"A thousand-year-old spirit herb…" The judge whispered.
Another judge grabbed his arm. "Don't! We already took their bribe!"
But the first judge shook him off. "And if they lose, we lose too!"
Then, without waiting, he jumped into the fight—right toward Mr. Gu!
A flash of red light burst from his palm as he sent a powerful fire spell straight at Mr. Gu's back.
"Watch out!" Gu Jihu shouted.
Mr. Gu turned just in time and blocked the spell with a wall of ice. The fire melted part of it, but he stayed standing.
"You snake!" Mr. Gu yelled at the judge. "You said you would stay out of it!"
The judge didn't answer. Two more judges stepped forward, too.
"We're sorry," one of them said. "But we choose to survive."
Now it was five against four.
Zhao Xiaoling laughed, her voice still weak but proud. "See? You can't win. Just give up."
But Gu Jichun shouted, "We'll never give up! Not while Jin is still breathing!"
Long Yifan watched as the Gu Family fought.
Time passed by.
