Outside the betting house, the young attendant tremblingly finished placing Xu Mu's bet. His eyes darted about, seemingly seeking help, but he dared not utter a sound.
This was because Xiaoyao Feng was still in Xu Mu's grasp.
Xiaoyao Feng "supported" Xu Mu, his face ashen.
He could feel the tension in Xu Mu's powerful body. If he dared to cry out or make any move, the latter would surely twist his head off at the first instant!
On the other side, Jialan Lou, chatting and laughing with his subordinates while watching the match, caught sight of the money house attendant's pale face out of the corner of his eye and immediately sensed something was amiss.
He spoke, his voice a deep transmission, "Xiaoyao Feng, what's happening on your end? Is there anything unusual?"
Upon hearing Jialan Lou's voice, Xiaoyao Feng's body tensed instantly. He swallowed, replying nervously, "No... no, everything is normal here."
"The three million five hundred thousand taels of gold have been bet, no problems."
Although Xiaoyao Feng's words were a bit hesitant, he managed to keep them steady, sounding as normal as possible.
Xu Mu narrowed his eyes, remaining silent.
Jialan Lou nodded upon hearing this and casually said, "Good that everything is fine. The match is about to enter its climax, be careful not to mess up!"
"But it has already messed up!" Xiaoyao Feng thought tearfully, but there was nothing he could do. Jialan Lou couldn't hear him. The latter had already calmly turned around and continued his conversation with the person beside him.
Xiaoyao Feng and the money house attendant looked on in despair, while Xu Mu silently breathed a sigh of relief.
What they didn't know was that Jialan Lou, who had turned around with a broad smile on his face, spoke with chilling murderous intent:
"Quickly call Old Ghost over. There's something unusual with Xiaoyao Feng. I suspect he's being held hostage."
Beside him, the man with the sinister gaze was startled. He walked to the end of the alley, whispered a few words, and then released a messenger demon pigeon.
Afterward, he returned, frowning at Xiaoyao Feng, and asked Jialan Lou, "Since there's a hitch, should we change the outcome of the match and let Chen Ming win?"
Jialan Lou shook his head, his face darkening. "Don't forget, we've opened the odds at five times the stake."
"If we change the result just for that one person, in the end, we'll be so broke we won't have any underwear left. Conversely, even with his three million five hundred thousand bet, we won't lose too much."
The sinister man clenched his fist and turned away unwillingly. "Are we just going to let this go?"
"Of course not," Jialan Lou stared at Xu Mu, his eyes cold. "Once Old Ghost arrives, whatever that kid eats, he'll have to spit it all out in the end!"
...
"You've done well. Once the battle is over, I'll let you go."
Xu Mu controlled Xiaoyao Feng and said softly.
"I say, brother, I have no enmity with you, do I? It was one thing for you to trick me last time, but why are you targeting me again this time!" Xiaoyao Feng looked at Xu Mu, weakly wailing, truly terrified by Xu Mu.
He had been in this business for many years, and while he had stumbled before, being tricked twice by the same person was something Xiaoyao Feng had never encountered.
Xu Mu smiled faintly upon hearing this. "If you hadn't set a trap for me first, I wouldn't have found you."
"However, after this, you have received your due punishment. From now on, we have no more grievances, and I will not trouble you again."
"But I will come for you!" Xiaoyao Feng roared internally. Jialan Lou had told him that Xu Mu lived at the Hidden Dragon Inn and could help him get revenge, but he had refused.
Just like his previous experiences, one couldn't win every battle while roaming the martial world. Especially in the Holy City, where experts were gathered, it wasn't easy to succeed with every trick. Xu Mu's counter-move was his skill. The few hundred thousand wouldn't cripple him, so he let it go.
But this time, Xu Mu had truly touched Xiaoyao Feng's bottom line. Because he had bet three million five hundred thousand, at five times the odds, that was seventeen million five hundred thousand taels of gold.
Xu Mu was going to snatch seventeen million five hundred thousand from him. Who could tolerate that?
Xu Mu was unaware of Xiaoyao Feng and Jialan Lou's thoughts and schemes, nor did he care. He had brought Qiongqi with him, and the latter had left many spatial coordinates, which could allow him to escape safely.
On the battle stage, Lu Fei and Chen Ming, who were fighting strenuously, were unaware of the changes below. They only knew they had to fight with all their might according to the script.
"Burning Heart Slash!"
Chen Ming gripped his greatsword. After colliding with Lu Fei's golden element, he somersaulted back several steps. Simultaneously, he gathered fire elements and sword intent, unleashing an incredibly heavy and scorching sword qi forward.
*Buzz!*
The deep crimson, lava-like sword qi erupted, melting and cutting through the gold element metal floating in the air, emitting crackling explosions. The cultivators watching from below were also affected by the intense heat, all raising their shields.
Lu Fei on the stage bore even greater pressure, but he didn't flinch. He released all the golden element power within his body, converging into a chaotic golden sandstorm that swept towards the sword qi.
The onlookers' gazes sharpened. Although the golden element sandstorm was powerful and fierce, it seemed insufficient against this fiery sword qi. It would likely be cut in half.
Would Lu Fei lose like this?
Jialan Lou below smiled faintly. Of course not. If it were that simple, it would be underestimating their team's acting skills. How could they continue to deceive people if it ended so easily?
"Hoo!"
On the martial arts stage, Lu Fei roared and, stepping on a patch of golden sand, charged towards the sandstorm. He then turned his body, seemingly preparing to block the sword qi with his physical body.
The onlookers gasped in surprise, their eyes widening, not wanting to miss any exciting moment.
"Substitute Wood!"
Fire melted metal, sword qi tore at clothing. The moment Lu Fei's body was about to be cleaved by the fiery sword qi, he used his wood element ability, Substitute Wood.
Substitute Wood was no mere piece of wood. The instant Lu Fei disappeared, a colossal tree demon, rooted in the ground and wide enough for dozens of people to embrace, appeared out of thin air before the fiery sword qi. It was dark green all over and wielded countless wood elements to intercept the fiery sword qi.
Fire countered wood. It was uncertain if it could block it, but even if it couldn't, it would buy Lu Fei enough time. For at this moment, the latter was riding the bent golden element sandstorm and charging towards Chen Ming's face!
"Crush him!" Chen Ming's hand gestures changed before his chest. The golden element sandstorm transformed into the shape of a giant, extending a foot to stomp down on Chen Ming.
In this critical moment, Chen Ming chose not to retreat. He held his greatsword with both hands, his expression crazed, and slashed a beam of sword light towards the sky. The aura was heart-stopping, as if it could cleave the heavens.
*Boom ka!*
The greatsword collided with the giant's golden sand foot. Both were incredibly powerful. The terrifying impact sounded like a booming thunderclap in their ears. Everyone covered their ears, their faces turning pale from the spreading power. Even Xu Mu's eyes flickered slightly.
Without a doubt, the full power of these two individuals was comparable to his own, even exceeding his normal punch.
Other cultivators recovered and immediately shifted their gaze to the center of the stage, eagerly wanting to know the outcome. Not only because they had placed their bets, but because such a rare battle between prodigies was happening before the Ten Thousand Races Alliance.
Chen Ming of the Chen family, the younger brother of the Young Sword Saint, and Lu Fei, with his twin abilities – who would emerge victorious from this match?
The dust and mist on the stage slowly dissipated, revealing a scarred and fissured appearance. Some of the cracks were still burning with fierce flames, and traces of unyielding sword qi made it painful to look at.
Did Chen Ming win?
Xu Mu shook his head imperceptibly. He knew it was impossible. The victor would be Lu Fei.
And as expected, as the fog in the center of the stage gradually dispersed, a slightly dim golden silhouette was fully revealed to the crowd.
The back was slender, his chest heaving, his breath heavy, appearing to be severely depleted. Yet, he still stood.
At his feet, a sword lay casually discarded. Its owner lay to the side, eyes tightly shut, covered in blood, seemingly unconscious.
"I won!"
Lu Fei's voice was hoarse. He turned around and roared loudly, causing everyone below to fall into a moment of stunned silence, wide-eyed.
Chen Ming had actually lost.
He was the biological brother of the Young Sword Saint, his Fiery Blade technique was unparalleled, his greatsword unsharpened and unadorned. How could he lose in such a small, gambling ring match? It was impossible!
Some refused to believe the result and wanted to cause trouble, but were immediately stopped by those around them. Because Lu Fei's brilliant performance, his crucial sacrifices, and his exquisite combat strategy were witnessed by everyone. Although Chen Ming's loss was incredibly unbelievable, upon careful consideration, it was also justifiable.
Thus, after a moment of shock, the crowd chose to accept the outcome and began to collect their winnings from the betting house.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu nodded, unable to help but remark, "A very exciting match."
"Even though it was fake, based on their performance, they should both be renowned figures in their respective combat zones."
As Xu Mu spoke, he turned to the money house attendant and said, "Seventeen million five hundred thousand taels of gold. Hand over the money."
The latter gave a bitter smile, glanced at Xiaoyao Feng, and then produced a thick stack of gold notes with denominations of one hundred thousand taels, handing them to Xu Mu.
Xu Mu collected them into his spatial ring, then threw a smoke bomb and a tear gas bomb onto the ground.
With a *bang*, two plumes of white smoke rose, obscuring everyone's vision. Xiaoyao Feng, at the center of the tear gas, was streaming with snot and tears, his eyes burning. He could only cry out desperately, "The person ran away! Chase after him!"
...