Immortal Cage - Chapter 42: Self-righteousness
Gao Li tapped the list of gambling fighters and said, "Brother Yu, remember to cooperate well with us."
He paused, then leaned in close to Yu Lie's ear and whispered, "But let me give you a heads up, the promise we made earlier still stands, your life won't be at risk. Today, we're not just here for the money."
Gao Li pointed above the gambling pit and continued, "We have important guests today, and we need to win several rounds in a row. So, we have to strategize around you, Brother Yu. You just need to give us some time to rest, catch your breath, and have enough energy for the next fight."
The words Gao Li spoke seemed to be soothing Yu Lie.
Yu Lie glanced at the yellow paper and saw the words "Unbeaten Streak" written on it. Winning in the gambling pit meant being able to stay and participate in the next fight. The risk was higher, but the rewards were greater.
Gao Li arranged for Yu Lie to enter the fight, possibly to conserve energy for the next round of battles.
This made Yu Lie squint his eyes. He glanced at the elegant room upstairs and pondered, "Gao Li seems to want to win tonight for something more than just money."
As Yu Lie pondered, Gao Li kept glancing between the elegant room and Yu Lie, his eyes flashing. "I didn't expect this guy, Yu, to win tonight and take all the money. Clearly, he has no significant background, almost offended the higher-ups..."
But Gao Li thought that he had already overcome the "wolf-like" change, he gritted his teeth, "This guy hasn't appeared in two months, he can't be too powerful! The gambling list is already set, it can't be changed..."
Gao Li's eyes narrowed, "Well, if he really proves to be formidable, I can let him go later!"
He even thought, if Yu Lie was indeed powerful, he could admit defeat. This way, even if Yu Lie's methods were astonishing, he could save his life, and there might be a chance to mend their relationship, even if it made him look a bit foolish.
After some consideration, Gao Li suppressed the slight unease in his heart, feeling satisfied with his thoughts, and eagerly anticipating the benefits after a series of victories.
As suspected by Yu Lie, Gao Li's intention today was not just about winning money, but had another scheme in mind!
In the gambling hall of Heishui Town, occasionally wealthy guests from outside the town would come to play. If one's victories in gambling were remarkable, they might be recruited as subordinates and taken away from Heishui Town.
Among the guests who came to play this time, there was someone with such intentions.
Gao Li wanted to stand out in the gambling matches through his careful planning, win the favor of the wealthy guests, and then leave Heishui Town.
Although this had its risks, and might even offend the owner of the gambling hall, once he could leave Heishui Town and join the wealthy guests, for Gao Li, it would be as significant as the opportunity he had when he hunted the rare beast and gained an opportunity to advance!
This was a plan he had been plotting for a long time! He was unwilling to waste half of his life in Heishui Town!
Suddenly, a sneer!
Blood splattered in the gambling pit again, shocking the onlookers.
A headless humanoid figure flew out of the pit, landing on the ground, causing the crowd to exclaim, "Another one dead!"
Roar!
A fierce tiger, covered in black energy, stepped on a headless armored corpse, exuding a demonic aura, and let out a deafening tiger roar once again.
Silence fell around.
Yu Lie and Gao Li's gazes were also drawn to the scene, and then Yu Lie saw Gao Li's smirk.
Turning around, Gao Li grinned, "It seems it's our turn to go up!"
With those words, Gao Li turned his back and headed towards the gambling pit. He twisted his head into a grotesque shape, making a cackling sound!
The man's figure flickered and smoothly landed in the pit, extending his elongated tongue, his body swelling, contorting, and starting a transformation.
The sound of a frog croaking, as loud as a drum.
Gao Li transformed into a frog, still laughing, and shouted to the spectators around, "Gentlemen, place your bets!"
Clattering sounds!
The once quiet gamblers in the hall became excited again, with drumming and cheering, "Place your bets, place your bets, time is running out!"
In the elegant room upstairs, the big-headed doll clapped, "How fun, a toad battling a black cat."
Behind the big-headed doll, an old and stern servant glanced at the pit, then spoke indifferently, "One who just finished digesting a transformation, fighting a fierce tiger on the verge of becoming a rare beast, it's somewhat interesting."
The old servant of the gambling hall rubbed his hands and explained, "The young master and this gentleman have a keen eye. These are the young apprentices of the hall, who knew there were distinguished guests today and came out specially to win some money, making it easier to buy medicine for the next transformation!"
Upon hearing this, the stern old servant smiled wryly, "There is indeed money to be won, it's just a matter of whether he has the luck."
Amidst the crowded gambling hall.
Gao Li left, and the lone child sat in his place, facing Yu Lie, watching the gambling pit.
The lone child raised his eyebrows at Yu Lie, saying, "Brother Yu, should you prepare yourself, it will be your turn soon!"
Yu Lie, pressured by Gao Li and seeing his name on the gambling list, remained silent. To the lone child, it seemed like Yu Lie had accepted his fate and would have to enter the fight next.
But as Yu Lie looked at Gao Li entering the pit, he pointed at himself and suddenly laughed, asking, "Why should I participate?"
The lone child, upon hearing Yu Lie's words, choked, "You... aren't you afraid..."
Ignoring the lone child, Yu Lie reached out to the servant behind him, "Bring the money over."
The gambling hall servant was holding Yu Lie's ten thousand coins and the contract for the wager, the stakes for both sides.
The servant was puzzled, not understanding Yu Lie's intentions.
Yu Lie stood up, took the tray from the servant, and said, "This ten thousand coins are for settling debts. What kind of nonsense is this, holding onto it as if it's yours? Has your gambling hall lost its rules?"
The servant looked bewildered.
Examining the tray, Yu Lie shook his head, "Gao Li wants to use his own money, then he should bet with his own possessions... This person is too full of himself."
The gambling hall servant was taken aback, signaling to nearby colleagues and supervisors.
Footsteps approached, and someone came towards Yu Lie.
Yu Lie remained calm. He was not a naive young apprentice, not a colleague of the gambling hall, had not committed any taboos, and had not signed any agreements for gambling, so he had no reason to fear.
There were rules in the town, and the gambling hall was just a part of it, not the wilderness.
"However, since Gao Li wants to use the contract as a wager, then I can also play along."
Yu Lie looked at the gambling hall servant and asked, "Are there intermediate apprentices participating in the gambling matches here?"
The gambling hall servant, puzzled, nodded.
Yu Lie grinned and said, "Since Gao Li wants to play, please ask an intermediate apprentice to come over. I'm willing to use this ten thousand coins to challenge him in a match against Gao Li. Just bring the contract."
After a pause, Yu Lie continued, "If Gao Li is unwilling, then the bet is off."
At that moment, a gambling hall supervisor happened to pass by Yu Lie and overheard his conversation with the servant. His expression turned strange.
The supervisor didn't show anger but quietly instructed someone to quickly inform the elegant room upstairs.
After finishing his words, Yu Lie sat back in his chair, not too concerned about the gambling hall's reaction.
Gao Li's intimidation was just a bluff, trying to make Yu Lie risk his life. Whether the opponent was playing for real or pretending, it was all too good to be true.
If Yu Lie couldn't afford the bet, then Gao Li might have his way, but only possibly. Yu Lie could still afford it, and only a fool would follow the other's rules and continue playing.
In a while,
In the elegant room upstairs, the old servant who received the report was taken aback by what he heard.
Seeing this, the stern old servant asked, "What's going on?"
The old servant hesitated, then apologetically explained the situation between Yu Lie and Gao Li, "The subordinates wanted to play tricks and made the two guests feel embarrassed."
The stern old servant frowned, "Self-righteous."
The old servant's face stiffened slightly, a hint of fierceness in his eyes, and he coldly whispered a few words to the newcomer.
But then, the old servant's expression changed, and he chuckled, "But it's also quite entertaining! Another thrilling gambling match, with a clown to entertain, isn't it? Guests, keep watching..."
The gazes of the few turned back to the gambling pit.
At that moment, a strong smell emanated from the pit.
Gao Li's long tongue, like a whip, struck the giant figure, sounding like striking a bronze statue.
Crack! Fruits and melons burst.
Yu Lie sighed as he put down the peanuts, looked at the gambling hall supervisor, nodded politely, then picked up his IOU and calmly walked out.
On the other hand, the lone child also subconsciously stood up, looking at Yu Lie's back, then at the blurry scene of blood and flesh in the pit, unsure of where to go next.
A thought crossed the lone child's mind, "It's over, just befriended the big boss, and now it's gone!"