Chapter 21 Sharing a Perilous Journey, A Bond Arises (Part 4) Just who is this girl...?
Ye Yixiang observed intently.
Iron Arm's massive body moved somewhat sluggishly across the sand, each paw striking the ground and creating a small wave of sand; while Shadow crouched low with its claws slightly outstretched, clearly more adapted to the sandy environment.
“Shadow,” she said clearly and firmly.
Zheyu's smile deepened, and she gracefully raised her hand, gesturing to Yunyi, who was standing to the side.
Yun Yi immediately stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Master, may I ask where to place my bet?"
Zhe Yu did not answer immediately, but instead looked at Ye Yixiang and said in a gentle tone, "Miss, have you made your choice? Is it really 'Shadow'? Once you place your bet, there is no going back."
This thoughtful gesture nearly made the eyes of the managers and regular customers who were listening intently nearly pop out of their sockets.
A chubby, well-to-do young man nudged his companion with his elbow, lowered his voice, and said with disbelief, "Is the shopkeeper... teaching the young lady how to do things? And with such patience? Last time I asked about the odds, his men practically 'invited' me out to sober up!"
A tall, thin man with a beard, his face enigmatic: "What do you know? This is called romance! Didn't you see the look in the shopkeeper's eyes? He looked exactly like a cat guarding its food, practically as if he had 'this person is mine' engraved on his forehead!"
Under his gaze, Ye Yixiang nodded firmly again: "I'm sure."
Zhe Yu then turned to Yun Yi, his tone no longer as calm as usual, but his words made Yun Yi stumble and almost lose his balance, "Did you hear that? Do as Miss Ye said. 'Shadow of the Night,' place a heavy bet." He paused, then slowly added, his voice not loud, but enough for several sharp-eared people nearby to hear clearly, "Put the box of gold ingots that the Western Regions caravan bought a few days ago as collateral."
"All in?!" Yun Yi asked again in disbelief. He looked at his shop owner with a puzzled expression, as if pondering: Was the shop owner possessed by something unclean?
Soon, the gong sounded to signal the end of betting.
With another deafening gong bang, the iron cages of the two beasts were opened simultaneously!
"roar--!"
"Iron Arm" charged out first with overwhelming force, rushing straight towards "Shadow." The arena instantly erupted in a cloud of yellow sand and deafening roars. Ye Yixiang's heart leaped into her throat, her gaze fixed on the two ferocious figures.
The fighting was exceptionally fierce.
With its agile movements, "Shadow" narrowly avoided several of "Iron Arm's" massive paws, which were powerful enough to shatter rocks, while its sharp claws left bloody marks on the black bear's thick fur.
However, the strength of "Iron Arm" was too terrifying. A fierce charge sent "Shadow" flying. The tiger's body crashed heavily onto the sand with a dull thud. It struggled for a few moments before barely managing to stand up. There were many wounds on its body that were bleeding, staining its mottled fur red.
A heavy stench of blood filled the air. Ye Yixiang's face paled slightly, and her palms were sweaty. She saw that "Shadow" seemed to be enraged, letting out a defiant roar and charging at "Iron Arm" again, attempting to tear at its neck. However, "Iron Arm" seized the opportunity and slammed a powerful bear paw into the side of its head!
"Woo-hoo—"
"Shadow" let out a shrill wail, its massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then fell silent.
The arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an even more frenzied uproar.
"We won! Iron Arm won!"
"Hahaha! I knew it! What a load of crap, Ghostly Shadow, all show and no substance!"
"My money! I bet all my money on Shadow! It's all over! It's all gone!"
The winners erupted in celebration, excitedly waving their fists; the losers turned pale, either pounding their chests and stamping their feet, or cursing angrily. Some even tried to jump over the fence and rush into the arena, only to be firmly stopped by the guards.
"Young Master Wang, you just bet your future labor force for the next twenty years. Now that you've lost, according to the rules, change your clothes and go back inside to clean up the mess." A cold voice suddenly rang out, startling Ye Yixiang from her shock and despair. She subconsciously looked in the direction of the voice.
A man, dressed reasonably well but with a haggard face, was being dragged out. He struggled desperately and shouted hoarsely, "Wait! I still have gambling money! I still have gambling money! My grandson was just born, I can still bet on him! Give him to you as collateral!"
"Oh dear! Have you no shame!" A gambler standing nearby shook his head and sighed, "You just sold your own son to Qiankun Fang to be a servant a while ago, and your daughter-in-law ran away with your good-for-nothing son after a divorce. Now you want to take advantage of your own baby grandson? What a scoundrel!"
The guards supporting him scoffed, "Do you really think Qiankun Workshop is a charity? What can such a tiny baby do? If we sent him here, we'd have to find someone to feed him! Enough nonsense, drag him away!"
Watching this scene, Ye Yixiang felt a chill run from her feet to the top of her head, her spine going cold. What essential difference was there between her current situation and that of the beasts in the arena whose lives were not in their own hands, and that of the gambler who had lost everything, even his own flesh and blood?
However, these were all objects to be toyed with by the owner of Qiankun Workshop, mere amusement for him. Moreover, she had just lost, and it seemed that the only valuable things she possessed were this jade bracelet and half of the gold hairpin.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, stood up, and faced Zhe Yu, who was still leisurely drinking tea, her voice trembling slightly: "I lost." After saying that, she raised her hand, intending to take off the jade bracelet on her wrist and hand it over.
Zhe Yu slowly raised her butterfly-like eyelashes, and her gaze from behind the mask fell on her face, containing a faint smile: "What is this, young lady?"
"I'm willing to accept the consequences of my bet." Ye Yixiang's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.
He gently set down his teacup, his voice still gentle, even tinged with a hint of helplessness: "It seems I didn't win either. Just now, I placed a bet with you, young lady, on 'Shadow'."
These words were like a drop of water falling into a pan of oil, instantly causing an explosion around them.
"The sect leader is acting too... too abnormally!"
"It's more than just abnormal! He bet heavily and lost, then helped the other party pay off their gambling debts."
"Good heavens, just who is this girl? How could she make the shopkeeper go to such lengths?"
"She looks young, not like the shop owner's biological mother."
"What 'mother'? She should be the bride!"
Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Zhe Yu looked at Ye Yixiang and asked softly, "Want to gamble again? Maybe your luck will come back in the next round."
Ye Yixiang shook her head firmly, looking at him with clear eyes: "I came here today only to take one person away. Watching this bloody battle is not my intention."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it made several gossipy regulars nearby gasp in shock.
"Oh my god! She...she's going to ask the man directly for the man?"
"This girl is incredibly audacious, daring to speak to the shop owner like that!"
"What do you know! Look at the shop owner's expression, she's not angry at all, she even seems quite... happy? Maybe the shop owner is hoping that she would speak about her, and she's hoping to go with her!"
Upon hearing this, Zhe Yu's smile seemed to deepen. He stood up, his moon-white robes gleaming with a dark luster under the lamplight. "Very well. This place is indeed not suitable for lingering." He naturally led her back to the eerie passage leading to the ground, shutting out all the noise, bloodshed, and gossip behind them.
They stepped back into the dimly lit passage, where only their footsteps echoed.
Looking at the tall and mysterious figure ahead, Ye Yixiang hesitated for a moment, but finally asked the question that had been bothering her: "Master, have we... met before?"
Zhe Yu's steps faltered almost imperceptibly. Ye Yixiang, lost in thought, was caught off guard and bumped squarely into his suddenly stopped back. A cool, refreshing fragrance wafted into her nostrils.
"Sorry." She immediately took two steps back to create some distance, her ears feeling a little hot.
Zhe Yu turned around, his mask appearing even more profound and unfathomable in the dim light. He remained silent for a moment before slowly uttering two words, his voice low and ambiguous: "An old friend."
Old friend?
Ye Yixiang's heart skipped a beat, and she pressed on, "I wonder... if I could have the honor of seeing the true face of an old friend?" She knew this request was extremely abrupt, but she really wanted to know what kind of face was behind that mask, and why it was so special to her.
Zhe Yu gazed at her silently for a moment, his gaze seemingly piercing through the darkness and reaching the depths of her heart. Just when Ye Yixiang thought he would refuse, he chuckled softly, his voice carrying a strange gentleness: "Next time," he said. "Next time we meet, I'll make sure you see things clearly, okay?"
His answer left her with a reason to come back and see him again, driven by her curiosity.
Stepping out of the oppressive passageway and back into the relatively bright front courtyard of Qiankunfang, Ye Yixiang immediately spotted Wuluozhu anxiously looking around.
The little girl rushed over as soon as she saw her, her face full of worry. She only breathed a long sigh of relief after confirming that she was safe and sound.
Ye Yixiang noticed that behind Wuluozhu was a smaller, more emaciated little boy in tattered clothes, timidly clutching his sister's clothes, his large, clear eyes filled with fear. This must be her younger brother.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master." Ye Yixiang suppressed the myriad thoughts in her heart and bowed solemnly to Zheyu.
Zhe Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the white jade bracelet on her wrist, which gleamed warmly under the lamplight. He said gently, "This jade bracelet of yours is of little use to me." He then changed the subject, a hint of barely perceptible expectation in his tone, "How about... on New Year's Eve, you and I go out of the pass together to admire the magnificent scenery of the snowy plains beyond the Great Wall? That would be considered my 'redemption gift' for this occasion, wouldn't it?"
New Year's Eve? Scenery beyond the Great Wall? These conditions sound like she's getting a huge advantage.
Ye Yixiang agreed almost without hesitation: "Okay, it's a deal." She was even afraid that he would go back on his word, so after thanking him politely again, she immediately took Wuluozhu and the little boy and walked out of the majestic gate of Qiankunfang as if she were fleeing.
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