Chapter 49: Are We Even? Not Yet!
Chen Ning was dressed in the black stand-collar uniform of the Phoenix Legion, with black military boots on his feet.
As a challenger from the audience seats and given that Chen Ning only possessed the strength of a Level-Three War Soldier, he was granted the privilege of using his own cold weapon—the black standard-issue Tang sword he carried, Dragon Fang!
As the iron gate clanged open and Chen Ning stepped into the pit, a low murmur rippled through the crowd. Many wore the smirk of petty revenge; after all, this was the man who had interfered with their bloodsport earlier. Most of them were only too eager to see him torn apart by the Hellhound.
Then, they were drawn to the resolute aura emanating from Chen Ning.
Especially the noble ladies, their eyes lit up as they looked at him, each gasping softly.
“It suddenly occurs to me that this man named Chen Ning is quite handsome and charismatic. Truly worthy of being from the special Phoenix Legion—he carries himself with far more confidence than that Level-Four gladiator from earlier. I almost can’t bear to see him torn apart by the Hellhound. Ah, what a pity, such a handsome young man!”
Su Luo, along with Big Luo and Little Luo, were also very tense.
After all, they shared a deep bond with Chen Ning—especially Su Luo, whom Chen Ning had saved twice in battle.
Although she had also saved him once, the profound friendship they had built because of this made Su Luo particularly anxious now, fearing that something might happen to Chen Ning.
She quietly asked Bai Yuhao, “Young Master Bai, do you think Chen Ning can defeat that injured Hellhound?”
All eyes turned to Bai Yuhao.
Bai Yuhao smiled faintly and said, “Although I’m a bit nervous too, I have considerable confidence in Chen Ning.
Do you remember the night of the assessment? Back then, Chen Ning’s recognized strength was that of a Level-One, yet he managed to hunt down a Level-Threel Charger zombie.
So, often, levels aren’t that accurate—especially for a monster like Chen Ning.
What’s more, this guy has quietly advanced his strength to that of a Level-Three Soldier. So, I believe his true power isn’t as simple as it seems. Even against this injured Hellhound, he definitely has what it takes to fight.”
Hearing Bai Yuhao’s words, everyone felt much more at ease.
Su Luo and the others recalled that Chen Ning was usually a very low-key person. Since he dared to step forward and challenge the zombie hellhound, he must have been confident of certain victory.
Liew Ruyan, however, blinked in disbelief. Level-three versus level-five? She wasn’t a soldier, but she understands that their strength is vastly different.
Even though the Level-Five Hellhound lost one of its heads when the gladiator fought back before dying, it’s still incredibly powerful. Logically, Chen Ning shouldn’t stand a chance of winning. Why are these people so confident in him?”
To the surprise of everyone present, as Chen Ning strode into the arena with his hand on the hilt of his sword and his back straight, the two-headed hellhound did not immediately attack him.
Both of its heads were fixed on Chen Ning, their eyes seeming somewhat puzzled.
The audience stirred.
“What’s it doing?”
“Why isn’t it attacking?”
In fact, what no one knew was that the zombie hellhound had a much more sensitive sense of smell compared to other zombies. This hellhound clearly detected a familiar zombie scent from Chen Ning.
To the hellhound, the smell of a zombie was like a puppy detecting a human scent—it evoked a sense of familiarity and closeness.
Precisely because of this, the Hellhound stared at Chen Ning with suspicion and did not launch an attack immediately.
Chen Ning stopped two meters from the beast, right hand on the hilt of Dragon Fang, ready to strike at any instant.
But the Hellhound was no fool. A level five zombie beast had the intelligence of a small dog. It could sense something wrong — the scent was there, yes, but the aura didn’t match. Suspicion flickered in its feral eyes, the brief kinship replaced by a gleam of killing intent.
A low growl rumbled from its throat. The jaws on both heads opened wide, revealing rows of dagger-like fangs slick with viscous green venom that dripped sizzling onto the sand.
The crowd erupted: “Bite him! Bite him!”
Then, before the beast could move — something behind Chen Ning twitched.
Gasps spread through the stands.
The corpse of the gladiator — Li ZiLong — had moved.
Moments ago, he’d been nothing more than mangled meat. But the Hellhound’s savage mauling had left his body riddled with open wounds, accelerating the infection. The transformation came really fast.
Li ZiLong had turned undead.
When a corpse turns into a zombie, its strength depends on two factors: one is the individual’s original power while alive—the stronger their strength, the more potential the zombie has, though this isn’t absolute.
The other factor is the person’s lingering obsession; if the deceased had strong willpower or intense resentment, they are more likely to become a more powerful zombie.
This gladiator named Li Zilong clearly didn’t possess particularly strong willpower, as could be sensed from his constant retreat during the earlier fight with the Hellhound.
Therefore, when he turned into a zombie, he only became a Level-One Walker.
As Chen Ning faced the Hellhound, the zombie behind him staggered upright, its broken jaw hanging loose.
The two thousand spectators held their breath.
Then—
Shing!
Without even glancing back, Chen Ning drew his sword in a flash.
One clean motion.
The blade hissed through the air and sliced clean through the zombie’s neck.
The head rolled. The body collapsed.
“Bravo!” someone shouted.
Many people couldn’t help but cheer at Chen Ning’s clean and swift strike.
However, just as Chen Ning severed the zombie’s neck with his blade, the Hellhound in front of him completely concluded that Chen Ning was not one of its undead kin.
Without any further hesitation, it let out a low growl and lunged at Chen Ning like a leopard pouncing on its prey.
“Bring it on!”
A cold smirk tugged at the corner of Chen Ning’s lips.
Instead of retreating like Li Zilong had during the fight, he lunged forward to meet the charging Hellhound head-on. Moreover, the speed he unleashed was no less than that of the Hellhound!
Swish!
Chen Ning’s military sword sliced through the air with sharp precision.
Trained at the Azurebird Base, everything Instructor Butcher had taught him revolved around simple, decisive combat methods—emphasizing all-out effort and a single lethal strike. Flashy moves were strictly forbidden.
Chen Ning and the Hellhound charged toward each other. At the moment they crossed paths, Chen Ning’s swift blade cleanly severed the Hellhound’s left head.
One of the eyes on the Hellhound’s left head had been injured by Li ZiLong’s dagger during their fight. Seizing this weakness, Chen Ning cut off this secondary head.
The audience gasped as green blood sprayed across the sand.
The beast staggered, then howled in fury.
Its remaining head lunged straight for Chen Ning’s arm — fangs clamping down toward his wrist.
Every soldier knew: a single bite meant death.
“Chen Ning!” Su Luo cried out.
But the bite never landed.
Chen Ning twisted, pulling his arm back at the last instant. The Hellhound’s teeth snapped on empty air.
Seizing the opportunity, Chen Ning pressed his left palm against the Hellhound’s head and used the force to leap backward, instantly putting more than three meters of distance between them before landing lightly back on the ground.
The crowd exploded.
“Did he just grab its head?!”
“He did! He actually touched it—barehanded! This guy’s insane!”
The Hellhound was clearly enraged by Chen Ning. It snarled and charged again, faster now, jaws flashing nine times in succession — snap, snap, snap!
Each time, Chen Ning stepped back just one pace, letting the fangs brush past his chest by inches.
Nine bites. Nine steps.
By now, Chen Ning had been forced to the edge of the cage.
Just as everyone thought he had no room left to retreat and was about to meet the same fate as the gladiator Li ZiLong—bitten and injured by the Hellhound—Chen Ning suddenly launched a counterattack.
The Dragon Fang slashed out from an unpredictable and bizarre angle, striking precisely at the moment when the Hellhound’s initial momentum had waned and its energy was depleted—a fleeting opening.
Shhk!
A geyser of green blood erupted skyward.
The final head flew.
The Hellhound’s body staggered, then toppled, crashing to the sand in a limp heap.
Silence. Then thunderous cheers.
Chen Ning sheathed his blade, face remained calm, and walked toward the iron gate. The staff, pale-faced, scrambled to open it for him.
The arena went wild.
Bai Yuhao and the others were on their feet, clapping and shouting. Su Luo’s eyes shone with relief.
Liew Ruyan, too, couldn’t hide the smile on her face — charming and dangerous all at once.
She leaned closer, voice teasing: “Chen Ning, congratulations. Your three-coin wager, at two hundred to one… that’s six hundred gold coins. Consider it repayment for your debt to the Liew Trading Company. We’re even now.”
She was in a very good mood — not only had she recovered what Chen Ning owed, but she also placed a personal bet of ten coins on him and walked away with an extra two thousand. For a businesswoman like her, it was a windfall.
Of course, the biggest winner was Bai Yuhao. He’d wagered a hundred gold coins. Which meant nearly the entire arena had just paid him ten thousand.
Chen Ning turned toward Liew Ruyan, who was radiant in her white dress, her every gesture calculated charm. He smiled faintly.
“So,” he said, “we’re even?”
The playful glint in his eyes made her heart skip — but she forced herself to nod. “Yes. Completely even.”
“Good,” Chen Ning said calmly. “Then I’ll take back what’s mine.”
Before anyone could react, he crouched down in front of her and grabbed one of her delicate feet.
Liew Ruyan’s face went red.
“You—what are you doing?!” she shrieked.
Liew Ruyan was, after all, one of the renowned ladies of Vermilion Phoenix City.
Yet now, before a crowd of high-society nobles, Chen Ning had the audacity to remove her high heels, leaving her utterly humiliated.
She was absolutely mortified and inwardly seethed with hatred for Chen Ning.
Chen Ning lazily said to Liew Ruyan, who was sitting barefoot on the chair at a loss, with a grin,.
“That cheongsam at your place is also mine. Remember not to throw it away. I’ll come by to pick it up when I have time. Bye.”
Many people around recognized Liew Ruyan, knowing she was the manager of the Liew Trading Company. Her shrewdness and beauty were well-known in Vermilion PhoenixCity.
Now, seeing her being teased by Chen Ning, especially watching her sit barefoot on the chair, wanting to escape but unable to do so without her shoes, they all burst into mischievous laughter.
Liew Ruyan clenched her fists, glaring bitterly at Chen Ning.
“Chen Ning, you scoundrel, I’ll remember you. You’d better not fall into my hands someday, or I’ll make you regret everything you did today!”
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