Chapter 36: The Gambler

Qin Jue gazed at the scarred man before him, his eyebrows arching slightly.

So soon? A Fourth-Gate Master martial artist had already stepped forward.

He glanced behind his opponent and noticed the crowd of onlookers had thinned slightly. This was to be expected; the rules dictated that if a flag-bearer remained unchallenged for half an hour, they would be declared the victor. Naturally, the others would not stake all their hopes on one tree when they could try their luck elsewhere. Yet, most remained, as they only had one chance, and this appeared to be their best opportunity.

As he pondered, the scarred man moved like a bolt of lightning, closing the distance in an instant. He clenched his fists tightly, the blood and qi within him surging violently. The veins on his arms bulged, and a faint red glow shimmered across his skin. With a low shout, he threw a punch—the whistling wind of his strike carried immense force. Determined to end the fight quickly, this master held nothing back.

Qin Jue’s expression darkened. The aura around him shifted; his blood and qi surged rapidly through his veins. With a light tap of his toes against the ground, he did not retreat, but advanced. Just as they were about to collide, he sidestepped, narrowly dodging the blow before throwing a punch of his own at the man's face. Against an opponent of this caliber, he could not afford to merely dodge as he had done before; he had to seize the initiative to stand a chance.

"Hmph!" The scarred man reacted with agility, shifting his left hand to his right side and clenching it into a fist.

*Bang!*

Qin Jue’s fist collided with the man’s, and he did not budge. The strength of a Fourth-Gate Master was far superior to his previous opponents, and this man clearly specialized in upper-body training. Of course, this was also because Qin Jue had pulled his punches. His current strength was approaching that of a Fourth-Gate Peak master; had he used his full force, the scarred man would have been in serious trouble.

The scarred man, however, remained confident. He swung his left arm with a burst of power, forcing Qin Jue back, before stepping forward to unleash a flurry of blows. Qin Jue parried left and right, appearing quite disheveled.

The onlookers watched this scene and nodded, finding it only natural. Courage could not bridge the gap in cultivation levels. Only Xu Panyue, standing in the distance, wore a grave expression. His eyes were locked on Qin Jue’s movements, deep in thought. The opponent's speed was wrong... it was too slow! He knew from their time at Lishan that this man was capable of catching up to him. How could he be struggling so much?

"What exactly is he planning?" Xu Panyue muttered to himself.

High above, the influential figures who caught on were equally bewildered, especially Wu Mi. To him, if one had the strength to win, why bother feigning weakness? Wasn't that just a waste of stamina and an invitation for others to challenge him?

"Old Wu, don't tell me your subordinate also possesses the constitution that grows stronger with every fight?" Wu Mi’s superior, a burly commander, said with a chuckle. It was well known in the army that Wu Xiao possessed such a unique constitution.

The commander was merely trying to give Qin Jue an out, as the man was, after all, under his command.

"I... I suppose so," Wu Mi did not dare jump to conclusions. With the Commander-in-Chief standing nearby, a mistake could lead to serious consequences.

"Today’s youth certainly have spirit! But the road has its ups and downs; he should be careful not to stumble in a ditch and make a fool of himself," Sun Dazhi said, his eyes narrowed. Wu Mi glared at him but remained silent. He had already lost his composure earlier; with the Commander-in-Chief present, he needed to remain steady.

Down in the valley, just as the bigwigs had anticipated, Qin Jue began his counterattack after a period of entanglement. Though every counter-strike appeared labored, the results were devastating. Now, it was the scarred man who moved clumsily, forced into frequent retreats.

The onlookers were stunned! This was not what they had expected. Even more shocking was that, in the blink of an eye, the scarred man was defeated by a single blow and sent crashing to the ground. Some rubbed their eyes, certain they had misseen.

[Congratulations to the host for defeating an opponent. Gained 3 Victory Points!]

In the arena, Qin Jue stood panting heavily, watching the crowd in silence. Although he had defeated a Fourth-Gate Master, he knew others would continue to challenge him. Human nature was, after all, a gamble. Seeing Qin Jue teetering on the edge of collapse, who wouldn't want to step forward and try their luck? What if? What if they were the one to win?

Even after the Fourth-Gate Master fell, several warriors stepped forward, eager to challenge him. This gambling spirit wasn't limited to the challengers; it had spread to the soldiers on the sidelines.

Two rounds had passed since Chen Xi and the sharp-featured man had made their wager. Seeing Qin Jue win again, Chen Xi let out a long sigh of relief. Before the bet, he had been hesitant, thinking only of using his half-year's wages to help Qin Jue vent his frustration. Since their conversation in the tent, Chen Xi had been deeply grateful. Later, Qin Jue had entrusted him with the management of the garrison affairs and daily training, making him feel valued, and he naturally wanted to repay that trust.

But... his squad leader really might win three in a row! Chen Xi kept his eyes locked on Qin Jue, his confidence reaching its peak. He turned to the sharp-featured man and said with a smirk, "Shall we increase the stakes? What if my squad leader loses?"

Chen Xi was caught up in the moment, driven by his absolute confidence in Qin Jue. Having watched him win so many times, he felt victory was all but assured, and he couldn't wait to see the man humbled. The sharp-featured man, still in shock at Qin Jue's win, blurted out, "Fine, let's increase it! Let's bet a full year's wages!"

Gamblers are madmen! In his mind, Qin Jue had already won five times; could he really keep winning? After five "big" bets, surely the next one had to be "small"?

Chen Xi chuckled and looked toward the grim-faced military officer. "Officer, would you like to try as well? After all, didn't you also think my squad leader couldn't win?"

The officer frowned, sensing the provocation. He let out a cold snort and did not respond.

In the arena, the next challenger was a Fourth-Gate Minor Completion martial artist. He, too, was gambling—betting that Qin Jue was physically exhausted and would be easily defeated. Qin Jue appeared to be struggling just as the challenger had hoped, which only bolstered his confidence.

"Go! Get him! Finish him quickly!" On the sidelines, the sharp-featured man had pushed to the front, his fists clenched, body leaning forward, muttering incessantly. He stared at the field, his breath hitching with every turn of the tide.

However... even when it looked like Qin Jue would lose, he remained resilient. Finally, he landed a single punch that defeated his opponent.

*Thump.*

The sharp-featured man’s legs gave way, and he collapsed like a marionette with severed strings. His eyes were hollow and vacant, his hands hung limp, and his pale lips trembled as he muttered, "It’s gone... a year's wages... all gone..."

The officer, disgusted by his subordinate's pathetic display, grabbed him and threw him toward the back. "Don't embarrass me here!"

With Qin Jue’s victory, the seemingly calm Chen Xi took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief. He wiped the nervous sweat from his palms with his sleeve, his gaze burning as he looked at Qin Jue. "I knew you could do it!" His conviction in Qin Jue grew even deeper.

A moment later, he looked triumphantly at the distraught man. "Don't forget the year's wages!" He then glanced at the officer. That was close—the officer had nearly lost a year's wages too.

The officer, already in a foul mood and now provoked repeatedly, felt his rage ignite. A fierce gust of wind, sharp as a blade, struck Chen Xi, causing him intense pain. Chen Xi turned pale and stumbled back, droplets of blood seeping from his tough skin. A Second-Realm martial artist was not someone he could resist!

Chen Xi kept his head down, teeth gritted, feeling utterly humiliated. The officer’s voice rang out again: "Since when is gambling allowed in the camp? I shall overlook this as a first offense, but let this be the last time!"