CHAPTER 450: CHAPTER 450: IF YOU CAN’T ACCEPT IT, HOLD IT IN

Xu Ke spoke as he stepped down hard, pinning the person who was just about to get up back to the ground.

Lin Mengyao placed the freshly grilled item she had just prepared to the side and rushed to Yu Xia’s side, enveloping her in a hug as she frantically checked her up and down. Her voice trembled with anxiety as she asked, "Are you okay? You’re not hurt, right? I shouldn’t have left you here alone. You should’ve stayed by my side; otherwise, this bastard wouldn’t have had a chance. It’s my fault." Lin Mengyao felt deeply remorseful about her earlier decision.

"Sister, this isn’t your fault, and I’m fine. I was just scared, really, I’m okay." Yu Xia sniffled, trying to comfort the frightened Lin Mengyao. Even though she also felt a bit scared, seeing Lin Mengyao more frightened than herself made her feel less alarmed about her own experience.

The atmosphere with Lin Mengyao and Yu Xia was tender, while Xu Ke’s side was much more brutal.

Cao Xu, pinned under Xu Ke’s foot, was desperately trying to escape and stand up again, but Xu Ke’s foot felt like a mountain pressing down on him. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t break free. In the midst of his struggle, the alcohol he’d just consumed seemed to lose its effect, and he sobered up quickly, feeling incredibly ashamed yet clear-headed.

"What kind of skill is sneak attacking? If you have the guts, let me stand up and fight me fair and square. If I can beat you, you won’t interfere in my business with your sister anymore. If I lose, I swear I’ll never show up in front of your sister again. Do you dare to challenge me?" Cao Xu shouted out loudly as he struggled.

"Whether I dare or not, today I’m going to break both your damn arms, so stop playing tricks in front of me." Xu Ke exerted more force with his foot, sending Cao Xu’s just slightly lifted back crashing back to the sand.

"You’re just scared, afraid you’ll lose, afraid you’ll win, which is why you don’t dare to fight me, right? Are you even a man? If you are, then accept my challenge," Cao Xu shouted at Xu Ke.

"Ha, provocation doesn’t work on me, but I’m willing to give you a chance. However, the rules aren’t yours to decide; I get to set the terms." Xu Ke sneered coldly, looking down disdainfully at the boy beneath him who hadn’t even grown much.

"Fine, you think I’m afraid of you? Tell me what the wager is!" Stimulated by Xu Ke’s demeanor, Cao Xu threw caution to the wind.

"Your two arms are a given, let’s add a leg now. The loser lets the winner break their limbs." Xu Ke said lightly, but his words set the entire beach abuzz. Hearing what was at stake, people abandoned their activities and rushed towards Xu Ke.

With things escalated to this point and the surrounding crowd watching, Cao Xu was caught between a rock and a hard place. Even though his heart pounded with anxiety, amidst his taunting he showed no hesitation, "Fine then, let’s see who’s afraid of whom. Just watch, when I beat you, you’ll be crying for your mama, begging your pretty sister to plead for you. I won’t show you any mercy." Cao Xu got up from the ground, brushing sand off himself as he spoke to Xu Ke.

"I’ll let you make the first move." Xu Ke saw him as a weakling not worthy of concern, even placing one arm behind his back, clearly allowing his opponent a handicap. This gesture sparked murmurs and gasps from the audience, turning Cao Xu’s face steel gray with embarrassment.

Yu Xia, a little worried, tightened her grip on Lin Mengyao’s arm, nervously asking, "Will my brother-in-law be okay? Can he really fight with just one arm? I shouldn’t have come out today. If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened. It’s all my fault." She spoke with self-reproach, her bitten lips bleeding, while tears gathered in her eyes, ready to spill over.

"Don’t worry, your brother-in-law is an expert at fighting. Even this guy, give your brother-in-law ten of him, he could handle it. There’s no need to worry, just watch." Lin Mengyao gently pried open Yu Xia’s mouth, urging her to stop biting her lip as she spoke.

Lin Mengyao’s relaxed tone contrasted sharply with her earlier nerves when Xu Ke had been fighting.

Her confidence somewhat influenced Yu Xia. Seeing Lin Mengyao’s certainty, Yu Xia’s eyes were tinged with doubt. Before she could ask anything more, the fight between Xu Ke and Cao Xu had already reached its outcome.

Just as Lin Mengyao said, even if there were ten opponents like Cao Xu, Xu Ke would handle them without breaking a sweat. Cao Xu merely delivered himself to Xu Ke, and in just a few exchanges, the conclusion was clear.

Once again under Xu Ke’s foot, Cao Xu was bewildered. He had just been standing against Xu Ke, so how did he end up beaten again?

His mind was filled with questions, but it didn’t stop him from remembering the wager with Xu Ke. "I don’t accept this; you must’ve cheated somehow. Otherwise, how could I lose so fast?" Cao Xu cried out loudly, "You must’ve done something, I want a rematch." He punched the ground with one hand, eyes glinting with suspicion.

Xu Ke snorted coldly, "I’ll make you lose so thoroughly that you can’t complain."

Xu Ke stepped off him, giving Cao Xu a chance to stand up again. This time, Xu Ke placed both hands behind his back, a silent humiliation, challenging with the slightest provocation, like a matador taunting a bull.

Cao Xu, eyes blazing red, lunged at Xu Ke once more, yet just like before, he found himself pinned underfoot before he realized what happened.

"This time, even if you aren’t convinced, I’m not giving you another chance. You’re just too weak." Xu Ke said with palpable disdain.

Before Cao Xu could protest against Xu Ke’s dismissive attitude, a searing pain in his arm diverted all his attention, eliciting a scream, "Ah!"

"No, stop, don’t do this, I’ll give you money, just don’t break my other arm." As Xu Ke reached for his other arm, Cao Xu’s eyes widened like saucers. He tried pulling away with the only arm he had left, but Xu Ke’s foot held him securely to the ground as if nailed in place.

Cao Xu cried pitifully, genuine terror etched on his face. His complexion turned ghostly pale, yet Xu Ke showed no intention of sparing him.

"I’ll give you lots and lots of money, just let my arm go, it’s really too painful." Cao Xu sobbed out.

"If it hurts so much, why don’t you take my words seriously? You brought this upon yourself and have no one else to blame," Xu Ke replied calmly, though his hand didn’t soften even a bit. After a sickening crack, Cao Xu’s anguished screams erupted once again.