Lin Lang and Xu Tianyan

"Ah, forget it. I'll just ask the Evil Emperor to handle it." As Kong Bo thought this, he walked out of the classroom. Then he heard someone call out to him. "Hey, are you Kong Bo? We need to talk to you."

Kong Bo followed the voice and saw a fourteen-year-old girl, along with another who looked a little older, about sixteen. He sized up the two girls and gave them an approving nod in his mind. He'd thought there were more beauties in the Douluo World ten thousand years ago, but looking at the Peerless Tang Sect world ten thousand years later, there were still plenty of pretty girls around. At least these two were very much to his liking.

The girl standing a little farther forward was fair-skinned and beautiful, with a standard head of golden, shoulder-length hair and alluring golden eyes. She wore something like a schoolgirl uniform, and her "airbags" were well-developed too. It seemed girls really did mature early in the Douluo World.

Standing behind her was a dark-skinned beauty with long silver-white hair and a pair of golden eyes. A dark-skinned beauty with golden eyes—Kong Bo knew at once that she was probably from the Xu Clan's royal family.

"I'm Kong Bo. What is it?" he asked.

"Yes," the dark-haired girl said. "Could we talk with you? There's something we'd like your help with, and the benefits are quite good. I'll treat you to lunch, little brother."

"Sure." Kong Bo nodded.

At lunchtime, the black-haired girl introduced herself. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Lin Lang, and this is my friend, Xu Tianyan. My father often praises you. He says you're very talented."

"Your father... is Director Lin?" Kong Bo asked.

"That's right." Lin Lang nodded, though her tone was cold. It seemed she and her father weren't on very good terms. "I've heard my father praise you often. They say you're very talented. But let me tell you, little brother: if you want to become a true Soul Master powerhouse, you need real combat experience. We can give you that chance. So, do you want to become a true powerhouse?"

"Become a true powerhouse? Of course," Kong Bo said. "What do you have in mind, Sister Lin Lang?"

"I do," Lin Lang said. Xu Tianyan, beside her, shook her head, but Lin Lang pretended not to notice. "How about fighting in matches at the Underground Soul Fighting Arena? You can experience real life-or-death combat there. What do you say? A genius like you can only grow through real battles. And I imagine that, unlike the Hongchen siblings, your Limit Douluo master has taught you plenty, too. We can just have His Excellency the Evil Emperor sit in the audience and keep watch, can't we?"

"The Underground Soul Fighting Arena?" Kong Bo asked. "But I'm curious—how could you get me a ticket to enter?"

"Tian Yan's older brother is Legion Commander Xu. She can get you a ticket," Lin Lang said.

"That explains it. That explains it." Kong Bo hadn't expected the dark-skinned beauty, Xu Tianyan, to be Xu Tianyuan's younger sister.

"Well, little brother Kong Bo?" Lin Lang said. "You can't pass up such a good opportunity."

At Lin Lang's words, Kong Bo stared straight at her, his cold gaze fixed on her like he was looking at a mecha. Lin Lang hurriedly looked away, frightened by his stare. Why does a little kid looking at me feel like a ferocious Soul Beast in the depths of a great forest is watching me? How can I feel afraid just from the gaze of a child?

"Sister Lin Lang, you've certainly thought this through," Kong Bo said. "On the one hand, I'm good at fighting, so you two sisters can bet on me and keep making money. As for me going to the Underground Soul Fighting Arena, my master would obviously be there to watch over me. With a Limit Douluo on hand, if my life were ever in danger, my master could protect me. And you, Sister, would only lose a little money. But if I really am a genius, I could make you two a lot of money. So while I'm fighting tooth and nail in the ring, you'll be making a profit."

Kong Bo tilted his head. "What, Sister Lin Lang? Did you think that because Director Lin praises me so much, I'm a good little boy?"

"Of course not!" Lin Lang hurried to placate him, a smile appearing on her face. "Little brother, sit down. I was wrong to underestimate you. Let me apologize."

"An apology? You'll have to show some sincerity. I don't want anything else, Sister. If you can go to the Underground Soul Fighting Arena in Ming Capital, you must be able to make money there. And there ought to be records of what you earn, right? The rich and powerful go there, after all, and some of them are stingy. You have to keep them happy, don't you? I don't want much—just sixty percent of the profits."

"Sixty percent? Why don't you just rob me?" Lin Lang shot Kong Bo an unhappy look. He was asking for more than half right off the bat. How could she possibly accept that?

"Sister Lin Lang, even when business falls through, we can still part on good terms. We'll meet again if fate allows." Kong Bo started to get up from his chair. "Please rest assured, Sister Lin Lang. I definitely won't tell my master or my great-grandfather that you tried to persuade me to fight at the Underground Soul Fighting Arena. If you ever want to work together on something else, you can come find me. I'm the one going into the ring to fight. Asking for sixty percent is already generous, isn't it?"

Kong Bo turned and started to walk away. Lin Lang hurriedly changed her tune. "Little brother Kong Bo, fine. Tian Yan and I agree. You can have sixty percent. You're just a child—how can you be so greedy?"

Kong Bo had been about to sit back down, but when he heard Lin Lang say that, he turned around and walked off again. Lin Lang hurriedly tried to stop him once more. "Little brother Kong Bo, it was my fault. From now on, I definitely won't..."

At that moment, Kong Bo acted like a spoiled young tyrant and reached out to pinch Lin Lang's chin. "Sister Lin Lang, don't treat me like an ordinary child. I don't know why you like money, but apart from this, there are plenty of other things we could work together on."

"You..." Lin Lang looked at Kong Bo, irritation in her eyes. She was just about to speak when Kong Bo pinched her chin again. "Sister Lin Lang, if you want to manipulate someone, you have to be ready to be manipulated yourself. Just like now. Anyway, I hope our cooperation goes smoothly."

Then Kong Bo took out his Soul Guidance Recording Pen and pressed the button. "Business has its ups and downs. Sister Lin Lang, I promise you here and now: if I really die in the Underground Soul Fighting Arena, I, Kong Bo, will accept it willingly." He set the recording pen on the table, then cupped his fists toward Lin Lang and Xu Tianyan. "Sister Lin Lang, Sister Tian Yan, until we meet again."