Chapter 33: Gamblers Will End Up with Nothing
Xia Feng was deep in thought.
[Cheap Foster Father: To be honest, kid, this might be a good opportunity to make a lot of money. You may lose every second from 3 to 300 seconds, so there are 298 odds in total. See if you have a chance to lose at 59 seconds. The odds at this time point are as high as 10 times, which is the highest among the 298. How about I bet 2 million and give you half of it?]
Xia Feng: "???"
[Xia Feng: Didn't we agree that even if we lose, we have to lose standing up?]
[Cheap Foster Father: There's no contradiction between losing while standing and making money while lying down. We're all adults. It's time to understand the truth of "having it all," kid~]
[Xia Feng: Haha (smiles). I suggest you bet on me to win~]
[Cheap Foster Father: Confidence is good, but face reality. Remember to lose within 59 seconds!]
Seeing this, Xia Feng was too lazy to respond. He thought for a moment. In addition to the 298 odds, there were two more: one for him winning, and the other for him being instantly killed. Both had odds as high as 100 times. For everyone, these were high-risk, high-reward options.
After some thought, he sent another message to Wei Shutong.
[Xia Feng: Help me invest 100,000. I win!]
[Cheap Foster Father: Are you sure?]
[Xia Feng: I'll transfer the money to you after the fight. Old Wei, please pay for it first.]
[Cheap Foster Father: Gamblers will end up with nothing.]
[Xia Feng: Hurry up, stop talking nonsense. I'm very sober.]
[Cheap Foster Father: OK]
Meanwhile, in the referee's room.
Because this fair duel had become so intense due to the instigation of an unknown party, the Holy Ministry had dispatched the captain of the seventh team, Chen Xingdao, to maintain order.
"Sword Demon, why are you here?" Chen Xingdao frowned, puzzled. "The director sent our seventh team to oversee the event."
Freya remained calm and smiled gently. "Master Chen, my student is competing today. Can't I come and watch?"
"Student?" Chen Xingdao narrowed his eyes slightly. It was the first time he'd seen Sword Demon pay so much attention to a student.
There were four fair duels scheduled for today, but the most anticipated was undoubtedly the match between the two geniuses, Yan Xujia and Xia Feng.
One was the long-famous son of a marquis, and the other was a freshman who had recently risen to prominence.
Chen Xingdao didn't know much about Xia Feng, but he had thoroughly researched Yan Xujia.
In his freshman year, Yan Xujia had dominated the spiritual pressure test, won 18 consecutive matches in the academy challenge tournament, and remained undefeated. In his sophomore year, he was specially recruited into the Black Moon Church, where he quickly rose through the ranks, earning the title of Silver Armor in half a year and Guardian in a year. His future in the Black Moon Paladins was assured, and with his status as the son of a marquis, his prospects were limitless.
After reviewing Yan Xujia's information, Chen Xingdao concluded that this young man was terrifying and should not be underestimated.
"Master Chen, who do you think will win the final duel?" Freya asked.
Although Chen Xingdao had a villainous appearance with a hooked nose and slanted eyes, he was actually a Taoist priest. Even after joining the Imperial Holy Ministry, he preferred to dress in Taoist robes, earning him the nickname "Taoist Master Chen" among those who knew him.
After a moment of thought, Chen Xingdao shook his head. "In my opinion, Xia Feng is in great danger today."
"Is that so?"
Freya lowered her eyes and sighed. She had heard about the bet between Xia Feng and Yan Xujia—that the loser would be exiled to southern Xinjiang. She didn't know what Xia Feng was thinking. Taking such a bet was reckless.
She had originally planned to take Xia Feng as her apprentice, but now it seemed the task would be even more difficult. The only solution was for her to follow Xia Feng to southern Xinjiang, which made her hesitate.
Ding—
The bell rang, signaling the end of the third match. A solemn announcement echoed through the arena:
"The fourth fair duel will begin in ten minutes. Contestants Xia Feng and Yan Xujia, please prepare. Failure to arrive at the arena on time will result in automatic forfeiture. The fourth fair duel will begin in ten minutes."
...
VIP Waiting Room, Area S.
Panda stood in front of the French window, adjusting his reflective glasses. He turned and said, "Remember the limits. Don't actually kill him."
The man sitting on the sofa set down his wine glass, patted his trousers, stood up, and stretched. He smiled playfully. "Alright, alright, I know. It's just about breaking him until he collapses, right? That's my specialty."
As he spoke, he headed for the door.
"Wait." A middle-aged man's voice came from the corner.
Yan Xujia turned around casually. "What is it, President Zhao? Do you need something?"
The middle-aged man was Zhao Jie, the acting president of the Six-Tails Society.
"Considering our cooperation with Cha Naixue, I'd like to remind you that this boy, Xia Feng, is not simple," Zhao Jie said, his scarred eyes narrowing with a warning tone.
Yan Xujia smirked. "President Zhao, do you think I'm your useless disciple?"
Zhao Jie frowned slightly. There was indeed a vast difference between Qi Xiao and Yan Xujia, but Zhao Jie was a man who had crawled out of a pile of corpses. He had killed countless people in his life and had developed an extraordinary ability to judge others.
When Qi Xiao died at Xia Feng's hands, Zhao Jie had been shocked. But after days of reflection, he felt more and more that Xia Feng was not a simple person.
However, he had no idea just how "complex" this matter would become.
"If that's all, President Zhao, I'll take my leave," Yan Xujia said with a faint smile, pushing the door open and walking out.
Zhao Jie's scarred, gray eyes remained indifferent. As an ally, he had said what needed to be said. Whether the other party believed it or not was not his concern.
Of course, it was also possible that he was overthinking, and Xia Feng's "uncomfortable" was just at an ordinary level.
Ding—
The competition bell rang.
In the center of the bustling arena, the gates on both sides opened.
One contestant wore an elegant white priest's robe, his shoulder-length hair giving him the appearance of a noble yet sinister gentleman.
The other wore the standard blue-and-white uniform of Boundless Academy . His messy black hair and dead-fish eyes gave off the vibe of a nerdy slacker.
Yet, despite this, his striking appearance still drew many eyes.
"Oh my god, Xia Feng is so handsome!" some girls exclaimed.
"Hiss—that face~" some boys also had shining eyes.
Mushroom listened to the discussions around him, his toes curling in embarrassment, as if he were watching an acquaintance showing off on stage.
However, the crowd soon shifted their attention from Xia Feng's looks to the betting odds.
"I bet he'll lose in thirty seconds. What's your bet?"
"Thirty seconds? Are you kidding? I've studied both sides' records. Xia Feng will be defeated in three moves! Ten seconds, max!"
"Ahem," someone whispered awkwardly, "Actually, I bet ten dollars on Xia Feng to win."
"Tsk tsk. You really dare to think that. Let me tell you this: if Xia Feng wins, I'll eat shit live!"
Hearing such sarcastic and disdainful remarks, Mushroom pursed his lips and clenched his fists, muttering to himself, Humph, another free meal!
Ding—
The competition bell rang for the second time, and the entire arena fell silent, all eyes turning to the sky.
(End of this chapter)