Chen Jin chào and Qian De Shui took their seats, with only a fighting ring separating them from Ning Fei and his group.
Facing Hong Xingwen's provocative gaze, Qian De Shui coldly caressed the box in his hand, which contained Meng Xinran's ashes.
He murmured softly, "Xinran, wait a little longer."
"Tonight, I will either avenge you or join you in the netherworld. Either way is fine with me."
The atmosphere in the venue grew increasingly boisterous, almost deafening.
Yu Botao, watching the live broadcast, saw Chen Jinzhao sitting at the front of the crowd and exclaimed in surprise, "I really didn't expect Chen Jinzhao to be so close to Qian De Shui. No wonder he has such confidence. However, after tonight, Chen Jinzhao will surely weep tears of regret."
"Exactly, arrogance will eventually lead to one's downfall!" Yu Zhengzhi chimed in.
"It's a shame we can't witness this lively scene in person."
"Indeed," Yu Botao added.
At the scene.
Tao Qiyue stood amidst the crowd, looking nervously at Chen Jinzhao.
"He'll be fine, I believe in him," Tao Qiyue took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
Just then.
Hong Xingwen's voice boomed from several loudspeakers on the deck.
"Qian De Shui, may you be well."
The audience on the deck fell silent, their ears perked to hear Hong Xingwen's next words.
Qian De Shui suddenly looked towards Hong Xingwen, his eyes bloodshot. Hong Xingwen laughed, "Is that Meng Xinran's ashes box you're holding? Oh, I never expected you to be such a devoted person. Are you perhaps going to channel your grief into strength and slaughter me?"
"Hong Xingwen, don't get cocky too soon. I will personally kill you sooner or later!" Qian De Shui roared.
Hong Xingwen burst into laughter, his attitude utterly dismissive, showing no regard for Qian De Shui.
"Dream on!"
"With the motley crew you've brought? Haha, after tonight, my Qianmen will rule Jiangnan and become the king of the Jiangnan underworld! Therefore, I must take your head tonight."
Qian De Shui's aura did not weaken, "Bring it on. I swear I am no human if I don't kill you!"
The exchange between the two intensified the tension of the duel!
Hong Xingwen let out a scoff, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you to kill me, but I suspect your wish will be in vain."
"Because—"
As he spoke, Hong Xingwen raised his thumb and then abruptly pointed it downwards!
"You are trash!"
Hong Xingwen threw down the microphone and leaned back in his chair, laughing heartily at the sky.
*Swish!*
The venue fell into a brief silence, then erupted into heated discussion!
Who would have thought Hong Xingwen would be so arrogant, insulting Qian De Shui in front of everyone, knowing Qian De Shui was a formidable figure.
Gazes fell upon Qian De Shui, everyone eager to see how the former powerhouse would respond. To their immense surprise, Qian De Shui remained silent, offering no retort.
This left the audience greatly disappointed.
It wasn't until half a minute later that Qian De Shui calmly stated, "Arguing is pointless. Let the fight begin."
Faced with such a composed Qian De Shui, Hong Xingwen felt a touch of unease.
He turned to the three burly men beside him, all elites of Qianmen!
"Do you three have confidence?" Hong Xingwen asked.
The leader, a dark-skinned man, opened his eyes, his gaze so piercing that it hurt anyone who looked directly at him. This man was Mo Zongmao, known as the Divine General of Qianmen. He possessed B-class strength, ranking among the top three within Qianmen. In the outside world, he was considered second only to Wu Chengqing, the Guardian God of Qianmen. Qianmen had brought out this Divine General, Mo Zongmao, specifically to suppress Qian De Shui.
As for Wu Chengqing?
He was the Guardian God of Qianmen, stationed in the southwestern border region to prevent any opportunistic attacks.
Ning Fei also looked at Mo Zongmao. After a brief appraisal of Chen Jinzhao, Mo Zongmao averted his gaze, "I can't claim a hundred percent certainty, but ninety-nine percent is likely achievable."
Hong Xingwen breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to the two C-class fighters, "What about you two?"
They both replied in unison, "No problem!"
Hong Xingwen nodded, "Just do your best. We need to win at least one match to significantly increase our chances of victory."
Ning Fei, on the other hand, smiled, "Don't worry, we have a backup plan. We will definitely keep Chen Jinzhao here."
Hong Xingwen knew Ning Fei was referring to their hired gunmen and couldn't help but smirk with triumph, thinking that both Qian De Shui and Chen Jinzhao would meet their end here tonight.
On the ring.
A curvaceous female host took the stage, once again drawing everyone's attention.
Her crop top, ultra-short hot pants, and voluptuous figure...
Hong Xingwen's eyes lingered, and he chuckled, "Once this is all over, I'll find her for a few days of entertainment."
The female host announced the rules of the match. Victory would be decided in two ways: first, if one party voluntarily surrendered, the match would end immediately, and the other party could not continue attacking; second, victory by death.
In addition,
These three matches would all have betting pools for both online and offline audiences to wager on.
After announcing the rules, the female host said, "Next, we invite both sides to the stage. Please place your bets now. The betting window will close in five minutes."
The first to step onto the stage for Hong Xingwen's side was Hou Feng, a C-class fighter.
For Qian De Shui's side, Guan Hong stepped forward. The original plan was for Zhang Cheng to fight first, but Guan Hong volunteered, wanting to secure a swift victory in the first match to boost morale.
Before he went on stage, Chen Jinzhao gave him some pointers and told him that Hou Feng's weakness was his lower body, suggesting it might yield unexpected results if exploited.
Guan Hong kept this in mind and nodded before stepping onto the stage, "Young Master Chen, I understand."
Both sides took their positions for warm-ups. The five-minute preparation time quickly passed. When the betting window closed, the host announced the official start of the match!
Hou Feng glanced at Guan Hong and sneered, "A man in his forties, his vitality is no longer at its peak, yet you dare to step on stage for a fight. Heh, you have courage, but you've chosen the wrong opponent."
"Enough talk, the outcome is not yet decided!" Guan Hong retorted.
Hou Feng's smile faded. With a roar, he threw a punch at Guan Hong. Guan Hong's vitality was indeed inferior to the peak-condition Hou Feng, and he was at a disadvantage in the initial exchange, forcing him to rely on sheer willpower to hold on. However, as time went on, Guan Hong gradually gained the upper hand. This was because he was fighting with his extensive experience. While Hou Feng's strength lay in his superior stamina and vitality, combat experience was also crucial.
With his blend of offense and defense, Guan Hong displayed the demeanor of a master of traditional martial arts.
Hou Feng was forced to retreat repeatedly. Gritting his teeth, he roused his spirit and charged at Guan Hong like a bull descending a mountain! The ancients said, "One force breaks ten thousand techniques." When a person's attack power can crush everything else, defense becomes negligible.
Guan Hong's pupils contracted as he sensed imminent danger.
If Hou Feng were to hit him, he would likely be sent flying, possibly even suffering serious injury or death!
At this moment.
Guan Hong suddenly remembered what Chen Jinzhao had told him before going on stage!
Attack Hou Feng's lower body!
Hou Feng was instantly in front of Guan Hong. Guan Hong's legs were firmly planted on the ring. As Hou Feng charged closer, Guan Hong raised his leg and attacked Hou Feng's lower body.
Hou Feng's eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively slowed down.
Seeing this, Guan Hong's lips curved into a cold smile. This was precisely his objective! Hou Feng, knowing his lower body was vulnerable, was somewhat apprehensive of Guan Hong's sudden attack, which made him less focused than before.
"You lose!"
Guan Hong retracted his leg and punched Hou Feng squarely in the chest.
Hou Feng was stunned again, but this time, he was too late to defend and took the full force of Guan Hong's punch to the chest. Hou Feng stumbled back. Guan Hong pressed his advantage, raising his leg to attack Hou Feng's lower body.
Hou Feng, his defense already compromised, was thoroughly panicked and unable to attend to both offenses. After being kicked in the knee, he fell to his knees with a thud. Guan Hong, adept at seizing such opportunities, exerted force with both legs and leaped into the air, his knee connecting directly with Hou Feng's head! Hou Feng merely let out a muffled groan before lying flat on the ring.
The crowd held its breath, their hearts in their mouths.
When they clearly saw Hou Feng's face, they gasped. Hou Feng's face was bleeding profusely and swollen beyond recognition, like a pig's head.
A murderous glint appeared in Guan Hong's eyes as he intended to kill Hou Feng while he was defenseless!
As swift as lightning!
Guan Hong raised his foot to crush Hou Feng's throat. Sensing the danger, Hou Feng roared, "I, surrender!"
At this moment.
Guan Hong's foot was only a few centimeters from Hou Feng's throat. Upon hearing the word "surrender" from Hou Feng's lips, he sighed inwardly and ultimately did not press down further.
Otherwise, Hou Feng would have surely died!
"Consider yourself lucky. I'll send you off," Guan Hong said.
As his words fell.
Guan Hong kicked Hou Feng off the stage, knocking over several of Hong Xingwen's henchmen, turning Hong Xingwen's face ashen!
Guan Hong let out three hearty laughs and then declared, "A piece of trash that can't even withstand a single blow, fit to rule Jiangnan?"
"Get lost, and stay lost!"