Chapter 17: Division of Spoils, A Wager!
Neither Lin Fan nor Wu Yun paid any attention to Lei Li's furious roars.
Lin Fan continued holding off Lei Li, Xie Yingying, and their allies, while Wu Yun swiftly wrapped the three Fire Python Tiger cubs in a black cloth!
He then let out a sharp whistle and darted into the depths of the forest, vanishing from sight.
"Haha! Lei Li, I'll be seeing you at the central square. We'll settle things there!"
Seeing Wu Yun escape successfully, Lin Fan laughed heartily and leapt away.
Before leaving, he sent a green hand seal flying straight at Lei Li, who had just tried to give chase.
Lei Li barely blocked the attack, only to find that Lin Fan's figure had already disappeared into the dense woods.
"Damn it! I'll kill you both!"
Lei Li roared, slamming a fist into a nearby tree to vent his frustration.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan raced through the forest, ignoring the impotent howls behind him.
Roughly ten minutes later, he arrived at the agreed rendezvous point and found Wu Yun already there.
"Brother Lin, I can't believe you actually held off Lei Li, Xie Yingying, and over a dozen others all by yourself!"
Wu Yun stared at Lin Fan as if he were a monster, clearly shaken.
"Seems you've already reached the Earth Origin Stage… and you're no weaker than Lei Li."
Lin Fan gave a calm smile. "Everyone's progressing—I can't afford to fall behind."
"Haha! Guess I'll need to work harder too. I can't let you all leave me in the dust!"
Wu Yun burst out laughing.
"But first, let's divide the spoils," Lin Fan said with a grin, pointing to the bundle in Wu Yun's arms.
"Right," Wu Yun nodded. He set the black bundle down and unwrapped it, revealing the three bloodstained but still wriggling cubs. Despite the gore, they were surprisingly adorable.
"Without you, Brother Lin, I wouldn't have even known about the Fire Python Tiger—much less had a shot at the cubs. So, you take two, I'll take one."
Wu Yun smiled as he looked at the cubs.
"Then I won't hold back."
Lin Fan nodded, choosing first the weakest-looking cub, then a female.
That left the final cub—ironically the strongest-looking—still on the ground.
Wu Yun blinked in surprise at Lin Fan's choice. Then, his expression turned solemn. "I won't forget this favor, Brother Lin."
From his perspective, Lin Fan had purposely left him the best cub.
"Heh. The weakest one now might grow up to be the strongest. Who knows?"
Lin Fan cradled his two cubs and smiled lightly.
"Haha! Then it'll depend on your luck," Wu Yun laughed, assuming Lin Fan was just joking.
"Let's move. Time to get back to the platform," Lin Fan said, dropping the subject.
Wu Yun nodded and carefully tucked the last cub into his robes.
…
Around the Beast Horn Arena, a vast sea of people stretched as far as the eye could see.
Every gaze was fixed on the towering platform at the center—the final destination for all Hunting Tournament participants.
"It's Lin Fan-ge!"
Qingtan stood from her stone seat and cried out excitedly.
Hearing her, Lin Zhentian, Lin Xiao, Lin Dong, and the other Lin family members looked over—and sure enough, there was Lin Fan, ascending the platform.
Seeing him arrive safely, Lin Zhentian and the others finally relaxed.
At the same time, Mad Blade Martial Hall's master Luo Cheng spotted Wu Yun alongside Lin Fan and nodded in satisfaction.
As soon as Lin Fan and Wu Yun stepped onto the platform, a few judges approached to count their identity tokens. Upon confirming the numbers, they gave a nod and stepped aside.
Not long after, Lei Li and Xie Yingying also leapt onto the stone stage.
The moment they arrived, their eyes locked onto Lin Fan and Wu Yun, faces twisted with fury.
Seeing their expressions, Lin Fan and Wu Yun exchanged a glance—and couldn't help but feel smug.
Lei Li's face darkened as he growled, "You won't just walk away with those cubs."
He turned toward the audience section where the Lei and Xie families sat and loudly revealed the incident with the Fire Python Tiger cubs.
The announcement stunned everyone—including Lei Bao and Xie Qian. Then, a wave of shock swept through the crowd.
"What?!"
"Three Fire Python Tiger cubs?!"
"Each one represents the future of a potential Heaven Origin expert!"
...
In Qingyang Town, such a force could tip the balance for any faction.
After hearing Lei Li's heavily embellished account, Wu Yun scoffed. "So a dying beast belongs to whoever sees it first? In that case, I'll stroll into the deep mountains tomorrow and claim everything I lay eyes on for the Mad Blade Hall!"
His words drew laughter from the crowd—and many even nodded in agreement. Clearly, Lei Li's logic didn't hold up.
A heated verbal exchange erupted between Lei Bao, Luo Cheng, and Lin Zhentian, making the atmosphere on the field increasingly tense.
"Master Luo, Master Lin," Xie Qian suddenly cut in, his tone still polite, "this conflict benefits no one. Coincidentally, the last segment of the Hunting Tournament is a contest between the younger generation. Why don't we let the outcome decide who the cubs go to?"
Lin Zhentian narrowed his eyes and sneered. "So you want to steal with words alone?"
Lei Bao immediately added, "We'll wager Tiemu Manor."
"If Lei Li loses, Tiemu Manor goes to the Lin family. But if Lin Fan loses, the Fire Python Tiger cubs belong to us."
All eyes turned to Lin Zhentian, who looked to Lin Fan for his thoughts.
"Grandfather, accept the deal," Lin Fan said without hesitation. He had held back this whole time for this exact moment.
After a slight pause, Lin Zhentian shouted, "Fine! The Lin family accepts!"
He was confident in Lin Fan—after all, he was in the late Earth Origin Stage and had even mastered a seventh-grade martial art.
Whoosh!
The crowd erupted with excitement at the news of the wager.
Everyone knew how rare the tiger cubs were—and Tiemu Manor was also highly valuable.
This was the biggest gamble Qingyang Town had seen in years!
On the platform, the other contestants voluntarily stepped back, clearing a wide space at the center.
Lei Li stepped forward, eyes gleaming with malice. "Thanks for babysitting my cubs, Lin Fan. You'll be returning them shortly!"
"Dreaming in broad daylight?"
Lin Fan replied calmly, handing the cubs to Wu Yun before stepping forward to face Lei Li.
"Both sides ready—begin!"
shouted the judge, without further delay.
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