Chapter Forty-Eight: The Three Dark Demons

“…Hahaha, I didn’t expect you, Mr. Jade Capital, to have such confidence in these two intruders…” Hearing Jade Capital’s words, Li Gang broke out in a cold sweat. Where on earth did this man learn about the intruders? Damn it, if he says such things, others might just follow his lead…

“Hmm!”

“What’s wrong, Sikong Lang?” Seeing Sikong Lang frown, Li Gang quickly pressed him for answers, worried about the situation with the Dark Bodyguards—those men were his investments, after all.

“Just now, I lost all trace of my six subordinates’ demonic aura. Quite capable, these youngsters!” As Li Gang grew anxious over Jade Capital’s wager, Sikong Lang delivered the unwelcome news: his six men appeared to have been eliminated by the intruders. These two really weren’t ordinary; they’d already taken down six Dark Bodyguards.

“How about it, Xiao Chuan? My spirit sword is formidable, isn’t it? That Minotaur was sliced into eight pieces in one stroke. There sure are a lot of these monsters—counting the last one, we’ve dispatched six already.”

“Heh, isn’t that just what you wanted, Zhang Yang? Slaying so many demons, you’ll have plenty of stories to boast about after we rescue Snow Maiden, won’t you?”

“Haha, you saw right through me, didn’t you, Xiao Chuan…”

As the two raced across the grassy field toward the villa, six monsters suddenly appeared ahead. Clearly, these creatures no longer cared to hide and revealed their true forms. They were grotesque: one had a human body with a wild boar’s head, wielding a spiked club; another sported a cobra’s head atop a human frame, hissing with a scarlet tongue, disgusting in appearance; yet another was a crocodile demon, dressed in human clothes, brandishing an axe and glaring fiercely at the pair.

Without hesitation, Qin Xiaochuan charged forward. To him, there was only one word for these monsters: kill. Each slain demon meant one less threat to humanity. He wasn’t just speaking empty words regarding human safety; ever since learning of this world’s demonic existence, his outlook had changed profoundly. Previously, as a poor student, he’d felt only the scornful gazes of classmates, the reproach of teachers, and even his mother’s occasional harsh words, leaving him disappointed with society, and after his accident, he’d even considered leaving the world behind.

But after his ordeal and return to his body, he realized more and more people cared for him—especially his mother’s love, which brought him unprecedented warmth and security. Even the old woman Jinghai, though strict and rough, revealed concern and anxiety in her eyes when he awoke from fainting; it seemed she hid her affection deep within. And Zhang Yang, standing beside him, had become a loyal friend since their discipleship selection—it was the camaraderie shared by men. In short, anyone who dared to undermine these bonds and threaten humanity, no matter who or what they were, had to be destroyed mercilessly. Only then could people be spared the pain of losing loved ones. That was why Qin Xiaochuan fought so desperately whenever he encountered a demon.

Seeing Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang rush forward, the six monsters brandished their weapons and charged, intending to overwhelm them. Qin Xiaochuan seized the moment; his right hand began to glow. The Spirit Light Wave Fist was perfect for battling many foes at once. As the monsters closed in, he struck out in a flash, leaving at least ten marks of his fist on each creature.

With Qin Xiaochuan’s Spirit Light Wave Fist leading the way, Zhang Yang followed swiftly, swinging his spirit sword in a barrage of attacks. Though he’d never formally studied sword techniques, his mastery and control over the sword’s power were now at their peak. He could lengthen or shorten the blade at will while swinging, maximizing his ability to cleave enemy weapons and bodies. In a storm of strikes, the six monsters were annihilated in an instant.

“Victory was easy, eh, Zhang Yang? Your spirit sword is feeling more natural in your hands, isn’t it?”

“Heh, yes, it does feel much more agile than before, haha.” Hearing Qin Xiaochuan’s praise, Zhang Yang scratched his head bashfully. Such compliments were rare indeed from Qin Xiaochuan.

“All right, let’s go—time to rescue Snow Maiden from the villa!”

“Right!” At Qin Xiaochuan’s words, Zhang Yang excitedly cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward the villa, “Hey! Snow Maiden! Wait for us, we’re coming!”

Inside the villa, Sikong Lang gazed at the large screen, his expression unchanged. “My subordinates have all been wiped out.”

“All right, Mr. Li. One billion in total. No problem, I trust?”

“No problem, no problem.” Wiping the cold sweat from his brow at Jade Capital’s inquiry, Li Gang turned to his assistant. “Prepare one billion and transfer it to Mr. Jade Capital.”

As a regular participant in BBC gambling, he dared not break the rules. Even if it meant losing everything, he wouldn’t renege on his bets, for he knew well the consequences. Everyone qualified to join the BBC gambling circle was either wealthy or powerful, cold-blooded and ruthless. If anyone tried to default, unless they vanished from the world, they’d be hunted down and torn apart, even in the depths of the Changbai Mountains. No BBC player had ever dared to dishonor a bet; those who did had already become nothing but air, erased from the world.

After defeating the six monsters, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang arrived at the villa. Seeing its lights blazing, Zhang Yang placed his fingers to his brow—a gesture he always used to sense things with his spiritual power. “Impossible… I can’t sense Snow Maiden’s location. Strange…”

Hearing this, Qin Xiaochuan pondered. “Right, I saw on the video tape that her room was covered with talismans. Maybe those talismans are blocking her aura?”

“Perhaps.” Zhang Yang nodded thoughtfully. “But in the villa, I sense five demonic auras. Three are stronger than any we encountered on the road, and the other two are faint, hard to judge…”

“There are even stronger demons? Excellent. After the pain disappeared, my Spirit Bullet seems more powerful than before. Unlike earlier, when I could shoot only once a day, I can fire several times now.”

“Yes, I feel my spiritual power has increased since the pain vanished. It’s like leveling up, haha.”

“All right, let’s go eliminate these demons first. Maybe we can learn Snow Maiden’s whereabouts from them.”

“Agreed… This way—the guards are fewer here…”

Inside the villa’s studio—

“All right, Mr. Li, let’s continue. This time, we must win it back.”

“Yes, Mr. Li, I never imagined these two intruders could defeat twelve Dark Bodyguards. I’m truly astonished. What should we bet on next? I want to win this round.”

“Heh, don’t rush.” Watching the BBC members on the screen, Li Gang reclined on the sofa and said, “Let’s have Sikong Lang introduce the next round. These are his most capable subordinates. How about it, Sikong?”

He turned to Sikong Lang.

“Snap!” At Li Gang’s prompting, Sikong Lang snapped his fingers. Three figures appeared behind him, stepping forward to reveal their true forms. The one on the far left was strikingly attractive, with a horn on her forehead. She introduced herself: “I am Enchantress Ghost.”

After her introduction, a demon shrouded in a white cloak, face hidden, stepped forward. “I am Invisible Ghost.”

Finally, a massive demon strode forward, holding a spiked club and speaking in a booming voice: “I am Violent Ghost.”

“So, the infamous Dark Three Ghosts. Mr. Li, I didn’t expect you to bring such formidable characters from the Dark World. You must have spent quite a fortune, haha.” On the screen, a woman in gold-rimmed glasses sipped her coffee. She was Miss Duanmu Si, heiress to Asia’s largest gambling company, and ranked among the top three Asian billionaires.

“Well said, Miss Duanmu, haha. Now let’s begin the second round. Intruders versus the Dark Three Ghosts. The winning bettors will receive triple the reward. Place your bets, everyone.”

“These Three Ghosts never leave survivors—I’ll wager five hundred million on their victory!”

“Me too, five hundred million on the Three Ghosts!”

“I’ll bet eight hundred million on the Three Ghosts!”

“I bet a billion on the Three Ghosts!”

“I’ll also bet a billion on the Three Ghosts!”

…

After everyone finished placing their bets, Mr. Jade Capital exhaled smoke and declared, “I’ll wager twenty billion on the intruders to win!”

“Wha…at?!”

Hearing Mr. Jade Capital’s massive wager, Li Gang nearly leapt from his sofa. That was an enormous sum; if he lost, he’d forfeit nearly sixty billion dollars—his entire year’s profit from all his Asian businesses.