It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"We prefer to call it the brain, Holy Son. In a game like this, suspicion is inevitable, just as this is an unknown world for most people. I'm surprised that you haven't even been able to overcome it after all this time."

Si Mo's words were still the same as before, speaking the truth, but also extremely harsh. She raised her eyebrows slightly, no longer looking at Bai Lin, but lit a cigarette for herself and smoked it comfortably. She looked at the slightly hot flame in her hand and replied,

"In the last round, you quickly executed a Chi-Pong move, intending to attack. However, because of my fake Guoshi, you discarded all the cards you could have made, leaving only a few An-Zhang."

"It's like soldiers from two cities fighting each other. You sent half your troops to attack, but after being scared off by the enemy, you dared not attack again and just stood there in the middle. And the remaining forces you had available for defense were also reduced by half. Your attack wasn't thorough, and your defense was already too late."

"After being exposed so many times, I've learned that with the few cards you have, even if you don't use them on me, you can easily use them on the God of Desolation. I can now say that you are not as shrewd as I thought, Lord Saint Son. This kind of guidance can't really be called a trick of any level, but..."

Before she finished speaking, Si Mo sighed again, but Bai Lin knew what she meant. This was naturally a naked mockery of Bai Lin. But Bai Lin did not show her anger again, but slumped weakly in the chair.

Yes, why is this happening? No matter what I do, I'm surrounded by the mystery set by the other party, and I'm being led by the nose. Looking back now, if I were playing mahjong normally, there's no way I would have lost the last round. That kind of decision-making is the height of amateurishness.

At this moment, a wolf howl suddenly came from Bai Lin's side. Mi Yu actually came over and pinched Bai Lin's cheek, making Bai Lin, who was a little dazed, look over. The wolf howl came again, as if saying,

Sister, don't be fooled by them. You are very strong, I can feel it.

Bai Lin couldn't possibly vent her anger on the child. She forced a smile and said to the other person,

"You little guy, you know mahjong?"

I only understand a little. But I don't think this is that different from my sister's usual battles. In fact, compared to some desperate battles, the difference in combat power is not that great. It's just that the opponent has deliberately set a strategy for me, entangled in mysteries. If I don't believe I can win, how can I win?

This was probably the longest sentence Bai Lin had ever heard from Miyuki. The little girl's words made such sense, but it did not surprise Bai Lin at all. After all, she was always smart. And as long as he thought about it carefully, Bai Lin himself could easily perceive the other party's strategy. However, Bai Lin still shook his head.

"It's not just that. Perhaps it's a matter of our strength being evenly matched, a matter of my luck and theirs. During these four rounds, I realized I don't have much of an advantage in terms of luck. This is what you call strength, right?"

"So, seeing through the opponent's tactics is still very important. Even though this is a trap, if I don't break it head-on, victory will be difficult to guarantee. Until then, I just need to try my best to maintain my points so that I can win later."

After listening to Bai Lin's rational analysis, Miyu just tilted her head and asked Bai Lin with a confused look on her face,

"But didn't that older sister say that gambling itself is not rational?"

This question made Bai Lin startled again. The God of Wilderness beside him laughed out loud, pointing at Bai Lin and said,

"Did you hear that, Holy Son? Even a little girl understands this principle better than you. I now truly feel that I wasn't wrong to set this up for you."

"Stop making such a fuss, you're one of the ones who set the trap, you're the god of traps!"

Bai Lin's ferocious side was naturally outward, not inward, but the God of Wilderness was not afraid of Bai Lin's fright and continued to smile. At this time, Bai Lin just calmed down, she touched Mi Yu's little head and replied,

"Go back and try it. I understand everything you say. I promise I will win."

After sending Miyu back, Bai Lin once again turned her attention to the card game before her. In the first four rounds, it looked like Bai Lin had lost two, but in reality, she had never been able to compete on equal terms with her opponent. She saw it clearly, and it was self-evident. Miyu's words undoubtedly calmed her mind a little.

She now had two ways to win. The first was to rely on the poet to break the deadlock. The God of Wilderness and Smo were undoubtedly using psychological tactics that were completely confusing to her, luring her into suspicion, confusion, and ultimately a disadvantage. But could they really manage to take both of them into account at the same time? This was clearly a difficult task.

However, the poet's points weren't healthy. She had already tied a hand with Bai Lin. Although the point spread between the four players wasn't huge, getting the poet back to first or second place was clearly a matter of luck. This was the last round before the ranking bonuses were settled, so if her cards weren't good, this strategy would naturally be abandoned.

Another method is for Bai Lin to use the principle of hypothesis. Assuming that the so-called traps set by the other party are all true, he no longer questions their authenticity.

Chapter 839: Violent Trap

Simply put, she had to step into every trap set by the opponent, violently breaking through the traps until she saw through their tactics. Of course, this plan would undoubtedly cause her to lose points, so she could only break through the situation as quickly as possible to preserve her points.

If you can attack quickly, do so immediately, ending the game as soon as possible to avoid further complications. If the situation changes dramatically, then devote all your energy to interfering with others' winning hand. While winning in mahjong is not easy, with a ten to one chance, disrupting the tile count, throwing off the order, and preventing someone from winning makes it much easier.

Since I can't play, then no one should play, that's what I mean. Of course, doing this might lead to a lot of negligence in defense, but there's nothing we can do about it. Right now, Smo and Aragami are like they have a clairvoyant ability, catching Bai Lin's shots with pinpoint accuracy. Even if she puts her full attention on defense, it might be difficult. So, why not just ignore defense?

She wasn't sure if she could succeed with this inferior strategy, but if she didn't stick to one principle and wavered in the other party's tactics, failure would be self-evident. Sometimes, the most effective method is the dumb one.

The situation wasn't looking promising for Bai Lin at this point. After numerous point reductions, her points were no longer enough to reach the top spot. When the rankings were settled, her team would definitely lose. Therefore, she faced the pressure of a draw and a comeback in this round. It would be best if she could attack quickly and avoid giving up, otherwise the gap would only widen.

Of course, if the poet could reach the second position, or even the first, giving their team a strong Soul Point advantage, that would naturally be the best option. Bai Lin glanced in the poet's direction, but she shook her head. It was obvious that her luck in this round was not so good. Then, Bai Lin could only activate plan B.

In the East Fourth Round, Bai Lin's hand was quite advantageous. He immediately had two straights and a pun. However, on the surface, playing according to normal card effects wouldn't allow him to form any kind of hand. Only by discarding the first, second, and third puns of the straight and hitting the first pun could he achieve a pair-pair tie (a hand formed entirely of puns) and a winning hand with a winning hand. Other hand combinations would be even more difficult.

But such cards are not bad, just not good enough to make people feel at ease.

The previous few rounds of discarded cards seemed to be filled with murderous intent, completely uncharacteristic. Both Smo and the God of Wilderness bared their fangs at the same time. The former's river of cards already contained a number of middle cards, seemingly similar to the previous hand. Was he planning to use the same trick on Bai Lin again?

Looking at Huang Shen again, her She Zhang really looked like a Suo Zi Ran Shou (a hand composed of one of the Suo, Tong, Wan, or a combination of two cards, all of the same color or mixed color). The murderous intent of both of them was not concealed at all, as if it was deliberately shown to Bai Lin.

However, Bai Lin didn't panic. The reason was simple: she had quite a few 1-9 tiles in her hand, and she also had the relatively important 6-9 hidden kong, which was a good deal for Suo Zi Ran. However, after several rounds without any success, Bai Lin still felt a little anxious.

As the opponent's offensive seemed to intensify, Bai Lin finally drew a winning card. She discarded the useless card from her hand and looked at Si Mo, who sat across from her, with a determined look. To her surprise, Si Mo was also looking at her. He picked up a card he had just drawn and played it calmly.

That card was the last Six-Stroke card. Since Bai Lin held three Six-Stroke cards, this information was known only to her, which gave her a slight sense of alarm. After all, if the God of Wilderness needed the Six-Stroke card, this was her last chance. The moment her gaze shifted slightly to the God of Wilderness, the slightly open mouth and outstretched hand caught Bai Lin's attention.

Bai Lin instantly understood that the God of Wilderness wanted the six-string card, so she quickly used her quick eyes and hands to interrupt loudly,

"Gang! I want to gamble this six ropes."

Like a child afraid that someone else would take away her snacks, she grabbed the six-stringed card in front of her and glared at the God of Desolation fiercely. The God of Desolation smiled at her, and Smooth said with a hint of sarcasm,

"As expected of the Holy Son, his decision-making speed is so swift. But, what if this is just a simple action?"

"Just go ahead and argue. We've already argued. You can say whatever you want. I don't care."

Bai Lin looked very free and easy. Obviously, after completing the gang, she lost the chance to stand right, and there was only one way to go with this hand of cards. This was not good, but there was nothing she could do about it.

After flipping the treasure card indicator, the card Ling Shang touched was exactly what Bai Lin needed before. Unfortunately, she had to give it up because of Ming Pai. She was a little discouraged, but she knew very well that there was nothing she could do about it, so she didn't take it too seriously and played it out. At this moment, Simo made another sound.

"eat"

789 cakes, take. For Bai Lin, this was undoubtedly another tense call. She hadn't expected Smooth to take this card after having already discarded a 9 cake. While the extra 9 cakes didn't seem particularly useful, the opponent's hand looked like a full lead, so saving a 9 cake to wait for a bird's head wasn't a bad idea.

In reality, Bai Lin already had a pair of 9s, so she was the only one who knew that the hand Smo was using to call out was the ultimate 9. The only explanations were that his opponent already had a jack and was about to complete his hand, or that he was cheating, knowing that the remaining two cards were in Bai Lin's hand.

Of course, Bai Lin wouldn't prioritize the latter, so this play meant that Smo was close to reaching a draw, perhaps even already, surpassing his own speed. This only made Bai Lin even more nervous. The previous player, the God of the Wilderness, didn't give Bai Lin any chance to breathe, immediately playing a 3-sou.

You know, Aragami was known to be playing a single suit of Soku, and with Six Soku blocked by Hakurin, the opponent actually spilled a key card like Three Soku. Was he going to discard it? Aragami didn't choose Riichi, and the possibility that she was already drawing was not high. Therefore, playing this card could only represent one possibility...

Chapter 840 That's Not Her Style

She wanted to give away cards.

And Simo raised his hand slightly, which once again confirmed Bai Lin's idea. She was one step faster in an instant, using her own expertise and shouted loudly,

"eat!"

123 Ask for food. In this way, all the services that Bai Lin could normally use have been completely blocked by herself.

The remaining cards in her hand, minus the useless scattered card, only had pairs and straights of one and nine, making her hand a useless one. At this moment, Smoo slightly withdrew her hands, her left hand resting on the table, stroking the cards, while her right hand held the cigarette. She continued,

"Holy Son, Holy Son, I really don't understand what you're trying to do with this deck of cards. Could it be that you're trying to imitate a style of play that you don't even understand and that's completely unsuited to you? Is this your strategy?"

In the first few rounds, Smo had also used a similar style of play. This seemingly random move, like that of a novice, and the fact that he was in a dilemma, became the first blow that disrupted Bai Lin's thoughts.

At this moment, Bai Lin unconsciously made a similar move to the other party. Although the meaning was completely different, Si Mo still said it, obviously just wanting to take the opportunity to suppress Bai Lin's psychological defenses. Fortunately, Bai Lin didn't fall for it and just said,

"When luck arrives, it can't be stopped. If you can still draw this card yourself, then I can only accept defeat, just like you and I in the first round. If you can do this, then of course I'll be furious, but there's nothing I can do. This is mahjong."

Bai Lin, in turn, borrowed the previous example and replied slowly. And Si Mo actually shook his head slightly and replied,

"That's different, Holy Son. The situation now is completely different from the first round. The point difference between everyone is already slightly different. If you give up the tie now, the gap between you two and us will immediately widen to a huge four soul points. You've obviously realized this, after all, your hands... are shaking."

Indeed, just as Si Mo had said, Bai Lin was having trouble staying calm. She had made a desperate decision, but the dilemma it presented was too much for her to bear. The pressure was too great. It wasn't just from her opponent, but from every aspect of this game.

After much deliberation, it was Bai Lin's turn to play. She certainly didn't want to give away a card, but after careful consideration, she realized that only the pair of 90,000 was safe. She reached out her hand towards the 90,000, and suddenly a shock-like feeling spread from her fingertips throughout her body, as if something was warning her not to play that card yet.

What's going on? Are they the ones behind this again?

Bai Lin thought the cards before her were clearly no match. Even if a miracle like the one on the seabed or the mountain appeared, it would be a small one among small ones, and there was no way to reverse the situation to the first place. However, her points were equal to Smo's, so if such a miracle really happened, she would still like to see it happen. Reaching the second place would at least reduce the pressure a little bit.

She wouldn't pray to the gods, because there sat a rotten god right next to her. She wouldn't negotiate with the devil, because the demon leader sat across from her. Her luck came from within. Now that she had caught a glimmer of inspiration, she trusted in her own luck once more.

So, she played the hidden card she had just drawn. It was a character card Bai Lin had no use for. However, it was a new card that had never appeared on the board before. Both Huang Shen's Dye Hand and Smoo's Full Belt would likely need it, making it undoubtedly very dangerous. But it was a hidden card after all, which was a real stroke of luck for Bai Lin. She played it.

And the moment the cards touched the table, Smo announced,

"I'm going to reveal my hidden card. You've been thinking too long, Holy Son. That must be the card that either I or the God of Wilderness needs."

Her eyes that penetrated other people's souls, along with her words, made Bai Lin feel as if she was completely seen through. Just when Bai Lin was stunned, the poet's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Then I'll just have to seal it off completely, Miss Small."

Without hesitation, the poet pulled out the two needles stuck in her neck. She took a few breaths and casually tossed them onto the center of the table. Back and forth, the three soul points of the offer directly increased the stakes of this round infinitely.

This seemed like a very likely scenario based on the rules, yet it made Bai Lin's head spin. In other situations, Bai Lin might not have reacted so strongly, but in this round, his own cards were already in a dead end, and the poet's cards were already utterly rotten from the start.

Why would the poet raise in this situation? Could it be that the card was his opponent's winning hand, and was he simply raising to protect himself from a potential loss? That would clearly be a loss, wouldn't it?

Could it be that the poet has been making effective moves all along, she has already completed her waiting time and is ready to completely recover all the points on the field?

But when Bai Lin looked towards the poet, she was met with only silence. Behind the cold mask, Bai Lin couldn't discern the poet's expression. A vague, unfamiliar distance seemed to exist between them.

Finally, after a long silence, the poet placed his hand on the cards in front of him, tapped them lightly, then looked at Bai Lin and shook his head. This shake of the head really made Bai Lin almost collapse.

Is this some kind of strategy? Is this to make me believe her and then send out a false signal?

No... that's definitely not the poet's style. Don't harbor such illusions. It's impossible for a poet to recover these three soul points on the scene. But what can he do with his dead hand? Should he accept this painful blow in silence? Bai Lin didn't think he had such an opening.

Even if he defended from now until the end, Bai Lin's side was still exposed. Moreover, there were many potential enemy attacks, which was very dangerous. Anxious pressure spread throughout Bai Lin's body.

In the blink of an eye, it was Smo's turn to play the cards. She placed the card she had drawn horizontally in front of her, then placed it in the cards in front of her hand and played a card she had originally held.

What? She hadn't even drawn yet? What was the poet's raise all about? Was it a miscalculation?

For Bai Lin, such incidents were undoubtedly a series of bad news, and she felt a little weak all over.

Chapter 841 The opponents are nothing but gods and demons

Meanwhile, Smo, who was sitting opposite, was extremely calm. She took another puff of her cigarette, shook her hand, and said,

"Holy Son and Poet, you are both too impatient, especially you, Holy Son. It's not that those born young are incapable of steadiness, but time can give even fools experience. If you had lived longer, perhaps you wouldn't have made such rash decisions."

"Look at you now. You had a great hand, but it's been shattered to this point. The careless exposure has pushed you into a desperate situation. And even after the exposure, you didn't even back off, continuing with your foolish strategy, even causing your teammates to increase their stakes... It's truly beyond words."

These devilish words, like always, failed to elicit a counterattack from Bai Lin, and she fell silent. This time, Bai Lin knew clearly that all her bravado had gone unnoticed by the other party. The panic and pressure hidden within her heart were as transparent as a mirror in front of Si Mo.

After thinking for a while, Bai Lin exhaled, and on her turn, she drew a card and replied,

"There aren't many patrol officers left. At this point, it won't be difficult to defend against your attack. At least, we can avoid the risk of three soul points for now."

"Go ahead, but that would only prolong your pressure for another round. By the way... do you really think you can defend me? This isn't the first time you've defended against me, only to be defeated. I can boldly predict that this time, it will be the same. You will personally choose the one I want from the remaining eight cards in your hand."

Simo's whispers were still driving Bai Lin's annoyance. She growled in a slightly empty voice,

"You're being too contemptuous, aren't you?! I have the winning cards in your river, enough to last me until the end. Even if that doesn't count as a victory, the seat reward will be handed over to someone else, but calling a shot? You're treating me like a moron..."

"That's not the case, Holy Son. I believe you are indeed a smart person. Even if I say you are ordinary, I have never looked down on you. That's why I used strategies and tried my best to deal with you. But most of the people we demons face in our work are also smart people. This is our specialty, our profession: executing smart people."

Simo's hands intertwined and rested on the table in front of her. Her eyebrows raised slightly, and the slight change in her expression made Bai Lin feel as if the other person's figure had become taller in the shadows. She said in a profound tone,

"Being smart isn't enough. You know, not everything can be accomplished by just being smart..."

"I don't understand! Everything you say is irritating to me, and I don't want to hear another word. Anyway, I won't fire at you. Listening to you say one more word will only confuse my mind, and then I will make even more stupid decisions. Just watch, devil."

Bai Lin rudely interrupted the other person. Just as she had said, she didn't want to hear another word from him. But her hand, reaching for the deck of cards, was trembling more and more. It was the panic in her heart that was causing her trouble.

The world seemed to dim in an instant, so dark that nothing could be seen. All that remained in Bai Lin's sight were the eight cards placed before him. But they weren't clear either, like the shadows of ghosts lurking in every corner in the dead of night in a thriller. Each one filled Bai Lin with fear, emitting an invisible threat.

Which one is safe? The Nine-Piece pair has already been played, and the Japanese Mahjong player cannot allow the opponent to win. From a rational perspective, this card is absolutely safe.

The problem lies in what Smoo said earlier. Was she trying to trick him into not playing An Zhang and choosing something else? It's possible. Whatever she wants to do is possible. The God of Wilderness is listening to Ranshou, and the probability of him listening to this card is almost zero.

From this perspective, the answer was obvious: Jiu Bing was the best choice. With a nervous heart, she used all her strength to drag her deflated body, placing her hand on the cards in front of her, next to Jiu Bing. Bai Lin gradually felt the dark vision encroaching on reality, and even her eyelids grew heavier. Perhaps she didn't have the courage to face the consequences of playing the cards.

I've already thought everything through. Even if something unexpected happens, there's no way to break this situation...

"Don't do this, Holy Son, wake up."

A burst of clear words suddenly reached Bai Lin's ears, followed by a cool yet soft touch, which made the darkness in front of her disappear a little. She saw the poet's hand resting on the back of her hand.

"You can do it. Relax. Don't think about what they say. Just think about what you want to do."

The poet's words, though still clear and quiet as always, conveyed a powerful warmth. Just as the cold hand conveyed a gentle warmth to Bai Lin's heart, so too did the gentle warmth from Bai Lin's heart. In an instant, Bai Lin felt as if all her negative emotions had been swept away. The warmth and strong support from her companions restored some of her energy.

But when she looked around and returned to reality, this situation really made her lose her spirit. The opponent was too strong, and her strategy was on the verge of failure. It could even be said that there was no possibility of turning things around. She was just waiting to die. She was a little disappointed and asked the poet,

"But isn't this the best option? No matter how you look at it..."

"That's never been your style. Since when did you start cowering in front of an opponent and choosing to defend yourself? The you I know is someone who can pick up a weapon in any situation. Even if you're broken and only have the strength to strike one blow, you'll still deliver that blow."

The poet's words were extremely calm, but Bai Lin could only shake his head repeatedly.

"No, mahjong is different from fighting, and the opponent is—"

"No matter what kind of opponent you face, have you ever backed down? Just because the God of Wilderness sits across from you, do you have to stand in awe of her? Don't be fooled by their appearances. You said, mahjong is different from fighting. The strategies you can adopt are not like the instinctive reactions in battle, and there are also rules and restrictions. You don't have that many options."

Chapter 842 Blocking My Way

"But you know that even when you don't know anything, you still have to move forward. You've certainly fought, and although you ultimately didn't make a breakthrough, you don't need to give up."

At this point, the poet took a deep breath, sat forward, a little closer to Bai Lin, looked at her and said,

"I am right beside you, Bai Lin. I always have been, and I always will be, a bard, accompanying the hero."