed towards the city center not to return to the surface to find Qi Qing, but because her original plan was to get rid of these troublesome items. This was more urgent than meeting up with Qi Qing.
Qi Qing wasn’t carrying any treasures and had the white dragon protecting her, so she probably wouldn’t be in danger. These few items were the root of the trouble. It would be safer to resolve this issue before meeting up with her.
As she walked into the city, she found the layout of the buildings here very strange. Firstly, they were extremely opulent. Regardless of the building or its purpose, they all had carved beams and painted rafters, green eaves and red walls, looking like the residences of prominent families. However, there were no doormen or servants, as if they weren’t afraid of intruders, and even seemed to vaguely invite people in.
But what was inside?
Yu Yan peeked inside and saw pavilions, winding corridors, rare flowers and exotic plants, immortal cranes, and divine turtles—everything one could imagine. However, this place was underground and lacked proper sunlight, relying on magic to sustain everything. Although beautiful, it had an eerie, artificial feel.
If this place was just for living, there was no need for such luxury. Since it was so luxurious, it must have some additional value.
She sent her divine sense upwards to look down and discovered that the entire underground city had a circular structure, connected by a web of streets. Such an intricate structure was clearly not naturally formed but designed in advance.
This was very strange because cities usually develop from villages, gradually growing into towns, and then cities. Roads aren’t designed in advance but are formed by people walking them. People couldn’t possibly create such an intricate pattern unless it was a mass relocation, where buildings were constructed first and then everyone moved in together. But this meant that before people moved in, this place might have been pitch black.
The thought of that scene was terrifying; it was almost like a giant underground tomb.
Originally, Yu Yan thought that the residents were forced to move underground because of the strong winds and sand on the surface. But on closer thought, that wasn’t the case. This place had poor transportation and thin spiritual energy; it wouldn’t be too difficult to find a better place to settle. There must be a compelling reason why the city was built here.
Yu Yan sensed something unusual. She felt she had probably missed some information and stumbled into this place by mistake. It wasn’t as simple as it seemed; at the very least, the method of entry screened out a large number of people.
This was a clear screening process.
Right, how did I not notice? I was only thinking about how to get in and forgot this basic logic—they had learned the method of entry from others, but how did those people know the way in?
Presumably, this place wasn’t just for demon cultivators to live in; it might not even be a city for habitation at all.
They didn’t know this, which was why they had mistakenly entered without a guide and subsequently got separated.
Whether it was to sell those items or to find Qi Qing, she had to find a reliable guide and ask about the ins and outs of this place.
She pondered for a long time and then walked towards a place where one could hire carriages.
Meanwhile, Qi Qing navigated inwards along the outermost paths and discovered there were many pawnshops here. The shops on the streets she passed were lined up, and eight out of ten were involved in the pawnbroking business. Even some eateries had signs outside saying “Buying Magic Artifacts.”
Perhaps because the place they entered was a pawnshop, there are so many pawnshops here?
Qi Qing wasn’t sure. The book hadn’t mentioned much about the Demon Realm. Although it had briefly mentioned Fallen Wind City, it hadn’t gone into detail, only saying that it was located at the border of the Immortal and Demon Realms, the central anchor point of the entire continent, and many merchant caravans and travelers passed through here.
Although transportation is convenient, such a harsh environment…
Qi Qing didn’t understand the necessity of building a city here. Ordinary people didn’t travel far every day, and such places were often strategic points contested by military powers. What ordinary person would settle down here? Moreover, judging by its magnificent appearance, it wasn’t something ordinary people could afford.
That said, a developed economy isn’t a bad thing for her.
According to Qi Qing’s limited economic knowledge, the more developed an economy, the better the infrastructure and security measures, which would ensure her safety, so she wouldn’t have to constantly be on guard against thieves and robbers.
After walking for half a day, she finally reached the city center.
She hadn’t encountered any trouble along the way. The pawnshops weren’t hawking their wares; it was quiet everywhere. She had heard that antique shops might not make a sale for three years, but one sale could sustain them for three years. She figured this place was similar.
Seeing the transportation formation close by, she felt somewhat relieved. This place didn’t allow sword flight, so she had walked all the way, her heart in her throat, her mind filled with worries, afraid of encountering some sudden incident. It seemed fine now. Relaxing for a moment, she felt an unbearable thirst.
This thirst was purely psychological. She hadn’t yet gotten used to abstaining from food and always felt that using spiritual energy to suppress thirst was self-deception. Since she was almost there and not in a rush, she randomly found a small teahouse to sit down in, planning to rest before continuing.
The teahouse wasn’t crowded, and the tea was served quickly.
The attendant thoughtfully poured it for her. Qi Qing glanced at it and was surprised to see it was “Rain Front Spirit Sprouts.” Such fine tea was rare even in the Heavenly Sword Sect; she hadn’t expected to find it in a place like this.
She realized she might have encountered a ‘teahouse rip-off’, but still holding onto a sliver of hope, she carefully asked, “How much?”
The attendant, still smiling, said, “One thousand spirit stones.”
“How much?!” Qi Qing quickly waved her hand. “No, no, no, I don’t want something so expensive. A cheap one is fine, the cheapest kind.”
“This is the cheapest.” The attendant’s voice was no longer as fawning as before. His face turned cold as he questioned, “You don’t have money? You’re not trying to get ‘overlord tea’ for free, are you?”
She had only ever heard of “dining and dashing,” not “drinking and dashing.” One thousand spirit stones was no small sum; it was enough to buy a spirit beast, let alone a bowl of tea.
“I said I wanted the cheapest tea, and you serve me something this expensive. Why don’t you just rob me?” Qi Qing said angrily. “Do you think I’m a fool with too much money, or do you think I’m an easy target because I’m a new face?”
Seeing her angry, the attendant stopped pouring tea, slammed the pot heavily on the table, and pointed to a hanging board behind the counter. “See for yourself if I’m deceiving you. Rain Front Spirit Sprouts is hardly a good tea; it’s just a low-grade one that nobody orders. If you have money, pay up. If you don’t, we have ways to make you pay!”
Qi Qing angrily looked up and saw that the tea prices on the board were all measured in tens of thousands. The one-thousand-spirit-stone Rain Front Spirit Sprouts was indeed the cheapest, hanging forlornly in a corner at the bottom.
But how is this possible?
Who would buy such expensive tea to drink?
While she hesitated, two customers entered the shop. They were dressed very plainly, even a bit more shabbily than Qi Qing, but they ordered like big shots. The name of the tea was something Qi Qing had never even heard of, and it didn’t look like any special tea, yet it cost one hundred thousand spirit stones.
The attendant served tea to them and then came back to urge her to decide whether to drink it or not. If she couldn’t afford it, she should say so and not “occupy the latrine without using it.”
Qi Qing gave him a disdainful look and sat down.
Drink it, why not? She wanted to see how many suckers would come here. Although one thousand spirit stones was expensive, truly good Rain Front Spirit Sprouts was indeed worth that price. She, an outsider, wouldn’t try to suppress the local powers. If the spending level here was really this high, then she’d just have to accept her loss.
But if they were trying to cheat her, she would have to draw her sword and have a “talk” with him.
She held the cup and drank for a while. Soon, she saw the two people at the next table finish their tea in less than a quarter of an hour. Then they paid at the counter and went to the back hall.
Qi Qing saw clearly that they really paid one hundred thousand spirit stones.
She inwardly cursed their outrageous wealth but also worried they might be shills hired by the shop. So she waited a bit longer. Unexpectedly, a few more groups of customers came in shortly after. They didn’t know each other, paid, and then carried their teapots into the back hall. The teapots were just small, handled pots, definitely not worth tens or hundreds of thousands of spirit stones.
Nine times out of ten, selling tea was a pretense; the real business was in the back hall.
Qi Qing began to understand. The so-called tea fee was actually just another name for an admission ticket. There must be something good in the back, perhaps a magic artifact auction or something similar.
She had already been a sucker; if she didn’t go see, the thousand spirit stones would be wasted. She was still thinking about that token. Since she was here, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look in the back.
So she called the attendant over, paid, and entered the back hall.
The attendant watched her walk away, still muttering something, but Qi Qing silenced him with a sharp glare. As soon as she entered the back hall, someone greeted her with a smile, looked at her receipt, pursed their lips, and handed her ten mahjong-tile-sized jade tokens.
Qi Qing was still confused but followed the guide into a formation. In a short while, she was transported to a place bustling with voices.
The place was brightly lit and resplendent. Countless people were shouting and clamoring, some agitated, others calm. Scantily clad women carrying trays of wine passed by from time to time, but no one paid them any mind, their eyes fixed on the gambling tables before them.
Qi Qing was a little surprised, but also had a sense of understanding.
Of course, how could she not have thought of it? It had to be a casino.
Since ancient times, casinos have always been a highly profitable business, often involved in shady dealings. Therefore, they aren’t usually located in bustling city centers, don’t solicit customers or advertise, and even take measures to conceal themselves to prevent uninformed outsiders from stumbling in.
The reason for this was that those who loved to gamble would find a way there no matter what, while those who didn’t, even if you dragged them in, would try their best to get out. From start to finish, the casino wasn’t the gambler’s enemy; human nature was.
The tea fee outside was just a simple screening mechanism. People without a thousand spirit stones would only cause trouble if they came in. That’s what the attendant had been muttering about earlier, thinking she only had ten chips and would be out after just one game.
Frankly, Qi Qing was a little disappointed.
She had no interest in gambling. She originally thought she could come in and find some treasure on the cheap, but she had come up empty.
She stood at a busy intersection, watching with little interest for a while, and was about to turn and leave. But just as she turned, a few minor demons surrounded her. These demons looked like typical gamblers—their eyes were cloudy, their fur coarse. Although they appeared frail, it was clear they had some cultivation.
They first spewed a long string of auspicious words and then shamelessly asked if she wasn’t going to play, could she give them her chips.
Ah, casino beggars.
Qi Qing was naturally unwilling to give them away.
Never mind that she had bought these ten chips with a thousand spirit stones; even if she had found them, she couldn’t give them to these people to gamble with. They were all dazed and clearly addicted to gambling. If they continued, they would surely gamble their demonic lives away.
But she underestimated the persistence of these demons. No matter which way she tried to go, they blocked her path, crawling on their knees. If she fought them, they were all smiles; if she didn’t, she really couldn’t get out.
An attendant at a nearby counter said nonchalantly, “Either give the chips to them or play yourself. Otherwise, don’t even think about leaving. These guys are like flies to meat; they won’t let a single shiny chip get away.”
Qi Qing was speechless. “Fine,” she said. “I’ll play myself.”
It was only ten chips, just enough for one game. Qi Qing turned, randomly picked a table, and tossed her chips onto it.
Although those few didn’t get any chips, seeing that Qi Qing was a novice, they wanted to come over and watch the fun. If they could somehow benefit from her play, perhaps they could turn their luck around.
Who knew Qi Qing would bet everything on her first try, and even place it wrongly, betting on “triples”—a bet no one ever made. Triples lost whether the result was big or small, unless it was three sixes—which was practically impossible. A casino might not see triples for hundreds of years. Her betting on this was a surefire way to lose it all just for the sound of it.
Qi Qing just didn’t want to give them any hope, figuring she’d just throw the chips in and be done with it since they were useless outside anyway. But just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard the dealer shout, “Huge upset! Triples!”
Instantly, those few demons cried out, “Miss, you won!”
They ran over to stop Qi Qing, showing her the chips she had won. The payout for triples was very high; it beat all other bets, paying out thirty-six times the bet. The house would cover any shortfall.
Qi Qing looked back and saw a large pile of jade tokens stacked on the table, which the dealer pushed towards where she had been standing.
She had just seen others betting on big or small, and only the middle (triples) had no bets, so she casually picked a spot with few chips. Who knew she would actually hit it, winning thirty-six times her bet on the first try.
Converted to spirit stones, that was thirty-six thousand spirit stones.
Seeing her win, those few demons were even happier than if they had won themselves. They surrounded her, flattering and praising her, saying she had good luck, that her fortune was strong, and that just being around her would make them eat two extra bowls of rice.
Qi Qing was both amused and annoyed. What did her winning have to do with them? If I bet everything on triples again this time, I’ll definitely lose it all. Then they’ll really lose their appetites.
Thinking this, she pushed all her chips to the middle (triples) again.
“Oh, Miss, why are you betting on triples again? That was just good luck last time; you won’t be so lucky this time!” The speaker was named Shuang Xi, a wolf-dog demon in human form. He had been hanging around here for decades. His cultivation used to be first-rate, but it had all gone to waste as he spent all day thinking about gambling. He was considered a leader among this group of demons.
“I’ll bet where I like. You all should leave,” Qi Qing waved her hand. “Stop staring at me here.”
“Yes, yes,” Shuang Xi said, but he didn’t move.
The dealer was swift, already calling for final bets. The rules of this table were simple, and many people had gathered around, most of them smirking at Qi Qing, the clueless newbie.
Winning once isn’t strange. She’ll definitely lose this second time.
When no one else placed bets, the dealer began to shake the dice cup, which rattled. The expressions of the people around were all gleeful, while Qi Qing just looked around, thinking about losing quickly and leaving.
Who knew that when this round was revealed, it was triples again!
This time, even Qi Qing was a little surprised. She looked at the dealer, suspecting if he was intentionally letting her win. But even if he was, it wouldn’t be like this. Hearing the gasps from the crowd, the probability of three sixes appearing was infinitely close to zero. For it to happen twice in a row was something worthy of a storyteller’s tale.
Besides, she didn’t have much money; what was the use of keeping her here?
But Shuang Xi and his group didn’t think as much as she did. They immediately burst into loud laughter, clapping their hands. “Heavens! Miss has powerful luck! It’s triples again! Hey, hey, hey, get your paws off! Everything on this table is our Miss’s money!”
“Miss is truly a gambling god reincarnated! To hit triples twice in a row! What is this? This is the favor of the heavens, invincible!”
“We are willing to serve Miss like loyal dogs and horses! As long as Miss gives the order, we brothers will go through fire and water! We only ask that Miss allows us to serve by her side and rub off some of her good luck!”
Every sentence was flattery. Qi Qing felt a little uncomfortable listening to it and just said, “Alright, it’s just a bit of good luck. No need to make such a big fuss.”
“More than just a bit! We’ve been here for so many years and rarely seen someone with such explosive luck as you! It’s not uncommon for people to bet on triples for a long shot, but to win twice in a row by betting on it is a once-in-a-thousand-years event!”
“Yes, yes! Miss is beautiful and her luck is so domineering! I think everyone else should stop playing and just watch Miss bet!”
Flattery, no matter how excessive, often works. Although Qi Qing felt they were exaggerating, she didn’t plan to argue. Even though she had won a lot, she wasn’t getting carried away. Money on the gambling table didn’t really count; it could all be lost in one go.
So, she pushed all her chips back onto triples again.
The first two times, her chips weren’t that many and didn’t look too intimidating. But after betting everything twice in a row, her chips had grown to nearly over a thousand, equivalent to around one hundred and thirty thousand spirit stones. Piled up like that, it scared some casual gamblers into not daring to bet.
But there were also those who refused to believe it, who couldn’t accept that she could win three times in a row. If there really was such a person, they would willingly admit defeat if they lost to her!
By now, many onlookers had gathered. And hitting triples twice in a row was such a rare event that many people stopped their own games just to watch the outcome at this table.
No one knew that this matter had even alarmed the owner of the casino. This owner was not the casino manager, but the actual person in power on this street, Hua Yayun.
She was the Palace Lord of Myriad Flower Palace, with great power and many businesses under her. Her appearance here tonight was purely coincidental. Hearing about such a rare occurrence, she came out to take a look.
“Is that her, the one who hit triples twice in a row?”
The manager beside her answered in a low voice, “Yes. I’ve checked; this person has no significant background and doesn’t even know the rules of drinking tea here. It’s purely good luck.”
“Oh? If she hits it one more time, that would be interesting.” Hua Yayun fanned herself, a playful look on her face. She had been running casinos here for over a thousand years and had never seen someone with such powerful luck.
If she won again this time, it would be four hundred sixty-six thousand, five hundred and sixty chips. Converted to spirit stones, that’s forty-six million, six hundred fifty-six thousand. That many spirit stones would be enough to buy an immortal mountain.
The manager gave a bitter smile. “Palace Lord, if she wins with triples, it beats all other bets. Right now, the other players don’t dare to bet. If she wins, we lose money. If she takes that much money and runs, wouldn’t we suffer a huge loss…”
“I can still afford this little amount. I’m just afraid she doesn’t have that kind of luck.” Hua Yayun paused, and just as she was about to speak, she heard a cheer erupt from below. It turned out Qi Qing had won again.
She smiled. “Go down and invite her up.”
The manager’s expression showed understanding. “Consider it done!”
“Don’t scare her. I want to play a round with her,” Hua Yayun said. “If she has the skill to win against me, then that would truly be her good fortune.”
Meanwhile, Qi Qing below was still dazed amidst the deafening cheers. She never imagined she could win again. The chips in front of her were piled up like a mountain. The eyes of the other onlookers were bloodshot, as if they wanted to swallow her whole.
But Shuang Xi and his group were prepared. They had already formed a circle, protecting her and the chips tightly.
Qi Qing pondered for a moment and realized her luck had been excessively good recently. Perhaps after leaving that unlucky person, her fortunes had finally turned.