“Get your updated list of distinguished fighters here! Only a spirit stone or free with every bet!”

  “Bet on anything and everything! For every spirit stone staked with us, the flower in our garden shall toast you with a cup of your essence!”

  "Will the sky-rending evildoer show his shadow today? Who will this mysterious big shot be? Come take your guess and win big!"

  "How many rounds will the rising, sapphire-licker He Tianqi take to establish his prestige? High odds, low risks! What are you waiting for!"

  "Broken Sleeve, Backdoor Lover Bubai! Come bet who will be the first to break the winning streak of this Qi Refiner!"

  Ahead, loud hollers mingled with the eager voices pitching wagers while the grand coliseum’s mouth devoured the chaotic flow of disciples like a great beast.

  Everything was just like yesterday, except…

  “Seriously, who came up with those disgusting nicknames?”

  Bubai cursed inside and his sharp eyes picked out those groups that dared to give him an “honorable” mention.

  Black list, em! He’ll go discuss sponsorship with them in the future!

  But that’s something for later.

  “Stay close. Let’s head in.”

  Just when Bubai wanted to join the tide heading inside, a far-too-familiar voice called out to him.

  "Ouuu, Brother Bai, what a coincidence!"

  His eyelid twitched. He turned his head to see a scruffy-haired shorty scurrying over with pouches lining his waist.

  Oh. It’s Qian Bage. What a coincidence... ja nai!

  Yesterday was like this. Today was the same. How can there be so many coincidences in life?

  But there’s no need to beat away a friendly face, especially one with deep pockets.

  Bubai half-raised his hand in greeting. “Yo, Brother Ba, long time to see! How have you been?”

  The sarcasm was there, but the shameless brushed it off like dust.

  “All good, never better!” Qian Bage cheekily laughed, giving his shoulder a couple light pats. “Ou~ Seeing brother makes my day shine even brighter!”

  Bubai rolled his eyes. “If you still got more fart, do it quickly.”

  "Ou, no more, no more! Hahaha..." Qian Bage cackled, though his shifty eyes told a different story.

  He then leaned in, lowering his voice.

  “Ou, Brother Bai, you did your hair like those face-hungry hypocrites... aren’t you afraid others will feel uncomfortable looking at you and pick a fight?”

  Hair? Bubai immediately understood.

  The style didn’t matter. It was the fact that it grew out again since yesterday.

  This guy was warning him out of good faith. But…

  Bubai scoffed. “Will those wolves spare an easy prey if I look less approachable?”

  Qian Bage blinked. “Ouu… brother has a point.”

  He scratched his hair, then smirked. “But looking at you yesterday, how many still dare to treat the tiger for a rat?”

  “More than you think. Then there are those already sharpening their knives, eager for a taste of tiger meat.”

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  Bubai let out a dry chuckle, then shot the shorty a glance. “If you don’t want the fire to spread to yourself, best to draw a line while you still can.”

  “Ouuu, Brother Bai! How can you say that?!” Qian Bage grinned and thumped his own chest.

  “Do I, Qian Bage, look like the type to shun a good brother over a little fire? Who’s afraid of who? Even if there’s a sea of fire, just walk through it together!”

  The shorty then slung an arm around his brother’s back. “Come, let’s go! I’ll bring you to our family’s box! See who dares to roast you there!”

  Bubai looked at this “friend” of his in a new light. Loud words, bold actions.

  Even in front of all these watching eyes, his stance was loud and clear for all to see.

  This Qian Bage... really knew how to put a friend on a pedestal. But… was it sincere?

  Heh. Perhaps by coincidence there was some, but if there’s nothing else, he’ll eat his own stinking boots!

  Still, Bubai was happy to tag along. Human relations were important to survival in this world.

  He didn’t mind getting involved if it aligns with his interests.

  “Haha. Then, I hope Brother Ba won’t be too troubled by my intrusion.”

  “Ou! Not at all, not at all! What are brothers for? Hahaha!”

  Watching the two men walk off, arm slung over each other’s shoulders like old comrades, the rose behind sneered.

  “Tsk. Really. Ugly birds of the same feather always flock together.”

  Still, she strutted after the man she was tied to, her heels clicking like the ticking hands of fate...

  Alas, it’s fated that some things never change.

  Shoving through the crowd, Bubai dragged the rose closer to guard her from those sneaky daredevils that dared to stick their dirty hands over where they shouldn’t.

  These uncultured swines! He memorized those faces.

  If they ever meet on a dark road… haha, don’t blame him for what happens next!

  Before long, they passed by the insurance booth. It was much less crowded than yesterday.

  The hype wore off and nobody dared to huddle there unless there was serious business, even if some ladies manning the station were gone.

  The shorty by his side clearly still wanted to give it a try...

  But the unfriendly spears of those tigresses guarding the perimeter shooed them away like they were a plague.

  Since Miss Golden-Rope-Warden was no longer there to bail him out, Qian Bage could only curse under his breath from afar.

  “Ou. What’s the big deal? Isn’t it just some broken blessing? This young master won’t waste a single coin on that even if they come begging!”

  Uh-huh. Riiiight. Bubai rolled his eyes, then shot a glance back at the booths.

  After the “special treatment” he received yesterday, he kinda wanted to upgrade his plan, but…

  Too bad, some of those eyes really looked like they wanted to flay his flesh.

  Was he now unwelcomed by association? Or was it for another reason?

  A pat landed on his shoulder.

  “Ou, don’t look, don’t look. Be careful they dig your eyes out, brother.”

  Bubai shrugged. “My heart holds no ghosts. I am just an honest customer.”

  Qian Bage rolled his eyes. “Ou. Ou. Your heart has no ghosts, but you sure went and messed one.”

  Huh? Bubai shot the riddler a sharp glance. “What do you mean?”

  "Nothing, nothing!" Qian Bage waved his hands innocently, his grin a little too wide. "Brother Bai, hurry, let’s go! We don’t want to keep everyone waiting, ou!"

  "Everyone?"

  "Ouuu, didn’t I tell you—" Whoooosh!

  A sudden gust of strong wind almost knocked the shorty over and even the packed throng around them crashed into each other and fell like dominoes.

  “Oi! Get off me!” “Where are you grabbing, you pisspot!” “Ohoho? Which lady grabbed my—a dude?! Scram!”

  Push and shove. The crowd was in chaos, but Bubai was sturdy like a tree.

  An arm caught the rose who stumbled and he looked up to see a trail of bloody mist tailing a pair of black, skull-patterned boots that streaked through the air like a comet.

  Its owner? A man dressed in a light red, gold-gilded gown.

  But aside from that, all Bubai saw was an arrogant back disappearing around the bend of the hall far ahead.

  Huh. Seriously. Who in Merlin’s name is that bloody rude bugger?

  Isn’t he afraid of offending some protagonist going incognito in the crowd?

  Lucky for that bugger, he, Grandpa Fang, is not surnamed Tang or that bugger would be one bad temper away from an irreversible vendetta...

  Feeling a shove from a bad-tempered rose, he let her go and looked over to the shorty dusting himself off. “I thought flying is banned?”

  "Ou, that’s only for us. That one passing by… should be the core disciple ranked 69 on the Earth’s Chosen List, Jin Guangta."

  Oh, core disciple. No wonder. Bubai understood everything.

  Ignoring rules was a privilege of the strong.

  All core disciples were at least at the late-stage of foundation realm, with many sitting at the peak and accumulating the foundation for core formation.

  They were one step away from becoming a sect elder.

  It’s not surprising they were exempted from the many sect rules shackling other disciples.

  Can’t be offended. Really can’t be offended, for more reasons than one!

  Bubai rubbed his chin. “Surnamed Jin, huh?”

  This was most likely the brother of that Jin Tiesha that got pummeled yesterday by the lucky baldie.

  Oh, and he should be the core disciple backing the male servant shop he once visited to acquire his handsome mask.

  Based on the gossips he heard quite recently about this Jin Clan’s messy affairs…

  Uwa… cross his fingers, please don’t pay any attention to a little guy like himself!

  "Ouu! Brother Bai, don’t pay attention to those stuck-up bosses. As long as we don’t cross them, we little men can walk sideways down here!"

  The grinning Qian Bage then threw an arm around his buddy’s shoulders, nudging him forward.

  "Go! Go! To our box! All my good brothers have been waiting to meet you!"

  Oh right. Time to visit another private box. Wonder what shenanigans will happen in this one.