"Have you ever heard of the Martial Arena?"
Huang Hui asked with a faint smile as he led Lu Yuan outside.
"I have. I heard it's a place where martial artists gamble on fights against each other!"
Lu Yuan nodded.
In fact, he had considered going to the Martial Arena to earn money through fights.
But at the time, he had few tricks up his sleeve, and the uncertainty of these bouts was simply too great. He hadn't dared to take the risk.
After all, the world of martial arts was vast. He wasn't the only one who knew to keep a few cards hidden. If luck turned against him, he might run into some super-scheming old fox.
Now, though, he had truly entered the ranks of martial artists. He was about to master Iron Skin, and had even condensed Blazing Sword Qi. He might not be able to say the same elsewhere, but in Qinghe County, he could claim to crush and sweep aside his opponents without the slightest exaggeration.
As long as the money was good, he wasn't opposed to taking a gamble.
"Our Qinghe County has three great clans with legacies spanning more than a hundred years: the Qian Family, the Zheng Family, and the Zhang Family. Their foundations are far stronger than those of ordinary wealthy households like the Zhou Family and the Zhao Family. It's a pity they rarely support talented outsiders. Otherwise, both you and Cao Yang could probably have chosen one to join."
Huang Hui smiled, then continued, "The three clans have many members, and even among the younger generation, it wouldn't be hard to find true martial arts geniuses. They may have more than one or two top-tier talents with exceptional aptitude. I expect only those legendary, superlative geniuses could make the clans look at them in a new light."
Hearing this, Lu Yuan remained calm.
Although the Zhou Family wasn't a century-old clan, the support they had given him was already enough to sustain him until the Martial Examination.
When he had first encountered martial arts, he had lacked resources and truly needed support.
But now, he had not only entered the ranks of martial artists, he was also on the verge of mastering Iron Skin. He had the confidence to stand on his own, and the Zhou Family's support was already quite generous. There was no need to reach greedily for more.
Besides, even if those three century-old clans offered more generous support, it would surely come with invisible shackles.
More importantly, he was about to pass the Martial Examination and head to the Prefecture Martial Academy. The resources he could obtain there would far surpass what a wealthy clan in a county could offer.
In short, even if the three clans were willing to support him now, he wouldn't be tempted in the slightest.
"This bout was arranged by the two direct-line young masters of the Zheng Family and the Zhang Family. There are three matches in all, and each side can invite fighters to help. The Zheng Family's Seventh Young Master, Zheng Shuang, promised you five hundred taels whether you win or lose, as long as you agree to fight. If you win, your pay doubles!"
Huang Hui turned to look at Lu Yuan, a strange glint in his eyes. "Lu Yuan, although you've opened your dantian and reached the level of a prospective martial artist, the Zhang Family's hired fighter may be one as well."
Lu Yuan only nodded, saying nothing.
He was certainly going to take that thousand-tael reward.
"This bout requires both sides to sign a Life-Death Contract, and any means are allowed. Your hidden weapon might come in handy, greatly improving your chances of winning."
Huang Hui paused to think, then added.
"Master Huang, do the Zheng Family and the Zheng Family have any prospective martial artists of their own?"
Lu Yuan nodded, then asked curiously.
By rights, a century-old clan like theirs should have prospective martial artists, and even true martial artists.
"Of course they do. But unless they've completely fallen out with each other, neither family would casually send a prospective martial artist from their own clan to fight the other. Otherwise, there'd be no point in holding this bout."
Huang Hui explained with a smile.
There was something he didn't say: raising a prospective martial artist consumed an unimaginable amount of money and resources. Even for a century-old clan, losing one would be a considerable blow.
Hiring an outside fighter, on the other hand, cost at most a thousand taels. Whatever the outcome, even if the fighter died, it wouldn't be a major loss for either family.
Simply put, if it wasn't one of their own fighters, they wouldn't feel the pain if he died.
"Could there be true martial artists, or even ninth-rank experts who've mastered Iron Skin?"
Lu Yuan's eyes shifted as he asked.
If he really faced a ninth-rank expert who had mastered Iron Skin, he would probably have to use Blazing Sun Sword Qi to ensure his odds of victory.
"Almost no chance!"
Huang Hui shook his head with a smile. "Setting aside the fact that you can count the true martial artists in all of Qinghe County on one hand, given their status, none of them would personally enter a gambling match for a mere thousand taels."
What he meant was that no true martial artist could be that poor, and none could afford to lose face that way.
Lu Yuan could only shake his head helplessly. That was exactly what he was: a true martial artist that poor.
But there was nothing shameful about making money.
After passing the Martial Examination, he would head to the Prefecture Martial Academy. The expenses he would face there would be far beyond what they were now. How could he not save as much as possible for whatever might come?
And before he left for the prefecture, he also had to make sure Madam Yang and Little Nannan had the best possible living conditions and protection. That would cost a great deal of money, too.
Before long, the two of them arrived outside the Martial Arena.
They passed through a discreet, unusual entrance and entered a vast underground plaza.
Though it was underground, it was brightly lit and packed with people.
"Fuck... kill him!"
"Uppercut! Smash him in the balls!"
"Useless! You made me lose again!"
Nearly every ring was filled with fighters locked in fierce combat.
Every blow landed hard, and no tactic was off-limits.
There were no flashy moves, just the most direct and deadly attacks: eye-gouging, groin strikes, and choking.
The crowds packed beneath the rings, every face alight with excitement.
But when a fight in one ring ended, some rejoiced while others despaired.
Those who had bet on the winner were naturally overjoyed.
Those who had bet wrong could only hang their heads, grumble, and shake them in frustration.
"Fuck your mother! Give me my money back!"
Some even lost their heads and shouted for a refund.
Naturally, they were carried out and tossed outside.
The atmosphere was electric. Even Lu Yuan, though it was his first time there, couldn't help feeling his blood stir.
He could see that most of the people around the rings were rich and powerful.
They probably hadn't come to the Martial Arena just to make money. They were also chasing the thrill and excitement.
In his previous life, plenty of wealthy people had sought out thrills by going to sporting events in person to watch games like soccer and basketball.
Compared with those sports, the fights—and even killings—between martial artists here were naturally far more thrilling.
"These are just ordinary fighting rings, and most of the fighters who compete here are below the Transformation Realm."
Huang Hui smiled at Lu Yuan and explained, "The Martial Arena generally has three kinds of matches. The first is to serve as a punching bag. If you can last the length of one incense stick, you get one to five taels of silver."
"The second is a fierce match to decide the winner. The winner gets ten taels, and the loser gets five."
"The third is the life-and-death match. It decides both victory and death. The winner gets fifty taels."
"The loser leaves his life behind!"
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