Death… and me

Chu Yang and the others walked along. They laughed so much on the way that their bellies began to hurt.

However, everyone was clear about thing — the Meng Clan was perhaps done for. It might not get exterminated in its entirety, but its strength had been damaged for sure.

And, Chu Yang’s speech was the main reason behind all this.

Ji Mo and the other brothers were full of admiration and reverence. Dong Wu Lei and Ji Zhu were observing Chu Yang with fear in their eyes. [This Big Brother Chu… is an extremely scary character!]

[He only spoke about the horrors of this evil technique, but didn’t explain the methods to crack it. He made the people of Jianghu feel insecure. He also made the major clans vigilant. He has virtually eliminated the Meng Clan via complete isolation…]

[He has cut off the roots of the Meng Clan in one clean strike, and has managed to injure it very seriously!]

[His grasp of the will of the people is too accurate. Moreover, the effect of such gossips and slanders would be dozens of times more than that on ordinary days because the Middle Three Heavens is going through very chaotic times right now.]

[The Meng Clan’s fate is already sealed.]

Chu Yang continued to walk while listening to a myriad of news along the way. Meanwhile, he also kept analyzing in his heart. He was very interested in this contest to ‘snatch the bride’. This was no small matter. Nearly all respected clans would be gathering here.

This battle would fully manifest the big factions of the Middle Three Heavens. And, this was exactly what Chu Yang needed. This would help him decide the place he ought to start his journey in the Middle Three Heavens from.

After all, hearsays are never as good as witnessing with one’s own eyes!

Chu Yang looked at Dong Wu Lei and Ji Zhu, and somewhat lamented in his heart… [the eldest young master of each of these major clans aren’t ordinary in reality…]

Ji Zhu looked clumsy. In fact, he was very sloppy, but Chu Yang felt that this man was pretending to be slow-witted! [He acts and thinks like a clumsy person, but he’s not stupid!]

[Moreover, being sloppy and lazy acts as his best camouflage. He ought to be the kind of person who disguises himself as a pig to eat the tiger…]

[Dong Wu Lei’s plans are profound-enough. Moreover, he has a very suspicious nature. He is poles apart from Dong Wu Shang, who is always frank and straightforward. Of course, this is exactly what has determined his position in the clan. After all, his appearance is that of a typical young master of some aristocratic clan.]

[Moreover… Dong Wu Lei is very afraid of me at the moment!]

Ji Zhu and Ji Mo were on intimate terms among these two pairs of brothers. However, the relationship between Dong Wu Lei and Dong Wu Shang was hard for Chu Yang to grasp. [Perhaps, Dong Wu Lei’s way of thinking is beyond my comprehension?]

[He not only feels warm and cordial brotherly emotions for his younger brother, but he also feels threatened for his own position. Yet, the sense of crisis can’t suppress his true brotherly feelings. However, those brotherly feelings can’t replace his sense of crisis and desire for power…]

[Dong Wu Lei must be having conflicting feelings in his heart right now…]

Chu Yang sighed.

He looked at Dong Wu Shang’s majestic mountain-like body. The Young Master was walking beside him. There was a calm look on his clear and square face. Chu Yang was somewhat sad and worried for him. [Does he know what is going through his elder brother’s mind?]

[Dong Wu Shang is a big-hearted character. He attaches importance to justice. Perhaps he doesn’t know, and that’s why he works so hard to handle the clan’s matters. Perhaps, he acts like a trailblazer to solve the troubles for his elder brother. But, he would probably still do it even if he knew. So, this would unlikely change anything.]

[This is precisely how Dong Wu Shang is!]

They reached the top of the mountain. There was a big basin there, and it stretched as far as the eyes could see. It looked something like a soccer field…

Many people had gathered here.

…Especially, on top of an enormous platform that was located at the entrance to the arena. That area was even more bustling and lively.

"I want to buy! I place my bet! I bet on Ji Mo’s loss, 1000 taels!" a man hopped-up as he raised the silver money, and roared loudly. He seemed anxious. In fact, his forehead was even sweating.

"I also bet on Ji Mo’s loss, 10,000 taels!" another individual shouted.

"I bet on Gao Sheng’s win, 10,000 taels!" a big man shouted.

"Me too…"

…

Ji Mo seemed very embarrassed by this. He couldn’t help but mutter to himself, "Motherfu*ker, you people wait to see the people I have recruited…"

Chu Yang held out his hand, and grabbed a guy who was hastily running by and asked him, "What is going on?"

"Fu*k me! You let me go! I must hurry up and place the bet! Ji Mo's winning rate has already reached 1 to 5. Fu*k, the price will rise again if you keep me held up here for a while…" This man struggled to break free.

Chu Yang was stunned by this. So, he let go of his hold. And, this man disappeared in an instant. He had rushed away to go and raise the stakes. In fact, he didn’t even have enough time to see who had grabbed him…

"Ji Mo, you look confused. This popularity of yours… is truly…" Luo Ke Di heaved a strenuous sigh, "Too bad! No one’s betting on your win…"

Ji Mo gritted his teeth, and glared at Luo Ke Di. It seemed as if he would eat Luo Ke Di alive, "People aren’t betting on my win… but what about you? On whose win would you bet? You are going to go on stage to fight, right?"

Luo Ke Di beamed with joy and replied, "Of course, we are brothers after all. I would obviously go on stage to fight. But, whose win I will bet on to make money is something that’s unrelated, right? It’s like you have opened the gamble house, correct? The money I am going to make isn’t something you are going to compensate for, right?"

He took out a bundle of silver notes from his bosom after he said this, and dashed over at once, "Get out of the way. Step aside! Make way for this Young Master! This Young Master wants to bet!"

The noisy crowd saw the Wolf Sword King coming over, and tactfully stepped aside to make way for him. The guy at the forefront was still leaning over the table, and filling the gambling bill. He exclaimed in excitement at this time, "Ji Mo is going to lose this time! Wa ha ha! The compensation rate isn’t high, but… I can finally make some profit! Wa ha ha…"

However, Second Young Master Luo Ke Di saw this, and roared in anger. He grabbed that guy’s scalp, and shoved him on the ground. Then, he fiendishly asked, "Fu*ker! What did you say?"

How could that person not know the Wolf Sword King? His face suddenly turned pale. And, he started to beg, "Young Master Luo, I didn’t see you. I made a mistake…"

Luo Ke Di angrily roared, "Motherfu*ker, you are unlucky that you bumped into me! Say, how much were you going to bet on Ji Mo’s loss?"

"5… 5000 taels…" that man replied in an awkward manner. Everyone knew that Luo Ke Di was in Ji Mo’s gang. So, wasn’t betting on Ji Mo’s loss equivalent to betting on Luo Ke Di’s loss? And, getting caught like this… was truly this guy’s misfortune…

"Fu*k your uncle!" Luo Ke Di angrily said, "What made you bet on Ji Mo’s loss? Bet on his win! Faster! Or I will break your neck!"

That man screamed loudly, "Young Master Luo… Young Master Luo, ah! This isn’t fair. You can’t bully me into betting against my will… it’s not easy for me to make money…"

"Clang!" Luo Ke Di unsheathed his sword. He pressed it on the man’s neck, and fiercely asked, "Are you betting or not?"

That person's life was in danger. So, he had to give in. He changed his betting bill with tears and nasal mucus over his entire face.

Ji Mo was deeply moved by this. And, He kept singing praises about Luo Ke Di to Chu Yang, "That’s how a brother should be. Ah, take a look at the Coyote. He’s so loyal, and he follows the code of brotherhood." Chu Yang merely curled his lips in response.

Luo Ke Di waited for that guy to make the changes. Then, his turn came. He laughed loudly, and then ‘Bam’! He slammed a stack of silver notes on the gambling table, "I am betting 50,000 taels! I bet on Gao Sheng’s win! I must earn some pocket money. I am broke…"

Everyone fainted! They all collapsed to the ground… one by one…

Ou Du Xiao was sitting on the other side of the gambling table. And, even he was taken aback by this, and met with an accident as a result. The two iron stamps silently fell from his hands, and pounded on his own feet. The look on his face remained unchanged, and it seemed as if he hadn’t awakened from the shock as of yet. He was still looking at this rude and unreasonable tyrant Luo Ke Di with a look of disbelief in his eyes, "You said you will bet on whom? Say it again…?"

"I would obviously bet on Gao Sheng! Fu*k! Was there really a need to ask this question?!" Luo Ke Di got impatient, "Hurry up! Faster… what are you looking at? Have you not seen a bold person like me betting 50,000 at once? Fu*k! Be quick. Faster! Can’t you see that I am in a hurry…?"

Ou Du Xiao’s heart palpitated in bafflement as he asked, "But… aren’t you going to help Ji Mo and go on stage to fight for him?"

"There’s no relation between my fight and my gambling ahwooh…" Luo Ke Di rubbed his hands in glee and spoke with a nasty smile on his face, "Money, he he, money…"

Ji Mo simply went berserk outside the gambling house. He wanted to rush over, but he had been clutched by Dong Wu Shang. But, Ji Mo was struggling desperately to break free. He had even gone bare-chested in the process of breaking free. He had managed to free his hands, and was scratching the air. His feet had left deep marks on the ground. A strong guy like Dong Wu Shang was unable to hold him down. Ji Mo roared in an extremely grieving manner, "Luo Ke Di… Luo Ke Di! You… You and I can’t live under the same sky… I won’t forgive you… You and I can’t exist together… You and I… You and I… You have really infuriated me aaa…"

Luo Ke Di beamed with joy as he came out holding the gambling bill. He walked while blowing air on the bill from his mouth to dry the ink. Then, he kept it in his pocket in a satisfied manner…

He raised his head, and saw Ji Mo looking at him. In fact, Ji Mo was gasping viciously like a monster. Luo Ke Di couldn’t help but let out a strange scream. Then, he turned around and ran.

Dong Wu Shang timely loosened his hands, and Ji Mo’s body dashed forward. And, he went chasing with all his might. In fact, it seemed like an arrow had been released from a bow. He gnashed his teeth and bellowed, "Bastard! Bastard! Don’t you run away… I will tear you apart while you’re still alive…"

Luo Ke Di was desperately running away at a lightning speed, "Only a fool wouldn’t run away…"

They disappeared from there in an instant, and started to play the game of cat and mouse.

The guy who had just been forced to change his bet by Luo Ke Di wanted to cry, but had no tears to shed. [You betted on Gao Sheng’s win, but put a sword on my neck and forced me to bet on Ji Mo…? How is this fu*king fair…]

"On whose win are you going to bet?" Dong Wu Shang turned to look at Chu Yang and asked.

"You need to ask? I will obviously bet on Ji Mo’s win!" Chu Yang rolled his eyes and replied.

Dong Wu Shang let out an ‘um’ sound, and spoke with a smile, "I also think that Ji Mo will win! People don’t know the strength of us brothers, but I know clearly. This move of Luo Ke Di is very clever, but it’s extremely cruel. God knows how many people got tricked by him…"

At this moment, the sound of beating gongs and playing drums suddenly came through, "The Meng Clan has withdrawn! The competition has turned from a ‘8-matches’ competition to ‘7-matches’. A team would need to win 4 matches to win the competition. Ji Mo's winning odds have changed to 1 to 3… Gao Sheng’s winning odds are 4 to 1…"

People started to make a racket!

[Why did Meng Luo withdraw?] Gamblers here were obsessed with gambling, and didn’t know about this matter. Many people stamped their feet and sighed deeply after they found out that Ji Mo’s compensation rate had fallen. They were regretting that they didn’t bet earlier…

Cough Cough, here is an example. Saying that there’s a compensation rate of 1 to 3 basically means that if you bet 1000 taels on Ji Mo’s win, and he wins… then the compensated amount would be 3000 taels. Saying that there’s a compensation rate of 4 to 1 basically means that if you bet 4000 taels on Gao Sheng’s win, and he wins… then the principal amount of 4000 taels would be return along with the compensation amount of 1000 taels…

Dong Wu Shang stamped his feet, and spoke in a somewhat upset tone, "We were one step late at betting."

"We’re not late." Chu Yang smiled, "The compensation rate will be adjusted. I will tell you why the seven matches are as good as the eight matches… Meng Luo has withdrawn, but he has never been regarded as a powerhouse before if one considers his former martial power and competence. In short, it can be said that the other side has semi-abandoned one fight. And, their chances of winning are instead greater among the seven fights. This adjustment is only a trick; nothing more."

Dong Wu Shang thought for a moment, and replied, "So that’s how it is…"

The people of the Ji Clan and the Dong Clan had found their own locations to settle down. Only Chu Yang and Dong Wu Shang had remained here. They were simply sitting on a rock, and were watching this bustling and noisy scene from the sidelines. However, they made it seem as though there was no one else present there.

~~Meanwhile, below the mountain, about 50 Kilometers away~~

A team of black cavalry was rushing towards Mt. Dingjun like a tornado! The lively crowd on top of the mountain didn’t know… that the overlord of the underworld of the Middle Three Heavens – Jun Xi Zhu – was coming!

Of course, an extremely important and cute little girl was also coming with her…