CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 65: GAMBLING DUEL

Li Linhan looked down at the four Blood Transporting Period thugs lying limp on the ground.

Their eyes lost focus, brains in chaos, and they lightly kicked their completely uncontrollable legs.

After a good while, their eyes slowly cleared, turning to a faint fear.

"Tell me what’s going on, why are you causing trouble for Zhou Leng?" Li Linhan’s face, turned reddish-brown by the sea breeze, was exceptionally calm.

The four looked at this seemingly ordinary old man, momentarily too afraid to speak.

"Hmm?"

Li Linhan merely breathed out a nasal "Hmm," and the four trembled lightly in fear.

"No need for violence, I’ll speak."

"We are under Tian Wenhua, Brother Hu of Bad. A man named Ni San had his Dantian destroyed by Zhou Leng, and then Brother Hu’s younger brother, Leopard Brother, said before he died that Zhou Leng harmed him. So, Brother Hu sent us to investigate."

"Tian Wenhua? Isn’t he hospitalized?"

"He’s coming out soon."

Li Linhan looked at the four, thought for a while, and said, "Go back and tell Tian Wenhua that this grudge, I, Li Linhan, take it. Tomorrow night, meet at the entrance of Pioneer Company. If you dare to play dirty with Zhou Leng, then wait for our Sea Suppressing Corps to regroup and flatten your Pioneer! Get lost!"

"Thank you, senior..."

The four bent over, hunched back, and scuttled downstairs.

Li Linhan picked up his yellowed phone and called Zhou Leng.

"What’s the deal between you and Ni San?"

"How did you know?"

"Tian Wenhua’s men came to me, I’m meeting him tomorrow night to discuss how to resolve this."

"Well... I was selling things in Ghost Market before, Ni San tried to forcibly buy at a low price without success, then he resorted to robbery, so I destroyed him and his accomplices."

"Well done. You don’t need to worry about this matter anymore, I’ll handle Tian Wenhua. We’ll talk about other things at home."

Li Linhan hung up the phone and sent a message in the "Sea Suppressing Veterans - Rucheng Group."

"I’ve got a grudge with Tian Wenhua of Bad Pioneer Company. Anyone free tomorrow evening, come lend me a hand. Li Linhan would be deeply grateful."

Soon after, replies came in one after another.

"Old Li, what’s up?"

"His men robbed my nephew’s money, and my nephew destroyed them, and now they’ve come for more trouble."

"Is Tian Wenhua so shameless now? I’ll be there tomorrow."

"Count me in, during the previous drinking session, we said things were calm and boring, now look, some action."

"Tian Wenhua? Haha, given what their Pioneer Army pulled back then, I have to get involved."

Nearby table 797, under the tent lights, was bustling and lively.

But only one table quieted down, everyone looked at Zhou Leng.

"There are only two of the Five Tigers of Shuizhou left, and you’ve offended both?" Xue Chengsong asked.

Zhou Leng said, "Ni San wanted to take me down, I fought desperately."

Feng Wenhao said, "Really exaggerated, whose desperate attempt results in others being destroyed with themselves free of harm?"

Xue Chengsong said, "This is a bit troublesome, but whether it’s one or two, we tackle them either way. With Yan Fenggang’s style, he’ll surely seek backing from Tian Wenhua, now with your Uncle Li joining, we have more people."

"Moreover, my dad and Uncle Li originally knew each other, even back then it was Uncle Li who connected them for forming the Martial Arts study group."

"What kind of person is this Uncle Li of yours? From what you say, they seem unafraid of Tian Wenhua." Cui Mingcong asked.

Zhou Leng said, "Veteran of the Sea Suppressing Army, from the Heroic Corps."

Everyone’s eyes widened, rising in respect.

"Heroic Corps? That’s rare. Sea Suppressing Army has been established for so long, and I guess there are less than five designated Heroic Corps."

"Three." Zhou Leng said.

Xue Chengsong laughed, saying, "Tian Wenhua hit a steel board now. The veterans of Heroic Corps may not have much power, but really hurt them, let their comrades know, cause a scene, it’d be enough for backlash."

"Can’t be sure, if Tian Wenhua has connections reaching heaven, he might suppress the aftermath."

Cui Mingcong said, "Bah, that’s the past. Now each has genuine skills, if anyone tries suppression, the veterans might join forces for a decapitation tactic. I have an uncle who did just that, veterans teamed up, pulling down someone with notable backing."

Feng Wenhao said, "Not afraid of anything else, just afraid Tian Wenhua knows people from the school and uses that angle to force us to submit, that’d be truly disgusting."

"Indeed a nuisance, Tian Wenhua’s methods are indeed wild." Xue Chengsong said.

Cao Jiajia raised a glass and said, "When the soldiers come, block them, when the water arrives, cover it with soil. Come, drink!"

Everyone drank a glass, Xue Chengsong stood up and said, "I have to tell my dad about this matter, see what he thinks."

After a while, Xue Chengsong returned, laughing, "My dad went directly to discuss with Uncle Li; without accident, tomorrow’s negotiation will be at Pioneer Company’s entrance."

"How do you usually resolve this kind of grudge?" Feng Wenhao curiously asked.

Xue Chengsong said, "It’s quite a story. In the early period of Martial Arts Civilization, it was quite bloody, extermination at every turn. After all, everyone had martial arts, and nobody tolerated disrespect."

"Later, the deaths became too severe, and Martial Mansion forcefully suppressed, finally all sides compromised, forming some visible rules."

"Generally, if it’s a particularly minor issue, everyone understands, sits together for tea, lets two people demonstrate, finally ends in a draw."

"If it’s a bit bigger, it’s generally a ’betting duel.’ Betting duel divides into skill duel and real duel. Skill duel usually doesn’t harm harmony, avoids deepening disputes, relatively common. Real duel means each side sends people, fights truly, losers pay money or pill and accept defeat. Winners are compensated and wouldn’t pursue further."

"Currently betting duel is the most popular method, even martial clans, financial clans, Demon City Army, Martial Guard Department, and sometimes internal Martial Mansion issues resolve by betting duel."

"Of course, they will definitely change the method, but essentially it’s still betting duel."

"If it escalates, then it’s a death duel, participants don’t stop until one dies, sometimes big bosses also have to personally participate. This usually requires hiring experts as judges, then inviting Martial Guard Department or Demon City Army to appear, dueling in Demon City."

"Other countries may favor death duels, but in Dragon Country, only Demon City allows death duels, whoever dares in Martial Mansion’s view, no matter who, straight life imprisonment."

"As for bigger than that, it’s family destruction war, truly desperate, with a mindset of death, who cares about Martial Mansion or not."

Feng Wenhao said, "So tomorrow’s negotiation, even if it falls to a betting duel, the earliest would be the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Can we go watch?"

Xue Chengsong said, "Zhou Leng is involved, must go, if you want to go, it’s okay, if negotiations fail and end in a brawl, are you not afraid?"

"If I can’t win, I’ll run." Feng Wenhao looked nonchalant.

Xue Chengsong rolled his eyes at Feng Wenhao and said to Zhou Leng, "I’ve seen a lot of betting duels. According to my dad’s habit, since you are in the Blood Transporting Period, it probably will be ’Nine Blood Transport Battles.’

"Blood Transport Early, Middle, and Late Periods, each side selects three, a total of nine people, fighting nine battles."

"Tian Wenhua is treacherous and ruthless, not the type to charge fiercely and recklessly. Based on my understanding, he prefers to act in multiple ways simultaneously, my dad often suffers from it."

"His brother died this time, he might have more methods, should start by targeting you with the school as a breakthrough."

"Then, during negotiation or betting duel, he’d target you."

"No surprise, he should force you to participate."