Hundred Thousand Gold

Gao Junmo smiled and waved his hand, saying to Xu Yi, "Don't take it personally, he's just blunt. Oh, right, I haven't introduced you yet. These three are the three chief constables of Guang'an City, and my capable assistants. The portly one is Qi Baihan, the lean one is Song Peilin, and the blunt one is Li Zhongshu."

"Yi Xu, I was just saying that the Patrol Division owes you. I, Gao Junmo, don't tolerate my subordinates being wronged. I've already spoken with Black Dragon Hall. They only have three chances to challenge you. As long as you survive three matches, if Black Dragon Hall dares to make any move against you again, my Patrol Division will take over everything. Furthermore, if you can survive three rounds, I have a white uniform to give you!"

"General!" "Director!" Qi Baihan, Song Peilin, and Li Zhongshu shouted in unison. Director Gao waved his hand sharply, "No more words. I've been from the capital to Guang'an for over two years, and I've never seen a constable dare to kill someone using the Great Yue's law. Yi Xu has made a great contribution to the Patrol Division, and contributions should be rewarded. If Yi Xu can survive three rounds in the Death Arena, it proves his extraordinary skill. What's so difficult about wearing a mere white uniform?"

Without waiting for the three to persuade him further, Xu Yi cupped his hands and said, "Your subordinate will certainly not fail the Director's high hopes!" He was secretly overjoyed. How could he not know that the white uniform was the official attire worn by the three men before him? The Great Yue Royal Court's security forces ranked by the colors gold, purple, black, white, and blue.

Currently, the official uniform Xu Yi wore was merely the lowest, most insignificant black uniform. If he were promoted to a white uniform, it would be equivalent to skipping two ranks, making him an existence on par with these three high-ranking constables of the Patrol Division.

"Alright, the decisive battle is imminent. Go and rest. I will cheer for you from the stands!" Gao Junmo patted Xu Yi's shoulder and personally escorted him out.

Just as Xu Yi was being summoned by Gao Junmo, in another private room, Jiang Shaohuan was pacing anxiously.

With a creak, the ornate carved door was opened, and two men entered. The one on the left was extremely robust, standing at least nine feet tall, wearing a well-fitting golden armor. His long hair was loosely draped behind his head, his eyes were sinister, his expression fierce, and he cast a disdainful glance in all directions. He was precisely Xu Yi's opponent in the arena, Gao Pan, the deputy hall master of Black Dragon Hall's Baima Branch Hall. The other man was slender, wearing a blue robe and a square scarf, holding a paper fan, dressed as a scholar. He was Ma Wensheng, the helmsman of Black Dragon Hall's main hall.

As soon as the two stepped through the door, Jiang Shaohuan rushed forward, looking gratefully at Ma Wensheng. He then berated Gao Pan, "Why have you avoided me every time I tried to arrange a meeting, and only agreed to come when Master Ma intervened? Do you still have me, your superior, Jiang, in your eyes?"

Gao Pan had been sent from the main hall to the Baima Branch Hall and had only been in office for less than two months. He was essentially a nail driven into the Baima Branch Hall by the main hall. Precisely because of his strong background, Gao Pan had always disregarded Jiang Shaohuan, his superior.

For this decisive battle, Jiang Shaohuan had originally intended to act personally, defeat Xu Yi, and seize his waist pouch at the same time, so he could secretly pocket the Iron Essence. Who knew that Gao Pan was eager for a fight and had reported to the main hall in advance, completely disrupting Jiang Shaohuan's plan.

What made Jiang Shaohuan even more desperate was that he also had to worry about the outcome of this battle for Gao Pan. Due to his unfortunate son's incident, Black Dragon Hall's reputation in Guang'an Prefecture had been significantly damaged. If Gao Pan could not defeat Yi Xu in this battle, Black Dragon Hall would become a laughingstock, and Jiang Shaohuan, the instigator, would not escape unscathed.

If he hadn't met Xu Yi, Jiang Shaohuan would have naturally assumed that Gao Pan's participation meant certain victory. However, he had personally dealt with Xu Yi yesterday and had clearly seen Xu Yi's arrogance, showing no regard for Black Dragon Hall. If the other party were merely an unintelligent brute, Jiang Shaohuan might not have been concerned, but he had been thoroughly defeated by Xu Yi yesterday, both verbally and in spirit. Although he lost the verbal spar, it indirectly proved Xu Yi's capabilities. Such a person, without confidence, would not dare to act so recklessly.

Therefore, he harbored a three-point concern about this decisive battle and wanted to personally instruct Gao Pan. Little did he know that Gao Pan's personality was arrogant and he completely disregarded Jiang Shaohuan. Jiang Shaohuan had to rely on Ma Wensheng to persuade Gao Pan to come.

At this moment, as soon as they met, Jiang Shaohuan's anger erupted. "Mr. Wensheng, you didn't ask me here to listen to Hall Master Jiang throw his authority around, did you?" Gao Pan said directly to Ma Wensheng, without even looking at Jiang Shaohuan.

Ma Wensheng closed his fan and smiled, "We are all on the same side. Facing a great enemy, we should work together. Hall Master Gao, Hall Master Jiang is your superior. Black Dragon Hall's laws are strict, and respect for hierarchy is paramount. Hall Master Gao should get along well with Hall Master Jiang. Hall Master Jiang asked me to invite you here today because there is an important matter to discuss."

Ma Wensheng was deeply trusted by the head of Black Dragon Hall's main hall. No matter how arrogant Gao Pan was, he dared not offend him. He impatiently told Jiang Shaohuan to get to the point. Fortunately, Jiang Shaohuan had endured almost all the humiliation he could at Xu Yi's hands yesterday, his patience had soared, and he endured it, explaining his analysis. Of course, he omitted how he had been embarrassed by Xu Yi and greatly exaggerated Xu Yi's martial prowess.

Gao Pan sneered, "I thought it was something important. Hall Master Jiang, it's not that I look down on you, but you have enjoyed too much comfort and lost your edge. No wonder Black Dragon Hall's development in Baima County has been so slow. I, Gao, am not talented, but I know that in martial arts duels, one relies on skill and the other on courage. Whether that fellow named Yi is strong or weak must be answered by the Soul Severing Spear in my hand. It's not that I'm boasting, but since I started my training, I've never met an opponent of the same level."

He then patted the golden armor on his chest and added, "Moreover, this time, I am honored to be bestowed this magic robe produced by the Alchemy Hall. Even if the opponent has three heads and six arms, I can still twist his head off."

Ma Wensheng stopped the almost exploding Jiang Shaohuan and said solemnly, "I have no doubt about Hall Master Gao's victory in this battle, but Hall Master Jiang's concerns may not be unfounded. Without absolute certainty, I cannot rest easy. You both know that this arena battle is the only one between peak Body Tempering experts in Guang'an Prefecture in recent years, and the attention it has garnered has exceeded expectations. Furthermore, the reason for the battle has been widely publicized, causing Black Dragon Hall to lose face and become a laughingstock in Guang'an..."

Before he could finish, Jiang Shaohuan knelt on one knee, his face filled with panic, "This is entirely due to my failure to discipline my son. I beg Mr. Wensheng to report to the Hall Master. Jiang Shaohuan will accept any punishment."

Gao Pan sneered and remained silent. Ma Wensheng helped Jiang Shaohuan up and said, "Although it was your son's doing, the root cause is not here, but with that Divine Constable Yi. If he is not eliminated, the prestige that Black Dragon Hall has accumulated for decades will be swept away. Hall Master Gao, it's good that you have confidence in victory, but if there is the slightest mistake, have you considered the consequences? You probably don't know that the Hall Master has invested a hundred thousand gold on you this time!"