Chapter 364: Try-Out Arena

We had just found a place to sit down,

Qiao San came.

This time Qiao San came alone,

I don't know why Li Tian didn't come with him.

Qiao San's face had already reduced swelling. Qiao San glanced at me, his eyes full of anger.

I just looked at Qiao San peacefully and smiled.

Qiu Xi saw Qiao San come in and hurried over,

then grabbed his hand, leaned to his ear and said something,

A smile appeared on Qiao San's stiff face.

Needless to say, my 5 million went to Qiao San.

Qiao San was naturally pleased; that beating was totally worth it.

Last time I lost 6 million, I didn't ask for it,

instead I ended up paying him another 5 million.

I estimate he's so happy his heart could bloom; today he might even hope I beat him again.

Qiao San took this money and directly went to the boss to buy fifty tea-leaf cards.

It looks like he wants to have a good time today.

Qiu Xi glanced at Hongguo Li,

Hongguo Li immediately said: "Everyone settle down, our match is about to start. Friends without cards, please go buy tea-leaf cards from the boss.

Everyone knows our rules.

May I ask whose cricket will go first? Does anyone have a cricket ready to go first?"

No one spoke up.

Hongguo Li then said: "Alright, our cricket will go first."

Hongguo Li finished speaking and then placed a cricket from the jar into the fighting bowl.

"Who dares to challenge with two packs of tea leaves?" Hongguo Li shouted.

"I'll come." At that moment a dark-faced man walked over,

took out a cricket jar from his bosom,

and carefully placed the cricket into the fighting bowl.

Hongguo Li then announced the start of the match. The two crickets began to bite each other.

Ma Lie Ren and He Zuming both leaned over the table, watching closely.

I glanced at Qiao San with my peripheral vision. Qiao San also furtively glanced at me.

Everyone knew the score.

The first round ended quickly,

Hongguo Li's cricket won.

Ma Lie Ren then walked over,

leaned to my ear and whispered: "I've figured out how to beat that cricket."

I just nodded and didn't let Ma Lie Ren's cricket go into the ring.

I was waiting for Qiao San's cricket to enter.

Winning with just two packs of tea leaves isn't satisfying.

The match continued,

Everyone used their crickets, fighting to the death in the bowl.

The winning cricket is cradled in the owner's palm; the losing cricket either dies miserably in the bowl or is pinched to death by its owner.

There are those who cry and those who laugh.

No matter how others are, the boss and Qiu Xi are the happiest, since they both get a commission.

The match quickly heated up.

One cricket had already won two matches.

The tea leaves in the arena had already been called for more than ten packs.

Qiao San couldn't hold back; he finally took out his cricket from his bosom.

This time I don't know what kind of cricket he brought,

all I saw was that this time Qiao San brought a cricket with a yellow head and iron cap, its color like old iron.

Qiao San proudly said: "This cricket of mine is called Iron Spear King. It specializes in challenging those who don't know their limits."

This cricket is clearly not an ordinary bug. As soon as it entered the bowl, before Hongguo Li's stick could stir it, it was already excited and didn't know what to do.

The cricket in the bowl, upon seeing Qiao San's Iron Spear King, dared not take the initiative.

When Iron Spear King attacked it, it actually fled in fright, scrambling around the bowl's edge.

No need to ask; the cricket knew it couldn't beat Iron Spear King, so it voluntarily begged for mercy and stopped fighting.

Hongguo Li again used the stick to stir the cricket in the bowl, but it still dared not fight back.

Needless to say, the cricket in the bowl lost and Qiao San won.

Qiao San gave me a very proud look,

meaning: do you dare to challenge my Iron Spear King?

At that moment I called Ma Lie Ren to the side,

and whispered: "Ma big brother, how is it?"

"That cricket didn't make a move; I can't tell," the horse hunter said.

"Use the cricket we just bought here, let it try the arena. Then after you watch, use your own cricket."

"That's the only way," the horse hunter said.

I took that cricket from the horse hunter's hand,

and strode forward.

Qiao San was at that moment calling out triumphantly,

"Is there anyone still daring to compete with my Iron Spear King? Anyone with ten packets of tea leaves? Hurry up."

I stepped up to the table,

"I'll go."

After I finished speaking, I placed the Red Arrow into the fighting basin.

Qiao San glanced at me,

"Zhao Laoban finally makes a move,

we must raise the stakes between us: twenty packets of tea leaves. Zhao Laoban, will you take it?"

I smiled, "Qiao San, I accept. I just believe in betting and accepting loss; you can't keep squeezing my cricket to death."

"You, what does that mean?" Qiao San, upon hearing me, immediately became agitated.

"Let's not bring up the past; we only discuss today's match. Mr. Zhao, Mr. Qiao, we are fighting crickets. Everyone is just playing, not taking it seriously," Qiu Xi quickly stepped between me and Qiao San to mediate.

He was afraid that I and Qiao San would argue again before the cricket fight, which would affect his earnings.

"Hmph, today Qiao San will just play with you. Let me tell you, I have plenty of money; we can afford to lose," Qiao San said at that moment.

Because Li Tian didn't show up, Qiao San's words clearly lacked confidence.

"Fine, Mr. Qiao, then I'll stay till the end. Those twenty packets of tea leaves are meaningless; how about straight thirty packets? Dare to play?" I deliberately raised the price.

"Fine, it's just thirty packets of tea leaves, right? I'll take them all," Qiao San shouted loudly.

The room instantly boiled over; none of the previous matches had thirty packets of tea leaves.

This win‑loss directly amounted to three million.

This money stimulates people's nerves.

Everyone gathered around the table, watching the two insects in the fighting basin.

Hongguo Li shouted at that moment, "Mr. Qiao and Mr. Zhao, thirty packets of tea leaves—anyone else placing a bet?"

He called twice, but no one bet.

Hongguo Li then said, "The match begins," and began to prod the crickets in the jar with a pin.

The Red Arrow, with a prod, instantly became spirited.

It leapt straight to Qiao San's Iron Spear King.

The Iron Spear King at that moment fluttered its wings,

tilted its head and charged at the Red Arrow.

The two crickets quickly bit each other.

I watched from the side; as an amateur, I could tell that the Red Arrow's strength was not as great as Qiao San's Iron Spear King's.

They fought in the basin for less than two rounds,

and the Red Arrow clearly ran out of stamina.

It began to retreat.

The Iron Spear King fought more fiercely, relentlessly chasing the Red Arrow and biting.

The Red Arrow retreated to the rim of the basin, unable to go further back.

The Iron Spear King snapped a fierce bite onto the Red Arrow's thigh, tearing the thigh off. The Red Arrow fled around the basin.

No need to ask; the Red Arrow lost, and Qiao San's Iron Spear King won.

At this moment, the Iron Spear King in the fighting basin lifted its head high and kept chirping.

Qiao San laughed wildly, "Ha ha, I told you my Iron Spear King is an unbreakable golden spear. Still don't believe it, Zhao Laoban, your cricket lost. Bring over the thirty packets of tea leaves."

I said lightly, "Lost is lost. I, Zhao, am willing to accept defeat. Then the boss gives Mr. Qiao thirty tea‑leaf cards."

The boss pulled out thirty cards from his pocket and gave them to Qiao San.

I continued, "Mr. Qiao, I simply refuse to accept defeat. I still want to play; may I ask, Mr. Qiao, do you dare to continue fighting with my cricket?"

"Alright, then let's keep playing. We agreed, this is the only round. My Iron Spear King has already fought three matches," Qiao San said.

"Good, then let's keep playing. We agreed, this is just one round. My Iron Spear King has also fought three matches." Qiao San said.