Had He Lost His Mind?

The raised platform at the center of the beast-fighting arena was already packed.

Everyone was waiting for Gu Chenfeng and Zhang You's extravagant wager of fifty thousand taels on a single match.

Princess Yaoyin and Shangguan Bingxin were among the spectators.

"Gu Chenfeng really can't keep his composure. A few taunts, and he falls right into their trap," Princess Yaoyin murmured.

"Your Highness saw through Zhang You's scheme as well?" Shangguan Bingxin sounded somewhat surprised.

"Old Chancellor Gu is currently in seclusion, and his condition is uncertain. The Huangfu Lineage, headed by the Left Chancellor, has always been at daggers drawn with the Gu Lineage.

"As the Huangfu Lineage's staunch ally, the Zhang Lineage would naturally seize this opportunity to make a move.

"Yet Gu Chenfeng is the only male descendant in the Gu Lineage's third generation. It would be bad enough if he were merely inept at both scholarly and martial pursuits.

"To flaunt himself at a time like this, unable to see the situation clearly-it's sheer stupidity."

Shangguan Bingxin nodded slightly.

"You make a good point, Your Highness, but... Gu Chenfeng doesn't seem quite as hopeless as the rumors suggest.

"At the very least, turning four hundred taels into fifty thousand in the time it takes an incense stick to burn is no ordinary feat."

Princess Yaoyin faltered slightly.

They had witnessed all three of Gu Chenfeng's earlier wagers themselves.

He had indeed won, but every victory had been utterly baffling.

He had either happened to pick the lame queen hound or chosen some mutated Origin Beast.

She could think of no explanation other than luck.

Just then, a stir swept through the crowd.

Zhang You personally led a huge wolf onto the platform. It stood over half a person's height, with silver-gray fur and a cold, eerie gaze.

"That's... a Gale Wolf!"

Gale Wolves were low-tier Origin Beasts. Adults generally possessed strength equivalent to at least seven stars in the Body Tempering Realm, and some could even reach the Meridian-Opening Realm.

This Gale Wolf's fur had almost turned silver, and its strength had already reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.

Moreover, wolf-type Origin Beasts were naturally formidable fighters, with few rivals among Origin Beasts of the same level.

No one had seen this Gale Wolf in the square earlier. Clearly, Zhang You had raised it privately.

Gu Chenfeng and Ouyang Cai, however, had brought no Origin Beasts and could only choose one on the spot from the Rare Beast Garden.

Some knowledgeable spectators already felt the outcome of this wager was a foregone conclusion.

"Look, Third Young Master Gu and Young Master Ouyang are here!"

At the back of the crowd, a perfectly composed Gu Chenfeng and an odd-looking Ouyang Cai approached the platform.

"Huh... where's the Origin Beast they chose?"

Seeing nothing beside the two men, the crowd stirred again.

On the platform, Zhang You also frowned slightly.

Then Gu Chenfeng stepped onto the beast-fighting platform.

He spread his hands and placed a palm-sized little beast in the center of the platform. Its body was snowy white, and its eyes gleamed faintly with silver light.

"That's... a Silver-Eyed Fox cub!"

"It really is a Silver-Eyed Fox. How adorable!"

Quite a few women below the platform lit up at the sight.

Silver-Eyed Foxes were also low-tier Origin Beasts.

But their rarity and adorable appearance made them beloved spirit pets among many young ladies of distinguished families.

Yet this Silver-Eyed Fox, clearly newborn and still sleeping soundly,

had been placed on the beast-fighting platform to face a Gale Wolf at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm.

"A Silver-Eyed Fox cub against a Gale Wolf? Has Gu Chenfeng lost his mind?"

In the stands, Princess Yaoyin could not help exclaiming softly.

Many noblewomen also launched a barrage of condemnation at Gu Chenfeng.

Only Shangguan Bingxin stared at the Silver-Eyed Fox cub, vaguely sensing that something was amiss.

"Third Young Master, are you sure you want to fight with this Origin Beast?"

Even Zhang You was at a loss over Gu Chenfeng's antics.

A Silver-Eyed Fox was hardly a high-tier Origin Beast. This cub wouldn't even fill a gap between the Gale Wolf's teeth.

Gu Chenfeng merely replied calmly.

"Stop dawdling. Let's begin."

Though Zhang You had no idea what medicine Gu Chenfeng was hiding in his gourd,

he could think of no reason he would lose.

Without hesitation, he unfastened the iron collar around the Gale Wolf's neck.

"Attack!"

"Roar!"

The moment it saw the Silver-Eyed Fox cub, greed and bloodlust had filled the Gale Wolf's eyes.

Once released, it roared and lunged at the cub.

Gu Chenfeng was still crouching beside the Silver-Eyed Fox cub.

As the Gale Wolf charged toward him, he leisurely reached out and flicked the cub's rump with a finger.

"Wake up, little fellow."

Jolted painfully out of its sweet dreams, the little beast let out a faint cry.

"Chirp, chirp...!"

The Silver-Eyed Fox cub's babyish cries rang out across the beast-fighting platform.

The women in the audience felt their hearts clench and cursed Gu Chenfeng for being such a brute.

How could he feed such an adorable Silver-Eyed Fox to a wolf?

Yet.

The Gale Wolf, which had been hurtling toward the Silver-Eyed Fox with a thunderous growl, heard the cub's cries.

"Roar... awroo!"

Its voice suddenly shot up an octave, then cut off abruptly.

Its racing body also froze on the spot.

An uncertain, startled look actually appeared in its eyes.

"Huh...?"

The sight left everyone present astonished.

"What's going on? Why did the Gale Wolf stop? Does it not want to bully the weak?"

"Why does it look a little scared to me?

"Look at its legs. They seem to be shaking."

Only then did everyone notice that the Gale Wolf on the platform had tucked its tail tightly between its legs, which were trembling slightly.

Those cold, bloodthirsty eyes now gazed at the Silver-Eyed Fox cub with the goofy, vacant look of a husky.

Just then, Gu Chenfeng gave the cub's rump another, harder flick.

"Chirp, chirp...!"

The little fellow woke fully from the pain and, feeling hungry as well, began crying at the top of its lungs.

Its little baby voice could not have been more adorable.

Yet to the Gale Wolf, that sound was nothing less than a thunderbolt out of a clear sky.

"Awooo!"

The Gale Wolf finally realized something.

A terror rising from its very soul flooded its heart. With a whimper, it turned tail and ran.