Chapter 335: Wagered Duel

“This old hag’s spiderweb is quite peculiar. When it’s first released, it’s light and easy to cut, but once fully formed, it’s as tough as iron and nearly impossible to sever.”

As soon as Gu Ning’an finished speaking, Doubao responded, “That’s exactly why she’s so troublesome. Look at how much ground she has already taken—next, she’ll definitely start encroaching on Innkeeper Hua and the others’ remaining space bit by bit.”

“The longer this drags on, the worse it will be for Innkeeper Hua and the others.”

Gu Ning’an nodded with a smile. “You sure know a lot.”

“Of course!” Doubao slowly floated upward, its round head tilting toward a “beacon” not far away. “Sir, see that pillar over there? I used to work there before.”

Following Doubao’s direction, Gu Ning’an saw a dark iron pillar swarming with countless Blaze Bugs. The insects clustered together, radiating a dazzling glow.

In this pitch-dark night, the reason the hunting arena was as bright as day was entirely due to the countless Blaze Bugs gathered on these light pillars.

With that in mind, Gu Ning’an turned to Doubao and chuckled. “You’ve certainly worked in quite a few places.”

Doubao responded proudly, “Of course!”

Nearby, a tanuki demon who had spoken with Gu Ning’an earlier glanced at Doubao and smirked. “Sir, keeping a Blaze Bug as a pet is quite interesting—at least you have someone to chat with. Maybe I’ll get one for myself someday.”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an shook his head. “No, Doubao isn’t my pet—I’ve hired him as my guide.”

“Besides, aren’t you all from the same demon clan? Why look down on your own kind?”

“A guide? The same kind?”

The tanuki demon couldn’t help but scoff and lost interest in continuing the conversation.

In his eyes, Blaze Bugs were mere consumables—calling them pets was already generous. After all, they constantly required spirit energy to survive. It might be amusing at first, but over time, who would bother keeping one alive?

“Hey, Ox Demon, why don’t we place a bet? Let’s see who wins this match!” The tanuki demon turned to a burly ox demon, rubbing his hands eagerly.

The ox demon grinned playfully. “Sure! I bet on Black Hand to win—twenty taels of silver!”

“Oh-ho!”

The tanuki demon protested, “How can you bet on Black Hand? I was gonna bet on Black Hand too! If we both bet on the same person, what’s the point?”

“Nonsense! You asked me to bet, didn’t you? You just want me to pick Hua Erniang to win, huh?” The ox demon pointed at the arena. “Look at the situation—how much of a chance does Hua Erniang have?”

“I’ve watched five of Black Hand’s fights before. If her opponent doesn’t stop her web from forming right away, they’re guaranteed to be worn down until they lose.”

The tanuki demon clicked his tongue. “C’mon, take a risk—maybe you’ll win!”

“Hah!” The ox demon sneered. “Why don’t you take a risk?”

As the two demons argued, Gu Ning’an turned to Doubao, who looked somewhat dispirited on his shoulder, and smiled. “Don’t let others’ words define you. Let me teach them a lesson on your behalf.”

“Huh?”

“Sir, there’s no need for that…”

Doubao lifted its gaze slightly, sounding resigned.

“It’s no trouble.”

As he spoke, Gu Ning’an turned to the tanuki demon and said calmly, “How about I place a bet with you instead?”

The tanuki demon immediately turned his head, grinning. “Sir, you’re betting on Hua Erniang to win?”

“Exactly.”

“How much?”

“Twenty taels.”

“Alright, if I lose, I’ll pay you twenty taels. If you lose, you pay me twenty taels. Sound fair?”

“No, I want to change the wager. Do you dare?”

“Let’s hear it.”

“If Hua Erniang loses, I’ll give you twenty taels. But if Black Hand loses, you don’t have to pay me any money—just run three laps around the Hunting Arena while shouting one phrase.”

“What phrase?”

“‘This tanuki demon is a pet, seeking an owner to adopt me.'”

Gu Ning’an’s voice was loud enough that the nearby spectators immediately took notice of the commotion.

Hearing such a humiliating wager from this refined-looking scholar, the surrounding demons, eager for entertainment, all turned their attention to the scene.

Fighting in the spectator stands was forbidden—that was the rule of the Hunting Arena. Everyone was curious to see how the tanuki demon would respond.

“You son of a—was I too polite to you just now?” the tanuki demon snorted. “Fine! I’ll take your bet. But show me your twenty taels first—I don’t want to hear excuses when you lose!”

At this, Gu Ning’an casually flipped his palm, revealing a shining silver ingot.

“Good!” The tanuki demon sneered. “Get ready to lose your money!”

Gu Ning’an replied calmly, “Looking forward to the pet-seeking-owner performance.”

“You—!”

The tanuki demon gritted his teeth in frustration. If it weren’t for the rule against causing trouble in the stands—punishable by being thrown directly into the ring—he would have already pounced on this sharp-tongued man!

“Mr. Gu!” Doubao’s tiny, bean-sized eyes shimmered with tears.

For the first time in his life, he felt genuine respect from someone else!

At that moment, Doubao made a firm decision: if Mr. Gu lost this wager and had to part with twenty taels, he would risk sneaking into some wealthy household—even if it meant getting swatted to death—to steal twenty taels or more to repay him!

Hearing Doubao call out to him, Gu Ning’an casually stroked the little bug and smiled. “No rush. We’ll see the tanuki’s performance soon.”

Doubao nodded vigorously. “Yes! Time to watch the pet perform!”

Beside them, the tanuki demon ground his sharp teeth audibly, repeating to himself, Just wait until I slap you in the face!—trying to suppress the humiliation welling up inside.

In the ring, Hua Erniang, who had been standing still for some time, suddenly flickered into motion. She darted through the dense webbing like an elegant red butterfly dancing across the arena. Her dark red skirt billowed, leaving dazzling afterimages in her wake.

At the same time, seeing Hua Erniang take the offensive, the old crone within the web swiftly maneuvered through her silk, using its structure to her advantage. The web allowed her to shift positions freely!

Gradually, their movements accelerated, turning into two streaks of light—one black, one red.

The red streak pursued; the black streak evaded. The red light danced nimbly through the silk, while the black light used the threads for rapid repositioning.

As she dodged, the old crone keenly felt the difference in strength between them. She didn’t dare take any risks—she focused entirely on escaping while continuously expanding her web, aiming to claim the entire arena.

However, in a split second of distraction, the red light suddenly appeared behind her!

“In the face of absolute strength, all your tricks amount to nothing but a clown’s lament.” Hua Erniang’s icy voice echoed in the old crone’s ears.

A chill shot through the old crone’s heart as an overwhelming sense of impending death flooded her body!

Seeing Hua Erniang’s palm strike coming, her instincts screamed in alarm. The threat of death loomed over her with crushing intensity!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Four thin spider limbs shot out from her back, crossing in front of her to block the incoming strike. Her entire body tensed as she braced for impact.

But her supposedly sturdy limbs were as fragile as dried twigs—against Hua Erniang’s palm blade, they crumbled instantly.