Shen Tianxun: My brow? Oh, then it's fine

"Senior... this is unfair..." Shen Tianxun said with difficulty.

Liu Duanyuan interrupted him again:

"You have to choose one. If you don't, I'll choose one for you."

After speaking, he paused, then said:

"If I choose for you, then you don't need to choose; you'll definitely want them all."

In an instant, what was originally a dilemma turned into a triple dilemma.

Shen Tianxun felt a chill run down his spine.

If the bet is lost, according to the original agreement, the Shen Clan will likely suffer a huge financial loss and may be severely weakened.

Furthermore, there's that new clause added before we even started; Du Niansheng probably doesn't have anything good in mind.

However, if he were chosen to cheat, not only would it be a fabricated charge, since he only intended to do it but failed, but also Liu Duanyuan's words just now would likely mean that he would have to bear all the blame.

But if Liu Duanyuan were to choose...

There are no "ifs"!

He's not stupid.

Choosing between two equally bad options might be agonizing, but he knew he absolutely couldn't accept the one that was truly rotten.

Time passed little by little.

Shen Tianxun became increasingly nervous.

Finally, he steeled himself and made his decision.

I have made many contributions to the development of the Shen Clan over the years. The Shen Clan has shared my joys and sorrows, and should share my hardships.

With such a large Shen Clan, it's better for them to share the burden than for me to be unable to support them alone.

At that moment, Shen Tianxun took a deep breath and said:

"Senior Liu, in this battle, our Shen Clan has lost."

After saying this, Shen Tianxun seemed to have all his energy drained away.

As these words fell.

The crowd immediately started discussing it.

However, the strongest reaction came not from the outsiders who came to watch, but from the powerful members of the Shen Clan.

"Clan leader, how could you do this? One should bear the consequences of one's actions. How can you implicate the entire clan with such despicable methods? We are all innocent!"

"Chieftain, please reconsider. The conditions in those treaties are almost all aimed at the extinction of the clan. As the chieftain, you should bear this responsibility and consider the well-being of everyone!"

"Senior Liu, don't listen to him! It's all his fault for cheating, it has nothing to do with our Shen Clan!!!"

The fact that the threat of failure was so close for the first time made Shen Tianxun's choice cause many powerful members of the Shen Clan to become restless.

If those treaties were actually implemented, they couldn't even imagine how much harm they would cause to the Shen Clan!

At this time...

Liu Duanyuan's figure had already reached a high position.

His gaze swept over everyone present.

Du Niansheng also arrived in mid-air, standing one body length below Liu Duanyuan.

"Come."

Liu Duanyuan raised his hand and pulled Shen Tianxun into the air.

Then, he spoke:

"In this wager between the Shen Clan and the Withering and Flourishing Sect, witnessed by my Liu Clan, the Withering and Flourishing Sect has emerged victorious!"

The official results have been announced.

The crowd below was deeply moved:

"I never expected that the one to emerge victorious in the end would be the Withering and Flourishing Sect."

On the other side, the many powerful members of the Shen Clan were all in mourning, their faces grim.

"After today, the Shen Clan will likely face a catastrophe."

A powerful member of the Shen Clan cried out in despair.

In other situations, one might agree outwardly but not follow through inwardly.

But with the Liu Clan holding sway over the area, how could they not comply?

At this moment, they only had one feeling.

Shen Tianxun has always achieved good results in his work over the years, so why has he done such a terrible job this time?

Ironically, they had gotten used to it and subconsciously felt that everything Shen Tianxun did this time was prudent.

Unexpectedly, what started as a minor incident turned into a major disaster for them.

Some powerful members of the Shen Clan couldn't help but question Shen Tianxun telepathically, asking why he did this.

Shen Tianxun did not respond to any of these questions.

At this moment, he only had one thing on his mind.

His own precious son, Shen Wentian.

Having poured so much effort and resources into it, we absolutely cannot allow it to suffer any lasting damage after this gambling battle.

As long as Shen Wentian is alright and his bloodline remains, one day, even if he encounters setbacks, he will be able to make a comeback!

"As previously agreed, Du Niansheng, do you want one thing from Shen Tianxun? What do you intend to take?"

Liu Duanyuan's voice rang out, and after speaking, he looked at Du Niansheng.

All eyes turned to Du Niansheng, their eyes filled with curiosity.

"I almost forgot about that. Speaking of which, this should be the most interesting part. What do you think the leader of the Withering and Flourishing Sect will write?"

"I reckon it'll be fatal," someone nearby said.

"If the Shen Clan wins, Shen Tianxun will definitely want to take Du Niansheng's life, an eye for an eye, and I think there's a high probability it will be fatal."

"But that would take away some of the fun; life-or-death situations are somewhat boring." Someone shook their head.

"We'd like something different, like walking without limbs, removing the back, taking out the spine, severing the tendons in the limbs—we'd like to have some excitement."

"..."

Amidst the speculation and discussion, the crowd remained silent.

Du Niansheng spoke up:

"Senior, what I want is Shen Tianxun's eyebrows."

"However, this junior's abilities are limited, and I may find it difficult to do so. I wonder if I could ask the senior to do it for me?"

Upon hearing this statement...

The discussion suddenly stopped, followed by a chorus of surprised exclamations:

"Hmm? Eyebrows, so it's this kind of thing?"

"I guessed so many things, but it turned out to be eyebrows. This is truly unexpected, absolutely unexpected!"

"No, what use is this thing? And even if it's taken away, it won't cause any real harm, right? Why would they want it? Du Niansheng isn't ruthless enough."

"What a pity, it wasn't as exciting as 'Deadly'. Why couldn't we have something more exciting?"

After the initial surprise, many people quickly lost interest.

On the contrary, the expressions of grief and indignation on the faces of the powerful members of the Shen Clan softened slightly.

"If what you want is so insignificant, then can the terms of this bet be negotiated?"

Unlike the reactions of others.

Shen Tianxun, whose heart was filled with all sorts of negative emotions, almost couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing Du Niansheng's request.

"Good idea. I'm really annoyed by this damn brow. If it can be removed, it might not be a bad thing. Let it go on your face and torment you."

Shen Tianxun was very satisfied.

Although it's unclear why Du Niansheng would want his eyebrows, it's obvious that wanting his eyebrows is much more acceptable than wanting his own life.

Besides, eyebrows are ultimately just a part of the physical body. At this level, losing this part can easily grow back in time, so it can be said to be insignificant.

At that moment, Shen Tianxun looked at Du Niansheng and decisively spoke:

"Alright, I want the eyebrows. You'd better not back out!"