Chapter 296: Amazing Odds

The audience's emotions were immediately stirred again.

The Slim Man became even busier, but still found time to ask Sun Fuling, "Are you placing a bet?" He Lingchuan quickly gave him a look, but it was too late. Sun Fuling surprisingly took out another tael of silver and declared, "Bet!" She still bet on the higher odds.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, this guy looks even less reliable than a wild boar! Why are you still betting?" He Lingchuan pressed her hand. "Don't you want to reconsider?"

"I know," Sun Fuling blinked. "That's why I'm only betting one tael of silver this time." She smiled, her eyes curving, "A small gamble for pleasure, it's harmless."

A quarter of an hour later.

Sun Fuling tugged at He Lingchuan's arm, disheartened. "My money..." she trailed off, "It's gone down the drain."

He Lingchuan chuckled, "One tael of silver could buy hundreds of steamed buns."

No sooner had he spoken than he felt Sun Fuling's grip tighten, changing from a tug to a pinch. A wise person wouldn't say "I told you so" at that moment, but rather, "Never mind. That brute Meng Shan will get his comeuppance sooner or later."

"Why wait for another day when you can do it today? Why wait for later when you can do it now?" a voice suddenly interjected from the side. He Lingchuan turned and saw it was Xiao Maoliang!

Hu Min exclaimed with a laugh, "Boss, what took you so long!"

"I was in a meeting until now, almost missed the good show," Xiao Maoliang said, looking at Ring Number Seven. "Is Meng Shan defending the ring today?"

"Yes, that fellow has already defeated four people," Hu Min shook his head. "I think Ring Number Seven will close early today."

Ring Number Seven was a public arena, open for all to watch. As a popular form of entertainment, Ring Number Seven was held once a week, with additional sessions if the demand called for it. With few other recreational activities in the city, Xiao Maoliang was eager not to miss out on the fun. If no one came forward to challenge Meng Shan and the interval exceeded half an hour, Meng Shan would be declared the successful defender, and the Ring Number Seven event for the day would conclude.

The Slim Man approached, bowing and greeting Xiao Maoliang. As a patrol officer, he naturally showed great deference to a Great Wind Army general. However, he also felt a sense of regret: "If only two more people would go up!" He hadn't earned enough yet today.

Xiao Maoliang smiled at He Lingchuan. Xiao Maoliang was usually stern and unsmiling, so He Lingchuan's heart suddenly tightened. *Why is Commander Xiao smiling at me?*

"Broken Blade, do you want to go up?"

"Me?" He Lingchuan pointed at his nose. "Now?"

"You've challenged Meng Shan six or seven times, and you're also the opponent he least wants to face." As Xiao Maoliang said this, He Lingchuan rubbed his nose, thinking that Commander Xiao probably meant he was a persistent nuisance. "I've seen your fights twice as well; you're not without a chance of winning." Xiao Maoliang pointed to the stage. "Today is a rare opportunity, do you want to give it a try?"

The two Great Wind soldiers following him had also participated in the River Valley Battle. They recognized He Lingchuan and had also fought against Meng Shan. At this, they chimed in, "Yes, yes, Broken Blade, go up there and get some revenge for us!"

"Let that fat guy know there's always someone better!"

The Slim Man's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! Broken Blade, your odds are also very high. This time I'll definitely bet on you!" If he won, he'd be raking in the money!

He Lingchuan gave him a sidelong glance. *Are these my teammates?*

Previously, when he fought Meng Shan in the Southern Courtyard, losing wasn't shameful, as the audience consisted entirely of martial artists. But here, beneath the stage, were only commoners.

Xiao Maoliang patted He Lingchuan's shoulder. "What's the purpose of training martial arts for a thousand days? There's always a time for it to be tested."

Sun Fuling, who had been listening in, suddenly spoke up: "If you go up to fight, I'll bet my entire year's salary on you." Her almond eyes sparkled brightly, full of vitality.

He Lingchuan looked into her eyes and suddenly lost many of his reservations, perhaps because Xiao Maoliang's words had struck a chord with him. He looked at Sun Fuling and said, "I have a condition. If you agree, I'll go up and fight."

Sun Fuling didn't hesitate. "Tell me!"

He Lingchuan let out a breath, then suddenly leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Win or lose, you have to kiss me." The surrounding noise ensured that almost no one could overhear.

Sun Fuling's gaze sharpened. However, after saying it, He Lingchuan suddenly felt awkward. He had no idea why it had come out so easily, without even thinking. Now he'd hit a wall. "Never mind, never mind. Just ignore me, that condition doesn't count," he waved his hand. "I'm going up."

To his surprise, Sun Fuling suddenly extended her fist towards him. "Alright, I agree. But you have to win!"

He Lingchuan was overjoyed. He extended his fist and lightly bumped it against hers. "It's a deal."

Meanwhile, Meng Shan had already strolled to a corner of the ring, yawning widely. Fifteen minutes had passed with no challenger. Another fifteen minutes and he would be declared the successful defender. *Boring, so utterly boring!*

Just as he was feeling bored, someone suddenly leaped onto the stage again from below. Applause immediately erupted from all sides, cheering on the brave newcomer. Those Meng Shan had defeated were all severely injured, barely clinging to life. For someone to dare to come up under such circumstances, their sheer courage alone was worthy of applause.

Meng Shan also sneered: *Alright, let grandpa see which brat has the guts to come up and offer... Huh? How is it...?*

Meng Shan's expression darkened, because the person who had just appeared greeted him very familiarly: "Yo, Meng Shan, it's been half a month since we last met!"

*Broken Blade!*

"You've come here to die now?" Hadn't this kid pestered him seven or eight times before? Although Broken Blade was defeated every time, Meng Shan knew in his heart that he was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. The last time he defeated him, Meng Shan himself had been injured and simply went home to recuperate for quite some time. In the vast Panglong City, the person Meng Shan least wanted to see, besides General Hong, was this clingy fellow right in front of him.

"I placed a bet, so I have to win my money back," He Lingchuan extended a hand to him. "Please."

Even though he was prepared, when he stood on Ring Number Seven, facing thousands of fervent spectators, their enthusiasm transformed into an overwhelming pressure! The gaze of a thousand people, the pointing fingers of a thousand, the anger of a thousand—all could coalesce into a palpable aura. He had once read in a book about a handsome man who was surrounded by onlookers whenever he went out. One time, so many people came to watch him that they literally stared him to death. *Hmm... what was that delicate young man's name? It doesn't matter.*

He Lingchuan used to see that as a joke, but now he couldn't laugh. Losing on Ring Number Seven meant public humiliation before the entire city, potentially becoming the gossip and a laughingstock for old men and women during their tea breaks for the next half-month.

*The pressure is immense.*

He secretly took a deep breath. He had already walked the line between life and death countless times; why should he be afraid of this commotion? Xiao Maoliang was right; a moment like this was bound to come sooner or later.

Meng Shan grunted and walked to the weapon rack, selecting a four-foot-long spiked club with wooden studs and a round hand shield. Those familiar with his fighting style exclaimed in surprise. Meng Shan wasn't choosing heavy weapons this time?

Xiao Maoliang remarked with surprise, "This fellow is quite smart. It doesn't match his appearance."

The Slim Man chuckled, "He's suffered losses against Broken Blade before, so he's not planning to rely solely on brute force."

He Lingchuan also went to the weapon rack, picked up a wooden sword, weighed it, and inspected it carefully. *Hmm, the weight is alright, and there are no cracks.* Even on Ring Number Seven, the weapon quality was as poor as ever. Fortunately, the wooden sword's material was decent, otherwise he truly feared it would break after just two strikes. Both were wearing light leather armor, but against Meng Shan's bulk and strength, a wooden sword, without clever tactics, likely wouldn't even penetrate his defenses, and might even splinter into wood chips.

The two had fought six or seven times already, knowing each other's styles inside out, so there was no need for a warm-up. Meng Shan charged forward, swung his club, and immediately followed with a ground-shaking stomp. Typically, no one dared to directly meet his attacks; most would retreat. His ground-shaking stomp would then make his opponent lose their footing. As soon as He Lingchuan showed even a slight opening, the hand shield would come crashing down. Although this type of shield lacked the crushing weight of a mountain shield, it was still effective for striking opponents.

However, He Lingchuan was familiar with his tactics and absolutely refused to be caught off guard. As the spiked club swung down, he didn't retreat but instead advanced, suddenly accelerating, and with his body and sword, crashed into Meng Shan's chest! This swift and agile move, known as "Swallow Returning to the Forest" in the Swallow Reversal movement technique, appeared to others as merely a blur. The tip of the wooden sword plunged directly into Meng Shan's belly! This was an extremely risky move; had he been half a second slower, Meng Shan's large club would have smashed directly into his forehead.

Below the stage, Xiao Maoliang let out a sound of surprise. He had once faced Meng Shan in direct combat in Yanhe Valley and knew well that once this fellow got going, a powerful aura surrounded him, capable of drawing in or slowing down an opponent's movements. This was Meng Shan's secret weapon against nimble foes. Agile and flexible opponents, usually lean and not large in build, were easily thrown off balance by him. Not only would their initial attacks be greatly reduced, but their footwork and movement would also be distorted. At that point, Meng Shan would show them what it meant to be crushed by a mountain.

However, He Lingchuan understood this technique of his all too well, having learned from bloody experience. But even the strongest aura had its fluctuations. He Lingchuan had practiced his blade technique among the waves today, experiencing the formless yet tangible nature of water's impermanence. At this moment, he keenly sensed the inconsistencies in Meng Shan's aura, finding a vacuum crevice he could exploit, and that was precisely where he cut in. He Lingchuan's strike was precise, specifically targeting his opponent's diaphragm, aiming to make Meng Shan feel the same pain the wild boar had experienced earlier.

Meng Shan was exhaling with a roar, his belly distended. The jab caused him to arch backward in discomfort, but his horse stance remained stable; he didn't even take a single step back. However, He Lingchuan didn't succeed. The opponent's belly was inflated like a balloon, whether with internal energy or fat was unclear, but it was incredibly resilient, making it difficult for the wooden sword to find purchase. At that moment, he deeply missed his Floating Life Blade; Meng Shan's layers of fat certainly couldn't withstand a sharp blade. Unfortunately, this was a dream arena, and he wouldn't even use his Ghost Shadow Cicada Husk—it was too expensive!

Yet, almost no one noticed that the blade tip emitted more than a foot of battle qi.

Meng Shan countered with a sweeping embrace. His strength was greater than that of a wild boar. If He Lingchuan were caught in that embrace, he'd be squeezed dry. He had seen Meng Shan literally snap people's spines.