Chapter 673: Already A Walking Corpse

A piece of news spread throughout Chongque City, shocking everyone with its astonishing content and sheer amount of information.

Nan Wushuang, the president of the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild, had demanded an explanation from the Exploding Star Gang after his only son was killed by Li Qingchen, the Hall Master of Red Shield Hall. If no resolution was reached, there would be no end to their conflict.

Tensions between the two major factions escalated to the brink of open war. However, Gao Xinghan, the Grand Overseer of the Inner Division, one of the Four Divisions, personally intervened after making inquiries. He was attempting to mediate between the two sides.

In the end, under the oversight of official forces, the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild and the Exploding Star Gang agreed to settle their grievances through a life-or-death duel at Jiuyang Tower.

Such duels at Jiuyang Tower were common. This method served as the ultimate resolution for grudges that could not be settled through conventional means within the world of gangs and even among the major powers of Chongque City.

The winner took all. The loser accepted their fate. Tens of thousands of life-or-death duels took place in Chongque City every year. For instance, the recent battle between the Exploding Star Gang and the Twin Shadow Tower had followed this exact format.

However, what made this particular duel so shocking, the thing that had sent an enormous ripple throughout Chongque City, was not just the fight itself, but also the external wagers.

Both the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild and the Exploding Star Gang had placed astronomical stakes on the outcome of the duel. The former had wagered the five-hundred-year operational rights to three A+ grade stargate ports, while the latter had staked the ownership of a celestial jade trading market and the operational rights to an A+ grade major weapons auction house.

The authorities of Chongque City had a strict system and set standards for the division of commercial sectors. They issued different licenses to regulate business operations. Only those who obtained the necessary licenses were allowed to conduct commercial activities within the city.

An A+ grade market license, whether for a stargate or a trading hub, was considered a highly coveted asset. Even in the worst market conditions, a business operating under such a license would generate a minimum annual revenue of five hundred thousand kilograms of celestial jade.

With such staggering stakes, this duel became the largest and most extravagant life-or-death match held in Chongque City's arena in nearly a century. It was also the most reckless.

And that wasn’t all. There was another, even more bizarre condition attached to the bet, one so shocking that it ignited an even bigger uproar than the ownership rights to the five major establishments.

If the Exploding Star Gang lost the duel, their leader, Wei Xiaotian, would be required to disfigure himself for one hundred years. He would not be allowed to restore his appearance using medicinal pills, nor would he be permitted to conceal his face with a mask.

When this news broke, countless people were left utterly speechless. Wei Xiaotian was known as the most handsome man in Chongque City. In fact, his face was considered such an iconic symbol of the Exploding Star Gang that calling it their ultimate branding tool wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Disfigurement?! This wager was no longer just about financial interests. It was the ultimate act of humiliation. No one could understand why Wei Xiaotian had agreed to such a degrading condition.

No one understood why he was so determined to protect Li Qingchen, a man widely regarded as useless, either. Even though Li Qingchen had risen to the position of a Hall Master within the Exploding Star Gang, it hardly justified taking such an enormous risk to shield him.

The Azure Swallow Merchant Guild had already made it clear. If the Exploding Star Gang handed over Li Qingchen, they would be willing to let the matter rest and refrain from further conflict.

But Wei Xiaotian refused. All of Chongque City was shaken as the news continued to spread. More and more people, along with powerful factions, turned their attention toward the impending duel.

Various rumors and speculations began to spread like wildfire. Stories of Li Qingchen’s bizarre past quickly circulated beyond small private circles and became widely known throughout Chongque City. The notorious, lecherous fatty gained instant fame overnight.

Rumors also suggested that Nan Renyi’s death was somehow connected to Si Kongxue, the eldest daughter of the Fengyu Merchant Guild. Some claimed that Si Kongxue had been defiled by Li Qingchen, prompting the Si family to secretly fund the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild’s campaign against the Exploding Star Gang.

Others whispered that the Grand Overseer of the Inner Division was displeased with the increasing influence of both the merchant guilds and the gang factions.

An even wilder rumor suggested that Li Qingchen was actually Wei Xiaotian’s illegitimate son. There was also talk of Li Qingchen swearing to marry a hundred wives and father ten thousand children to restore the glory of the Li family.

Some even recalled that the Li family had once been one of Chongque City's wealthiest households, and that Li Yiyun’s great-grandfather had once been one of the Four Grand Overseers of the city.

Speculations ran rampant, filling the air with a chaotic mix of truth and fabrication. Despite all this gossip, people remained most focused on the actions of both sides leading up to the duel.

Li Qingchen, the Hall Master of Red Shield Hall under the Exploding Star Gang, had vanished. He had not made a single public appearance and rumors claimed he had gone into hiding because he was too terrified to face what was coming.

The Azure Swallow Merchant Guild then made a public declaration. They were offering a reward of one million kilograms of celestial jade, along with a substantial amount of rare treasures, to recruit a guest elder to fight in the duel on behalf of the guild.

As one of the four major merchant guilds, the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild wielded immense financial power and influence. Its president, Nan Wushuang, was well-connected and highly charismatic. He attracted numerous renowned rogue cultivators to apply for the position.

However, very few passed the selection process. It was rumored that Nan Wushuang had sworn to personally see Li Qingchen tortured and killed on the dueling stage. He wanted to ensure that every moment of his suffering would be drawn out. Thus, to guarantee this outcome, he sought nothing less than a warrior at the Neutron Star level or higher.

He was willing to pay any price to achieve his goal. With less than three days remaining before the duel, all of Chongque City eagerly awaited the announcement of the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild’s chosen combatant.

Two days before Nan Renyi’s seven-day death anniversary, the guild finally revealed their final selection. It was Nangong Longjian.

The moment the name was announced, countless people were left in stunned silence.

“What?”

When he heard the news, Wei Xiaotian slammed the table in shock, his face darkening with anger.

Nangong Longjian!

The current guest elder of Wushuang City was the strongest among Chongque City’s five great factions. He was also the undisputed record holder for the highest win rate in Chongque City’s dueling arenas.

Nangong Longjian had an obsessive, almost fanatical passion for life-or-death duels. He constantly found ways to participate, using various reasons and excuses to duel in the ring.

He had only been in Chongque City for twenty-one years. Yet, in that short time, he had participated in two thousand four hundred and sixty-five duels. Of those, he had personally slain his opponent in two thousand four hundred and sixty-three matches.

As for the remaining two, one opponent had committed suicide out of sheer terror before the fight even began, while the other had died from fright on the spot. As a result, those two matches were not counted toward his kill tally.

Two thousand four hundred and sixty-five battles. Two thousand four hundred and sixty-five victories. Nangong Longjian had never been defeated in a life-or-death duel, so many people referred to him as the King of the Arena. He was the undisputed ruler of Chongque City’s deathmatch duels.

No one had expected that the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild would be able to recruit such a terrifying figure for this fight.

“Nangong Longjian is from Wushuang City, isn’t he? By all rights, he shouldn’t be eligible to fight on behalf of the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild.”

“Hah, that’s where you’re wrong. The latest reports say that the so-called King of the Arena has officially left Wushuang City. He’s now the Martial Arts Chief Instructor of the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild.”

“What the hell? The Azure Swallow Merchant Guild actually had the guts to poach talent from Wushuang City? And City Lord Yan Yifang just let it slide?”

“Not only did he let it slide, but he also agreed to a deal with the Azure Swallow Merchant Guild. Rumor has it that Nan Wushuang personally visited Wushuang City and paid an enormous price to secure Nangong Longjian’s transfer.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk... If that’s the case, then that fat idiot Li Qingchen is well and truly doomed.”

“He’s as good as dead.”

Public opinion roared to life. To everyone in Chongque City, Li Qingchen was already a walking corpse.