Chapter 665: Lucky Dog

It was the little black dog. He had been searching for it ever since it had gone missing. But there had been no news from No. 88. He never expected to see it here.

The little black dog had clearly grown a bit. It was now about two-thirds the size of a normal dog. But it was far too thin. It was nothing but skin and bones. Moreover, half of its black fur had fallen off. Its exposed dark skin looked like it had scabbed over and was covered in scars.

Six groups of star beasts were driven out into the arena from the holes in the walls surrounding the beast arena. The little black dog was among them. The other groups consisted of packs of seven or eight star beasts.

But the little black dog stood alone. It stood in the blood-soaked arena, surrounded by severed limbs and beast corpses. Its two hind legs seemed injured. It dragged its legs along the ground as it let out weak, whimpering cries.

“What’s going on?”

“This is the Beast King ring’s grand finale—why are they sending out a crippled, mangy dog?”

“Damn it, what’s that dog doing? Shit, it’s pissing itself... and taking a dump...”

“Is Ba Fang Wisdom playing a joke on us?”

The audience was stunned by the sight. They had been promised a grand, bloody climax featuring the fiercest Beast King battle. Yet now, a limping, mangy dog with crippled legs had been sent into the ring. Was this some kind of prank?

But Li Xiaofei could clearly tell that it was definitely his little black dog. Even though it had changed so much, he recognized it at first glance.

“I feel like a story’s about to unfold,” Huang Dinggou said as he lounged on the sofa in the VIP private room. Two young, beautiful female attendants were massaging his legs and feet.

He added, “Brother Chen, why don’t we place a bet on that mangy dog? Maybe a miracle will happen.”

“Hm?” Li Xiaofei was a little surprised.

The little black dog’s strength was certainly no joke. Its bloodline alone spoke volumes. But how had Huang Dinggou noticed? Did he have a discerning eye for dogs?

“How much?” Li Xiaofei asked tentatively.

Huang Dinggou replied, “Let’s bet one hundred and fifty kilograms of celestial jade. I happen to have that much on me.”

Li Xiaofei was shocked and asked, “Where did you get that kind of money?”

Huang Dinggou chuckled and said, “Uh... guess?”

Li Xiaofei’s face darkened as he asked again, “You didn’t borrow from loan sharks again, did you?”

Huang Dinggou responded confidently, “This kind of debt isn’t meant to be paid back. Those loan sharks are bloodsuckers. I only borrowed a little, and they want me to pay back three times the amount? Back then, I had no power, so I had to endure being drained by them. But now... I’m the Vice Hall Master of Red Shield Hall under the Exploding Star Gang. If anyone dares come to collect from me, I’ll break their legs.”

“Hold on.” Li Xiaofei asked, “When did you become the Vice Hall Master of Red Shield Hall?”

Huang Dinggou answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world, “Brother Chen, with the bond we forged while slaughtering our way through Shenyin Pavilion, aren’t you planning to give me a Vice Hall Master title?”

Li Xiaofei was utterly speechless.

To be honest, he had indeed been planning to make Huang Dinggou the Vice Hall Master. Strength didn’t matter. What mattered was reliability. So, Li Xiaofei simply chose to remain silent. However, Huang Dinggou’s words had truly given him an idea. He could vaguely see a path to making a fortune.

The battle in the arena had already begun while they were talking. Whether it was Scorpion beasts, giant serpents, wolfhounds, and venomous lizards, these massive star beast packs had been driven into a bloodlust and were now engaged in a frenzy of slaughter.

The scene was exactly what the audience had anticipated. It was bloody, thrilling, violent, and wild. Every roar and pounce fiercely triggered the crowd’s adrenaline. Cheers and shouts, roars and cries. All kinds of sounds filled the arena.

The only oddity was the little black mangy dog. It seemed to have been scared out of its wits from the very beginning. It had collapsed in a puddle of its own urine and feces, not daring to move an inch.

Perhaps because it appeared so utterly harmless that none of the other beasts paid it any attention. The chaotic group battle, lasting roughly twenty minutes, gradually came to an end.

In the end, a Praying Mantis King with the bloodline of a Star Dragon emerged victorious. It had relied on its formidable regenerative ability to survive to the last. Its massive body, covered in dark purple armor plates, was riddled with bite and claw marks. It was drenched in fresh blood.

But it was alive. Like a king who had survived the battlefield of Asura, the Praying Mantis King stood atop a mound of corpses, letting out a shrill, piercing cry.

"Ha ha, I bet on the right one!"

"As expected, the Mantis King survived in the end!"

"Haha, I made a fortune!"

"Wait, the fight isn't over yet. That dog is still alive."

𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"You think it can turn the tables and kill the Mantis King? Haha, dream on."

The crowd erupted into cheers and heated debates.

At that moment, the Mantis King paid no attention to the little mangy black dog. It licked its wounds and slowly walked toward the cowering, limp little black dog.

"Whimper..." The little black dog shrank back as if it had been scared out of its wits.

The Mantis King took another step forward.

Squelch.

It stepped into a pile of feces from earlier, when the little black dog had pissed itself in fear.

The Mantis King's massive body wavered slightly. A hint of confusion flickered in its large compound eyes. In the next instant, an unprecedented wave of fatigue and weakness washed over it.

The Mantis King staggered in place as though it were drunk. Its legs gave way, and it collapsed. It fell right into the piss pit. Its limbs twitched a few times before finally falling completely still.

“Woof!” The little black mangy dog suddenly let out a fierce, puppy-like bark.

Its terrified demeanor vanished in an instant. The seemingly broken hind legs miraculously healed, and it nimbly dashed forward and leaped onto the head of the Praying Mantis King. It let out a domineering roar. It looked like it was doing its best to maintain a ferocious appearance.

Everyone was stunned.

What just happened?

Why did the Praying Mantis King suddenly die?

“Damn!” Huang Dinggou jumped up in disbelief. “That little runt actually won... Haha! The Mantis King died from internal injuries! Hahaha! No way, no way, right? Hahaha, I’m going to be rich. That’s a 1 to 13.5 payout! Ahahaha!”

“You look surprised,” Li Xiaofei said, testing the waters. “Weren’t you confident when you placed the bet on the little black dog? I thought you had already seen its potential to win.”

Huang Dinggou smirked proudly. “You don’t get it. I didn’t see anything special about that little thing. But since Ba Fang Wisdom put it in the final Beast King fight, and all the other Beast Kings were in packs while it was the only one alone, I had a feeling there was something fishy going on. Turns out... this little guy is a damn trickster!”

Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but view this hidden dragon in a new light. Huang Dinggou had actually spotted the key detail right from the beginning. However, the current problem was how to reclaim the little black dog. Back on Earth, he had appeared alongside the little black dog in public before. If he bought it outright, it might attract unwanted attention, particularly from that ever-present, shadow-like force known as Eden.

Li Xiaofei was certain that Eden’s people would love nothing more than to flay him alive. They were surely keeping a close eye on any information related to him.

Li Xiaofei began to think it over carefully.

If I approached Ba Fang Wisdom and expressed a desire to buy the little black mangy dog, will it be a subtle clue that tipped Eden off?

Just then, a commotion broke out outside. Shortly after, a message echoed through the public broadcast channel. The announcement was that the little black mangy dog would be put up for auction and sold to the highest bidder.

Hm?

Li Xiaofei turned to Huang Dinggou and asked, “Is there always an auction after every Beast King fight?”

Huang Dinggou was counting his winnings at that moment. The bet on the little black dog had multiplied his wealth.

“It depends,” Huang Dinggou answered without looking up. “Sometimes, if the surviving Beast King isn’t too badly injured, looks good, is easy to train, or has growth potential, they’ll put it up for auction. But if it’s heavily injured, too aggressive, old, or hard to tame, they just execute it.

“This little guy today... It’s ugly but not threatening, still a juvenile, so I guess it barely qualifies as having some potential. That’s why it’s being auctioned... Huh? Wait a minute. What if I buy it? I think it’s my lucky dog.”

Li Xiaofei’s heart stirred, and he casually said, “Sure, why not?”

Isn’t this perfect timing? Huang Dinggou, you are the real lucky dog here. Everything is falling right into place.

The auction started quickly. However, there weren’t many serious bidders. The little black mangy dog simply looked too ugly and too ordinary. It was completely like a common mutt. It was scrawny and bony... It hardly seemed like a beast with any real potential.

Most people, like Huang Dinggou, suspected that the Praying Mantis King had died from its severe injuries, and that the little black dog had nothing to do with it. Only Li Xiaofei knew how terrifying the little black dog’s urine and feces were.

He was watching as Huang Dinggou was about to secure the little black mangy dog for the price of fifty kilograms of celestial jade when an unexpected event suddenly occurred.