Chapter 1331 - 1307: Battle of the Wager (Part 1)

Chapter 1331: Chapter 1307: Battle of the Wager (Part 1)

In a small room that wasn’t spacious but had all the essentials, a man lay on his back facing away from the door. His name was Chu Qi, one of the death row members captured after failing a mission to assassinate Xiao Lin.

Since being captured, neither Xiao Lin nor his subordinates had sought him out. They merely settled him in this small room, delivering three meals a day punctually to the door, plus a midnight snack.

The room seemed to have everything, but there was no way to communicate with the outside world. The reasonable two-story design solved the space for sleeping and sanitation. Such an engineering feat wasn’t small; sewage pipe design in a tall building was difficult, with potential blockages causing significant issues and requiring large-scale rectifications. Chu Qi didn’t understand how Xiao Lin managed it. Peering out from the door’s window, there were many similar rooms and bizarre people coming and going frequently. He didn’t know where this place was, but the residents were all very peculiar.

Having lost contact with his organization, he was likely already listed as dead. Chu Qi knew that most people didn’t survive to return; it wasn’t that his abilities were too low, but the opponent was too strong. Without crossing hands, perhaps one wouldn’t know how terrifying a foe Xiao Lin was.

Click! The electronic door was opened from the outside. Chu Qi jumped off the bed, already darting to the door with a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, reaching out with his hand to clasp the intruder’s neck.

Xiao Lin raised an eyebrow. The feeling of having his neck grabbed wasn’t pleasant, especially being grabbed by someone who wanted his life, just like hitting a snake at its weak spot.

Chu Qi assumed it was a guard but was shocked to realize it was Xiao Lin when he looked closely.

"Why not squeeze harder? Being lenient to an enemy is being cruel to yourself." As Xiao Lin spoke, he advanced instead of retreating, his left hand clasping Chu Qi’s wrist while his right hand extended two fingers towards Chu Qi’s armpit.

Chu Qi’s gaze didn’t leave Xiao Lin’s face, dodging Xiao Lin’s attack by instinctively twisting his waist.

"Good reflexes. Why did you become a death row inmate?" Xiao Lin released Chu Qi and handed him a cigarette. "I checked your background. There were many suspicious points in the case back then. You had neither the time nor the motive to kill your wife, not to mention committing murder for love. You and your wife were in a contracted marriage. I won’t ask the reasons – it’s your privacy. But for someone who had reached the rank of colonel to be charged with murder was like destroying your future. That’s not like you."

Chu Qi wasn’t surprised that Xiao Lin knew so much. The case back then was indeed sensational. Without it, he would likely be in the Central Military District by now instead of stuck in a small place.

"Since you caught me, I never thought about surviving. Do it."

Xiao Lin chuckled. "Many from Quan Xianglin’s death row have come and gone, but you’re the only one I’ve kept. If I wanted to kill you, why would I wait till now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Chu Qi, don’t you really remember me?" Xiao Lin exhaled smoke towards Chu Qi. "Remember ’Never Confess’?"

Chu Qi looked at Xiao Lin in surprise. Indeed, someone spoke those words in his ear back then. He didn’t listen at the time, and with all the suggestive evidence, he had no choice but to plead guilty.

"Remember now? If you had refused to confess back then, your case would have fallen into Dragon Soul’s hands, providing you with a way out. But you didn’t listen to me. Initially, you could have been exonerated, but you became a death row inmate. Do you know why?" Xiao Lin asked again.

Chu Qi shook his head.

"Your performance in the military district was admirable. Your combat skills and weapon handling surpassed officers at your level. So during the talent selection back then, both Dragon Soul and Quan Xianglin had their eyes on you. But you refused both, and you know the reason well. Quan Xianglin is someone with a high stature and wouldn’t easily accept being humiliated. When the overt didn’t work, he chose the covert. Naturally, you fell into his death row plan."

"I don’t want to discuss the past. I missed my chance back then, but now I have a chance for freedom, which is more important than anything."

Xiao Lin clicked his tongue. "Chu Qi, I don’t know whether you’re too naive or too foolish. You’re already on death row. How could Quan Xianglin let you survive? Even if you had the ability to kill me, going back still leads to a dead end. Letting you out would be tantamount to announcing his private sins to the world."

"No, it can’t be. We have an agreement."

Xiao Lin laughed heartily. "Agreements are dead; people are alive. Quan Xianglin won’t leave any handle for anyone. Even if you have no intention of revealing it, he would still kill all of you."

"This..." Chu Qi fell silent, Xiao Lin’s words dropping like a bomb from the sky, leaving him dizzy. How much of it was believable, and how much was deceitful? He couldn’t tell.

"Chu Qi, I’ll give you a chance. If you can duel me to a draw today, I’ll let you leave. But you must tell me the whereabouts of the death row inmates’ current hiding place."

"I’m telling you, even if I betrayed them, I would still be hunted down. What’s the difference?" Chu Qi didn’t think Xiao Lin would be so kind.

"For a dead person, there’s definitely a difference. I can give you a new identity. You can choose any country on the map, and I’ll arrange for someone to get you out, along with giving you some money to start a new life."

"If you really want to let me go, why challenge me to a duel?" Chu Qi couldn’t understand.

"You need to have a body if you’re going to be dead!" Xiao Lin laughed. "Or are you confident that you can defeat me? If so, you can take my head back to the death row, and maybe Quan Xianglin will reuse you instead of killing you."

"It’s a deal!"

The entire underground city was in an uproar. The news of Xiao Lin going to fight a death row inmate here spread like wildfire.

At seven in the evening, the previously deserted underground city suddenly became crowded with people eager to watch the match. When Xiao Lin entered the tenth level from his office, he was also startled by the sea of heads he rarely saw, not to mention Chu Qi.

Some of these people he had seen before, some he had heard of, and some were legends. He didn’t know where Xiao Lin had gathered so many capable people from, but to make them willingly stay, that was a skill. It made him look at this young man with new respect.

Xiao Lin cast a warning glance towards Lao Jiu, as such an initiative on this scale also owed credit to this talkative City Lord. Upon receiving Xiao Lin’s gaze, Lao Jiu quickly turned his head away, pretending not to see.

On the tenth floor, there was a large open space. Xiao Lin stood in the center while Chu Qi was brought into the encirclement. He looked spirited, without a trace of fatigue.

"There are various weapons on the racks on the wall; choose any you like."

"No need!" Chu Qi declined the opportunity. He didn’t really intend to kill Xiao Lin, preferring to take a chance rather than bring back a head.

Seeing that Chu Qi didn’t choose a weapon, Xiao Lin set aside the spikes himself. Instantly, the surrounding assassins stepped back, expanding the circle to its maximum limit, leaving enough space for the two. Their eyes were filled with excitement, focusing intently on the two in the arena.

Wanting to see blood wasn’t something that only weapons could achieve. Everyone knew that someone daring to fight bare-handed generally had confidence in themselves.

Many of them didn’t know Chu Qi, but Xiao Lin understood him, so he wasn’t careless. His strategy was due to his appreciation for talent;if he couldn’t keep such a person, he’d give him a reason to leave. However, Chu Qi was unaware of Xiao Lin’s thoughts. He took a deep breath, stabilizing his energy. He spread his legs, bent his knees, raised his hands, and adopted an external martial arts stance, his entire demeanor changing completely.

Chu Qi now looked like someone who had practiced the Dao for years, exuding a grand aura, with a serene expression, eyes lowered as if muttering something, indifferent to everything and everyone around him, not even glancing at his opponent, which made the watching assassins feel very puzzled.

Xiao Lin noticed this, and his heart was also shaken. Chu Qi’s internal cultivation far exceeded his expectations; Quan Xianglin had found a treasure, but didn’t know how to appreciate it.

Xiao Lin calmed himself, focusing intently on Chu Qi, his dark eyes shooting out a sharp light. He waited for Chu Qi’s first attack, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before a roar erupted from his mouth, sweeping like a powerful gust of wind in front of him.

If you thought this was Chu Qi’s first move, then you were mistaken. Although everyone saw Chu Qi swing his arm and deliver a palm strike, Xiao Lin’s defense, however, was directed at his lower body. Sure enough, right after the gust of wind from the arm swing came Chu Qi’s advancing right knee.

With a bang, the knee struck Xiao Lin’s elbow, and the two immediately separated and fell to opposite sides. Experts could gauge each other’s skills with a single move, determining the gap between them, but to outsiders, Xiao Lin appeared to be at a slight disadvantage.

This result undoubtedly made the assassins begin to whisper, speculating about Chu Qi’s background and identity.

Chu Qi’s moves lacked any flowery elements, related to his martial training in the troops, but the inner strength in his wind-driven force didn’t match his current age. Chu Qi didn’t look much older than Xiao Lin, give or take about ten years, yet his True Qi was not as shallow as thirty years or less. Even practicing from a young age wouldn’t reach such a level.

Xiao Lin narrowed his eyes, unable to resolve his doubts for the moment, but it also stirred a desire within him, wanting to have a real contest with this person.

Xiao Lin raised his fists like raindrops falling from the sky, striking Chu Qi’s shoulders, chest, and abdomen in succession, forcing Chu Qi to step back a few paces before he could steady himself. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)