Chapter Eighty-One: The Underground Arena (III)

Perhaps it was her first time watching such a match, and Tan Xue was nervous beyond measure. At some point, her delicate hand brushed against Chu Dong’s, and instinctively, she gripped it tightly. Chu Dong sensed the sweat pooling in her palm and, glancing sideways, saw her eyes squeezed shut when the Taiji fighter fell to the ground. He smiled gently.

Li Youlan, reassured by the Taiji fighter’s apparent well-being, patted her chest and exhaled in relief. Suddenly, she noticed Chu Dong grinning as he held Tan Xue’s small hand, and she promptly pulled Tan Xue away, leaving Tan Xue blushing furiously as she realized what had happened.

Just as Chu Dong had said, the Taiji fighter’s specialty was overcoming strength with softness, turning force against itself. After being knocked down, he quickly climbed back up. Though Sailuda’s strength was formidable, it hadn’t truly hurt him; a few shakes of his hand and he was fine. Sailuda, dissatisfied with the outcome, shook his head and charged forward again. The two began a tangled bout, exchanging blows back and forth. Sailuda’s attacks seemed heavy each time he landed a hit, but the Taiji fighter always got back up unharmed. He seized opportunities to strike Sailuda as well, once scraping Sailuda's mouth and angering him so much he tore out a fistful of chest hair.

Time ticked by. Enraged by the Taiji fighter, Sailuda lost control, relentlessly pursuing him with punch after punch. After five or six minutes, his steps became unsteady, his breathing labored like an ox, sweat pouring down his face in huge beads, even clinging to his eyelashes and obscuring his vision.

As Sailuda raised his hand to wipe the sweat away, the Taiji fighter, who had been holding back, suddenly launched his attack. He stepped forward, driving his left fist hard into Sailuda's jaw, and with a twist of his body, slammed his right hand into Sailuda's ribs. As Sailuda bent over, the Taiji fighter lifted his knee, landing a fierce blow to Sailuda’s chest.

It all happened so swiftly. The once formidable Sailuda, towering and indomitable, now swayed left and right under the Taiji fighter’s strikes, his arms hanging limp, his mind clouded, defenses abandoned.

By now, it was clear to all that Sailuda had lost. Those who bet on him hung their heads in disappointment, while those like Li Youlan who backed the Taiji fighter were elated. The arena was filled with piercing screams.

The match was not yet over, and the Taiji fighter did not relent. He knew that if their positions were reversed, Sailuda would not have shown mercy. If Sailuda turned the tables, there would be no benefit for him. Summoning all his strength, he struck Sailuda’s face again and again.

The corner of Sailuda’s mouth split, blood gushed from his nose, his eye socket tore open, teeth flew out, and in the end, unable to hold on, Sailuda collapsed. Yet even after victory was assured, the Taiji fighter didn’t stop; the bell had not sounded. He continued to kick his opponent, as if punting a heap of rotten flesh.

At last, the bell rang—the ten minutes had elapsed. Exhausted, the Taiji fighter staggered to the ropes, holding himself upright. He raised his fists, wrapped in white cloth now soaked crimson, to the crowd, and for the first time since entering the ring, let out a howl like a wolf.

At the start, Li Youlan had been excited, screaming with the crowd as the Taiji fighter unleashed his fury. But as the scene unfolded, she drew back her arm, horrified, nearly stuffing all five fingers into her mouth. Tan Xue, even more unnerved, shut her eyes and covered her ears.

By the end, even Chu Dong found himself unwilling to watch. This was not excitement—it was pure bloodshed, cruelty.

Once Sailuda, his fate uncertain, was carried away, the host reappeared. Dressed in white, he greeted the audience with a cheerful smile, as if the gruesome spectacle had never happened.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that was only the first match, yet already so intense and thrilling. The rest will not disappoint you either. Tonight we have five bouts lined up, each guaranteed to be spectacular. May you all win big and grow rich. Next up is a newcomer known as the Jade-faced White Dragon, and his opponent is the many-armed Mantis Fist master from Yunnan. As always, ten minutes to claim your winnings, ten minutes to place your bets—don’t miss your chance…”

Li Youlan had won her wager. She’d bet fifty thousand, and since few others had backed the Taiji fighter, the odds were high—three and a half to one. Her winnings totaled two hundred twenty-five thousand; after the organizers took their ten percent cut, she was left with two hundred seven thousand five hundred.

Holding the money brought no joy to Li Youlan, and she made no further bets. The match between Jade-faced White Dragon and Many-armed Hand was exciting, but in the end, Many-armed Hand lost after suffering a broken arm.

Staring at the arena, spotted with fresh blood, Li Youlan clung to Tan Xue’s hand, her teeth chattering, “Xue’er, why does it feel like we’ve entered hell?”

Tan Xue was nervous, but seeing her friend so shaken, she tried to comfort her. “Let’s leave. Don’t test him anymore. These people are all desperate—what if something happens? By the way, can we withdraw from being ‘Red Mark’? Something doesn’t feel right.”

“There’s no way to cancel. I was afraid you’d be scared alone, so I signed up too. If I could withdraw, do you think I’d have waited until now?” Li Youlan was nearly in tears.

“What on earth are you two up to?” Chu Dong finally asked, unable to contain himself. The two girls had been mysterious from the start, and now, even they seemed unclear on the situation.

“This is an underground fighting arena. We wanted to test you a bit. We thought it’d be like boxing on TV, but—who knew it’d be like this?” Tan Xue bit her lip, and after some hesitation, confessed quietly.

“Nonsense!” Chu Dong shot a glare at Li Youlan, who dared not meet his eyes, and scolded, “Let’s go. We can’t stay here.” Grabbing Tan Xue’s hand, he rose and pulled both girls toward the exit.

But at the door, the three were blocked.

“Where are you going?” A young man with a gleaming shaved head stood in their way.

“We haven’t had dinner yet. Thought we’d get something to eat.” Chu Dong smiled, giving Tan Xue’s hand a slight reassuring squeeze.

“Yes, there’s nothing to eat here at all. Are you trying to starve us?” Tan Xue played along, sensing the tension.

“Hungry?” The bald man grinned. “Little girl, it’s good you haven’t eaten—won’t have to worry about throwing up. Saves everyone the trouble.”

“We can do as we please—what’s it to you?” Li Youlan, a bit more spirited than Tan Xue, stepped in front, puffing out her not-so-high chest.

“This gentleman can leave, but since the two ladies registered as Red Mark, leaving is not up to you.” The bald man gave Chu Dong a warning look. “Even if you could take us all down, can you guarantee you’ll get these two beautiful ladies out unharmed?”

ps: First update!