A Thousand Gods of the Republic: I Shape the Nation with My Gambling Skills

The flames of war rise across the Republic, and undercurrents churn through Shanghai. Deep in the French Concession stands the Exquisite Pavilion, a tranquil sanctuary where the righteous arts of sleight of hand are preserved. Master and disciples live in harmony, and childhood sweethearts lean on one another. But the human heart is hard to fathom, and wolves lurk within the sect. Eldest disciple Chu Lingxiao is consumed by ambition. For wealth and status, he betrays his country and becomes a lackey of the Japanese invaders. On Mid-Autumn night, a treacherous feast, a dose of knockout drugs, and a massacre leave the master dead. Only Shen Jinghong, the last disciple, is shoved into a secret passage at the cost of his master's life. Shot and thrown into the river, he miraculously survives, only to lose his memory and become a confused orphan at the bottom of Shanghai society. Rescued by a reclusive cardsharp, he scrapes by in the streets under the name “Little Rock.” The instinct for sleight of hand in his fingers, however, never fades. He sees through a scam at a casino, then unexpectedly runs into an enemy on the street. Shattered memories surge back, and his blood feud begins to stir. The gentle boy of the past is reforged into a blade. He trains in the Exquisite Pavilion's secret arts and moves through gambling dens across the concessions, closing in step by step on his enemies' lair. On one side is his senior brother, who sold out his country for glory and joined forces with the Japanese invaders. On the other is a vicious, gambling-addicted Japanese officer bent on controlling Shanghai's gambling trade. Hatred for his country and revenge for his sect intertwine in a deadly wager. He wields playing cards as blades and sleight of hand as his weapon, matching wits and unraveling schemes at the tables as he takes on collaborators and Japanese invaders alike. This game is about more than life and fortune: it is a wager on his sect's honor and his people's dignity. Blood must be paid for in blood. With the Exquisite Pavilion's arts, he will cut down every traitor and protect every inch of his homeland!