Chapter 1228: Raising the Stakes

When Li Zhihuo set the terms of the bet, the surroundings broke out into a furor. Many members of the Five Guardian Armies started to drool at the thought of these lavish conditions. After all, they were moved by the forty thousand dragon essence offered by him. This was no small sum.

Someone with a Grand Commander title would barely make more than ten thousand in a year, and although this was just their salary and did not include other sources of dragon essence, there were only twenty people at that rank. Most Grand Commanders would take more than half a year to earn forty thousand dragon essence, and the Thousand Guardians would take even longer.

Thus, the stakes set out by Li Zhihuo had moved the crowd.

Li Foluo's eyebrows furrowed as he icily glared at Li Zhihuo. "I was wondering why all of you had gathered at the Heavenly Dragon Treasury. It seems this is the reason why you were waiting for us."

It looked like their aim all along was to seduce Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e with extravagant stakes to lure them into this bet that would allow them to resolve the situation with Li Hongyou.

Li Zhihuo did not admit or deny this; he merely smiled. "One Li Hongyou for forty thousand dragon essence seems fair, doesn't it?"

Li Foluo smirked coldly as his gaze turned towards Li Luo. "What do you think?"

Li Luo shook his head with a smile. "Nope, not doing it."

An uproar burst out amongst the crowd. Li Luo's refusal was straightforward and decisive. He completely disregarded the forty thousand dragon essence placed before him. That said, he had just entered the Dragon's Fang Guardians, so he surely had a great need for more.

"Grand Commander Li Luo is truly amazing for rejecting my offer. However, isn't the Duke Art you're holding being purchased with credit?" Li Zhihuo asked in surprise.

Li Luo continued grinning. "Forty thousand dragon essence? I would reject this bet even if you were to provide 400,000 dragon essence! I promised Senior Hongyou that I'd bring her into the Dragon's Fang Guardians to accomplish her goals. If I were to take up this bet, wouldn't it be the same as selling her off? Guardian General Li Zhihuo, do you think that a promise from me is merely worth a paltry forty thousand dragon essence?"

These words shocked the spectators, and the way they looked at Li Luo changed slightly. His words showed that he was a righteous person who prioritized his relationships.

"Li Luo is very sentimental," the First Grand Commander of the Dragon's Scale Lineage, Wen Xuan, whispered to Lu Qingmei.

Lu Qingmei nodded slightly as she replied softly, "Li Luo does have a good character, and he's trustworthy as well as a good comrade. When we were in the Spiritual Resonance Cave, he never treated us poorly despite being at an advantage when we cooperated.”

Li Foluo similarly looked at Li Luo. He had never expected him to reject this proposition so decisively. Furthermore, Li Hongyou had just joined the Dragon's Fang Guardians and was helpless, only able to rely on Li Luo. Thus, she did not have any room to object to his decision.

That said, Li Luo did not offer her up to the wolves.

Even though the other party had attempted to lure him in with enticing terms, he had remained unfazed.

His character truly wasn't bad.

Furthermore, despite the fact that Li Zhihuo had made his pronouncement in public, it didn't seem to be an intentional trap on the surface. That said, if Li Luo had truly been moved by this offer, others may have thought of him as greedy and ruthless. How would he have been able to win the hearts of the Five Guardian Armies if that was the people’s general opinion of him?

No one would ever want to follow someone who would cut them loose in the face of greater benefits.

If Li Luo had agreed to the bet and Li Hongyou learned of it, she wouldn’t say anything, but she would be disappointed in her heart. Regardless of whether Li Luo won or lost, she would find it hard to remain in the Dragon's Fang Guardians.

Thus, if one thought through it, this entire bet was truly a trap from head to toe. Li Zhihuo's eyes narrowed slightly amidst the commotion. He had underestimated Li Luo's determination, and clearly, forty thousand dragon essence was insufficient to move him.

Li Hongque's piercing voice suddenly rang out as her face turned a shade of green. "Her goals? What could Li Hongyou possibly hope to attain in the Dragon's Fang Guardians?"

She was most cognizant of what she had done to Li Hongyou and her mother all those years ago. It was obvious that Li Hongyou had joined the Dragon's Fang Guardians just to get back at her!

“That bitch! She actually dared to retaliate?”

A calm and cold voice responded right after Li Hongque had spoken, "I think you, Li Hongque, are most clear about what my goals are."

Everyone was a little surprised. They turned their heads to see a lady with long, crimson hair. She had a frigid expression, though her body gave off a refreshing fragrance.

It was none other than Li Hongyou.

"Senior Hongyou?" Li Luo was a little shocked to see her as well.

Li Foluo indifferently replied, "When I saw Li Hongque and the rest entering the Heavenly Dragon Treasury, I sent someone to fetch her."

The corner of Li Luo's mouth twitched a little.

“Doesn't that mean that if I had accepted the bet earlier, Li Hongyou would have heard everything with her own ears? This damned thick-browed, big-eyed Li Foluo—couldn't he have warned mne in advance?”

Li Hongque glared at the familiar face before bursting out in a fury a few moments later. "Li Hongyou, how dare you stand before me, you bitch?!"

"Li Hongque, it has been many years since we’ve seen each other, and you're still as uncultured as ever. It seems like Li Yuanzhen never taught you well," Li Hongyou dryly replied. Her eyes were filled with an intense hatred and chill that Li Luo had never witnessed before.

"You dare to address your father by his full name? You truly are courting death, you slut!" Li Hongque's eyes were similarly filled with disgust and fury as majestic amounts of resonant power exploded from her body. She then flickered forward, directly pouncing towards Li Hongyou.

Her hand was raised as she swung it with enough force to create a sonic boom, attempting to heavily slap Li Hongyou's face.

However, before the slap could land, a sword filled with light resonant power was placed against Li Hongque's fair neck.

The cold sensation of metal on her skin caused goosebumps to break out all over her body.

Her gaze was full of fury as she icily stared at Jiang Qing'e. "I am disciplining a member of my family. What does it have to do with you?"

Li Luo nonchalantly replied, "She is a Thousand Guardian of the Dragon's Fang Guardians. She has nothing to do with you. You're attempting to injure someone out of the blue, so you can't blame us for being impolite."

Li Hongque was so angry, she was about to blow her top upon hearing Li Luo's protective words. She could feel a numbness in her chest.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Hongque, come here," Li Zhihuo said. With Li Hongyou being a Thousand Guardian, it was not appropriate for Li Hongque to strike her. She had to follow Li Zhihuo’s order, so she hatefully retreated while she stared daggers at Li Hongyou.

Li Zhihuo turned towards Li Luo. "Grand Commander Li Luo, Li Hongyou is a member of the Dragon's Blood Lineage. Whether you agree or not, this is a fact. Your actions are not in line with the rules."

This was met with a cold smile, and Li Luo's words sharpened as well. "Senior Hongyou and her mother were chased out of the Dragon's Blood Lineage when she was young. Afterwards, they suffered for many years, and they never used a single bit of the Dragon's Blood Lineage's resources. Senior Hongyou relied on no one but herself to get to where she is today. And now you've come running over to tell me she's a member of your lineage? Guardian General Li Zhihuo, don't you think you're a little too thick-skinned?"

Whispers broke out amongst the crowd. As onlookers, they did not know of the exact relationship between Li Hongyou and Li Hongque. However, Li Luo's words had provided them with the context, and the way they looked at Li Hongque turned a little strange.

Everyone in the Five Guardian Armies knew what Li Hongque was like. Thus, there was quite a bit of certainty that she was capable of doing what Li Luo had accused her of.

As a result, many felt pity towards Li Hongyou, and they agreed that what Li Hongque had done was simply tyrannical.

Li Zhihuo remained emotionless. "I will have to inform Cousin Li Yuanzhen of this. He will naturally report this to the Lineage Chief, who will discuss this with Lineage Chief Li Jingzhe."

"In that case, we can speak later," Li Luo cooly replied.

Li Zhihuo knew that talking more was useless and thus turned to leave.

At this point in time, Li Hongyou's voice suddenly rang out.

"Guardian General Li Zhihuo, if you want to gamble, why don't we raise the stakes? A puny sum of forty thousand dragon essence is not fitting of your magnificent title as Guardian General."

Li Zhihuo paused and turned his head, giving Li Hongyou a piercing look. "What are you trying to say?"

"It’s not like we are fully against accepting a bet," Li Hongyou replied.

"However, we have to raise the stakes. If you lose, you'll have to give Dragon Fang Envoy Jiang and Grand Commander Li Luo forty thousand dragon essence each. If you win, I'll leave the Dragon's Fang Guardians."

Her words caused a flurry of activity amongst the crowd.

Li Luo hurriedly replied, "Senior Hongyou, there's no need to put yourself on the line for a bet!"

Li Hongyou smiled as she whispered to him, "Aren't you moved by the amount of dragon essence? This is a great opportunity."

Li Luo bitterly smiled. It would be a lie to say that he was not moved by the thought of eighty thousand dragon essence. Li Zhihuo would probably have to work tirelessly for an entire year to earn such a sum.

However, a bet with so much on the line would not be easy to win.

"I believe in you," Li Hongyou said in a low voice.

Li Luo rubbed the center of his brows in response. It seemed like everyone only knew how to pile on the pressure... Had they all forgotten that he was at the Greater Heavenly Resonance Tier?