Chapter Forty-Nine: The Second Gamble Begins

“This is just insulting to us, the Three Ghosts!” Upon hearing Mr. Jade Capital’s words, Meiyou, one of the Three Ghosts, was clearly displeased. To bet so much money on their opponent was a blatant show of disrespect. For someone as proud of her appearance and strength as she was, this was nothing short of a grievous insult. With this in mind, Meiyou shot a glance at Sikong Lang. Receiving his nod, she left the studio—clearly, she intended to be the first to confront the intruders.

Meanwhile, inside the villa, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang were facing a group of armed bodyguards. Although the guards were equipped with guns, their speed was nothing compared to the blazing swiftness of the Vermilion Bird. Qin Xiaochuan lunged forward, knocking them out with swift, precise strikes, before striding toward the main doors of the living room. Since they had already been discovered, there was no point in hiding; they might as well march straight in and lay waste to everything in their path. After clashing with these bodyguards, Qin Xiaochuan grew even more confident in his own spiritual power and agility. These ordinary men, trained as they might be, were no match for even the lowliest lackeys under the Four Sacred Beasts in Dark Castle. He could deal with them single-handedly. Calling for Zhang Yang to follow, Qin Xiaochuan ran for the villa’s main entrance.

Upon entering the grand hall, they were greeted by a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the very center of the ceiling, casting light into every corner of the nearly one-thousand-square-meter living room. Judging by its brilliance, this single fixture must have cost at least a million dollars.

“What a vulgar display of wealth,” Qin Xiaochuan muttered, glancing up disdainfully at the chandelier. It wasn’t envy for the man’s riches that struck him, but rather the sheer opulence of the décor and furnishings. The gold velvet carpet beneath his feet felt luxurious, though he couldn’t identify the material. The golden threads, glinting in the light, suggested the carpet alone was worth a fortune. Coupled with the chandelier, who could say how much this room was worth? Shaking his head, he reminded himself that he was here to rescue the Snow Maiden, not to admire the villa’s interior. Just then, a figure emerged from behind a screen near the back door—it was Meiyou, one of the Three Ghosts.

“My God!” Zhang Yang, following Qin Xiaochuan into the hall, couldn’t restrain his surprise. Judging by her looks alone, she was by far the most beautiful woman Zhang Yang had ever seen.

“What’s so fascinating? Didn’t you see the horn on her forehead? She’s no ordinary woman—she’s a demon.”

“Hee hee hee,” Meiyou giggled behind her hand at their exchange. “You two boys are so amusing. Big sister loves innocent types like you. Come here, let big sister teach you a good lesson, hee hee hee.”

“Okay…” Zhang Yang, as if bewitched, started to walk toward her, drawn by some irresistible charm. Seeing Zhang Yang fall under her spell, Qin Xiaochuan promptly landed a punch to the back of his head. “You idiot! Did you forget why we’re here?”

“Ow, that hurts!” The shooting pain jolted Zhang Yang out of his trance. He had been enchanted by Meiyou’s allure, losing all reason. Relying on this very charm, Meiyou had devoured the hearts of countless lustful men. Noticing that Qin Xiaochuan was unmoved by her words, Meiyou was taken aback—could it be…?

“This woman is dangerous, Xiaochuan. I’m afraid I’ll fall into her trap again, so I’ll leave her to you.” Zhang Yang, unnerved and wary of being ensnared again, decided to let Qin Xiaochuan handle her. If even he failed, then they could join forces. This wasn’t a fair fight; all that mattered was winning and finding the Snow Maiden.

“Fine. Dealing with women like her is my specialty.” Qin Xiaochuan stepped forward, flexing his fists. “Demon woman, get out of the way, or else—”

“Or else what, hee hee?”

“Or else you’ll regret it!” With that, Qin Xiaochuan charged at her. Meiyou rushed to meet him, and after a rapid flurry of blows, both stopped in their tracks. Meiyou clutched her chest with one hand and her abdomen with the other, her face flushed with shame and fury as she glared at him. Through gritted teeth, she spat, “You… vile scoundrel!” Clearly, something unpleasant had happened in that brief exchange.

Expressionless, Qin Xiaochuan advanced again. Under the power of his Spiritual Light Wave Fist, Meiyou took more than a hundred hits, collapsing onto the carpet. Seeing her sprawled out on the floor, Zhang Yang’s jaw dropped. “You’re ruthless! How could you lay hands on such a beautiful girl…”

“What are you talking about?” Qin Xiaochuan shot him a disdainful look. “I already checked—this one isn’t a woman at all…”

“What!? Not a woman?”

“That’s right. When we first crossed paths, I confirmed it. The chest is fake—probably stuffed with something, but it didn’t feel right…”

“You… you can tell just by touching?”

“To be sure, I checked further down…”

“You mean you also…?”

“Exactly. This one’s a complete fraud!”

“You’re unbelievable…”

“Heh, impressed, aren’t you? This secret technique of mine is the product of years of experience and my nimble body. Who else could pull this off in an instant?”

“You… you dare look down on me?” As Qin Xiaochuan boasted to Zhang Yang, Meiyou, still lying on the floor, raised his head, unwilling to accept defeat. “Just because I’m not a real woman, you refused to show mercy. Even if my body is male, I have the heart of a woman!”

“What did you say!?” Qin Xiaochuan flared up. “Don’t joke around! If you’re a man, act like one—don’t play these in-between games. If you want to be a woman, then become one in body and soul!”

“I… I’ve lost!” Meiyou’s entire being trembled at Qin Xiaochuan’s words. It struck right at the core of his deepest fears. Because of his confidence in his looks, Meiyou had never truly become a woman, using his beauty to commit untold misdeeds in the human world. But today, after being defeated by Qin Xiaochuan, he realized his greatest dread had been exposed by this young man. With that, Meiyou coughed up a mouthful of blood and fainted. Evidently, Qin Xiaochuan hadn’t dealt a lethal blow.

Glancing at the surveillance camera in the corner, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang strode over and made victory signs at the lens.

Seeing their gestures on the monitor, sweat beaded upon Li Gang’s plump face.

“Director Li, it looks like the intruders might win again!”

“Yes, they might just pull it off this time.”

“Director Li, you don’t look so good. Are you sure you can keep going?”

…

Hearing the comments from the BBCs on the screen, Li Gang took a drag on his cigar, steadied himself, and said, “Ha… ha… What’s the rush, gentlemen? The real test is still to come…”

Meanwhile, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang hurried through the hall toward the back. Zhang Yang couldn’t help but ask, “Hey, Xiaochuan, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Out with it! No need for all this hemming and hawing.”

“Heh, if that last one really had been a woman, would you have hit her?”

“Oh, that? Heh, if she’d really been a woman, I’d be delighted.”

“I see, heh. I heard that! I’ll tell Fan Fan what you said, heh…”

“What did you say?!” Qin Xiaochuan, realizing Zhang Yang was threatening to tattle, grabbed him by the collar, protesting, “You scoundrel! What does this have to do with Fan Fan? If you tell her, I’ll never speak to you again!”

“Heh, scared now? If you give me that Jacky Cheung CD from your room, maybe I’ll…”

As Zhang Yang bargained, he suddenly sensed danger and shoved Qin Xiaochuan aside. In that instant, a sharp blade slashed his arm.

As they pushed away from each other, the Invisible Ghost revealed himself. On his fists were claws like those of Wolverine, and he wore a white cloak—clearly the source of his invisibility.

Having missed his strike, the Invisible Ghost faded away again, vanishing into thin air as he sought a new opening.

With Invisible Ghost gone, Qin Xiaochuan and Zhang Yang stood back-to-back, ready to defend against attacks from behind. Hearing the soft “tap, tap, tap” of footsteps around them, Qin Xiaochuan judged that Invisible Ghost was somewhere nearby—fully concealed, invisible to the eye, but audible as he drew closer, biding his time for the next attack.