The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, the Oriole Waits Behind

After finalizing the agreement, Ye Xiaofeng headed to the betting area of the Great Soul Arena.

"Hey, miss, place a five-million bet on A Xin for me tomorrow," Ye Xiaofeng said to the waitress with a smile. Even if the Great Soul Arena restricted him, he still had to keep up the act.

"I'm sorry, Young Master Ye. The Great Soul Arena issued a rule yesterday prohibiting you from participating in any betting," the waitress said with a smile. Yet no matter how Ye Xiaofeng looked at her, she seemed to be gloating!

"Just you wait. I'm going to find your Manager Luo!" Ye Xiaofeng stormed off to find Luo Shaotian.

"Luo Shaotian, what the fuck do you mean by this?" Ye Xiaofeng kicked Luo Shaotian's office door open.

"Young Master Ye, please calm down. Because of your performances in the previous two rounds, the higher-ups have decided to give you some special treatment. Please understand," Luo Shaotian said hurriedly, trying to soothe Ye Xiaofeng's fury.

"Special treatment my ass! You want me to understand? How the hell am I supposed to understand?" Ye Xiaofeng showed Luo Shaotian no courtesy whatsoever.

"Young Master Ye, even without betting, you can still receive ten million. Why get angry over such a trivial matter?" Luo Shaotian seemed to have expected Ye Xiaofeng to lose his temper, yet he continued smiling as he placated him.

"Is there really no way around it?" Ye Xiaofeng asked probingly, unwilling to give up.

"Young Master Ye, this isn't something I can decide. It was arranged by my superiors, so there's nothing I can do. How about I accompany you to relax?" Luo Shaotian played the sympathy card, though he was already overjoyed inside.

"No need." Ye Xiaofeng slammed the door and left.

"Ye Xiaofeng, so you have your day too?" Luo Shaotian revealed a long-lost smile. He had finally managed to trip Ye Xiaofeng up today.

"Someone, follow him." Luo Shaotian was still worried that Ye Xiaofeng might participate in the betting through another channel.

Ye Xiaofeng returned directly to the Heavenly Human World Inn and ignored everyone else. Apart from drinking and eating, everything seemed perfectly normal.

"Shopkeeper Li, go get me more wine!" Ye Xiaofeng shouted as he tossed an empty wine jug out of the private room.

"Young Master Ye, please calm down. It'll be here right away," Shopkeeper Li said, immediately carrying wine into Ye Xiaofeng's private room.

"Shopkeeper Li, I'm extremely unhappy. Today, I'm going to drink to my heart's content," Ye Xiaofeng said loudly again, as though he were deliberately letting outsiders hear him.

"Young Master Ye, this old man has not served you properly. Please forgive me," Shopkeeper Li apologized hurriedly.

"Have everything been arranged?" Ye Xiaofeng suddenly asked in a low voice.

"Then I'll place it half an hour before the match begins." Shopkeeper Li gave a sly grin before leaving the private room.

After drinking, Ye Xiaofeng staggered back to his room to rest. The next day, close to noon, he made his way groggily to the Great Soul Arena again.

By now, everyone in the Imperial Capital knew that A Xin was challenging Sword God to wash away his humiliation. The match was only an hour away, and everyone was worried about Sword God's return.

So far, three million had been wagered on A Xin, while wagers on Sword God had already reached 260 million. Among them, Xue Qinghe had deliberately placed fifty million, Prince Xue Xing had placed one hundred million to suppress Xue Qinghe, and Bone Douluo had also wagered fifty million.

The current odds for the two were:

A Xin: 1:113

Sword God: 1:1.5

"Ladies and gentlemen, today's match will begin in just over half an hour."

"Now, please welcome A Xin with a round of applause!" Yet the applause from the audience was noticeably lackluster.

"Please welcome Sword God!" Before the host even called for applause, thunderous clapping erupted from the audience, accompanied by endless cheers.

Just as everyone's attention was focused on the fighting stage, Li Baocai placed a 120-million wager on A Xin. He completed it in the final minute.

A Xin's odds instantly dropped to 1:5.6.

Ye Xiaofeng's odds rose to 1:3.2.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please look at the big screen. Both contestants are ten-win champions of the Imperial Capital Grand Soul Fighting Arena. A Xin lost to Sword God by half a move last time. In this ultimate showdown, can A Xin turn defeat into victory?"

"Sword God! Sword God! Sword God!"

"A Xin! A Xin! A Xin!"

The spectators on both sides were fired up, cheering for the upcoming final showdown.

"Now, let us look at the big screen:"

Sword God VS A Xin

Name: Sword God

Martial Soul: Seven Kill

Soul Power Level: 41

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple

Name: A Xin

Martial Soul: Fire Dragon Spear

Soul Power Level: Level 57 Assault System Weapon Soul Master

Soul Ring Configuration: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black

"A Xin, we meet again." Ye Xiaofeng smiled at A Xin across from him.

"This round, I'll make you lose miserably," A Xin said coldly.

"Then let me see whether you have what it takes." Ye Xiaofeng smiled, utterly unconcerned by A Xin's words.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate showdown officially begins!"

"By the way, aren't you going to bet something on your future disciple? I wagered fifty million," Bone Douluo said to Sword Douluo. The two were watching the big screen in a private room at the Great Soul Arena.

"I'm more rational. I don't believe in pies falling from the sky," Sword Douluo said, seeming to know something but choosing not to reveal it.

"You coward. After the sect tournament, I'll have him acknowledge me as his master instead," Bone Douluo said disdainfully, glancing at Sword Douluo.

"What can you teach him?"

"And what can you teach him?" Bone Douluo shot back.

"You blockhead, understand this: anything you can teach him, I can teach him too. And anything you can't teach him, I can still teach him," Sword Douluo said confidently.

"Based on what?"

"Based on the Seven Kill Sword in my hand." Sword Douluo always had a slight edge over Bone Douluo in terms of strength, so Bone Douluo could only gain a little advantage with his words.

"Hmph." Bone Douluo was left speechless and continued watching the match.

"Didn't you notice something?" Sword Douluo asked suddenly as he drank his tea.

"What do you mean?" Bone Douluo did not immediately understand.

"The odds for this ultimate showdown an hour ago, compared to the odds now." Sword Douluo hit the heart of the matter.

"Isn't that better? That kid's odds have gone up," Bone Douluo said, still in the dark.

"Half an hour ago, someone wagered 120 million on that kid A Xin," Sword Douluo said calmly, continuing to drink his tea.

"Who's so rich? Instead of betting on your disciple, they bet on A Xin? What an idiot. If they had offered that money to this old man, maybe I could have guaranteed them a worry-free life for the rest of their days," Bone Douluo said, both regretful and furious.

"I passed through the betting area earlier and found that person was Shopkeeper Li from the Heavenly Human World Inn." Sword Douluo smiled faintly at Bone Douluo.

"That old bastard is throwing out every last bit of his savings," Bone Douluo said. He knew Shopkeeper Li as well; after all, every dish at the Heavenly Human World Inn was a supreme delicacy.

"From what I know of Shopkeeper Li, he has never acted impulsively. And I also know that my disciple is in league with him." Sword Douluo smiled with a gloating expression.

"Y-you... you mean your disciple..." Bone Douluo finally realized that he had been tricked. No, more precisely, everyone had been tricked by Ye Xiaofeng and Shopkeeper Li. Sword Douluo had even known something about it.

"Where are you going?" Sword Douluo asked as Bone Douluo moved to rush out.

"I'm going to make up for my losses. Oh, lend me one hundred million first. I'll pay you back later," Bone Douluo said hurriedly. Though he was wealthy, fifty million was no small sum.

"It's too late. Don't you know betting closes half an hour before the final begins?" Sword Douluo reminded him.

"Then why didn't you tell me sooner?" Bone Douluo gritted his teeth in fury. He had come here out of boredom, heard some rumors, and followed the crowd by placing a bet.

A Xin and Ye Xiaofeng fought evenly, but at that moment, A Xin once again used a Self-Created Soul Skill.

"Soul Skill—Man-Spear Unity!"

"Third Soul Skill—One Sword Throat Seal!"

A Xin's Fire Dragon Spear shot toward Ye Xiaofeng. Ye Xiaofeng raised the Seven Kill Sword to block it, and neither side could gain the upper hand. The audience held their breath in anxiety. They cared about Ye Xiaofeng, but they cared even more about the profits he could bring them.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, the Seven Kill Sword condensed in Ye Xiaofeng's hand suddenly shattered. The Fire Dragon Spear pierced Ye Xiaofeng's left shoulder.

Ye Xiaofeng spat out blood and fell directly onto the floor of the Great Soul Arena. All the spectators present were so furious they nearly vomited blood. Prince Xue Xing flew into a rage—one hundred million had vanished just like that.

Only a small portion of the crowd wept excitedly over A Xin's victory. Shopkeeper Li grinned from ear to ear and hurriedly took Ye Xiaofeng away.

In an office, Luo Shaotian was proudly reporting the day's earnings to Xue Qinghe when an arena steward burst in.

"Can't you see that His Highness the Crown Prince and I are discussing confidential matters?" Luo Shaotian snapped, slapping the steward across the face.

"Manager, in the final minute before betting closed, someone placed a 120-million wager on A Xin to win," the steward said timidly.

"What? Say that again!" Luo Shaotian could not believe what he had just heard. He grabbed the steward by the front of his clothes.

"According to today's odds, we lost 672 million to that person," the steward said softly again.

"Luo Shaotian, you really are impressive," Xue Qinghe said coldly, wanting nothing more than to kill him.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, it truly has nothing to do with me. Please be merciful and give me another chance," Luo Shaotian pleaded, dropping to his knees.

"Go. Find out who placed that bet. Investigate it thoroughly. If you can't, bring me your own head!" Xue Qinghe gritted her teeth in rage. She was not upset because the money lost belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire, but because she could not stand being played in someone else's hands.

"Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince, for sparing my life! Thank you, Your Highness!" Luo Shaotian said hurriedly.

"Get out!" Xue Qinghe said angrily. Luo Shaotian immediately retreated from the room.

"We made too much of a stir this time. We should lie low for a while and close the inn first," Ye Xiaofeng said to Shopkeeper Li.

"It's already been arranged." Shopkeeper Li had anticipated this long ago.

"Let's head to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect first." Ye Xiaofeng left the Great Soul Arena with Shopkeeper Li and headed for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

"Ye Xiaofeng, the sect has rules. Outsiders are not permitted to enter," said the same two guards at the entrance, blocking them again.

"Hall Master Lei told me to invite Shopkeeper Li from the Heavenly Human World Inn to improve the sect master's meals. Are you going to stop him too?" Ye Xiaofeng said coldly.

"If that's the case, Shopkeeper Li, please go back," Ye Xiaofeng said deliberately.

"Ye Xiaofeng, tell Sect Master Ning that I, Li Baocai, am not someone to be toyed with. No matter how he begs me next time, it will be useless. Farewell!" Shopkeeper Li put on a convincing act, turning away in anger.

"Shopkeeper Li, it was a misunderstanding on our part. Please forgive us," the two guards apologized hurriedly.

Ye Xiaofeng felt that experience truly trumped youth. He had nearly believed that Shopkeeper Li was genuinely angry.

"Junior Brother Ye, please don't misunderstand. Earlier, we were simply following sect rules. We didn't know about Hall Master Lei's instructions," the two guards said hurriedly, immediately changing their attitude. They did not dare offend Hall Master Lei, much less the sect master.

"Shopkeeper Li, please come in." Ye Xiaofeng carried the act through to the end, speaking to Shopkeeper Li politely.