A Wagered Duel!

Inside the Mercenary Masters Guild!

The Blood Wolf Mercenary Group saw the steward warn Yang Que, but they did not care. He was a newcomer, after all. If he refused their challenge, they would smear him throughout mercenary circles, calling his group a pack of mice too timid to fight. Most people might ignore the rumors, but a few believers would be enough to cost his group plenty of jobs!

They had used this trick time and again. It was underhanded, but it worked! Groups that refused them at first would eventually come back to challenge them. So they were not worried.

What they never imagined was that Yang Que would not only accept, but welcome their challenge! Why turn down points handed to him for free?

Yang Que gave the members of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group a wicked smile. "All right! I accept!"

The Blood Wolf Mercenary Group stared. "Huh?????" What was going on? Wasn't this kid supposed to refuse, so they could use their usual routine to force a challenge out of him? This was not how the story was supposed to go!!!

The young man holding a folding fan beside the scarred middle-aged man said, "Leader! Watch out for a trap!"

The scarred man thought it over. The kid had accepted far too readily. Something was wrong!

Seeing the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group suddenly lose their nerve, Yang Que said, "What's wrong? You challenged me, and I accepted! Are you scared now?"

The scarred middle-aged man from the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group said, "Heh, kid! Don't bother trying to goad me. My group has been around for years. We're not that pathetic!"

"Judging by your clothes, kid, you're some young master from a great family out for experience, aren't you? If we agree to fight and you send one of your elders in your place, we'll be the ones who lose out!"

Yang Que's eyes widened, and he blinked. What kind of leap in logic was that?! They really were afraid. How could he lure them in?

To the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group, his expression told a different story. The scarred man looked as though his suspicions had been confirmed!

"Hah! A clever little scheme, kid! But I saw right through it!" the man said.

The people in the Mercenary Guild looked at Yang Que and whispered among themselves. "Looks like this kid's no easy mark either. He actually tried to set a trap for the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group!"

"Exactly! It would've been satisfying to see them fall for it, too. Too bad they caught on!"

"As expected of the Blood Wolf Group's Leader. You know a trick or two! I refuse this match, then." Yang Que put on the look of someone whose scheme had been exposed.

"Hah! Refuse this time if you like, kid. Next time, you'll come challenge me yourself!" the middle-aged man said with a sneer.

"Oh?" Curious, Yang Que turned toward the steward.

Seeing Yang Que look his way, the steward explained some of the underhanded tactics mercenaries used.

Yang Que found it interesting. So that was another way to do it! Underhanded, yes, but quite effective!

"So if I don't accept now, I'll still end up challenging you later?" Yang Que asked evenly.

"That's right!" The middle-aged man nodded with a sneer.

"Hah! What makes you think I care?" Yang Que chuckled.

"Uh..." The man was struck speechless. The kid was clearly a young master from an illustrious family. He probably did not care about losing a few jobs!

"Then what will it take for you to accept my challenge?" The man was running out of ways to deal with Yang Que.

"Simple. I'll wager every point on my token against every point on yours. Then I'll accept," Yang Que said.

"Hm? Don't get greedy, kid! You think we need your ten points that badly?" the young man beside him complained.

"Hah! You're obviously certain you'll win! Your Leader is a Soul Ancestor, isn't he? I'm only a Soul Elder. I'm offering this wager so I can save a little face, that's all. If you don't want it, forget it! I don't mind," Yang Que said casually.

The Leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group pondered for a moment. The kid had a point. With his strength, defeating him would be as easy as reaching out and grabbing him.

Seeing his Leader waver, the young man hurried to stop him. "Leader..."

Before he could finish, the middle-aged man raised a hand to silence him. "I'm a Soul Ancestor. Handling him will be child's play! Don't you trust me?"

The young man shut his mouth. His Leader was right. Ordinarily, a Soul Ancestor would have no trouble handling a Soul Elder. Only a rare prodigy might be an exception... and this kid did not look like one. What prodigy would become a mercenary?

"Fine, kid. I accept! If you want to trade those ten points for a little face, I'll indulge you!" the middle-aged man said with a smile.

"Good! Straight to the point! Let's go to the Mercenary Arena, then!" Yang Que nodded.

The Mercenary Arena!

The Mercenary Arena had an unusual design: it was diamond-shaped, with an identical statue at each of its four corners. They seemed to depict the founder of the Mercenary Guild. Aside from the arena itself, the architecture looked much like an arena in Rome!

The Mercenary Arena was packed, though most of those present were low-level Soul Masters and mercenaries!

Yang Que and the middle-aged man stepped onto the arena. They handed their tokens to the organizers and stated their wagers.

The referee was surprised. He had never seen a wager like this. Usually, both sides staked equal amounts, but these stakes were worlds apart!

"Have you made up your minds? Once the wagered duel begins, neither stake will be returned!" the referee asked as procedure required.

"No objections!"

"None from me either!"

Yang Que and the middle-aged man answered firmly!

What objection could they have to points delivered right to their doorstep?

Each of them was thinking the same thing!

"Very well! The duel will begin in one hour!" After speaking to them, the referee turned to the spectators and called out loudly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Mercenary Guild is opening a betting pool for this Mercenary Arena match! Place your bets!"

????

A betting pool?! Yang Que looked utterly puzzled!

"Heh, kid! This pool is quite interesting. It works like gambling: back the winner, and you'll get a generous return! Unlike a gambling house, though, you can stake anything here. If you win, they'll pay you Gold Coins based on its value! What do you say? Interested? You could bet on yourself. Who knows? You might win." The middle-aged man encouraged Yang Que to bet, hoping he would lose the shirt off his back!

"Oh! There's a deal like that?" Yang Que's interest flared at the explanation. They're practically giving me money! Registering as a mercenary really was the right move!

Yang Que stepped down from the arena and headed for the betting counter!

Huh! The kid actually went? Is he thinking of betting on me? Then he's miscalculated! Neither fighter can bet on his opponent! the scarred man thought.

"I want to place a bet!" Yang Que told the attendant at the counter.

"I'm sorry, sir. As a participant, you're not allowed to bet on your opponent!" the attendant said with a smile.

"Who said I wanted to bet on him? I'm betting on myself!" Yang Que smiled back. He was not angry. How could he get angry at someone who was about to hand him a fortune?

"Oh? How much would you like to stake?" the attendant asked, surprised.

"What are my odds?" Yang Que asked.

"Your odds are ten to one. The Leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group is at 1.1 to one," the attendant replied politely.

"Oh!" Yang Que was surprised his odds were so high, but he did not mind. That was money in his pocket! Things were looking good!

"I hear you accept bets in any form. Is that right?" Yang Que asked.

"Yes! We accept anything valuable. If your bet wins, we'll pay you Gold Coins according to its assessed value!" the attendant said.

Yang Que tossed the Soul Tool ring from his hand onto the counter and declared grandly, "There are 5,000 Gold Coins in there, along with eight high-grade Yellow Tier Spirit-Gathering Pills! Bet it all on me!"

The onlookers were stunned by the size of his wager! "A young master from a great family really does have deep pockets! Is he buying himself some face, or does he think he can win?"

"Why worry about him? A fool with more money than sense—that's what he is!" The speaker clearly looked down on Yang Que's choice!

"I think he's confident he can win. I'll put 1,000 Gold Coins on him too!" another middle-aged man said, watching Yang Que's assured expression.

"Hah! He's putting on an act. Don't lose your last pair of pants over it!" someone nearby jeered.

The middle-aged man ignored him and placed his bet on Yang Que anyway!

The attendant looked at Yang Que in surprise. Was the kid really that confident, staking so much? Or was he just paying to save face? Never mind. As long as there's money to be made!

"Sir, your stake is valued at 45,000 Gold Coins! Here is your betting slip. If you win, you can present it after the match to collect your payout!" the attendant told Yang Que politely.

"Great! Thanks!" Yang Que grinned so broadly he could hardly close his mouth!

The attendant was baffled. He's about to lose money, and he can still smile? Strange things happen every year, but this year takes the prize! Clearly, he did not think much of Yang Que's chances either!

The hour soon passed! During that time, gamblers who heard the news streamed in and kept betting on the Leader of the Blood Wolf Mercenary Group. To them, the fight was obviously one-sided. The odds might be low, but even a mosquito's leg had meat on it!

That was where the Mercenary Guild showed its cunning! Since everyone involved was a Soul Master, an hour gave plenty of gamblers time to arrive and bet. Anyone who stayed away clearly was not interested in the money. With this many bettors, the Mercenary Guild would make a profit no matter who won or lost!

On the arena!

The middle-aged man smiled at Yang Que. "Well? Did you place a bet? I forgot to tell you: participants can't bet on their opponents! Hahaha!"

"Who said I bet on you? I bet on myself!" Yang Que was all smiles. He stood to win 450,000 Gold Coins in a moment—a huge sum! How could he not be happy?

"Oh? You bet on yourself? Interesting. How much did you stake, and what were your odds?" The middle-aged man was curious.

"Not much. Just 45,000. The odds were only ten to one!" Yang Que said with a smile.

The middle-aged man's jaw dropped! Was this fellow simply rich, or was he a fool with more money than sense?

"As expected of a young master from a great family! You certainly have deep pockets. Even though we're opponents, I have to admire you!" the man said with a smile that was plainly mocking.

Yang Que merely smiled!

"Remember this! Your first defeat as a mercenary came at the hands of me—Lin Chen!" the middle-aged man declared with a laugh!