Chapter 47: The Hellhound
Chen Ning blinked. “It’s just six hundred and ten gold coins, right? Fine. I’ll pay you tomorrow.”
In truth, Chen Ning was planning to play hardball. Asking him to borrow money from Bai Yuhao—over six hundred gold coins—was simply impossible.
And of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to risk his life by challenging a Hellhound zombie over a few hundred coins.
After all, he was leaving Vermilion Phoenix City tonight to return to the Azurebird Training Camp. Why not just promise to pay back the money tomorrow? By then, he would have long vanished.
Surely Liew Ruyan couldn’t chase him all the way to the Azurebird Base to collect the debt.
But Liew Ruyan wasn’t someone so easily fooled. The moment Chen Ning said “tomorrow,” she smiled coldly.
“Chen Ning, I’ve already investigated you,” she said sweetly, her voice carrying that soft yet dangerous charm.
“I know you and your friends only have two days of leave. You’re heading back to Azurebird Base tonight. So, let’s not play games, shall we? I want the money today. Before sunset. Otherwise…”
She leaned closer, her smile deepening. “You might find the city guards rather… uncooperative about letting you leave.”
Liew Ruyan had already made it very clear: one‑third of the Liew Trading Company’s shares actually belonged to the ruler of Vermilion Phoenix City. So the money Chen Ning owed was essentially money owed to the city lord. When Liew Ruyan said he couldn’t leave the city, she wasn’t bluffing.
Chen Ning couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. This woman was really difficult to deal with.
He narrowed his eyes. “Miss Liew, your Company is vast, your wealth immeasurable. For a few hundred coins, you really need to corner me like this?”
Liew Ruyan almost laughed. If it weren’t for Bai Yuhao’s sake, and for the fact that you’re a reserve officer candidate of the Phoenix Legion, would I be talking to you this nicely? I would’ve had you tied up and whipped for compensation long ago.
She propped her chin on one hand and sighed theatrically. “Oh, every household has its troubles, Mr. Chen. I’ve already told you—by sunset, I expect payment. Perhaps you should start thinking of a way to get it.”
Chen Ning gave a cold snort, stood, and strode toward Bai Yuhao and the others.
To his annoyance, Liew Ruyan stood too. She brushed off her dress, adjusted her heels, and began walking along behind him.
He turned, exasperated. “Didn’t you say I have until sunset? Why are you following me now?”
Her laughter was light and teasing. “Hehe, Mr. Chen, I’m just going to the arena too—purely to watch the duels, of course.”
Then, lowering her voice with a playful smile: “And maybe to keep an eye on you, just in case you… slip away.”
Bai Yuhao looked up as they returned. “Ah, the duel’s about to start,” he said, smiling faintly. “Let’s go in. Oh, Miss Liew —there’s an extra ticket. Would you care to join us?”
Liew Ruyan’s eyes lit up. “Why, that’s so kind of you, Young Master Bai. I’d love to.”
She followed with a dainty laugh. Chen Ning could almost see the smugness in her every step.
As they entered the grand arena, Liew Ruyan leaned toward him and whispered gleefully, “How generous of Young Master Bai! I even saved ten gold coins on the ticket. Do you know how expensive these are? If I had to pay just to keep you in sight, I might’ve hesitated.”
Chen Ning shot her a frosty look. “Young Master Bai thinks we’re friends. So that ticket? I’ll deduct it from my debt. You can subtract ten coins. I only owe you six hundred now.”
Her eyes widened. “Chen Ning, are you always this stingy?”
He shrugged. “If you’re not stingy, you can just cancel the debt.”
“Keep dreaming!”
“Then I rest my case.”
Liew Ruyan couldn’t win the argument with Chen Ning, and her fists clenched in frustration.
Finally, she said through gritted teeth, “Enjoy your moment of triumph. If the money isn’t paid before sunset, you’ll see what happens.”
Chen Ning and his group entered the arena. The arena was similar to the ancient Roman Colosseum. At its center was the original fighting pit, surrounded on all sides and above by iron bars as thick as a child’s arm, forming a huge cage.
Around this massive iron cage were the terraced spectator stands, capable of holding over two thousand people to watch the matches.
Bai Yuhao was a noble young master of Vermilion Phoenix City. The tickets he bought were for the most expensive VIP seats, the closest to the arena cage, allowing him the clearest view of the battles. As the ticket seller put it: from this close, even the sound of bones breaking could be heard clearly, letting spectators fully experience the thrill of the fight.
Bai Yuhao and the others sat in a row. Chen Ning took the second‑to‑last seat, with Su Luo on his left and Liew Ruyan on his right. This woman was clearly determined to keep a close eye on him, leaving him no chance to escape.
The matches began.
The first was a ragged gladiator against a wild dog. The man wasn’t much stronger than a commoner, but his desperate will to live reminded Chen Ning of his own “Hatchling’s Night” at Azurebird Camp.
Battered and bleeding, the gladiator eventually strangled the beast with his bare hands. Sparse applause followed, mostly from Chen Ning’s group.
The second match featured a Level Three Soldier against a scrawny lion, armed with only a hunting knife. The man was fast—every time the lion lunged, he slipped aside and countered, carving deeper and deeper wounds until the creature finally collapsed in a pool of blood.
Then came the main event.
A Level Four War Soldier versus a zombie hellhound.
The arena had been intentionally designed to create a dramatic atmosphere.
First, the entire venue went dark, and a large screen began playing a short film.
The story depicted a zombie outbreak overwhelming a small town, with humans being slaughtered and many women and children falling victim to the ferocious jaws of a Hellhound zombie. At last, a human warrior clad in a red cloak heroically appeared, stepping forward to face the terrifying, evil Hellhound.
As the short film on the big screen reached this point, the screen went dark and the entire arena was plunged into darkness. Then, a beam of light shone down, revealing an iron gate in the arena swinging open.
A warrior wearing a red cloak and wielding a standard‑issue military dagger ran out through the gate and entered the arena.
The announcer’s voice rang excitedly through the loudspeakers.
“Our hero, Li Zilong, has entered the arena!”
The crowd erupted in cheers.
“And now,” the announcer roared, “his opponent—the hound of the undead, enemy of mankind, terror of the abyss—the Hellhound!”
Chen Ning noticed that once the warrior in the red cloak entered the arena, another iron gate had already opened, revealing a beast cage.
Inside was a creature about the size of a leopard, its skin rotting and decayed. Most terrifying of all were its three dog‑like heads, each filled with razor‑sharp teeth.
The human gladiator hadn’t even had a chance to savor the feeling of being a hero before he was forced to pay the price of heroism.
A loud clang rang out as the gate gate fell open.
The Hellhound stepped forward, muscles rippling under rotting skin, eyes burning with hunger.
It was a Level-Five zombie, already possessing intelligence comparable to a dog.
Like all zombies, it had an insatiable craving for human blood and flesh.
As soon as it entered the arena, its gaze locked firmly onto the only target it could attack—the human gladiator.
It opened its mouths and let out a low growl, as drops of putrid green zombie venom dripped from each of its three heads, creating a truly terrifying sight.
The Level-Four gladiator instinctively tightened his grip on his dagger, visibly tense and clearly lacking confidence that he could defeat the powerful Hellhound.
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